Bug Out! Part 3: Motorhome Madness (13 page)

Charlie, Hilda, Jerry, and Frank walked over to the store.

“The office is up here, by the front.” She walked up there, and then stopped in her tracks. She put her hand to her mouth.

“Look, that door’s been forced,” Charlie said.

“Holy crap,” Jerry said, looking at it.

Hilda cautiously pushed the door open. She looked over at the phone. It was sitting on the desk, but the phone wire was pulled out of the wall.

“We might have company coming here,” Jerry said. “I’m going to run over to Major Darcy and tell him what happened.” He sprinted out the door.

“They have to know that everybody and their brother here has a cellphone,” Frank said.

“They could take out cell towers around here,” Charlie said.

“I just called the doc with my cell. It wasn’t a problem,” Hilda said.

Frank pulled his phone out of his pocket. He took a double take.

“No service,” Frank said. “Crap. We need to get men to the back and to the front of the park now. We’re about to get hit.” He cocked his Winchester nervously.

“Yeah, I think you’re right,” Charlie said. He looked over at Hilda. “Go see if the phone in the clubhouse has been taken out, and then stay there. Keep people away from the windows.”

Hilda nodded, and left quickly.

“The Sheriff,” Frank said. “We can’t even call him on the phone at this point. We need to get people out there now.”

“Yep,” Charlie said. “I’ll run up to the roof and give Jeb a heads up.”

“Good,” Frank said. “Anybody coming into the parking lot is going to get their hair parted.”

Charlie nodded and smiled. “Maybe I ought to stay up there with him. My hunting rifle is still up there from earlier.”

“Not a bad idea,” Frank said. “I heard that you’re a hell of a shot too.”

Frank left the store, and ran out to where Major Darcy was. Jerry was already talking to him. Jane was out there too, with Jackson and Earl.

“Major Darcy, the cell tower is down. We’re about to get hit,” he shouted as he was running towards them.

“Oh no,” Jane said.

“Get into the clubhouse and stay there, Jane,” Frank told her. “I’ll take Lucy.”

“Alright,” she said, and hurried into the clubhouse.

“Major, we need to put troops in the front and the back of the park. I’m worried about the Sheriff and the Deputy that are out in the blind behind the park. That’s where we’ve been hit every other time, and I can’t call him with the cell towers down.”

“Roger that, Frank,” the Major said. Then they both saw Major Hobbs trotting out. He had a bandage around his upper left arm, but looked good other than that.

“Somebody cut the phone line in the Clubhouse office, and my cellphone ain’t connecting,” Major Hobbs said. “We’re about to get hit.”

“So I’ve heard,” Major Darcy said. “Frank here is suggesting putting some of our men in the back and some up here.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Major Hobbs said. “I’ve been in the back. We’ll probably get hit from that direction. The front is too exposed.”

“We’ve got two world class snipers on the roof of the store,” Frank said. “We’ll know pretty quickly if anything comes towards the front.”

“What are they packing up there?” Major Darcy said.

“A .270 bold action and a 30-06 bolt action. Not high speed, but these guys are good out to about 400 yards, from what I’ve heard.”

“Good,” Major Darcy said. “How’s the arm, Hobbs?”

“Good enough to fight,” Major Hobbs said. “I’ll take half the men in back….I know the terrain back there. Alright?”

“Go for it,” he said. “I’ll get us set up in the front.”

“Let’s go,” Major Hobbs said. He picked out 12 men, and they headed towards the back gate, with Frank and Lucy, Jerry, Earl, and Jackson following them. Jerry had one of the captured AK-47s and pockets full of ammo.

“You want one of these, Frank?” he asked.

“I’ll stick with the Winchester for now,” Frank said. “I need to stop by my coach and get the handgun and the belt and holster, though. That’s where my ammo is.”

“How about you two?” Jerry asked, looking at Earl and Jackson.

“I’m going to grab my hunting rifle again,” Earl said. “I’ll pick it up on the way.”

“Same here,” said Jackson. “I’d like to get checked out on the Ak-47s for next time, though.”

“That reminds me,” Frank said. “We need to pass along what the Majors told us when you guys were scouting for camera positions earlier.”

“Maybe that ought to wait, Frank,” Major Hobbs said.

“I’ll give them the nutshell edition,” Frank said. He looked over at the two of them. “The war is going to expand, and the army is stretched too thin. Citizens like us are going to have to take an active part in the fight, because we’ve got a bunch of Islamist fighters coming over the northern border.”

“I knew it,” Earl said. “I’m sick to death of these pajama wearing low-lifes. I’m not going down without a fight. Let’s go get ‘um.”

“Count me in too,” Jackson said.

“Good,” Frank said. “We’ll fill you in on the details after we get past this mess.”

“If we get past this mess,” Jerry said.

“Oh, we will,” Major Hobbs said.

Earl and Jackson split off to go get their guns out of their coaches, and rejoined the group in a flash, before the larger group could get to the back gate. Frank got into his coach and got his handgun and his belt and holster, and ran back to the group. They filed through the gate quietly, and headed for the blind.

“I’ll sneak up close enough so I don’t have to yell,” Frank said. “The Sheriff knows my voice.” He trotted ahead, followed by Lucy. The rest of the group kept coming at a slower rate.

“Sheriff, it’s Frank,” he said.

“I hear you,” the Sheriff said. “What’s up?”

“We’re about to have company. Keep your eyes open. I have Major Hobbs and twelve of his men with me, and four of our guys.”

“Wonderful,” the Sheriff said sarcastically. “We’ll watch for them.”

The rest of the men caught up to Frank.

“We’d better not clump together like this,” Major Hobbs said.

“Yeah,” Jerry said. “Let’s get into the same pattern we were in this morning. A group to the right, a group up the middle, and a group on the left. Let’s sweep down towards the parking area. Maybe we can catch these creeps on the way in, and blow them to hell.”

“I hear trucks, Frank,” the Sheriff said.

“Uh Oh,” Frank said. Lucy growled, but she wasn’t focusing on any one area. Her nose was working. She could smell somebody coming.

“Here they come,” the Sheriff said. “They’re about 200 yards out, but I can hit them.” They heard a bolt action rifle cock. Then a loud shot. “Got the first one. The others dived into the bushes. They think I can’t see them.” He laughed, and shot again.

“Nice shooting, uncle,” the Deputy said. Another shot rang out.

“That’s three, but they are too deep in the cover now,” the Sheriff said. “I can’t see any of them.”

“Let’s screw up their vehicles,” Major Hobbs said. “Private, bring that mortar up here.”

“Yes sir,” said the private. He brought the mortar over and set it up, about thirty yards away from the trees that the blind was in.

“Alright, I’m going to guestimate the coordinates,” Major Hobbs said. He talked quietly to the private, and made adjustments. “Good, let one go.”

The private dropped a projectile into the mortar, and there was a roar, then a loud explosion.

“What was that?” the Sheriff asked.

“Mortar,” Frank said.

“Excellent,” the Sheriff said. “He was a little too far out. Have him bring it in about sixty yards.”

Frank looked back at the Major.

“I heard him, Frank,” he said. “You hear that private?”

“Yes sir,” he said. He made the adjustment, and dropped another mortar round into the tube. There was an explosion, and then three other loud blasts.”

“Yahooooo!” shouted the Sheriff. “You hit at least a couple of vehicles. Nice shooting.”

“Alright, private, nice job,” the Major said. “Keep hitting them. Vary it front, back, left, and right by about twenty yards. Let’s screw that parking area up good.”

“Yes sir,” he said, and proceeded.

“Hey, Frank,” the Sheriff said. “I see some guys running this way. Black outfits. Probably some of those Islamic pansies. I can get a couple, but we need a few guys down by the creek.” He fired once, then fired again. “Two down, but that’s all I can see.”

“I’m going,” Jerry said. “Time to try out this AK.” He trotted over to the creek, and laid down behind a high spot on the bank.

A mortar round roared as Jerry got himself set.

Frank followed Jerry with Lucy. He got behind a tree next to the creek, and peered around. He couldn’t see anybody. Then Lucy growled, and looked at a clump of bushes. Frank saw movement, and fired a shot with the Winchester. A fighter rolled out, holding his side, and Jerry hit him with three shots from the AK. Just then another fighter jumped up and started running towards Jerry. He yelled ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he charged, his gun in his hands.

“Oh, please,” Jerry said, laughing, as he pulled the trigger, sending the fighter flying to the ground. “These guys are idiots, Frank.”

Another mortar round fired off. There were more secondary explosions.

“Sounds like the Private hit pay dirt again,” Jerry said, laughing.

“Watch your left flank, Jerry!” Frank yelled. He fired the Winchester at the running man, but missed. The fighter was running too fast. Then there was another blast…a big one, and the fighter flew to the ground.

“Take that, cretin,” shouted Earl. He worked the bolt of his rifle to chamber another round.

“That’s two I owe you now, Earl,” Jerry shouted. Then he saw another out of the corner of his eye. He fired with the AK again, stopping him dead. Then there was silence.

Frank moved cautiously over to where Jerry was, Lucy by his side.

“Somebody has to go over to the parking area and clean things up.”

“I’ll take care of that, Frank,” said a voice from behind him. It was Major Hobbs. He pulled out the field radio.

“Private, stop the mortar rounds now, we’re going in.”

“Will do, Major,” the voice said over the scratchy sound of the radio.

“Alright, men, let’s go in in groups of two. Fan out wide to catch any stragglers. If you can capture a couple of them, go for it, but don’t put yourself at risk.”

The soldiers spread and slowly moved forward, jumping over the creek and seeking some cover as soon as they got to the other side.

“What should we do?” Frank asked Jerry.

A few rifle shots came from the parking lot area.

“Sit tight for a few minutes,” Jerry said.

Two rifle shots came the front of the park.

“They are trying to get into the front,” Jerry said. “Those weren’t military rounds. Those are big bore hunting rifles.”

“Charlie and Jeb,” Frank said. “They’re on the roof of the store with their hunting rifles.

The sound of small arms fire from the front of the park filled the air.

“That’s military,” Jerry said. “I hope it’s mostly our guys.”

There were more large bore rifle shots. Then a mortar round went off, and there was a loud secondary explosion. Then more small arms fire, and more big bore rifle shots.

“Some heavy action going on up there – hope Jasmine and Rosie stay in the clubhouse…..” Jerry said. Another mortar round stopped his conversation.

“Hey, guys,” Captain Hobbs shouted from across the creek. “We’re clear. You can come on back. Wait until you see what we found.”

“Let’s go,” Jerry said. Frank nodded, and they both got up cautiously and headed for the parking area.

“Sounds like the action in the front has stopped,” Frank said.

“Yeah, that could be good or bad.”

“Wow, look at those trucks,” Frank said. “Those are US Army vehicles.”

The parking lot came fully into view. There were three army troop transport trucks. All were destroyed, and one of them still had a full load of soldiers when it was hit. There were mangled bodies of Islamist fighters all over the place.

“Look at that!” Jerry said, pointing.

“Is that what I think it is?” asked Frank as Major Hobbs was walking up.

“Sure is. That’s a real live M-1 Battle Tank. The guys manning it must have had the hatch open and been outside. Everybody around it is dead.”

“Is the tank damaged?” asked Jerry.

“Naw, those small field mortars won’t take out an M-1 unless they get a real lucky hit. I have my guys checking it out now.”

“So how did these cretins get all of this US Army equipment?” asked Frank.

“These probably came from one of the bases that was overrun in New Mexico a few days ago,” the Major said. “We’re lucky that we hit that full transport truck with the mortar. There were another twelve men in the back. And they had two RPGs and a mortar, too.”

“Any of it salvageable?” Frank asked.

“The mortar might be, but we don’t have the time to mess with it,” he said.

“We do,” Jerry said, and he winked at Frank.

“Help yourself,” Major Hobbs said. “Might have to clean it a little bit. It’s a bloody mess.”

“Anybody alive?” asked Frank.

“Nope,” the Major said. “There were a few wounded men back there, but they tried to fire at us so we took them out. I’ll bet we have a few who are trying to get away as we speak. Jerry, want to help us track them?”

“Hell, yes,” Jerry said.

“Alright, go over there and help Private Bates. He’s a good man, and knows some tracking as well.”

“Alright, see you later, gentlemen.”

Frank and Major Hobbs surveyed the scene as the privates slowly went through everything, stacking up weapons and ammo close to where the trail came over the creek.

“You’ve got more weapons,” the Major said.

“You aren’t taking them?”

“No, we’ve got plenty of small arms and ammo, and of course the ammo for these AKs isn’t the same as ours. You guys should keep this stuff, and start moving away from the hunting rifles as soon you can.”

“Oh, I don’t know, this Winchester hasn’t let me down yet,” Frank said.

“I know, but it will. Those were never designed for the military. If you get some dirt in that action, it’s going to jamb. It takes a while to reload those relics, too. Slipping a fresh magazine into an AK-47 is a lot better when you are in a fire fight.”