by Bruno Miller
Chapter Eight
Ben moved quickly for the first hundred yards or so. Only when there were a few container houses between him would he feel safe enough to slow down. He should have a few minutes before the explosion, but why take any chances? His plan was to get back to the others before the still went off so he could go over the rest of the plan. He would have filled Joel in on what he was doing, but at the time, he wasn’t even sure there was a still or if he could use it to create a diversion.
But there was, and he was pretty sure it was going to go off pretty big. The initial explosion would come from the combustion of the alcohol vapors, but the hundred gallons or more of moonshine in the shed and the gas tank fueling the burner would cause secondary explosions as well.
All that was left for him and Joel to do was take positions where they could cover each other and have a good view of the compound. If they played their cards right, they could wrap this up quickly and be ready to roll out of here by morning—assuming they could find all their supplies and repack the trucks.
But he was getting ahead of himself. There was still another couple of hundred yards to travel, and the vegetation was thin through this part of the compound. He’d gone a different way back so he could get a better feel for the layout of the place. Whenever possible, it was always a good idea to do a little scouting.
Ben stayed crouched behind a large tree as he surveyed the area. From here, he could see a few of the container houses, along with the firepit and the center of the camp once again, only this time he was looking at it from the opposite side. The old man’s body was still slumped over in the chair, and it didn’t look like anyone had messed with him or even noticed.
Ben continued searching the edges of the common area that made up the center of the compound and spotted a faint light emanating from behind a collection of containers. It was surprisingly close to where they had been held captive.
He broke from the cover of the tree and made his way around the outskirts of the camp’s center, not stopping until he reached the cluster of containers where he saw the light. It was coming from a small fire, and now that he was closer, he could hear voices. Careful to stay in the shadows, he crept around the side of the container and stopped just shy of the corner. He listened again to make sure he hadn’t been heard before taking a peek around the corner.
There were two guys sitting on logs on opposite sides of a small fire. Behind them were cages of varying sizes, some stacked two and three high. Ben’s heart skipped a beat when he saw Gunner and Sam. He felt bad for the dogs, but at least they were all right. They had both given up for the time being and appeared to be sleeping as close to one another as possible in their separate cages. Another dog was being held there as well, but Ben thought it must have been there for a while. It was asleep on its side, and Ben could see ribs poking out from beneath loose fur. He felt bad for the dog and wondered if it belonged to Rita and Carlos.
Ben sized up the two moonshiners half asleep by the fire; there were a few empty jars on the ground and a partially full one dangerously close to the fire. It was safe to say these two were fairly inebriated. One looked to be out cold, and the other was hanging on by a thread, occasionally forcing his eyes open but almost immediately returning to a semiconscious state. They both had weapons, but they were leaned against the container some ten feet away from where they were sitting.
In their condition, it wouldn’t take much effort on Ben’s part to dispatch them right here and now. He’d already taken out two of them. If Rita was right about there being a dozen moonshiners, give or take, eliminating these two would make the odds more favorable.
But he was worried about the dogs’ potential reaction. He might be able to get Gunner to quiet down, but Sam didn’t listen very well, at least not to him, and the other dog was a complete unknown. The commotion of him attacking the two moonshiners would definitely work the dogs up and cause some excitement and barking.
He couldn’t risk waking everyone up, and as much as he hated to leave them here for now, it had to be done. When the shooting started, they were probably safer here anyway. Once the still blew and all hell broke loose, the moonshiners would be running around the compound like chickens with their heads cut off. It would be nearly impossible to keep Sam and Gunner from chasing them and being in the line of fire. Losing one of the dogs to friendly fire was the last thing he wanted; the kids would never forgive him. He wasn’t sure he would be able to forgive himself.
Gunner was always meant to be the kids’ dog and to help ease the transition after the divorce, but he held a special place in Ben’s heart as well, despite the tumbleweeds of brown fur throughout the house. Ben shook his head at the thought of constantly vacuuming up Gunner’s shedding hair, a daily chore back home. What he wouldn’t give for that to be his biggest problem right now.
On more than one occasion on this crazy road trip, Gunner had eagerly and bravely placed himself between the group and danger without a moment of hesitation. It seemed as if the dog had assigned himself the responsibility of being Allie’s personal bodyguard as soon as he met her. Ben was thankful for it, and he was certain that without Gunner, they might not have made it this far, at least not all of them.
In Ben’s mind, Gunner had more than earned his right to retire by the woodstove at home and enjoy the rest of his days with the kids nearby. And that was why it pained him to leave the dogs here for now. He even felt for the dog he didn’t know. Then again, he never met a dog he didn’t like; he couldn’t say the same for people.
Ben forced himself to pull back from the corner and continue on to the rendezvous point where he would meet Joel and the others. He was still under the five-minute mark since rigging the still for failure and closing up the shed, but nearly fifteen minutes had elapsed since he left the container.
Since he was already through the somewhat open center of the camp, he crossed the last stretch of ground swiftly, and before he knew it, the row of cars parked at the back of the compound was in sight.
“Pssst…pssst.” Ben was careful not to call too loudly and did his best to direct the noise toward the vehicles by cupping his hands around his mouth.
Joel returned his call. “Pssst.”
Ben checked to make sure he was clear and sprinted the last several yards to Joel and the others. He found them all hiding behind an old Cadillac. Ben was glad to see that Joel had hidden them out of sight. He brought them up to speed on what he had done, making sure to leave out any unnecessary details. He also made sure to let them know that Gunner and Sam were okay.
At this point, Ben and Joel were the only ones with weapons, so he decided that everyone else should get out of the way and behind cover. Ben tried the door on the Cadillac, and it opened.
“I want you guys to hide in here. Once you hear the still blow, stay down and don’t get up until one of us comes to get you.” Ben hated to force this on Allie and her mom, but he really did want them to be safe just as much as he wanted them to stay with Emma and Bradley for his own peace of mind.
“What about the other people in the containers?” Sandy showed Ben the keys she’d found on the guard.
“Not yet. There’s gonna be a lot going on, and I don’t want to make any mistakes.” Sandy nodded and pulled back into the car. Ben didn’t know what Rita and her husband even looked like, and he didn’t need them wandering around in the midst of a gunfight and adding to the confusion. Shooting accurately in the dark was already going to be challenging enough. He wasn’t sure how much light the explosion and resulting fire would put off, but it would be inadequate at best. They weren’t in any shape to help, anyway. And as far as Ben was concerned, the lone guy in the far container who was less than pleasant to them earlier was a liability.
Once they were all loaded into the back of the car, Ben closed the door softly and motioned for Joel to follow him. He had a good idea of where he wanted them to set up. Now all they had to do was get into position before the show started. It was pushing
seven minutes since he’d left the shed, and he doubted they had much longer until it was go time.
Chapter Nine
Ben followed the same route he’d used to get to the still and led Joel to a spot he’d identified earlier. It was a pile of discarded old tires and scrap metal apparently left over from the modification of the containers. It was a good distance back to the uncleared section of the camp but offered an excellent vantage point over the center of the compound and the communal firepit.
“Don’t worry about him. I took care of him on the way to the still.” Ben had noticed Joel looking at the old man’s body. His position in the recliner remained unchanged. Glad to see the area still undisturbed and quiet, he felt a whole lot better about leaving Joel on his own here.
Ben would have stayed and fought alongside his son, but he didn’t think that was the right move here. Coming at the moonshiners from two different directions would add to the confusion and possibly fool them into thinking they were being attacked by greater numbers. It would also be safer not to draw return fire to one location.
Ben tapped the magazine in Joel’s AR with his finger. “What do you have?”
“It’s at least half full,” Joel answered without hesitation, and Ben was impressed that he’d bothered to check.
“All right, good. I want you to stay put so I know where you are. I’ll be about 150 yards in that direction. Stay behind those old tires and stay low.”
“How will I know when to shoot?” Joel asked.
“After the explosion. I’m hoping there will be enough light to be accurate with our shots. Whatever you do, don’t leave this position. I’ll come back here to get you when it’s time, and I will never cross your shooting lane.” Ben made a large V with his arms to indicate the area he wanted Joel to concentrate his fire on. “If you see someone out there, I want you to shoot to kill.”
Ben made sure he was looking at his son when he said that last part and waited for confirmation that Joel understood exactly what type of situation this was. Not that the severity of their circumstances was a mystery, but Ben wanted to get a commitment from his son that he was all in and willing to do what was necessary. It was something that went against every fatherly instinct he had. But if they wanted their freedom back and to ever see Colorado again, failure wasn’t an option.
Joel nodded. “I understand.”
Ben believed him and started for his spot but stopped after only moving a few yards. He turned to Joel and took one last look at his son.
“I got it, Dad. I’ll be okay,” Joel assured him.
“I know you will.” Ben nodded and continued on his way. He had never been prouder of his son—or more worried, for that matter—as he was right now.
Ben turned and continued through the compound at a much faster pace than he’d moved through here the first time. He was worried he’d already taken too long and the explosion would happen before he was in position. The not-knowing was a little nerve-wracking, to say the least, and Ben was careful to keep his eyes peeled for an alternative spot to shoot from, should he have to. The last thing he wanted was to be caught out in the center of the camp when the still exploded. And if that wasn’t reason enough to move quickly, there was the fact that he was still in Joel’s line of fire.
These were all good motivators to rush, and although he knew better than to move this fast, he chose to push it. Besides, he was just another few spots of overgrown brush away from where he wanted to shoot from. It shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise, then, when he almost stepped out in front of one of the moonshiners. Ben froze in his tracks as the man stumbled by, blissfully unaware that Ben already had his knife drawn and was ready to strike. He couldn’t believe the guy hadn’t seen him already; he should have slowed down and counted himself lucky.
Thankfully, the man was two sheets to the wind and fully occupied with carrying on a conversation entirely with himself. Ben couldn’t understand a word. It didn’t matter, and Ben prepared to deal with him. As soon as the man was half a stride past him, Ben stepped out and prepared to bring his knife down, aiming for the carotid artery once again.
But before Ben could deliver the blow, the still exploded with a deafening boom, sending a shock wave that tore through the compound and made the ground feel like it was shaking under his feet. A ball of fire, along with pieces of the shed, erupted into the night sky, basking the entire camp in a yellow-orange glow.
The explosion threw off his rhythm, and he had to reposition himself to attack the man, but it was too late. The guy had spun around at the sound of the explosion and stopped Ben’s downward thrust with his forearm. Ben locked arms with him as the struggle for control of the knife continued. Pieces of wood and debris started to rain down on them, and Ben knew that he had to make a move soon. This was taking too much time, and if he didn’t end it quickly, he was likely to find himself outnumbered.
Crack…crack! Ben recognized the shots as Joel’s, based on where they came from, but the sound startled the man and he lost his concentration long enough for Ben to capitalize on his mistake and overpower him. Sweeping his legs, Ben toppled him over and rode the momentum of the fall down to the ground. Careful to keep the knife between them, he reinforced his position by placing his other hand over the butt of the knife handle. When they landed, Ben put all his weight behind the blade and drove it deep into the man’s chest. The moonshiner’s eyes widened as he came to the realization that these were his last moments, and he made a final attempt to beg for his life.
“No…” His voice trailed off, but Ben ignored his pleas and drove the knife deeper, twisting it sideways as he went. There was no time for mercy. He was out in the open and exposed. As it was, he was going to have to make a run for cover as soon as he was sure this guy was finished. He wasn’t leaving any loose ends in this fight.
Crack! Another shot rang out. Ben continued to apply pressure as the moonshiner’s eyes went dim and his body grew limp. But all Ben concerned himself with was whether or not Joel was hitting his targets.
He quickly pocketed the knife and searched the body. The man had a pistol on his belt, a semiautomatic of some sort. Ben pulled it from the holster unceremoniously and cracked the slide a quarter of an inch. It was a .45-caliber pistol, and it was loaded. Popping out the magazine revealed a full stack of brass just one shy of being full, the twelfth round currently in the chamber. He slammed it back into place and checked his surroundings. The pistol was a good find, and he was lucky it was such a high-capacity gun for a .45. Having it boosted his confidence, along with his supply of ammunition. His rifle only held five rounds, and that was a legitimate concern. At least now he had backup.
Crack…crack!
Easy, Joel. Make ’em count. Ben took a quick look around before getting up off the ground. There was still time to get into position and exploit the moonshiners’ surprise and shock, but not much. He imagined they’d be running around here like crazy in a matter of seconds, and he bolted for cover while the coast was still clear.
Ben did some quick math in his head, and assuming the shots Joel had fired in quick succession were double taps on a single target, he figured Joel had taken out three of the moonshiners, just the same as him. That left somewhere around four to six moonshiners who were unaccounted for. He wondered if any of them would run back to check on their prisoners. It wouldn’t matter, though; the others were hidden well in the old Cadillac, and if they stayed put, they should be safe.
Ben heard shouting and yelling from the camp as the moonshiners scattered. He also heard intermittent gunfire that wasn’t from Joel. They were shooting back. Ben expected as much, but it wasn’t until he heard the gunfire that the true gravity of the situation hit him. He really needed to get set up and start providing support. If it wasn’t for the guy he’d just run into, he could have been in position by now.
Ben finally reached the container he’d scouted earlier and made his way around to the side. A few fifty-gallon drums were stacked there, and wi
th a little effort, he used them like oversized stairs to reach the top of the container. There was an old refrigeration unit from better days attached to the roof. The moonshiners must have used the container to store their food at one point in time or until they lost power. Ben saw it as good cover with the added benefit of being at a higher vantage point than anything else around.
His prediction was correct, and once he snuggled in behind the rusty refrigerator unit, he could see the entire compound except for a few spots and a section of the main trail blocked by containers. But Joel had a good view of the areas he couldn’t see, so between them, he was satisfied with their coverage of the compound. The fire at the still was burning brightly and provided just enough light for target acquisition. Now all he had to do was wait, and that wasn’t long. Ben spotted his first moonshiner at the south end of the compound. He was crouched behind a tree and facing Joel’s position. Ben found him in his scope and moved the crosshairs over the man’s head.
Boom! The bark from the .338 Lapua thundered over the compound. Ben didn’t waste any time and chambered another round. He estimated the shot to be about seventy-five yards, not even a challenge with this rifle, even in poor light conditions. When he checked back through his optic to confirm the kill, all he saw was a pair of legs thrashing in the bushes behind a blood-stained tree. The legs went still as he panned away, searching for his next target.
He didn’t have to look far before he locked onto another moonshiner. This guy was carrying an AR-style rifle and running at a pretty good clip straight toward Ben’s location. He knew Joel wouldn’t leave his position, but he wanted to verify the man was a moonshiner before taking his shot. Ben recognized him from the initial encounter at the roadblock and prepared to take him out. The moonshiner passed behind one of the container houses, and Ben lost sight of him for a second. When the man emerged from the other side, he was still running at full stride, but Ben was ready this time.
