by Hunt, Jack
“We could be gone for several days. What about your mother?” Corey asked, leaning forward in his seat.
“My sister will take care of her.”
“Yeah? And who will look after her?”
He snorted. “Trust me. That gal could shoot the wings off a fly.”
“Had the best teacher.”
“Damn right.” Bennington winked as he refilled his glass. He’d been a sniper with Corey’s platoon. One of the best he knew. He had over sixty confirmed kills and had made a name for himself as the white devil among insurgents. That was until an IED blew his leg off. “You know a few days before the blackout I got together with Holden and Markowitz? Best damn night of my life since I got discharged.”
“I bet. They still around Kalispell?” Corey asked. He hadn’t seen them since leaving the military. He didn’t even know that Markowitz had left but Holden had left a year before him.
He nodded, taking a seat in a recliner chair and reaching for a pack of smokes. “Holden was doing private security for some firm, and Markowitz was offering helicopter tours with Glacier Heli Tours. They’re just the same as they were.”
“And Perry?”
“You didn’t hear?” Bennington exhaled. “Got into a collision. Died on impact.”
“Poor bastard.”
“Yeah, isn’t that just irony for you? Bullets flying at him in the Middle East and then he returns home and gets T-boned by some drunk driver.”
Corey finished his drink. “What about Gibby?”
Bennington tapped the side of his head. “Last I heard he was getting treatment for PTSD. He’s been going through some heavy shit. He certainly wouldn’t be up for this. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to chew a bullet.”
“Come on, man.”
“It’s true. Look, I liked Gibby just as much as you but damn, the last time I saw him, he looked like a bum panhandling on the street. I don’t even want to imagine what he smells like now. Anyway, you want to swing by and pay our friends a little visit?”
“Yeah, but my truck is about two miles back.”
“You should have brought it.”
“Can’t take the risk.”
“And leaving it out in the open isn’t taking a risk?” He laughed. “I’m pulling your chain. That’s fine. I got a Jeep in the garage. Damn thing is falling to bits but the engine purrs like a kitten.” He looked over at Tyler. “So, this is your little brother?”
“Not exactly little anymore, are you?” Corey said, both of them staring.
“Did he ever serve?” Bennington asked.
Corey chuckled. “Tyler? He did his time with my father. That was enough, wasn’t it, brother?”
Tyler smiled and gave a nod.
“That’s right. Papa Ford. Does he still have a few screws loose?”
“Oh, they’re rattling up there, all right. But he’s in his element right now so everything is firing.”
“I bet, well let’s get a move on.” Bennington got up and yelled, “Susan, get your butt out here.”
A door cracked open and a kid no older than seventeen stepped out. Corey had forgotten how young she was. Now he felt bad about pulling him away. “Hey, you sure about this?” Corey asked.
“She’ll be fine.” He turned toward her. “We’re heading out. Back in a couple of days. Keep an eye on mom, and make sure she gets her meds. The generator is out back to get some rays. Make sure you bring it in this evening. Any trouble shows up, you know what to do.”
“Where you going?”
“What did I tell you before?”
She shook her head and went back into her room. Bennington tutted. “Kids these days.”
Tyler couldn’t help but look at Bennington’s leg. They would have to trek through some pretty intense woodland to reach the camp, would he be able to handle it? It didn’t take long for him to gather a few items together in a backpack and they headed through a side exit and loaded into a dusty 1979 Jeep CJ5. Tyler ran his hand over the hood and flashed Corey a smile.
“When did you last have this out?” Tyler asked.
“Before I lost my leg.”
“Are you serious? Does it start?”
“About to find out,” he said tossing the keys to Corey and hopping in. Tyler had to unload a crapload of garbage out of the back to make room for him and Allie.
As soon as Corey went around to the driver’s side, he glanced down. “We’ll not go far on that,” he said. “It’s flat.”
“Well change it. Damn man, you love to complain.”
Corey looked at Tyler but didn’t say anything. The next twenty minutes was spent changing a tire and that was all before attempting to start the damn thing. “Let’s hope another one doesn’t go on us,” Corey said turning over the key. The engine coughed a few times and died.
“Give it some gas, she’s thirsty,” Bennington said, reaching into the glove compartment and pulling out a pair of aviator shades. With them on he looked like Danny DeVito in the movie Twins. He ran a hand over what remained of his hair which was thin and short in the front and long at the back. It looked greasy. Corey gave it a few more tries and it spluttered to life.
“There’s my girl.” He patted the dashboard.
Once out of the garage they got on the road hoping to arrive in Kalispell in just over ten minutes. Immediately Bennington gave directions, telling them which roads to avoid and when to hang a left or a right. It seemed Ferris was telling the truth. Kalispell had taken one hell of a hit. The city of twenty-three thousand made Whitefish look like a playground. Intense fires had swept through buildings taking them down like dominoes. Tyler’s concern for their safety grew with every mile. Would they even find Corey’s two friends alive? Were they barricaded inside one of these homes or had they fled the town? While the vast majority of people didn’t just up and leave Whitefish, those with a lick of sense got out before it got worse. Could the same be said for here? The Jeep rumbled down the road and bounced a little.
“We getting close?” Tyler asked leaning forward.
“He’s not far from here. Just in the downtown.”
“So, in the heart of hell? Great, sounds magical,” Tyler added, gazing at the charred ruins, and buildings that had recently been set ablaze. Black smoke drifted through the streets.
Bennington cast a glance back at Tyler and his eyes scanned Allie. “So, you two done the double-back beast yet?”
“We’re not together.”
“Could have fooled me,” he said looking ahead. Tyler glanced at Allie and she rolled her eyes and turned her head to look at a group running down a back alley.
“I’m sorry to hear about Ella,” Bennington said to Corey who was paying more attention to swerving around stalled vehicles than listening to him. He grunted a response then changed the topic. They were a few minutes shy of Holden’s home when Bennington leaned forward and tapped the dashboard. “Stop. Stop.”
“Why?”
“Stop.”
Corey eased off the gas and swerved slightly.
“Kid, hand me that rifle.”
All of them looked ahead but couldn’t see anything that would have been cause for concern. “Today!” he yelled acting more agitated by the second. Tyler handed him the rifle and he peered through the scope. “Sonofabitch.” He exhaled. “Back up.”
“But you said—”
“Unless you want to be ambushed, I would reverse now.”
Corey didn’t hesitate, he spun the Jeep around and they drove back up the road a little and then hung a left and went down another road before coming out and heading south down 2nd Avenue. “Slow down and pull over into the parking lot of Market Diner. Keep the engine running. If I’m not back in five minutes, head out without me.”
“Are you serious?” Corey asked.
He gave a look that answered that. “Kid, let’s go.”
“Who, me?” Tyler asked.
“No, your girlfriend. Yes. You.”
“Bennington,” Corey sa
id.
“He’ll be fine. I just need an extra set of eyes.” He tapped the side of the Jeep and they took off. For someone with a prosthetic leg he could damn well move fast. He used one of these high-tech running prosthetics that curled at the bottom. Tyler had to admit it was pretty cool shit.
“Where we heading?”
“Off to take out an asshole who killed a good friend of mine, two weeks ago.”
“Okay,” Tyler said in a slow manner. “And he’s preventing us from reaching Holden’s home?”
“No, but I’ve been itching to settle a score.”
“Great.” Tyler looked back towards the Jeep and shook his head. They took off east down 3rd Street until they reached the back of a health and fitness center.
Bennington clambered up onto a large green dumpster and lifted his prosthetic limb. “Right. Give me a boost up.”
“I thought you needed an extra set of eyes.”
“Would you hurry up?”
Tyler groaned, slung his rifle over his shoulder and interlocked his fingers. Bennington climbed up and hollered for him to push. “Come on, you pussy. Higher.”
“I’m pushing you up as far as I can go, I can’t help it that you’re a short ass.”
He glared at him from above. “Higher!”
Tyler gritted his teeth and practically launched him into the air. He caught hold of the roof’s lip and scrambled over the edge, then reached down to give Tyler a hand up. Once on the roof they crossed to the corner of 3rd and 1st Avenue. There Bennington took up position and shouldered his rifle. “Okay. Time to balance the scales of justice. Heads up, asshole.” Tyler watched him in action. He knew his father was a good marksman but as he looked out, he could barely see where the target was. Crack. One single shot and he was up and running for the back. “That’s a wrap. Let’s move it.”
“Already? You got him?”
“I never miss.”
“Never? But I couldn’t see him.”
“Of course you couldn’t.”
“You got eyes like Superman?”
“No, kid, just one hell of a scope.” He chuckled and threw himself over the edge and down onto the dumpster. He was as agile as a professional gymnast. He now understood why his brother wanted him. They double-timed it back to the Jeep where Allie was out of the vehicle keeping watch. Just before they reached it, Bennington said, “Keep what just happened between you and me.”
“You done?” Corey asked.
Bennington nodded as he hopped in and they took off at a high rate of speed. Fortunately, Corey never asked but it did make Tyler wonder why he wanted to keep it a secret. It wasn’t like his brother was averse to taking out threats.
A few more turns and they arrived at a four-story apartment block. Bennington guided them around the back and told Tyler to stay with the vehicle while he and Corey headed up the fire escape. He slipped through the gap and got into the driver’s seat. Corey jumped up and pulled down a black ladder and they made their way up.
“What happened back there?” Allie asked.
“I would tell you but I get a sense he would kill me.” He chuckled and they waited nervously scanning the area for trouble. They wanted to keep the vehicle idling just in case but the noise of it rumbling was enough to draw people out. They hadn’t yet seen an operating vehicle on the road which meant they might as well have painted a bullseye on their backs.
Bennington banged on a window with the back of his hand and Corey looked down to make sure Tyler was okay. Five seconds passed and there was no response from inside.
“Perhaps he left town.”
“No. He’s in there.” Bennington tried prying the window open but it was locked. “Stand back.”
“You gonna break his window?”
“I gave him the chance to open.”
Glass echoed loudly as it shattered with the butt of his rifle. “Holden, it’s me. Bennington. I know you’re in there. I got Corey Ford with me. I’m coming in. Keep your finger off the trigger.” Bennington motioned for Corey to go in first.
“Ladies before gents.”
“I feel like a sheep being led to the slaughter,” Corey muttered as he precariously eased his body into the apartment. Inside it smelled like cigars. Holden was always chewing on a half-smoked cigar, or a mouthful of tobacco. He’d carry this small plastic container and spit into it. A few times he’d tossed it at civilians while driving through Fallujah and cracked some joke about spit. “Holden. It’s Corey.”
Behind him Bennington made a hell of a noise ducking under the frame and working his way in. “How about you make some more noise?” Corey said sarcastically, so he did, tipping over a vase on a shelf. It smashed on the ground and he grinned. Crazy asshole. Some things hadn’t changed.
The studio apartment wasn’t large. There was a photo on the mantelpiece of his family. Like many in the military he’d been through a divorce, an ugly one. His first wife had left him for another guy while he was away on tour. Holden went ballistic when he got the news. Killed probably more insurgents that day than he had in all the months he’d been away. Instead of searching the rooms, Bennington made a beeline for the liquor cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of bourbon. “Guess I’ll have to drink this by myself,” he said loudly flipping the bottle.
Corey stepped into the bedroom. He wasn’t in there. He checked the bathroom. No one. “Are you sure this is even the place?”
“Of course,” Bennington said banging his foot three times against the floor. It sounded hollow. A second later a part of the floor opened up.
“I figured it was you,” Holden said, shaking his head as he emerged.
12
Amateurs, Andy thought as he peered through the binoculars at Jude men’s patrolling the camp. He thought at the bare minimum if someone took over another person’s house, they would at least change the locks. Not this guy. Nothing had changed. He had guards in the same towers, and others further afield decked out in ghillie suits. He was following the plan to a tee. To the untrained eye it might have done the job but he could spot them from a mile away. It probably helped that he’d been the one to create the blueprint. Andy turned his attention to the camp and squinted, observing the coming and going of those inside. The group had grown. He didn’t recognize many of the faces. But the rest, yeah. He missed some of those friendships. All his ideas were there before him. At one time it would have pissed him off but now he didn’t care. All he cared about was his sons, and finding that truck and both weren’t visible. Were they inside? Was he showing them the lay of the land? Was he sharing his ideas for the future? Honestly, it didn’t matter. He was more concerned with what lies Jude had told them.
Andy was about to get up from the prone position when he heard a twig snap behind him. It was at a distance but loud enough. There was a chance it was Jude’s men. Had he given away his position? Did they see a glint of light come from his rifle? No, he’d been careful. Crawling up into a crouch he cast a slow glance over his shoulder. Nothing but a dark forest stared back. Moving quickly, he darted forward over a rise and swung around to see if it was an animal. He didn’t think so but there was a possibility it could be a bear.
Moving through the brush like a stealthy cougar he soon spotted the individual.
He shook his head and looked at the ground.
“Are you kidding me?” Andy said stepping out of the brush, lowering his rifle.
“How did you know?” Ferris said.
“Because you have a heavy foot like an elephant.”
“Damn it.”
“Let me guess. Hudgens sent you?”
He nodded.
Andy grimaced and shook his head. “Sonofabitch.” That man wouldn’t listen to anyone. Ferris ambled over. He’d changed out of his police uniform and was now clothed from head to toe in hunter’s gear. His face was smeared up with camo paint and even the rifle was camouflaged.
Ferris ambled up to the crest. “Why? What’s the big deal? Why are you all the way out here?”
Not wishing to give away their location, Andy yanked him down to a crouch and in a low voice said, “Not much use wearing all that camo gear if your mouth is gonna announce us.”
“To who?” he asked pulling away.
Andy pointed down through the lush landscape of greenery. Ferris strained his eyes to see without binoculars. “What is that?” Andy tutted and handed him some binos. He pulled them up to his eyes. “Well I’ll be damned. An entire community operating self-sufficiently. What a place. Hell, they look like they’re living better than we are.”
“They are,” Andy said.
“How do you know?”
“Because I designed and developed the site.”
Ferris handed back his equipment with a surprised look. It changed quickly into a frown. “Then why are you up here, viewing it from a distance? Shouldn’t you be down there? Is that where you think Corey’s gone?”
“How about you tell me why you came all this way?”
“You already know.”
“C’mon, Ferris. Hudgens isn’t out patrolling the streets. You could have walked a block down from city hall, sat on a bench for a few hours and returned and he would have believed you’d followed me. Why go to all this trouble? It’s not like Corey or I have given you reason. And don’t say the truck.”
He snorted and adjusted his position to get comfortable. “All right. Yeah. I could have stayed in Whitefish but you could say I’m curious to know what you Fords are up to. Since this shitfest has kicked off I’ve barely had a chance to breathe. Hudgens has had me running errands, manning roadblocks and overseeing other officers. I figured it would give me a break.”
Andy chuckled. “A break. Please. You want to tell me the truth now?”
Ferris opened his mouth but before he could say another word, they heard the sound of multiple guns cocking. Andy turned to see six of Jude’s men in ghillie suits.
“Shit.”
All the noise from Ferris had distracted him from those who were patrolling further afield. Several rifles were raised at them and Andy raised his hands.
