by P. A. Glaspy
The one who had just spoken replied, “I think he’s dead. He’s lying on the ground back there.” He indicated the toll booth with his head.
Liz and Stacy had moved to the front as well, weapons aimed at the kneeling men. “Thompson, you and Manning go check the other one,” Hutch ordered. “And be careful!”
“On it, Cap,” Liz answered. The two women headed toward the toll booth.
They were spaced about fifteen feet apart from each other, positioning themselves so they could approach the small building from both sides. Liz was on the right, heading for the spot between the innermost car and the booth. Stacy was following the empty lane that would have been used by traffic heading off the turnpike. Liz had her rail-mounted flashlight on, pointed toward the space she was about to enter. She was panning the light from side to side looking for the missing man when the shot was fired.
The bullet hit her in the chest, knocking her backward. She lay on the ground, a look of surprise on her face. The man, who had been crouched down behind the booth, laughed then coughed, choking on his own blood, which spewed from his mouth into the air.
“Damn government toadies! Riding around like a bunch of hot shots all warm and fed while we’re out here starving and freezing to death! What gives you the right to live better than us? At least I get to take one of you self-righteous assholes with me!”
As Hutch, who had rushed to her side, was helping Liz get up from the frozen street while trying to cover her at the same time, Stacy came up behind the man and put the muzzle of her rifle against his head. In a quiet voice, she said, “She’s wearing Kevlar. You’re not. Lucky for you, you’re already dead or I’d finish the job. What gives you the right to take what other people own? When did it become okay for one man to steal from another at gunpoint or to kill someone to get their stuff, not even knowing what they do or don’t have? Don’t bother answering. I can’t stand a thief. Just lay there and die, asshole.”
At her words, the man gave one last gurgled cough and fell over on his side. With her boot, Stacy rolled him over onto his back. His eyes were open, staring lifelessly into the night.
She headed back to her team with a grim smile. “I love it when the trash takes itself out.”
Chapter 14
Amanda was sitting on the floor with Cameron as they removed the firearms in the bag one by one. Aaron watched over his little brother’s shoulder. Cameron would take one out, eyes wide as he looked it over, with the occasional commentary — “Oh, this one is bad ass … er, as heck!” — then hand it over to Amanda, who was sorting them into groups.
“What are the different piles for, Amanda?” Aaron asked as he took in her actions.
“I’m sorting them by caliber.” She pointed to one stack of pistols. “All of these shoot forty-five caliber bullets. If we keep them with that size of ammo, we won’t be shuffling through the whole pack looking for what bullets go in which gun.”
“That’s smart. Which one is the best one?”
She turned to him and smiled. “The one you shoot the best is the right one for you. There’s no perfect fit for everybody. Maybe tomorrow we can take some out to this range I heard about and find out which one fits you.”
Cameron pulled a black box out of the bag. “Look, this one is still in the box. I wonder why?”
“Let me see that, Cam,” Amanda said as she reached for it. She took the box and read the cover. “Kahr Arms. I’ve heard of them. They’re out of Massachusetts, I think. Good quality American-made guns. That’s always a good thing.” She opened the box to find the paperwork still inside, along with an unmarked white envelope. A seal on the flap had the number “899” on it. She slipped a finger inside the flap and found a card. It read Certificate of Authenticity, TIG 2018 Special Edition. The boys looked on as she opened the bi-fold card. Her eyes grew big as she read it.
“Oh wow. This is a limited edition. Only a thousand made. This one is eight ninety-nine. Listen to this: This is to certify that this Model ST9093TIG is the John “Tig” Tiegen Special Edition for supporting Beyond the Battlefield, The Tiegen Foundation. That’s so awesome!”
She passed the card to Aaron so everyone could see it and lifted the gray foam to reveal a black pistol with coating on the body that looked like snakeskin. She pulled it out of the foam bed and looked it over.
“Hello, pretty.” Cameron craned his neck her direction to see the pistol.
On top of the slide was the emblem for Beyond the Battlefield, as well as Tig’s logo. On the right side, his signature was etched into the front edge of the slide, along with “899 of 1000”. It had one single stack magazine that held eight bullets inside the gun, with a second in the box. Amanda pulled the slide back, locking it open, and peered down the barrel.
“Teddy said he’d shot them all, but it doesn’t look like this one has ever been fired. I intend to remedy that tomorrow. It needs to feel loved and appreciated.” She released the slide and let it snap closed.
“But if it’s a collector’s item, won’t it retain its value better if you don’t use it?” Lauri asked. “That’s probably why it’s still in the box.”
“I don’t think there’s going to be a big call for guns just to look at anymore,” Elliott remarked. “If there aren’t any being made anytime soon, they may become a new form of currency. The ammo surely will. Can I take a look at that, Amanda?”
She held the gun out to him. As he reached for it, she snatched it back and said, “Don’t go falling for it, Elliott. I’m claiming this one for myself.”
Elliott laughed. “Not to worry. I just want to check it out.”
She grinned and handed the pistol to him. He looked it over and gave a low whistle. “This is nice. Looks like Tig was a Marine, too. It says Semper Fi under his signature. You gotta respect him giving back to his brothers. I bet this will be a fine shooter.” He held the gun back out to Amanda.
She took it and replied, “I can’t wait to find out. First thing in the morning I want to see this range of yours.”
It’s a date,” he said with a nod.
“Woo hoo! Pap’s got a date!” Cameron called out. “Watch out, Uncle Will. I think he’s after your girl.”
Will blushed, but Amanda glared at Cameron. “Are you trying to start trouble, buster? I’m pretty sure we can leave you behind when we go shoot tomorrow. That could happen, couldn’t it, Elliott?”
Elliott had a stern expression on his face. “Yes, it could.”
Everyone else in the room was trying to hide grins and smirks, including Amanda. Everyone but Cameron. He exclaimed, “I was just joking! I’m sorry! Please don’t leave me out of shooting practice!”
Elliott scowled at the boy for another moment, then started cackling. “Gotcha!”
The room erupted in laughter as Cameron’s face went from fear to surprise to glee. “Whew! That was close! You had me going there, Pap!”
They had reached the bottom of the bag when Cameron pulled out an AK-47. Eyes as big as saucers, he said in a hushed tone, “Whoa! What is this?”
“Mine,” Elliott stated. “Gimme that.”
“Nice,” Amanda commented as Cameron handed the rifle to his grandfather.
“Are there any seven six two cartridges in that ammo pile, Amanda?” Elliott asked as he inspected the gun.
She picked up a plastic ammo can. “This is full of them.”
“Good deal. This was a wonderful thing your friend did, Joel. He may have saved some lives,” Elliott added as he stood the rifle against his chair.
“I just wish I could have saved his,” Joel replied in a voice laced with sadness and regret. “How many lives will be lost because there’s no services for medical supplies and prescriptions? How many people will linger and die in pain — no, agony — because of a decision obviously made by one lunatic to cripple this country?”
Ethan got up without a word and headed for the kitchen. When he heard the back door close, Joel turned to Elliott wide-eyed. “Oh, Elliott. I’m so s
orry. I didn’t even think about —”
Elliott held up a hand cutting Joel off. “Don’t worry about it. He knows it’s coming. We kind of know what to expect after we went through it with his mother. No morphine will be available for him, though. It will be rough, that’s for sure. We’ll just have to get through it. The timing is bad for this thing and being able to get Ethan some relief.”
“What do you mean, Elliott?” Lauri asked.
“Well, my granny taught me about a plant you could use for pain relief. It’s called wild lettuce. It lessens pain similar to the way morphine does. It grows all over in the fields. I use it from time to time myself, and it definitely helps take the edge off when you’re hurting. I’ve got a little bit dried out hanging in the barn that we can use to make him a tea. It will help some, but I don’t think it’s enough to get him to the end.” Elliott’s voice caught and he stopped, turned his head away, and wiped a tear from his eye. The room was filled with an ominous silence.
With a sniffle of his own, Cameron said, “Just tell us what we need to do, Pap … you know, to help him. I don’t want to watch my dad suffer.”
Elliott cut his eyes to Carly, who visibly bit her lip at her son’s use of the term “dad”. She returned his gaze and gave him a small smile rather than speaking the cutting retort that was apparently on the tip of her tongue. He smiled back with an acknowledging nod of his head.
“He’s got his own alternative for now. I’ll take stock of the herbs I have hanging in the barn tomorrow to see what I can put together. I think we need to start settling down for the night. I don’t know about the rest of you but I’m beat.”
Elliott stood up from his chair just as Ethan was coming in the back door. He closed the door softly and hurried into the living room.
In a soft voice barely above a whisper, he said, “Dad, there’s someone outside.”
~~~~~
Elliott and Ethan went out the front door, while Amanda and Joel went out back. With no electrical sounds, it was eerily quiet, and the lack of exterior lighting left the outside world pitch black with a new moon.
“I heard like a shuffling sound. It’s hard to describe,” Ethan whispered.
“Where did it sound like it was coming from?” Elliott replied just as quietly.
“Kind of on the side of the house by the driveway. It didn’t sound like walking, exactly … more like dragging.”
Elliott turned the small flashlight on he had brought with him and started toward the driveway. After just a few steps, he heard a noise. He turned the light toward the sound.
“A coon! And he’s got that ornery chicken that never wants to come in at night!”
Sliding the thin flashlight alongside the pump so he could see, Elliott raised his shotgun and was about to shoot the nuisance predator when he caught a movement from the corner of his eye. A large German shepherd rushed in and grabbed the raccoon, shaking it fiercely. The raccoon shrieked, filling the night with its distress call. Joel and Amanda came running from the backyard.
“Don’t get too close!” Elliott called out to them. “If that dog lets go, that critter might get you!”
Amanda had the newly acquired Tig, which she had chosen to call the new pistol, pointed at the fighting animals. The dog was growling and still shaking the raccoon violently, while the raccoon was making a racket none of them had ever heard before. The noise was so loud it brought the rest of the family to the front door.
“What in the world is going on out there, Elliott?” Lauri called from the doorway.
“Y’all stay inside. We’ve got a mess out here.”
Cameron was standing on his tiptoes trying to see around his grandmother. “What is it, Pap? It sounds like something’s fighting!”
“It is, Cam. A dog and a coon.” Elliott was holding the flashlight high to cast more light. “I think the dog’s winning.”
“A real raccoon? I wanna see! Let me out, Nana, please?” he said as he tried to squeeze past her. Carly grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back into the house.
“Did you hear what Pap said? He said to stay inside! It’s dangerous out there! They’re wild animals, probably rabid …”
“Mom, dogs aren’t wild animals,” Cameron said in a slightly condescending tone. “Just because you don’t like them —”
“Who said I don’t like dogs? I like them fine … as long as they are someone else’s, not shedding hair on the furniture, or leaving muddy footprints on the carpet — or worse stuff.”
“Well, I love dogs, and Pap’s the only one who has had any in this family, and he hasn’t had one since Rufus died last year,” Cameron said, a sad note to his voice. “Maybe we can keep this one if it wins the fight.”
As if in response to Cameron’s wish, the noise outside ceased. The dog walked over to Ethan and sat looking at him expectantly, tail swishing through the snow.
“Holy shit!” Ethan exclaimed. “That’s Lexi! She’s my buddy Dwayne’s dog, the one I was staying with in Brighton. She took a liking to me. She must have followed me here.” He squatted down in front of her. “Let me borrow your flashlight, Dad. I want to check her over and see if she’s hurt.”
Elliott held the flashlight above them. “Go ahead and check her over. I’ll hold the light.” Turning toward the house, he called out, “It’s over. You can come out now if you want to.”
Cameron pushed past everyone else and hurried over to the scene. The raccoon was dead, its neck broken by the violent shaking from Lexi. The chicken lay not far away, headless. Cameron held his own flashlight and inspected the carnage.
“What happened to the chicken’s head?” he asked no one in particular.
“Coons do that,” Elliott replied. “I’m not sure why, but they eat the heads off chickens. I’m guessing this one was a momma and was taking the rest back to her babies.”
“Gross. But kind of cool,” Cameron replied.
“How’s the dog, son?” Elliott asked, turning his attention back to the living animal.
“I think she’s okay. A few scratches but nothing that needs stitches or anything. I can’t believe she followed me!”
“I thought you were driving at first,” Aaron remarked. “How did she follow you in a car?”
“I was driving, but the roads were bad, so I was going really slow. It was dark with the cloud cover, so I didn’t see her. I’m surprised she didn’t come up to me once I started walking, but maybe she didn’t want me to send her back home. She’s wicked smart. Aren’t you, Lexi girl?” he said to the dog as he scratched between her ears. “I swear she can understand everything you say to her. Dwayne was kind of an asshole to her, and I think she likes me better anyway. Well, I guess her showing up here proves it.”
Cameron hurried over to see the dog. “Can I pet her?”
“Let her come to you. Call her,” Ethan replied. “She needs to get to know you and trust you.”
“Hey, Lexi! Hey, girl! Come here,” Cameron said in the dog’s direction.
Lexi turned at the sound of her name and cocked her head to the side, looking the boy over. She looked back to Ethan.
“It’s okay, girl. Go ahead,” he told her in a firm voice.
She got up and walked over to Cameron. He reached toward her and she stopped.
“Hold your hand out and let her smell you first,” Elliott said. “She’ll do the rest.”
Cameron did as his grandfather had instructed. Lexi leaned forward and sniffed his hand. Finding him acceptable, she moved closer sliding her head under his hand. Cameron grinned and rubbed the soft fur on top of her head.
“How’d you know that, Pap? You don’t know this dog, do you?” Cameron asked in awe.
Elliott smiled at him. “No, I don’t know that dog, but I know dogs. Their noses tell them lots of things about people and places. They can sense fear and danger, and they’re usually a pretty good judge of a person’s character.”
“Can we keep her? I mean, she obviously wants to be here with D
ad.”
Elliott turned back to his son. “I think he’s right about that. Is she an inside dog or an outside dog?”
“Inside, definitely. Dwayne left her out in his backyard for days on end before I got there. She’d howl to come in, and that just pissed him off. But she’s house-trained and you can see she’s pretty clean, especially after walking all the way here. I cleaned her up and took her to the vet to get checked out after I moved in with him. The vet said she’s in perfect health. I’ll take care of her, Dad. She’s a great watchdog.”
“I’ll help!” Cameron chimed in.
“Well, I reckon we could use a dog around here for critter control and security.” Elliott leaned down and scratched between her ears. “Welcome to the family, Lexi.”
Standing on the front porch, Carly rolled her eyes and turned toward the door. “Great. I can’t wait to have all of my clothes covered in dog hair.”
Will commented as she walked past him, “If that’s the worst thing you have to deal with in the days ahead, count your blessings, Car. There may come a time when that dog being here saves the life of someone you love.”
She stopped and smirked at her brother. “I thought that’s what all the guns were for. Surely, we’re safe with Elliott and your girlfriend, Amanda Annie Oakley, on our side.”
“Have you already forgotten what it was like at home? What we went through to get here?”
“No, but we’re in the country now. There aren’t as many people out here. I’m sure we’re safe now.”
Will shook his head and replied sadly, “I don’t think so, sis. I’m afraid it’s coming.”
Carly cocked her head at her brother. “What’s coming?”
“Hell.”
Chapter 15
“This is outrageous! It’s against the law! It’s mutiny! You’ll all be executed for treason!” Olstein was pacing his quarters and ranting like a mad man. “I’m the president! You can’t just remove the president from office! I haven’t been impeached! I haven’t done anything that warrants being impeached! I want to talk to Everley! Now!” The last word was emphasized by the sound of a fist hitting the door. Agent Warren, who was standing guard, didn’t even flinch. He had heard the sounds of the room being trashed for thirty minutes.