Stolen Liberty: Behind the Curtain

by Thomas A. Watson

  “Blaster, we are in a firefight and trying to get away, so lower your voice,” Randy snapped as he passed by.

  “You only have one foot! How can you run that fast?” Cody snapped, and they heard the troops entering the woods behind them.

  Running past Charlie, “Yeah, you shot down a chopper, but it was a little one, so don’t get a big head,” Randy said, moving into the lead.

  “Eat me, country boy,” Charlie chuckled, hearing a diesel engine growling.

  Skidding to a halt, Randy moved up to the road and saw the first MRAP that Charlie had shot at, backing up from the railroad embankment. “You better have more bullets because it’s coming,” Randy said, running out on the road.

  He ran across, dropping in the ditch to see troops running down the road, firing. Lifting his AR up, Randy started sending hate downrange. “Contact rear,” Robbie called over the radio as Cody dove out past Charlie and landed in the ditch. He looked over when Randy moved up the ditch, then started shooting again.

  Lifting his rifle, Cody saw the MRAP turning toward them and centered his reticle on the figures running down the road. Calming his breathing as much as he could, Cody squeezed the trigger, dropping one charging. Seeing another shooting from the hip, Cody moved his aim and sent three rounds into the figure and watched him face plant on the road.

  Changing positions, Charlie saw someone climbing up in the cupola and aimed at the driver’s spot, sending two rounds through the window, but the MRAP never changed course. The Ma Deuce started her thumping and Charlie dove to the side as bullets chewed up the tree he was near.

  Hearing the thump of the fifty, Cody changed magazines, watching the last man he’d shot get run over by the MRAP. Seeing the line of tracers hitting around Charlie, Cody aimed at the cupola and seeing the gunner was ducking behind the armor shield, pulling the trigger rapidly, Cody watched his bullets ricochet off.

  The gunner heard the pings off the armor shield and rotated the gun, never letting off the trigger.

  Cody saw the stream of lead moving toward him and pulled up on his knee to run across the road.

  “Uhff,” Cody gasped when a truck hit him in the center of the chest. He looked down at a hole blown through his chest plate and could feel the blood pouring out his back.

  Getting up, Charlie held his reticle on the turret and emptied his magazine, punching holes in the steel until one hit the gunner. When the body fell inside the MRAP, the driver stomped the brake and put the MRAP in reverse. Backing away, a line of troops using the MRAP for rolling cover had to jump out of the way before they were run over.

  Randy started shooting into the group, moving rapidly from target to target. Feeling his bolt lock back, Randy rolled down the bank while yanking a magazine out and slapping it home.

  Cody looked up twenty yards away and saw two troops running at him, firing from the hip. Lifting his AR up with one hand, Cody squeezed the trigger as fast as he could and watched the first one jerk before all strength left his arm.

  Falling back, Cody felt a sharp pain in the side of his head before he landed on the grass, struggling to breathe. “Sorry, guys,” Cody gurgled, with blood coming out of his mouth. Feeling his mind go cloudy, Cody relaxed.

  As his eyes closed, calmness filled Cody’s being and a small smile creased his bloody lips as he used his last breath, “Hey, Wheat.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Randy turned and saw a man charging Cody and swung his rifle over, shooting the soldier in the side of the head. He watched the soldier fall and changed magazines, then his heart stopped. “Man down!” he bellowed, running across the road.

  He dove into the ditch and saw a hole punched in the center of Cody’s chest. Feeling for a pulse, Randy saw where a bullet had hit Cody behind the right ear and removed the base of his skull. “Can you patch him up?!” Charlie shouted, shooting into the woods while Robbie pulled back.

  Swallowing a lump in his throat, “Man down,” Randy said softly and looked up the road as the MRAP that was backing away was swarmed by the prisoners.

  Taking Cody’s pack off, Randy rolled his body onto his shoulder. “Road is clear, we are leaving!” he shouted. “Grab Cody’s ruck!”

  Robbie ran out into the ditch and saw Randy running up the embankment of the railroad tracks with Cody over his shoulder. Grabbing Cody’s ruck with his claw, Robbie pumped his legs as hard as he could. Reaching the tracks, he stopped before dropping the rucksack and lifted his AR up, grabbing his PTT. “Book, peel,” he called out.

  As Charlie ran from the trees, Robbie saw two hot spots in his thermal and pumped rounds center mass until both dropped. “Last mag,” Robbie called over the radio and Charlie picked up Cody’s rucksack as he passed Robbie.

  Seeing troops further back but creeping ahead slowly, Robbie turned and followed Charlie. Grabbing his sling, Robbie undid the clip from single point to double and let the AR hang across his chest. Reaching back with his right hand, Robbie pulled out a bandolier.

  Running down the opposite embankment, Robbie snapped the speed loader and fed the first stripper clip in. Using his claw, Robbie shoved the ten rounds in, knocking the stripper clip off as he grabbed another.

  Seeing Randy ten yards ahead and running through water, Charlie reached down and felt one magazine on his chest and none on his left thigh. Unable to reload carrying Cody’s rucksack, Charlie splashed through the water.

  With a dark subdivision on their left and the tracks on their right, Charlie and Robbie struggled to keep up with Randy. Looking ahead, Charlie saw they were headed into a field with a small stand of trees. Letting his rifle hang, Charlie grabbed his PTT box. “Shadow, stop in the trees, so we can work on Cody,” Charlie called out.

  “KIA,” Randy called back, and Charlie’s legs faltered, sending him crashing to the ground and sliding in the mud.

  Running up, Robbie grabbed Charlie and yanked him up, “Come on,” Robbie growled in a broken voice.

  Forcing his legs to move, Charlie ran on.

  Clearing the field, Randy shifted Cody on his shoulder as he ran onto a golf course. Behind him, the gunfire was increasing to battle field tempo but wasn’t moving and he pushed on.

  ***

  “We need to move,” Tabitha said, gripping Kristi’s arm.

  Yanking her arm away, “Tabitha, we wait for thirty more minutes,” Kristi snapped.

  “Kristi, you heard all that gunfire! We need to leave,” Ryan snapped, getting up and storming over to Kristi. “There is no way they could make it through that.”

  Kristi froze, hearing the unmistakable ‘click’ of an AR being taken off safe. “Get away from my mom,” Clark snarled, and everyone turned to see Clark aiming at Ryan’s head.

  “Clark, you put that gun down now!” Tabitha snapped.

  “Sit back down, Ryan, before I shoot,” Clark said calmly.

  Tabitha took a step toward Clark and he swung his gun over, aiming at her. “I feel threatened, so I can shoot,” Clark said coldly. “And I will because you aren’t my family.”

  “Tabitha, sit down and shut your mouth,” Kristi said, grabbing her arm and forcing her to sit down.

  “My knees are skinned up and bleeding,” Tabitha whined.

  Ryan went to move and saw Clark swing his aim back to him. “Five, four, three, two,” Clark started, and Ryan dropped to the ground before Clark reached one.

  “Kristi, you will tell Clark to stop pointing that gun at me!” Ryan barked.

  Giving a sigh, Kristi turned back to look out over the field they had crossed. “Clark, if he gets up again, just shoot him in the face,” Kristi said, and Ryan went pale.

  Glancing at her watch, Kristi saw they had twenty minutes before they had to move. Seeing movement at the edge of the field in her NVG, Kristi caught her breath. “Momma, I see someone,” Emily said beside her. “It’s three people.”

  “Everyone, get behind a tree,” Kristi commanded.

  “I told you we should’ve left, dammit,” Ryan hissed,
moving behind a tree.

  “Emily, Clark, don’t shoot unless I do,” Kristi said, kneeling down.

  As the figures neared the trees, the second one reached up and Kristi saw an IR light flash three times. “Kids, it’s them, don’t shoot,” Kristi said, jumping up and running out of the woods. As Randy got closer, Kristi reached up and covered her mouth, seeing a body over his shoulder.

  She looked back and saw the second form and knew it was Charlie, and then the big form of Robbie. “Oh god, Babyface,” Kristi gasped.

  Never pausing his stride, Randy jogged right past Kristi. She turned and jogged after him. “How bad?” Kristi asked, trying to lift Cody’s head up and seeing a chunk of his helmet ripped away. Then her eyes moved to Cody’s back and her pace faltered, seeing a hole blown out through the back trauma plate.

  Stopping in a small clearing, Randy kneeled and then gently took Cody off his shoulder. Kristi caught Cody’s head as it flopped back and guided it to the ground. Hearing a sharp intake of breath, Kristi turned and saw Emily looking down at Cody’s lifeless body.

  Gulping in air, Randy undid his rucksack and let it fall off his back as Charlie and Robbie jogged up. Dropping Cody’s rucksack, Charlie undid his, letting it hit the ground followed by Robbie’s. The three formed up around Cody.

  Kneeling beside Cody, Randy placed his hand on Cody’s shoulder. “Why did you stay with us, Babyface? You should’ve found greener pastures,” Randy mumbled with tears rolling down his face.

  “He was with family, Shadow,” Charlie sighed, wiping his eyes. “He died on his feet for his family. What any man would want.”

  Kristi knelt at Cody’s head and saw the gentle smile still on his bloody lips. “You were a great man, Cody,” she said softly and caressed his cold cheek.

  “We’re cursed,” Randy declared, leaning over and started taking gear off Cody’s vest. Emily moved over, hugging Kristi while Clark just dropped down beside his mom. A thousand questions filled Clark’s mind, but the loss made his body numb.

  Grabbing Cody’s AR, Randy held it up and saw the ACOG scope and thermal attachment had been shattered by bullets. Then he saw a half inch hole through the housing made by a fifty-caliber bullet. Unclipping the AR, Randy grabbed the suppressor and twisted it off.

  “Put this on your rifle,” Randy said, tossing it over next to Kristi.

  “We need to leave!” Ryan snapped, stomping over with Tabitha. Randy lunged up with bloodlust and felt a bull hit him from the side, taking him down.

  Trying to spin away from his attacker, Randy felt a tree trunk wrap around his throat. Spreading his legs to spin around and face his attacker, Randy felt someone jump on his legs, holding them together. “Shadow!” Charlie snapped as Randy struggled to get out of the chokehold Robbie had him in.

  Feeling Randy trying to rotate his body, Robbie wrapped his legs around Randy’s abdomen. “Easy, Shadow,” Robbie said softly, relaxing the chokehold.

  When he felt Randy’s body relaxing, Robbie let up more on his grip, but didn’t release it when Charlie leaned into Randy’s face. “Shadow, now isn’t the time. We have pissed off the world,” Charlie said, patting Randy’s chest. “We need you to get your head to the here and now, troop. When our number comes up, no matter where you are, it’s time to pay for the party. Cody went out fighting. He stood tall with his team.”

  Taking his eyes off Ryan and Tabitha, Randy turned to Charlie. “We’ve done this once already and got the t-shirt,” Randy snapped with tears coursing down his face.

  “We embrace the suck, troop. Life decides what the suck will be, but you can lay down and take it or embrace it and fight against it,” Charlie said, slowly unwrapping his legs from Randy. Seeing Randy continuing to relax, Charlie nodded at Robbie.

  Unwrapping his arm from Randy’s neck and his legs from Randy’s body, “Shadow, it could’ve been any of us and Babyface knew that. He charged into the dragon’s den willingly and stood tall,” Robbie said, letting Randy sit up.

  Getting up, Randy turned to Ryan and Tabitha as Robbie prepared to get between them. Not because he wanted to protect them, Robbie knew Randy needed to unleash, but would feel guilty later. Otherwise, Robbie would’ve handed Randy his knife to bleed the garbage dry.

  “Open your mouths again and you will eat your tongues before you die.” Randy glared with fire at the two.

  Moving over to Cody’s rucksack, Randy took a deep breath when he knelt. He looked at the front and back and saw the round had passed completely through the rucksack. Opening the top, Randy started laying out gear as Charlie and Robbie moved over beside him.

  “I’ll carry him next,” Charlie said, kneeling down and helping Randy sort the gear.

  Reaching into the rucksack, Robbie pulled out clothes and looked in the bottom. “Good lord!” he gasped. Charlie and Randy leaned over, looking at the bottom to see it was packed with freeze-dried packages.

  “That’s why he had us eating from his supply,” Charlie smiled remorsefully.

  “He didn’t want Momma on our asses about not eating,” Randy said in a breaking voice.

  Putting a hand on Randy’s shoulder, “I’ll tell ‘em,” Charlie sighed, and Randy nodded, pulling out the food.

  With the stuff laid out, Randy stood up. “He only has one top for a stretcher, get one out of my ruck,” Randy said, turning around. “I’m going to find some saplings.”

  “Clark, Emily,” Charlie said, turning around and holding up Cody’s two woobies. “He would want you to have these.”

  They moved over, taking the poncho liners and Kristi moved over to help them pack what they were taking. Randy came back with two six-foot-long saplings he’d cut and using two button-up jackets, they made a stretcher. “We carry him to the state line where we were going to hole up and bury him,” Randy said, and Robbie turned around. “I’ll come back on the horses and bring him home. We don’t have the manpower to do that again, and we aren’t young roosters anymore.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Robbie said, daring Randy to say otherwise.

  “Me, too,” Charlie added. All three bumped fists and then moved over, taking Cody’s tactical vest off. When Charlie moved to take off the helmet, Kristi stopped him.

  “Don’t,” she said, grabbing his hand. “Let Cody keep it on.”

  Seeing the back of the helmet, Charlie just nodded and helped Robbie put Cody’s body on the stretcher. “Tabitha, you help me carry the front. Ryan, you carry the back and if you complain, you leave right then,” Kristi warned.

  Kristi turned to see Randy tucking Cody’s poncho around him like a blanket. “You were a good friend, kid,” Randy said, getting up.

  “One of the best,” Charlie nodded.

  “A brother and a Ranger,” Robbie finished.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Indiana

  With her left hand gripping the handle of the makeshift stretcher, Kristi looked over at Tabitha. “Don’t drop it,” Kristi said in a low voice.

  “It’s heavy,” Tabitha whined.

  “Tabitha, I’m carrying one end by myself,” Ryan huffed, trying to let Kristi know he was tired.

  “You two set him down, then you can leave,” Kristi told them while the eastern sky started to lighten. Flipping her NVG up, Kristi turned to see Emily walking beside the stretcher and holding Cody’s pale hand. “Emily, I need you in front of me.”

  Covering Cody’s hand up, Emily wiped her face with the back of her glove and moved in front of Kristi with her head hanging low. “Emily, you need to help keep an eye out,” Charlie said, slowing his pace.

  Lifting her head up, Emily wiped her nose with her sleeve. “It’s not fair,” she mumbled, and Charlie reached over to flip her NVG up and turned it off.

  “I know, tadpole, but life is rarely fair,” Charlie said, letting his hand rest on her shoulder. “All you can do is your best and hope that’s enough.”

  Looking ahead, Kristi still didn’t see Randy. “When is Randy coming back?” Kristi asked
.

  “He’s waiting for us at the campsite,” Charlie said over his shoulder. “He wanted to make sure there were no surprises close.”

  “Uncle Charlie, is it going to rain forever?” Emily asked, looking around as the rain fell. They were walking along a fence row that bordered a field.

  “Tadpole, I’m beginning to wonder that myself,” Charlie told her, then cupped his hand over his earbud.

  When Charlie dropped his hand, Kristi asked. “Was that Randy?”

  “Yeah, he said there is military traffic on I-65, but it’s light and we should be able to sneak under at the overpass,” Charlie told her. “He’s also got food going.”

  “I’m starved,” Tabitha moaned.

  “And lucky to be alive,” Robbie mumbled behind them.

  Moving up beside Charlie, Clark looked around. “Uncle Charlie, since we are in Indiana, will we still have to worry about the military and police?” Clark asked, sniffling.

  “Clark, if they see us, I’m sure they will shoot first and ask questions later, so let’s just avoid them,” Charlie answered.

  They stopped when they reached a fence and passed the stretcher across, then continued on. Charlie looked at his watch and saw it was already 1000 when he looked up and saw a stand of trees ahead. He tapped Emily’s shoulder. “There’s where Shadow is waiting on us.”

  Looking at the trees in the distance, Emily tried to smile but couldn’t.

  Reaching the stand of trees an hour later, they found Randy waiting for them and led them under several massive oak trees. Charlie saw an animal on a spit over a bed of charcoal briquettes. “Where did you get the charcoal?” Charlie asked while Kristi directed Tabitha and Ryan on where to put the stretcher down.

  “Stole it,” Randy shrugged.

  Smelling the roasting meat, Tabitha moved over to the warmth of the charcoal. “Is that a baby deer?” she asked, holding her hands over the glowing coals.