by C. L. Jones
Out of nowhere Indy ran to the middle of the compound with his weapon in hand. He stood in the center looking between the rows of buildings trying to spot where the earth shaking explosion had come from. There was a rising column of blackish gray smoke high that was visible even in the darkness of the night sky. The smoke was partially illuminated by the small burning pieces of what used to be the sleeping quarters for the new arrivals. It was clear from the expression on his face that Indy had spotted the smoke and burning building. To Pops he looked like he had just awakened on a different planet. Indy’s eyes looked in every direction and his mouth quivered as if he was about to talk but nothing came out.
The colonel and the other man finally came out of the building and stood on the porch. The colonel yelled out to Indy, “What happened? Are they here?”
Indy still stood in the same place in the middle of the compound looking shocked. His feet seemed to be frozen to the ground until he finally started turning in a tight circle looking for anything but seeing nothing. He eventually answered, “Don’t think so sir. I think they must have set a trap earlier and headed off. They’re probably in the forest watching us right now. They should come down before daylight.”
The colonel yelled back to Indy, “Go check the building and see if anyone is still alive. We are going to need everyone.”
Indy somehow managed to will his feet into motion. He ran down to the destroyed bunk building looking like some dumb-ass city boy running through a well-used cow pasture. He paused at the edge of the destruction and ran around in a nervous frenzy like a chicken with its head cut off. Kicking the burning remnants and turning over small pieces of debris, he finally yelled back to the colonel, “Hell, there is no one alive. There is nothing left here. Sir there’s not even any pieces bigger than a few inches left. Whatever it was, the shit must have been stored in here.”
The colonel yelled back to Indy, “Go check out the rest of the compound.”
Indy yelled back and asked, “Can I take Tomahawk with me?” The colonel reached around the open door to the inside of the building. Pulling his weapon out and holding it by his side, he gestured to the man standing next to him to join Indy. The asshole that had used his foot to push Puncher back to the ground during the beating was now identified as Tomahawk. Pops thought Tomahawk must be a field agent code name so the guy must be a pro and maybe even a trigger. Somewhere in Pops’ past he had heard rumors of someone called Tomahawk but he couldn’t remember when or where.
Indy and Tomahawk met by the jeep. Tomahawk reached under the seat and took out a clip for his weapon. He jammed the clip into his gun and jacked one into the chamber then nodded a cocky affirmation to Indy. They took off on their search.
Pops lay there watching as he realized that Tomahawk and his weapon had not been in the compound when Tracker had disabled all of the cadre’s weapons. So he concluded that it was most likely that Tomahawk’s weapon was still fully functional and he’d just placed a full clip in it. Pops hoped the rest of the team had observed and realized the same thing.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Puncher appeared at the side of the building where the colonel still stood on the porch watching Indy and Tomahawk. Puncher walked up, stopped about twenty feet in front of the colonel and just stood there. Once the colonel noticed the young man, he looked at him with complete disdain and said, “Well have you finished? And who the hell told you that you could carry a weapon.”
Puncher did not speak a word at that point. He pulled his weapon up in front of his body with the barrel still pointing at the ground and looked at the colonel. With a deadpan expression and still not saying anything, he pulled the charging handle back and let loose, chambering a round.
The colonel showed no sign of fear. He laughed at the young man facing him and said in a taunting voice, “Oh big man now. He’s got a gun. And just what does he think he’s going to do with it?”
Puncher looked down at his weapon and turned it back and forth as if he was admiring it in a childish way. Then he looked back up at the colonel and said, “You know colonel, I think I’m going to kill you.” His face still showed the same deadpan expression.
The colonel, still fearless and still in a taunting voice yelled back, “Hell boy, you ain’t got the guts.” With that the Colonel pulled his weapon up from where he’d been dangling it at his side. “Boy I’ve kept you around too long anyway so I’ll tell you what.” The colonel looked down at his weapon and mockingly spit out, “I’m going to put a round in this weapon, then I’m going to put that round in you, and you’re going to just stand there and let me do it.” The colonel pulled back the charging arm. While holding it back he looked at the young man standing in front of him who still held his weapon pointed at the ground. Now quietly the colonel said, “Well what are you going to do boy?”
Puncher looked at the man who for years had abused him. He tilted his head to the side and smiled. Pops thought, why does the colonel have this much power over this young man? Pops watched as the colonel put his weapon to his shoulder into a firing position making sure it was tucked in tightly to his shoulder pit. Then he laid his cheek along the stock and smiled down the side of the weapon at the calmly waiting young man. “Well boy are you going to just stand there? I’ve known for years that you didn’t have what it takes for this job.” The smug colonel smiled one more smart-ass smile at Puncher, aligned his eye behind the weapons sights and took aim.
Puncher looked down the black opening in the end of the barrel of the colonel’s weapon. He turned his body slightly to the right, putting his left foot out front with the tip of his boot aiming right at the colonel. He placed his right foot a little to the side at about a ninety-degree angle from his left. Puncher pulled his weapon up and held it in front of his body in a firing range position like he was awaiting the command to commence firing.
The colonel smiled and said, “Goodbye boy, you useless piece of shit,” and pulled the trigger. To his surprise the only sound was the click of the useless sabotaged trigger. The stunned colonel jerked the weapon down and yanked the charging handle back again. Wide eyed and without taking aim he pulled the trigger again as fast as he could. Click, nothing happened. The colonel started to re-cock his weapon when he heard the last words he would hear on this planet, “It’s not goodbye boy, I think it’s good-bye old man.” The colonel looked up at his long-time victim and a gunshot echoed through the cool evening air. That single shot echoed and re-echoed like it was trying to give the young man a repeat shot for each beating he had received from the colonel.
Pops flinched from the sound and looked at Puncher standing in his firing position. The colonel was flung against the building behind him like a paper target. His hands grabbed at his chest while he was flying backwards and he looked down at the small-darkened perfect round hole in his body that was still smoking. He looked up at Puncher with a bewildered expression on his face. Then Puncher said, “I said goodbye asshole.” The second gunshot sounded louder than the first. This time the colonel spun around and dropped through the screen door onto the inside floor, laying half in and half out of the building.
Time stood still for what seemed to be an eternity. Pops lowered his weapon that had been aimed at the Colonel’s head. Puncher turned towards Pops and gave a weak little smile. For a second Pops thought that Puncher was going to toss up his last meal. Puncher noticed Pops lowering his weapon but did not react in any way. He walked to where Pops stood and looked down at the ground and said, “I hope I didn’t screw anything up. Am I still on your Crew?”
Pops looked at the pitiful young man who longed for someone’s approval. He reached out and put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. Puncher flinched back a little and then Pops said, “Hey kid you did just fine, just fine. That’s thinking on your feet. You know I always say, consider your options, make a decision and go with it.” Pops had no idea why he’d said that but instantly saw the young man come back to life. He continued, “You’re going to be a great part of this team. We need some ne
w young blood in…,” but before he could finish there was another thundering gunshot in the night air. Pops flinched and started to the ground just as he saw Puncher’s back arch and it looked like he heaved his chest outward. He looked at Pops as if Pops had just suckered punched him. With no warning Puncher fell forward and out of reflex Pops caught him before he could hit the ground.
Just then Pops heard, “Well, well, look what we have here. Pops, is this your son, your bitch or your little pet protégée? Either way he’s dead and so are you.” Pops looked up and was not surprised. Indy was walking toward him with a forty five caliber pistol in his hand and it was pointed right at him. Pops hadn’t seen this handgun before so he was sure the firing pin was still intact plus it had successfully fired at Puncher. Indy had probably brought it in from outside the compound or maybe he’d had a private locker or a safe somewhere in the compound.
Still holding Puncher’s lifeless body in his arms, Pops bent forward and gently laid the young man on the ground. Then he looked at Indy and said, “Well, I had a crazy idea that this would come down to something a little better than this. I pictured that it would go down between us man to man. All this time I figured we would face each other out in the street like back in the old western shoot outs.”
Indy laughed, “Not hardly. Not when I have you right in front of me like this. I’m looking at the best killer the organization ever had and I’m not stupid. There you are with bloody hands and your weapon lying on the ground next to you. I think I have the total advantage, don’t you?”
Pops and Indy both turned to the sound of someone saying, “Pardon me but if you don’t mind.” From across the compound came Rocky and Roadside, heading in their direction. Rocky’s weapon was trained on their new friend, Tomahawk. Tomahawk was their prisoner and now he didn’t appear as badass walking in front of Rocky’s gun. Roadside’s weapon was aimed right at Indy.
Then Pops and Indy heard someone else say, “Hey, Indy you don’t want to hurt old Pops do you?” Looking to the other side of the compound they spotted Cowboy spinning around and doing a little Texas two-step as he moved forward across the grass with his weapon as his dance partner.
Indy’s mouth quivered and it appeared he was about to react to Cowboy when suddenly Pops reached out and grabbed the weapon from Indy’s hands. “Indy ain’t you going to say hi to the boys, you fuck face?”
By the time Indy reacted to Pops and looked back at Cowboy it was too late. Cowboy had stopped dancing and had a full-on, double-sighted, clear and deadly aim on Indy. Pops dropped the clip out of Indy’s weapon and ejected the round from the chamber. Then he threw the pistol overhand to the middle of the compound like it was a good old-fashion, red-stitched American-made baseball. Pops seldom let his temper show to most people but it was clear that he was working as hard as he could to hold it in. Pops turned to the Crew and said, “Shit, I was starting to get a little worried guys.”
Then from behind Pops came, “Hey, I had your back Pops.” The Crew was smiling, as Pops turned to see Tracker coming out of the dark holding his weapon on Indy. Tracker raised his head just a fraction and said to Cowboy, “Cowboy why don’t you move a little to your left. I don’t think you want any of good old Indy boy splattered on you.” Tracker went on, “Hey Pops why don’t you let me do him right here or do you want to hang the bastard like that traitor Benedict Arnold?” At this point only Indy and Tomahawk were not smiling.
For a couple of minutes Pops looked at the two men that the team now had as prisoners then turned and walked to the center of the compound. He stood with both of his hands clasped behind his back and finally turned to look at one of the prisoners and then the other. He said, “Well this may not be fair but the first man to open the safe for us gets to live and will get a full share of the money. I’m sorry if either of you don’t know how to open it but that’s the deal. You have until the count of ten to decide.”
The Crew looked at Pops as if they thought that he’d lost his mind. They would rather burn the money then give either of these two men a share. Pops repeated, “You heard what I said. The one that opens the safe will not be hurt.” Before Pops could start the count and without any hesitation the man that had so enjoyed beating and abusing Puncher, Tomahawk, announced, “Hell under those conditions I can open that damn safe.”
Indy looked at him and snarled, “They weren’t going to kill either of us as long as they couldn’t open that safe, you damn fool.”
The Crew headed to the building that contained the safe and hopefully the money. Indy and Tomahawk were in tow still at gunpoint. As they entered, Pops asked a general question, “What was this bullshit competition all about?”
Indy barked back, “What the hell do you think it was all about? The money. I’ve been doing this job just as long as you and this is the first time I’ve had a chance at money like this. The organization? The hell with the organization.”
Looking around at his Crew Pops asked, “How did you think you could pull it off without blowback from the organization?”
Indy smirked as if everyone in the room were plain empty-headed fools. He laid out his plan, “I counted on most of you guys killing off each other. Then this compound would have been overrun because it was the red team’s base camp and some of the buildings would have been destroyed. In one of the destroyed buildings was the safe that contained the money. Nobody outside of the colonel and cadre leadership knew there was a safe. The safe belonged to the colonel and he never intended that any of you would ever get any prize money. The colonel, cadre and I were planning to split it among ourselves.” Indy looked at the team and said, “We can still do it, and this way is even better. The red team has won and I was your team leader. We still have one of the cadre leadership team here to verify it.” Indy pointed Tomahawk who was now waiting to open the safe.
The Crew looked at each other then back at Pops. Roadside said, “It’s whatever you think Pops.” The team waited for his reply.
Pops looked at Indy and the other man then back at the Crew and said, “I don’t like it one bit but it’s the easy way.” It was clear that this was not what his guys wanted to hear. Pops figured that it wasn’t that they wanted all the money, they just didn’t want these two to get any. “Okay you’ve got a deal.”
Indy reached out to shake Pop’s hand. Pops pulled his hand back and said, “Let’s not get carried away. Just because we have a deal doesn’t mean I have to like you.”
Indy pushed in front of Tomahawk and bent down on one knee and started to open the safe. After a couple of tries the door of the safe popped open and Indy said, “There.” It sure didn’t look like a lot of money.
Pops ordered Indy to put the money on the table and pushed Tomahawk forward saying, “You help.” Once the money was on the table, Pops told Indy and Tomahawk to sit against the wall and not move. He looked at the piles of money and looked around at the Crew. Pops said to Surfer and Tracker, “Start counting it out.” Then Pops turned to Rocky and Roadside and said, “Take our new buds outside.”
Cowboy opened the door of the building and with a sweeping gesture of his arm said sarcastically, “Gentlemen.” The two men got up from the floor.
Indy looked at Pops and said, “You said we had a deal.”
Pops returned Indy’s stare, “A deal is a deal.”
Rocky had slipped through the door and was waiting as Indy and Tomahawk walked outside followed by Cowboy and Roadside. Pops collected Tomahawk’s weapon and followed Roadside out on the porch. He stopped on the edge of the porch and said, “Okay here is how it is.” He pointed to Tomahawk and said to Rocky, “The abuser is yours.”
Tomahawk looked at Pops and said, “You can’t do this!”
Pops snarled, “Save your bullshit bitching for Puncher who you will be meeting soon in a different life.”
Rocky and Roadside marched Tomahawk at gunpoint to the middle of the compound while Pops and Cowboy stood guard over Indy. Pops occasionally looked over to watch the interaction be
tween Rocky and Roadside and their prisoner. He saw Rocky haul off and hit Tomahawk with a punch that would have taken down a man a lot bigger and a hell of a lot younger. When Tomahawk regained a little awareness he tried to get up but a big foot in the center of his back forced him down with a crushing force that produced a cloud of dust around him. Pops’ view of Tomahawk’s situation painted an identical picture of Puncher’s sadistic mauling that had occurred earlier that evening. A few seconds later a shot rang out through the still air of the compound and it was clear that Tomahawk was in a place where he could now continue his bitching session with Puncher.
Rocky and Roadside returned to where Pops was still holding Indy.
Indy had watched the execution and was a bit shaken to say the least. He looked at Pops and in his usual manner mumbled, “I’m only what they have made me. Once I was a good soldier.” Pops thought it was incredible that Indy would use this as an excuse thinking that he had some chance of walking away.
Rocky and Roadside marched Indy to the center of the compound followed by Pops and Cowboy. They stopped near Tomahawk’s body and turned Indy around to face Pops. As he turned Pops saw the fury on Indy’s face. Indy yelled, “You can’t just kill me like a dog. After all this time you have to give me a chance.”
“Oh you’ll get a chance.” Pops threw him the extra weapon he’d brought from inside the building. “I’m going to give you more of a chance then you gave the kid.” Pops backed up and without looking, chambered a round in his weapon. He pointed it at Indy and said, “Pick it up and chamber a round. After you’ve done that point the gun at the ground and only hold it with one hand.” Pops kept his weapon aimed at Indy until Indy had fulfilled his instructions. Then Pops backed up and lowered his weapon and pointed at Rocky and Roadside. “When they give the signal, we fire.”
Rocky and Roadside stood ready as Pops looked into Indy’s eyes and said, “I’ve killed looking into a man’s eyes before. I’ve watched as the last grains of life leave someone who is dying. Just so you know, I’ll be looking at you in the same way when you hit the ground and the life drains out of your miserable body. Can you look at me the whole time and do the same? I don’t think so.”