by James Gurley
He stayed his hand just in time.
“Reed. What the hell are you doing here?”
Reed held up one hand for Jake to wait while he caught his breath. He pulled his inhaler from his pocket and took a puff. Finally, he spoke. “When I learned that you were still alive, I knew you’d come back here. When the storm hit, I figured it would be tonight.” He pointed to the hole in the ground. “I knew you would come here first.”
“Where is it? Does Levi have it?”
Reed grinned and shook his head. “No. I dug it up and moved it to the work shop. I’ve been making ammunition there for Levi. They’re afraid to come in because I’ve threatened to blow them up.”
Jake shook his head in surprise at Reed’s resourcefulness. “Where’s Jessica?” Reed’s hesitation caused a tight knot in Jake’s stomach. “Is she all right?” he asked, fearing the answer.
“She’s alive. Hawk came to get here a while ago. She’s up there.” He pointed toward the house on the ledge. “We’re not leaving without her,” Reed said, “are we?”
“We’re not leaving,” he growled. “They are. Come on. I need that crate.”
The workshop was unguarded. Reed covered the window with a blanket before switching on the lights. Jake looked around. One table was covered with freshly reloaded cartridges. Gunpowder lay scattered in piles on the floor and table. He glanced at Reed.
Reed shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “I had to look incompetent to keep them away.”
“I’m surprised you’re still alive. How many of them are there?”
Reed immediately became serious. “Twenty-one; one on guard outside, two inside. I think a couple of them are guarding the river, but most are out of the rain in their tents eating. They change guard every four hours. We have another hour.”
“There’s eighteen now,” Jake said.
He crossed the room to the dirty plastic crate, running his hands over its side. It was locked, and he didn’t have his key. He picked up a hacksaw and began sawing away at the padlock while Reed watched the door. When the lock finally dropped away, he opened the crate and smiled. Reed came to peer over Jake’s shoulder.
“What is that?” he asked.
Jake pulled out a tripod, set it up, and mounted the machine gun on top. “This is an M1919A4 Browning Light Machine Gun. It fires over 400 7.62 mm rounds per minute.”
Reed snapped his fingers. “That’s why you wanted the 7.62 mm ammunition from the armory.”
“I have two full belts and two empty belts.” He picked up one of the empty ammunition belts. “Now, start loading the two empty ones.”
“Where did you get this monstrosity?” Reed asked, as he picked up one of the empty belts.
Jake grabbed a handful of cartridges from the 7.62 mm ammo box. “I bought it over the internet.” He handed them to Reed.
Reed stared at him. “You’re shitting me.”
“No, I bought it as a museum piece, and then retro-fitted it to make it serviceable. We’re going to need it.”
Reed smiled as he took the ammo. “With this, we can take on an army.”
“You can.”
Reed’s smile quickly faded. “What do you mean?”
“You’re going to keep the troops busy while I pay Levi a visit.”
“Me? I can’t …”
Jake didn’t give Reed the chance to consider refusing. This was a two-man job. He couldn’t do it without Reed’s help. “Yes, you can. You have to. I’m rescuing Jessica. Can you kill men?”
Reed’s eyes narrowed. With a fierceness Jake had not expected from the gentle teacher, he answered, “I can kill these men.”
Jake slapped him on the shoulder. “Good.”
The plan was simple. Reed would mount the M1919A4 on the path leading up to the house. The added height would give him a clear field of fire over the entire canyon, while Jake confronted Levi. They spent fifteen minutes loading the two remaining belts. Jake knew time was of the essence, but a haphazard job could cause a misfire and jam the weapon. With a thousand rounds of ammunition, the machine gun could fire continuously for just over two minutes. They would need it operational for longer than that. Therefore, they would have to be judicious with their only assault weapon, firing it in short bursts to conserve ammunition.
Ideally, operating the machine gun was a two-man job. He reminded Reed of the dangers.
“You’ll have to change belts on your own. You’ll be vulnerable for that short period of time.”
Reed nodded. “I understand. You save Jessica. I’ll take care of Levi’s men.”
Finally, they were ready. He glanced at Reed, trying to judge his state of mind, but the pudgy teacher hid his emotions beneath a mask of determination. The rain fell in raging torrents, and thunder echoed down the canyon. Jake hoped the inclement weather would force most of the men inside their tents. Every minute of stealth increased their chances of success. One of the inside guards leaned against the side of the RV, using its bulk to deflect the wind-driven rain. He was so absorbed in his own misery that he failed to notice the two shadows sneaking up on him. Jake slammed the barrel of his pistol into the back of the man’s head, producing a sickening crack so loud he prayed it would be indistinguishable from a peal of thunder. The guard slumped to the ground either dead or unconscious. Jake rolled his body beneath the RV.
The remaining guard stood in the open just inside the gate. He would be more difficult to eliminate. Jake placed the stunned guard’s cap on his head and donned the man’s trash bag parka. Cradling the man’s rifle across his arms, he lowered his head and approached the guard. He was less than ten paces away when the second guard suddenly yelled out, “What’s with you, Rafe? You’re supposed to be walking the perimeter.”
Jake swore silently. In a low grumble that he hoped mimicked Rafe’s voice, he groaned, “Too damn rainy.”
He held his breath as the guard stared at him for an uncomfortably long time before nodding and turning away to face the gate. Crossing the few feet separating them in three quick bounds, Jake swung the rifle butt just as the guard, alerted by the splashing, turned back to face him. The guard’s eyes, illuminated by a flash of lightning, opened wide as the wood connected with his temple. Bone shattered and flesh tore asunder beneath the crushing blow. The guard fell backwards into the mud, his dead eyes still open and staring.
Together, he and Reed dragged the body and dumped it out of sight beside a row of motorcycles. As they were leaving, two figures left the path to the house, heading toward the kitchen tent. As soon as the pair had disappeared into the darkness, Jake grabbed the thirty-one pound machinegun, while Reed carried the tripod and ammo case. They reached the first ledge of the path undetected. There, partially hidden by a low rocky ridge thrusting like a castle’s parapet along the edge of the ledge, Reed fed a belt of ammunition into the machinegun and settled down to wait. Jake threw his friend a quick grin and fled up the path.
The lights were on in the house. He didn’t know how many people waited inside, but he was certain that Levi and his scared whore, Hawk, would be there. Of the two, Jake feared the woman the most. She was cold and vicious and in awe of Levi, if not in love with him. She was dangerous and deadly and would defend Levi with her last dying breath.
Jake stared at the house for several minutes, hoping to see movement beyond the windows to gauge how many people were inside. He used the time in a vain attempt to summon his courage, but a hard knot of fear remained in the pit of his stomach. He knew he could die in the next few moments. His biggest fear was putting Jessica in danger. Finally, he knew he could postpone it no longer. He crossed the plank bridge and pressed his body against the side of the house, listening. Entering through the front door would be a dangerous, bold move, but one Levi might not expect.
With his pistol in one hand and his knife in the other, Jake kicked open the front door and rushed inside. From his vantage point, he could see the entire house through the open door, including the bedroom. The house was empty.
No, not empty, he thought, as a low moan reached his ear from the living room. A foot jutted from the edge of the sofa. His mind swirled with dread. Was it Jessica? Was he too late? He leaned over the sofa, gun aimed at whoever might be there. He was both surprised and relieved to see Hawk, her hand pressed against her belly. Blood spilled between her fingers to join a growing puddle on the floor. She glanced up at Jake, her eyes pleading, but they both knew the wound was fatal.
“He killed me,” she whispered.
Jake knelt beside her. “Who killed you?” he asked though he knew the answer.
“Levi,” she moaned, and then groaned as a spasm of pain hit her. When the pain subsided, she said, “He’s got your woman. I tried to help her escape.”
Jake found that difficult to believe. “Why?”
“He’s mine,” she said, as if that was reason enough.
He stared down at her.
“If I killed her, he would kill me. I thought … I thought if she was gone …”
Jake nodded in understanding. She wanted Levi for herself more than she wanted Jessica dead. She didn’t comprehend just what a bastard he was.
“Where are they?”
Hawk reached out with her bloody hand and gripped Jake’s wrist with a surprising amount of strength for a dying woman and pulled him closer. “He’s gone to check on the guards,” she whispered. “He’s expecting you.”
Jake swore. They were the two figures he had seen. He had missed them by two minutes. Hawk’s grip tightened, and then relaxed as she fell back. Her eyes glazed in death, as her last breath left her body. Jake felt no sympathy for her. She would have killed Jessica if she had thought she could keep Levi by doing so. The machinegun began chattering outside. Now, they were trapped on the ledge, while Levi and his army were below them.
He had forgotten Jake’s Law #9 – Always have an exit strategy.
21
There was no escape back down the path with Levi’s men firing up from the canyon floor. His simple in-and-out mission had fallen apart around him. He had intended to free Jessica and quietly kill Levi, thus removing the gang’s head, but she was gone and so was Levi.
Bullets began shattering the windows and smashing into the walls, as the men below began firing into the house. He dropped low and crawled back outside. Bullets ricocheted from the wall of the cliff, becoming doubly dangerous. He fired one volley from his pistol and raced for the plank bridge over the gorge. He was fully exposed to anyone with a gun. Bullets thudded into the wooden planks at his feet, showering his legs with splinters. One bullet tore through his loose shirttail, grazing his back. He quickened his pace.
Reed fired the machinegun in a blind panic in hopes of hitting someone, burning through the ammunition. Jake placed his hand on Reed’s shoulder to calm him down. “Short bursts,” he cautioned.
Reed looked up, grinned, and took a deep breath. The reminder helped him focus. He fired short bursts whenever someone moved or was revealed by lightning flashes. He yelped in triumph when one man spun and fell, as the man tried to move from the cover of the jeep to the foot of the path.
“Got him!”
“There are plenty more left,” Jake reminded him.
He looked at Jake confused. “Where’s Jessica?”
“Levi has her down there.”
Reed swore silently, and then began firing the machinegun.
The return fire from the ground was intensifying as Levi rallied his men. Many of their weapons were fully automatic M16s and AK47s. He and Reed were outnumbered and out gunned. They had the machine gun, but it was a stationary defensive weapon. Jake estimated their chances as slim and getting worse as the night passed.
“We’re sitting ducks here,” he said. “I got us into this mess. I’ll get us out.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. Can you keep their heads down for a while?”
He nodded. “Until I run out of ammunition.”
“I’ve got a plan.”
“What plan?”
“I’ll make it up as I go. I have rope in the house. If I reach the canyon floor, I might have a surprise or two for Levi.”
“I’ve got something that might help,” Reed said.
“What?”
“Look beneath the gunpowder can in the workshop. There’s a loose floor board. You might find a use for the package there.”
He clasped Reed’s hand. “Good luck.”
“Save Jessica.”
Before he could say something he might regret, he took off at a run across the bridge. Bullets stitched a line along the cliff, but the machinegun silenced them. He reached his house safely. Now, the fire targeted him. Bullets splattered against the stone walls and thudded into the thick pine logs. A few smashed the remaining windows and ricocheted around the room. He located his rope hanging on a peg in the closet. The AA-12 shotgun was still lying beneath the bed where he had left it. He checked to make sure the drum was loaded and slung the strap over his shoulder.
He lowered the end of the rope over the side of the cliff beside the house. A slight vertical depression hid him from sight of the shooters. He reached the ground safely. The rain was beginning to let up, but the wind still whipped down the canyon in gusts up to thirty miles per hour. As he crossed the canyon toward the creek, the roar of the falls drowned out the sound of firing.
His and Reed’s only chance of surviving was to kill Levi. If he could circle around behind Levi’s men, and then get among them, the AA-12 was an excellent weapon for close infighting. They would be firing blindly at each other. The panic would work in his favor. He would have his choice of targets. As he neared the work shop, Reed’s words came back to him. What kind of surprise had he created? The firing was intensifying around the pathway to the house. Reed’s machinegun stopped twice as he reloaded. Each time, Levi’s men crept closer. He was running out of time.
Inside the workshop, Jake removed the almost empty gunpowder can and pried up the loose boards beneath it. He removed the plastic-covered object, loosened its wrapping, and smiled. He held in his hands a bundle of four pipe bombs wrapped in duct tape. A wristwatch timer was connected to a small plastic box. He removed the cover to see a nest of wires connected to an 18-volt power tool battery and a simple primer from a shotgun shell. He didn’t have time to wonder how a high school science teacher knew how to manufacture an IED. The bomb nestled in its plastic sheathing gave him an idea.
The falls were cascading water into his small pond. It overflowed his stone dam and spilled into the creek bed, funneling down the narrow wash. If he could collapse the dam, a five-foot-high wall of water would rush down the canyon. Levi and his men would have no place to hide. But then, neither would Jessica.
Within minutes, Reed would run out of ammunition and all his options would be gone. He either had to abandon them both and run, or risk killing them all. He set the timer for fifteen minutes. It would take that long to locate and free Jessica. He sealed the entire package with layers of duct tape and taped it to an old plow shear. The weight would help the bomb sink to the bottom of the pond as close to the dam as he could place it. Just like the bouncing bombs used to destroy the Ruhr Valley dams of Germany during Operation Chastise in May of 1943, his ‘dam buster’ would let loose thousands of gallons of water on his small valley.
He threw the package as close as he could to the inside wall of the dam and watched it sink into his pond. He hoped Reed’s expertise proved itself. If not, they would all soon die. He saw movement inside one of the tents. He threw back the tent flap with his finger on the trigger ready to fire. Instead of Levi’s men, he saw three women, one pregnant. They were wet, frightened, and expecting death. They were also unarmed. He didn’t know if they were willing residents, but judging by their bruises, they were as captive as Jessica. He might be a bastard, but he wasn’t a woman-killing bastard.
“Get out of here. Get as close to the head of the canyon as you can. Climb as high as you can. If you don’t, you’ll die.”
&n
bsp; One of the women nodded. He watched them disappear into the darkness. He worked his way as near to the kitchen tent as he could before cutting loose with the shotgun, firing as quickly as he could pull the trigger. Keeping their heads down was more important than accuracy, but he watched one man fall holding his stomach. Just as he hoped, firing erupted all around him, as confused, frightened men fired in fear at anything that moved. He hoped Jessica didn’t get killed in the crossfire. Twice, he had to shoot men who spotted him, but by crawling along the muddy ground and using whatever cover he could find, he reached the kitchen tent. It had taken longer than he had anticipated. Time was running out.
Levi stood just inside the tent silhouetted by the cook fire, yelling orders and gesticulating wildly with his pistol. Jessica lay on the ground at his feet, alive but afraid to move. For one brief moment, their eyes met. He saw the fear fade, replaced by hope. He motioned to her to remain on the ground out of harm’s way. Then he raised the shotgun and aimed at Levi, a perfect target against the flickering flames. The rage inside him leaped from his heart to his trigger finger, as it slowly caressed the metal. One slight tug and it would all be over.
At that moment, two things happened. The bomb exploded behind the dam, sending a geyser of water soaring into the air, and one of Levi’s men crossed in front of him, taking the full blast of the double-ought pellets. Levi, now alerted to Jake’s presence, grabbed Jessica by the hair, lifted her from the ground, and used her as a shield. His eyes searched for Jake, and then, as the rumble from the collapsing dam increased, he pushed Jessica in front of him and raced toward the jeep. Jake tried to follow, but now several of the men spotted him. He hugged the ground and fired at them.
The final collapse of the dam shook the ground, as stones groaned under the pressure of the pent up pond of water. If he remained where he was, the water would wash him away with the rest of the filth. He jumped up, swept the AA-12 in a semi-circle as he ran, and raced after Levi and Jessica. They had already reached the jeep and were driving toward the open gate. He veered to intercept them, but then saw the five-foot high wall of water rushing down at him. He had to make a decision – run for the safety of the path, or risk death in pursuit of Jessica. He glanced one more time at the wall of water bearing down on him like a runaway freight train. He would never make it to the jeep. Jessica saw him, and for a moment, he thought he heard her call his name. Then the jeep was through the gate.
