Jernigan's War (20 page)

“Ain’t you going to fight the Chinese, Dix?”

“I can’t keep up with the young guys putting to the field. I am perfectly competent to hide and shoot. Besides, I want to lay out a few days and rest. We’ll listen to the short wave and decide what we need to do as the battle unfolds.”

CHAPTER 19

HELL COMES TO THE RANCH

A
week later Cooney Jones was on the shortwave and Porter actually got to speak with him. Porter gave Cooney a rundown of what had happened to the family. You could hear the sadness in his voice when he acknowledged the death of his son, grandson and daughter in law.

He told Porter, “I want you to stay put, all hell is breaking loose out here and it would be impossible to cross all the lines. I’m backing up the Constitution Army. Your orders are to obey Charlie and Bonnie. The Chinese may be coming through there either on their way across the country or retreated from here. If you and I live to spring, we’ll decide what we’ll do, for now put Charlie back on the radio and leave the room. And Porter, I’m proud of how you’ve handled yourself and I love you.”

Charlie kicked Porter out and got on the radio with Cooney. He mashed the microphone key, “What’s the scoop, Sarge?”

Cooney told him, “We’re going to be catching hell, we’ve got a small group of Constitution troops here; the local sportsmen are doing the heavy lifting. We’ve had one old guy about our age
who has been cleaning house, remember the name, Dix Jernigan. His family was wiped out and he has literally been a one man army. I took a bad hit from a stray bullet 30 days ago. It broke the femur in my right leg; I’m in bed right now out on my farm. It was a real bad break, it is healing mighty slow. It’s a good thing I had some penicillin on hand that I kept for the cows.”

Charlie laughed, “Yeah that cow medicine is good for about anything. In fact, you might want to think about using some of that Udder Balm on your leg, too.”

Cooney chuckled, “We have an old retired doctor and a vet out here in the country that patched me up. Some of the boys brought the radio out here so I could call. I’ve had them moving all my supplies down to the old boat camp back in the swamp. I’ve had a big old house boat down there for years. They’ll be moving me down there tomorrow.”

“I figure I’ll be hearing from you come spring then. The hair is thick on the deer this year, I fear it will be a winter to remember. It’s already snowed here once.”

“It snowed here too, the first time in at least 10 years. Train the boy, give him that deer rifle I keep there as a spare when I come. It’s a shooter, in fact if I hadn’t spent $1,800 on my new rifle, I’d suck up my pride and keep shooting my old gun. The day is going to come when that boy may need to kill somebody and I want him trained.”

Charlie interrupted, “That boy has killed six men that he knows for sure and possibly another. His cute little blond girlfriend has killed one; if they survive to have kids, we’re going to have one hell of a bunch of little Rangers on our hands.”

Cooney answered, “Train him well, you’re going to see some action; I’m afraid he’s going to have to skip being a teenager, I’ll be out of touch for a long time. When I get back on my feet I’ll be back in touch, good luck guys………………..signing off.”

Charlie told Porter, “Your grandfather is retreating to the houseboat back in the swamp. He’s recovering from a gunshot wound to his leg. It is healing and he has friends and supplies. He is safe and well and you heard his orders.”

Porter nodded, “What do we do now?”

“The first thing we do is get you some training. Come with me, I’ve got something for you in the basement.” They walked down to the basement and on a shelf in the back Charlie retrieved an aluminum gun case.

Charlie handed him the case, “This is what your grandfather wanted you to have and to learn to use.” They sat the case on a table in the middle of the room and clicked on an overhead light. Charlie unlocked and opened the lid. Inside was an old Remington bolt action rifle. Its stock was well worn but the blued metal was clean and oiled. A large scope set on the top.

“That AK47 you pack around is a fine military weapon. It is designed so that a man with a little training can consistently hit a target about the size of a soccer ball at a hundred yards. It is also designed to operate in a dirty and neglectful environment,” Charlie told Porter. “On the other hand, this rifle is designed to hit an object the size of a nickel at one hundred yards. The scope on top is a ballistic scope. The large center cross hair is dead on at 100 yards. The next smaller one is set at 200 the next smaller one is 300 and so on. It is chambered in .308 caliber just like the rifle you see me carrying. After lunch we start your training, we’re also going to make some suppressors for your rifles and pistol. I have a metal lathe in my shop, my boy Sam is a whiz at working with metal. We’ll let him outfit your guns tomorrow.”

CHAPTER 20

TRAINING

A
fter another hearty Texas lunch, Charlie and Porter went out to an improvised shooting range down behind the ranch house. A picnic table was set up with some sand bags on the top. Targets were attached onto wire frames that held them steady. Charlie taught him how to breath and how to squeeze the trigger so that he didn’t jerk the trigger. After a hundred rounds Porter could put a bullet in a spot the size of an orange at 300 yards. With his AK 47 he could hit a target the size of a washing machine at 300 yards. Porter smiled at Charlie, “If I have multiple moving targets at less than 75 yards I think I prefer the AK47. But for everything else give me the long gun!”

The next morning, Sandy didn’t wake Porter with a kiss; instead, Charlie had him up before dawn, “Porter, we’re going for a little run before breakfast.” Porter got dressed, Charlie told him to leave his jacket he wouldn’t need it.

“Grab your AK47, your magazine pack, shoulder holster with pistol, and put on your big knife.” Charlie already had all of his on. “Come on down to the basement.” In the corner were a half dozen pair of old leather boots that the boys had outgrown. They
selected a pair with decent souls that were about the right size. They cut paracord for new laces; Porter laced them up while Charlie filled a wash tub with water. “Put em on, lace them up and come stand in this bucket of water; as soon as your feet are soaked let me know.”

They proceeded at a fast trot down the hill and down the trail. Porter was having trouble keeping up. Charlie didn’t stop but slowed to a walk and turned south. Charlie called out, “Leave those boots on until they dry out this afternoon. Your feet won’t smell good but those boots will be a perfect fit.” Porter caught up still breathing heavy. They walked for perhaps another 400 yards and Charlie picked up the clip to a trot again and headed back towards the ranch house. Once again he slowed to a walk and let Porter catch up and they both walked back to the house. Porter huffed, “I’m sure am out of shape.”

“No you’re not, you are carrying about half the muscle mass that I have and carrying the same weight. By this time next month you will weigh another 8 or 10 lbs and will be able to keep up with me,” Charlie explained. “You will be able to take that long gun and kill a mule deer at 500 yards and will be on your way to being able to hit a man at 1000 yards. In addition, you will be able to hit a target the size of a man’s head with that Beretta at 30 yards. And with the Kbar fighting knife I’m going to give you; you’ll know how to throw it up to 20 ft and will know where to cut so a man will bleed out in less than 30 seconds.”

Every night was spent listening to the shortwave. They got bits and pieces of the battle. The things that had them worried were the reports that the Chinese were making a run from Los Angeles across to Houston. The Chinese were receiving little resistance crossing through California, Arizona and New Mexico. Troops from Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas, were bottling up the major highways and interstate. The worry they had was
that their ranch was on one of the known crossing points on the river, in fact Porter and the girls had crossed it.

That night Sam was home and with Charlie, planned their defense. They figured that 4 men with rifles scattered out in hidden positions could pretty much lock down the crossing. They decided to put Porter on the north stand. They figured that the north stand was in the roughest terrain and the least likely direction for them to make a run. Porter had the least experience with long range shooting and he was the youngest. Porter objected, “Don’t cut me any slack just because I’m young.”

Charlie chimed in, “Porter, the boys and I have killed over 100 robbers and looters in the past 6 months. I’ve killed many dozens in Vietnam. We are putting our assets where we can most use them. We’ll continue your training in the morning and then we’re going to dig you a shooting blind on the North Slope.”

Sandy asked, “Can I help?”

“As a matter of fact you can, you can help Porter stand watch. We’ll only man two stands until or if they try and cross. There are still bad guys who may try to get us. We’ll all have radios and we’ll be in constant communication.”

The next morning they loaded up the Rokon. Porter had already unloaded and taken the food and added it to the family stores. The cow hide was stretched to dry on a rack on the wall. They were using the Rokon because it could be laid down and hidden. Dollar would have stuck out like a sore thumb standing out in the open. The trailer held shovels, picks, boards and a roll of tar paper roofing. Charlie and Porter spent the morning digging out an elaborate shooting pit. Using rocks and boards they put a roof on it and covered this with the tar paper. On top of that they threw the dirt and rocks they excavated from the pit. There was plenty of room for a cot to stretch out on and for two folding chairs. The top sloped away from the front so it would not be
visible from the field of fire. In the front they drug up weeds and scrub and tied it to the shelter using olive drab paracord. Unless you knew the shelter was there it was invisible. Porter wondered if he could find it again if he ever left. Someone would have to walk up and almost be in it to see it. They returned to the ranch, cleaned up their equipment and to Porter’s surprise, Charlie put him through the same exercise regiment as the day before. That night Porter slept better than he ever remembered.

The next morning Charlie woke Porter for the same exercise routine and finished with a lesson in hand to hand combat. Charlie finished by taking Porter for a walk behind the barn. Sam let one of the stallions out of his paddock and in with the mares. In no time flat he found the one who was in heat and mounted her. Afterwards, Sam caught him up and led him back into his paddock. Porter was terribly embarrassed. Charlie looked at Porter and said, “Porter I didn’t mean to embarrass you; but, I want you to explain to me what you just witnessed.”

Porter stood there red as a beet, “I watched you breed two horses.”

“Do you understand that the horse just stuck his penis into the vagina of that mare and the result of that action will produce us a colt sometime next year?”

“Yes sir.”

Charlie continued, “The purpose of all this was not to teach you where horses come from; but to explain to you where people come from. You’re going to be spending a lot of one on one time with a beautiful young lady. I consider you a full grown man. You’ve earned your manhood and I am not going to tell you what you should or shouldn’t do. But until things settle down, it is not a good idea to take a chance on bringing a baby into the world. If you think things may get out of hand with the two of you being out there alone, tell me now. The time alone together can be good for a young couple; but, not if it distracts you from the mission or gets Sandy in trouble.”

Porter nodded, “I think I can control myself.”

“Good man, that will all come in time and if you have any questions concerning young ladies, Sam here has consented to answering them.”

He and Sandy took the Rokon out to the gun pit and stocked it with a cot, chairs and food for several days. He lay the Rokon on its side and covered it with some scrub weeds and a few rocks. They spent the day looking at the horizon towards the crossing through the binoculars and through the scope on the rifle. Porter had 200 rounds of .308 for the rifle. He also had his AK47 with a battle pack and as always he had on his Baretta 9mm. Sandy was wearing her Chinese pistol, her SKS and her belt knife as well. The only thing they saw was a small group of antelope.