by Warren Ray
He loaded the launcher and mounted it before taking a knee. He sighted in his target and squeezed the trigger. The rocket took off toward the approaching vehicle which was now just fifty yards away. He watched as it sliced through the air at hundred and fifteen meters per second. It struck the truck dead-on. It exploded in a spectacular fashion as it lifted off the ground. Bodies flew out the back, all in different directions. The pickup behind it veered off and did a U-turn to avoid the same fate.
That was the great thing about these types of weapons. They put the fear of God or in their case, the fear of Allah in anyone around. It was a devastating weapon used to great effect by small armies around the world.
Nordell stood up and jumped back down from the roof to the van below. He ordered his men to grab all the weapons and throw them in the van. He could use another vehicle to block off roads. Besides, it already had three more grenades in the back and no telling what else.
Nordell strode back over to Michigan Avenue and raised his Vortex Crossfire 10 x 50 wide-angle binoculars. He held them rock steady as he looked past the smoldering truck toward the hospital where the gunfire was still echoing through the air.
He scanned the area and was surprised to see an older man wearing fatigues holding a pair of binoculars looking at him. Nordell recognized the emblems of a Saudi Colonel.
“Interesting,” said Nordell aloud.
“What’s interesting?” asked his friend Bobby who ran up to him.
Bobby was Nordell’s age and had known him since first grade. He still had most of his hair, though it was entirely gray bordering on white. He was surprising fit for a man who liked nothing better than to drink beer and play pool.
“I’m staring at their field commander, and he’s a Saudi Colonel.”
“Too bad Hollis isn’t still up top.”
“Which is exactly what this colonel is thinking right now. C’mon, we need to get back. They’re going to attack us.”
“Ya think?”
“Yep. They have to. They can’t let another sniper get the drop on them, besides they’ll want their RPG’s back.”
Nordell ordered everyone back before climbing into the van he had just confiscated. He turned to look at the grenades in the back. Not only was this a good catch, but he had also forced that Saudi Colonel to move against him, which would lighten the load for the guys still defending the hospital.
Knowing he just lost control of an RPG was going to gnaw on him and he would do whatever it took to get it back.
Nordell threw the van into gear and got on Michigan Avenue hoping the colonel was still looking his way. Driving the white van that had previously belonged to the man was a good screw you pal. Now come and get me.
The retired Marine tipped his head from side-to-side thinking how many men the Saudi would use. It would be a hurry-up operation, one they wouldn’t have prepared for, so he’d probably send a Company of at least a hundred men maybe more depending on how many he could spare.
Nordell didn’t worry about not knowing the number because he had spotters everywhere, and would know as soon as they made a move. They were perched high in all the surrounding buildings. Most were decent shots and would be able to slow the enemy’s progress toward their fortified position.
Nordell had been itching to get into this fight, and the enemy was obliging by coming to him. Killing those four Jijis had opened a reservoir of dividends.
He parked the van in the middle of the street, tightening the access to their position. He wouldn’t trust his guys to properly use the RPG, so he grabbed his new weapon and carried it back up the steps of the four-story brick building he was using as a command center.
He keyed the radio and called out to Hollis.
“I’m here Nick.”
“You in position?”
“Just setting up now. Damn those stairs, though.”
Nordell snickered. His friend was across the street in a ten-story building. If you weren’t in shape, stairs had a way of knocking the wind out of you.
“Okay, listen up everybody. We just confiscated one of their RPG’s, and they’re gonna want it back. I expect at least a Company will attack us.”
Nordell remembered he wasn’t talking to Marines or Soldiers and needed to speak in layman’s terms. “That’s one hundred men. These guys will have to find us, which will leave them exposed. It’s to our advantage, so choose your targets carefully and take your time.”
Nordell let off the mic key. He could only pray his guys were ready. Most had never been in a firefight, though some had been involved in the Robinson Road battle. However, they were motivated because everyone had someone they knew murdered in the churches.
Thankfully, the Shadow Patriots happened upon them. Even though most of those guys weren’t former servicemen, they had been qualifications trained by the Canadians and were now seasoned fighters, having been in many firefights over the last few months.
Unfortunately, most of them were down at the hospital fighting for their lives. Nordell shook his head knowing it was going to be a bloodbath, but he still had the faith they would to put a hurting on the attackers.
Chapter 60
Scar got on the radio and ordered the guard at the post across the road from the college to go over to the campus and get them ready to move. They needed to find transportation and hightail down here. He wasn’t sure how long they could keep this area open before the cops tried to flank them or get organized to pursue the fleeing citizens.
Taylor, and his ten-man team, would clear the opposition east of Waldron Road while they attacked the west side.
Bassett drove up the road towards US 12 and parked the cruiser on a dirt road that led to a cemetery. Everyone gathered their gear and began skirting the graveyard in total silence.
Within a few minutes, they came to a house at the edge of the woods. Scar tapped Bassett on the shoulder to join his joining him to clear the house of any cops that might be in there. He didn’t think it was likely because the siege on Jackson had started, but you couldn’t take anything for granted today. Murphy’s Law tended to hold court in these situations.
Everyone stayed in the woods as Scar and Bassett reached the back door, which was covered with chipped white paint. Scar turned the handle and was surprised to find it open. A shiver shot through him as the door creaked when he pushed it.
It was an older home with worn out hardwood floors. The place had a moldy odor to it as if water had seeped through a leaky roof and into the walls.
Bassett unsheathed his tactical tomahawk and ten-inch blackened steel knife before he came through the entrance. The door led to a laundry room and then the kitchen. Scar came in behind Bassett with his M4 shouldered. They were halfway through the kitchen when the sound of a flushing toilet came from an interior bathroom.
A cold chill swept across Scar. They weren’t in a good position to take him out in silence. If any of them fired a weapon, it would expose their operation and make it much more difficult.
A door opened, and heavy boots clomped on the wooden floor. Bassett moved over to a red Formica counter. Scar joined him just as the cop turned to go back outside.
Scar exhaled a deep breath.
Bassett checked the bedrooms before coming back into the living room where Scar was looking through the picture window.
“We’re clear,” said Bassett.
“Got one right out front and three to the left.”
Bassett moved to the window. “Yeah. It looks like they got two cops per car. Nice to see they have their backs to us. This shouldn’t be a problem. Burns and I can take the furthest ones, but we’ll need help holding the line once we get it cleared.”
Scar nodded. Ambushing the cops was the simple part, controlling the area afterward was going to be troublesome. The cops had the manpower not only to be able to flank their position but also surround them. This is why Scar wanted Taylor to join them with the SAW. After they took control of this area, Taylor would send a team away from th
e action to keep an eye on the cops in case they figured out what they should be doing. It wasn’t guaranteed they were smart enough to do this, but he wasn’t going to take any chances.
“As soon as we take ours out, we’ll run to your position.”
Scar grabbed his radio and called out to Meeks. “We’re clear here.”
They had some time before they would initiate the ambush. The people at the college still needed time to get ready. He looked at his watch. It had been thirty minutes since he sent some men up there to get them moving.
He leaned on the dusty kitchen table, worried about the men at the hospital and how they were doing. The last he heard, they were able to clear out a path for an exit after some of the Jijis left in a hurry.
Scar grinned knowing Nordell had something to do with this as he heard what had happened downtown. He had a lot of confidence in the retired Marine’s ability to handle the situation, and now that he was in possession of three RPGs, the odds increased exponentially.
Amber came through the back door, followed by Meeks and Burns. She slipped off the heavy backpack and put it on the kitchen table. It was loaded with spare magazines and had to weigh close to thirty pounds with all they had taken off Eddie’s porch.
Scar looked at everyone. “Is everyone fully loaded?”
Bassett and Burns patted their vest.
“I could use some,” said Burns.
“Me too,” said Bassett.
Scar motioned to Amber’s bag. Each took four mags and stuffed them inside their vest. Amber then passed some power bars around. They stood in silence as they eagerly ate. The waiting was the hard part because everyone had the same things on their minds. No one dared say it, but everyone thought it. Not if, but how many Shadow Patriots have they lost? And why haven’t they heard from Elliott, Nate or Reese? Were they dead?
Finally, Scar got the call he’d been waiting for on the radio. There was a convoy of vehicles coming down from the college loaded with citizens. They could begin their ambush.
Scar radioed Taylor. “You get that Badger.”
“10-4. Let me know when.”
Scar looked at Bassett and Burns.
“Give us ten,” said Bassett.
They scooted out the back door and disappeared back into the woods. Scar motioned Meeks and Amber to the picture window.
“Meeks you take out that one. Amber and I will take the one on the left. As soon as we take ‘em down, we need to get over to Bassett’s position to help hold the line.”
Meeks gave a firm nod and slipped out the back door swinging to the left. Scar followed Amber out as she headed west. They hustled the sixty yards through the woods toward their target. They had a more demanding task because they had about thirty yards of open ground to cover. Once he gave the signal, they would break from the trees and fire while on the run.
Coming to the tree line, Amber squatted down behind a tree. Scar stood over her and could hear her breathing. She was as nervous as he was, which is the way it should be right before a battle. Fear is good. Fear makes you cautious. It helps prevent you from doing something stupid. The secret is to act completely normal. Calm and in control, as if you’re a person who knows no fear. Quickly conquering fear allows you to become more focused on the task-at-hand.
Both Amber and Reese had that talent in spades, more so than some of the guys who came through their ranks. While Reese had an insatiable appetite for killing the cops who raped her, Amber had an inner strength which had blossomed over the last couple of weeks making her formidable. She was also intelligent but didn’t over think things and only offered sound ideas to the group.
Scar crouched down next to her. “Look at ‘em. They’re not paying much attention, are they?”
“No, they’re not.”
“We’ll be alright. Stay right by my side. I want you on full auto. Empty that mag fast and swap it out. I’ll zero in on them with controlled fire.”
Amber nodded.
After what seemed like an eternity, Bassett and Burns were in position.
Scar stood up, as did Amber.
He keyed the radio. “Okay, here we go. On three, two, one.”
Gunfire broke the silence of the quiet road as everyone began firing at once. Scar flipped around the tree with his weapon at the ready. He aimed and pulled the trigger. He felt Amber’s presence before she opened fire.
They charged across the open field firing as they went. Amber emptied her magazine in short order. The rounds went wide at first, but then she got them under control and took one of them down. A couple of shots exploded his head painting the side of the cruiser with blood.
Scar aimed at the second cop and put a bullet in his leg, making him drop to the ground. The cop was in full panic mode and crawled on his hands and knees to the front of the car. He then rose up and fired his AK-47 in full auto. The shots were high and out of control. He emptied his magazine and disappeared behind the car to reload.
Amber grabbed a magazine from the small of her back and slammed it in while sweeping around the front of the car to flank him. She stopped firing but kept the rifle against her shoulder as she moved with purposeful steps.
Scar closed in and squatted down to see where the cop was. He was behind the front tire and still on the ground. He looked over at Amber and motioned where he was.
She moved in a broader arc and Scar turned to see how Meeks was doing. He had already accomplished his objective and was now jogging in to help. Scar pointed out where the other one was.
Meeks swung over and saw the cop lying on the ground. He was too far away to get a clean shot but fired a couple of pot shots to distract him while Amber continued her sweeping arc.
The cop responded as expected and fired at Meeks.
Amber then picked up her speed to get into position. The cop was still firing at Meeks as she came around the corner. She fired on full auto. It was sloppy but did the trick. A few rounds went into the side of his face blowing out the other side making him unrecognizable. The others ripped through his chest. Air hissed out the tire as it also had taken some lead.
Meeks came running in and stared at the bloody corpse. “Eewwe, Amber, don’t let me get on your bad side.”
“I know right, that’s disgusting.”
“Hell, you even took out the tire. We could have used this as a ride.”
“Couldn’t be helped, but you know, you’re more than welcome to change the tire.”
Meeks chuckled. “Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.”
Scar spoke up. “Ah, if you two are done, we need to get up to Bassett.”
Chapter 61
The closer Scar got to Bassett’s position the lower he crouched as bullets whistled by them. Amber and Meeks were close on his tail as they scooted around the dead bodies Burns’ had left behind. They reached Bassett and Burns who were returning fire on the cops further up. A bunch of them had already congregated and repositioned a couple of their squad cars. They certainly didn’t want to be ambushed like their friends just were and fired wildly, slamming rounds into the car Bassett and Burns were using as cover.
“Looks like a Mexican Standoff,” said Scar and he reached them.
“Yeah, it didn’t take ‘em too long to get their act together,” said Bassett.
“Well, hopefully, they won’t get too brave,” said Scar.
He pulled the radio out and confirmed the exit was opened for business. He turned but wasn’t able to see the convoy of vehicles. There were too many trees bordering the road, and it had a slight incline, high enough to keep their activity a secret. This was ideal as it would buy them more precious time and give the fleeing citizens a better chance of escaping.
While the woods camouflaged their convoy movement, it also invited an ambush by the cops, which could prove devastating. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure it out, so Scar decided to give them more protection. Even though Badger had sent a team to monitor their flank, it was too much real estate to patrol adequately.
“Meeks, those cops you took out, was the car damaged?”
“No, that one is in perfect condition,” responded Meeks while smiling at Amber who had just flattened a tire.
She gave him the finger.
“You and Amber take that car down there and go get it. I want to set up a protective perimeter.”
“You got it, boss. “C’mon kiddo, you got shotgun.”
Meeks jumped in the driver’s seat and started the car. He threw it in drive and squealed the tires as he forced a U-turn. He had to stop up ahead as the convoy of vehicles was now starting its turn onto US 12.
“Damn, more than I thought there would be,” said Meeks.
“Thank God,” said Amber. “Let’s get out, so they don’t think we’re cops.”
“Good idea.”
They got out carrying their rifles and walked toward the vehicles that were having to drive around the immobile cruiser with the flat tire. Some of the passengers waved as they passed by.
An SUV stopped, and the passenger window came down. Amber recognized the women and approached it.
“Amber, thank you so much,” said Kelly as she held her arms out the window. She was a mother of two teenaged daughters who were in the back with their grandmother.
The daughters had looked up to her and Reese and wanted to join them. Reese had handled the situation by sharing some of her story. After listening to the horrific details, they stopped pestering their mother.
Amber leaned in and gave her a hug. “You guys get as far away as possible and stay safe.”
“We will,” said Kelly who began shedding tears.
From the back, the teen girls yelled, “We love you. We’ll never forget you.”
“I won’t forget you guys either. Now, go, get going.”
The grandfather stepped on the gas, and the convoy continued with more waves from passengers.