The Reckoning - 02 (57 page)

             
Once I had a new interceptor vest on, I shouldered my pack. The straps bit into my shoulders, right on top of numerous slashes from the whip. I winced in pain, but accepted it as part of the burden. Once the initial pain wore off, it just faded to the background with all the others hurts I still felt. I’m not sure if my aches and pains had subsided to a tolerable level or if my tolerance for pain had increased since my ordeal.

             
I headed into my quarters and found Karen and the boys waiting for me. She didn’t look happy to see me in full battle-rattle, but she didn’t protest. Evan and Erik were both still a little shook up, but Elliott looked like he was ready to go back out. I couldn’t help but smile at him. The younger two would get there, too. I knew my boys would be ready for anything. All I had to do was keep them alive.

             
“I’m going back out,” I said, kissing Karen on the cheek.

             
“I assumed that by the way you were dressed,” she replied, crossing her arms.

             
I could tell she wasn’t very happy, but under the circumstances who could blame her. The
Freemen
had come into our home and shot at our kids. They’d killed our people and threatened our very existence by destroying our power generation capacity and collapsing part of the Underground. We’re lucky the entire thing didn’t collapse.

             
“I know you don’t want me going back out,” I said, putting my arms around her.

             
“That’s not it,” she said.

             
“What is it, babe?”

             
“They threatened our children!” she snapped. “What kind of animal threatens children?”

             
“The worst kind,” I said. “Trust me.”

             
“And after what they did to you…” she began sobbing.

             
I stroked her hair and held her. What else could I do?

             
“Promise me something,” she said, through the tears.

             
“Anything, babe,” I said, soothingly.

             
“You do whatever it takes to make them leave us alone,” she said, looking into my eyes. “You make them pay for what they did!”

             
“I intend to,” I said, a touch of coldness in my voice.

             
“I want to go with you,” said Elliott.

             
“We’re keeping the team small, bud,” I said. “You need to stay here and protect your mother.”

             
I could tell he didn’t like it, but he didn’t argue. He had grown up so much since this all started. I never wanted my children to have to grow up to be soldiers, but this world was leaving us no choice. They would have to be strong to survive. We all would. It was going to be a constant struggle to survive in this new world, gone mad. But I had no intention of giving up. So long as I drew breath, I had hope. We’d make a life, again.

             
Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a badge. There was a bloody spot on it and I recognized it, instantly. It was Alex Parker’s badge. Alex had given his life to buy us time to escape. Even after he’d been bitten himself, he still fought to protect the ones he cared about. How could the rest of us do any less?

             
“Take this, son,” I said, tossing the badge to him.

             
He caught it and turned it over in his hand, reverently. He studied the details and the words engraved on that badge. A smile crept over his lips as he looked back at me.

             
“I can keep this?” he said, grinning.

             
“Absolutely,” I replied. “You earned it. Keep that badge with pride. That belonged to a good friend of mine named Alex Parker.”

             
My wife gasped. She knew Alex.

             
“Alex gave his life to save Southard, Wilder and me,” I said. “He died a hero, son. Never forget that and wear that badge with pride.”

             
“I will, dad,” he said, pinning it to his body armor.

             
“Now, take care of your mom and brothers,” I said. “I’ll be back later tonight.”

             
“Be careful,” said Karen, kissing me.

             
“I will,” I promised after I came up for air.

             
The boys all hugged me and I held them for a long moment, taking in their affection. I kissed each of them on the cheek and stepped back to the door. I paused there, letting the image sink into my mind. The image of my wife with her arms around the boys, each of them armed but vulnerable at the same time. It was a post-apocalyptic post card. An insane Norman Rockwell moment, forever etched into my brain. Despite the guns, it was a family moment. One I’d hold in my heart to see me through when times were dark.

             
With that image firmly in my mind, I turned and walked out the door. I took the concrete steps two at a time and emerged into the parking area. Spec-4 was there with both Humvees and the entire crew. They were all loaded for bear and ready to go. They were standing together in a group, waiting for me to come out. I stopped at the landing of the stairs and marveled at the strange parallels.

             
The way they were standing oddly mirrored the way my family had been. Spec-4 stood between the First Sergeant and Southard. The other two Rangers flanked them. It struck me then that they were my family, too. My Kindred. Old animosities were now a thing of the past. These men and women had shed their blood with me, fought beside me, and nearly died for me. I owed them as much of my soul as I did my own flesh and blood.

             
The dead might have changed the world forever, but there was still good to be found. Here in the semi-darkness of a man-made cave system, we’d made a home. We’d made a family. Now we were off to protect that family from those who would do us harm and destroy everything we’d fought for. Now was the time to set things right. We wouldn’t fail our people.

             
“You ready?” called Southard, impatient to get moving, as always.

             
“Let’s roll,” I said, and headed for the lead Humvee.

             
First Sergeant Gregory handed me a new headset. I took it and glanced at it.

             
“We changed the encryption,” he explained. “That way they can’t listen to us. They have the radios they took from you and Wilder.”

             
“Good call,” I said, slipping mine on.

             
“We’ve all got one on that frequency,” he added.

             
“Alright,” I said, “let’s move. It’ll be dark soon. I want to be well clear of town before dark.”

             
As the First Sergeant headed for his Humvee, he turned and tossed something at me. I caught it with my left hand and looked at it. It was a rolled up piece of desert tan material.

             
“What’s this?” I asked.

             
“A shemagh,” he replied. “You look like an idiot with a t-shirt wrapped around your face.”

             
I shook my head and chuckled. Turning to get into my door, I tucked the shemagh in my cargo pocket. Once I was inside, Spec-4 slid into the passenger seat and Southard slid into the back. The Rangers all climbed into the other Humvee with Sergeant McDonald taking the wheel. Corporal Jackson took the back seat so he could man the turret, if it was needed. I hoped it wasn’t. Our best chance for success was in stealth.

             
I fired up the engine and headed for the exit. Weasel-face was there and opened the gate with the big forklift. We shot through the opening and he immediately closed it behind us. The gate up topside was still manned. Winston and Webber were there and flagged us right on through. I shot them a salute as we drove by. Webber returned the salute but Winston just waved at me, grinning. Then we were past them and accelerating.

             
It was almost dark as we turned out onto the road and headed south. I didn’t want to go through town. I knew the
Freemen
watched the main roads in and out of town, so it would be better to avoid it. I didn’t know if they still had the manpower to watch that much area, but I didn’t want to risk it. So instead of turning towards town, I headed east.

             
We drove under blackout conditions, without using the main headlights. The blackout lights gave us just enough light to see by but couldn’t be seen from long distances. It was enough to navigate by so long as we didn’t go too fast. That kept our speed lower, but it was better in the long run. It wouldn’t attract too much attention, from the dead or the living. It was sad that the living had proven to be the worse threat.

             
We stuck to the back country roads, skirting the city of Fair Grove, passing between the little towns of Willard and Pleasant Hope. Once we cleared Willard, we stuck to farm roads that would take us to our goal. Thanks to Spec-4’s escape and detailed notes, we now knew that the
Freeman
compound was on the back side of the Bois D’Arc Conservation Area. The “Boss” had been smart, purchasing land close to thousands of acres of Conservation Land.

             
Most of it was inaccessible or restricted from hunting, keeping his remote outpost secret until it was too late. If they hadn’t taken us there, I can honestly say we’d have never found it. Not without the ability to look from the air. That wouldn’t have been a good idea anyway, since I’d seen them shoot down two aircraft, already.

             
It was close to 2200 hours when we pulled into the parking lot of the shooting range. It was located in the Conservation Area and was one of the best ranges in our area. I’d taken my kids there dozens of times. It also had the advantage of being the closest place we could park to the
Freemen
Compound without driving down the road that it was on. They’d be watching that road, but I was willing to bet that they wouldn’t be watching for us to come in through the woods.

             
We parked and concealed the Humvees behind the main building. There weren’t any other vehicles in the area, so I didn’t see anything that might draw someone’s attention if they happened by. Not to mention the fact that only an idiot would be out here after dark. I guess I know what that says about us.

             
Once everyone was out, we shouldered our packs and secured the vehicles. Sergeant McDonald took point and Corporal Jackson took the rear. I checked my M-4, and then headed out right behind McDonald. Spec-4, Southard and First Sergeant Gregory followed along after that. There was a full moon out and seeing was easy. McDonald picked out a game trail and headed off into the darkened woods.

             
We all had our suppressors on our weapons and staggered our weapons to cover both sides of the trail. I had to cover with my off-hand, since McDonald had his weapon in his right hand. I was watching where I stepped to minimize the amount of noise I was making. I grew up hunting the backwoods of Missouri. I could be very quiet when I wanted to be, but compared to the Rangers I might as well have been playing a drum while I walked. They were scary quiet.

             
Several times we crouched in silence when McDonald would give us the signal. Each time, we could hear something moving off in the woods but we never saw anything. It sounded like it was on four legs not two, so I assumed we’d scared a deer. That was good since I didn’t want to encounter the living or the dead in the dark woods.

             
It was close to midnight when I started hearing faint sounds of people. It had to be the
Freemen.
They had absolutely no concept of noise discipline. Hell, most of them had no concept of any kind of discipline. Although it was kind of ironic that a group that called itself Free Men would be so fanatically loyal to one man. The Boss was more of a David Koresh than a George Washington.

             
When McDonald called for us to go to ground, I knelt down without hesitation. I crouched behind a bush and waited to see what was going to happen next. I didn’t have to wait long. In the darkness, I could hear the sound of someone walking. Then, almost right in front of us, someone lit a cigarette with a lighter. That effectively rendered his night vision useless. Obviously, we weren’t dealing with a trained soldier.

             
We waited for him to move on, but he just stood there. I could smell the odor of his cigarette. It wasn’t tobacco. It was the unmistakable smell of marijuana. Not only did he ruin his night vision, now he was getting high. Absolute and utter contempt for this idiot washed over me like a wave. I’d spent my career protecting the public from idiots like this and now, at the end of things, it was this moron and his friends who were threatening my family.