by Cliff Deane
Yes, A & B Troops are now the old Home Guard and will be called forward when needed. We’re also considering seeking single volunteers to relocate forward to form the crux of new combat units. Promotions will be fast, but they will come with increased risk.
Once we have C & D Troops up and running, you’ll get that command with a promotion to Major. Mike, I have to tell you that this thing is growing so fast that I’m afraid we’re going to lose control. I think Tarboro is where the big, root them out of their holes fighting is gonna’ happen. It had better because our supply lines just can’t chase them any further. I also think Tarboro is our outer limit for this year.
Mike, I know a lot of your guys have experience in urban warfare, and that’s a good thing because it looks like that’s what we’ll face. So, make your training schedule heavy on kicking in doors and clearing buildings.
There will be collateral damage. There is just no way to avoid it without getting a lot of our troopers killed in the process. I intend to put it in your orders that this will be a no quarter engagement, and anyone in the way of completing the mission is a bad boy or girl.
The Tarboro Mayor says that his town wants to join us if we can get rid of the gangs, thugs, and drugs. I think that town is going to see a lot of hangings.
We have got to get our currency out there. By next spring we’ll be out of the resources that have kept the squadron going. Taxes have got to come in, or we are going to lose it all.
Levi and Major Gus Murtaugh spent two days speaking with the folks and observing the recruit training. On the third day, the foursome mounted their ponies and rode on west toward Everetts.
The day quickly turned warm and then became downright hot. It may have been September, but the Dog Days of August were hanging on.
As the four riders were just coming into the nearly deserted village of Everetts, Gus gave the signal for possible trouble ahead. He turned his horse around just as a rifle shot caused a whisper of sound as it passed his ear. Riding low in the saddle, Gus galloped back to Levi.
Levi directed the riders into the forest to his right. As Levi’s horse galloped into the wood line, he heard a near simultaneous bang, thud. The thud was a bullet slamming into a tree next to Levi.
Once in the woods, the trio dismounted, and they watched as Gus made his way to their location.
As Gus dismounted, he handed his reins to Darren and said, “It looks like a couple of shooters, who apparently couldn’t hit a bull in the ass with a bass fiddle. I think they are on each side of the road about one hundred yards from where we stopped.
Levi decided that he and Gus would circle to the right flank of the bushwhackers and decide how to handle them at that point. Kate and Darren were to secure the horses and provide rear security in case someone tried to outflank their position.
Kate tied the horses to a rope line she secured between two trees before she and Darren took up positions to protect the horses and Levi’s six.
Levi and Gus made their way slowly and quietly as they trod upon the thick cushion of damp pine needles layered on the forest floor. The advance took them wide to the right of the shooters original position. Their hope was that those men would not have tactical experience or good noise discipline.
It took forty minutes for them to find themselves on the right flank of the shooters. They saw one of the shooters positioned behind a fallen tree which provided good frontal cover, but none at all from where Levi and Gus found themselves.
Levi directed Gus to remain in his covered position while Levi made his way around to the rear to either spot the other shooter or cut off his retreat.
“All right, here’s the plan. Give me twenty minutes to get in position. I want you to shoot this man in both legs. If he is still able to return fire, then hit him again, in the ass if you can. I want him alive…for now. I want him screaming to cause his partner to show himself.
If I am unable to get to the other shooter, hopefully, he will either try to help his friend or run away. I just hope he doesn’t hold position and wait for us to come to him, ten-four?”
Gus agreed and took out his scoped and upgraded M-14 Sharpshooter, and after agreeing on when Gus was to shoot, Levi made his way to the enemy’s rear.
Unfortunately, Levi could not visually locate the second shooter. Upon arriving at the road, Levi placed himself behind a fallen log looking back toward the second shooter.
At precisely twenty minutes Gus placed a round in his target’s left leg, and one second later a second round, as he rolled over exposing his right leg. The man screamed in pain and tried to cover the holes in his legs with his hands. He began shouting for Elwood to come and help him but to no avail. Elwood decided to lay low. The injured man kept screaming for help.
Gus shouted for Elwood to come and help his friend before he bled out. “Elwood! Surrender and you will be allowed to help your friend. Come on, if you stay where you are he will die. Your choice, save your friend, or he dies. If you surrender, we will not shoot.”
Like a dove that panics when a bird dog approaches, Elwood broke from cover and began running along the drainage ditch straight to Levi.
Levi fired one shot when Elwood was no more than fifty feet away killing him with a round to his heart.
Gus then called to the wounded man and ordered him to keep his hands away from his gun. Gus then began making his way to the downed man while maintaining cover. The injured man was in terrible pain, but when Gus approached he reached for his pistol and received a round to the chest for his trouble.
Levi approached and said, “Damn fools, look, I’ll be they were father and son, but we’ll never know, now.”
A search of their pockets produced nothing of interest or value. Apparently, they were just two men who were willing to kill and steal what others had. Gus thought they would have turned out to be desperate men trying to survive desperate times.
Thirty minutes later the group was again on the road and passing through the farming village of Everetts. Before the lights went out, the village held no more the one-hundred and fifty people, and now, perhaps three small families remained working the land.
Levi said, “What a pity, such beautiful farming land, and with no security the remaining families have little chance.”
Gus agreed and added, “Even inside the ROA borders, until Troop C is formed and active these folks are in grave danger.”
They spent the night in one of the abandoned homes on Staton St, near the Baptist Church. There were still a few canned goods stored in the cupboard, and propane in the tank.
***
Chapter 4
A Redneck Front
Sep. 6th, 11oo
Princeville
It took almost three hard and fortunately, uneventful days to get to the village of Princeville.
What the group found was a standoff between a bunch of Redneck Farmer Boys from Princeville and Bloods. Between them lay the Tar River. There are two primary bridges crossing the Tar at Princeville. The local boys were broadcasting Hank Junior’s song: Country Folks Can Survive and daring the Black Gang to try to come across the bridges again. Normally, the Tar was very shallow and slow moving, but several recent storms had made a fast moving torrent.
The leader of the group, Toby Settle, was introduced to Levi. He asked, “Colonel, do you have any of your famous troopers on the way to help us to destroy this gang once and for all?”
Levi said, “No, Toby, we have not. No one in charge has asked for help. Are you in charge, here?”
“Yes sir, I guess you could say that. I own the biggest farm east of here, and everyone comes to me when it comes to farmin’ and now fightin’.
I surely never thought I’d be holding a line like this again. I spent 25 years in the Army Infantry, Retired a 1st Sgt. The funny thing is, though I wouldn’t miss it for the world, but if we don’t get some help fast, we can’t continue to hold on. We could hold ‘em if we just had the ammo. They only outnumber us by maybe ten to one, and their
weapons situation is worse than ours. I don’t know about ammo.
Colonel, would you help us, I mean, if you can. I give us maybe another three or four days at most. The Tar is slowing down, and is now fordable.”
Levi turned to Gus and said, “Major, the fine folks of Princeville have asked us to help. I’d like to get Troop A over here, but they are too far away, I have an idea though.
If we give Darren all of our horses, he can ride straight back to Plymouth in around twelve hours. Once in Plymouth Captain Guyardo can muster quite a few prior servicemen, along with a nice assortment of weapons and ammo.
He will also use a vehicle to get back to Defiance and load Troop A up on trucks and skedaddle on out here.
We could have the initial reinforcements here in about eighteen hours.”
Toby interrupted and said, “’Scuse me Colonel, but you don’t have to go to Plymouth on horseback. My old farm truck can get him there in an hour since the roads ain’t clogged.”
“All right Captain Settle, get that truck while I write out the orders for Captain Guy.”
“Levi; Darren doesn’t know how to drive. Toby will have to send someone along to operate that old velocipede. I suggest that we send Kate back with your orders since Guyardo knows her.”
“Good thinking, Gus, make it happen while I get the order written out, and please ask Kate to come over to me.”
“Yes sir, on the way.”
Kate came running and said, “Dad, what can I do?”
“I’m glad you asked Kate. I need for you to go with the farm truck back to Plymouth and give Captain Guy this order. Then you can truck right back up here with me.
Can do, trooper?”
Kate looked terrified as she considered the task before her, not of delivering the order, but riding with someone else. The thought of saying, no, crossed her mind, but disappointing her Dad was worse than her fear of being with a strange man.
Levi saw her hesitation; then he saw her back straighten as she said, “Yes sir, can do, and I’ll be right back, because I got a feeling you’re going to need a spotter, and that is one of my many jobs.”
Levi was so proud of Kate that…well, he just was. “Atta’ girl, I knew you wouldn’t let us down.”
“I promise, I never will, Dad. I’m nervous and a little scared, but I can do this for you.”
Levi smiled and said, “Maybe a little bit for me, Kate, but it’s mostly for you. I hope you know proud I am of you.”
*
September 6th, 1230
Princeville
Levi asked Toby to show him the defenses and to tell him about the action to date.
We have been concerned about the gangs in nearby larger cities and decided that Princeville might not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it is our home. All of us are farmers, except for Charlie Russell who owns the gun store just down the road.
We all figured this would happen when we saw them take over the Walmart Super Center just across the river. That’s when Charlie came to me and suggested we get some of the remaining folks and try to keep Bloods on the Tarboro side of the river. So, he broke out his armory and issued weapons and ammo to us. They outnumber us, but we have better weapons, so it’s a standoff.
From there I began placing our volunteers along the river with four-man teams at the bridge crossings.
Toby told Levi that the first attack came three days earlier when several of the gang members just came strolling across the Main St. Bridge waving their pistols in the air. Our fire team let them get to within fifty yards and cut them down like a threshing machine.
That night three tried to sneak across both the Route 65 Bridge, and the Rail Road Trestle, but that didn’t work well for them either.
At first, I thought they might try to flank us by moving downstream and swimming across. You know, I don’t think they know how to swim or row a boat. Mostly, I just hope they don’t realize that the water is only three to four feet deep. These guys are inner-city hoods, and when they are out of those hoods, they don’t have a clue.
Bloods doesn’t have assault-style weapons, well other than the few they found in the Walmart. Actually, if they even had any remote concept of tactics, they would have run over us by now.
I have our best shooters positioned so that if they raise their head, they get it blown to hell.
They also have sharpshooters who fire back at us, but sir, they couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with a scattergun, from the inside.
We don’t really know their total numbers, but our thought is around one hundred.
“Hot damn,” exclaimed Levi, “Toby, believe it or not, this is good news. If we can keep them from running away, that is.”
*
September 6th,
Walmart
Tarboro
Demarcus Hussein Jones sat in the former Manager’s office of the Tarboro Walmart on the Tar River. He needed a plan to get across that damned Tar River, but the problem was, those Redneck Crackers held their side of the bridge. That did create a problem because none his posse could swim, or knew how to row a boat.
Demetrius Kareem Brown came into the office, smoking a blunt and asked if Demarcus had come up with a plan.
“No, and give me a hit off your blunt.”
*
September 6th, 1330
Firing Range Troop C (TNG)
Plymouth
The truck carrying Kate and her driver came flying onto the rifle range. Kate jumped out and ran to Captain Guy, holding out his orders.
Mike Guyardo knew it meant trouble if Kate was not with Levi. He read the order and called for the Range NCO to cancel training, gather all prior service members and have them saddle up to head out to Princeville ASAP.
“Kate, I want you to take these orders to Colonel Eldridge. He’ll know what to do.”
“All right, Mike, but then I’m coming right back to Princeville.”
“Good plan, Kate, I’m sure your Dad needs you.”
As Kate ran to the truck to go to Defiance, she mumbled, “Damn straight he does.”
Captain Guy told his Range NCO to recover weapons and draw the SAWs, Grenade Launchers, and all the ammo on hand. “We cross the LOD at 1410 hours, Roger?”
“Yes sir, on the way.” The sergeant saluted and ran to the NCOs on the Range and gave them their assignments. He then left one corporal in charge to march the recruits back to the barracks.
*
September 6th, 1530
Tactical Ops Ctr (TOC)
Princeville
The three-truck convoy rolled into Princeville. Captain Guy reported to Colonel Levins and said, “Sir, Captain Guyardo reporting as ordered with a compliment of ten men.
We have also brought five Squad Automatic Weapons (SAWs) and five automatic grenade launchers.”
“Captain Guyardo, I would like to introduce the leader of the local Resistance, Captain Toby Settle.”
Guy smiled to Toby and said, “Captain, it is a pleasure to meet you, and to provide assistance,” and turning to Levi, said, “Sir, what are your orders?”
Toby stood by evaluating what he was seeing and was blown away by the professionalism shown by Captain Guyardo and the ten men of his detail. Without being told, the NCOIC organized his men into a loose formation.
Captain Guy called his NCOs over and introduced them to Captain Settle.
The sergeant then reported that his detail of ten men was ready to be briefed on the mission and shown to their positions.
Levi was pleased but would have liked to see some privates, sadly, they were all in training. Oh well, these chiefs knew what to do and demonstrated no displeasure at not being in charge. Levi thought, treat them like the professionals they are, and let them get to work.
Levi turned to Captain Settle and directed him to brief the mission, and then show the detail to their positions along the Tar River.
Taking Mike Guyardo aside, Levi said, “Mike, great job in getting your troopers here so qui
ckly. Very professional, I’m impressed. May I assume that you sent Kate on to Defiance?”
“Yes sir, I directed her to proceed to Defiance and brief Colonel Eldridge on the situation. I would anticipate their arrival within the next two hours, sir…at the latest.”
“Good, good, I gotta’ ask, how did she do?”
“Sir, she did fine. I have no doubt she’ll make a fine trooper. She may not have liked being away from your side, but she held up well. You should be proud of her.”
Levi beamed and said, “Oh, I am, Mike, I am. Okay, do I need to tell you what to do now?”
Mike feigned indignation, and then smiled and said, “I hope you know the answer to that, sir. Now if you don’t mind, I’ll be getting to it.”
Levi slapped his young Captain on the back and said, “Well, all right, join us when Troop A arrives.”
“Yes, sir,” Mike saluted and set about his tasks.
*
September 6th, 1530
Commo Lab
Defiance, ROA
Both the HAM set and the crystal radio built by Lt. Commander Adan Ramos U.S.N.R. Retired, and now the Defiance “inventor” screamed out the CONELRAD emergency broadcast sound followed by; “Please Stand By for a message from the President of the United States of America…” Adan listened to the broadcast then ran to find President Ralph Bassett.
***
Chapter 5
Tarboro Battle Preps
September 6th, 1700
Princeville Elementary School
Princeville