EMP

by Jonathan Hollerman

  Charlie kept his eyes on the ground and sobbed. Sean gently grabbed his chin and lifted his gaze. "Charlie, these are the types of things that happen when good men stand by and do nothing."

  "I never imagined it was like this," he pleaded sorrowfully.

  "Go help Richard," was all Sean could say, turning back towards the hallway. "Damian, bring the others in. I want Mike to see this also. Beth Ann, it would probably be best if you stayed out there." She had been through a lot already and Sean didn't want to subject her to this scene of filth.

  Beth Ann surprised Sean by coming through the door first. "I just came from here, so don’t you try and stop me," she said defiantly as she walked to the closest bed and tried to console the sobbing girl. Brody started cutting down the sheets and covering the girls while Damian came into the room behind the prisoners, choking and gagging. Sean focused on Mike who also reacted in revulsion. Mr. Andrews and Travis didn’t even blink.

  Luke was suddenly on his feet, walking towards Damian and the three prisoners. His face was completely blank and before Sean realized what was going on, he had pulled the .357 revolver from his belt. Sean raised his hand to stop him, but not before Luke fired the first round. Moving faster than Sean would have believed possible, Mr. Andrews pulled a wide-eyed Travis in front of him. The bullet took the grey-haired biker directly in the forehead, showering Mr. Andrews in brain matter. Just like the image of the young teen he had killed on his grandfather’s farm months earlier, Sean would never forget or be able to remove that horrible image from his memory as long as he lived. Damian had not paused like Sean had. He had interpreted Luke’s gaze from the beginning and was now wrestling the gun from Luke’s hands. A couple of the girls in the room had begun to scream at the unbelievable sound of the blast in the confined room, but Sean ignored their cries. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the shocked and bloody Mr. Andrews. Mike had backed his way into the far corner away from the danger.

  Damian handed Brody the revolver who tucked the piece in his own belt. Luke sat on the floor and just glared at the dumbstruck Mr. Andrews. “Damian, please take Mr. Andrews outside and have him unlock those two vault doors we passed. If he disagrees, let Luke help persuade him.” Damian smiled at that and led Mr. Andrews out of the stink-filled room and down the hall. “Brody, did you notice any other vehicles in the barn that might be operational?”

  He shook his head. “No, just an older tractor is all.”

  “Well that’s not going to help fourteen people and six immobile girls out of here.”

  “I can make it thirteen people. Would that help?” Luke asked sarcastically, referring to Mr. Andrews. Sean just ignored the man who was now heading back to the bed with his daughter.

  “There is a hay wagon parked back behind the barn that could hold everyone,” Mike offered, taking Sean off guard from his usual silence.

  “I don’t know. By the time we rig it up and get everyone on board we may be driving into an ambush at this point. A tractor will surely make a lot of noise and attract a lot of attention. I have half a mind to batten down the hatches here and try to weather the storm from a defensible position. What do you think, Brody?”

  Brody stood silent for a moment, thinking. “Under the current situation, I’m not sure we have much of a choice. I would definitely prefer a pitched battle from a defensible position as opposed to getting caught out in the open riding in a hay wagon.”

  “Maybe we can reason with them...I don’t know,” Sean said, unsure of it himself. Brody just shrugged. “For now, let’s get these girls out of this repulsive room and upstairs into the bedrooms.” Each man helped a girl up out of bed. Sean had Mike, Richard, and Charlie carry the three who were too weak to walk on their own. As they were heading out the door, Damian showed up with Mr. Andrews in tow. “So?” Sean asked in regards to the vault doors.

  “We’re good to go. Apparently he’s had enough of Luke,” Damian joked. “There’s an insane amount of boxed Mountain House and Wise long-term food storage in the one room as well as five gallon buckets stacked floor to ceiling with grains, beans, and more. The other room has enough weaponry to outfit a small army—lots of ammo and other fun toys, too.”

  “That’s great,” Sean said. “Finally, some good news.” They helped the women up to the various bedrooms as Sean and Brody went up to the loft to join Randy and Caleb on watch.

  “We need to get a couple men outside the perimeter before it’s too late. If things go badly, it wouldn’t hurt to have a couple guys with suppressed rifles taking out targets from the rear,” Brody started. “It’s going to be pretty dangerous, though. If you give away your position, there will be nowhere to hide. Therefore, I’m going to volunteer myself and Damian since we don’t have any families to get back to. Sean, I’ll need your Tikka and Damian can use Randy’s Gun Site Scout. That only leaves you with the Barrett, so I would check the armory downstairs for any more scoped long rifles.” Sean nodded at Brody’s suggestion in agreement. “We gotta boogey if we are going to get out of here before they show up,” Brody finished.

  “Too late,” Andrew said from the window facing the front gate. “I just saw someone scurry across the street down the road. “It looks like we have company.”

  Chapter 25

  “Damn!” Brody exclaimed. “Randy, run downstairs and see if there is anything in the armory that might come in handy.” Randy hustled out of the room and headed for the basement.

  “Now what?” Sean asked.

  “I don’t know. Let’s let them make the first move and see what their intentions are,” Brody shrugged. “Stay alert though,” Brody said right before leaving to check the armory with Randy. Sean, Caleb and Andrew kept watch in each direction but only observed a couple flashes of movement.

  “It doesn’t look like there are too many of them out there,” Caleb observed. “Maybe we should make a run for it now. If we wait, we may end up surrounded by the entire town. Defensive position or not, we are screwed if a hundred people show up with guns.”

  “Maybe,” Sean agreed.

  Andrew turned back from his window. “I was thinking about that as well, but that may work out in our favor. In my opinion, the best way to deal with a town that hates us is to redirect their anger. If all the men in the town show up and we can parlay with them, then maybe that will give us a chance to explain everything. I don’t think the townspeople will react very kindly to Mr. Andrews kidnapping and raping some of their daughters.”

  “I don’t think they will either. So who’s going to walk out with the white flag?” Caleb chuckled.

  “I’m volunteering you” Sean smiled back.

  “Not without Randy’s body armor I’m not,” Caleb disagreed.

  Sean, Caleb, and Andrew kept watch for a few more hours before they traded watch with Randy, Brody, and Luke. They had indeed found some interesting weapons but with no guarantee how well they were sighted in, they decided to rely on their own weapons for now. Damian maintained watch over the remaining prisoners who were kept in a room by themselves. Mr. Andrews was hogtied in the corner of the room, with the sweaty sock still in his mouth. Charlie had offered to wipe Travis’s blood off Mr. Andrews’s face, but Damian told him to leave it. Upon coming downstairs, Sean could smell something cooking. Beth Ann and Luke’s daughter were heating up a number ten can of Mountain House Lasagna. After grabbing a bite, Sean went to check on Darren and the girls. Butch’s wife was asleep in the first room he came to, so he continued on. He found Darren in a chair alongside one of the girls who was just staring at the ceiling.

  “How are they doing?” Sean asked quietly.

  “Some better than others. She is the only one who hasn’t spoken yet,” Darren whispered, nodding at the young girl lying on the bed next to him. “So what’s the deal? Are we leaving, or what?”

  “Doesn’t look like it right now. There are some men outside and we aren’t sure how many. The plan for now is to hold tight and let them make the first move. Hopefully, if enough town
speople show up, we can plead our case. Outside of that, we have enough food and supplies to last quite a while. We are going to sneak someone out tonight to let our families know what’s going on. I’m hoping that once the townspeople know what’s been going on downstairs and that we don’t pose a threat, they’ll let us leave peacefully. I think it may come down to Deputy Branson and how deep he was involved in all this....”

  “Branson....” It was barely more than a whisper but it startled them both, causing them to turn to the young girl on the bed.

  Sean knelt down next to the bed and gently took the girl’s hand. “Did you say something, hun? Do you know Sheriff Branson?”

  She nodded her head slowly. “My boyfriend.” She spoke very slowly and quietly as if every word took effort.

  “Branson’s your boyfriend?” Darren asked her in unbelief. She nodded her head slightly in response. “Does he know you are here?” he asked incredibly.

  “No!” she said forcibly as her voice cracked. “Is... is he here?” she asked while trying to position herself in a more upright position.

  Darren effortlessly held her down. “No, I don’t think so, sweetie. Just rest now.” She slumped back down on the bed without the strength to fight.

  “He may be outside, though. Would you want to see him, if I could get him for you?” Sean asked her, hopeful. It could really help them out of their predicament.

  A tear rolled down her cheek and she closed her eyes tightly. She lay there for a moment and if not for the tears rolling down her cheeks, Sean would have thought she had fallen asleep. “Not like this,” she whispered, “Not like this....” She rolled over, pulling the blanket up to her chin and ending the conversation. Sean nodded towards the door to Darren who quietly followed Sean outside.

  “That’s huge!” Sean said to Darren as they made their way back to the kitchen. Andrew had his feet propped up on the table and Caleb was running a bore snake through the barrel of his AR-15. Beth Ann and Luke’s daughter where huddled together at the end of the table, whispering back and forth while eating. “You’ll never believe who one of the girls is,” Sean said vigorously as he slumped down in the chair next to Andrew.

  “Who?” Andrew asked curiously, seeing the enthusiasm on Sean’s face.

  “None other than Sheriff Branson’s girlfriend,” Sean answered.

  “What the heck was she doing down there?” Caleb asked, incredulous. “Does Sheriff Branson know?”

  “I don’t think so. She says no, but who knows...,” Darren answered.

  “Maybe Mr. Andrews was holding her captive to keep Branson in line,” Andrew added.

  “Maybe, but I would think he would have kept her in a little better shape than that—kept her separate from the others. If he was using her as ransom over Branson, he probably would have had to trot her out every so often, don’t you think? Besides, for all intents and purposes, Sheriff Branson is technically the law around here. You’d think he’d have arrested Mr. Andrews or put a bullet in that man’s head by now. I would have. No, gentlemen. I don’t think the good Sheriff has a clue and that tips the tables in our favor. I really don’t think he is going to care what we do with Mr. Andrews after he finds out. Who knows, maybe he’ll even give us a ride back home.” Sean propped his feet up on the table triumphantly.

  “She said not to tell him,” Darren said, offended.

  Sean got up from the table and walked over to Darren. “Ok, Darren. What’s the plan then? How do we get out of this mess and back to our families? This is the best option we have. Besides, she needs someone to look after her and take care of her. Who better than her boyfriend? Besides, if something like that happened to Maria, I would be livid if someone didn’t tell me. Right now Sheriff Branson is outside with men ready to take our lives to free that piece of crap. This is the only thing I can think of that will almost surely prevent that from happening.” Darren shook his head and turned away, not wanting to argue the point but not really happy about going against the girl’s wishes, either.

  Sean went upstairs to let Randy, Brody, and Luke know what was going on. After a brief discussion, Brody recommended they wait a couple hours until it was fully dark outside. The ATN PS22 night vision attachments they had for the two rifles would be a big advantage if things went south. About two hours later, Sean stood before the front door and took a deep breath. He held a white pillowcase tied to the end of the fireplace poker in his left hand and slowly opened the heavy front door with his right, making sure he stayed out of the opening.

  Sean waved the makeshift flag out the door for a full two minutes before hollering out, “Hello! We want to talk!”

  There was a brief silence then someone responded, “So talk!”

  “I want to talk to Sheriff Branson! Is he out there?” Sean asked.

  There was another brief pause before a different voice answered, “I’m here. What do you want?”

  “I want to talk to you face to face!” Sean yelled back.

  “Too bad! If you think I’m coming over there, you must be nuts! If you want to talk, you come over here!” the Sherriff responded suspiciously.

  “You know I’m not that stupid!” Sean yelled back. “I’ll meet you half way!”

  “That’s okay. I’ll pass!” Branson hollered back. “I don’t really have anything to talk to you about that we can’t discuss from here.”

  “Yes, you do!” Sean quickly hollered back. “We have a lot to discuss. You just don’t know it yet. I have some very important information for you but only if we meet face to face.” There was silence and no response from the other side.

  “All I know is that the mayor of our town is missing. I am assuming you either have him captive or you’ve killed him. What do you want?”

  “This has nothing to do with Mr. Andrews. He is quite alive, I can assure you.” Sean waited for a moment. “Meet me half way?”

  “You step out first,” Branson demanded.

  “I want to hear you order your men to hold their fire first! Again, I have information that you really, really want to hear! If one of your men gets trigger happy, we are going to end up with a blood bath here. I promise you we can prevent bloodshed and everyone can leave happy and go back to their families safe, if you’ll only meet me half way.”

  “Okay then. Men...hold your fire!” the Sheriff ordered his men.

  Sean looked over at Brody who was kneeling down below the window to his left, peeking over the edge. He ducked back down and shrugged. Sean straightened Randy’s Kevlar vest and level IV ceramic plate under his jacket and took a deep breath. He slowly stepped out into the doorway and took two steps forward onto the porch with his hands out wide. “Now you!” Sean insisted. It was dark outside and with clouds covering the moon, he couldn’t make out much. A shadow separated itself from the tree line and walked towards the gate. Sean followed suit, moving slowly and making sure he avoided the booby traps out front. His heart was racing as he placed one foot in front of the other. They met at the front fence awkwardly.

  "What are your intentions?" Sean asked bluntly.

  "What are yours?" Branson answered his question with one of his own.

  Sean looked the Sheriff in his eyes. "I mean to find a tall tree and hang Mr. Andrews from it. Then I intend to head home with my friends and live in peace."

  "I don't think I can let you do that," Branson said. "Mr. Andrews has been vital to keeping the peace in town and helping everyone stay fed."

  "By stealing from the local farms? Let me guess, he saves the townspeople, yet they don't know he is forcing the rural farmers to starve this winter. He's the big hero, right? What happens when you tax all the farmers to death? What then? You're supposed to be the Sheriff. Don't those people have Constitutional rights to their property against unlawful search and seizure?"

  Sheriff Branson shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "His methods work...."

  "For who? For you guys maybe. And by ‘his methods work,’ do you mean staging a raid so you can blame it on u
s and loot our retreat?" Sean searched Branson's face for any clues on his involvement.

  "I don't know what you're talking about," Branson responded. Sean couldn't tell if he was lying, but he was definitely hiding something. "If you want to come back to town with me and plead your case, we'd be happy to give you a fair trial."

  "Kind of like the one you were going to give that innocent girl Beth Ann, right?” Sean saw surprise in Branson’s face. “Oh, there's going to be a trial alright, but it's sure as hell not going to be me standing before a jury, I can assure you that," Sean replied sternly.

  Branson shrugged again, not intimidated by Sean's forceful reply. "You sure about that?"

  "Positive! I've seen some repulsive crap in movies before, but nothing like what I found in Mr. Andrews’s basement. That is one disgusting, vile man and I intend to see him hang for what he's done to those innocent young girls. From what I hear, there have been multiple rape reports to you in town. And you know what? I have a feeling some of the parents of these girls reside in that town of yours. I wonder how they are going to react to their lawman taking the side of and protecting a child rapist."

  "Hold on a second. I have nothing to do with whatever you say you've found. I'm busy trying to catch the looters and murderers in town and don't have time to investigate every minor crime that takes place."

  "Kidnapping and rape a ‘minor crime’? What you mean is that you've been too busy looting the local farms and acting as Mr. Andrews’s personal lawman to investigate the rapes in town."

  "I never said that. I've been doing the best I can," Branson said defensively. "You have no idea how hard it's been to keep the law and order in town."