“You’re tired,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Sliding the holster on his belt, he grabbed the magazine holster and slid it on his left side. “I’m not denying that,” he said, looking up at her. “But I’m good. I promise,” he said, stepping close.
“I can’t do this without you,” Michelle said as she put her arms around him.
He pulled her close. “Who’s says I’m going anywhere?” he asked. “I can’t be far from you, and you know that. I love looking at my hottie.”
Chuckling, she slapped his butt. “Will you be serious?”
“Baby, I’m good, I promise, and I was being serious.”
“Okay then,” she said, looking up at him and pulling him down so she could kiss him.
When they broke the kiss, she headed to the bedroom. Nelson moved over to the washer and dryer and found a pair of socks. Grabbing his hiking boots, he sat down and put the socks and boots on. Feeling better, he grabbed his pistol and slid it in his holster.
Picking up the rifle, he called the dogs and went out back to the shop. When he walked in, he laid his rifle on a work bench and opened the massive gun safe. Like the safe in the garage, this one was advertised to hold thirty-six rifles, but it held a few more as well as a dozen pistols on a top rack. Picking up two dual magazine holsters for the AR, he clipped them on his belt and dug around to the stack of magazines, pulled out four, and put them in the holsters.
Like the magazines, the holsters were polymer. He didn’t like metal magazines for the AR platform. It was a great platform but was high-maintenance, and a dinged metal magazine always caused problems. A polymer magazine was either perfect or broken, and it was easy to tell when they were broken.
Feeling better, he walked over to the shelves lining the entire west wall filled with empty rifle cases. Pulling down stacks of hard rifle cases, he set them on the bench, opening the top one up. Grabbing two rifles, he laid them in the case and closed it, making sure it was locked and moved it to the side. Opening the next one, he heard the door open and turned to see Michelle walk in.
She was dressed just like him without the rifle magazine holders. “Hey, we’re twins,” Nelson said, smiling.
“I’ve come to help,” she said, smiling as she walked over. She would pull out rifles, and he would pack them. With twenty hard rifle cases packed, Nelson pulled down two more rifle cases, and Michelle started pulling out the pistols, filling both cases. Next, they packed up loaded magazines in ammo boxes.
When everything was out of the safe, Nelson stood up, slinging his AR across his chest. “Damn, and we have two more to go,” he said, grabbing two cases.
“Only one of them is this big, and I’m glad the other is only half this size,” she said, walking over and grabbing two cases by their carry handles.
They ferried all the cases inside and packed them on one of the trailers. When they were done, Nelson looked at her and pointed at all the family’s bikes strapped to the outside of the rails on the trailers. “You thought of that?” he asked.
“Yes. Be damned if I’m leaving them,” she said, wiping her brow. “It took me three years to get you on a bike, and I don’t care if it was electric.”
Walking to the door, he said, “Just be glad I got it at half price,” as he walked out.
“If you had paid eight grand for a bike, I would’ve shot you,” she said, following him out. “I almost shanked you for spending four.”
Turning to look over his shoulder, he said, “Hey, I didn’t want to, but when you told me I had one year to get ready to run the Ironman in Hawaii, I pulled out all the stops,” he said.
She laughed as she followed him into the shop. They carried empty rifle cases to the garage. When all of them were in there, Michelle opened the safe. “You realize if anyone watched us carry over fifty gun cases in here, they will think we’re terrorists,” she said, passing Nelson two rifles.
“Hey, when the zombies attack, people suddenly realize the crazy gun nut down the street isn’t that crazy,” he told her.
Passing him two more, she said, “Or they want to hole up with the gun nut.”
“Right, but the gun nut always has a place to run to,” he said, taking the rifles. When Michelle pulled out the Lapua, she pulled it out by itself and handed it over. This rifle was one of Nelson’s special babies and got a case all to itself. She wasn’t complaining since it was also one of the most expensive guns he had. The scope cost more than the rifle, which made no sense to her. “You did pack up all the stuff I used to work on bows, didn’t you?” he asked, taking the Savage 110BA.
“Yes, dear,” she said, grabbing two more. “And I got all your reloading and gunsmith stuff.”
Taking the rifles, he said, “You have to be the best wife ever.”
She blushed. “Only because you are the best husband ever,” she said, continuing the relay. When they were halfway done, she stopped. “Ashley said Matt picked her up at work and took her home after he left here last night,” she said and started the relay again. “They both worked for several hours packing their stuff, but Matt had to leave when the feds were shot. She had to finish by herself.”
“Hey, the little girl is tough,” Nelson said, continuing to pack.
They continued on, and when she passed the last two rifles, she asked, “Nelson, do you know anything about the shooting?”
“Why do you ask?” he said, taking the rifles.
Watching him calmly putting the guns in the case, Michelle shook her head. “I don’t know, but you were gone when it happened,” she said.
“So?” he said, closing the case. “Pistols,” he said, looking at her with a slight smile on his face.
Shrugging, she started passing pistols. “So you don’t know anything?”
“How would I know where to get them, baby?” he asked, packing the pistols.
She grabbed the last pistols. “So you really don’t know anything?” she asked, having a nagging feeling.
Taking the pistols, he let out a sigh and said, “I didn’t say that.” Michelle’s heart skipped a beat. He put the pistols in the case and closed it. Standing up, he looked at her. “I’ve never lied to you, baby,” he declared.
“I know, baby.” She smiled weakly.
Bending down, he picked up two cases and turned to her. “So please don’t ask anymore,” he said then moved over, stacking the cases in the trailer.
Closing her eyes, Michelle shook her head as her heart started pounding. “Wh—” she started but stopped. Snapping her eyes open, she walked over, grabbed him, and pulled him to the other side of the garage. “Why would you risk so much?” she whispered.
He reached up and brushed Michelle’s bangs off her face. “Baby, in Iraq, what happened when we took out the leader of a cell?” he asked.
This caught her off guard. “They panicked and were disorganized. Most of the times, it took weeks for them to get back in action, and we could take out a lot of fighters till someone filled the void.”
“That’s right,” he nodded.
“Baby, this isn’t Iraq; it’s Missouri,” she whispered.
“Same thing applies: Cut the head off, and nothing gets done,” he said.
Shaking her head, she said in a low voice, “Baby, I hate to tell you, but I can guarantee those weren’t the heads of the snake.”
“In this town, they were,” he said. “They were the ones leading the cops into taking people’s stuff. Without them, I can guarantee the cops aren’t going to enforce those federal statutes. They live here, and now, seeing how easy it was for the feds to die, they will think really hard before they follow the leader.”
Feeling confused, Michelle looked away. “It may have been right, but why did you have to do it?” she whispered.
“Because I could,” he said honestly. “I’ve killed before just as you have. I have no guilt about it. For evil to spread, good only has to turn away. Now that others know it can be done, they will do it.”
Taking a deep breath, Michelle laid her head on his chest, and he put his arms around her. “You were careful, right?” she mumbled.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” he chuckled.
“You know what I mean,” she snapped in a quiet voice.
He squeezed her tight. “I’m sure one or two of my hairs are there, and the cases were wiped down.”
“What if the FBI comes and does that CSI stuff?” she asked, getting worried.
“My DNA isn’t in any database, and I had gloves on, so no prints. But baby, how many federal agents did you write down had been killed yesterday?” he asked.
“Seventy-two,” she answered.
“That’s spreading them kind of thin,” he said. “I can guarantee you it’s more now besides those four.”
“One was really a woman?” she asked.
“Does it make a difference?” he asked.
Breathing through her nose and blowing a long breath out, she admitted, “No, they are just as deadly as men are.”
They sat there for a while with Nelson just holding her. “Baby, please don’t say anything to anyone,” he said. “I’ve never lied to you, and I never will, but please don’t ask about stuff like that. I don’t want you to be guilty of anything,” he finished in a begging tone.
Backing up, she looked at him. “I would’ve gone with you and spotted,” she said with a firm expression. “We are a team, and a team doesn’t hide anything from each other. If you would’ve brought one of them back to interrogate, I would’ve held the knife and buried the body. I want to know so I can protect you, and I will tell you so you can protect me,” she told him using her “tone.”
A grin slowly split his face. “Okay then, hot stuff,” he said. “Another reason I done it was I know they won’t be coming to the house looking for the missing stuff from the store.”
“Now that I can really understand,” she said, hugging him. “Let’s get this done before the kids get up.”
They walked back and quickly had the safe emptied. Then, very quietly, Michelle opened the gun safe in the bedroom and brought out the guns there as Nelson packed them in cases on the living room floor. When they finished, they loaded them up in the trailer.
Walking back inside, they found Nellie fixing breakfast. “We can do that, Nellie,” Michelle said, walking over.
“I can do this. You two keep getting ready,” she said, getting two coffee cups down. Filling up the cups, she handed them over. “I called Gerald and told him we would be leaving no later than tomorrow. I had to yell at him because he wants to come here and make sure we make it home safe.”
Looking around the counter, Nelson looked over at Michelle. “Where are the keys to Matt’s truck?” he asked.
“Why?” Michelle asked, blowing on her coffee.
“I want to back it in just in case we have to skedaddle out fast,” he said, taking a sip of coffee. Michelle left, heading to the bedroom.
In a few minutes, she came back holding the keys and gave them to Nelson. Grabbing his rifle, he headed to the front door as the dogs followed him. He opened the door, and they followed him out and sniffed around the yard.
He stopped and looked at the driveway. It was almost fifty yards long and wide enough for his and Michelle’s rides to sit side by side, but it seemed really crowded now. The Suburban and Blazer were backed up just a few feet from the garage doors. Then in front of the Suburban was his truck with that long-ass trailer backed in. Then was Matt’s truck with his trailer hooked up. Just like all the trailers, Matt’s was piled up and covered in tarps. But his was the only vehicle that was pulled in.
Pulling out the keys, Nelson hit the unlock button and heard the doors click. Matt’s truck was a 2500HD just like Nelson’s, but Matt’s had a gas engine and was jacked up six inches while Nelson’s was only lifted four inches. Both trucks were even the same gray color.
Climbing in, Nelson started the engine and slowly backed out, seeing no cars in the early morning light. Then, he pulled down the road and slowly backed into the driveway. Not even wanting to run the risk of hitting his truck, it took a few adjustments before he backed the truck and trailer in. He turned the truck off, climbed out, and walked around his truck and saw both dogs sitting down, looking at him almost like they wanted to know what all that was about.
“You two could’ve helped guide me in,” he said, walking over and loving on them. When he stopped and stood, they bounded toward the door.
Walking behind them, he adjusted his rifle then let the dogs in. He found Michelle packing the guns that were hidden in the house. On the couch was his tactical bag that held his tactical gear and the soft case for the rifle on his chest.
Seeing all the guns Michelle had loaded up, Nelson shook his head. “Okay, I’ll admit we have a lot of guns,” he said.
“Whatever,” Michelle said, never stopping. He walked over and started carrying out the cases she had packed. When he came back, Michelle was finished and picking up two cases. “I’m just glad many of these were given to you as demos,” she said, passing him. “Otherwise, I would’ve gotten bent out of shape.”
Laughing, he grabbed two more cases and followed her out. They packed the last of the gun cases then went back to check the house. When Nelson walked in his bedroom, he found both girls sprawled on top of Ashley. He eased into his closet and only found his suits and a few other dress clothes. Other than that, it was empty. Walking into the bathroom, he found all the extra toiletries under the counter gone.
Only what he needed was on the counter beside his shaving bag. Grabbing his toothbrush, he brushed his teeth and packed up the rest. When he was done, the toothbrush went in the bag, and he went back to the living room and found Michelle packing the pantry in plastic bins.
Setting his shaving bag beside his tactical bag, he went and carried out the bins and loaded them on the trailer. They kept a month’s worth of food in the house, but their main supply was at the farm. When he finished loading the bins, he refilled his mug and walked to the shop.
The walls were bare. On the far end were shelves that had held bins containing all the different clothing the family had. Anything from heavy coats and snow gear to dive suits had been stored there, but Michelle had loaded all that. Walking over to the main workbench, Nelson reached up to a shelf and took down the one personal item he cherished: a large cedar box with a glass lid, and inside were limited edition Star Wars figures.
Smiling at the figures under the glass, he glanced around the shop. Not seeing anything except benches, chairs, and tables, Nelson left and headed to the gym. When he walked in, he found everything there. None of it would be coming with them. At the farm, they had built a gym that was bigger than this with more equipment, but this was his and Michelle’s gym. Looking at the Jacuzzi, he smiled, thinking of all the memories in this one room alone.
Then, all the memories they had made there in their home started going through his mind. A small part of Nelson wanted to stay to defend those memories, but he knew it would be useless. Turning around, he saw the picture. Reaching up, he took the poster-sized picture down and gave the room one last look before walking out.
When he walked in, he found Michelle and Gavin sitting at the table, eating. Michelle saw the picture he was carrying. “I got the other two with all the kids’ pictures,” she said with a full mouth. Then, Michelle saw the cedar box under Nelson’s arm and grinned. She almost said something about his “toys” but held her tongue as he set the box down.
“I know, but I want all of them. This picture means a lot to me,” he said, putting it by the wall. He took his rifle off and hung it on his chair then sat down as Nellie set a plate down and joined them. Reaching out, they all held hands as Nelson said the prayer.
When he was done, Michelle looked up. “Matt called. He will be here in a little while,” she said, spreading jelly on a biscuit.
“You are going to make him take a nap, aren’t you?” Nellie asked, glancing at Nelson with raised eyebrows.
“Then I’ll find a belt,” Nellie said, grabbing a slice of bacon.
It wasn’t much longer when they saw the dogs jump up. Wiping his hands off, Nelson got up, grabbed his rifle, and headed to the door with the dogs following. Walking outside, Nelson saw Ashley’s Corolla pull in and stop in front of Matt’s truck.
Trotting over before Matt got out, Nelson tapped the window. Slowly, Matt pushed the button to lower the window. “Matt, pull the car beside the garage in case we need to leave fast,” he said, and Matt nodding understanding.
Pulling off the driveway, he drove across the grass, stopped beside the garage, turned the car off, and got out. Nelson could see he was moving real slow with clumsy movements. Stopping at the trunk, Matt opened it and pulled out a large gear bag. He tried to put it on his shoulder, but it slipped off, falling to the ground.
Nelson ran over. “I got it, Matt,” Nelson said, grabbing the bag and almost dropping it. “What the hell do you have in here?”
“Stuff I found,” Matt said, grinning.
Grabbing Matt’s arm, Nelson led him to the front door. “Your daughter and my daughter beat the hell out of me, and your wife is now sleeping in my bed, getting beat up. You go and join them, or Nellie’s going to throw a fit,” he warned.
“Damn, you slept with both of them?” Matt slurred. “I’ll put you in for a medal,” he said as Nelson led him inside.
Dropping the bag off his shoulder, Nelson kept guiding him as the others came over. “He’s going to bed,” Nelson said, looking at Nellie.
“Damn right he is,” she said, stepping forward and undoing his duty belt. Michelle stepped up and unclipped the radio microphone from his shoulder as Nellie took the belt off. Matt just stood, staring straight ahead with glazed eyes. Holding Matt’s arm, Nelson could feel Matt’s weight shifting, and the only thing keeping him from wobbling was the hold on his arm.
Nellie came back and started unbuttoning Matt’s shirt, and Michelle dropped down and unzipped his boots. “Lift your leg,” she said, tapping it, and Matt did, allowing her to take his boot off. Throwing it to the side, she turned back and saw Matt was still holding his leg up. “Put your leg down,” she said, and when it was down, she tapped the other leg. “Lift your leg,” she said and took his boot off as Matt raised his leg.
Forgotten Forbidden America: Rise of Tyranny Page 12