American Meltdown: Book Two of The Economic Collapse Chronicles (23 page)

CHAPTER
50

“Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”

-Benjamin Franklin

Justin tapped Matt on the shoulder to wake him. Matt looked around groggily, trying to remember where he was and why he was here. The anticipation of the ambush had his adrenaline running full speed the day before. His watch had ended at 2:00 a.m., but he wasn’t able to fall asleep until just before dawn. When he finally fell asleep, he went into a deep slumber. He was in his sleeping bag under a shelter built beneath a huge fallen tree. The forest was too dense to see the road from their small campsite. The upside was that it could not be seen from the road. Matt climbed out and started a small fire in the Dakota fire pit they used for cooking. He brewed a small pot of coffee and made a sandwich out of a sliced boiled egg and a piece of bread.

Along with Gary Brewer, Matt and Justin were stationed on the western hillside looking down onto the road at the very end of the hairpin curve. It was a magnificently beautiful place and the serenity could easily make one forget why they were here. The subtle pinks and pure whites of the dogwood tree blooms took Matt to a place far away from war and revolution.

Gary’s radio earpiece chirped and he called out to Matt and Justin. “This might be it. Alpha says multiple vehicles are approaching the checkpoint from Virginia.”

Matt looked around. He didn’t have on his vest or his hat. He dropped the rest of his sandwich and slugged back his coffee. He quickly put on his vest and his camo boonie hat. Justin and Gary started heading down the hill to their sniper nest. Matt grabbed his rifle and followed them.

Gary looked over at Justin who was obviously shaken up by the mission and asked, “You been in a firefight yet?”

“No
,” Justin said.

“Me,
neither,” Gary said. “We’re all scared. We’ll just do everything we trained to do and pray God will give us victory.”

Justin nodded and found the road through his rifle scope.

To Matt, the minutes seemed like an eternity as they waited for more information or to see a DHS vehicle come around the turn. Gary’s earphone chirped again. He put up a finger to signal for Matt and Justin to wait while he listened to the message.

Gary said, “Its four Cougar 6x6’s and eight Humvees. The Cougars all have .50 caliber machine-gun turrets on top. There are two Cougars in the front, one in the middle and one at the end of the
convoy.”

“That’s a pretty serious invasion
,” Matt said.

Gary nodded. Gary was watching through the spotter scope and Matt had the trigger to detonate the road explosion. The hairpin curve required any vehicle traveling through this stretch of road to go no faster than
twenty-five miles per hour, but Matt was nervous about timing it just right.

Justin lined up his scope to the approximate area where the second machine-gunner should be after the explosion.

Gary said, “Here they come!”

Everyone’s heart was racing a mile minute.

“Okay, Matt,” Gary said, “get ready to blow the charge in five…four... three…two… one.”

Matt hit the trigger. BOOM! Dust and smoke billowed up from underneath the lead vehicle as it popped up off the ground, on the guard rail and rolled over several times as it descended into the ravine below. The second vehicle stopped just short of the crater in the road left by the explosion.

Justin saw the machine-gunners face as he looked up into the trees, right at their sniper nest. The soldier saw them, but before he could react, Justin took the shot and the soldier slumped forward.

The men heard the second explosion which sealed in all of the remaining vehicles except the last Cougar. Th
e vehicle sat on the east side of the crater caused by the second explosion. The machine gunners in the middle and rear Cougars began to pepper the hills with suppressive fire although they had no targets as the militia were well camouflaged and sitting silently. Moments later the machine gunners were struck dead by the militia snipers.

Adam called out on the radio. “Anyone
with a Claymore near a Humvee can blow it. Everyone else, try to take head shots through the glass.”

Several of the Claymores had been strapped to trees at eye level to increase their effectiveness. Rifle fire and the eruption of the Claymores rang out from all around the valley. The federal troops were unable to get a location on their assailants as the militia was all around them in the trees.

The militia began to patiently pick off the federal troops as they made themselves visible. Those who could get close enough to a vehicle to lob a Molotov cocktail did so. Soon several of the vehicles were blazing with the home-brewed napalm.

The rear guard Cougar made a five point turn on the narrow road and tried to escape. Within seconds, the sound of the Stinger missile that took out the fleeing vehicle rang through the hollow.

The Cougar in the center tried to make a run down into the gully. It was too steep and rolled over and over.

In roughly
twenty minutes, all the federal troops were dead except for those who surrendered from the last two Humvees. They were quickly secured with zip tie restraints.

Adam led a team of eight men down into the gully to find the rolled over Cougar. When he was within earshot, he called out, “This is your one and only opportunity to be smart and surrender.”

The vehicle was upside down. He could see one man stick a pistol out the crack in the door.

Adam yelled, “Light it up!” Most of the men in the rolled over Cougar were probably unconscious. It was tragic that this one imbecile was making the decision for all of them.

The militia began hitting the upside down vehicle with Molotov cocktails. Soon troops were coming out of the flaming death trap only to be cut down by the militia’s rifles.

Adam and the rest of the militia went through the vehicles to check for survivors and to harvest any useful equipment. The dead federal troops were well outfitted with high-end ballistic chest plates and Kevlar helmets. The lethal shots from the militia snipers had hit some troops in the face or neck. Other shots struck femoral arteries causing the victims to bleed out in minutes
.

They found several cases of fragmentation grenades and a few thousand rounds of ammunition. They built a makeshift bridge out of logs to get the two operational Humvees back across the crater. These would come in handy as well.

Alpha and Bravo cleaned up the mess as well as they could and Franklin Johnson sent in a different security team to watch the road for the remainder of the week. London Company deserved a few days of R and R. Besides that, Adam and his militia had proved they may be better used in a different role than standing guard duty.

CHAPTER
51

“All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.”

-Acts 2:44-47a

On Friday night, the congregants of Liberty Chapel living at Young Field held a barn dance to get their minds off the worries of the world for a night. A few of the folks put together a Bluegrass band and had been practicing during the evenings. This would be their first live show.

Pastor Robinson stepped to the stage to introduce the band. “Folks, everyone has done such a wonderful job making the barn look so festive. The hay bales, streamers, even the refreshment table all look so nice. I want to thank everyone involved.  Before I introduce tonight’s talent, I want to touch on a few business items that I hope will add to your joy.

“We have completed the construction on our first residential building. This will provide a more permanent living facility for some of our residents. We’re going to name it Rust Hall in honor of Albert Rust who gave everything in the battle of Minot. We’ll be honoring Albert and all those who fell at the Battle of Minot and at the assault on Young Field by making the first spots in Rust Hall available to the widows and children of the men who died in the conflicts.

“The first sprouts in the corn and potato fields are coming up and with God’s blessings, we should have more than double the amount of those two food items that we need for the coming year. We’ve committed to give 10% of all of our crops and produce to the military and militia to support those who are fighting for our freedom. We hope to barter some of the excess for livestock such as cattle and chickens.

“If we’re able to meet all of our livestock goals and still have more left over, we’ll try to barter for things that we’ll be able to pay out to everyone in the form of a dividend. We’ll strive to barter for things like silver coins and ammunition which will be compact and standardized in weight and quality. The widows of the men who died will receive a double dividend once we’re able to make the payments. This year may be slim, if we have a dividend at all, but the following year should be much better.

I have nothing but praise for everyone here at Young Field. You’ve all been so gracious in making sure everyone has enough. That’s as it should
be in times of crisis. If the Church cannot pull together and look after her own, we would be hard pressed to call ourselves Christians.

“The early
Church in the Book of Acts had all things in common and from what we know, that worked out fine for a while. Of course, the flesh crept in and soon enough there was squabbling. I believe that communal living has been a blessing over these past months to get us through these hard time, but I hope that as things stabilize, we will be able to each pursue our own gifts and industry. Once all the crops are planted, folks will have a little more time on their hands. I encourage each of you to find something to do for your own economic advancement. Perhaps sewing clothes, repairing shoes, cutting hair, cleaning guns or any number of things that you can use to barter with one another for goods and services. Tonight’s talent is a wonderful example of folks taking the initiative to find something they are good at that will benefit the community. They are playing for the love of music tonight, but perhaps in the near future they will play at weddings or birthday parties in exchange for a shirt or a pie.

“I pray that you
’ll all continue to work together as diligently as you have. If the Coalition can persevere through this trial, it will be communities like you that will rekindle the American spirit. I know this sounds like a very optimistic speech in such tough times, but I truly believe that God is going to bless us. Even when the flood stripped the earth of all the inhabitants, God spared Noah and his family. Even when fire fell from the sky, God spared Lot. Even when famine struck the land, God provided for Israel through Joseph’s position in the palace of Egypt and even when the plagues destroyed the livestock, crops and first born of the Egyptians, God shielded the land of Goshen where his people lived. God is able to punish the wicked and spare the righteous. He discerns between the wheat and the chaff.

“Well, that’s enough business talk. That isn’t why you folks are here, so without further ado, please welcome the world premiere of the hottest Bluegrass band in Idaho, Hole in the Pocket!”

The crowd cheered. Pastor John’s news of hope had already lifted everyone’s spirits. They were ready to celebrate being alive and the fact that they had made it through a brutal winter.

The four-piece band consisted of a banjo player, a fiddle player, a bass fiddle, and the singer wh
o alternated between singing and playing the harmonica. The band played for three hours with only a few breaks. All the congregation members of Liberty Chapel had the time of their lives at that simple barn dance.

CHAPTER
52

“Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth.”

-George Washington

Karen and Rene cleaned up the breakfast dishes while Matt and Justin headed out to start working on a larger pen for the goats. Matt traded some silver bars with Eli Miller for another nanny goat and a buck that had just been born. He also bought a young rooster from Eli in the deal. Eli sold Matt his first goat and a few hens last fall.

Justin’s fencing skills were proving to be very handy on the farm. Rene and Justin
were helping out a lot with all of the chores. The young couple was eager to make themselves useful. This allowed Matt to complete many more projects than with only Karen to help around the farm.

Matt and Justin tried to work quickly so they could finish before Adam picked them up for the meeting at Lt. Joe’s. Franklin Johnson would be at the meeting along with most of the militia men from London Company.

They finished in time to have a quick venison sandwich before Adam was scheduled to arrive.

“We
’ll be back by dark,” Matt said to Karen. “Y’all keep the walkie-talkie radio on and keep your eyes open. DHS has infiltrated to Pikeville. No one has reported any movement around here yet, but they aren’t more than 100 miles from here.”

Rene asked, “Do you know what the meeting is about?”

“We don’t really know yet.  Even if we did, It would probably better if we didn’t discuss it,” Matt said. “If you don’t know anything, you won’t have anything to say if you are interrogated.”

Karen said, “That’s fine by me. I didn’t want to know as much as I knew about the last ambush.”

Rene said, “If I don’t have the details, I start making up stuff in my mind.”

The two women had their own individual ways of dealing with the stress of having a husband in combat.

Adam and Wesley pulled in the drive. Wesley jumped out to ride in the truck bed with Justin. Matt and Justin went to the truck.

Adam called out to them
, “Y’all got your rifles?”

Matt said, “We have our pistols. Do we need rifles?”

“Probably not,” Adam said. “But it doesn’t cost you anything extra to bring them.”

Matt smiled and went back to get the rifles.

When he stepped inside, Karen asked, “Why do you need rifles? I thought it was just a meeting?”

Matt answered, “I think Adam
wants us to carry them all the time. Technically, we have been invaded. We should probably start acting like it.”

Matt kissed Karen on the head to comfort her and grabbed the two new Colt M-4s they had appropriated in the ambush. Matt and Justin’s old AR-15s now stayed at home for the girls in case they needed them. The new Colts were well equipped full
-auto rifles. They had EO Tech reflex sights and EO Tech 3X magnifier sights that could be flipped to the side for close quarter firefights. He put 6 magazines in his small backpack and headed back out to the truck. Matt handed Justin his M-4 and jumped in the cab of the truck.

As Adam pulled out of the drive Matt asked, “Can you give me a little heads up on what we
’re talking about tonight?”

Adam said, “Michael’s brother-in-law from Baltimore is with the DHS team that is occupying Pikeville. He has some information about a supply convoy coming in this week. We
’re coming up with a plan to hit it.”

Matt was doubtful. “The guy just volunteered the information?”

Adam answered, “Michael is buying him off. The guy was on welfare, living in public housing before the crash. When Howe cut the gravy train, he had to sign up with DHS to eat. He is one of the geniuses that Howe has fighting the war. They have no loyalty to anything but their stomach.”

Matt said, “So these new DHS agents are bigger degenerates than the old TSA agents.”

“Much more useless,” Adam said with a snicker. “Same concept, though. They have no thought for liberty or virtue and they sold out their country for a loaf of bread. Once, when I was getting on a plane, I asked one of those TSA idiots how they could look in the mirror. He told me his family had to eat too.”

“That sums it up,” Matt said. “That’s how we got into the position we
’re in. Rather than fight to find something productive to do or get their hands dirty doing blue collar work, these TSA bags of filth signed up to work for the tyrants. That ‘feed my family’ line is a poor excuse. Any self-respecting patriot who loves freedom could find something else to do to feed their family.”

Adam said, “But in their defense, the TSA agents probably had no idea things would get this bad when they took the job.”

Matt shot back, “Throwing Jews in ovens wasn’t on the job description for being a Nazi soldier when Hitler’s boys signed up either. Those who stuck around when they found out what Hitler was up to will have blood on their hands on judgment day. Same thing with DHS and TSA. There is no excuse at this point.”

Matt tried to think about something else. He had just eaten a wonderful sandwich right before they left, and now he felt sick
to his stomach. The power-hungry Democrats and the Neo-Con wing of the Republican Party didn’t anger him so much. He thought of them as pigs wallowing in the mud. Yes, it was nasty, but they’re pigs and it was their nature to wallow in filth. What made Matt sick was the American people who had no value for their freedom; those who paid no attention to politics or economics and let this great country decline to such a state. And he was sickened by those who turned on their own countrymen by accepting jobs as TSA and DHS agents.

When they arrived at Lt. Joe’s, there were maps hanging on the wall.  Joe’s kitchen table had some small toy cars and what looked like props for planning another ambush.

Franklin Johnson and Michael were there.  JC, Gary, Jeff, Bobby, Eddie Cooper, Brian Mitchum, the two new Marines that joined Bravo and several guys from Alpha were gathered at Lt. Joe’s.

Johnson called the meeting to order and started speaking. “You guys did a bang up job on US 421. I wish I could
’ve been there.

“This next operation is not going to be as easy. The convoy we have information on is coming
out of West Virginia on 119. It’s a much wider road than 421. It’s four lanes plus a center lane and wide shoulders all the way from the border to Pikeville. The road is regularly traveled by DHS. Adam, you guys are going to have to come up with some new tricks.”

Adam looked at the maps for several minutes. “What can you get us from Bluegrass Army Depot?”

Johnson said, “Anything you want except the chemicals.”

“Yeah,” Adam said, “I don’t want anything to do with those. Can you get me vehicles?”

Johnson said, “Probably from Ashland National Guard Armory. Write down your wish list and I’ll see what I can do.”

Adam asked, “Michael, what are the vehicles in the supply convoy?”

Michael replied, “Two Cougar 6x6s and six supply vehicles. Two are fuel tankers, two are provisions, one is medical supplies and the other is loaded with barter stuff to try and buy off the locals in Pikeville. They are looking to recruit as many new troops as they can.”

“Do the Cougars have .50 caliber machine-gun turrets?” Adam asked. “And do you know if they will be one in the front, one in the back?”

“I didn’t hear for sure, but I would guess that’s the case,” Michael said.

Adam pointed to a place on the map. “This isn’t as tight of a choke as we would like to have, but we don’t have much to choose from. Most of 119 has residential or commercial buildings along the side of it. I don’t want to put those people in harm’s way if I can help it. This bridge that takes 119 over Raccoon Road looks like our best shot. Approaching from the east, 119 cuts through the rock before the bridge. That puts vertical walls on both sides of the pass for about 1500 feet. The bridge is about 1000 feet across. If the vehicles are spaced the same way they were spaced on 421, all eight vehicles should be inside that 2500 foot kill zone by the time the first Cougar hits the end of the bridge. When that happens, we’ll blow the end of the bridge right underneath the first Cougar. We can take out the last Cougar with a Stinger and put four vehicles loaded with charges on the east side of the pass between the rock walls. Hopefully, we can take the supply vehicles without destroying them, but if not, worst-case scenario, we
’ll blow them up when they try to retreat.

“The last stretch just before the bridge has an opening in the rocks that exit off the road to the west. It is a nice wide open field lined by trees that we could use to stage the ambush and the retreat.

“Well, the location isn’t optimal, but we should have a lot less resistance than the last hit. This will be a nice pay off for the militia. That food can go straight up to the camp across the river from Huntington. Those guys are the only thing keeping Howe’s men from taking Interstate 64. If federal troops get across that bridge, it’ll be bad news.”

JC asked
, “Why don’t they just blow that bridge?”

“I think they
’re hoping they can get enough strength to cross it and take Huntington,” Johnson responded.

Wesley had a question. “I though Paul Randall was dead set against an offensive war. Wouldn’t invading Huntington be an offensive maneuver?”

Justin said, “We still have a lot of militia in that area of West Virginia. They stayed despite instructions to leave, but it is because they are going to launch a gorilla campaign against the federal forces in Huntington. It would be great if they could still get support from Kentucky.”

Franklin could see this wasn’t getting anywhere so he said
, “Well, orders for blowing a bridge to a main artery like I-64 has to come from the governor, so we don’t have much say in that one, boys. The bridge on US 119 can be cut around by Zebulon Highway. It will cause an inconvenience to the Federal troops trying to supply Pikeville, but locals can still get around.”

Franklin also promised to get the team more Stingers and explosives. The payoff for this ambush promised to provide a much needed dividend in the form of supplies for the Kentucky Militia and National Guard. It would profit the Kentucky forces, and equally cost the federal forces.