The Lasting Hunger

by Dennis Larsen

  For a second, the traitor considered bringing his rifle to the fray, but reworked the thought and continued as an observer only. The last thing he wanted, at this stage of the engagement, was to draw attention to himself. There would be plenty of time for that in the hours to come. For now, he appreciated the amusement and spectacle of man against man, woman against woman, and good against evil. However, he would be the last to paraphrase the struggle in such simple terms. It was the word of God to those that prevailed in the land, ‘But of the cities of these people, which the Lord thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth, but thou shalt utterly destroy them.’

  The words danced through his mind, as clearly today as the day Juanita recited them and he had committed them to memory…and he smiled.

  * * *

  By the time the shooting stopped, Juanita had made her way to the Bradley and was inspecting the damage. Moments before, the burning rubber had been extinguished with a fire retardant and a platoon of troopers had swarmed the barricade, looking for survivors.

  Williams rounded the vehicle not quite sure what she hoped to see, but satisfied it was still operational. “Get out here,” she finally barked to anyone inside the BFV that could hear her. Seconds later the rear hatch dropped and the gunner stumbled out.

  “You lost the toss?” she deduced.

  “Yup.”

  “What happened up here?”

  “Well, the truck over yonder,” he said, tilting his head to indicate the smoldering chassis, “it set off some sort of mine, and you can see the result.”

  “Really?” Juanita replied sarcastically. “I’m more concerned about what happened to the Bradley.”

  “I don’t rightly know, but I’d guess they had one last mine…and we got it.”

  “Any problems with the weapons?” Williams asked.

  “Not a one. They worked like a dream…just wish we had more ammo.”

  “You and me both, but you’re conserving the cannon shells…right?” The gunner looked at his feet and did not immediately reply, which drew William’s ire in seconds. “Don’t tell me you’ve used the lot on one checkpoint.”

  “No…no way. We still got…well, we still got plenty. Just when they started up with the machine gun in the tower for the second time, we didn’t have a choice but to take it down.”

  “Damn! What did I say? What did I say?”

  “I know, but we had no choice.”

  “If I had my way, I’d take…” Juanita’s retort was cut short by one of her militia calling her name. He was running from the destroyed bunker and waving his hands. “What is it?” Williams asked.

  “The machine-gun nest is a write-off, but we’ve only found two dead. A couple of males, as far as we can tell – that 20 makes a mess of things.”

  “Alright, we’ve got the rest running for cover. It’s not any surprise we’re here but we still need to take out the other checkpoints. If they’re set up like this one, we can send 25 men to each location and avoid using the Bradley. We can’t waste anymore ammo on needless positions anyway.”

  “One final problem,” the reporting trooper blurted out, before Juanita could issue further orders. “There’s a solid beam locked across the road and no good way around it. We could try skirting the outpost but we run the risk of more mines.”

  “Fine. Get the demolition guy up here and blow that piece of crap out of our way. I want us moving in the next five minutes or there’s gonna be hell to pay.”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” he stammered, on the fly.

  Williams pointed to a pair of soldiers who were standing nearby and waved them to her. “Kim, run your group southwest and wipe out the checkpoint located there. Their numbers are limited; you should be able to take them with small arms. Pete, you head all the way south. You’re gonna have to hustle, ’cause I’m needing your men at the campus asap. Do you follow?”

  Both men nodded their understanding, turned, and ran away. Minutes later, a small convoy of heavily armed militia raced to a stop and waited for the blockade to be cleared.

  “And what of us?” the gunner asked, placing his index fingers to his ears.

  Lady Williams followed his lead and did the same, while shouting an anxious reply, “You follow me, and try to keep up. We’ll rendezvous at the temple with the others and strike out from there. Get word to Kim and Pete,” she hollered, just as a cluster of dynamite sticks blew the barrier’s metal arm completely out of the way.

  “Whooooeeee,” the gunner whistled, which was followed by shouts from a hundred other anxious warriors.

  “Okay, that’s it. Get the killin’ done and we’ll meet on the hill. Come on now, get going and make it quick.”

  Truck after truck rolled past her, each laden with men, women, and weapons – enough firepower to wage a war – but the day was early and their foe defiant.

  Chapter 46

  As the first hint of morning light crested the Rockies, Rod, Jeff, Cory, and many others, were embroiled in a fight for their lives. Finn and his Harvesters had yet to charge their position south of the cemetery, but they knew it was only a matter of time. Reinforcements had been streaming in from all over The Ward and likely would until there were no more to send.

  Stretched across an old road, their fortified, defensive barricade linked two multi-story buildings, which had been rendered impassable by a series of crude, concrete upgrades. The glass from the windows had long since been removed and replaced with stone and cement, all except for the upper floor on either side. These had been braced with bricks, mortared to provide shooting ports for Ward defenders.

  Muzzles bristled from them now, angled down and pouring slugs onto the bloodthirsty horde. They were manned by a dozen women, well trained in the art of loading and firing rifles, but only ever having done so at targets. For the moment they were keeping the attackers at bay, forcing their heads down while occasionally terminating a heathen’s life.

  Below, and running parallel to the main road separating the fighting forces, a wall of sandbags protected Rod’s security team. The bags were heavy and layered three-rows deep. Throughout the breastwork, eight-inch pipes had been cut and dropped between the sandbags, creating line-of-sight firing tubes. They were cumbersome, but protective.

  Scattered amongst those fighting on either side of Jeff and Dude, a mishmash of hunting rifles and modified assault weapons combined to shield them behind a curtain of lead. However, strained nerves and anxious trigger fingers had already blown through a critical portion of their ammunition. Holly had been sent back some time ago to obtain more and to update Clark on their situation. They had not seen her since, and Dude was obviously troubled.

  “Where is she?” Dude yelled, to Jeff at his left.

  Boob fired two quick shots, emptying his clip, before pulling the barrel from a tube. He looked behind them and shrugged, “She’ll make it…don’t worry.”

  “We can’t hold ’em here much longer. There’s just too many. What’s your dad thinking?”

  “Same thing we are…keep fighting ’til they get tired and go home,” Jeff replied.

  “Fat chance of that happening,” Dude grumbled, turning his attention back to the wall.

  A moment later, Rod grasped the boys by the shoulder and pulled them from their sights. “Jeff, Dude, you’re doing great, but when this position is overrun we’re burning it…so be prepared.”

  “Burning it?” Jeff asked, puzzled.

  “A little surprise we’ve had in-store for some time,” Rod answered, nodding at some 50-gallon drums at both ends of the barricade.

  “Gotcha,” Jeff confirmed.

  “I’ll keep you posted. Before we abandon this position, I’ll need one of you in each building to warn the ladies to fall back to the library.” The boys nodded their understanding but did not speak. “Lastly, I need you boys prepared to bug out.”

  Suddenly, a renewed clatter of gunfire and spraying sand made all three men duck and cover their heads
. Fortunately, they avoided being struck, but a nearby sentry was not so lucky. A high-velocity round had found the port, bounced down its length, and lodged in his forehead. The amateur soldier was dead, seconds after hitting the ground. Stepping up to take his place, a woman dressed in jeans and a loose fitting flannel shirt, dragged him away and resumed the fight from where he’d just been killed.

  “Remarkable people,” Rod hissed under his breath. However, the moment of admiration was short lived, as his attention was quickly drawn back to Jeff and Dude, by a jerk of his collar.

  “Bug out? What are you talking about?” Jeff questioned.

  “If we can’t hold The Alamo…you…you and The Normals need to survive.”

  Jeff laid his rifle down and drew Rod’s face close to his. “I will not leave you and Mom. We can fight as well as anybody.”

  A chipper ‘Yeah’ erupted from Dude, who sounded just as defiant as his buddy.

  “Boys, this is not negotiable. You will round up The Normals and get the hell out of here.”

  “But we…”

  “Damnit Jeff, that’s the end of it. If…and when I give the order, you and Dude will get The Normals to the motorcycles and down the south-side escape route. Have I made myself clear?”

  The boys were silent and the renewed intensity, coming from the other side of the road, left Rod no choice but to be pointed and tough. “I said, did I make myself clear?’

  “Yeah…yeah,” they both agreed.

  “Now, until then, send some of those mongrels to hell.”

  * * *

  On the opposite side of the road, the resistance they were facing perplexed Finn. “I thought our insider was suppose to take care of all this,” he shouted, above the battle’s roar.

  “Not so much…looks like to me,” one of his lieutenants grunted. “Should we move down the street and try a different approach?”

  “I think we have to. I hate to split our strength but send ten guys east and ten west; have them probe their positions and report back to me. I’m afraid all they’ll do is swing their forces to match ours, but it’s worth a try.”

  “So…what more can we do?”

  Exasperated, Finn looked around at the body of Harvesters who were sporadically engaging The Ward defenders. “They bloody well might be able to keep us pinned down here all day. That is…until Juanita hits them from the other side. That’ll make ’em buckle.” For a second or two, he slumped to the ground, his back against a concrete slab. “Alright then…find somebody…somebody fast and send him back for the truck with the blade. Have him drive that beauty right through the middle of that lousy barricade.”

  “Good call and I’ve got just the guy.”

  “Whose that?” Finn quickly questioned.

  “That loud mouth…Marty. I’ll get him and a couple of his chums to punch a hole in that for us,” the lieutenant laughed.

  “Perfect…absolutely perfect,” Finn agreed. “I’ll circulate the word and get our guys to conserve ammo. When they hit those sandbags with the blade, the rest of us are gonna have to rush it. Get Marty and let’s upset their day.”

  “Right.”

  Finn slapped his assistant on the back before he had a chance to run away. “Hey, keep your head down, but on your way back grab the ammo and guns from the dead. We’re gonna need it.”

  * * *

  As Marty fled the cemetery to retrieve their battering ram and clusters of Harvesters split east and west; an immediate de-escalation blanketed the scene. Suddenly very few Harvesters were engaging Rod’s security people and there was little to shoot at. The lull was appreciated but worrisome.

  “They’re up to something,” Rod growled, speaking to Cory. “Hold this position. I’m gonna have a little look-see.” He quickly rose and walked from one end of the barricade to the other, occasionally peering over to get an idea of what was coming.

  “What’s going on?” Jeff asked, as his dad passed by.

  “Don’t know…but I don’t like it. Listen…get ready to fall back. Warn the women to relocate to their shooting positions in the library, and then you two find Clark and let him know we’re blowing this barricade.”

  “You sure?” Jeff questioned, supposing the quiet to be an indication the Harvesters were pulling out.

  “Yeah, I’m afraid I am. Go on now.”

  As they pulled away and ran for the buildings, they overheard Rod cautioning Cory and the rest of his soldiers to ceasefire. Jeff burst through a set of heavy, metal doors, which immediately led to an ascending staircase. He took the steps two at a time, but before reaching the upper level he was greeted by a slim, overly distraught woman bounding her way down.

  Jeff stopped her, grasping her around the waist to stop her momentum. “Where are the rest?” he asked.

  “Still shooting,” she wheezed. “But the Harvesters are moving. We saw two small groups peel off and move down the street.”

  “How many? Could you tell how many?” Jeff eagerly asked.

  “I couldn’t be sure…but maybe a dozen or so in both directions.”

  “Okay. Good eye there, Amelia. Get back upstairs and tell the rest of the ladies to pull back to the library. My dad…no…no…instead, we’ll need you to go west to sure up that position. Can you do that?”

  Amelia cocked her head, as if to say, ‘Are you kidding me,’ but rather nodded in the affirmative before rushing back up the steps.

  Upon returning to the ground floor, Jeff witnessed everyone at the fortification dowsing the sandbags with gasoline and oil. He spotted Rod and sprinted to apprise him of the Harvester’s tactical move.

  “They’re trying to flank us,” Boob blurted out.

  “I suspected as much. Instead of the women falling back to the library, have them sure up the sentry posts on either side of us.”

  “Already done…at least the ones here,” Jeff answered, pointing to the building he’d just come from.

  “You read minds now, do you?” Rod said, wrapping his arm around Jeff’s neck for a quick, manly hug.

  “Just yours. I better get to Dude and let him know plans have changed.”

  “Fine, but your orders still stand. Once the ladies are on the move, I want you and Dude to fall back and prepare The Normals.”

  “Alright, but I’m doing it under protest.”

  “Duly noted…now get your butt moving,” Rod replied, while giving Jeff an encouraging push on his way.

  Less than a minute later, Jeff relayed the order to the sharpshooters exiting Dude’s building. The women hesitated for only a heartbeat before turning and running away.

  “They’re a brave bunch,” Jeff noted.

  “And pretty good shots. They’ve been keeping score.” The words came haltingly, as Dude tried to catch his breath. “Whoa…what’s goin’ on?” He asked, seeing what they were doing at the barricade.

  “Getting ready to burn that sucker down,” Jeff replied.

  “Damn, that’s gonna make a mess,” Dude joked. “Wish we could stick around to see it.”

  “Me too, but we better get back and report to Clark.”

  Before turning to dash across campus, Cory caught the boy’s attention and issued a knowing nod and casual salute. They waved in return, wondering if they’d ever see him again.

  “He saved our lives today,” Dude noted.

  “Yes, and Clayton gave his,” Jeff replied. “It’s all so screwed up, but we’ve no time to waste. Come on, let’s hustle.” Returning to the task at hand, the boys were surprised to see Holly mounted atop her motorcycle and racing toward them.

  “Whoa, look who’s comin’,” Dude squealed.

  “Right on,” Jeff shouted.

  In a flash, the trio was united and glad of it. Holly’s face was still black with shoe polish, but tears had cleaned a narrow path down both cheeks and at the corners of her eyes. Strapped to the seat directly behind her, a box full of ammunition rattled as her engine idled.

  “Man, are we glad to see you,” Dude said, enthusi
astically.

  “How’s it going up there?” she asked, noting at least a have dozen motionless bodies lying upon the ground.

  “We’ve kept them out, but Rod thinks they’re up to something so we’re repositioning and pulling back,” Dude informed her.

  “Give me a sec to drop off this ammo and I’ll give you a ride back.”

  “Great. Catch up to us when you can,” Jeff said, while grabbing Dude’s arm and jogging away.

  “Do we tell her?” Dude asked, once she was on her way to the barricade.

  Jeff looked over his shoulder and nodded his head negatively. “Not unless we absolutely have to. It’s going to be pretty demoralizing if all our friends think we’re abandoning everyone and everything we love.”

  “Agreed,” Dude replied.

  “Okay, come on…we’ve got work to do.”

  * * *

  From his perch not far from the battle zone, the traitor gently laid his rifle across the rooftop’s edge and zeroed his sights on a group of retreating defenders. He circled the barrel first to the girl – Holly, he thought, recognizing her blonde locks. For an instant, he imagined being able to waste all three of them with a single burst, but realizing his notion to be folly at such a distance, he decided to target only one.

  “Who shall it be?” he whispered quietly to himself. The idea of taking Rod’s son right out from underneath his nose was appealing, but perhaps he’d need more time to enjoy that one. The other boy – Dude – he remembered, not really having an opinion one way or the other, but knew such a death would certainly cause his buddy some pain. Oh, it’s just too…too… The word he wanted, needed, escaped him for only a second, and then he knew exactly what he desired – “delicious,” he finally hissed, while pulling the trigger.

  Chapter 47

  Allison, who despised uncertainty, flinched each time the battle’s echo reached a crescendo, yet for her, the sudden lull was nearly as nerve-wracking. Word from Holly had brought some peace, but with it a flood of memories streamed back, reminding her of another day…and another horrific struggle.