by AJ Newman
Tom bit his lip and then spoke. “Could you give information to someone who would pass the information on to Carlos Mendoza? This is important to our safety.”
Paul leaned forward in his chair. “I know I can. I have a lot of friends who know most of the men and women who joined Mendoza’s team.”
Tom trusted the young man but was nervous. “I’ll take you to Ashland and watch over you. Your job will be to make sure Mendoza gets the message that the Aryan Sons are about to attack Ashland and kill Mendoza. Then you tell them the Aryans are at the Oakhurst Inn out on Green Springs Highway.”
“What do I tell them when they ask how I know all this stuff?” Paul asked.
Tom knew this question was coming. “You stumbled upon the Aryan Son’s camp and spied on them. You thought the information would get you back in tight with the new mayor.”
Paul said, “The mayor’s daughter was one of the people I planned to pass the information to. I think the info needs to go to several people who can be counted on to pass it on to Mendoza.”
Tom was glad Paul took the time to think through what was expected of him. “Paul, you could end up being hauled in front of Mendoza. Could you keep your story straight and not give us away?”
Paul didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I can.”
Tom and Rick took turns grilling Paul as he practiced his role in duping Mendoza and his men. Paul was credible and believable. He could even cry about losing his family to make them believe his story. After three days of grilling Paul, Tom knew the boy was ready.
Tom found Paul and said, “We leave early in the morning. Dress in warm clothes and hiking boots. We’ll walk most of the way.”
***
South of Ashland, Oregon
The sun was hidden behind the mountains to the east as Bill and Jerry dropped Tom and Paul off on the side of Green Springs Highway south of Ashland. It was two o’clock in the morning during late winter. The air was cold, and their breath floated around them as they shouldered their backpacks and weapons. The moon was on vacation and didn’t show its face that night. It was cloudy, which blocked any feeble light from the stars. Tom could barely make out Paul, who was only a few yards away.
“Paul, I think this is the darkest night I’ve ever seen, or should I say, not seen,” Tom chuckled and then said, “Follow me. I plan to set up a base camp east of town in the Black Swan Lake area. The area is still wooded and should make a great place to hide. Kate and Jackie have drones above us using IR cameras. They’ll let us know if anyone gets near us or we need to walk around someone or a dangerous situation.”
Paul said, “I know the area well. One of my girlfriends lived in one of those fancy houses in the hills. There are still several stretches of dense woods to hide in while we’re there. As a matter of fact, we could hide in the city park and never be found.”
Tom replied, “But if we were found, there’s not enough woods to hide in or escape. A small group could cut us off from escaping west to the forest. I’d like to get a little sleep at night, not worrying about being caught too easily.”
Paul cringed. “That makes sense. I have a lot to learn.”
Tom said, “For this mission, you just need to be yourself and just spread the information about the attack. After we set up camp, you can go do your part while I scout the city. Remember, you’ll only have that hidden .380 Keltec, so don’t try to be a hero.”
Paul snickered. “Don’t worry about that. I know my mission and my limitations.”
They hiked the five miles to Hitt Road high above northwest Ashland and arrived as the sun’s rays hit the hillside, leaving Ashland in the dark. They found a patch of woods far away from any homes and set up their base of operations. Tom would come and go from the camp, but Paul would leave and not return for three days.
Paul left his rifle and large backpack at the camp. He only left with a small, ragged bag with a few clothes, granola bars, a Keltec .380, and two extra magazines.
Tom gave him last-minute instructions. “If caught, you’ll be searched. Play dumb and go along with them. If they find your pistol, don’t be a hero. Just let them take it. Your life is the most important thing. Now, try to be safe.”
Paul tucked the .380 under his belt. “Thanks for the coaching. I’ll be back after dark on the third day. If I’m not back, please take care of my brother.”
Tom replied. “I think Granny B is already spoiling him rotten. She’s taken a fancy to the boy. She likes all the group’s kids, but she likes your brother best.”
Paul walked away but stopped just before walking out of sight and waved back at Tom. Tom waved at Paul but felt dread because he suddenly thought that could be the last time he ever saw the young man.
Tom gave the signal to Kate to fly the drone back after changing batteries. They’d set up a list of single words to give instructions to each other. Most were as simple as left or right to steer Tom around any danger.
Tom began by exploring the homes around him. He didn’t plan to stay at the camp Paul, and he had set up. Tom trusted Paul but didn’t trust him to be able to keep secrets when tortured. Only one of the homes within a quarter-mile was occupied. None west of him had any signs that anyone had been there in months. Tom chose a nice modern log cabin for his short-term stay. He moved his gear there and was careful not to leave any signs of his presence outside the home.
Tom set a few traps and trip wires and then took a long nap to be ready to go into Ashland that night.
*
Chapter 22
Ashland Oregon
Tom waited until ten that night to sneak down from the hills to Ashland. He wore all black clothes and a balaclava to cover his face. Tom didn’t want to take a ruckus into town, so he only took his crossbow, two pistols, and his Keltec Sub 2000 9-mm carbine. The carbine folded in half and fit in his backpack with the four thirty-one round magazines. The mags fit his Glocks and the Sub 2000.
He made it to Granite Street when a dog started barking across the way. Tom scurried away and then crossed through some woods and down a hillside to Windburn Way. Soon, he was behind the Bomer Theater and took a short break. He hid behind the theater in some shrubs and leaned back against the building.
The night was again pitch black. Ashland sounded as though it was deserted except for the occasional dog barking and wails of romantic cats. After a few minutes, he heard a vehicle in the distance but didn’t see any lights. Tom had never been afraid of being alone in the woods at night. This almost deserted city was spooky to him.
Tom was surprised that he’d not seen any roving patrols or foot patrols. Mendoza’s security left a lot to be desired. This gave him several ideas on how to help force Mendoza to attack the Aryan Sons.
A half-hour later, Tom shouldered his pack and hefted his bow before skulking along the side of the shrubs by the theater and then across East Main Street. He was in the city now, and there wasn’t any dense brush and trees for cover. This slowed him down, as Tom had to observe every street and house before any movement. He crept in the shadows beside a business when he heard a muffled scream. He had seen the dim light in the window and knew he had to move on down the road.
He attempted to keep going and mind his own business when Tom heard the scream again. He backed up and gazed through the window. He was sickened by what he saw. A dozen or more young women and boys were chained to the wall. A large rough looking man was raping a screaming girl while two other men watched. Tom cringed and knew he needed to move on, but he couldn’t walk past this evil. He checked his bow and then tested the door. It wasn’t locked. An evil grin washed over Tom’s face as he slowly pushed the door open. The door squeaked a bit, but the three men were more interested in the girl than hearing a sound that could have saved their lives. Several of the captives saw Tom but didn’t yell. They thought he was with their captors.
The bolt flew into the man on top of the girl and struck the man in the back. It stuck out the front of his chest. Before the man fell, Tom drew his knife a
nd threw it at the closest man watching the debauchery. The third man saw his comrade fall with the rod sticking out of his chest and froze for a second too long. Tom ran up behind him with his Glock drawn and coldcocked the bastard.
The man fell to the floor with blood flowing from the wound on the back of his head. Tom kicked him in the side and walked over to the chained prisoners. A woman stood up and said, “Are you capturing us or letting us go?”
Tom asked, “Which one of these scumbags has the keys?”
The woman said, “The one with the new hole in his head. You didn’t have to kill them. You could have just made them stop. They could have been rehabilitated.”
Tom walked up to the woman and got in her face. “You are a dumb assed idiot. If you believe he can be rehabilitated, then all of Ashland’s gang can be rehabilitated. I have half a mind to chain you to a pole out on the street and see how you do rehabilitating these gang members.”
Tom collected himself and looked around at the half-naked people. “Who else believes these men deserve to live?”
No one raised their hands. Tom asked, “Anyone have military experience?”
A young woman raised her hand. “Sir, Army Sir! I served as a door gunner over in Iran.”
Tom searched the dying man’s pockets, found the keys, and handled them to the soldier. “Unlock their chains and run away from Ashland as fast as you can.”
Tom searched the men while the lady unlocked the captive’s chains. He gathered their weapons and took them to the lady soldier. “Here’s an AR, three 9 mm, and a 12 gauge pump. Now, you’re armed.”
The young lady urged Tom to go off to the side. “Can we join you? There are five of us that can fight, four women and Greg. We all served in the Army and Navy. All of us have seen combat, and we’ve been friends since grade school. I trust them with my life. Hell, I have trusted them with my life. We banded together when the shit hit the fan and were on our way back home to Medford and Talent when these bastards captured us. The mouthy bitch betrayed us and caused the whole group to be captured. She thought they would be nice to her. They hate traitors as much as we do.”
Tom asked, “What will you do with her?”
The lady said, “I’m Krista Call, and do you really want to know what I’ll do to that traitorous bitch?”
Tom said, “No, but she’ll just do it again if she gets free.”
Krista said, “Bingo! She won’t betray anyone else.”
Tom said, “Do what you have to do. Then go up Dead Indian Road about two miles. Watch for Sabre River Quarry and turn right into their driveway. Go to the end of the road, and you’ll be at the quarry. Stay at the quarry until someone comes to get you. Do not take anyone that you don’t trust completely. We also eliminate people who can’t be trusted.”
Tom left the group and walked out the door just as he heard two gunshots. He thought, well, that takes care of the mouthy bitch.
Tom found a safe place to call Kate. “I sent some new folks to a safe place where you can find them. Use the usual protocols.”
Kate knew to keep the transmission short. “Will do. Good luck.”
The night was still, with only the occasional sound of buildings contracting from being heated by the sun. The night air had dipped down to the mid-thirties. A dog barked in the distance, and Tom knew someone or something had stirred the dog. Then another dog barked closer to him.
The sound of a door opening froze Tom, and then a man’s yelling split the night. “Shut up, or I’ll kick your ass.”
The dog barked again and then yelped in pain. Tom hated anyone who mistreated an animal. The dog had been trying to tell the man someone was entering the dog’s territory, and a good dog always alerts his master. The dark figures threw something toward the dog, and he didn’t bark.
Tom moved closer to see what the shadowy figures were up to when a small fire started on the porch by the back door. The dark clad figures ran and hid behind a neighbor’s shed. A man opened the door and shouted obscenities. Then he stomped on the fire to put it out, but there was an explosion, and the man fell to the ground screaming in pain. Tom followed the people as they ran away.
He tried to keep from open places, but the two sprinted in a straight line. Tom saw them run across the street ahead, and something didn’t feel right. He stopped and hid by shrubs in front of a business. He’d just risen to see what the two were doing when three men ran past him chasing the two dark clad people.
Gunfire raked the men from several directions, and the three men who were chasing the dark clad people fell dead. A half-dozen men and women came out of the darkness, stripped the three of their weapons, and then fled the scene. Tom wondered if it was another group like Samantha’s or another gang trying to take over.
A few minutes later, two trucks pulled up, and several men jumped from the back of each truck. They fanned out and secured the area before their leader ordered them to go in the direction the others had taken. Tom wondered how he knew their direction.
The leader walked over to one of the buildings. A woman came out and pointed where the attackers had gone. The woman had a walkie-talkie in her hand. Tom wanted to kill both of them but decided to put fear in her head instead. He aimed, and a bolt flew to its target. There was a sickening thump as the bolt struck the man’s head. He hit the doorway, almost knocking the woman down.
Tom ran to the woman’s side, knocked the radio from her hand, and crushed it under his boot. “Lady, if you help Mendoza again, I’ll send the next bolt through your head.”
Her eyes grew large, and she raised a knife to stab Tom. He’d been prepared and shot her from the hip with his 9-mm and ran back into the shadows. He was long gone when the gang members came back to investigate the gunshot.
Tom wondered how long someone could snipe these asshats before being caught or killed. He decided while it would be fun, he wasn’t going to risk his life.
***
The petite brunette saw a familiar figure. “Paul! You’re alive! Where have you been?”
Paul instantly recognized the voice. “Hush! You’ll get me killed.”
They embraced, and the young woman covered Paul in kisses. “Where have you been? I was so scared for you. Mendoza had men looking for the old mayor and you.”
Paul had dated the girl, but they hadn’t been close. “I’ve been hiding in the hills down toward California. I spent some time on the ocean and decided to see what had happened up here after I left. I’m worried about Ashland. I ran into a bunch of freaking skinheads who plan to take Ashland from Mendoza. They are a bunch of mean assed mothers.”
She said, “You need to run to Mendoza and tell him what you know.”
Paul exclaimed. “Screw Mendoza! I don’t care if they skin him alive. I was worried about my friends. I came into Ashland to tell my buddies Bo and Iggy. I know they’ll spread the word to the ones that matter and won’t let it slip to Mendoza.”
She pleaded, “Come with me. I know you cared for me. I need you so much.”
Paul said, “I have some things to do. Where can I meet you four days from now after the sun goes down? I’d like you to come with me.”
The pretty brunet answered, “Behind the high school where we used to make out.”
Paul walked away and kept checking to see if anyone had followed him. He didn’t see anyone but had a nagging feeling he was being watched. Paul was right. Jackie and Kate each had a drone watching over Paul. They lost him several times, but they kept finding him.
Paul waited until Mr. Green, his high school math teacher, was alone behind his home to approach him. Paul knew the man was scared to death of Mendoza’s men and would sing like a bird to curry favor.
Paul snuck up behind him but stayed in the shadows. “Mr. Green, it’s Paul. I need your help.”
The man almost pissed himself when Paul spoke behind him. “What? What? Who? Paul, you were in my fifth period Calculus class. Everyone thinks you’re dead.”
Paul snickered. “I’m a
live and want you to help me spread the word to the folks resisting Mendoza. A large bunch of skinheads is gathering out on Green Springs Highway at the Oakhurst Inn. They plan to attack Mendoza and take over this area. You and all our friends need to get away from Ashland before they attack. You only have four or five days before they overwhelm this place.”
Mr. Green frowned. “How does a young boy come by this information?”
Paul said, “They almost captured me. I hid near their camp and couldn’t leave without being found. I heard a lot of stuff going around their camp. They have big assed machine guns, and those rocket propelled grenades and a bunch of other military weapons. I gotta go and tell my friends to get the hell out of Dodge. Bye.”
Mr. Green yelled. “You need to go to Mendoza and warn him.”
“Screw Mendoza,” Paul said over his shoulder and then said, “I hope they burn him alive.”
*
Chapter 23
Ashland Oregon
Tom didn’t regret shooting the woman, but now, he was pinned down in the basement of what he’d thought was an abandoned home. The gang’s security patrol had spotted him, and he tried frantically to break into several homes but failed. He found the cellar door to a home unlocked and ran down the steps into the basement.
Tom shined his flashlight on the door and saw it had a lock on the inside. Tom carefully twisted the handle to reduce any noise. Two steel bars secured the door from anyone opening it from the outside. He turned his attention to the basement and was worried there weren’t any cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. He looked around and saw the floor was spotless. The walls were covered in shelves. Most of them were empty. Tom found a section that had a dozen jars of canned tomatoes and apples. He opened a jar of tomatoes, savored the juicy red fruit, and then had the entire jar of apples for dessert.
