Dystopia: The Beginning of the End (13 page)

Chapter 18

“George is back”

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

-Mark Twain

              That afternoon Herb got a call from Joe on the walkie informing them that there were vehicles at the crossroads.  Joe was on watch at the hill and said it looked bad, like a raiding party of some kind. 

“Definitely some bad, bad men”, he said. 

They called over to Arthur and asked that he radio Ryan and let him know something bad is coming our way.  Arthur radioed back saying he would send for them. Matt told Herb he would call them from the hilltop post with any other information to relay to Arthur. 

He, Tawny, Lynn and Jeremy ran for the lookout. As they crawled up the hillside Joe handed Matt the binoculars and pointed to the one they thought was the leader.

              Matt’s expression turned to anger when he recognized George barking out orders to the men he had running about.  Matt got on the radio and called up Herb to tell Arthur he should let Ryan know it was George’s group. 

Arthur relayed back that both the militia from town and the northern group were on their way that Ryan said they should try and hang in there.

              Matt and Jeremy talked a bit decided snipers at the forward position should take out as many men as they could. Instructing them that if they began to approach that they were to try and disable a vehicle or two with some key shots to tires or drivers.  

Telling them, “Don’t linger, after you slow them down or when they get close to your position, take the woodland tails to fall back to the house.” 

Lynn, Tawny, Jeremy and Joe stayed in position on both sides of the road as they had before, watching and waiting each of them had their 30.06.

Jeremy and Joe lined up their sights on the area of the road near the choke point while Lynn and Tawny adjusted their scopes for much longer shots.

They got all the children in the basement of the main house with Charleigh, Toni, Herb, Julie and Janice on the windows. Each with a 12ga except, this time Toni had more than a.22, she was using a 30.30 she had become fond of and could shoot well. 

Julie had the gun she had gotten from the rapist, when Herb saw it he was shocked. 

He asked her, “Have you shot this beast yet?” 

Julie replied, “No pops, you know I can’t shoot shit, but it’s all I have.”

He said, “My dear, that is a.45, it is practically a cannon.  We need to get you something different.”

He laughed, in spite of the impending invasion, he found it funny. 

Charleigh got up and headed for the bedroom coming out with an old 20ga, Matt had given her a long time ago and 8 boxes of shells.  Herb showed Julie how to load it and where the safety was and got her nestled in behind a table that they stood up by the window.

Astrid was in the basement with the children she had a 20ga shotgun as well and was guarding the door.  Nina, Axel, Frank Jr and Suzette all had their .22’s and were actually quite good with them. 

Conner and Cameron were in the blind that they reinforced with steel plates at the edge of the road. Connor always carried his AR and Cameron had Matt’s AK47.  They moved two of the cars to block the road about 100 feet past the sniper's position, but before the house, hoping this would slow them and give the snipers a chance to take more of them out. 

Dez, Amanda and Eric were behind a blind Ryan had them build on the opposite side of the road. Each grabbed one of the AR15’s frank brought from his storage, with it Dez also grabbed her trusty 12ga and some double ought buck.

Dez soothed Amanda trying to calm her, she could see the hatred in her eyes. 

She cooed, “You will get your chance girl.  Let’s just not get stupid ok?”

Sarah, Frank and Rebecca watched the woods behind the house from the windows of the back house. While Loel, Matt and Sam took up a position behind the cars in the yard. They had practiced this a few times and hoped that they were ready, but Dez was praying for the Militia to come quickly.

After about ten minutes but what seemed like hours, Tawny came over the walkie saying,

“It's show time boys and girls. I’m aiming for that asshole George, keep your heads down and shoot straight, over.”

Matt replied, “Don’t take chances out there, do your job and run to defend the house, over.” 

They all heard the first shots fired and tensed up.  They listened, five rifle shots, then a barrage of fire from automatic weapons. 

This made Matt’s stomach knot up.  Again, there were at least eight rifle shots, more automatic fire. He heard screaming and even more rifle fire, this time continuous.  They must have reached the barrier he thought, he hoped the snipers got out ok.

They all saw them, walking up the road like they had not a care in the world.  Of course, George was still alive and in the rear. 

“What, a coward,” Matt said to Loel. 

They waited for them to get between the two blinds to open fire.  They all fired at anything in the open.  George’s guys were unable to take cover, the shots seemed to be coming from all directions. 

About ten in the rear ran, retreating back down the road where they were immediately cut down by Lynn and Tawny from the woods.  They all got out of their positions safely and set up in the woods for a rear assault.

Amanda spotted one of the guys who had raped her, she stood up and fired at him, hitting him in the head and he crumbled to the ground. 

Dez grabbed her and threw her to the ground, screaming, “That was so stupid.  Get your shit together.”

George caught sight of Dez as she was pulling Amanda down and headed for their position in a rage. 

Matt was horrified when he saw this and yelled to Sam and Loel, “Take him out!  Get him, he’s spotted Dez and going for her!”

“Oh My God, DESTINY” he screamed as he broke position running at George. 

Loel and Sam stood up and covered him, as Frank came running from the back house to take his spot

Jeremy was still in the woods and saw what Matt did. He broke cover and sprinted across the road to cover him just as Matt tackled George, toppling them both into the ditch below her position. 

Amanda was crying, firing indiscriminately at the group, while Jeremy was poised trying to get a clear shot at George.  He and Matt were fighting and rolling in the ditch making it impossible for him to get a clean shot off.   He changed focus and concentrated on anyone noticing the fight picking them off.

Matt pulled out his knife and inflicted a nasty gash across George’s face, sending him into a blind rage. 

He screamed at Matt, “I’m gonna enjoy killing you Burns and then I’m gonna do that bitch good.”

Matt lashed out with his knife catching George in the side causing him to fall over.  As Matt moved in on him a shot rang out and caught him in the shoulder. Knocking him into the side of the hill.

Dez, Amanda and Eric all fired wildly to cover him.  Jeremy dropped his rifle and pulled out his SR9 firing at anything that moved, he ran with all he had for Matt. Grabbing his shirt he pulled him into the blind with Dez and the others. 

Dez hopped out of the blind to help him get Matt inside.  She quickly began to apply pressure to his shoulder and Jeremy grabbed the shotgun and joined Amanda and Eric firing on the invaders.

Two of George’s guys had retrieved him, they dragged him into the truck and were already speeding off down the road in retreat.  Tawny took out two of them in the back of the truck, but they still managed to get past her. 

Cursing, she turned to Joe saying, “Let’s move in.” 

Joe lay motionless beside her two shots in his chest. 

Tawny hung her head down and began to cry, she hadn’t noticed he had been hit. 

She said to his lifeless body, “I promise we will take care of Cameron for you my friend.”

By the time Ryan arrived it was down to about ten of George’s men that were left pinned down in the ditch between the woods where Tawny and Lynn were and Connor and Cameron’s blind. 

Ryan called out to them to surrender, saying, “The militia is here and you will not get out alive if you do not surrender.” 

A gun came flying up out of the ditch and hands could be seen.  Ryan instructed them to move slowly and keep their hands above their heads.  The sheriff went over and cuffed them all using the zip tie cuffs.  They were quickly loaded into the trucks and sped away to the jail.

Ryan walked up through the carnage shouting to the group that they were ok and to check in. 

Dez screamed over the blind, “Ryan, Matt is hit.  Please hurry help me, he is bleeding so much.”

Ryan hollered out, “Medic, up here pronto.” 

The medic assessed the wound and said it passed right through and they needed to get him to the house so he could patch him up.  He reassured Dez that he would be ok and told her they would need to look at her leg. 

Dez did not even notice that she had been shot, she was so worried about Matt.  She looked down at her thigh, and instantly turned white and without a word looked up at them and fainted.

Chapter 19

“Loss”

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”

-President, John F. Kennedy

When Dez woke up, she looked around, she was on the sofa inside the house.  Charleigh was sitting beside her and Jeremy was sitting in the chair. 

Jeremy said to Lynn, “Would you go tell Ryan she’s awake?” 

Lynn nodded and headed out the door to get him.  Dez was still groggy asking where Matt was. Jeremy told her he was fine, that he was resting. 

Ryan came in saying, “Well, now, look who decided to join us.” 

Jeremy poking fun at her said, “Oh yeah, Betty bad ass here, she’s all good till she sees her own blood and promptly faints.” 

He and Ryan laughed. 

Dez was angry, “What? Jeremy how can you make jokes at a time like this” and began to cry. 

She looked up at Charleigh, horrified, “Ariel, where is Ariel?” 

Charleigh told her she was fine and stop worrying, Dez was crying asking if everyone was ok.  Charleigh got up and fetched Ariel from her nap for her.

              As she sat there cradling her precious grand baby, the events of the day came back to her.  She did not want to talk about it and asked that they let her gather her thoughts for a few moments. 

Rebecca came in, bringing her some tea, after a few minutes sipping it she started feeling better. 

Ariel hugged her and asked, “You sad Mimi?”

Dez hugged her tightly and said, “I’m never sad when I have hugs from you.”

Ariel hopped off her lap and climbed up on the kitchen stool, asking for a snack.  Dez hobbled out to the kitchen and asked if she could see Matt.  Rebecca helped her to the bedroom where he was sleeping. 

She sat on the bed and wept, holding his hand. 

Matt woke up and said with his usual humor, “Bacon.”

She smiled down at him and kissed him gently telling him, “My hero.” 

He laughed and said, “Aww shucks, ma’am twernt nothin.” 

He asked her if everyone was ok, and she told him she didn’t know. 

She said, “I was just going to go find out, but I wanted to see how you were first.”

He smiled a weak smile and said, “I’d be fine if Rebecca would let me out of this bed, did you know she’s on some kind of power trip?” 

He laughed and said, “She said she would tie me up if I didn’t stay put?” 

Dez laughed and said, “Well sir, you might just like that now wouldn’t you.”

She kissed him and said she would be back to fill him in on everything.

Reaching the door, she looked back saying, “You had better listen to Rebecca and rest mister.”

She limped into the kitchen to see how everyone else was.  She was horrified when they told her about Joe. 

Asking, “Does Cameron know?”

They said that he did, that he was ok but taking it pretty hard.  Commenting how Astrid was with him, and noting amongst themselves that it was good she was there for him after he had been so kind when her parents died. 

Wanting the complete run down Dez asked, “Was anyone else hurt?” Otherwise is everyone ok?”

Jeremy said, “I sprained my ankle.  Shit, I didn’t even notice, I was just trying to get to you and Matt.”

Rebecca chimed in from the doorway to the bedroom, “Frank caught one in the ass.”

Poor Frank through it all stood complaining he didn’t even get a glorious wound.

They all laughed and told her how Sarah had scolded him for getting shot and was, even as they spoke treating him like some wounded war hero.

Winking, Jeremy said, “Yea, she’s busy looking at him with girly eyes and tending to his every need.”

Ryan noted that they had defended the place like warriors.  George’s group was almost completely decimated.  They had eight in custody, but were disappointed that George had gotten away with a handful of his men. 

The ones they had in custody had been very cooperative and willing to give them all the details of their hideout and they hoped to have him as well. 

Ryan said, “With any luck, it’ll be very shortly.”

They told her Connor and Sam were already working on putting plastic up on the broken windows and Janice was cooking up a feast in the mess hall.

All of this was a lot for Dez to take in as she sat sipping her tea.  Ariel came running up with Dylan shouting dinner time. 

Exclaiming “Dyran and me picked the movie.”

She was hopping up and down with joy and pride at her big responsibility. 

Dez smiled at her lovingly and told the rest of them she wanted to have dinner with Matt and asked if they would mind excusing her.

Saying, “I will go get some plates and bring it here and see everyone a bit later?”

Toni told her to go on into the bedroom she would bring it to them.

Insisting saying, “I am going to be eating in the living room with Jeremy anyway.” 

Dez hugged her and thanked her and looked at her son, saying, “You could have been killed with that stunt!  If you ever scare me like that again, I will kill you myself!”

Jeremy laughed and said, “What’s up wit that there guy, you know I was the wicked good super hero heah.”

She went over, hugged and thanked him. 

He said, “Ma, Matt almost got killed going after George like that, it was because George had spotted you and was going after you that he broke cover.” 

She just looked at him as he continued, “He was saving my mom, I had to do something!” 

She kissed him on the head and said, “I know bud, I have a couple of the best men a woman would ever need and I love you.”

Drawing back looking at him said, “But don’t ever do that again.” 

They both laughed as she headed for the bedroom.

Matt insisted he wanted to be in the living room with Jeremy and Toni. 

Against Rebecca’s orders Dez gave in and helped him to the sofa saying, “She is gonna kick my ass for this you know.” 

Matt smiled and said, “Better you than me.” 

The four of them ate and talked about George and all that happened.  Matt told them he knew that he stabbed him good in the side. They thought he would not be up and moving anytime soon.  They all also knew though that if he lived and escaped Ryan’s guys that he would be looking for revenge.

Later that evening they held a funeral service for Joe, each of them taking a few minutes to say something about their new friend. 

The ladies made a wreath for his cross out of some leaves and vine they foraged from the woods.  Astrid was glued to Cameron’s side never flinching at his tears or angry outbursts.  Cameron vowed to kill George someday and avenge his father’s death.

As Cameron had been there for Astrid after her parents died, so she stayed close to him in his time of sorrow.  Dez watched them as she said quiet words to him.  She was thankful that in some way Astrid had found her place and also that Cameron had her for support.  It did make her wonder about how close they were and she decided to chat with Astrid at some point about it.