by Steven Bird
“I’ll get my horse tacked up. We need to stay off the main roads,” proclaimed Billy with motivation in his voice.
“I couldn’t agree more, Billy,” Isaac replied, placing his hat back on his head and turning to follow Billy out the door.
Chapter Nine
As Billy and Isaac approached the barn, Isaac asked, “So, how long has it been since you’ve run across the Hofstadters?”
“It’s been a while,” Billy replied while he led his Appaloosa mare out of her stall.
“Nice horse,” Isaac commented with a smile. “Do you ride much?”
While Billy began to brush the mare down, he admitted, “A lot more than I did back in the day. Daddy always wanted us to be around the old ways. I always thought it was stupid. All I wanted to ride were ATVs and motorcycles. I thought of a horse as being way more work than it’s worth. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Gasoline and diesel may be scarce, but grass ain’t. The fuel for our horses literally grows all around us. Well, except for winter, but we plan ahead for that just like they always did before.”
“Your daddy always had a good head on his shoulders.”
Smiling, Billy said, “Thanks. So, you’re sure this Jessie guy is legit?”
“Legit?” Isaac replied, caught off-guard by Billy’s choice of words. Making quotation marks with his fingers, he replied, “Yeah, he’s ‘legit’. He’s as straight shooting as any man I’ve ever met.”
Placing the saddle blanket on his horse’s back, Billy said, “Good. It feels weird leaving a stranger here with my family when I ride away—all things considered, of course.”
“You’d be a fool not to think that way, Billy, but you can rest assured knowing he’s an asset, not a liability.”
Once the two horses were tacked up, Isaac tugged on his cinch one final time and then climbed aboard Mack, saying, “You lead, Billy. This is your turf.”
Once seated in his own saddle, Billy confirmed, “Will do. I was thinking of taking the northern side of County Road 2. There are a few farms we cut across pretty regular. They’re starting to look rather neglected, so it doesn’t seem like the owners have much of a presence there anymore.”
“Sounds good to me. Oh, and if you see signs of trouble, let’s look things over before either of us act. We won’t do the others any good if we get ourselves in a bind before we get help.”
“Yes, sir,” Billy replied, and he nudged his horse forward, beginning their journey to the Hofstadter place.
~~~~
Stepping into the basement, Mike pointed to a table full of guns and said, “Here’s what we have. We had them all hidden until today. Billy and I pulled them out and started sorting through the ammo to get ready for when those low-life bastards come back.”
Walking over to the table full of weapons, Jessie cautioned, “Just a bit of fair warning, but those low-life bastards seem to be pretty good at what they do. Never take them too lightly.” Opening the action of the SKS, Jessie noted the weapon seemed to have been well cared for, appearing to have been recently cleaned and lubed. “Do these guns each have rightful owners?” he asked.
“That Bushmaster AR-15 is Paul’s, the Noveske with the Trijicon ACOG is mine. The rest belong to Mr. Williams. Other than our handguns of course, which we don’t go without,” Mike explained, lifting his shirt to reveal to Jessie the concealed Glock held securely in an inside-the-waistband holster.
“Good call, but may I suggest you don’t go without a long gun from this point forward, either,” Jessie replied. “A storm is on the horizon. That, we know for sure.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Mike agreed.
“So, were you Army or Marines?” Jessie asked.
“I was green side Navy,” Mike answered. “I was a hospital corpsman assigned to the Fleet Marine Force as a combat medic. Technically, I was a squid, but I’m a jarhead at heart. My brothers all wore camo.”
“That’s a handy skill to have in this day and age,” Jessie remarked with an approving nod. “I think the first thing we need to do is set up an inner and outer perimeter. Considering our numbers, we need two people on the outer perimeter at all times. Maybe at a hundred or so yards in front of the house. Perhaps, in the orchard you have out front. And then, another out back. I haven’t had a chance to look around in detail, but I’m sure we can find something suitable. The last thing we want is to be surprised.”
“I agree,” affirmed Mike as he picked up his Noveske AR. Tapping a magazine firmly into place and cycling the charging handle, he bumped the forward assist with the palm of his hand and said, “Let’s head out back and look around while we talk.”
With a nod, Jessie followed Mike up the stairs to the main floor of the home, then out the back door.
Pointing in the distance, Mike asked, “That tree line is probably too far away, huh?”
“Yeah, we wouldn’t be able to provide adequate cover for the person acting as sentry from here if we needed them to fall back. How about that chicken lot?” he said, pointing to an old outbuilding functioning as a chicken coop.
“That’ll work,” Mike noted.
“Do you have radios?” Jessie asked.
“We’ve got a few CBs that we keep powered by car batteries. Those little, cheap Harbor Freight solar battery tenders do a great job of keeping the batteries topped off.”
“Are they portable?”
“Yeah, we’ve got them rigged to a few old hand trucks,” Mike replied. “They’re in the barn. I can show you.”
Stepping into the barn off to the west side of the farmhouse, Mike pointed to the three old hand trucks in question and explained, “Archie had CBs in a few of his old beater farm trucks. Once we cut down on driving to conserve what little fuel we had left, he and Billy yanked them along with the truck’s batteries and rigged them on these dollies. They’re a pain in the ass compared to handheld radios, but all the handhelds we had took AA batteries, and they’ve long since been used up.”
With a smile on his face, Jessie responded, “No, this is great. They aren’t secure channels or anything, but at least we can receive an early warning from our watch standers if need be. Those are examples of shade-tree engineering at their finest.”
“Yep. ‘Make do with what you’ve got’, Archie always said.”
~~~~
Back inside the home, Mike and Jessie gathered everyone together and explained their initial plan.
“So, who’s in charge?” Paul asked.
“Outside of Archie, this place belongs to Frank, Billy, and Tina, but in Billy’s absence, and with Tina still dealing with what happened earlier, I guess it’s Frank,” Mike replied.
Looking around to verify Frank wasn’t in the room, Paul muttered, “I’m not so sure about that.”
“Why?” Jessie asked.
Shrugging, Paul took a deep breath and said, “I mean… Frank’s a nice guy and all, but he hasn’t dealt with the stress the way the rest of us have. He’s sort of an unpredictable fellow, to say the least.”
“Unpredictable?” Jessie queried.
“He disappears on us from time to time,” Tina interjected as she entered the room.
“Tina… um, how are you doing?” Paul mumbled, surprised by her presence.
“I’ll be better when Billy and Isaac get back,” she answered, wiping a tear from her eye. “I’m worried about Billy. Those guys are no good. I’ve never seen such evil in the faces of men,”
“How’s Archie?” asked Mike.
“No change,” she sighed, while trying to maintain her composure. “Shauna is with him now. Shauna, Allison, and I are gonna take turns sitting with him. Whoever is sitting with Daddy can also watch Mike, Jr. and Lisa. That frees the rest of us up to do whatever needs to be done.”
While trying to read the faces of Tina, Paul, and Mike, Jessie returned to the previous topic. “When you say he disappears from time to time, what do you mean, exactly?”
With a sigh, Tina explained, “Daddy used to say somethi
ng was off about him. Momma would tell him to shut the hell up about such things, but we all knew Daddy was right. Billy stepped up to take the role Frank refused to fill. The best I can describe is that his mind wanders—more so than most. D0n’t get me wrong, he wouldn’t hurt a fly, but I wouldn’t count on him being in the fight when it all goes down.”
“I guess that answers the question, then,” Mike quipped.
“What question?” inquired Tina with a raised eyebrow.
“The question about who’s in charge,” replied Paul. “I guess it’s you.”
“Hell, no! It’s him,” she proclaimed, pointing to Jessie.
Seeing looks of protest on both Paul and Mike’s faces, she elaborated, “At least until Billy gets back. Look, I’m willing to pitch in and do whatever needs to be done, but what I witnessed earlier when Isaac and Jessie ambushed the McCulloughs was straight out of a Hollywood movie. Two men against all of them, and not only did they take them out, they got Daddy’s cattle back as well. I love you guys,” she said, referring to Paul and Mike, “But we ain’t as hard as him, and that’s what we need right now. When Billy gets back, he’s in charge. Hell, we all know he’d fight over that position anyway, but for now, let’s just do as Mr. Townsend here recommends and stay alive until they get back.”
Looking to one another, both Paul and Mike nodded as Mike responded, “Sounds good.”
Catching Tina and Paul up on what he and Mike had discussed during their walk around the farm, Jessie concluded, “Considering Mr. Williams’ condition, we really can’t fall back. Otherwise, that would be my first move while we wait for Isaac and Billy’s return. It would be harder for them to hit us, if they had to find us first. But without that option, I’d like to have the .308 and 7mm magnum on the second floor. If one person is going to be with Mr. Williams and the children at all times, two more need to be up there with rifles in hand, ready to provide overwatch. Who’s good with a scoped rifle?”
“All of us,” Tina boasted confidently. “Daddy made damn sure of that.”
“She’s right,” Paul agreed with a crooked smile. “She’s a hell of a shot. Allison and Shauna are, too, but not like Tina. She’s been a squirrel slayer since Archie started her on a little pink .22 rifle. It always pissed Billy off that she could outshoot him, too.”
“Well, then. Tina, if you could get the two bolt guns set up on the second floor, rotating through the three of you, we’ll grab one of the portable CB units and bring it up there to you.
“We’ll have one watch stander out back in the chicken coop, and one up front in the orchard. Each position will have a radio as well. The three of us, Paul, Mike, and myself, will rotate between those two positions and a roving watch here at the house.”
“And what do we do if we see them? The McCulloughs, that is,” Tina asked.
“If the opportunity presents itself, one of the outer watch standers can pop off a few shots at them to get them to hunker down and slow their advance, and then when the situation presents the opportunity, the watch standers can fall back to the house while the two bolt guns provide cover fire from the second floor.”
“And then what?” Tina wondered.
“Are you sure your father can’t be moved?” Jessie asked.
Speaking up, Mike said, “I’d really recommend against that. We don’t know the extent of his internal injuries. He took quite a few blows to the head and neck as well. I just don’t think it’s wise.”
“I agree,” Tina affirmed. “He’s barely hanging on as it is.”
“Then there’s your answer,” Jessie declared. “We regroup at the house and hold them off as long as we can. Hopefully, that won’t be necessary. I’m hoping Isaac and Billy can bring us some reinforcements. At that time, we can make a new assessment and go from there.
“In the meantime, let’s get our watch standers in place and keep a keen eye out.” Looking to Paul and Mike, he added, “I’ll take the front watch if one of you wants to set up out back. Whoever the first roving watch is, grab some planks or plywood and nails out of the barn, and board up the first-floor windows. We need to be able to control access if things get ugly.”
Speaking up, Paul said, “Oh, and there’s one more important task at hand we need to consider.”
“Mrs. Williams?” Jessie queried, hesitantly.
“Yeah. I mean, well, we’re gonna need to give her a proper burial,” Paul explained.
“Not till Daddy wakes up,” Tina defiantly proclaimed. “Daddy needs to be there for that.”
Nodding that they all understood, Paul patted Tina on the shoulder and said, “You’re absolutely right. For now, let’s get ourselves set up like Jessie recommended. Those bastards could show back up on our doorstep at any time.”
Chapter Ten
While Isaac and Billy worked their way down a small creek, to stay below the terrain and out of sight as they passed through an abandoned neighboring farm, both men kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, ready for a threat to appear at any moment. As they drew near a fence line with a dirt road running alongside it up ahead, Billy signaled for Isaac to stop, then quickly dismounted and signaled for Isaac to lay his horse on its side.
Both men quickly pulled the horses’ chins back and toward their chests with a slight twisting motion, urging the horses to lay down next to the muddy creek bank, attempting to stay low enough not to be seen by the potential threat ahead.
After a brief moment, Isaac saw what Billy had seen. A late-nineties Chevy Z71 pickup with two men standing in the back and leaning on the cab with binoculars seemed to be searching for something. Whispering to Isaac, Billy said, “I think the McCulloughs have found your handiwork.”
“That, or they’re wondering where the hell their cohorts are. Either way, they’re looking for something,” Isaac replied.
After a few tense moments, the vehicle slowly proceeded down the road while continuing its search. Once the truck was out of sight, Billy signaled for Isaac to mount up. The two men urged their horses forward and onto their feet, quickly hightailing it out of the area.
Once they were safely out of the way and further west, Billy slowed to allow Isaac to join alongside him.
“What’s wrong?” Isaac asked.
“Nothin’s wrong, but I know a back way to the Hofstadter place.”
“A back way is a quick way to get yourself shot,” Isaac said tersely.
“We can pop back out onto the gravel road and approach the property from the front. I just don’t want to ride right down the middle of the main road to get there.”
“That makes sense, then,” Isaac agreed. “You lead the way.”
With a nudge to his horse’s sides, Billy led Isaac into the woods. Looking back, he said, “There’s a home just up ahead I want to check on. We’ve not heard from them in a while.”
Leaving the woods and crossing a small, weed-filled pasture, they cut through another short section of woods before arriving at a simple metal-roofed farmhouse nestled in the trees, with a three-sided equipment storage building off to one side.
Dismounting while remaining hidden in the woods, Billy tied his Appaloosa to a branch and said, “I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll come with you,” Isaac insisted, dismounting and tying Mack’s reins to a neighboring branch.
Finding it difficult to walk quietly through the woods this time of year due to the crunch of leaves beneath their feet, the two men worked their way carefully behind the house. Signaling for Isaac to stop, Billy whispered, “Let’s just listen for a minute or two.”
Kneeling behind a briar bush, Billy listened intently, hearing nothing but the fall breeze when it made the trees sway overhead.
Wafting along the breeze was the putrid smell of death both Billy and Isaac had smelled all too many times before. The scent sent a rush of panic through Billy and he immediately left his position of visual cover and ran to the back of the house, attempting to remain mostly concealed in its shadow.
“Dammi
t,” grumbled Isaac as he followed behind. Drawing his Smith & Wesson from its holster, he looked to Billy to lead the way.
Working their way around the side of the house, Billy turned the knob on the kitchen door and nudged it open. Caught by the breeze, the door swung open, slamming against the kitchen cabinets beside it, startling both Billy and Isaac.
Drawing his Glock 17, Billy turned to Isaac, and with a look of horror in his eyes, he gasped, “The smell. This is where it’s coming from.”
Pulling his t-shirt over his face, Billy slipped into the home, which was eerily lit by rays of light from the sun shining in through the partially opened curtains. The sunlight illuminated a roomful of dancing dust particles being worked into a frenzy by the breeze blowing in through the open door. It was clear to both Billy and Isaac the home hadn’t been cleaned in quite some time.
Reaching the living room, Billy nearly vomited from the pungent odor emanating from a corpse lying on the floor with flies swarming all about. The decomposing body of an elderly man lay there with his skull severely deformed, from what had to have been a severe beating that most certainly ended his life.
“Over here,” Isaac said, directing Billy’s attention to the hallway leading toward the bedrooms on the far side of the living room.
Gesturing to the floor at the end of the hall, Isaac asked softly, “So, this is them? The people you wanted to check on?”
Billy’s eyes fell on the rotting corpse of an elderly woman. Blood stains covered her white nightgown, each representing another vicious blow.
“Damn it to hell!” Billy shouted, and his eyes welled up with tears. Running down the hallway, Billy yanked open a door at the end of the hall to the left, right next to the dead woman.
“Noooooooo!” he screamed, as Isaac ran to his side. “Those bastards! Nooo, no, no!” he shrieked as he fell to his knees.
Isaac’s eyes were drawn to the body of a young girl, stripped of all her clothes and laying on the bed face down. Like the elderly couple, she appeared to have been there for several days, or even a week by his untrained estimates. The girl’s clothes were scattered across the room, and a white lamp with pink flowers lay broken on the floor as if it represented the remnants of a struggle—a struggle that ended it all for this unfortunate family.
