by A J Newman
“Yes, twice and they were all killed before they could get out of the water.”
“You might be right about the Israelis, but why are they here and why guard this dam?”
“Sir, I don’t mean to insult you, but what if they are doing the same thing we are doing. Their country was destroyed. Where did that quarter million Jews go? We heard that many escaped.”
“Damn, I think you are right. Those bastards have set up strongholds in the USA and other countries.”
***
Owensville Police Department
“Sheriff, shouldn’t you be out on patrol or something? Go find that drug dealer Johnson or his buddy Norman.”
Bert cast a dirty glance at the Captain of Prescott’s Owensville Police Force and replied, “Did you forget? They’re dead. Your boss says so.”
“Well then, get out of here asshole. If you get on my nerves, we might just find out that we don’t need you to keep the natives in line.”
“I’ll leave after I finish this report for Mr. Prescott. He’ll be pissed if it’s not on his desk when he gets back.”
“Okay, but get it done and get out of my sight, or I may have to visit your wife in the cell tonight.”
Bert didn’t react because that’s what this animal wanted. He would use any excuse to shoot Bert.
The Captain went into his office, closed the door and made a call on a satellite phone. There was no one in the room, so Bert moved closer to the door to eavesdrop.
He heard, “Yes I’m sure. We checked all of the…and found a bunch of wolves buried in the brush behind a………….apparently, there is a big assed underground water tank nearby. Okay. I want to raid……….Johnson and Norman are holed up in the tank……..Yes, sir, I’ll wait until you get back.”
Bert scrambled to get back to his desk before the door closed and only beat the Captain by a few seconds. He knew he had to warn Zack and Mike, but if Prescott found out, he would kill Bert’s family.
He watched as the Captain walked past his desk to check on the guard in the back of the station where the cells were located.
It was 10:00 pm and the station was deserted except for the Captain and one jailer.
Bert knew he had to act now or his friends and perhaps his family would die. He drew his knife, walked up behind the Captain, grabbed him from behind and cut his neck from ear to ear. The captain dropped to the floor, silently struggling for air that would not enter his lungs. He died within seconds.
Bert walked past him saying, “That’s what happens when you think you are superior to another and don’t think they’re a threat. Asshole.”
Bert took the keys from the dead Captain’s belt along with his gun belt and sidearm. He opened the door leading to the cells and called the guard’s name, “Fred, the captain needs you.”
“Why the fuck would he send a worm like you to relieve me?”
Bert shot the guard twice in the chest and ran to the cell where his wife and daughter were.
“Bert, is that you?”
“Yes, let’s go. I’m getting you out of here.”
His wife and daughter hurried past Bert as he opened the other four cells to release the prisoners.
They all thanked Bert and ran out the door. Bert followed his family and walked from the cell area into the office when there was a gunshot, and he felt a burning stab in his lower side.
He quickly turned and shot the man who had just fired. Bert shot him again and took his pistol. He failed to see if the man was dead and paid a big price for the mistake.
Bert fell once as he used the furniture and cabinets to steady himself as he walked across the room. His wife ran back in and helped Bert into the driver’s side of the patrol car against her protest.
“Darling I have to drive until we get past the roadblock, then you can take us on to meet up with the Resistance. I’ll explain later.
You two hide under that blanket on the floor in the back until we get past the roadblock. I’ll make it that far.”
“Okay, but let me place this wad of cloth behind you to stop the blood. Keep your back pressed against it.”
They sped off down Main Street, turned left on Highway 54 and arrived at the roadblock in a few minutes. Bert knew he only had an hour before the night shift guards arrived at the jail and had to get to us ASAP.
“Damn, it’s beginning to snow. Shit, we’ll leave tracks that can be followed. Well, at least this old wagon has four wheel drive, and it’s full of gas.”
He pulled up to the roadblock, stopped and waved at the guards.
“Hey Bert, what are you doing out tonight in this snow? Does Captain Asshole know?”
“Captain Asshole wants me to arrest Jacob Nelson. He thinks I can get him to come in without a fight. I’ll be back in an hour.”
“Jacob will shoot your ass if you mess with him.”
“Thanks for the warning.”
They moved the sawhorse gate and let Bert drive away. He turned at the next right and headed south towards the underground storage tank and his friends.
“Darling, take the wheel and take us out Miller’s Mill Road and make the third right.
I’ll tell you when to turn left off the road. We’ll probably have to drive a couple of hundred yards across some grass and brush. Be careful; it’s not slick yet, but soon will be.”
***
Prescott’s Alabama Headquarters
“Mark, sorry but I had to take that call. I have to cancel my trip to Texas and head back to Kentucky. We’ve located my major pain in the ass up there, and I want to be onsite when we string those bastards up high in a tree on the courthouse lawn.
You have my approval on your plan. The mortars and recoilless rifles will arrive next Thursday. Thanks for figuring this out down here. Good luck and don’t fail me.”
Chapter 6 - Winter Bug Out
The Hideout
Dad, it’s starting to snow, and it’s big fluffy wet snow. The ground will be covered in a few minutes. Can we make snowmen?
“Callie, we have to be extra careful when it snows and can’t leave any footprints, much fewer snowmen for all to see. Just watch the beautiful snow and remember how pretty it was when you are cussing it after we are snowbound.”
“Darn, that spoiled my good mood but staying alive beats making snowmen any day.
Ally? Do you know how to make snow cream? We can have something almost as good as ice cream.”
“Sure I do. What a good idea. I’ll gather the items I need, and I’ll have some ready when you get off guard duty at 11:00.”
“Oh, I better get back out there with Paul.”
“Zack, do you think it’s safe to let those love birds pull guard duty together? They might get distracted.”
“Honey, they actually behave better than you, and I do when we’re on guard duty.”
“Have you been spying on them?”
“Mike and I make regular checks on everyone to make sure our security stays tight. Other than a quick kiss or a hand that wanders every now and then, everyone stays alert.”
“Should I talk with Paul about that?”
“No, Mike told me that we were the worst of the bunch.”
“Darn, I like our time together under the stars. I guess I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
I sounded whiney when I answered, “Yeah, I know, me too.”
“It was a little after 11:00 when Paul came running to me saying, “Zack, a station wagon pulled off the road and is heading straight for us.”
I yelled to the team,” Cut the lights, grab your guns and follow me. Ally and Joan, stay with the kids.”
I arrived in time to see the panel wagon slide sideways in the snow as it came to a stop. Two women got out of the back and helped a man walk towards us. I recognized one of the women and ran down to help her.
“Guys, it’s Bert and his family. He’s wounded. Let’s get him inside.”
“Zack, stop! Prescott knows that you are hiding here. I had to shoot two of his
men to come warn you. We’ve gotta’ leave, now!”
A million things went through my mind, and I’m sorry to say that the one that rattled around the most was, Shit, we have warmth, shelter, and food here. It’s fucking cold out there. I wonder how much we can take with us and still get away.
The good news was that we were prepared to Bug Out at all times. We each had a Bug Out Bag, and our vehicles were stocked with food, supplies, and fuel. We couldn’t take everything, but we wouldn’t starve for a while. We also had the barrels full of supplies stashed around Davies's country that we could dig up in a pinch.
“Joan, you and Ally quickly treat Bert and get him ready to hit the road in 15 minutes. The rest of you know the drill. We are bugging out in 15 minutes.”
“Dear, we can’t get Bert ready in 15 minutes.”
“Prescott’s men know where we are and Bert just killed two and drove here leaving tracks in the snow. We could all be dead in an hour if we don’t leave, now. Do the best you can.
Mike, help me put a bunk bed mattress in the back of Bert’s station wagon to help cushion him from the bumps.
All right, everyone, we are heading to the church campground above Rolling Hills. We’ll stay there until Bert can move or we find a better place. ”
Everyone knew their jobs and scurried about loading their vehicles and hooking up the cargo trailers preloaded with supplies. I finished loading my truck behind Paul and Ally. I ran over to help Roger and Lynn drop the pallet of supplies into the bed of Roger’s truck and then run back to mine. Ally and Suzie were waiting on me. Joan was in the back of Bert’s truck with Sally driving while Bert’s wife and Joan tended to Bert.
Roger and Lynn would bring up the rear with the other vehicles traveling in the middle. We had five trucks, three old Bronco 4x4s and Bert’s station wagon. All were four-wheel drive vehicles so the snow wouldn’t be much of a problem.
We pulled out of the hideout 17 minutes after I said Bug Out and we’ll never know how close we came to being caught, but we had miles to go before we slept, and couldn’t think about that now.
Davi rode with me to man the SAW while I led the caravan on back roads over to Highway 231 before heading south as fast as I could, dodging stalled cars and slick spots.
We were making 45 MPH and traveling without lights so we couldn’t go wide open. The snow was pouring down, and we had over four inches on the road. I slowed down to 35 MPH and kept trucking.
I turned off 231, got on the Natcher Parkway at Beaver Dam. We then got back on 231 at the Morgantown interchange.
By this time, the snow was almost reaching whiteout level, and I knew that only diehards would keep following us. We drove on south until we were about three miles north of Rolling Hills, and made a right on Old Church Road. The snow was eight inches deep, and our tracks were disappearing behind us.
We drove about a mile and turned left into the abandoned campground.
The camp was originally a small resort back in the 50’s that catered to the fishing crowd before the Southern Baptist Church in Rolling Hills bought it for a church retreat and campground for church families.
There were 12 cabins, a barn that held the lawn and garden equipment and a large building with a central kitchen and dining room attached. The large building had been bed and breakfast long ago.
There were several large lakes on the property, and it was only half a mile from the Barren River.
We parked the vehicles by the large building, and I gathered the team.
“We need to clear all of the buildings before we occupy them. They were empty when we scouted the area, but who knows what has happened since then.
Mike, you and Roger take the six cabins on the right. Greg and Ben search the main building and Paul and I will take the other six cabins.
Move Bert into the large building after we clear it so Joan and Ally can continue patching him up.
We’ll all move into the large building until we sort things out. Let’s move, people.”
We cleared the large building that had been bed and breakfast first and got fires started in the fireplaces.
Paul and I then cleared the first four cabins quickly as did Mike and Roger. Three of the cabins Roger and Mike cleared were full of can goods, guns, ammo and prescription drugs.
The fourth one we cleared reeked of ammonia, as we got closer to it. I slowly opened the door and saw tables covered with chemicals and lab equipment.
“Paul, this is a meth lab.”
“Zack, oh, crap, we got bad guys. Be ready for anything ’cause they ain’t leavin’ here alive.”
“Mike we found a working meth lab. These guys will be dangerous.”
The last cabins on both sides were a hundred yards down the hill and by the largest lake.
The fifth cabin was storage for the thug’s marijuana processing.
Paul and I came out of the fifth cabin when he pointed at our next cabin and whispered, “Look, smoke.”
Several trees blocked our view, so we ran across the road to join the others. The cabin came in view and even through the driving snow, I could see smoke billowing from the chimney. There was also a faint glow coming from one of the windows.
I said, “Paul and I will knock on the door, and you two cover us.”
We carefully walked in the woods to the back of the cabin and circled to the front. I stood to the side and knocked on the door. The door opened a crack, and a man said, “Go away.”
I replied, “We’re friendly and just want to know who our neighbors are. We’re moving into the other cabins up the…”
I didn’t get a chance to finish when there was a boom, a hole exploded in the door, and we were covered in splinters. I would have been dead if I had been in front of the door.
I heard Roger shout, “Are y’all okay?”
“Yes. Mike, take Roger and break down the back door when I yell. They’ll turn to see who’s breaking in and we’ll come through the front door. Shoot anyone who resists. A prisoner would be nice to question before we send him to whatever hell meth makers go to.”
I waited a minute and yelled, “Go!”
We heard the crash of the door being breached, waited a few seconds and I crashed into the already damaged door. I saw a scruffy man with a shotgun turning to shoot Mike. I fired, dropping the man where he stood. A younger man dropped his pistol and cried, “You done kilt my daddy. Wait don’t shoot me, mister, please. Don’t shoot me, mister. We hain’t done nothing agin y’all. You hain’t got no call to barge in here and start a killin’ people.”
I looked from one man to the other and saw both looked like they had been on Meth for years. Both had a mouth full of rotten teeth, were filthy and undernourished to the point where they looked like walking death.
I replied, “Trying to kill me for knocking on the door seems to be wrong in my book. Why would he shoot someone for knocking on the door unless he was hiding from the law or done something bad? What’s your name, boy?”
“I’m Billy Owens, and that’s my daddy, Alf. We hain’t bad people. We jess tryin’ to make it from one day to the next, like everbody else.”
I tied the man’s hands behind his back and shoved him down on the couch.
“Paul, shoot him if he tries to get off the couch. Let’s search the other rooms and then check the other cabin.
Scumbag, what’s in the other rooms?”
“Just my mom and sisters.”
“Roger, cover me while I enter this room.”
I moved out from in front of the door and knocked as I said, “I’m coming in. We won’t harm you. Put down any guns, and you’ll be okay.”
No one replied so I slowly turned the knob and then pushed the door open while staying out of the line of fire. I could see several girls standing in the right corner. None of them was armed so I walked into the room and saw an older woman behind them.
The woman said, “I heard shots. Who got shot?”
I replied, “Come out from behind the girls with y
our hands up, and you won’t get shot.”
“We ain’t done nothin’ wrong. These are my kids. My old man and me’s just doing the best we can.”
I looked at the girls and saw that all three had bruises on their faces and arms. Looking on down to the floor, I was astounded to see they all had chains around their ankles.
Looking up at the woman, I saw that she also had bad teeth and her face was old beyond its years. She stayed behind the girls, and I knew she must have a gun or a knife hidden behind them.
“Ma’am, I need you to come into the living room so y’all can see to your family. Your husband tried to kill us, and we want to know why.”
Suddenly she raised her arms, grabbed the girl in front of her and held a knife to the girl’s throat and said, “Get the fuck out of my house, or I’ll kill this bitch.”
I raised my 9mm and pointed it at the woman’s head. The girl started crying and trembled.
“Look, no one has to die today.”
“You won’t shoot with this girl…”
She didn’t finish the sentence because I squeezed the trigger and blew the top of her head off. The knife fell to the floor, and the girls swarmed me begging for their freedom.
“Calm down. We’ll set you free as soon as we can find the keys to the locks.”
“The old woman has the keys in her jeans pocket. Please unlock us so we can go find our families. There are more girls in the cabin across the road.”
I found the keys and freed the girls while Roger and Mike checked out the last cabin.
They found three more girls who were also chained to their beds. These were girls, and young women, that had been kidnapped from the surrounding communities and were being traded to gangs for food, drugs, and alcohol.
I asked Paul and Sally to get beds ready for them in the large building and moved them up the hill. I also placed a guard on them until we could make sure they could be trusted. I told the girls the guard was for their protection.
“How do we know you ain’t gonna’ be just like them, and sell us like slaves?”
