The Guardians (16 page)

Evan made his way back up into the woods towards Jason.  He recklessly just jogged back to Jason's position.  He was exhausted and emotionally numb.  As he approached Jason's position, he saw Ollie laid out flat on his back.  Jason was kneeling over him with his hat in his hand.  He looked up at Evan and said, "There must have been another one down the hill that we didn't see.  He must have advanced on Ollie as we abandoned him here to head for the house.  You look like hell.  Sit here and rest for a minute while I go down and see if I can get some intel off of the one down in the bottom," Jason said as he wiped a tear from his eye and got up to head down the hill.  He slipped off into the bushes to take an indirect approach, just in case the third individual was still in the area.

Evan sat down on the ground with his back against a tree.  He took his hat off and just slumped over as his fatigue and emotions overcame him all at once.  Ollie's death would without question leave a terrible whole in the group.  A thousand questions swirled around in his head as he let it all soak in.  What about Mildred and Haley?  What about what was now Mildred's cattle?  There was no way an elderly woman and a young girl could work this place on their own, even without the threat of thieves and rustlers.  Oh well, he thought.  There will be time to hammer all of that out later.  Right now, he and Jason have some work to do.  

He collected his composure, stood up, walked over to the ridge, and glassed the area below with his binoculars.  He picked up Ollie's .30-06' and used it to cover Jason who was still downhill assessing the situation.  Ollie's powerful .30-06' with its scope would do much better at covering Jason from a distance.  His VZ58 was a fine weapon for close quarters fighting, but he could not afford any more misses today if a situation were to arise.

He watched through the scope of the rifle and saw Jason collect the gear from the downed intruder, including his rifle.  Jason put the load-bearing vest on and threw the extra rifle over his shoulder with the sling, and slipped back into the concealment of the heavy woods to make his way back up the hill.  Once he got back up to Evan he said, "I haven't got a clue who those guys might be.  There was nothing identifiable on that one."

"I don't like Jake and the ladies being down there alone," Evan said while scanning the surrounding woods anxiously.  "You take Ollie's rifle and that other gear you collected and get down to the farmhouse to help keep watch.  I'll carry Ollie out.  We can't leave him here."

"Roger that," Jason replied.  "Are you sure you don't want me to do that?" asked Jason.  "You've got to be exhausted after running down to the house and back." 

"That's why I want you to go.  You'll get there faster.  I can stop and rest with him if need be.  I'd just feel better if there was another gun there right away," replied Evan as he knelt down next to his dear friend Ollie.

"Roger that then, I'm on it!" Jason said as he began a jog down the hill in the direction of the farm.

"Well old friend, what do we do now?" Evan said aloud as if Ollie could hear him.  "Don't worry though, we will take good care of Mildred and Haley and help protect their inheritance.  You're all a part of our family now," Evan said as he welled up with tears and began to cry for his dearly departed friend.

****

It had been a little more than a week now since Nate had awoken in the make shift hospital to his new reality.  He had been getting out of bed and using crutches extensively, trying to stay mobile.  He had also began exercising as much as he felt he could.  He considered himself to be his own physical therapist.  Having made the treacherous journey this far in perfect condition, he knew his challenges on the rest of his journey would seem even more daunting now.  He made a vow to himself to not let the loss of his leg slow him down.

Luke continued to visit him every day.  Nate no longer mentioned his brother coming along to complete his journey.  Without that pressure, Luke felt more relaxed with Nate and his visits got longer each day.  They were beginning to feel like brothers again.

"Feel up to a game of horse?" asked Luke.

"You've got a basketball?" asked Nate.

"Sure do," Luke replied.  "There's an old hoop out back.  It doesn't have a net, but it works."

"Heck, you were a sore loser when I had two legs.  How are you gonna handle it when I beat you with only one," replied Nate with a smirk on his face.

"You know the more smack talk you do, the more it will sting when I win," said Luke returning the look.

"Game on little brother!" Nate said as he hopped around on one leg to taunt Luke.

The two brothers went out back to the alley court, which was nestled between two of the buildings fenced off for TSG hospital use.  "Same rules as back in the day, and you can take the first shot," Luke said as he handed Nate the ball.

"I don't need charity little brother," Nate said refusing the ball.  "It's your court, you shoot first."

"OK then," Luke said as he took his first shot.  As the ball easily went into the hoop, Luke said, "If there was a net, it would have been nothin but swoosh!"

Nate reached out with a crutch to redirect the rebound back to him.  Once he grabbed the ball he tossed his crutch on the ground, hopped over into the position of Luke's shot, and easily put the ball into the hoop.  "You could at least try," he said looking at his younger brother.

"If you insist," replied Luke who walked back a little further.  He shot again, this time his ball bounced off of the rim and was a miss.

"Uh, oh...," Nate said.  "You've given me the keys, now I'm gonna drive away," he said as he lobbed a shot from his position.  "Swoosh!" he said as his ball easily made it in the basket.

Luke got the rebound and dribbled the ball as he walked and said, "Yea, well just don't crash like you usually do," he said referring to Nate's less than stellar teenage driving record.

"Boom! That's an H little brother!" Nate exclaimed as Luke's shot bounced off the rim.

"Yea, yea, we've got a long way to go till it's over," replied Luke.

For the next several shots the brothers traded shots and insults, both men with hits and misses.  They were now neck and neck and Nate just made a shot and said," Well little brother, you're at H.O.R.S.  If you miss this one, that's the game.  You wanna make it interesting? "

"What did you have in mind?" Luke replied.

"If you make this one, I'll never give you a hard time about it, or try to pressure you into going with me again," Nate said as he bounce passed the ball to Luke.

"And what if I miss?" Luke asked.

"You go with me, when I'm ready to travel of course," Nate replied.

Luke just stood there for a minute and said, "You always were a competitive jerk," Luke replied.  "Deal."

Without even taking time to aim, Luke took his shot.  To Nate it seemed as if the ball flew through the air in slow motion.  As the ball neared the hoop, Nate could see that it was not even close.  It missed by over four feet.  Nate just looked at Luke with bewilderment and Luke said, "A bet's a bet.  I guess I have to go now."

Nate just stood there speechless.  "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, yes I am," Luke said.

"What about Doctor Stewart?" Nate asked.

Luke responded, "Rachel and I were talking last night..."

"So her name is Rachel?" Nate interrupted.  "We were never properly introduced.  She's still Doctor Stewart to me," he said.

"Yes, it's Rachel Stewart," Luke said.  "I've been a jerk.  It took her to show me that.  She told me that I was upside down in my priorities.  She said that any man who doesn't put family first, isn't the kind of man she would be interested in.  If it's meant to be, I would find my family, help them out, and then come back to her.  She said she didn't want a man full of regrets and should haves."

"That's a classy lady," Nate said.  "She's obviously way too good for you," he said with a sarcastic smile.

"Ha ha... but touché I guess," Luke replied.  "She's even gonna help us out.  She took our info with Mom and Dad's info and is going to have the word put out over the wire that we are looking for them."

"We have wires?" Nate asked sarcastically.

"Well, it's HAM over the air stuff I believe.  Some medical network," Luke said.

"That's cool I guess, now hand me my damn crutches, I don't wanna hop around on one leg all day.  This acting tougher than you is tiresome," Nate said as he leaned against the side of the building.

Luke picked up Nate's crutches and as he handed them to him, he jerked them away as if he was messing around.  Nate reached for them, lost his balance, and fell into Luke's arms.  The two immediately bear hugged each other as Nate said, "It's good to have you back brother."

****

Chapter 17: Heartbreak

Evan shook off his emotions and wiped his tears from his eyes.  "Game face," he said to himself aloud.  "No time for heartaches.  I've got a job to do." He grabbed Ollie by the hands and pulled him up and then through him over his shoulders into a fireman's carry and started his hump down the hill.  If any of those bastards are still out here I'm a sitting duck, he thought to himself as he kept his eyes scanning for threats as he negotiated the thick woods.  Can't really walk quiet and I can't get to my gun in a hurry, he thought.  Oh well, might as well stop worrying about it and just get it done.

After a tiring hike down the mountain, stopping to lean against a tree on occasion to rest, Evan made it back down to Ollie's pasture.  He took a quick scan of the area before exposing himself.  He could see Jason on the back porch in the distance standing guard over the house.  He must have Jake out front, he thought.  Considering it safe, he stepped out into the field to expose himself to Jason's watchful eye.  He reached into his pocket and clicked his mic on his radio to get Jason's attention.

As he walked into view, the back door of the house flew open as Mildred came running out screaming and crying with Peggy trying to hold her back to no avail.  Evan just swallowed the large lump of emotion in his throat and kept walking across the field towards the house.  As Mildred began getting close, he knelt on the ground and gently laid her dear husband on the grass and just stood up, removed his hat and placed it over his heart, and took a few steps back to give her room.

She collapsed on top of Ollie, with a sorrowful cry like Evan had never heard before.  Of all of the horrible suffering he had witnessed over the past year, he had never seen the likes of what Mildred was going through.  He could not contain himself and began to cry as well.  He looked to the porch and saw Judith consoling Haley, who was also breaking down into a sorrowful cry.  That poor girl, he thought.  As soon as she is returned to normalcy, after the hell she has endured, her new family is already shattered.

Jason walked out to Evan and said, "I'll stay with her for a while.  Go make sure Jake is OK.  He was pretty worried about you."

"OK man, thanks," Evan replied as he patted Jason on the shoulder and began to walk to the house.  His body began to dump it's adrenaline and his true fatigue began to set in.  He was completely wiped out.  He made it to the porch, exchanged nods with Peggy and Judith, who had their hands full with young Haley, and went on into the house.

Jake was in the living room in the front of the house keeping a vigilant watch out the window in the direction of the front driveway.  He saw his dad enter the room and he ran right to him and gave him a big hug.  "I'm OK, I'm OK," Evan said.

"So what's going to happen now?" Jake asked.

"I think we are going to be spending the night here tonight, and then will begin to deal with things tomorrow.  Mildred is in no condition to travel and it's gonna be getting late soon.  Keep standing watch here for now, I'm gonna get on Ollie's CB radio and try and reach the Homefront," Evan said as he patted Jake on the shoulder and walked into the other room.

Just around the corner from the living room was Ollie's den.  It was finished in fine woods and had furniture and shelving that Ollie had made by hand.  It was a level of craftsmanship you just didn't see anymore.  The walls were covered with mounted hunting and fishing trophies, as well as photographs of fond memories of his life with Mildred and their children.  Over on his desk, he had an area where he would hand tie his own fishing flies.  It looked as if he had been working on some lately.

To the right of his fly-fishing activities was his old base station CB radio.  He had talked to Ollie over that radio from the Homefront many times, and now the airwaves will be missing that old familiar voice.  Evan sat down in Ollie's chair and reluctantly flipped the switch turning it on.  He sat there for a moment in silence and then keyed up the mic and said, "Anybody at the Homefront?"  All he heard was white noise and static.  He adjusted the squelch on the radio to quiet the noise and then tried again.  "Anyone on the Homefront?"

This time he heard Sarah answer, "Yep, we are here, all is well.  How did the clothes fit Haley?" she asked.

He paused for a moment and said.  "Something has happened.  We are all fine, but Ollie was killed.  We are going to have to spend the night here and make our way back to the Homefront in the morning with the addition of Mildred and Haley.  Can you please get Griff?"