Jernigan's War (30 page)

He walked down to Arlington Ave and back into the residential housing area in town. He continued down Washington all the way to Wall St. near the jail, he found it bustling with activity. They were all packing shotguns and rifles, their little world had been upset. Three cars sped away with lights and sirens on; evidently, they were rushing to save the mayor. Dix couldn’t know for certain if the Mayor was dead, but if he were a betting man, he would bet that the Mayor was having his opportunity to meet Allah. Dix wondered how that “72 virgins” deal was working out for him.

One last car pulled up in front of the jail. The deputy in the passenger seat hoped out and ran up the steps of the Sheriff’s office. He came out with a shotgun. Dix popped him just as he stooped to get back in the car. He then fired through the back window killing the driver. He paused a moment then walked over to the car while keeping an eye on the jail. He pulled the dead driver out and got in the seat. He put the car in gear and drove up to Pearl and headed back to Linton Ave.

He hid the police car in the garage behind the abandoned house next door to his old friend’s house. He looked in the trunk and found a battle pack of 5.56/.223 NATO ammo, as well as more food. He went back to the cellar and was greeted by Rachel.

“I don’t think the mayor is going to be a problem any longer, he had a tremendous headache the last time I saw him.”

Rachel wanted to know, “Where are we with the kill count now?”

“They’re probably down to less than two dozen if you include the ones manning the roads into and out of town. I shot two Chinese officers over at the Mayor’s house on Homochitto.”

“How did you know he lived on Homochitto?”

“You just have to think like they think. If you considered yourself to be the Governor of the region where would you live, then you’ll want to live in the fanciest house in town.”

Dix reloaded his magazines from the battle pack and ate some peanut butter and crackers. They opened a bottle of wine and relaxed. He pulled out the Glock 40, the extra two magazines and added them to the cache of food and ammo in the cellar. “We can hold up here for a few more days if we need to, there should be enough water in the hot water heater to last a while.”

Rachel sighed, “I wish I could take a bath.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to wait until I can get you to the catamaran.”

“What’s a catamaran?”

Dix explained to her about the catamaran and what he had been doing for the past couple of months. The only worry he had was if someone had seen him coming and going and told the police. The thought continued to bother him as he finished eating. Finally he sat up, “We’re moving. I’m starting to feel trapped. We’ve got about two hours to go before daylight, let’s load up the patrol car and get out of here.” They loaded up all their supplies and headed down the driveway.

“I’ve got a wild idea, I know where there used to be a canoe in a friend’s pond out on Artman Road. If we get that canoe, we can put it in the river somewhere north of town, cross the river, and get into Old River where my Catamaran is anchored. Otherwise, we’ll have to find another place to hide or run the gauntlet by running the checkpoint on the bridge. Believe me, the last place you want to be is in a car being shot with rifles.”

They drove out MLK to Pine Ridge Road and out Airport Road to Artman again. They parked in the carport of the old farm house. Dix closed the door on the garage and the cruiser was hidden from view. He told Rachel to stick the Glock 9mm behind her belt at the small of her back and to put the two extra magazines in her back pocket. She said, “I don’t know how to shoot it.” “It’s simple, all you have to do is point it and pull the trigger.” She grinned as she tucked it away and put on a black windbreaker they had found in Tate’s closet.

“Do you ever take off your guns?”

Dix glanced over his shoulder, “I always keep a weapon on me or within arm’s length.”

“How many men have you killed?”

“I quit counting a couple of months ago; but, you don’t want to know. Just know that I can and will tend to business if necessary. Now stay quiet unless there is something I need to see or know. I don’t know if anyone still lives here or not.”

“How do you know this place?”

Dix shook his head, “I built this house a lifetime ago.”

They were silent as they climbed the hill; the house was empty, ransacked like most others. The big barn in the back was open. They walked through the barn and out the back door. A trail leading down the hill in the back led to a lake. At the bottom of the trail was an orange Coleman canoe with paddles. The sun was starting to come up and he looked across the lake. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered a father and two little kids paddling around the lake. He kept looking around for his old Catahoula Cur, named Champ, to come running down the bank. Rachel looked concerned as he grabbed the canoe and started up the steep trail dragging it. She grabbed the back and helped him drag it up the hill.

“There’s no one here, I’ll get the car and bring it up here and we’ll tie the canoe to the light rack on top.”

“What does this place mean to you?”

“My kids grew up here, we had dogs, and Christmas trees, and ………….” His voice trailed off as he got choked up all over again.

She hugged his neck and went in the house out of the wind while he went for the cruiser. He parked it in the barn and went to check on the house next door. It had been burned to the ground, so no one was there to notify the police.

He put the canoe on top of the car and using some wire he found in the barn secured it to the light bar. They didn’t have far to go so they were good to go. Dix went over the entire house. The furniture was still in the house. He went into his old office and into the closet. He looked up on top of the hot water heater in the closet and there it set, the little magnet key that would unlock the hidden closet door.

Dix placed the magnet over the hidden latch and the door popped open. Dix pulled open the door and flipped on the green LED light on his cap. A Remington 12 gauge 870 pump with an 18 inch barrel was right where he left it along with a bandoleer holding 20 rounds of #4 buckshot and five 12 gauge slugs. He left the 22 pistol and the carton of 22 bullets in the bottom of the little hidden closet, in case he had to ever come back. He gave the 12 gauge to Rachel along with the bandoleer. “Do you know what this is?”

“Yes, my father use to take me hunting, his 870 had a long barrel. We shot low brass #8’s dove hunting.” She put the sling over her shoulder, the bandoleer fit around her waist. Dix gave the old barn and pool house a once over but didn’t find anything else they really needed.

They loaded the shotgun, hopped in the cruiser, and turned back to Airport Road. When they reached Pine Ridge Road they turned north and went up to a place the locals called, Anna’s Bottom. The road went down into the river bottom which was now covered by backwater from the river. They unloaded the canoe in the ditch beside the road. Once they had all the gear loaded they climbed in and paddled down the ditch into deeper water. After about an hour they made it to the main river.

It was very intimidating, the river was huge and the canoe was small. Dix told Rachel, “If we turn over stay with the canoe, there is foam in the ends and the canoe won’t sink. You just concentrate
on paddling us across the river. I’ll try to keep us lined up.” Dix was on his knees in the bottom of the canoe and he pulled hard on the paddle as they crossed the river. Whirlpools grabbed them and pulled them around. One completely spun them around in the current. After a long 45 minutes they finally made it to the far side. They stuck close to the edge until they reached the bayou that would take them into Old River. Once in the bayou the current released them and they paddled into the lake.

Once again Dix came upon Old Man Beagle Boyer running his nets. The old man looked up at them, “You’re the last person on Earth I expected to show up here in a canoe with a lady. The word on the street is that a commando squad has hit Natchez, did you see any of them?”

Dix shrugged, “I thought I heard a little shooting.”

They paddled back to the landing and Dix fired up the hot water heater in the catamaran. After a round of hot showers, Dix cleaned his weapons and asked Beagle, “Have you heard from Butch lately?”

“He was by here this morning. The Chinese have stopped their retreat in this direction. Word is that a squad of commandos destroyed their aircraft on the ground.”

Dix just laughed, “I opened the fuel cocks and let the jet fuel drain out in the grass. I took my time and went from plane to plane until I had them all draining. Then I lit the last one and the fire just went from plane to plane. I shot all the Chinese I could see and disabled the airport fire truck. Then all I had to do was slip out without getting shot.”

Beagle shook his head, “It couldn’t have been that easy.”

“That wasn’t the hard part; the hard part was rescuing the girl!”

Beagle laughed, “I haven’t heard hide nor hair from the mayor’s men.”

Dix told him, “They are looking for a new mayor, the old one and about two thirds of his men didn’t come to work this morning.”

“Butch said you were absolutely ruthless.”

“I admit it. I’ve been on a vendetta. They started it. All they had to do was to leave us all alone and let us live our lives. They destroyed everything that mattered to me and my plans are to destroy them and everyone who has enabled them.”

After a big mess of fried catfish and beans from a can they called it a night. Dix let Rachel sleep in the catamaran and he slept on the deck on some cushions. Ben and Frank thought it was great. They both spent the night plastered up against him.

The next morning Rachel cooked breakfast. She used some of the eggs, grits and spam. She made biscuits from scratch after firing up the propane stove in the catamaran. They spent the rest of the day catching up on their rest and doing simple chores.

CHAPTER 26

CLEAN UP

T
he next day Dix hopped on the four wheeler and headed to Ferriday. He found Butch over at the police station. Butch looked at Dix, “What in the daylights happened in Natchez? We heard that a squad of commandos took out the Chinese forces at the airport and two thirds of the Natchez police and the mayor.”

“I think most of the remaining Chinese troops are still alive; but, there should be less than a hundred left. All of the Chinese aircraft were destroyed on the ground. The mayor should be dead along with most of his men. I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, but I had to evacuate a lady I rescued from the police. I had a funny feeling that I needed to get out while I could,” Dix explained. “I’ll go back in a couple of days if ya’ll need me to.”

“That’s why the Chinese stopped their retreat and are now trying to make a run south to the coast. Captain Miller asked us to secure the Natchez Airport. They want to use it as an A10 refueling and maintenance field.”

Dix nodded, “Well, the runways are open, but the open areas are a horrible mess. I think we can flush them out pretty easy. Ten good men with rifles could probably do it in half a day. With
the aircraft destroyed there is no reason for the Chinese to stay. With their officers dead, they may even surrender. I killed three of them the night before last. Can you wrap up the rest of the Natchez police in Vidalia?”

“They cleared out three nights ago.”

“Butch, have your guys shoot the ones manning the checkpoints on the river bridges. That’ll be four or five more we don’t have to worry about. We can land a squad below Learneds Hill from the river. The mayor’s got a hole through his head and most of his coworkers are dead. I don’t think their heart will be in defending the city.”

“I’ll have the team put together, when do we leave, Dix?”

“Tomorrow just before dark, meet us at the boat camp. I’ll get Beagle to drop us off in my boat.”

Butch asked, “You need anything?”

“I need a bottle of propane for the catamaran, I like a hot shower every week or so.”

Butch laughed, “I’ll see what I can do.”

Dix ran back to the boat camp in time for lunch, Rachel had clothes drying on lines strung between trees. He hopped off the four-wheeler and asked Beagle, “Are there any of these camps in any shape to occupy?”

Beagle thought for a minute, “There’s a houseboat about a half mile up the lake, it’s in real good shape, I think there is even a 100 gallon propane tank on it still full. I can’t move it by myself and you haven’t been here long enough to help me.”

“Let’s go get it, I don’t want to sleep on the boat deck again, I’m getting too old to keep sleeping on the ground or on top of things that were not made to sleep on.”

They cranked the fishing boat and ran down to the house boat. It was sitting on pontoons and was about 30 feet long and about ten feet wide. They tied on to it with the fishing boat and cut it loose. They floated it down next to the catamaran and tied it off to a couple of big willow trees. It had a fresh water cistern fed by a gutter system on the roof. It also had a 12volt RV water pump, a propane stove and hot water tank. There was even a solar panel on the roof and some six volt batteries from a golf cart just waiting to be hooked up.