Archive for September, 2017

Rescue – Part 2

Posted: September 18, 2017 in NATION BETRAYED
0

Brian looked at Billy and pointed at Leon who had appeared at the far edge of the camp. He raised a hand and held up two fingers. Six down; where was Juan? Brian glanced toward the shadows where the last guard had been stationed. He didn’t see the guard, but Juan was still missing. Brian took two steps toward the next sleeper to the right. He moved closer and was hovering over the man when an angry yelp pierced the quiet. Brian pounced and quickly jammed the blade in the man’s head then jerked it free. He leaped to the next man while the man rolled to his knee trying to get to his feet. The man reached for a handgun, but Brian kicked out, knocking the weapon from his hand before he could bring it up and aim. A quick grab and Brian pulled the man’s arm behind his body and jabbed his knife into the man neck. The man’s free hand clutched at his neck while his knees gave way. Brian rode the body to the ground and made a second stab at his temple. He stepped free, just as a man a few feet away raised and fired his handgun. Brian fell on the man as the camp devolved into chaos. Brian captured the shooter’s wrist with his free hand. The momentum drove them both to the ground. Together they rolled and fought for control of the gun. Left, right, a fist slammed into Brian’s head. He fell back, taking the massive man with him. He pushed the guy to the side and pushed the barrel of the man’s handgun toward his chest and covered the finger on the trigger with his own. He squeezed. The explosion drove spikes in Brian’s eardrums, but the man grew still. The gun sent the bullet the man’s sternum through the top of the man’s head. Brian rolled free of the body gasping for breath. Time went from slow motion to double-time in a heartbeat. Gunfire exploded around him. The sounds of struggle invaded Brian’s world with a quick three-sixty and realized they had five men still standing. He jumped to his feet, grabbed the handgun from his last kill and fired twice. The first shot took off the head of a man raising a bat to swing at a limping Juan. The second bullet hit a man taking off half his face. The impact spun him around then he dropped to the ground. Juan limped across the camp to help Leon where he struggled with another man. Brian got to his feet and ran toward the outlaw left to guard the two women.

Brian stepped free, just as a man a few feet away raised and fired his handgun. Brian fell on the man as the camp devolved into chaos. Brian captured the shooter’s wrist with his free hand. The momentum drove them both to the ground. Together they rolled and fought for control of the gun. Left, right, a fist slammed into Brian’s head. He fell back, taking the massive man with him. He pushed the guy to the side and pushed the barrel of the man’s handgun toward his chest and covered the finger on the trigger with his own. He squeezed. The explosion drove spikes in Brian’s eardrums, but the man grew still. The gun sent the bullet the man’s sternum through the top of the man’s head. Brian rolled free of the body gasping for breath. Time went from slow motion to double-time in a heartbeat. Gunfire exploded around him. The sounds of struggle invaded Brian’s world with a quick three-sixty and realized they had five men still standing. He jumped to his feet, grabbed the handgun from his last kill and fired twice. The first shot took off the head of a man raising a bat to swing at a limping Juan. The second bullet hit a man taking off half his face. The impact spun him around then he dropped to the ground. Juan limped across the camp to help Leon where he struggled with another man. Brian got to his feet and ran toward the outlaw left to guard the two women.

The man had gotten to his feet during the chaos and rushed to hide behind the two women. He held a gun to the younger woman’s head and watched the last two of his friends killed, his eyes big as saucers. A quick glance and Brian knew the guard was the last man standing. When the man remained hunched behind the woman, Brian slowed his pace. “Stay back!” The man shouted. “I don’t want to have to shoot anyone.”

Brian stopped when he got ten feet from the man. He dropped the confiscated gun and raised his hand, palm out. “Look around. Your friends are all dead.”

“Friends? Hell, you don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

“Please…don’t hurt my daughter.” Pleaded the middle-aged woman. “She’s all I have left.”

“All I want is outta here, lady.” The man whispered.

“See we can work this out. My name is Brian. What’s your name?”

“Henry Dodd. I have to go back. If I don’t go back, they’ll marry my girls off to one of those fake survivalist nut cases.” Henry answered.

Brian heard Leon and Billy approaching from behind. He raised a hand. “What are you talking about?”

“These assholes are not my friends. My neighbor was a big-time survivalist. He talked me into coming with him to their camp when this shit happened. I took my family. Hell, how was I to know it was a bunch of nut cases. When we got there, it was either join up and be part of it or die. If I die, they have my wife and four daughters.”

Leon stepped up behind Brian. “You believe ‘em?”

The older woman stood up and held up her cuffed hands. “I believe him. He tried to stop them when they killed my husband and son. He wouldn’t let them rape us.” She looked back over her shoulder. “I don’t think he meant us any harm and I don’t believe he would have hurt my daughter.”

She reached out, and Henry gave her the handgun, then he held up his hands while the woman held out the gun to Brian.

Brian rushed closer to take the gun. “Get away from the women.” He ordered.

Henry got to his feet as only a defeated man can. His shoulders slumped, and a resigned expectation of dying was evident with every step.

“Give me the key to free the women, then sit your ass down,” Brian ordered.

Henry handed over the key then sat down on the trampled grass. “What are you going to do with me?”

Brian walked up behind him and quickly used zip ties to secure his hands. “That’ll depend on what you tell us.”

Rescue – Part 1

Posted: September 9, 2017 in NATION BETRAYED
Tags: , , , , ,
0

Brian crept toward the guard practicing the stealth skills his father-in-law had taught him while they hunted. The sentry stood in the shadow of the truck smoking a cigarette. Brian chose to take out that guard since it required the longest approach and he decided he had the skill to accomplish the task. At least, he hoped so.

When the moon slipped from behind a cloud bank, Brian could see the man wore a plaid shirt and sported scruffy hair poking around the bottom of a baseball hat. As Brian drew closer, he caught a whiff of the man’s unwashed body. The amber glow of his cigarette provided a beacon to track his movements as he strolled back and forth, never more than twenty feet from the camp. The scruffy man yawned and rolled his head from side to side, then turned from the dark shadows of the nearby trees and back toward the light of the dying fire. Brian smiled, knowing any chance of retaining night vision disappeared each time he looked into the flame of a lighter. He dropped the cigarette butt on the ground and used his boot to grind it into the dirt. Brian moved forward with the crinkle of cellophane from another cigarette pack being opened. The man still stared at the dying campfire. Brian moved closer. Close enough. He rose up like a dark wraith and drove his military blade into the guard’s kidney. The man gasped. While his hands reached for the cause of such sudden pain, Brian grabbed the man’s forehead, pulled the blade free then slid it from left to the right across his throat, then into the brain. When the body slumped, Brian eased it to the ground without a sound. He looked to his right and saw Billy completing the same maneuver on his assigned guard then gave a thumbs up.

Brion gave a quick prayer that Leon and Juan were taking care of the guards on the opposite side of the camp. He retrieved the guard’s rifle and hat, put the hat on his head, and walked slowly toward the camp full of sleeping men, hoping if anyone noticed his approach they would think he was the guard coming in. Billie disappeared into the shadows of one of the truck.

A minute later, Brian stopped at a second truck and stopped to look inside, no keys in the ignition. He looked at Billy and held out his hand with a thumb pointed down. For a split second, Brian worried about Juan and Leon eliminating their targets but dismissed it. It boiled down to trust. They would do their job. He could do nothing to help them. All he could do was eliminate as many enemies as possible before the shit hit the fan. The more men he and Billy took out, the fewer they would have to deal with when the operation went sideways. Brian stepped around the truck and walked toward a sleeping man. As he drew closer, he heard a deep rattle with each breath. Suddenly the man rolled from his back to his side and coughed. Brian froze. The sleeper took a rattling breath and groaned, then lay still and began snoring softly again. Brian stepped closer and squatted over the prone figure. He tightened the grip on the handle of the blade then drove the steel into the head of the man lying on the musty smelling sleeping bag. He gave the knife a twist then pulled it free from the skull.

Billy appeared out of the shadows and squatted over a prone figure, made a similar move, then rose slowly. He moved toward the next sleeping outlaw ready to take another life.

New Beginning – Part 2

Posted: September 1, 2017 in NATION BETRAYED
Tags: , , , , ,
0

“Hey, about time you woke up.” Harry chided Liz as he rushed toward the bed with Cody and Emma close on his heels.

“Miss Lizzy, we’ve been waiting for you to wake up. We got a house to live in. It has running water and a toilet and everything.” Emma announced.

Liz looked at her father.

“The kids wanted to stay with Harry and John. We put them in the cabin south of the barn. It’s the one with two bedrooms downstairs. We put twin beds in the loft.” Will added.

Liz looked at Harry and John. Both men were cleaner than she had ever seen them. Harry had trimmed his beard but still wore a do-rag on his head with gray hair neatly bound with a band at the nape of his neck. John was clean shaven and looked relaxed for the first time since she had met him.

“I got a full belly.” Cod patted her rounded middle then asked in all seriousness, “Are you getting better?”

“I can see that.” Liz smiled at the brother and sister. “I’m doing the best I can. Are you two doing alright now?”

“We’re good.” Answered Cody with a hesitant smile. “We have lights at the house. We get to eat a lot.”

“They got horses. Did you know they have horses?” Emma said excitedly.

“No.” Liz smiled. “I guess that is a new addition.” She looked to Will.

“Lots of things have changed.” Will chuckled.

Cassie interrupted. “All right. Everyone move along. My patient needs her rest.”

When the room cleared out, Cassie started to walk away, but Liz called her name. “A minute, please.”

Cassie turned. “Sure.” She forced a smile.

“Now, I want to know what you’re trying not to tell me.”

Cassie squared her shoulders. “Best case scenario is appendicitis; worse case, a tubal pregnancy.” She whispered. “Either way, I’m not a surgeon.”

“But you have medical training.”

“Sure, I can perform physical examinations, diagnose and treat the common cold, set bones, and monitor patients, but that’s a far cry from being qualified for doing surgeries,” Cassie protested.

Liz sighed, “I guess you’re continuing education will have a steep learning curve.”

“Try to rest. The antibiotics you’re receiving seems to be resolving the current issue. Let’s pray it’s not something that needs surgery.” Cassie closed the door to the hall then added. “Someone will be in the next room. Just ring the bell if you need something.” She stepped into the next room and came back with a cup. “If you keep the ice chips down, I’ll bring some clear broth in an hour or so.”

Liz spent another day in the ward then talked Cassie into removing the IV and letting her move to her two-room suite on the second floor. The main room included a queen-sized bed and a small sitting room. The second room was once used by the Amy and Claire. It still held Claire’s baby bed and two twin beds and small chest f toys. When she saw Liz look longingly at the reminder of her lost children, Cassie closed the door to the second room.

The terrible abdominal pain had disappeared, and everyone including Liz crossed their fingers and prayed the antibiotics had resolved the problem. She spent two days staring at the wall, then on the third day she got up bright and early and put on clothes that she had left at the Lodge. She cinched the belt at her waist and decided it was enough to keep her pants up. She pulled on a t-shirt that had belonged to Brian. They had always been an oversized, but now they really seemed big. She walked out of the bedroom and crossed the balcony to the curving stairs where she met Cassie.

“Well, I guess this means you’re feeling better,” Cassie said.