Defending Home

by Jeffrey Miller

  Sammie looked down and saw Ben smiling up at her. She knew then that Ben approved of what she said. She also realized that Ben and Nicole would in ways become her kids. Nate already saw both of them as his children. Maybe Nicole didn’t realize it yet, but she would in time.

  Gene came rushing out the front door smiling. Sammie was startled and spoke. “Dad, what’s wrong?” she asked.

  Gene smiled from ear to ear. “I was just on the Ham radio. One of the contacts in the mid-west said that the power is slowly returning to regions in his area and in the west. Some areas might see power coming back on within six weeks to six months. The only regions that will not see power for the foreseeable future will be the east coast because of the two EMPs there,” Gene explained.

  Sammie stood and hugged her father.

  “So, it could just be anytime starting in six weeks? I guess we just have to wait, but at least we know things will improve,” she added.

  “I guess we will see, but this is the first real news about anything we have heard. He said some radio stations are coming back on to give out news about this, and they will keep updates coming. I will go see if anything is on yet,” Gene said, turning to go back inside to get the battery-operated radios to tune in.

  “Did you hear that? We may have power in six months or less?” Sammie said to Nicole and Ben. It was great news. No one expected this to happen for many years. It was a miracle to say the least. Obviously, not everyone was going to have power coming back to them, but maybe those who would could help those in need faster. It was anybody’s guess as to truly how bad things were in the bigger cities after the collapse. Most were rumored to have burned to the ground in places like D.C., New York, Chicago, L.A., and all the major high-population centers. The true numbers of mayhem and death wouldn’t be known for years to come.

  The trail back to the ranger station

  Kyle and Audrey were pushing along the snow-laden trail that Kyle and Nate had previously taken. They were going downhill now, making good time back. Audrey wasn’t familiar with the area because she had not ventured very far from the ranger station since they arrived. Kyle wasn’t certain how far he would need to get her before he could turn her loose on her own to go back for Nate.

  “I have to slow down,” Audrey said. She was feeling better after having ate the food Nate had given her, but she was not in shape for the distance and pace Kyle wanted.

  “We can slow up some, Audrey…but we need to get back so I can get back to Nate. He can’t take on that many paratroopers alone,” he said, slowing down a bit.

  “Who is he? I mean how did you or everyone find him?” she asked as they kept going downhill. Kyle went on to explain what happened that lead up to Nate and his father. Audrey was silent. She was upset with her dad and uncle for having acted the way they did, but she understood the stress they had to be under to even reach that level of decision making.

  The area they were in was strange to all of them. They all had lived up in North Dakota; northeastern area where there were no mountains to speak of. It was composed of flat, open expansive areas of grasslands and crops. One’s neighbors could be miles away; it was the same in Wyoming, the difference being that in North Dakota you might see someone coming.

  “So, Nate – not knowing who I am – took it upon himself to help me? Why Kyle? Why would he do that?” Audrey asked.

  “You would have to ask him that question; but I suspect it also had to do with the Russians invading our nation; to help you, he would also have to help the nation regarding them. Just like I will do once I get you back,” he explained as they rounded a bend that lead down to a small creek.

  Audrey stopped.

  “Wait, I know where I am. I know this creek. I came down here with dad right after we arrived, trying to get some fish. We caught a bunch that morning. I know the way back, Kyle,” she stated, pointing the way she would take back. Kyle was surprised, not knowing she had been this far before, but she was correct in her way back.

  “Ok, well that’s good,” he replied.

  Kyle suddenly felt bad for what was about to happen. He reached in his side pocket and removed a small 9mm pistol he had. He handed the gun to her, not knowing for sure if she even knew how to handle it.

  “Take this. Do you know how…”

  Audrey stopped him.

  “Really? Do you think dad didn’t teach me how to shoot? I can probably out shoot your butt,” she said, cutting him off.

  “I hope so, Audrey; but I doubt it,” he replied sarcastically.

  They both laughed for a moment. Then Kyle leaned in to hug her before they parted.

  “Go Kyle; help that man. It’s the least we can do to say thank you,” she said.

  After a few seconds, Kyle spoke. “Go and tell his father what is going on. He will know what to do also. Make it as fast as you can, Audrey,” Kyle said, turning and heading back up the trail.

  Audrey stood for a moment, watching. Kyle stopped at a certain point and waved goodbye to her. She prayed a silent prayer for her cousin. He had seen so much during the war, only to come home and have to fight a new enemy on his own soil. It did not seem right, and it certainly did not seem fair.

  Soon, Kyle was gone up the trail and deep back into the woods. Audrey couldn’t hear a thing from him. He was running; silent moving as he was trained.

  Nate could hear the Russian paratroopers getting closer. They were following the tracks left behind. They were spread out – all seven of them – about ten yards apart covering ground slowly. He could barely see them coming down the mountain slope through the thick woods. The eerie sounds of crackling branches under their feet as they moved down echoed through the silence of the woods. All wildlife seemed to have left the area knowing, ahead of time, what was to come. Nate had two rifles with him, one being an AR-15 variant that was folded up in his pack. The other was a sniper rifle he had taken off one of the soldiers he first killed. It had a folding stock and scope. He wasn’t certain, but was pretty sure, it was the Drangunov rifle. Kyle had not shot it before, but he had shot many that were similar, so he wasn’t too worried.

  Kyle made the rifle ready, and peered through the unique reticle. The range finder was in the lower left; and the targets were over one kilometer away in the center. None of the targets would be that far. Nate zoomed in on each of the men coming down and tried to ascertain what they carried. He could see one man carrying what appeared to be a heavy machine gun; maybe the PKM-Kalashnikov design. It was the tried and true general-purpose machine gun, firing 7.62 x .54 mm ammo. That soldier would need to be the first to be taken out.

  Nate did not regret his decision to stand his ground. He just wished he had his old squad with him right about now. These were highly trained and experienced soldiers; not like the people he had fought after the collapse while trying to get home. They were stuck in a foreign land with no support. They had no choice now but to try and survive. Nate knew the reality was that he may not make it out of this one alive. He would take as many as possible with him, but the odds were not in his favor.

  He watched and tried to calculate the distance at which would be the best to lay down fire, then he would try to reposition himself higher up on the ridge and not be seen. It wouldn’t take them long before they would know the general direction the fire was coming from.

  Nate focused on the machine gunner. He was the deadliest threat. Nate set the crosshairs squarely on the man’s head. He hoped the rifle was accurate, and kicked himself in the ass now for not sighting it in long ago.

  “Boom!” the rifle echoed throughout the valley below. Through the scope, Nate could see the man’s head erupt like a watermelon with the reddish spray changing the white snow red around him. Nate wished the rifle were suppressed. It was too late. One down, six to go. He scanned the running soldiers as they leaped for cover behind trees and small boulders. He saw one man aiming in his general direction, but that man was slightly off target. Nate couldn’t take the chance, and fired again. Th
e round struck the man in the upper chest. He fell where he was. Five left. Nate then heard a familiar sound. It was the sound that only a grenade launcher made. Nate took cover down behind the boulder he was laying on. The ground erupted behind him; spraying dirt and rocks everywhere.

  “Damn, that was close,” Nate said to himself in a whisper.

  “Time to move, Nate” he said to himself again. He was up and in a crawling position with his pack on and his rifle in his hands. He was trying to stay low, then he heard another grenade launched. He had not fired again, so this would increase their confidence. Nate saw a very large boulder ahead and aimed for its protection. It was shaped like a wedge. He had twenty feet to go.

  The soldiers were now up and moving cautiously through the woods staying behind trees to shield themselves. Two of them would move at a time; then another two with the goal of getting near the point that they could flank Nate and surround him.

  One of the soldiers removed a hand-held grenade and pulled the pin to throw it. As he pulled his arm back, he was shot directly in the face. His body fell with the grenade coming loose falling near another soldier who tried to run, but it was too late.

  Kyle aimed his rifle again, having come on the battle and positioning himself to the side of the advancing force. Kyle had now evened up the odds.

  Nate heard the sound. He wasn’t certain where the soldiers were aiming, and he didn’t hear any round zoom past him. Then he heard more gunfire and could tell the direction of the battle had changed. The sounds echoed in another direction. He got to his feet and sprinted to the large outcrop of rock. He peered around the boulder to the action below. He raised his scope to see one man aiming in another direction from behind a tree acting almost scared to reveal himself. Then Nate saw wood erupt from a bullet tearing through the heavy bark. The slash opened the man’s face up and he fell to the ground. Nate searched for the man firing at the Russians with his scope until he saw up on the opposing ridgeline a familiar face. Kyle was doing what snipers do best. Nate wondered now if he should have given him the sniper rifle he had. However, the one his father loaned him was more like the one Kyle would be used to.

  The last Russian soldier was walking out with his hands up in the air. He didn’t have a weapon on him. Nate looked through the scope sight to see he was an older man wearing what appeared to be a pilot’s suit under his pilot parka coat. Nate scanned the bodies he could see trying to do a head count. This man appeared to be the last one. Nate could not tell if he was the commander or not.

  Kyle also carefully looked around as he saw the man trying to give himself up. Nate made his way down the ridge moving from tree to tree. Kyle caught a glimpse of movement and aimed his rifle in the direction. He was relieved to see Nate in one piece. He followed his movements, keeping an eye on the soldier who now stood in a small clearing. Nate stopped and stood behind a tree about fifty yards from the man.

  “Do you speak English?” Nate yelled, hoping the rest were dead or unable to fire a weapon. He was certain that the others were no threat.

  “Yes, I am the Commander. I take it you are the ones who took Audrey?” he asked with the typical Russian English slur of speech. Nate smiled thinking his voice would have played well in a good ole Russian spy movie.

  “Yes,” Nate said.

  “Good, I am glad. I never wished her harm. I didn’t command the men to do what they did. I did try to protect her from their more primitive desires,” the man replied.

  “Why are you here?” Nate asked, moving slightly closer and staying out of visual sight. Nate looked up to see Kyle on the upper adjacent hill that overlooked the area he was in. Kyle gave him a sign that indicated six men killed and one remained, the commander. Nate saluted Kyle as a thank you. He was now in debt to him. Nate knew he surely would be dead by now if it were not for Kyle’s timely return.

  “The whys of war? Why do we go to any war? We just follow orders, do we not? I wasn’t asked to come here. I was serving my parish until I was forced into service because of my pilot skills. As to why…it was a failed attempt to confiscate and hold for ransom for your ICBMs at your airbase. Our nation is in dire need of food. The economy is far worse than yours, and with the surprise attack on the Kremlin from the Chinese, we thought we had no choice.”

  Nate wondered what he meant by ‘attack from the Chinese.’

  “What I need you to do now is remove your coat and turn around completely. Let me see you are not armed,” Nate commanded.

  “I will do that.”

  The man slowly did as he was told. He turned slowly after removing his heavy coat, and then he stood still. He was the small man Nate had seen earlier standing on the porch of the cabin. He also could now see a large cross hanging from the man’s neck. It was nearly covered by the long black beard hanging from his face. In fact, he did look like a Russian Orthodox Catholic priest.

  “Now, I want you to turn and kneel with your hands behind your head,” Nate instructed.

  He watched as the priest/soldier did as he was told. Nate began to think to himself, how many times in the past twenty years have I done what I was told? How many commands had I followed even when I knew or questioned the validity of such commands? The only reason this man was alive now was probably due to his own actions. First off, he had given himself up; second, he tried to save Audrey; and third, he gave his life to God.

  Nate approached the Russian from behind; still looking around and seeing only a few dead bodies and blood pooled. Nate removed a zip tie from his pocket and secured the man’s hands behind his back; much like law enforcement would.

  “Stand up,” Nate said, pulling the smaller man up. Nate spun the man around until they were face to face.

  “I am sorry, son. I didn’t wish for any of this,” the man softly said. He was much older than Nate thought him to be. The beard was black with speckles of gray. His face was weathered and tired looking. The bags under his eyes were deep, with lines in his forehead to match. The crucifix looked to be made of silver, and could barely be seen from under the man’s long beard. He was about 5’7” with a burley chest.

  “Governments sometime make us soldiers do things we wouldn’t normally do,” Nate said, more at ease now. The man had a calming effect on him. Nate had met many chaplains over the years; this one reminded him – not in looks, but in his words – of the Father Mulcahy from the TV series, MASH.

  “What is it that you will not normally do now?” the Father asked. Nate was walking him toward the trail head where he figured Kyle would be waiting.

  “Killing you,” Nate replied.

  The Father turned to look at Nate as they walked. He smiled at Nate and spoke.

  “I am ready to meet my Father, but I am glad you chose not to do this today, my son,” the father replied.

  “Please, don’t call me ‘son’ again; I might change my mind,” Nate stated.

  The Father looked at the ground and just nodded.

  Chapter 8

  The Father Complex

  When Nate approached the trailhead, just as he thought, he found Kyle already waiting behind a tree. Kyle stepped out, to the surprise of the Father who was walking with Nate.

  “Commander, I never asked your name,” Nate stated, stopping to shake Kyle’s hand as he turned to introduce their captive.

  “My name is Mikhail Serdyukov, Commander,” he said, adding his title to his name with a measure of respect.

  Kyle looked him over.

  “Is this the guy?” Kyle asked.

  Nate knew what he was referring to. “Yes, apparently; and yes, he is a Father,” Nate stated, pointing at the cross around their captive’s neck.

  “Well, it seems you made some Godly decisions today, Commander. I was just about to remove your head from your shoulders when you raised your hands with no weapon. How is it that you are the Commander, and yet you don’t have any weapons?” Kyle asked.

  “I am the pilot. Their real Commander died when his chute didn’t open. I – by default,
as you say, became their leader,” he explained.

  Nate thought back to the body that he and Kyle had found frozen on the ground, and wondered if that was the man he spoke of.

  “I see,” Kyle replied.

  Kyle motioned Nate over to follow him away from the man for a second to have a chat. Nate followed.

  “What are we going to do with him?” Kyle asked.

  Taking a prisoner meant many things. Feeding said person, sheltering said person, and in general – caring for the man until they could turn him over to governmental authorities…whenever that would be.

  “That, Kyle, I don’t yet have an answer to. Yes, he is an enemy of the State. Sure, we have every right to maybe take him out; but is that the right course of action?” Nate asked, looking back at the man.

  Kyle had no answers either. He was more worried about what his family might do or say. The only card he and Nate held was Audrey’s words about the Father, which might sooth things out a bit. This Father had kept her alive by putting himself at risk. Those men could have removed the Father from the equation at any time, then had their way with Audrey. This entire mission may have been a body recovery mission rather than a rescue.

  “Maybe we need to have a trial of sorts,” Nate stated.

  Kyle raised an eyebrow to the thought. “I have a better idea,” the Russian man of God said. Apparently, his hearing was good. “How about you let me go and I will live the rest of my days in solitude far from here.”

  Nate looked at the man carefully.

  “Why would we do that?” Kyle asked.

  “Because if you were going to kill me, you would have done so already. I am not afraid to die, son. You can take me back to your home, yes; but at what cost?” Mikhail said.

  “The cost might cost you what you are afraid of,” Nate said.

  The Father smiled. “No, it’s not my fear or cost; it’s Audrey’s. I don’t wish to be a constant reminder to her of what she went through. She never knew when the day would come when the men would stop listening to me. It was only a matter of time,” he said.