by Hunt, Jack
“Recon? Why wasn’t I told about this?”
“Speak to Ray. It was a last-minute decision. Anyway,” he said looking at his wristwatch, “time’s ticking. Gotta go.” He went to walk past him when the soldier placed his hand on his chest.
“Wait.” He got on the radio. “Nolan. You hear anything about a recon up at the FEMA camp?”
“No. Why?”
A smirk formed on the soldier’s face as he looked back. “Max here says Ray okayed him to collect some gear from the armory.”
“I don’t know about that. Stand by. Don’t let them go anywhere.”
Max scowled. “Oh come on, man. You are gonna look like a complete fool when he radios over to Ray and confirms it.”
“And Ray will tear me a new one if he doesn’t. You just hang tight,” he said taking a few steps back and blocking the doorway. Max looked at Eddie. He knew the moment they spoke with Ray they would shut them down and he couldn’t afford to have that happen. All the pussyfooting around and treading lightly was starting to wear his patience thin.
“Look. We’re just gonna go. I don’t have time for this,” Max said trying to go around him only to have him grab his jacket.
“Take a seat!” he growled shoving him back into Eddie.
“You know I’ll have you demoted for this,” Eddie said. The guy chuckled. Right then over the radio, Nolan replied.
“There is no recon group. Hold them there, we’re coming up.”
Max knew they had only seconds. If they didn’t take action, the militia would strip them of gear and toss them off the boat. He glanced at Eddie and made a gesture. Eddie shook his head as if trying to persuade him not to do it. As the guy reattached his radio, Max lunged at him knocking him back. “Eddie. Grab his gun!”
Eddie reacted, cursing as he did it. “Damn it! We are so dead.”
It all happened within a matter of seconds. One minute the guy was armed, the next he was staring down a barrel. “Now we’re just gonna walk out of here and you can get in there,” he said pointing to the armory.
“You won’t get off this boat.”
“You wanna bet?” Max asked.
Max removed his radio and then shoved him into the room and locked the door. Moving quickly they took a different exit, avoiding the group that was coming in from the stern. As soon as they were topside, Max looked over and saw a few of the guys still blocking the ship’s gangway. He hurried along the main deck all the way to the end and then looked back.
“Can you swim?”
“Max.”
Without explaining, Max tossed the bags and rifles they had to the shore. They landed on top of a stack of crates covered by a large tarp. Then he leapt over the side of the boat, dropping into the water. That was the wrong things to do. The water was freezing. As soon as he came up, he gasped and looked up. Eddie was still on the boat. “Come on,” he said beckoning him to jump.
“You are going to be the death of me.”
Eddie climbed over the barrier and dropped, letting out a yell on the way down. As soon as he broke the surface and came up they swam to the shore and clambered up onto dry land. Soaking wet, and moving at a crouch, Max made his way over to the bags and rifles and they got the hell out of there before the others raised the alarm.
“You know how much trouble we are gonna be in.”
“If I could have got this gear another way I would have.”
“Ray will go ballistic. You have probably just ruined whatever relationship we had with them. Just when we were making progress. Now I’m going to be demoted.”
“Demoted? You don’t even hold a rank. They’re not the military, Eddie,” he said as they collected their bikes. They pedaled away from the docks as fast as they could.
“No but they’re the closest to it.” He groaned. “Now we’re soaking wet and…”
“Stop complaining. Man. You bitch a lot. Sometimes to get shit done you have to think outside the box.”
“Oh you thought outside the box!” Eddie bellowed.
“Look, we’ll head back to my place, get some dry clothes and head out.”
“Uh do I have to remind you of what happened the last time?”
“Eddie. Give it a rest. This is Ray not Bennington.”
They continued pedaling fast, taking a few shortcuts back to the Manor. However, by the time they made it back, Ray and several of his men were already at the Manor. “Okay, what now, smartass?” Eddie asked hiding in the shadows.
“Screw it. We’ll dry off in a few hours,” Max said turning to leave.
“Are you serious?”
Their clothes were already sticking to their skin and Max’s boots were still filled with water. “Yes. Unless you want to try sneaking past them?”
They stood beside their bikes in the tree line watching Ray and his men enter the home. “Let’s wait it out. He won’t hang around long and then we can sneak in, get fresh clothes and head out.”
“All right,” Max replied. He was more than willing to just continue on but he knew he wouldn’t hear the last of it. Eddie would chew his ear off complaining.
“Tell me something,” Max asked while they waited. “How come you haven’t gone home in over a week?”
Eddie shrugged. “My parents don’t care where I go.”
“Really?”
He stared at him. Eddie was terrible at lying.
“They’re dead, aren’t they?”
Eddie glanced at him. “Look, I think we should get going.”
“Don’t dodge the question. Eddie. What happened to your parents?”
“It doesn’t matter. We need to…”
“Eddie!”
“All right. Yes. They’re dead.”
“That’s why you were at Nautilus.”
He gave a nod.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Didn’t think it mattered. You had enough on your mind with your father and sister gone.”
“How did they die? And when?”
He went quiet and ran a hand over his face. “Three weeks into the blackout our home was raided. At least that’s what I think happened. I was out at the time. Over at Nautilus Island. When I returned I found them shot and everything was taken from the house. I didn’t have much choice but to head back and stay on the island.” For the first time since Max met Eddie, he didn’t have a smirk on his face.
“Man, you should have told me.”
“And how would that have helped?”
Max stared back at him dumbfounded. “You wouldn’t have had to carry the burden alone. That’s a lot of shit to handle. And then that whole thing with your brother.”
“I don’t want anyone’s pity,” Eddie said hardening his face.
“It’s not about pity,” Max said. “This. Me and you. The only way that works is by being honest.”
“Yeah, like you were really honest about your father and sister.”
“That’s different.”
“Is it? You dodge the questions when I try to ask you about them.”
Max gritted his teeth.
“Not easy, is it,” Eddie said. “Much easier to avoid than speak about it.”
Max gave a nod then looked toward the house. Ray and his guys got on their horses and took off. “All right. Let’s make this quick,” he said. “After this, we get the boat and head up the bay.”
“What are you hoping to achieve from this, Max? Even if you find out something new, Ray isn’t going to listen.”
“Maybe not but the community will.”
7
The engine went quiet and the fishing boat glided effortlessly through the water under the cover of darkness. Bennington and three men observed the shore of Castine coming into view. “Okay, listen up. You know the plan. In and out. Martinez, you clear?”
A soldier with a buzz cut and hard features nodded.
Rob Martinez was clothed in Lee Ferguson’s fatigues.
As the bow of the boat banged gently
up against the rocks, Bennington hopped out and held the front while the others climbed out. Waves lapped up and a fine mist blew in off the water. Mick dragged the boat ashore with the help of Jenkins and Ryland and they covered it with branches before heading inland. They trudged through the forest on the west side of Castine heading for a farm located just off Mill Lane. It was home to Benjamin Willis and his wife. Mick specifically picked their property as he knew Willis wasn’t the kind of man to stay quiet and this relied on someone who wouldn’t back down. Mick figured that they’d only have to do this two or three times to get the community to look at the militia in a different light. No one knew Rob, he had never visited Castine, but they were familiar with militia uniform. It was a different shade of camo to the ones used by the military working with FEMA.
The only reason Mick was there was to make sure it all went off without a hitch. As they got close to the home, Mick heard a dog that was tied up outside bark. That could be a problem. They crouched in the darkness.
From the tree line, he removed his NV binoculars and scanned the windows of the home. The inside of the home was lit up by candles. Flames flickered, casting shadows on the wall and revealing the occupants. A woman in her early forties passed by with a cup in hand and took a seat beside Ben.
“So you approach the main door. Tell them you are performing a routine check and draw the guy out. Ryland and Jenkins will handle him then you go and do what I said.”
“I’m not killing her.”
“I didn’t say you needed to. But we need to send a clear message.”
Rob frowned but headed toward the house. Ryland and Jenkins got into position while Bennington shrouded by shadows watched from the tree line. Rob gave a knock on the door and waited. He looked over his shoulder then the door opened. A quick exchange and Ben shouted into the house something and then stepped out. Rob led him around the house. Bennington didn’t see his two guys strike but he knew it was done when Rob reappeared without Ben. He gave the thumbs-up and headed into the house. From there, Bennington heard yelling, items being smashed, a woman scream, and five minutes later Rob came out with two rifles slung over his shoulder. He hurried toward the tree line where they were waiting for him.
“It’s done.”
“Good man,” Bennington said as they returned to the boat. Next they would swing around to the south end of the island and commit the same, two more times that evening. No words were exchanged on what had been done except that he hadn’t assaulted her. That was the only thing Bennington wouldn’t have them involved in. It wasn’t required and was an evil that not even he could bring himself to commit. Instead, Rob entered, confiscated weapons, took a few supplies and trashed the place. Ben had been knocked out and left behind the house for his wife to find. Bennington had given Rob instructions to tell her that Ray Ferguson had ordered that all weapons be removed and that from now on he would be rationing out supplies. It was just the kind of act that would incite the community, cause people to point the finger and throw doubt on the assistance of militia. A few additional incidents like this and FEMA wouldn’t have to drive out militia, the community of Castine would do it for them.
Dry, energized with some food and ready to set off for the FEMA camp, Max and Eddie had not only eluded Ray’s men and his mother but they’d managed to make their way down to Dyce Head to collect the boat without anyone seeing them. “I have to admit, Maxy boy, I thought the gig was up back at the boat but you once again surprised me. However, we are pushing it this time.”
“Don’t worry, they’ll thank us for it.”
He stopped walking and looked at the spot where they’d stashed the boat. No. No! It was gone. Max hurried over and lifted some of the large branches. Beneath it was the camo netting. “What the hell?”
“You two are just too predictable.”
Max spun around. “You really must take me for a fool,” Ray said stepping out of the tree line with several of his guys. “And I thought you were better than this, Max.”
Both of them backed up but there was nowhere to go except in the water or back up the steps that snaked up the side of the cliff — and those were blocked off by one of his guys.
“I just wanted a few pieces of gear.”
“Why didn’t you ask?”
“Because I knew you’d say no,” Max replied.
Ray shifted from one foot to the next and stared at him. “Let me guess. You were planning on doing some recon on the FEMA camp or were you going to turn yourself in?”
Max didn’t reply. A couple of Ray’s guys lightened their load by taking their backpacks and the rifles they’d taken from the armory. Ray got closer to him. “I just don’t get you.” He paused for a second. “Actually, let me rephrase that. Yes I do. You’re a kid who doesn’t think,” he said tapping Max on the side of the temple.
“You wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for me.”
“Really? Clyde. Did you hear that?”
One of his guys smirked.
“Max, you’ve obviously forgotten. You came to us for help. So no. The only reason YOU are here is because of us. Right now Sam, Jake, your mother. All of you would have been under the thumb of FEMA and the military had it not been for us. So how about you show me a little fucking respect!” He grabbed a hold of Max by the shoulder. “You ever pull any shit like this again, and you’ll find yourself at the bottom of the bay. Do I make myself clear?”
Max didn’t reply fast enough so Ray bellowed in his face. “Do I?”
He nodded.
“Get the fuck out of here.”
“What about my boat?”
“Your boat has been confiscated. There are consequences.”
“And the guns?”
“We’ll hold on to those for now.”
“That handgun belongs to my father.”
“Yeah, well, now it belongs to me,” Ray said. “If he wants it, he knows where I am.” Ray turned to leave but Max wasn’t done. He lunged at Ray and in an instant removed his handgun and pulled back holding it out in front of him. It even caught Eddie off guard who backed away telling him to put it down.
“Do as he says, Max.”
“No. I came this far and you are not getting in the way.”
“In the way of what? Huh? What? What are you hoping to achieve?”
“What you guys haven’t achieved.”
Ray shook his head and smiled. He wasn’t intimidated by Max in the slightest. “Tell me, Max. Do you get to eat three times a day? Do you sleep without worry of being attacked?” He waited for an answer. “You have us to thank for that.” He extended his hand. “Now give me the damn gun.”
Max shook his head.
“Max, just give it to him,” Eddie said. Even he was taking Ray’s side.
“No.”
Ray ran a hand over his face. “Kid, killing those two people who invaded your house must have really done a number on your brain. We are on your side. Now give me the gun.”
“Fuck you. I’m tired of being told what to do.”
“Is that what this is about? Little Max trying to prove he’s a man. Is it?” Ray took a few steps toward him and his hand began to shake as he placed his finger on the trigger.
“Back up, Ray! I’m warning you.”
“Okay. You want to be a real man? Pull the trigger. Go on! Take us all out.”
“Back up!” Max said as Ray took a few more steps toward him shaking his head.
“You want to shoot me Max? Huh?” He stepped forward again. Bay water splashed against the rocks beneath their feet making every step even more precarious than the last. He’d heard of people slipping and being washed out by the strong undercurrent. “Go on, Max. Squeeze the trigger!” He stepped forward again until the barrel of the gun was pressed against Ray’s chest. When he knew Max wasn’t going to do anything he disarmed him in an instant. “That’s right. You don’t have the balls to do it. And there was me thinking you were militia material. You are nothing but a scared little kid.”
>
“I’m not a kid.”
“No? Then stop fucking acting like one.” He turned to Eddie. “That goes for you too.”
He offered back a dumb expression, raising a hand. “Hey, I was just—”
“Doing whatever he said. That’s admirable but stupid under these circumstances.”
Ray inserted the handgun back into its holster. He lifted his hand as if he was about to swat Max around the face. “I should beat you black and blue. Knock some sense into your pinhead, but I get a feeling that wouldn’t help.” Ray shook his head in disappointment before turning and heading back up the steps leaving them alone. “And Max,” he shouted over his shoulder. “If I have to come and chase you down again, I won’t be as lenient next time and I don’t give a fuck what your parents will say.”
Max sighed and kicked some loose stones out of the earth.
“Well that’s that,” Eddie said. “You want to go back to your place and smoke a doobie?”
“Is that all you can think of?”
“At least we won’t get our asses handed to us.”
Max brushed past him.
“Where you going?”
“Home.”
“Sounds good. I’m coming.”
“No. You know what, just… just give me some space.”
Max left him there with his jaw hanging. He knew he didn’t have family and would probably return to Nautilus Island but right now he was in no mood for his wisecracks or company. He wasn’t just pissed off that he’d failed but pissed off that Ray was right. He still hadn’t grown up. He was still making reckless decisions and in turn being treated as someone who couldn’t be trusted. He knew he should act better but he no longer cared. Ellie wasn’t coming home. His father… well… they’d never been close. He just thought he could make a difference, prove himself to Ray, to a group that he admired and be accepted as one of them but he’d just done the reverse. Stupid. So stupid. He gave himself a slap on the side of the face.
When he made it to the top of the cliff, he trudged back up Battle Avenue with a heavy heart wondering what Ray had told his mother when he’d swung by earlier that evening. The last thing he needed was to have her on his back. He figured he’d slip in through his bedroom window and go up to the attic and sleep in the secret room. At least there he wouldn’t get hassled by her and it would give him time to think up an excuse.