Without II: The Fall

by E. E. Borton

  He took a long drink and then offered me his bottle. I waved it off with a smile and reached for my gear. I wasn’t ready for small talk.

  “She’ll understand,” said Doug, not ready for small talk either. “She’s not going to blame you for this. Nobody will. And if they try, they’ll have to answer to us. They weren’t there. We were.”

  For a moment, my rage subsided and the sadness returned. They were the words I needed to hear. I released my grip on the pack and turned to face him.

  “He asked a lot of you,” said Doug, handing me his water bottle again. I took it.

  “I don’t know if I could’ve walked into that camp unarmed and exposed, but you did. You didn’t hesitate to go with him. That took guts, my man. It showed us that you’d follow him anywhere and do anything he asked of you. It showed us how much you loved him. Donna and those kids will understand.”

  My eyes were glassing over, but I didn’t care. I did love that man. We had been reunited for a short period of time, but it was enough. He was a great man with a big heart that genuinely cared about other people. The general didn’t just take my uncle’s life. He took some of mine. He took some life from all of us.

  “You just don’t kill a man like my uncle,” I said. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “It never will with people like that,” said Doug, standing. “That’s why we’re gonna get rid of them. We’re gonna send as many of those fuckers as we can to the bottom of the lake.”

  “That part does make sense,” I said, standing and picking up my gear.

  “There are only a few shooting positions that need to be changed,” said JD, coming out of the woods and crossing the road. “Other than that, Gunny has ‘em lookin’ good.”

  “Your job is to make them look better,” I said. “We only have one chance against them, and this is it.”

  “Have I ever let you down?” asked JD, smiling.

  “Not once, brother,” I said.

  As we approached the edge of the dam, I knew most of our men on the other side would notice we were one man short. My stomach tightened at the thought of explaining what happened to him. I had trouble imagining how it was going to feel when his wife and kids were standing in front of me.

  I was surprised when the first group exposed themselves and approached us. They met us with handshakes and pats on the back, but with few words. It was as if they already knew. They told us Gunny was inside the dam setting up the .50 cal.

  “Welcome back, boys,” said Gunny, turning around when we walked into the room. “I need to get some air. Join me, Henry?”

  JD and the boys stayed behind to help finish with the gun placement. Gunny and I were near the middle of the dam before he spoke. I found myself feeling nervous and didn’t know what to expect.

  “What happened, son?” asked Gunny, leaning on the rail and looking over the water.

  “They executed him,” I said. “He and I walked into their camp unarmed. He wanted to give diplomacy a chance.”

  “How?” asked Gunny, tightening his grip on the rail. “How did they kill him, and where is he now?”

  “They restrained me,” I said, “then they cut his throat and dragged him out of the tent. They’ll give up his body if we give up the train.”

  I could see the muscles in his jaw flex as he took a deep breath. I felt like a kid in the principal’s office. I knew he was disappointed in me for leaving him behind. I was more disappointed in myself for the same reason. I was never in the military, but I know how it affects those who were. You never leave a man behind.

  “He just walked into the camp?” asked Gunny, regaining his composure and turning to face me.

  “Yeah.”

  “That makes him the bravest, stupidest man I know,” said Gunny, shaking his head. “And you went with him?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That makes you the second bravest, stupidest man I know.”

  “I tried to stop him, Gunny. I’m not as big a fan of diplomacy.”

  “Neither am I, but you and I both know, when he makes his mind up about something, nobody is going to change it. You were with him when he died?”

  “I was.”

  “I’m sorry, son. Believe me when I say I’ve been in your shoes. Your uncle is a great man and a great leader. I’ll always remember him that way. You did the right thing by not fighting them. If you had tried, they would’ve killed you both. And I need you right now. That burning in your gut, I need that too. You understand me?”

  “I do.”

  “Good,” said Gunny, crossing his arms. “Tell me what we’re up against, and let’s take care of business. After we do, we’ll go get Perry and take him home.”

  People gravitate toward confidence. When the shit hits the fan, they look for it and follow it anywhere. It’s contagious and essential if any of us expect to survive the next day or the next year. Gunny was a confident man. I could sense the change in him as he slipped off the jacket of a civilian and strapped on the armor of a Marine.

  I briefed him in detail about how many men we’d be fighting, their weapons, and their condition. He didn’t flinch at the numbers as he absorbed the information. When he was finished with me, he summoned for JD, Tucker, and the Kramer brothers.

  They pointed out the exposed firing positions and filled in any gaps I had with my assessment of the militia. Gunny pulled out a small notebook from his pocket, drew a diagram, and jotted down notes as we stood around him. He ripped off the sheet and handed it to JD.

  “Any questions about what I need you boys to do?” asked Gunny.

  “No, sir,” said JD, looking at the diagram. “We’ll get right on it.”

  “Thank you,” said Gunny, turning his attention to Doug and Daniel. “How fast can you two shut off the water going through the dam?”

  “Give us a couple more guys, and we can do it in ten minutes,” said Doug. “The valves are loosened up and will turn much faster now.”

  “Good,” said Gunny. “How soon will the river dry up after you do?”

  “It’ll be a shallow creek in less than an hour.”

  “Perfect,” said Gunny. “Grab as many men as you need and show them what needs to be done. I’ll let you know when to shut it down.”

  “Will do,” said Doug.

  “We’re shutting off the water?” I asked, watching the Kramer brothers walk away.

  “As soon as we see them coming,” said Gunny.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “When we start cutting them down, I don’t want too many of their dead bodies falling off the dam and contaminating our drinking water. It’ll also be easier recovering their weapons and supplies from a mudbank versus a river bottom. Once we remove as many as we can, we’ll open it back up.”

  Gunny was a very confident man.

  Chapter 21

  Show Time

  As the sun dropped behind the mountains, most of the men took shelter inside of the dam. There was plenty of room and it was one of the few places a person could feel safe from the angry weather. I volunteered to take the first watch, but separated myself from the other men on duty. I wanted some time alone.

  I missed Kelly’s body next to mine, but I was glad she was so far away. It gave me comfort in the cold and the darkness knowing she was warm and safe back in Bridgeport. Once again, I found myself physically located between the ones I loved and the ones trying to take them from me. Many, if not all, of the men at the dam felt the same way. It was what made us very dangerous people. We would do whatever it took to protect them.

  The evening air was crisp, clear, and clean. With no ambient light, it would take just a few minutes to spot satellites creeping across the night sky. Other than the guns in our hands, they were our last connection to modern technology. I wondered if they were still transmitting data down to a deaf world, or if they had died at 8:13 as well.

  Having time alone with my thoughts isn’t always a good thing. For the most part, they just fire through my head in n
o specific order. They’re random and unrelated to the previous image. But my thoughts always come back to the people I’ve lost and the people I’ve taken. My uncle will be remembered as a great man who sacrificed everything for his family and his neighbors. I wondered if I’d be thought of in the same way when my time came to pass.

  I must have been sitting there for hours before I heard the twigs snap underneath a pair of boots coming up the hill. I focused my attention toward the noise, but I didn’t sense danger. A familiar quick whistle put me back at ease.

  “So much for being a ninja,” I said, lowering my rifle to my lap.

  “You know I did that on purpose,” said JD, taking a seat on a tree stump next to me.

  “I know,” I said. “Are you my relief?”

  “Yep,” said JD. “I’m a little early, but I got plenty of sleep. I thought you could use some extra sack time.”

  “I appreciate that, but I doubt I’ll get any,” I said. “I can’t close my eyes without seeing my uncle lying in a pool of his blood.”

  “How do you fix somethin’ like that?” asked JD, laying his rifle on the ground.

  “I replace it with another image,” I said.

  “Somethin’ that looks like a dead general?”

  “Exactly like a dead general.”

  “What if that don’t happen tomorrow?” asked JD. “What if he ain’t on the dam when the shooting starts? He don’t seem like the type lookin’ for glory in battle.”

  “Then I go after him,” I said.

  “What’s your plan?” asked JD. “You just gonna chase him all the way back to Chattanooga?”

  “If I have to, yes.”

  “Ain’t much of a plan, and that’s a helluva long walk.”

  “I’m not asking anyone to go with me, JD.”

  “You see, there you go again.”

  “What?” I said. “He killed the closest thing I had to family left on this planet, JD.”

  “And you just keep flappin’ those gums,” said JD, shaking his head. “You ever listen to what comes out of your mouth when you’re pissed?”

  “I’m not in the mood for a sermon.”

  “Not giving you a damn sermon, Henry,” said JD, leaning in closer to me. “You run around here actin’ like you’re the only person who lost somebody. We all have. I knew Perry my whole life. My whole life. We had our ups and downs, but we always respected each other. If we needed help, he’d be the first one there no matter what. We’d do the same for him and his family. He’s more of an uncle to me and Tucker than to you. You’ve been back for what? A few months? And now you need to go get some revenge for the family name?”

  “I thought you weren’t giving me a sermon,” I said, continuing to not listen to what was coming out of my mouth.

  “You ain’t going after him for no other reason than you’re scared to face the music,” said JD.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, you do,” said JD. “You think tellin’ Donna that you killed the man that murdered her husband is gonna make it easier on you. It ain’t. It’s gonna hurt ‘em just as bad and they’re not gonna care about what you did. You’re afraid they’re gonna hate you for what you didn’t do. You didn’t bring him home. You let him die.”

  “Is this your way of making me feel better?” I asked, cocking my head. “It’s not working. I know I’m not bringing him home. I know I let him die. I don’t need you or anybody else to remind me of that.”

  “That’s my point,” said JD. “You think they’re gonna blame you for this, but they’re not. I promise you that. Shit happens out here that you or nobody else can control. They know that. Now, they will hate you if you go and get yourself killed trying to make things square. Whether you kill him or not, it ain’t gonna make a difference.”

  “You may be right, JD,” I said, “but you’re missing the bigger part of this problem. He isn’t the kind of man who’s going to take a beating and call it quits. He has a bigger army in Chattanooga, and he’ll bring them all down here. None of us are safe while he’s still alive. He’ll be back, and we won’t be able to stop him.”

  “If he goes down, another one will just take his place,” said JD.

  “That’s what I’m hoping for,” I said, coming clean. “It seems there’s a group within his ranks that’s looking for an opportunity to take over. I met one of them on my way out of the camp. He seems like a good man. If we give him that opportunity, we won’t have to worry about them coming back.”

  “Jesus Christ, Henry,” said JD, standing. “He knows we’re here? You just got all of us killed!”

  “Sit down, JD,” I said, reaching up and grabbing his forearm. “Keep your voice down. No, they don’t know we’re here. Yes, I’m taking a risk, but I didn’t have too many options. It wasn’t like I could ask for approval at our next town meeting. I had to act fast.”

  “Then what does he know?” asked JD, returning to his stump. “Tell me every goddamned detail.”

  After taking a deep breath, I gave them to him. When I finished, I wasn’t sure whom I was trying to convince more that it would work out, me or JD. I’m pretty sure I failed at both.

  “So this guy, who you met for thirty seconds after his men killed your uncle, is willing to jump ship and help us kill his leader,” said JD. “And he thinks the ambush is going to happen at the bridge and not the dam. What if he gets killed in all the gunfire? You’re the only one who knows what he looks like. Come on, Henry. I thought you were smarter than that.”

  “That’s the risk he’s willing to take,” I said, countering with a weak argument.

  “How do you know he didn’t stroll up to the general and tell him everything?” asked JD, making his argument stronger. “What if they send a scouting party ahead of the main group? Our cover will be blown, and that’s the end of us. This is crazy, man. We need to tell Gunny what’s going on.”

  “We can’t,” I said.

  “You’re not thinking this through,” said JD. “He needs to know.”

  “What difference is it going to make now?” I said. “We still have to face them. They’re still coming.”

  “He’ll come up with a better plan,” said JD. “Unlike you, he does think things through.”

  “We have an opportunity to take out the general now,” I said. “Yes, I’m sure Gunny will change the plan based on what I’ve done. When he does, we’ll lose that opportunity.”

  “This is insane, Henry.”

  I needed to do a much better job of convincing JD I wasn’t insane. I couldn’t physically stop him from going to Gunny, nor would I try. I needed to do a better job of listening to what was coming out of my mouth.

  “This is personal, JD,” I said, trying to draw him in by whispering. “But what I did had nothing to do with revenge or trying to be a hero. I’m doing the best I can right now to protect our towns and make sure everything doesn’t end here. I’m doing the best I can, JD.

  “You and I have been through some crazy shit together, but we always find a way through it. There’s nobody else I’d want beside me in a fight more than you. I know you have my back, and you know I have yours. I always will, brother.

  “I know what I did doesn’t make any sense to you. It’s hard for me to explain, but he’s not like the others. I could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. He’s had enough of that crazy fucker as well. He and others like him aren’t strong enough to get rid of him on their own. He needs us and we need him.

  “He gave me information that could get him killed. I had to give him something in return. I couldn’t ask him to trust me if I wasn’t willing to trust him. If I’m wrong, we’re going to take a beating tomorrow, but they still have to cross the dam to get to us. If I’m right, this all ends tomorrow. Either way, I’ll tell Gunny what I did and take my lumps. I don’t care. All I care about is the rest of us making it back alive and keeping our people safe for a little bit longer.”

  “All right, Henry,” said JD,
exhaling. “We’ll let this play out. Hell, we’ll know soon enough anyhow.”

  “Thanks, buddy,” I said.

  “Henry,” said JD, grabbing my shoulder with a decent grip, “don’t do this to me again.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “I need to go tell my brother what’s going on,” said JD, standing. “I don’t keep anything from him.”

  “Okay.”

  His last words stung the most. Sometimes I forgot that there were real brothers fighting side by side against whatever came at us. I realized then that JD wasn’t arguing with me because he was worried about losing his life. He was more worried about losing Tucker’s.

  I tried to imagine how JD would feel if he had to walk through his mother’s door without his little brother. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I could wrap my head around knowing if it did happen, it would be because of me.

  JD returned an hour later, and I was sitting in the same place. I found several more satellites and counted over a dozen shooting stars while he was gone. I used the same wish on all of them.

  We talked a little, but throughout most of the night we sat in silence. It was getting closer to the time that nothing else mattered except getting ready for a fight. We only had a few hours left before show time.

  Chapter 22

  Shovels

  Before the sun peeked over the mountaintop, our spotters came running back over the dam. Using silent signals, they relayed the information we needed and then took their positions in the tree line. On one hand, I was relieved that Braun didn’t lie to me. On the other, a lot of people were about to die. I hoped more of them than us.

  We had the advantages of surprise, concealment, cover, and elevation. Most of us would be shooting down on top of them from the hillside behind fallen trees. They had a low concrete wall on either side of the dam, but the majority of them would be out in the open.

  Every man had a kill zone and a number in their heads for the first volley of shots. (It was a tactic we had used effectively many times in the past.) Our shooters were patient and accurate. As each of the militia troops crossed a certain point in a kill zone, we’d mentally assign them a number. When Gunny fired the first shot, all of our scopes would be on a different target. After the first volley, we would concentrate fire into our assigned zones.