by Bobby Akart
“Come forward, hands held high. No sudden moves.”
Colton reached the front steps, sweating profusely and breathing heavily. He was relieved when a woman approached from behind him and began to pat him down. She took his weapon and relieved him of the packages.
“Thank you, Vanessa,” said Charlie Koch. “Mr. Ryman, come on up so we can talk. My wife just fixed some coffee. I’d like to hear what you have to say.”
Colton walked up the stairs and shook hands with his host. The three of them took seats on rocking chairs and looked out over the tree line toward the few flickering lights of Savannah. It was beautiful.
After some breaking pleasantries and allowing a moment for them to indulge in the catfish and hush puppies, Colton thanked Charlie for his assistance. He gave the Kochs an update on the events that followed the explosion and the state of Alex’s health. Then he broached the subject of the upcoming fight with the Durhams.
“Not my fight,” said Charlie abruptly. “I’m here to take care of my wife and our home until the lights come back on or the rest of the savages out there kill one another, whichever comes first.”
“I understand that, Charlie,” said Colton. “Rescuing Alex wasn’t your fight either, yet you helped us.”
“I owed Coach Carey a favor,” grumbled Charlie. “We’re even.”
“That’s true,” countered Colton. “But wouldn’t it be in your best interest to take out vicious people like the Durhams, which makes it safer for Savannah and all of the neighboring residents, like you.”
Charlie stood up and looked across the treetops. “Listen, Colton. We’re not the CIA. Our job is not regime change. Besides, you run off the Durhams and somebody else just like ’em moves in to fill the void. Sure, there may be peace and tranquility throughout the land, but it won’t last. In case you hadn’t noticed, you’re only runnin’ things until a bigger and badder set of hombres shows up and takes you out.”
“You’re pretty pessimistic,” stated Colton dryly.
“Realistic,” he shot back. “I’ve seen it before throughout the world. The United States goes and meddles in other countries’ affairs, like Libya, Egypt, Afghanistan, or Iraq, to name a few, and then Washington loses interest. Sometimes, they’re pressured politically, and other times, they really didn’t have an overall plan to begin with. Either way, this is not my fight, so count me out.”
“What if we pay you?” asked Colton.
“I’m not a mercenary, so don’t insult me,” said Charlie.
Colton was losing. “Charlie, we have garnered the support of all of the farmers and ranchers in West Hardin County. There are young women who’ve fled their homes in Savannah to avoid being forced into sexual slavery. Junior is a tyrant as bad as any of the scum you took out overseas.”
“I get that,” said Charlie.
Colton pulled out the photograph of Nurse Sutton hanging in the Savannah town square. “Look at this. Her name is Nurse Sutton. Junior hanged her for all to see. Her crime? Saving my daughter’s life and refusing to admit it to him. This is why our fight is your fight. It should be every decent human being’s fight.”
Charlie took the paper from Colton and held it under the lantern light. He studied it for a moment and then handed it to his wife, Vanessa.
He returned to his rocking chair and fell in a heap. Just like his counterpart who rocked in silence nearly a mile away, Charlie reached a decision.
“What do you need me to do?”
Chapter 20
Morning, November 8
Colton’s Birthday
Shiloh Ranch
“Alex and I have avoided Colton this morning, so either he thinks we forgot it was his birthday, or under the circumstances, he lost track of the date and doesn’t know,” said Madison to Bessie and Emily as they expertly spread icing on Colton’s triple-layer chocolate cake.
“He’ll be in for a big surprise,” said Bessie. “I’ve always kept a variety of cake mixes and icing on hand for impromptu special occasions. As I started to stock the pantry for an unforeseen event like this one, I vowed to have the ability to create a birthday cake for every member of the family and the ranch hands for a year.”
Madison hugged Bessie and smiled. “Thank you for making this day special for my husband. He’ll be thrilled and I believe we all could use a dose of the old normal for at least an hour or two.”
“Alex has recovered remarkably fast,” said Emily, changing the subject. “She isn’t showing any symptoms of a minor concussion, and although recovery periods vary based upon the extent of a patient’s injuries, from my observations, she appears fit as a fiddle.”
“I agree with Emily,” remarked Bessie. “Over the years I’ve had to deal with some of the guys takin’ a serious knock on the noggin’. Alex’s injuries came from the shock wave following the blast, which I guess is a little different. Either way, you must be relieved.”
Madison wiped her hands off on her apron and took it off. She approached the wall where Emily had attached several hooks for aprons, jackets, or hats.
“I know the guys need her, but I’m still not sure she’s ready,” said Madison. “Believe me, she wants to grab her gun and go after them. In fact, I’d probably join her. But another day or two will help a lot. Hopefully, we can have a few days of peace.”
The side entry to the kitchen opened and startled the women. It was Stubby, who was about to enter before he remembered to kick the mud off his boots. He came in and removed his coat.
“It’s gettin’ cold out there,” he said. The woman stared at him and didn’t respond. “Did I interrupt something?”
“No, not really,” replied Madison. “We were discussing Alex’s recovery while we put the final touches on this cake.”
“A birthday cake?”
“Today’s Colton’s birthday,” said Madison. “We thought we’d call in everyone a little early this afternoon to wish him happy birthday and to enjoy a little time away from the madness. You know what I mean?”
“Oh yeah, the madness,” said Stubby, laughing. “I’m afraid we will have to talk about that later, but a birthday celebration can certainly come first. Madison, can you and I talk about Alex?”
“Sure. Ladies, may I be excused?” asked Madison with a chuckle.
“Of course, dearie,” replied Bessie. “We’ll hide this away until later.”
Madison and Stubby entered the living room and sat by the fire. The first real cold snap of the fall had arrived this morning and it was getting colder as the day went on. A weather app would reveal a cold front approaching from the northwest, but in a post-apocalyptic world, survivors were introduced to the weather in real time.
Stubby began. “Madison, I won’t downplay this with you. We are gonna have a frank conversation with the group this afternoon about what our options are, but before I can make a plan of attack, I need to know whether one of my key assets will be available.”
“Alex?” asked Madison.
“Yes, the fifteen-year-old teenage girl who is braver and stronger than most of us. I’ve never seen anything like it, but your daughter has ice water running through her veins. Cool as a cucumber. It’s truly amazing.”
Madison rubbed her hands together, more out of nervousness rather than chill. The room was very warm from the roaring fire. Now she knew what a mother felt like when a young male suitor came around asking to marry her daughter. Stubby was building up Alex’s capabilities before he asked permission to send her off to war.
“I agree, Stubby. We love her very much.”
“Madison, um, I need you and Colton to talk about whether Alex is ready. Ready to fight.”
“You want to take my child off to war with you,” stated Madison calmly. “You do realize how absurd that sounds, right?”
“Under normal circumstances, yes.”
“Under any circumstances, Stubby.”
Madison leaned back in her chair and Stubby used the poker to adjust the logs, which generated a lot of sp
arks. Madison was upset with herself because she didn’t have the skills and the ice-water veins to perform the tasks that Stubby needed. Instead, she had to consider sending her teenage daughter out there to fight the Durhams and their thug deputies.
Madison continued. “Stubby, you can’t place her on the front lines, you know, toe to toe in some gun battle. That’s not fair.”
“Okay,” said Stubby. “The first phase will keep her completely out of harm’s way.”
“Is there a second phase?” asked Madison.
“Yes, it involves a surprise for Savannah. She’ll be leading the deciding blow that will bring the Durhams down.”
Madison thought about the prospect of living on Shiloh Ranch without fear of being harassed by the people who proclaimed to be the local governmental authority. It would be a new beginning for them and the entire community.
“I’ll agree so long as Colton remains by her side during both phases. He knows her best and she’ll respect his instructions. Their relationship, especially since the grid collapsed, has grown, and they seem to understand how things work now. I’m still trying to get a handle on it.”
Stubby stood and Madison rose to accept his hug. A couple of tears dripped from her eyes as she whispered to Stubby, “She’s still a child. Please don’t let her get hurt.”
Stubby gave her a reassuring smile but made no promises.
Chapter 21
Afternoon, November 8
Colton’s Birthday
Shiloh Ranch
The last of the laughter died down after an impromptu birthday celebration for Colton took place. There were plenty of embarrassing stories told by Alex and Madison, and a few barbs were thrown his way by Jake, who’d been a friend and client for many years. This resembled any other family gathering for a loved one’s birthday, until the elephant in the room reared its head once again.
“Everybody, I hate to put a damper on things,” said Stubby. “We have a very big decision to make as a group and then we need to discuss what’s next.”
Maria and Bessie stood and began gathering everyone’s plates. There was no evidence of the chocolate cake anywhere. Bessie commented how she could just place these plates on the shelf for tomorrow’s use.
“I don’t need to rehash the predicament that we’re in,” continued Stubby. “There’s a storm brewin’ across the way and I feel certain Junior is planning something. It’s been a week since we rescued Alex. In my gut, I feel the clock windin’ down.”
“Stubby, should we take the fight to them, or wait until they come to us?” asked Jake.
Stubby stood so that he could face the group. He unfurled a set of construction drawings for one of the outbuildings. On the back were pencil markings depicting a map of the area and arrows drawn in several directions.
“That’s the first order of business,” replied Stubby. “If we take the fight to them, then we willingly start a fight that may have to be fought on their turf. If we let Junior make the first move, then we defend our positions that are familiar to us. You can win a battle by having a superior defense.”
“Also, by waiting for him, it might not happen at all, right?” asked Madison.
“That’s true, but not likely,” said Stubby. “I know these folks. Don’t underestimate their penchant for revenge. Ma has quite a history on that front, all impossible to prove, of course.”
Emily raised her hand and spoke. “We can prove their atrocities now.”
“Maybe, but to whom?” asked Stubby. “They’re the authority around here. No, I feel like we need to prepare for the inevitable conflict. That’s why we’ve called all of the major landowners on this side of the river to get together tomorrow at Shiloh’s visitor center. We need to be a hundred percent on board.”
“My vote is to get ready with a strong defensive plan,” said Alex. “Let’s catch them off guard when they cross that bridge. Maybe we can just turn them back around.”
“Or inflict early losses on them, which might break their spirit,” added Colton.
Stubby nodded and smiled at Alex. “I believe your approach is best, Alex. Does anybody disagree?”
“No.”
“I totally agree.”
“I agree, so what’s the plan?”
Stubby sat on the hearth and spread the drawings out on the floor. Everyone leaned forward to focus on his proposal.
“There are two aspects to this plan, one which I will share with the ranchers tomorrow and the other is for our eyes only.”
“Let’s hear it,” said Jake.
Stubby pulled a pencil out of his ear and circled spots on both the north side and south side of Highway 64. “This is one of the Indian Mounds. It provides a nice two-hundred-foot drop towards the bridge into Savannah. On the north side is our new friend Charlie, who is an expert sniper. I propose to embed Colton and Alex on the Indian Mound as part of a two-man sniper team.”
“Excellent!” shouted Alex, drawing a stare from her mother. She quickly tamped down her enthusiasm.
“When Junior’s men enter this kill zone, here,” said Stubby, pointing to a circled area on the map, amidst a gasp from Emily. “Alex and Charlie will open fire. One of two things will happen. Junior’s men will retreat, or they’ll turn off the road toward the north. It will provide them the path of least resistance as an escape route.”
“What if they keep coming towards us?” asked Colton.
“Then you guys bail out of there and make your way back to Shiloh Church, where I’ll set up a headquarters, and give us a report,” replied Stubby. “Your role in this will not last long because I expect Junior to throw everything he’s got at us. With luck, he’ll turn north and give us some time to dig in. If he comes south, well, the Second Battle of Shiloh will be upon us.”
“Stubby,” started Jake, “you mentioned a second part of the overall plan. Tell us about that.”
Stubby walked behind Chase and patted him on the shoulders. “We’ll have a very important role for Chase in this aspect of the plan. Tomorrow afternoon, after we meet with the ranchers at the visitors’ center, Chase, Alex, and I will travel to Nixon with weapons and ammo. We’ll get Chase started in training the young ladies of Savannah who’ve been displaced by the Durhams. They want their town back and we’re gonna help ’em.”
“A surprise attack,” interjected Colton.
“Yes, and you will be a part of it as well,” said Stubby. “After you report in to Shiloh Church, I want you and Alex to cross the river to Miss Rhoda’s. From there, you will lead a contingent into the south side of town to circle up with Coach Carey and his Tiger Resistance.”
“Won’t Junior or his men be waiting?” asked Madison apprehensively.
“I don’t think so and here’s why,” replied Stubby. “Junior is very arrogant and egotistical. He sent search squads out a few days ago and they returned to Savannah with nothing. In his mind, that was good enough to go after the real prize—revenge on the Rymans. He’s gonna assume that one of the ranchers has been harboring these rotten fugitives. He’ll send everybody in a show of force, like he did in Adamsville.”
“His backside will be exposed,” added Jake, who used a stick from the kindling pile to point to the south side of Savannah. “While we whoop him over here, the rest of the good guys will sneak in and cut them off from returning to Savannah.”
“They’ll be trapped on our side of the river, or on the bridge, where, hopefully, we can put the squeeze on ’em,” said Stubby.
“We’ll get to capture their queen,” said Alex quietly.
“Yup, that’s the plan, Alex,” said Stubby, smiling. “This part of the plan has to be kept secret from the others. Its success will depend on its trickery. Loose lips sink ships.”
Everyone leaned back and relaxed in their chairs, taking in the complexity of Stubby’s plan. It had a number of moving parts and there was the potential for miscalculation.
“It’s a solid plan,” said Colton, who was joined by other members of the
group nodding their heads in agreement. “As a negotiator, I always had to know what our bottom-line, worst-case scenario was. What’s the fallback position if Junior’s men are too powerful for us?”
Stubby looked to Javy, who gave him a thumbs-up. “Earlier, I sent Javy with a couple of horses full of supplies and backup weapons down to Char Wolven’s place. If we have to bug out, we’ll hightail it down Federal Road and then through the woods to Childer’s Hill. Her place is heavily wooded, obscured from the road, and she has agreed to put us up until we can regroup.”
“You mean we might have to leave Shiloh Ranch?” asked a worried Emily.
“If necessary,” replied Stubby. “I’ve discussed this with Bessie already. Tomorrow, I’ll need you and Madison to work with Bessie in hiding certain supplies around the property. We don’t want to make it easy for Junior’s men to loot our place if they overrun us. At Childer’s Hill, we’ll lick our wounds and get ready for whatever is next.”
“What about us?” asked Colton.
“If you have to run, stay safe and hidden first,” replied Stubby. “Then make your way across the river to Rock Pile. It’s a straight shot to Childer’s Hill from there. Just remember, all three of you, we may not be able to come and get you this time. Keep your radios on and don’t push your luck. We can always find another place to live.”
Chapter 22
Morning, November 9
Pittsburg Landing Road
Shiloh Battlefield Visitor Center
Amongst the well-preserved battlefields of the four-thousand-acre Shiloh National Park was the two-story colonial-designed visitor center. Thousands of Civil War buffs passed through the halls of this beautiful building containing artifacts and historical accounts of this deadly Civil War battle. Prior to the collapse, a driving tour was suggested for the visitors that took them to the major battle scenes in The Woods, Grant’s Last Line, and the Hornet’s Nest.
After breaking in the back door, Jake, Colton, and Stubby walked reverently through the building. The sun was shining brightly that morning, allowing plenty of light to enter the grand exhibit hall.
