by Kim McMahill
“No, I couldn’t bear to leave anyone,” Niki replied softly.
“If the soldiers do come back we’ll just try to hold out as long as we can and pray that help arrives in time. It’s our only option. Help could be on the way as we speak or may never come, but I’m sure Dad and Cal are doing everything they can to reach us.”
Joe set a blackened camp pot on the ground in front of them and handed each person a spoon. “Eat up, it’s a long time til morning.”
Niki took a spoon and dug in. The previous night’s stew was cold, but it tasted good and it was comforting to do something as normal as eating. When Frank passed the canteen she drank like a person who had been wandering the desert for days and when she was finished she stuck her spoon back in the pot and continued to shovel. When Niki realized the men had quit eating she looked up, cheeks bulging from unchewed food as her eyes met Deuce’s stunned expression.
“Sorry. I guess I now understand when people talk about stress eating,” she said as she slowly swallowed.
“No apologies necessary. You saved Joe’s butt, again, and held up well throughout the afternoon. You could have run after I shot the man chasing you on the ridge, which I was praying you would, but you didn’t. You took his weapon and came to my aid. I wish so much I could tell you it’s over, but I doubt we could be that lucky.”
Niki knew it wasn’t over. All the afternoon had accomplished was to postpone the inevitable, but if help was on the way maybe the delay was worth the fight. The body count had grown and she doubted the soldiers would forget or forgive. Whatever reason brought them this far into the mountains, whether it be revenge for Colonel Nadari’s death or the belief they could lead them to the launch facility, Niki had no doubt the soldiers would be back to finish what they started.
“What do we do now?” she asked. “If they come back, we won’t be able to hold them off for long. We didn’t use much of our ammunition, but they have to know now how meager our defense is.”
“First things first¾survive the night. Since I don’t really want to snuggle up with Frank or Joe, you and I will keep watch up here. Frank and Joe will cozy up with everyone else in the rocks. Between body heat and our few blankets, hopefully we can all keep warm enough until sunrise.”
After Frank and Joe left, Deuce put a horse pad down in front of the backrest they had built when they first set up the look-out on the ridge. He sat on the pad and motioned for Niki to sit down in front of him. He squeezed her between his thighs and wrapped the small blanket around them both, pulling her tight to his chest.
They sat silently, wrapped tightly together, watching the sun finish its descent. Niki’s mind wandered back to everything she had learned about Deuce over the whole ordeal and felt she finally understood a little bit more about what had driven them apart. She couldn’t go back and support him during his tragedy the way she should have. Niki wanted to make it up to him, but feared they might not live long enough for that to happen, but she did have tonight to try and set things right between them.
“I’m so sorry. I should have been there for you when your mom died. I loved her like my own mother and looking back, I dealt with everything so poorly. I was scared and grieving, but worst of all I was a coward.”
Deuce didn’t respond for a moment and Niki was afraid he would shut her out and once again nothing would be settled. She reached up and placed her hands over his, which were clasped in front of her as he continued to hold her in a tight embrace. He shifted slightly and then spoke.
“I didn’t make things easy for anyone, especially you. If you were ever a coward you’re definitely not one anymore. I resented Dad when he quit beating himself up over mom’s death, but I think it’s time we all stop looking back and try to focus on the future—if we still have one.” He placed a light kiss on her cheek and intertwined his fingers with hers.
Niki doubted they would talk about the past anymore after tonight, but she believed they had made their peace and would finally be able to rebuild what they had lost—if they survived. She sighed and relaxed against Deuce’s chest, feeling oddly content amidst all the tragedy they had experienced and all that was sure to come.
“You know, I’ve missed you so much these past five years. I thought of you as my best friend growing up and when I lost that friendship I thought I might just die,” Niki whispered.
“I’m sorry. I was just so angry. When Dad didn’t force Mom to leave the ranch and refused to encourage her to keep trying experimental treatments, I convinced myself he’d killed her. The doctors said there was nothing they could do, but I didn’t believe them and I didn’t think Mom was strong enough to fight, so I was mad at Dad for not fighting for her. She just wanted to live out her days as normal as possible with her family in the home she loved rather than continuing to be a medical guinea pig in some damn hospital, but I just couldn’t accept that. It had always been just the three of us and as you know, Dad and I have never been real tight or any good at communicating, so the thought of losing her drove me a little crazy. I hated facing something I couldn’t control or fix.”
“I’m sure she fought as hard as she could. Your mother was strong and she loved her family so much that she wouldn’t have given up if there was any other choice.”
“I realize that now, but I guess I just wanted someone to pay for what was taken from our family, but there was no one to blame so I took it out on everyone within reach.”
Niki was glad Deuce was finally talking about what had been bottled up for so many years. She was also thankful her back rested against his chest and she didn’t have to look him in the eye when he spoke, which she imagined had made it easier on him to open up as well.
“I promise I’ll never walk away from you again in a crisis, whether you want me to or not.”
“Somehow that sounds a little more like a threat than a promise,” Deuce drawled.
Niki smiled. She couldn’t see his face, but she had a feeling he was smiling too.
“Try to get some sleep. We can’t afford to have a sniper with the shakes. I’ll wake you in a few hours and then I’ll get some rest.” Deuce wrapped his arms around her tighter and rested his chin on her shoulder, his cheek brushing hers, wondering how many times he could hold her this close without taking more.
Niki doubted she would be able to fall asleep with everything running through her mind, but as she listened to the strong steady beat of his heart and felt the warmth of his body around her, she drifted off.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“You should’ve woken me,” Niki moaned as she opened her eyes to the first rays of sun and looked up at Deuce’s stern handsome face. “You needed sleep just as much as I did.”
“I didn’t have the heart. You looked at peace for the first time since this started and so beautiful.”
Niki was speechless. Though she remembered Deuce thinking she had cooties when he was ten, she couldn’t ever remember him calling her beautiful. She was so stunned she couldn’t think of what to say.
“Huh? So a compliment is all it takes to keep you quiet?”
“If you handed them out more often it wouldn’t be such a shock. So I guess I no longer have cooties?” She cuddled closer to him, fighting the urge to purr.
“Quiet. Listen.”
The tone of Deuce’s voice chased away the blissful feeling and any remnants of sleep. Niki sat upright, fully awake and alert as she stared at the sky. She strained to hear whatever had his attention. After several moments she made out the distinct whir of a helicopter’s blades. As she listened, the noise grew louder and nearer. The sound of a second helicopter emerged and then a third.
“This can’t be good,” she whispered.
“Let’s get off this ridge. If they fly over we’re dead.” Deuce lunged to his feet, pulling Niki with him.
Niki tried to keep pace with Deuce as she followed his long stride off the hill. Her cowboy boots offered no traction as she half slid and half ran down the steep slope, trying to keep a safe
grip on her weapons. Heart pounding, she struggled to keep her balance and not be distracted by the sound of the rapidly approaching craft.
When they reached the bottom of the hill, it was clear everyone had heard the helicopters. Frank, Joe and Sarah stood at the edge of the clearing where their camp had been, hands clutching their weapons. The trio watched as the shapes came into focus, barely acknowledging the arrival of Deuce and Niki.
“What are they doing?” Sarah asked.
Before anyone could respond the answer became clear. The first helicopter buzzed low over the camp, nearly kissing the trees as it dipped. Something was dropped and then the craft quickly ascended.
“Run,” Deuce yelled.
The group scattered as an explosion shook the ground, sending Niki hurdling into Deuce’s back. He kept his balance, grabbed her hand and continued to run. His grip was so tight Niki was afraid he was crushing the bones in her fingers, but she took comfort in knowing he had no intention of letting her fall behind.
The helicopter made two more passes, dropping explosive devices each time. The noise was much worse than the loudest thunderstorm Niki could remember and the flash of light akin to severe lightening. The ground moved under her feet like earthquake tremors, but didn’t hamper her retreat.
With large guns mounted just inside the helicopter’s open cargo door, the soldiers strafed the clearing where their camp once stood and the hilltop they had been using as a lookout. The shots were continuous, but erratic, so did little damage except to instill fear as the group fled for the rocks.
Smoke swirled through the forest as the drier pines caught fire. The snapping sounds of trees being torn apart and crashing to the forest floor echoed between rounds of gunfire and explosions. The ground vibrated and debris rained down as they ran for their lives.
As the smoke began to clear two helicopters landed in the small clearing. Soldiers jumped out bearing automatic rifles, additional ammunition looped across their chests like brass pageant sashes. The exiting stream of soldiers seemed endless, but soon the last soldier jumped out and the craft lifted off. Once airborne the helicopters hovered nearby, preventing any attempt to escape.
Niki stumbled as she tried to run while watching over her shoulder, but Deuce’s grip steadied her and kept them moving.
“We have to get to Papa!”
Deuce slowed so Niki could run alongside and glanced over at her. “You know we don’t have time to move him.”
“Then we fight. If we die, we do so with the ones we love.” She released his hand and fled.
By the time Niki and Deuce reached the rock enclosure which had kept everyone safe the previous day, Frank, Joe and Sarah were already inside. Sarah had tucked the girls in the safest crevice of the rocks as possible and Bernie was as protected from stray bullets as feasible. They were too close to the hillside to be in much danger from the helicopters above, but with soldiers on the ground they knew it wouldn’t be long until they were discovered.
Without any discussion, they spread themselves out along the inside perimeter of the rock ring, locating openings to fire through. Niki’s eyes darted from each person and she wished Deuce was closer, but with the two of them possessing the only automatic rifles it made sense to be on the opposite sides of the enclosure.
Niki couldn’t see her grandfather or the girls. They were pressed to the back of the ring as close to the cliff face as possible and barricaded behind the few remaining supplies. Niki checked her weapons, counted her bullets and glanced over at Deuce. Their eyes met. She held his gaze for a moment, wishing she had told him she loved him when she had the chance last night. She hoped he knew, fearing she would never get the opportunity to say the words.
The wait was short. By the time Niki tore her gaze from Deuce, had propped her 30-06 up against a rock and positioned the automatic weapon’s barrel in the opening, chaos erupted. The enormity of the onslaught rendered Niki momentarily immobile. Despite the hopelessness of the situation they all had no doubt that the outcome would be the same whether they surrendered or were defeated. At least if they fought the end would be quicker and probably less painful than if they were taken hostage.
A barrage of gunfire pelted the rocks of their shelter. The noise was deafening and despite the size and strength of the boulders their enclosure seemed to be coming down all around them in a shower of stone fragments. Large chunks were blown away as the assault continued, barely disrupted by their return fire.
The soldiers made very little attempt to stay behind cover. The large group of well-armed men stood shoulder-to-shoulder, cutting off any escape route, and strafed the rock ring, whittling down the sanctuary one rock chip at a time. The soldier’s stance made it clear they had little fear of the gunfire from the civilians inside the enclosure being able to reach them.
A trickle of blood ran down Niki’s forehead, no doubt from the rock chips exploding off the boulders and shooting through the air like tiny daggers. She wiped at her face with her shirt sleeve to prevent the blood from getting into her eyes and obstructing her aim. She didn’t even register the pain of the hit which caused the wound, nor the other fragments pelting her as she concentrated on making every shot count.
The bombardment was so steady that each attempt to aim and return fire was a risky venture, but they didn’t have the luxury to waste ammunition on random shots like the soldiers. Niki tried to aim with the automatic weapon, but wasn’t familiar enough with it to do much damage. One soldier fell to the ground, but it was impossible to determine from which gun the hit had come from, not that it really mattered, nor did the elimination of one soldier seem to help the situation.
From the corner of Niki’s field of vision, she spied Joe falling backward, landing hard on the ground in front of where the girls huddled. There was blood soaking through his jeans, but not an obscene amount. She prayed Joe wasn’t dead or badly injured, but she was unable to leave her post to check as she continued to fire.
Too quickly, the automatic rifle was empty. Niki tossed the useless weapon down and picked up her 03-06, quickly removing the scope since she wouldn’t have time to sight in with it anyway. What’s the use? She took aim and fired. She pulled the lever back, expelling the used casing and jacked in another round. She aimed, fired and another soldier dropped, yet the attack coming at them didn’t seem to diminish and large gaps were starting to open up in their sanctuary.
Everyone except Joe was still standing and firing, so the only option was to keep shooting until they ran out of ammunition—they had no other choice. Niki noticed the mound of empty shotgun shell casings piling up between Sarah and where Joe had been standing and knew they wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.
“I’m out of ammo,” Frank shouted.
Deuce tossed him Niki’s Lady Smith and Wesson, which had been tucked into the back of his belt. She had to suppress the urge to break out into hysterical laughter. They were goners. How long could they hold off two helicopters full of highly-trained soldiers with what Deuce always referred to as her “girl gun?”
“I’m out too,” Sarah shouted above the roar of gunfire and constant hum of the hovering helicopters. She dropped her shotgun and snatched Joe’s from the ground, fumbling through his pocket for the last handful of shells.
Niki’s heart sank as she saw Deuce set his confiscated automatic rifle down and pull out her grandfather’s twenty-two pistol. She doubted the gun could even reach the soldiers with any degree of accuracy, but the noise would hopefully delay the soldiers’ decision to try and breach their shelter. The sound of their defense was diminishing by the second as was the strength of their enclosure. It was only a matter of minutes before the soldiers realized the group huddled behind the rocks was all but helpless and would rush their barricade.
Sarah reloaded and fired, but Niki knew the handful of shells she had dug out of Joe’s pocket meant only about six more shots and Sarah would be out of the game. She doubted Frank and Deuce had much left either.
; Niki jacked her last round into the chamber and froze. A giant fireball erupted in the sky and the sound of the explosion sent all the soldiers racing back to the clearing. She stared at the flaming wreckage in awe, too stunned to move or speak, too beaten down to hope.
The momentary cease-fire felt surreal. Despite the noise of the explosion and the glow in the sky, time seemed frozen within the battered circle of stone. No one moved or dared to believe help had come. They just stood and stared at the scene unfolding before them.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
It sounded like war. Niki couldn’t tell how many helicopters were in the air, but there were more than the original three. The tail of one of the Canadian helicopters exploded into fragments, sending it spiraling out of control, crashing nearby, the impact vibrating the ground beneath their feet and clearing a swath of trees. A second helicopter was blown into such small pieces that it looked like fiery-rain cascading into the forest. The third helicopter went down in a blaze, yet the sky still teemed with multiple craft sending deadly showers of bullets into the enemy soldiers on the ground.
Trees went up in flames like giant candles and smoke filled the air, blurring the scene playing out above. The sounds of helicopters, gunfire, explosions and wildfire roared unnaturally through the usually placid high country, making Niki feel she was someplace foreign, not in her tranquil mountain paradise.
Several more passes from the two large, previously unseen, helicopters and ground resistance ended. The loud thump of the huge helicopters quickly waned, but was replaced with a similar, but less intimidating sound.
No one moved. Though they no longer had enough ammunition to defend themselves against anything, everyone held their post. For what felt like an eternity they stood rigid, listening to shots that became fewer as each moment passed. Slowly the gunfire and curses diminished until all that remained was the thump of a helicopter’s rotors and the crackling of flames and the snapping off of burning trees.
