The posse turned to see Tom sitting next to a tree and holding the largest binoculars any in the posse had ever seen. “I see a small house there,” Tom replied. “Don’t see people.”
Natalie came up carrying the Savage BA110, putting it down beside John as she went prone next to him. Rolling on her side, Natalie pulled out her binoculars and saw Apollo beside Nathan while he stared at the screen, and noticed only Tim was near Nathan and the MU. “Yeah, Apollo is scary,” she mumbled, pulling out a notepad and then rolled back to her stomach.
“Yeah, Apollo always looks pissed-off and ready to kill something,” John told her as he peered through the spotting scope. “When Nathan tells Ares it’s time to work, he has to put on a mean face. Apollo never takes his off.”
Glad she wasn’t the only one scared of Apollo, Natalie held the binoculars with her left hand as she made a sketch of the valley below them with her right. “I see something flashing in the light near the river,” she said, and John moved his spotting scope. “Southeast, opposite bank below the ridge.”
“Damn. Good eyes,” John said zooming in. “Nathan, I got people six miles to the southeast on the other side of the river. I have no idea what they’re doing. All I can tell is they’re people.”
Putting the Mew tablet down, Nathan moved over beside John. “Let me see the scope.”
Handing the scope up to Nathan, John gave a startle to see Apollo right beside him. John gave a nervous grin when Apollo stepped up and licked his face. “Aw, man,” John mumbled, wiping his face off. “I thought you were about to eat me.”
“Why? Apollo likes you,” Nathan said, peering through the scope. “It looks like they’re mounting a solar panel,” Nathan admitted.
Not wanting to doubt Nathan, John just couldn’t see ‘like’ on Apollo’s face as they stared at each other. “All I could tell was they were people, and something would flash when they moved,” John said.
“Twenty-two hundred meters to southeast, just off the road at the lone house, I have four bodies hanging from a tree in the front yard,” Tom called out.
Tim, Bill, Aiden, and Rusty all started pulling binoculars out as Nathan passed the spotting scope back to John. “John, get your map out and start marking houses that’re burnt out,” Nathan said, walking away.
Putting the scope down, John stayed on his side returning Apollo’s stare. “Nathan, why isn’t Apollo following you?”
“John, I just told you, Apollo likes you,” Nathan grinned, kneeling down next to the Mew.
“Um, Nathan, Apollo looks like he wants to eat my face.”
“No, you haven’t seen him working or mad. That’s just his regular demeanor,” Nathan assured him.
Giving Apollo a nervous smile, John turned around before setting the spotting scope back in front of him. “I don’t want to see his pissed face, then,” John mumbled.
Lowering his binoculars, Rusty saw Nathan pulling out his map. “You aren’t excited about bodies hanging from a tree outside a house?”
“Nope. I saw federal troops stringing up a little kid who couldn’t have been older than seven. After watching that and not able to do anything, your perspectives change,” Nathan answered.
Giving a shiver as he lowered his binoculars, Bill turned to the kids. Moving over to Nathan, “Nathan, it seems like John, Tom, and Natalie are more prepared to kill than to scout,” Bill noted.
“Yes, ‘kill’ should always be at the front of your mind, I’ve found out,” Nathan said, making marks on his map.
“What are you marking?” Tim asked, leaning over Nathan’s shoulder.
“Houses we have EMF detection from,” Nathan answered. “Someone’s alive there, and I just want an idea of how many are around us.”
“Hope you’re not wanting to go down for a closer look,” Tim said.
Shaking his head, “Not this time,” Nathan replied. “My main goal was to check the mountain roads to our east for tracks, and other than animal tracks, I haven’t seen shit. Now, I’m worried about the tracks we made on the road coming to the compound.”
“Dude, we aren’t fighting Davy Crockett,” Tim gasped. “We don’t have to erase tracks.”
“Yes, we do,” Nathan said, glancing at the kids one at a time. “We were tracked down several times. It doesn’t take people long to detect disturbances around them.”
“So, that’s why you didn’t want to take the warthogs or the ATVs?”
“No, the warthogs, I don’t want anyone spotting from a long way off. The ATVs, sorry, but I haven’t taught my kids to ride them yet, much less patrol from them,” Nathan smiled.
Narrowing his eyes suspiciously at Nathan, “I’m still trying to figure out if you’re an evil clone,” Tim mumbled.
“Nathan, I have a truck moving along Highway 200,” John called out softly.
Leaning to look around Tim, “Military?” Nathan asked.
“No, sir. It’s red and jacked way up in the air.”
“John, what have I said about calling me ‘sir’,” Nathan sighed.
“Oh, sorry,” John mumbled, soon losing sight of the truck as it continued north. John was sure if Apollo wasn’t right beside him, he wouldn’t have slipped up and called Nathan sir again. Risking a glance, he found Apollo now sitting beside him and panting.
“I got watch, eat,” Nathan said, moving over to Tim and taking the marine binoculars John had started out with. All three sat up, pulling off their small packs and digging out food. Realizing he was staring at John again, Bill turned away. It was just hard for him to picture John as the round boy in the pictures when Nathan had first met up with him.
In just over sixty days, John had lost nearly two hundred pounds. The pictures Nathan showed the entire group, you could see the daily change because not many days went by when Nathan didn’t take pictures. That didn’t surprise anyone in the posse, Nathan always took pictures.
Bill just shook his head, glancing at John out of the corner of his eye. Now, John looked like a college football player. “That couldn’t be healthy,” Bill mumbled.
“Huh?” Nathan asked, staring out over the valley.
“Nothing,” Bill said, turning to look out over the valley. “What do you think?”
“There are still people down there, so nobody will be going up in the hills to look for stuff,” Nathan replied.
Not sure he’d heard right, Bill turned to Nathan. “Are you saying you’re happy there’s bait in this valley?”
“Um, yeah,” Nathan nodded as he scanned with the binoculars. “I don’t know them, and they are staying in an area that’s easily accessible. Hell, I can tell from here, the house two miles to the northeast that’s burnt down was attacked. There’re tire marks all through the yard and a body in the driveway. I know those down there know about it. You don’t stay in an area that’s already been hit unless you take measures like blocking off the road, making your place look deserted, fortifying your location and have lookouts about.”
Not liking Nathan’s attitude, but not able to counter it, Bill just shrugged. “Just seems callous.”
“Bill,” Nathan said in a serious tone, and Bill turned to look at the side of Nathan’s face. “That isn’t callous thinking. It’s cold, dark, evil-ass thinking, but all we can worry about is our own.”
Feeling relieved, Bill turned back to the valley. “When do you want to head back?”
“As soon as they’re done eating,” Nathan answered, finally lowering the binoculars.
Leaning against a tree not far away, Rusty let out a long sigh listening to Nathan and Bill. Some of the changes he liked about Nathan, others not so much. But for some reason, he thought it wouldn’t be long before many of them would view the world in the same spectrum as Nathan and his group. Kill and don’t think about it.
It wasn’t until they'd started the patrol that Rusty realized just how far the others, himself included, were behind the power curve. “I’m done, Mr. Rusty. You can eat,” Natalie said, getting up.
Turning to her
with a smile, “It’s Rusty,” he told her. “Like Nathan, I don’t like being reminded I’m an elder, so don’t call me sir.”
“Oh,” Natalie said, looking back into the valley. “I really like mountains, ‘cause flat land sucks.”
“Me and you both,” Rusty chuckled.
Folding up the spotting scope, John put it in the padded case while Apollo just sat beside him panting. Purposefully ignoring Apollo in the hopes he would go away, “Nathan, can I take point back?” John asked.
“Yeah, I’ll be behind you with Apollo,” Nathan answered.
Getting up, John returned Apollo’s stare. “Sorry, but you just look like you could rip my arm off and sit there with it in your mouth, never changing your expression.”
“John, I told you, Apollo is what a trained dog is supposed to act like. Ares isn’t, so don’t judge Apollo too harsh,” Nathan said, handing the marine binoculars to Tom.
Picking up the sniper rifle, John held it out to Natalie. “Then I like the improved version,” John nodded.
Taking the BA110, Natalie gave a glance to Apollo. “I agree with John,” Natalie mumbled, and headed back to the bowl where the horses were tied up.
When the group reached the horses, Natalie put the sniper rifle in the scabbard on her saddle. “When’s the next patrol?” she asked over her shoulder.
“Tomorrow,” Nathan answered.
“What?” Bill asked, spinning around.
“I want to check out that checkpoint on Interstate 90 near Lookout Pass. If we’re lucky, we can snipe a few,” Nathan answered. “Just want to check it out before we hit it.”
“Whoa, hold up, butterbean,” Aiden said, strolling over. “That unit hasn’t moved, and I would prefer not to give them a reason to. They do keep trash from using the interstate.”
“Aiden, the trash you speak of is sanctioned by the feds,” Nathan said, then gave a grunt as he climbed up in his saddle.
“Nathan, we aren’t attacking them unless they prove a threat,” Aiden snapped. “They are almost sixty miles away, but it would take us two days to get there on horseback. Going cross-country, you know the distance would be closer to a hundred. They’re fine where they are. Don’t go kicking a hornets’ nest if we don’t have to. We have enough trouble closer to home.”
“Yeah, but those’re the ones with the toys that really hurt, and they know how to use them,” Nathan scoffed.
Glad Aiden was handling this, Bill and Rusty climbed in their saddles. “Nathan, if that unit moves closer, I’ll back you on hitting them, but until then, I’ll break your shit, so you can’t poke the bear,” Aiden warned. “You’re not sticking our dicks in a hornets’ nest.”
“You’re serious,” Nathan said, staring at Aiden.
“You’re Gawd damned right, I’m serious,” Aiden snapped. “We have a very large gang roaming around and all kinds of small groups, and you want to pick a fight with the biggest kid in the schoolyard? Nathan, you’re home. You can’t evade too far, so change your mindset. You poke that bear, and those troops’ friends will start using those toys you’re worried about, causing trouble for us all.”
Studying Aiden’s wiry frame, Nathan could see he was wound up. “Fine,” Nathan sighed. “We’ll set up on the Coeur D’Alene River Road just west of Prichard, and see what’s moving around us.”
Getting ready to mount his horse, “That’s over thirty miles away from the compound!” Tim cried out with one foot in the stirrup.
“Yeah, and that road is far enough from the interstate the feds won’t monitor it, and it poses our biggest avenue of attack,” Nathan replied. “The easiest way to get to the compound is to turn off before Prichard. Unless they know the area, they aren’t taking the mountain roads like we do.”
Spinning around, Aiden stormed over to his horse. “Oh, I see you still have that two-year-old stubborn streak,” Aiden mumbled, then looked up at Bill and Rusty. “You two can join in anytime.”
“I’m liking the idea of laying up and watching what’s moving around us,” Rusty nodded.
Aiden skidded to a stop and turned to Rusty with a glare. “Libby must have worn the cheerleader outfit last night,” he stated.
“I wish,” Rusty scoffed. “No, Nathan’s right. Our greatest threats by road will come from Prichard. Setting up for a day or so and watching what’s moving around will give us a good idea of how far out we have to patrol. We see a lot of traffic, we'll need to keep groups ten to twenty miles out. We don’t see much traffic, we can stay in a ten-mile patrol area and just watch the one road that leads to the compound.”
Thinking about it as he climbed up in the saddle, Aiden hated to admit it, but it was sound reasoning. He just didn’t like having so many shooters away from the compound. “What do you think, Bill?”
“It needs to be done,” Bill replied. “We should’ve been doing it already, but we were counting on our isolation to keep us hidden.”
“I don’t like so many shooters away from the compound,” Aiden admitted with a sigh.
“Hey, I was only taking John and Tom,” Nathan replied, and Natalie took a deep breath to protest. Throwing up a hand, “Don’t,” Nathan warned, not even turning to look at her. “I had to listen to Amanda, Casey, and Jasmine because you came today. And I know they aren’t finished.” Letting out a long sigh, Natalie just slumped in her saddle.
“Bitch, you aren’t going by yourself,” Bill snapped. “You might see a tank and want to mount it on your wall.”
“I told you, I’m taking John and Tom,” Nathan shot back.
Turning to John and Tom, Bill saw a huge smile on each. “My point exactly,” Bill nodded.
“I’ll go with him,” Tim said. “I’ll need someone to take my guard shift tomorrow night.”
“I’ll get Tyler to take it, since he wants to put on his big boy pants,” Bill offered.
Giving a nod, Nathan guided his horse up the ridge. Staying right behind Nathan, John finally understood what Nathan was talking about regarding his horses. Unlike the horses they had ridden to Wyoming, Nathan’s horses were more surefooted going cross-country. It was easy to tell Nathan’s horses were used to being ridden, and could cover more ground than the ones they had turned loose.
“You know the path,” Nathan said over his shoulder. “Stop every four clicks, so we can scan with the Mew.”
Giving a nervous nod but filled with excitement, John rode past Nathan to move along the ridgeline, weaving around the trees. Hearing a horse move up beside him, Nathan turned to see Tom. “Yeah?”
“Why isn’t Apollo leading with John?” Tom asked.
Letting out a long sigh, “Tom, Apollo isn’t Ares. He’s doing what he was trained to do. If you want me to explain it simpler, Apollo isn’t as smart as Ares,” Nathan said.
Watching Apollo trot along in front of Nathan’s horse, “Oh,” Tom finally said. “Well, when Ares and Athena have puppies, I want one of theirs.”
Laughing softly, “I don’t see a problem with that, but don’t expect one to act like Ares,” Nathan replied.
When Tom pulled back another horse trotted up, but Nathan didn’t turn around. “What, Billy?”
“How the hell did you know it was me?”
“Your horse is the only one that sounds like a buffalo walking,” Nathan answered.
Patting his horse on the neck, “Don’t listen to him,” Bill said softly. “I just wanted to ask, the way you’re talking, you plan on staying out longer than one day.”
Glancing over, “I was leaving around three or four in the morning, and staying out for at least two days, maybe three. We need to see the movement along the road at night just as well as the day,” Nathan said.
“Nathan, you just got back. Let me take out a group,” Bill told him.
“I wish you wouldn’t because I’m going, and Aiden is right. We don’t need to have so many shooters away from the compound.”
“Okay, cocksucker, you think I can’t do it?” Bill snapped.
“Oh, I know you can, but you need to spend some time working with Tyler and Robin,” Nathan replied, never turning to Bill. “Bill, if we have to run, it’ll happen fast,” Nathan said in a low voice. “I don’t want you to ever have the same worry I had getting here. I don’t want you to ever have to look down at one of your kids after they’ve been shot. I pushed my kids too hard learning violence of action. If a large enough force comes, we’ll have to haul ass, and that isn’t the time for you to be explaining how to really fight.”
Riding just behind Nathan, Bill thought about what Nathan said until John stopped to scan with the MU. “Understood, Nathan, and thank you,” Bill said as Natalie rode up to him, leaning over in the saddle to make sure Bill’s radio was off. “I can check my radio,” Bill told her.
“They’re just doing what they were taught, Bill. You saw her check my radio too, so stop bitching,” Nathan told him. “Like me, they like having something that can tell you if trouble is around. It was Tom’s job on the way out, and it’s Natalie’s job on the way back.”
“I can still check my radio, and each time we’ve stopped it’s been off. I love that Buck Rogers thing. Just wish we could make more.”
Everyone else agreed with a nod as Natalie rode down the line and Nathan climbed off, pulling the Mew off the back of his saddle. Hooking the cable from the box to the tablet before screwing the antenna on the box, Nathan turned to Natalie and she gave a nod beside Aiden at the back.
“Bill, they know I trust them to do the job I gave them,” Nathan said, smiling to see the tablet screen was clear. “If they can handle one important job, then I give them more responsibility, like their chores. I wish I could baby them, but I’m terrified of what would happen if I did.”
Watching Nathan pack the Mew up, “Janice and I are having a talk when I get back,” Bill mumbled to himself. Glancing ahead, he saw John scanning ahead with thermal binoculars and then turned to see Tom doing the same, but looking behind them. It didn’t matter the Mew said nothing was near, they were doing what they had been taught, backups to backups, trusting that everyone did their job.
“What a world,” Bill muttered again as he reined his horse around.
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