Forgotten Forbidden America:: Patriots Reborn (21 page)

“No,” Hank said, moving to his truck as Nelson turned around. “Matt’s trailer isn’t loaded. Let’s unhook it and hook up that fuel trailer and get this shit back to the farm.” After Hank drove past, everyone headed back to the barn.

Bernard fell in beside Nelson and pointed at the machine shop. “Nelson, that gray tank on that metal stand is unleaded fuel. It holds something like three hundred gallons. I can load it with that Bobcat on Matt’s trailer.”

“Michelle,” Nelson called out as she walked in front of him. “Can you ride back and bring back the hybrid buggy? And I want someone to bring my Blazer here and haul Matt’s trailer back.”

“Why do you want that buggy?” Michelle asked.

“It’s quiet, and I can move ahead of us.”

“No, that damn FLYER is quiet, and it packs a punch, so you can’t have your buggy,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “I’ll dump a mag in that buggy if that Blazer rolls up here.”

Seeing Michelle caressing her AR, Nelson nodded. “Fine, we’ll roll up and check the area then call the others since someone rode around with headlights,” Nelson said, walking around her.

“That’s why you brought Gavin, you asshole!” Michelle shouted. “You expected me to let you go ahead and me stay back with him!”

Started, Nelson stopped. “Damn, that would’ve been a good idea if I would’ve thought about that,” he mumbled.

Michelle jerked back. “That’s not why you brought him?”

“No, I want him to get used to moving around at night. It was only a year ago he was scared of the dark,” Nelson said as he started walking again.

“We taking that empty tank now?” Bernard asked.

“No, we will get it tomorrow. There’s several on the next few farms I want to check out.”

“Nelson, it’s the start of the season; most will be full of fuel. I’m sure the only reason Butch’s other tank is empty is this shit started and interrupted his delivery,” Bernard said as Hank’s truck pulled past.

“We’ll think of something,” Nelson said, looking at the barn. “What’s left?”

“A shit load of hay,” Matt said.

“Leave it. We have a hay farmer next door,” Nelson said. “Group one, back to our ride. Bernard, load up that other tank, and pull the Bobcat out to the road. We’ll load it on my trailer to use at the other farms.”

“There wasn’t a lot we were getting at the others,” Gerald said with a cringe.

“Well, since we have more help and Hank’s hay farm is empty, we have somewhere to store shit. That last farm where Bernard is going to get that combine from has a shit load of building supplies we need.”

“Casey Kimple’s farm,” Bernard said, walking to the Bobcat. “He was letting his son build a house on his property.”

“Well, we need that shit,” Nelson mocked as he bobbed his head.

When Nelson headed to the FLYER, everyone ran to vehicles. As his group climbed in, Nelson watched the line of loaded trucks head back to the farm. Lowering his goggles, Nelson climbed in the gunner’s seat. “Michelle, pull us up a hundred yards. We’re right in front of the driveway, and Hank hasn’t impressed me at all.”

“Nelson, this is new shit to him. You need to relax,” Michelle said, grabbing the start toggle.

“Me, get to relax? What drug are you smoking?” he huffed.

Groaning as she started the FLYER, Michelle pulled up and turned the engine off. When Hank returned, Michelle was very happy Nelson had her pull up, or Hank would’ve hit them with how fast he was going down the road. “I’ll be back,” Michelle said, climbing out, and jogged toward the house.

Nelson climbed down and went over the SAWs again with the boys as Michelle ran around the house to see Bernard talking to Hank. Michelle walked over and stopped beside them. “Hank, he had every right to yell at you like that,” Bernard said as she walked up.

“Bernard, I got this,” she said and looked at Hank. “I’m Nelson’s wife, Michelle. If you listen to what he says, you and your family might live through this. Granted, he could’ve handled it better, but Nelson is wound up tonight for some reason, so your lessons will be harsh.”

“I just wanted to see what y’all were doing,” Hank said.

“Like he said, use the radio,” Michelle said.

“How can we learn if we don’t go out?”

“Wait, hasn’t Gerald and Nelson been over teaching your group?” Michelle asked, and Hank nodded. “He didn’t offer to bring you along because you weren’t ready. Hell, my son sitting out there on that road will be nine in four days, and he knows ten times what you know about moving around at night. The reason you’re here now is he’s showing you since you couldn’t stay put.”

“Lights to the south on Highway 60, heading west,” Nelson came over the radio.

“Shit,” Michelle said and grabbed her radio as she turned south. They were still two miles from the highway, but she could tell there were lights from something with her night vision goggles. “You have visual,” she called out.

“Humvee with someone in the cupola, looks like a Ma Deuce in the mount. They are at the maximum range of the camera.”

“They coming to play?”

“Negative, and they have the same thing on the back of their rig as I have on mine. I think they are searching.”

“What if they hear your radio?” Hank asked as she was about to call Nelson back.

“They could tell it was a transmission, but they can’t listen in,” Michelle said.

“Still moving and past our access point,” Nelson called over the radio.

Michelle looked at Hank. “You realize if you would’ve driven up with your lights when that thing was closer, it would’ve come here. Pull your head out of your ass and think. Don’t panic like you did driving back here. If we hadn’t moved, you would’ve plowed into us, and Nelson would’ve shot you because our son is in that rig.”

Visibly trembling, Hank nodded as Bernard reached over, patting his shoulder. “Listen and watch. Tell everyone in your group to do the same, and for God’s sake, don’t turn on a light.”

“Mobile One, return to the rig. We have another one moving down the road like the first, but this one is blacked out,” Nelson called over the radio.

“Want to stop the return team?” Michelle called back as she broke into a run.

“Negative. We don’t know if this is just a preview of things to come.”

“Break traffic. This is Mobile Four. All exposed teams need to find cover. We have an eye coming from the southeast at six thousand feet,” Nancy called over the radio. “Will be in range in nine minutes.”

Michelle skidded to a halt and spun around. “Pull your truck in the barn now!” she shouted, running back, and saw people pouring out of the house. “Get the fuck back in the house!”

The group turned around, and all of them tried to use the door to get back in as Michelle brought her AR across her body and held it out. She hit the back of the group, forcing them in, and heard the FLYER rounding the house as Hank’s truck and the Bobcat started up. As she entered the door, she turned to see the FLYER shoot in the open barn doors.

Bernard almost took out the door as he drove the track loader in. Michelle was proud of Hank as he quickly but carefully pulled in the barn. When the trailer was inside, she saw Nelson closing the doors.

“Eye is following highway,” Nancy called out. “Have ID, eye is RQ-7 Shadow medium range UAV.”

“Mobile Four, will need you to stay on station until expedition is over,” Nelson called out.

“One, this is Two. Suggest we pack party up,” Gerald called out.

“Negative, when eye is gone, we are loading. I want to crawl in our hole and stay before supplies are gone.”

“Cut radio traffic,” Nancy called out, and Michelle fought to keep calm. Checking her watch again, Michelle knew they had been silent for ten minutes as Nancy came over the radio. “Eye has passed. It seemed to veer off the highway but continued down. Sky is clear in area.”

In the barn, Nelson was showing the boys the GAU when Nancy called the all clear. He turned to look at Hank, who looked like he was going to pass out. “You’re welcome, Hank,” he said with a grin. “Now pull out and load up so we can get back home.”

Nodding dumbly, Hank climbed back in his truck as Bernard opened the door. “Mobile Four, would that eye have seen us at his height?” Nelson called out as he started the FLYER.

“One, this is Two,” Gerald called out. “I’m with Mobile Four, and no, that eye wasn’t far enough away from the highway or high enough to spot you.”

Nelson stopped by the house and climbed up in the gunner’s seat as Michelle climbed in the driver’s seat. “It’s starting to get interesting,” Nelson said, moving behind the GAU. “Boys, keep your eyes open, and don’t shoot until cleared by me or Michelle.”

Michelle pulled back on the road and looked up at Nelson. “We are going closer to the road,” she said.

“Yeah, if it wasn’t for Hank, we would’ve been at the other farm by now,” Nelson said as Bernard pulled out on the road with the Bobcat.

When Gerald returned with the others, Bernard pulled the Bobcat up on Nelson’s trailer that Ashley was driving. As the group pulled out, Hank’s group headed back to his house. Michelle pulled out to the next farm, which was less than a mile from the highway.

They were halfway loaded when Hank’s crew returned, and with the six extra hands, everything was loaded quickly. “Gerald, unload at Hank’s, and get back,” Nelson called over the radio.

Bernard drove the Bobcat up beside the FLYER and turned it off. Opening the door on the cab, he climbed out, and Nelson was amazed he got his tall ass in that cab. “Nelson, Casey’s farm is on the other side of the highway,” Bernard said, stepping down.

“Bernard, we were just there last night. You think I forgot?”

“No,” he snapped. “Let’s just go back, and I’ll get that Ferguson at Butch’s farm.”

“Oh hell no,” Nelson said. “I listened for two hours how a John Deere combine was ten times better. If we don’t get anything else, that damn combine is coming with us if I have to tie a rope to the front of it and pull it to the farm with my bare hands.”

“I’ll make do.”

“Like hell,” Nelson said. “But I tell you one thing; you better be able to go faster than a walk on that damn thing.”

“It goes twenty-seven miles an hour in high.”

“I rest my case,” Nelson laughed. “I’m going to have Michelle pull up on that hill behind the house. From there, she should be able to see several miles in both directions.”

“Babe,” Michelle said, making him look down at her. “We’re getting close to the range of our radios, so not too far behind that house.”

“By road, we are seven miles from the farm; in a straight line, we are just over five.”

They sat and waited with Gavin staying glued to the display from the thermal camera. Nelson was just happy the display had a night vision mode that barely emitted any light from the screen. When they heard the group coming back, Nelson looked at Bernard. “Load up, and wait till we call before crossing the highway, and tell everyone to relax so they don’t make mistakes.”

“Okay,” Bernard said, stepping away from the FLYER as Michelle cranked up and eased up the dirt road.

“Still good, Gavin?” she asked as she looked each way on the highway but didn’t see anything.

“Don’t see anything, Mom.”

Michelle pressed the accelerator, turning right on the highway. She sped the quarter mile to the driveway on the left side of the highway and barely slowed as she took the turn. “Drive between the house and barn. You see that rise?” Nelson called over the intercom.

“Got it,” Michelle said, easing off the gas upon seeing the oak trees around the house. “Gavin, lower the boom so we don’t hurt the camera.”

Gavin reached over, pressing the switch to drop the boom with the camera. When it was down, Michelle stomped the accelerator, darting off the driveway and past the house. Slowing as she reached the rise, she picked her way between the trees until Nelson told her to stop and turn around.

When she had the FLYER turned, she could see the valley the highway followed. “Gavin, raise the boom, and see what’s around,” Nelson said, looking around.

“Nothing, Dad.”

“Three, this is One, empty road, so come across, but take care on the turn,” Nelson called over the radio as Michelle turned the FLYER off. He looked down at the house and barn just a few hundred yards from the highway, and they were half a mile back from the house.

They all could see the group pull out with their night vision goggles darting down the highway. “Ashley, take it easy. This thing isn’t strapped down,” Bernard called over the radio.

“Sorry,” Ashley replied, and Nelson saw a flash of light as Ashley tapped the brake. They had covered the tail lights with duct tape, but he still saw that.

“Need to pull the fuses for the lights,” Nelson said, leaning over the GAU.

They watched the group pull up to the work site where a house was being built. Michelle nodded at how fast Bernard loaded the stacks of lumber, pallets of cinderblocks, and concrete. She laughed when she saw him load up the locked storage shed that was almost as big as the Bobcat.

“Bernard can really make that thing work,” Michelle laughed and looked at the house as Hank’s group piled in the truck and moved over to the barn with the others. “Guess they didn’t have much food.”