by Gene Skellig
“Roger, Moonstruck. Sorry that our delivery is a bit behind schedule, but Casey had some mechanical troubles on the way. He just reported that he’s mobile again, and should be arriving at your place within ten minutes.”
“What does he... Just a minute.” Moonstruck came back on the air after a short silence. “Roger, HOTH, we’ll have some coffee on for him.” They had taken the bait.
Switching to the private channel that the HOTH XPRs were preset to on Channel 2, Geoff told Duncan and Manfred to wait for Casey, out of sight near Moonstruck Farm, for an assault briefing. When Casey linked-up with Duncan and Manfred, there were a few other men present. He and JJ killed their engines, while Danny took up a defensive position looking to the rear. Manfred came over to brief Casey.
“Walker plus eight hostiles are in Clayton’s house. The two dogs are tied up at the entrance. The heat has gone out in the barn, so I think it’s deserted. These are some of Clayton’s people,” he indicated, of the six men and five women.
“Hello, Peyton! Where are the rest of your people?” Casey asked Clayton Palaty’s eldest son.
“Most of our people got out. They’re 200 meters that way, in one of our defensive positions. Walker’s men got in by overtaking our grain-run and forcing their way inside. Those of us who got out the back tunnel were not observed, so Walker may not have found the hidden entrance. He has Mom, Dad, my sisters and five of our men. Everybody else is OK. I think he’s hurting my Dad, so I want to get in there quickly. Will you help us?” Peyton asked, clearly upset and worried.
“How many of your people here are armed?”
“Just two of the ten men. We had no time to get our guns when Dad ordered us out the tunnel.” Peyton seemed ashamed.
“OK, we’ve got six extra pistols for you,” Casey said, nodding to JJ who began handing them out. “Walker’s expecting to see just me, arriving in a few minutes, to be ambushed. I’ll fake another breakdown of my sled and radio them that I’m going into their barn to grab some tools to re-seat my tread. By that time, JJ, you, Duncan, GT and Danny have to have gotten to the barn, and entered from the side farthest from the farmhouse. Hit Walker’s men when they enter. You choose the moment to open fire, and I’ll dive for cover when the shooting starts.” As Casey concluded, GT and Danny were already climbing into the whisper’s cargo sled. JJ gave Casey a meaningful look as he and Danny mounted the whisper itself, ready to go.
“What do you want me and Jack to do?” asked Manfred.
“You stay out of sight here, and keep Ops informed. Be ready to come in with a sled to medevac me or any other casualties back to the HOTH. Take my Super-Magnum and snipe any of Walker’s men who exit the farmhouse once the shooting starts. As for you, Peyton,” Peyton nodded that he was listening, “wave a white towel or something to indicate all clear once you’ve cleared the farmhouse, and Manfred here won’t shoot at you.”
“So I take my guys in through the tunnel and liberate the house while you guys draw some of them into an ambush in the barn?” asked Peyton, clearly eager to rescue his family.
“You got it. How much time do you need to be in position?”
“About ten minutes. Can you stall that long?”
“Sure. Will they be able to see as far as the main gate from your second-floor sentry post?”
“Yeah, but not much farther. Too much snow’s piled up.”
“Perfect. Everybody get moving. I’ve got an appointment with an old friend!” Casey said, starting up his sled. He drove noisily, snaking his way through the forest to waste twelve minutes. Then he took a more direct route to the farm.
Once he was in sight of the second-floor sentry post, some 500 meters from the main gate, Casey faked his sled getting bogged down, stopping roughly abeam the end of the main barn. Then he transmitted on the channel set for the Moonstruck farm.
“Moonstruck, this is Casey. Over.”
“Go ahead Casey; is that you there by our gate?”
“Yeah. I’ve thrown my belt off its rollers again. I need to get a shovel to wedge it back into place. I’ll just go over to your barn and get one, it won’t take long.” Casey turned off his radio, making it impossible for Walker’s radio man to reply.
He walked towards the back end of the snow-covered barn. Everything hinged on Walker deciding that the barn was the best place for an ambush, and one of his own men provided the reason. Walker told his men that they should kill Casey when he entered the house. Frank objected, just as he had about the beating that Walker gave Mr. Palaty.
“Boss, we don’t have to kill him. We could trade him for food. Killing him gets us nothing; why make so many enemies?”
“You are such a wimp, Frank! That’s probably why you lost Casey the first time. We finish him once and for all. After that, his HOTH people will be easier to cut down. They won’t have their great leader. But I’ll tell you what, we’ll do our business out in the barn, rather than in here, so we don’t offend you and the other women, you WHIMPSHIT!”
Walker and three men rushed to the barn. It was dead quiet. Once inside, Walker waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. The only light was from a single lantern, hanging from a beam further back in the humid, putrid-smelling barn.
Suddenly there were muzzle-flashes from four directions. Walker raced head-down out of the barn. The wood along the wall beside him was splintered by an intense volley of bullets.
He started for the farmhouse but then realized that there was shooting going on inside. He saw a sudden puff of pink mist spraying from the head of one of his men on the second-floor lookout. He had been shot from somewhere inside the house.
Walker ran to his right, into the forest. He made good time thanks to the snow being trampled by the Palaty family’s constant trips into the forest for firewood.
From his vantage point several hundred yards to the left, Manfred saw which way Walker had gone, but the few shots he was able to get off didn’t find the target. So he kept his eye on the main entrance, and occasionally swept it back to the barn.
“All stations, this is HOTH Actual. Send Sitreps. Over” requested Casey as he held his breath.
“Actual, this is One. One hostile has fled south-east into the forest. White flag visible at Farmhouse. Over.”
“Actual, this is Two. Three hostiles Black, one escaped.”
“Actual, Zero, Peyton reported in on Moonstruck channel that he is in control there now. Three hostiles Black, two Green, no friendlies hurt. Over.”
“Zero, this is Actual. We are green here, will advise. Out to you.”
“Actual, Zero. Good copy. Out.”
Casey drove his sled to the barn and went in to see who had died. The fatalities were three of Walker’s worst goons, high on the “with prejudice” list in Ops. JJ thought that the fourth had been Walker, but JJ and his men had only just made it into the barn by busting through the ventilation shaft. They had barely been in position when Walker’s men had entered the barn.
Peyton had surprised the five remaining Walker men inside the farmhouse. They didn’t have a reason to shoot Frank or Joe. The two prisoners were laying face-up on the floor when Casey addressed them.
“Joe, do you want a chance to redeem yourself, right here and now?” Casey asked upon his arrival at the farmhouse, holding the sweat-soaked fur hat that he had found in the snow, which Walker had obviously lost.
“Yes. What do you want me to do?”
“Give your dogs this scent.” Casey handed Joe the hat. “Order them to kill.”
30
LODGE DEAL
06 October: 20 Weeks After NEW
JJ and Danny were with Casey when he returned to the Lodge. They brought the bodies of Walker’s men and the badly mauled corpse of Constable Walker himself with them. Friends and family were granted permission to pay their respects. They carried out a solemn funeral pyre.
Casey explained to Frank and Joe how things would go from then on. There would be general amnesty for the rest of Walker’s group
. But first the Lodge would be given back to the elderly couple from whom Walker had seized it when the war began. But the owners didn’t want to kick the gang out. They wanted to help as many people survive as possible, and they cared deeply about the women and children they had come to know so well.
The HOTH security team had a good look throughout the facility and confirmed that cannibalism had not been practiced, and there were no persons being held there against their will. They identified a number of items that other groups had reported stolen, such as generators, skidoos, and a few farm animals.
When they inspected the weapons locker at the Lodge, Casey recognized the AWSM and AR50 sniper rifles from Pal’s personal collection. Finding Pal’s possessions in the Walker lair confirmed Casey’s suspicion that it had been Walker who murdered his friend. Casey took the Super-Magnum, the Armalite, an M16, several handguns, three hunting rifles and two shotguns for the HOTH. He also took about half of the ammunition, including 36 missile-like 0.50 caliber rounds for the AR50. He sent most of the other guns to Staff Sergeant Wright, who had succeeded against all odds at keeping the Oceanside RCMP office secure.
With Frank and Big Joe now in charge of the “Lodge Family”, Casey thought that they could be brought back into the community fold. He offered them a deal they couldn’t refuse.
Casey’s people installed a wind power-plant and provided some basic lighting equipment and chemicals to get the Lodge Family started on a small indoor garden to go with the chicken operation they already had. He also gave them a young sow and a few immature male pigs. In return, Casey required them to formally disavow hostile operations against other people, and to promise to serve what was left of the Oceanside community. Then he offered them a food-for-service contract.
The deal involved mutual self-interest. They would keep the skidoos they had stolen from others, but would be required to use them for weekly transport runs. The first would be to supply and transport three cords of fire-wood to the Qualicum Community Centre, where Marty Penner would distribute the firewood to needy groups in town. The next run would be to pick up a load of grain from the supply ship in French Creek and transport the grain back to Marty in the Community Center. They then were to do another grain run out to Parksville where the Wayne family was running a soup kitchen and trading post. Their final weekly run would be to take a grain shipment to the Errington market to support the survivors in the rural acreages. This would also give them a chance to trade for needed supplies, using the grain as money. After completing the tasks they could swing by the HOTH for some gasoline - just enough to replenish what was used in the required supply runs. They would also receive a food hamper and be invited to a meeting in the HOTH, where they could report on the condition of survivors in their area.
Frank agreed, promising to make the travel routes in the vicinity of the Lodge safe for travel. This would make it possible for townspeople to resume trading at the Errington Market without interference. In this way, a gang of marauders became a lifeline.
31
PROBE
15 October: 21 Weeks After NEW
“Zero, Actual. I’m in position now, searching for targets,” Casey said over his headset as he settled on the sniper’s platform in the Bird’s Nest. He and Hope had been enjoying some father-daughter time during their shift in the Bird’s Nest when Miles Callaghan interrupted their quiet time. Ops had multiple contacts on perimeter video cameras.
With the heavy snowfall in recent months, there had been fewer and fewer incursions of men attempting to case the HOTH. Word had gotten around that trespassers would be met with a lethal response and that the “Defended Property” signs were truly a final warning.
“Roger, Actual. You should be able to make out the leader, just approaching Sign 14,” said Miles.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been probed,” said Casey.
“Yeah, I think the word is getting out.
“How long before Amy and JJ are in position?”
“They should be on-net shortly. Will advise.”
Watching through his Yukon NVGs from the Guard House, Duncan saw movement and focused in on a gap between the trees as Danny and Yuri scanned in other directions.
“Zero, this is Gulf, I have three X-Rays stationary at the Alpha Bravo,” transmitted Duncan.
“Zero copies. We have them on video now. One male, two females. Interrogative: What’s that on the leader’s back?”
At that moment, Rob Mynarski paused to read a sign: AMNESTY BOX – LEAVE WEAPONS HERE BEFORE APPROACHING GUARD HOUSE.
“Jessica, you and April stay here. Don’t make any sudden moves, I’ll go and talk to them.” As Rob said this, he noticed a tiny red dot on Jessica’s chest. Realizing that it must be a target designator he looked to see if he was also being lased. He was, and so was April. Not having any weapons to deposit in the Amnesty Box, Rob thought it a good idea to remove the extra ski-pole from his backpack and drop it on the snow.
In the Eagle’s Nest, Casey saw that the leader of the group was taking something off his back.
“Zero, Actual. I see a weapon. Hostile intent confirmed!”
“Actual, this is Oscar Papa, we are illuminating the other two. They are armed and taking defensive positions. We are losing our sight lines. Over,” said JJ from the OP.
“Roger, they are inside the perimeter, armed and leader is pointing a weapon with scope. Taking him out now,” said Casey.
Seconds later the man in Casey’s cross-hairs slumped as his head exploded in a spray of blood and brains. Casey’s AWSM was equipped with silencer, so there was no sound in the forest. The sudden fan-shaped arc of blood in the snow told his companions to run. Laser-designator dots bounced on their backs as they struggled through the heavy snow.
“Zero, Oscar Papa. We’ll take out one more and leave the other alive for deterrence value. Confirm?” said JJ, as he lased his target with his rifle.
“Oscar Papa, Zero, affirmative. Take one, leave one.”
The target fell to the ground before the report of JJ’s un-silenced rifle was heard by the final intruder, who dove to the ground and disappeared from sight.
April Mynarski lay face down in the snow, expecting death at any second.
“Mom! Dad! Are you hit?” she whimpered, terrified.
“It’s OK, sweetie, I’m OK. Daddy’s OK, too. That gunshot was not aimed at us,” said Jessica Mynarski, from her own depression in the snow.
“Stay down until I call you,” said Rob. He got up slowly, with his hands raised. He noticed that there were now two laser-beams on his chest, so he stood still.
“Zero, Gulf. Two are prone, appear to be unarmed. Leader is standing with arms raised, unarmed. Actual can you confirm?”
Switching his aim point from the kill zone by Sign 14 to the three people near the Amnesty Box, Casey chimed in: “Gulf, this is Actual. Confirmed. Leader has only ski-poles. The two groups may be unrelated. Break. Oscar Papa, I’ll cover your assessment of the two Black from group One at Sign 14 while Gulf handles the second party at Alpha Bravo. Over.”
“Roger, Actual. Moving in to process. Over,” said Duncan. After being replaced in the Bird’s Nest and hearing from JJ that the first two intruders were dead and that a third had fled to the west, Casey went to the Guard House. He was surprised to find Rob Mynarski. After Rob introduced his wife, Jessica and seventeen year-old daughter, April, Casey just had to ask.
“So, Rob, how did you find me?”
“I ran into Jim at a trade show. He was showing pictures of a recent installation and I recognized the mounts I designed for you. Does that put me in the dog house?” Rob’s question brought a mischievous smile to Casey’s face.
“So, Jessica, how was your trip?” asked Casey.
“We paid the last of our silver coins and gold jewelry for a boat-ride from Delta to Duke Point, then skied along the power-lines. It took us three days, and we were very cold at night,” replied Jessica, clearly holding something back. When she could
n’t take it any longer, she let it out.
“I have to know right now. You know what Rob can do, and I am an ER nurse. And April is a very hard working girl. Do you have space for us here? Will you help us?” she asked, exasperated by the tension she felt, so close to the sanctuary that had kept them going for the last three days.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make that immediately clear. You must be exhausted. Danny! Take the ladies up. I’ll be along shortly. Rob and I have some catching up to do.”
Looking at the man that had helped design the HOTH brought humanity to the tough exterior of Boss Callaghan. With genuine affection, Casey asked Rob a playful question. “By the way, Rob, can you guess where I’m going to billet you?” Rob simply looked at Casey, not understanding. “You three will be living in what you once called an ‘excessively large storage room’ by the side entrance. Remember? You thought it would make a nice dog’s room.- So you'll be in the doghouse!” Casey and Rob simultaneously broke out laughing; Casey at his own joke, and Rob at the prospect of experiencing the sanctuary of his own creation.
32
CHERRIES
03 November: 24 Weeks After NEW
After the tea-break following the off-site operations portion of the weekly briefing, Patti took the floor.
“Nora and I have analyzed the nutrition and caloric value of our food supplies, and while there are many positives to report there is also a major problem.”
Her opening statement caused the thirty or so adults to listen intently. It took a few minutes for the older children to pick up on the vibe, and pay close attention. As Patti paused for effect, the only noise heard in the HOTH was the muted noise of the younger children in the play room down in the basement, oblivious to the serious discussions upstairs.
