by Eric Vall
“Did they catch any of the guys?” I asked.
“That’s another reason I’m so mad,” Tara growled. “It was this huge legal thing and police investigation, but none of the guys went to prison, even though I fucking saw them do it and there was like DNA evidence. All of them were fucking rich too and had good lawyers. It took years to get resolved. No fucking justice. One of my friends got pregnant, and she had to have an abortion, but these assholes still got off with little more than community service. My two friends were never the same, though. They never smiled or laughed again, and they never wanted to leave their houses.”
“Fuck,” I growled, and I could feel myself getting angry at the injustice in the world. “I get why you want to help Jenny. I do too, and I get your anger, but we are going to have to do this cold, calm, and efficient. Understand?”
“Yeah,” Tara said as she grabbed me tighter. Her whole body trembled, but I didn’t think it was from the cold.
It was from her rage.
“I just can’t let this happen to another girl,” she continued. “I felt like it was my fault because I got knocked out. Now I know how to fight, and I want to make a difference. I know that this time I can help Jenny.”
“We’ll get Jenny back,” I assured her.
“You’re damn right we will,” Tara hissed. “I’ll kill any one of those National Guard assholes who gets in my way too.”
“Just don’t let your anger get the best of you,” I cautioned. “I need you sharp, and I need you to listen when I give you orders. Can you do that?”
“Yeah,” Tara said. “I can do that.”
Chapter 9
The trip through the fields and the trees was quick, and it wasn’t long until we broke through the perimeter of forest that surrounded the last property. In front of us was a large open area with a small house and a large barn at the back of the property. All the fields were overgrown, and the one pasture was surrounded by broken fences.
“I’d guess whoever lives here doesn’t do much farming anymore,” Tara said as she stepped off the ATV.
“Yeah, the National Guard probably won't find much here,” I said as I looked at the fields.
“Maybe it’s abandoned,” Tara suggested. “Farmers could have ran once the power went out.”
“Maybe, but we won’t know until we take a look around,” I said.
“Do you think the National Guard have been here yet?” Tara asked.
“It doesn’t look like it,” I said. “The road here is hardly direct, and they have to push through lots of unpaved space to make it out this far. If they were here already, we’d see their trucks, and if we missed them we’d see the tracks the big tires left in the mud.”
“Looks like cutting through the fields worked after all,” Tara said. “Do you really think they’ll make that trip?”
“I do,” I said with a nod. “These guys seem desperate, and I really doubt anyone told them that this place has been abandoned for a while.”
“So what do we do then?” Tara asked.
“Let’s go scout out the property,” I said. “If we hear the sound of trucks, we’ll take cover in whatever building is closest. Ideally, we could ambush them here and end this quickly.”
I quickly hid the ATV in the treeline and tossed a couple branches over it. The camouflage patterns on it worked to our advantage, and it was almost impossible to notice unless you were right on top of it.
Tara followed me as I started towards the barn. The blonde walked with confidence and had a determined grimace on her face as she scanned the quiet area.
“You look like you’re ready for a fight,” I said with a grin.
“I am,” Tara said with a nod. “I wish that they would show up already, because I want to give these bastards a piece of my mind.”
“I’m sure they’ll be here soon enough,” I assured her. “We just need to be ready when they do.”
“I know, I'm feeling a little impatient,” Tara said. “I really wanted to just kinda open up on those guys back when they were pulling away from the Miller’s farm.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” I chuckled.
“Come on, I know better than to do something that stupid,” she said with a small laugh.
“Yeah, but you’ve also been understanbly angry and sometimes that can get in the way of reason,” I said.
“I know,” she sighed. “I haven't forgotten how I behaved, like, right when we got to the Millers.”
“You did right by them in the end,” I said.
We arrived at the old barn. Peeling red paint revealed rotted wooden planks underneath, and as I pulled open the door, the entire thing seemed to shift and creak.
“I wonder how much longer this things going to hold up,” Tara said as she inspected the exterior.
“Let me peek inside,” I said. “There’s a chance this thing is in better shape than it looks. They build these things to last.”
“Really?” She asked as she raised an eyebrow.
“There’s only one way to find out,” I said.
“What’s the point?” Tara asked. “Do you think there is any stuff in there?”
“No, but the loft would offer us a nice spot to shoot from if it's structurally sound,” I explained. “Just wait here a minute and keep your ears open.” Then I turned on my flashlight and stepped into the barn.
The whole place was coated in a thick layer of dust, and with each step I kicked more of it into the air until I could see the beam of my flashlight in front of me.
There was a lot of old equipment still housed here. A rusted red tractor sat half covered by a tarp, with shovels, pitchforks, and hung along one wall there were a couple large tractor attachments that I could only guess had once been used to tend the fields.
Each of the interior support beams was solid and free of the rot that covered the aging exterior, and the staircase that led to the loft held my weight as I made my way upstairs.
The loft was empty of everything except the dust that had taken over the place. I leaned out the loft window and waved at Tara who waited below with her gun at the ready. “It looks good in here,” I said.
“You sure it's not going to fall down?” she asked.
“We should be good,” I said. “Anything going on out here?”
“Nothing yet,” she replied.
I hurried back downstairs, through the barn, and out to where Tara still stood.
“So are we checking the house next?” the platinum blonde asked me.
“Yeah, since we have the time,” I said. “Plus, the loft in that barn would be a nice spot to shoot from.”
The two of us started to make our way towards the distant farmhouse when the rumble of engines filled the air. A moment later the first of two trucks came over a hill on the other side of the house.
“Shit, back to the barn,” I said.
The two of us returned into the old building and pulled the door partially closed behind us as a second truck crested the hill. We hurried up to the loft, laid in the dust and watched as the two trucks parked.
“What do we do?” Tara asked excitedly.
“Just wait,” I said, “We have to see what we’re dealing with.”
Eight soldiers got out of the trucks and fanned out to check the area. They were all in uniform and each of them carried an M4 carbine.
I pulled up my rifle and used the scope to get a closer look. Aside from the carbine they each had a sidearm, and a couple of grenades. All of them wore a kevlar vest with spare magazines and a knife.
The fact that these guys carried grenades at all was a red flag. There was no reason a refugee relief team would be issued grenades, and even if they had been given some they wouldn’t have a reason to wear them. This told me everything I needed to know about the intentions of these soldiers. They were only interested in control through fear and intimidation.
“Where’s the rest of them?” Tara whispered to me.
“I guess they didn’t want to se
nd the whole convoy out to check on one lonely farm,” I replied. “That makes things easier for us. Eight guys shouldn’t be too hard to take care of. We’ll pick them off until just a couple are left. Then we can wound the last guys, tie them up, and find out where the rest of them are.”
“You make it sound easy,” she said.
“They don’t know we’re here yet,” I said. “That gives us a huge advantage.”
Six men disappeared into the house, and the last two took up guard positions around the door.
“I’m nervous,” Tara confessed. “I know we just fought those bikers, but those guys didn't have training or anything. They were pretty much just thugs.”
“At this point that’s all these guys are too,” I said.
“Yeah, well, that doesn’t change the fact that they have military training,” Tara said.
“Hey, you’re going to be okay,” I assured her. “I can already tell you that these guys are not doing stuff by the book. They didn’t breach that house, and these guards here are barely paying attention to anything.”
“I’m more worried about how well they can shoot,” Tara said.
“I doubt they’ve had a lot of practice with their guns since the EMP fell,” I said to reassure her. “You’re probably a better shot than they are at this point.”
“I hope you’re right,” the platinum blonde sighed.
“Trust me, we’re going to be fine,” I said. “There’s only eight of them. I could probably take them out on my own with little trouble.”
“True,” Tara said. “We did just fight a way bigger group less than a week ago.” She took a deep breath and then smiled. “So what’s the plan?”
“There’s a good chance they’ll head this way next,” I whispered. “When they do, we have to be ready. I’ll hide downstairs, and you can stay up here in the loft. We’ll wait for them to come inside and then try to pick them off one by one.”
“So what, like I knife them or something?” she asked as she looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, that’d be the best way to do it,” I said. “Your knife’s sharp right?”
“Of course,” she said. “I just sharpened it a few days ago.”
“Good, that’ll help,” I whispered. “You want to take them down fast. If you just injure them, they will yell and alert their buddies.”
“Okay, what do I do then?”
“Cut the throat like we’ve trained,” I said. “They’ll bleed out fast and be unable to talk. That’s only a good option if you have a really sharp knife though. If you can’t do that or are worried your knife isn’t sharp enough then go for the spot where your spine and your skull meet.” I leaned over and touched the area on the back of her head. “Stab there and twist your blade to sever their spinal column. That’ll drop ‘em immediately.”
“Any other easy to reach places?” Tara asked.
“I know you are nervous,” I whispered, “but you know this. We’ve spent hours training knife work. You tell me where to stab them.”
“The armpit, the front of the shoulder by the joint, and the inside of the leg up by the groin,” she recited quietly. “That’s where the major arteries are.”
“See? You know this. They’ll obviously get a chance to make noise, but it’s always a good place to remember if you get into a fight. Don‘t go for the chest though. These guys are wearing kevlar and I really doubt you’d be able to do any damage.”
“So basically what you’re saying is to remember all the stuff you taught us about knife fighting,” she chuckled, and I could tell she was feeling better.
“Yeah, pretty much,” I said. “Just try to do it quietly.”
The six guys came out of the house empty handed. They all grouped up for a moment, and then one of them pointed at the barn. Five of the men broke off and headed towards us in a loose group.
“Alright, stay put,” I whispered as I crawled backwards towards the stairs.
“Be safe,” Tara said quietly before I disappeared from her view.
I made my way down the stairs and quickly found a place to hide. Once I was crouched down behind my chosen cover, a blue plastic barrel, I positioned myself so I could see the door and drew my knife. Then I slowed my breathing until I made barely a sound.
“Oh come on, do you really think there's anything in there?” someone asked.
“Probably not, but we won’t know unless we check, will we?” another voice answered.
“No sir,” the first voice grumbled.
“Alright, then get in there and see what you can see,” the second voice commanded.
The door to the barn creaked open, and two soldiers peered inside.
“It’s fucking dark in here,” one of them said.
“Then use your flashlight,” the other replied.
“Well obviously,” the first one scoffed. “I was just making an observation.”
“Cut the chatter, morons,” someone outside of the barn said. “Just clear this place so we can get back to the others.”
The first two guys split up and started to make their way through the barn. Two more guys slipped into the barn after them and started to do their own search. None of the four men seemed to be regularly communicating, and they didn’t move around in pairs.
I smiled a little and held my position as I watched the men move. They had grown lazy, and none of them followed any sort of standard procedure.
One of the soldiers slipped into a small stall at the back of the barn.
That’s when I made my move. I stayed low, and used the junk in the barn to keep me out of sight of the other three. The last guy was doing a quick sweep of the stall when I came up behind him, clapped my hand over his mouth, and drove my blade down into his neck. As I ripped my knife free the little stall was painted with arterial blood.
I let go of my target, and he slumped to the ground as a wet gurgle escaped his lips. Then I cleaned my blade on his pants and faded back into the shadows.
“Man, there’s nothing fucking here,” one of the soliders said.
“Yeah, this place is a bust,” another one of them replied.
“Relax,” the third one said. “Think of this like a small vacation. At least out here we’re not getting yelled at by our CO.”
“That’s true,” the second voice said. “It’s nice getting to leave the base too.”
“Yeah, there are way too many ungrateful refugees back there,” the first one said.
“You can’t blame them too much,” the third one of them said. “It’s not like they see the shit we have to go through to get their food.”
“Things would be a lot easier if we didn’t have to look after a bunch of civilians,” The first one said.
“If it wasn't for the civilians, you'd have to do your laundry yourself,” the third one said.
“Yeah and you'd have to fuck yourself too,” the second one chuckled.
“Well at least the women are worth keeping around,” the first one said.
“Can’t wait until tonight when we get to break in the new one,” the second one chuckled.
“Yeah, it’ll be nice to get a crack at her before the rest of the guys do,” the other one replied.
I guessed they were talking about Jenny, and I had to bite my tongue as I hid behind one of the tractor attachments. One thing I really hated was crooked cops and soldiers, and listening to these guys talk made me want to pull out my pistol and shoot them in the gut so they could think about their poor life choices as they died slowly from sepsis.
Shooting these guys now would only serve to give away my advantage. Instead, I watched as one of the soldiers, a younger guy with short hair and peach fuzz, walked past me.
I became the man’s shadow as he headed for the back of the barn. Judging by the way the man casually held his rifle as he swept the dark corners with his light it was clear that he had no idea about the danger that lurked behind him.
I waited until I was sure none of the others could see us,
and then I rose up and planted my knife in the back of his skull. There was a soft pop as I twisted the blade and severed his spinal column. That was followed by a soft thud as he slid off my blade and onto the floor.
“Oh shit,” I heard one of the remaining soldiers mutter. “We’re not alone here!”
“What the hell are you talking about,” the other soldier said nervously.
“Tyson’s dead,” the first one said. “There’s so much fucking blood!”
“Shit! I’ll go get Matt!” the second guy screeched.
I peered through the gloom until I could make out a dark shape with a flashlight running towards the front door. There was no way I could catch him before he got outside, and my chances of actually killing him if I threw my knife weren’t great either. I was just about to grab my pistol and go loud when I saw Tara in the loft above. The fading daylight glinted off her sharp blade as she raised it up and jumped down.
Tara landed hard on the running soldier, and his flashlight tumbled from his hand and landed a couple feet away pointing back at him. The man opened his mouth to scream, but Tara shoved her knife through his throat, and his shout turned into a gurgle.
The last soldier, turned towards the noise Tara made and lifted his gun with trembling hands.
If I didn’t do something fast, he was going to get to Tara, so I broke into a sprint and charged the man with knife in hand.
My footsteps were loud, so I knew the guy was going to hear me, but at least it wasn’t a gunshot that would alert his remaining friends that there was trouble.
“What the he--” he said as he turned toward me, but his words were replaced with wet gasps as my blade split open the artery in this throat. He dropped his gun and tried to stop the bleeding.
The door to the barn burst open as the man standing watch burst inside with his flashlight waving.
“What’s going on in here?” he shouted, and Tara rolled out of the way and scurried behind the tractor before the new guy’s light could reveal her.
“What the fuck?” the man muttered as his light landed on me and the gasping soldier.