by Steven Bird
Although he couldn’t see what was going on behind the trees, Jessie could hear in Britney’s voice that she was relieved to see the soldier, and that he, too, was happy to have found her, alive and in one piece. Struggling to his feet, using his rifle to help him stand, Jessie limped over to Britney and the soldier.
Once the soldier cut the cord that held Britney’s hands and feet, she hugged him, and then she turned and ran to Jessie, hugging him tightly as tears of joy flowed down her cheeks.
“I’ll go after Romanoff,” the stranger said to Jessie.
“No! Yuri, don’t go!” Britney pleaded. “He’s still a threat,” Yuri insisted.
Looking Jessie in the eye, Yuri nodded and said, “Take care of her,” and then turned and ran off into the woods in pursuit of Romanoff, struggling through the intense pain of his now numerous wounds.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Tyrone began administering medical care to Nate using the medical supplies obtained from the master sergeant’s pack, while Daryl stood guard over the two UF prisoners and Q kept a keen eye out for threats.
Waving smelling salts below Nate’s nose, Tyrone mumbled, “C’mon, buddy. Wake up. We need you to keep up the fight.”
Inhaling, then wheezing and coughing, Nate’s eyes opened wide. “Hey, buddy,” Tyrone said, patting him on the cheeks to get him to focus.
“What the…?” Nate gasped, trying to catch his breath.
“Just relax there, buddy. We gave you some antibiotics and a few other things to keep you going until we get you home.”
Reaching up and putting his hand on Tyrone’s face, Nate said, “I’m so glad to see you guys. Britney? Where’s Britney?” he demanded, quickly snapping back into the situation at hand.
“Jessie went to find her,” Tyrone assured him.
“How long have they been gone? How long have I been out?” Nate asked.
“About a half an hour,” Tyrone replied. “Q and Daryl are here with me, too.
“Hey, Nate!” Q said with a grin, happy his friend was awake.
Turning his head and seeing Daryl’s large, bearded face, Nate mumbled, “Hey, Daryl. How did you convince Linda to let you in on this?”
“She was just as worried about you as I was,” Daryl replied. “She wouldn’t have forgiven me if I hadn’t come.”
Confused as to why there were only three of them, Nate wondered, “Just three of you? Why? We’ve never operated with less than five.”
“We started out as five,” Tyrone admitted solemnly.
Laying his head back on the ground, Nate sighed, “Awww, no. Damn it, no. Who? Who was it?”
“Sam and Carl,” Tyrone said with his eyes beginning to water. “They both went down swinging.”
With thoughts of regret and loss swirling around in his mind, Nate looked over to Daryl to see that he was holding his rifle on two of the UF soldiers. Still unsure of what exactly had occurred, Nate asked, “What the hell happened? How did it all go down?”
Q explained, “Just as we had set up what we felt was the perfect ambush, those furry bastards got the same idea and attacked the hunter patrol. They hit them hard, and luckily, they didn’t see us hiding in the bushes, also poised to attack. We didn’t go unnoticed forever, though, and ended up getting into the mix.”
Begrudgingly, Q continued, “Unfortunately, two of the UF guys got away. At this point, we don’t know whether they’re on the run, engaging Jessie, or watching us this very moment. We’re just sitting and waiting, for now.”
“How the hell are we gonna get out of here?” Nate lamented. “I’m jacked up. And you guys can’t carry me all the way back. If they send more hunters in search of yet another missing patrol, we’re screwed.”
Interrupting after overhearing the conversation, one of the UF soldiers offered, “If you let us go, we will lie and lead them in wrong direction.”
“Shut your pie hole!” barked Daryl.
“Sorry, comrade. That’s just not gonna happen,” Q added. “What I was going to say before we were so rudely interrupted, was that…”
“Shhh!” Daryl whispered. “I heard something. Uphill, to the south.”
As Q and Tyrone started scanning their surroundings through the sights of their rifles, Daryl kept a nervous eye on the prisoners.
From just uphill of their position, they heard a voice shout out, “Friendly! Hold your fire!”
A smile grew across Q’s face as he stood and said, “I’d recognize that old voice anywhere!”
Just then, Pastor Wallace and others from the Blue Ridge Militia appeared from the woods wearing camouflage and well-outfitted load-bearing vests, ready for a fight.
“Holy hell… uh, I mean, heck,” Q rejoiced, reaching out to shake Pastor Wallace’s hand. “What are you doing here?”
“Remember, I was Gunnery Sergeant Wallace before I was Pastor Wallace. I just couldn’t let them come without me. Especially knowing an innocent young life was involved. What kind of shepherd would I be if I didn’t do my part to protect the flock?”
Over the next half hour, Q, Tyrone, Daryl, and Nate caught Pastor Wallace and the others up on the events that had transpired. They shared laughs and tears as they detailed their victories, their adventures, and their defeats and losses.
“We’re gonna find Sam and Carl,” Pastor Wallace vowed. “We’re gonna get them home where they belong for the proper burial and final respects they deserve. I promise you that.”
“Thanks,” Q said, patting Pastor Wallace on the arm. “That’s important to all of us.”
Looking around, Q announced, “It looks like we’ve got enough guys here to hold down the fort. I’m gonna go look for Jessie and the girl.”
“Me, too!” shouted Daryl.
“You’re not leaving me behind, either,” insisted Tyrone.
“Are you sure you guys don’t need to rest?” Pastor Wallace asked. “There are plenty guys here that can go looking for them.”
“No, we’ve got this,” Q answered confidently. “You just keep an eye on those two,” he said while pointing to their prisoners, “and take good care of Nate. Also, don’t let your guard down. This is still a hot zone as far as I’m concerned. Nate can catch you up on anything we’ve not already explained about the threats we face.”
~~~~
Moving quickly through the woods in search of Jessie and Britney, Q, Tyrone, and Daryl moved in bounds, covering each other as they went. After having already suffered losses at the hands of their mysterious foe, they were determined to keep each other safe while carrying out what they saw as the final phase of their mission.
Crossing the creek and stopping to get a drink before reevaluating the trail and moving on, the men barely spoke a word. Their focus was intense. They’d gone through far too much to come up short now.
Looking down at the ground, Q found the same signs of a struggle that Jessie had, and, he, too, noted how Britney’s tracks no longer went on from here. One thing he did notice, though, was that Jessie’s did.
“Jessie was on the guy,” Q concluded. “Let’s move.”
Continuing through the woods and following the trail, Q, Tyrone, and Daryl passed by a fallen tree only to hear a familiar whistle, followed by the words, “Over here, guys.”
“Jessie!” Q blurted with excitement as he ran around behind a fallen tree to see Jessie and the young girl well hidden from view.
“You found her! What happened? Are you hurt?” Q asked with a barrage of questions.
“The UF officer ambushed me and shot me in the back of the leg. Luckily, it was just a 9mm and not a rifle round. Then, the craziest thing happened.”
“Yuri saved us!” Britney exclaimed.
“Who?” Q asked.
“The guard,” Jessie answered. “The odd man out. The seventh soldier. It’s a long story, but not only did he save us both from Romanoff…”
“Who?” Q interrupted.
“Romanoff, that’s the officer’s name,” Jessie replied.
> “You exchanged names?” Q questioned with a puzzled look on his face.
“Let’s just say he’s proud of his title,” Jessie answered. “But anyway. The guard, who was on a hunter team that was ambushed by the troglodytes a few days ago, was taken captive as the sole survivor of his unit. He ended up in the caverns with Britney. That ordeal is a heck of a story all by itself, but to make the long story short, he fought and won their escape. According to her, he repeatedly risked his life to save hers.”
“Where is he now?” Q asked.
“He chased Romanoff into the woods that way,” Jessie said, pointing in the direction that Romanoff had fled.
“We have to help him!” Britney exclaimed. “He’s hurt!”
Quickly working it all out in his mind, Q said, “I’ll see if I can find him. Daryl, you and Tyrone get Jessie and Britney back with the others. Oh, and Jessie, the cavalry has arrived. Nate’s safe and sound with them.”
“Thank God,” Jessie whispered. “Thank you, God.”
~~~~
Tracking Romanoff as he worked his way through the woods toward a clearing on a high spot up ahead, Yuri knew he had to stop him before he got out into the open. If Romanoff was able to reach the extraction helicopter, a manhunt like he’d never before seen would be sent out after him. As a traitor against his own people, they would never relent in their search for him. An example would have to be made.
When he knelt down to inspect a fresh set of boot prints on the ground before him, Yuri heard the ominous sound of a horn blow up ahead.
His heart sank in his chest, and he resolved to take his own life before he’d let those monsters drag him underground again. From his perspective, he had no future anyway. He would be a wanted man in a foreign land where he was seen as an oppressor and an invader by the local population, and as a traitor by his own kind. No, there was no future left for him.
Catching a glimpse of movement up ahead, Yuri ducked down behind a large rock outcrop and surveyed the scene. It’s Romanoff! he thought as he saw how the once brave officer was now frozen in his tracks at the sound of the horn. He watched as Romanoff looked around frantically in all directions, trying to decide what move to make next.
Yuri placed his rifle on top of his hand which rested on a large stone in front of him. Carefully moving the AK-74’s safety selector down to the semi-auto firing position, he gently placed his finger on the trigger, took aim, placing his sights squarely on Romanoff’s back, and took a deep breath, preparing to fire.
Just as he began to apply pressure on the trigger, Romanoff twitched and spun around, exposing an arrow embedded deeply in his thigh, mere inches from his crotch. Romanoff’s hand had barely enclosed around the arrow when one of the cave dwellers appeared out of the woods, running fiercely toward Romanoff, wildly swinging a large club.
Connecting with Romanoff’s back, the man beat him ferociously until he struggled no more.
Joining alongside him, another of the cave dwellers appeared, and the two picked Romanoff up before carrying him away and out of sight.
Afraid to move, unsure if there were others in the area, Yuri sat perfectly still, listening and observing.
After what felt like thirty or forty minutes, Yuri was satisfied that the two he had seen attack Romanoff were gone, and he stood to turn and walk away.
To his horror, Yuri saw an insurgent militiaman standing behind him, having slipped up on him while his attention had been on the scene before him.
As Yuri began to raise his weapon, the militiaman shook his head and warned, “No. Don’t do it. Lower your weapon.”
Yuri’s heart pounded in his chest, knowing the man clearly had the advantage over him with his weapon already pointed directly at him. Yuri sighed, “My fight is over. Just let me go.”
“Go where?” the man asked.
Pausing, not knowing what to stay, Yuri confessed, “I… I do not know.”
“You’re coming with us,” the militiaman insisted.
Just as Yuri prepared to raise his weapon and go down in a hail of bullets, he noticed the man remove his finger from the trigger and begin to lower his M4 rifle. The man then reached out his hand, offering it to Yuri, and said, “We’d like you to come with us. As our friend.”
Stunned, Yuri took the man’s hand and shook it. With his eyes watering, a flood of emotions he hadn’t felt in a very long time rushed to the surface.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
While Jessie, Nate, Britney, and Yuri flew along at tree top level in a former news helicopter turned militia asset on their way to Del Rio, Tennessee, home to Nate and the others, Jessie looked back to see the shadow of the former police Bell Jet Ranger helicopter that followed along behind, carrying Q, Tyrone, and Daryl.
He couldn’t help but think about how young Britney, who had been through so much and had lost everyone and everything important to her, was flying along in a helicopter with three men who would have, and almost did, make the ultimate sacrifice to rescue her and give her a new chance at life.
The rhythmic thump of the helicopter’s rotor beat seemed to sooth the young girl to sleep as she lay her head on Nate’s shoulder, closing her eyes and truly relaxing for the first time since Jessie had met her days before.
Looking at Yuri, Jessie could see uncertainty in his eyes. The man had literally given up everything, and due to his actions, if word somehow got out, he would not only be a wanted man here in America, but would likely never see his home across the ocean again. In their post-collapse world, a global government would be the only group with the assets and freedom to make transoceanic travel possible anytime in the foreseeable future, and even if he did make it home, chances were the charges of his treasonous crimes would follow.
As Jessie’s mind wandered through all that he had experienced since losing everything and leaving his homestead high in the Rocky Mountains, he wondered what his search for his sister would bring. Would he find heartache or happiness? He feared the former but held out hope for the latter. Either way, he was getting close, and his nerves were becoming frayed with anticipation.
Looking across at Nate, whose eyes were locked onto his, Jessie grinned, “You’re almost home! I’m sure they’ll fix you up real good and have you back up and about in no time.”
Smiling, Nate sighed, “Hell, I don’t care if I’m up and about. I just want to be home with my wife, Peggy and our son, Zack. I’ll gladly take a long, painful recuperation as long as I wake up to their smiling faces every day.”
“Sheriff Jessie,” Nate interjected, looking at Jessie with his head cocked off to one side.
“What? What is it?” Jessie asked.
“I told you my full name. I told you right before you went off to find help. But you never gave me your full name. How the hell do I not know that by now?”
Laughing, Jessie answered, “I guess we’ve just been a little too busy to worry about the little things. It’s Townsend. Jessie Townsend.”
“Nice to meet you, Jessie Townsend,” Nate greeted him with a smile.
Reaching out his hand as well, Yuri said, “Yuri Kovalenko.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you properly, Mr. Kovalenko,” Jessie replied, taking his hand.
“Nate Hoskins,” Nate said, shaking Yuri’s hand as well.
Looking out the window, Nate announced, “We’re almost there. They’ll land just outside of town in a small pasture, then they’ll truck us on in from there.”
When the helicopter touched down, several militia members, from nurses to security personnel, rushed out to meet them. They were led over to a livestock trailer that was hooked to a well-used John Deere 2355 farm tractor.
“Climb on in,” one of the security officers urged over the noise of the helicopters taking off and disappearing over the tree line.
As they drove, their accompanying security detail changed clothes in the back of the trailer, donning worn out denim jeans, Carhartt jackets, and other such farm-related attire.
When the
trailer was pulled into town, Jessie was shocked to see what appeared to be fifty or more happy townspeople gathered around to welcome their heroes home.
Pulling to a stop in front of the Del Rio Baptist Church, Nate was quickly carried out where a tearful woman and a young boy anxiously awaited, running to Nate’s side at first sight.
Jessie’s heart welled up with emotion at the sight of such a wonderfully happy ending to the painful saga they had all just endured.
Britney and Yuri were then led into the church, where they would both be cared for and provided for until more permanent accommodations could be found.
Just as Q turned to Jessie and began to speak, he was interrupted by a dark-haired man in his mid-forties with a peppery gray beard who ran up to shake Q’s hand.
“Q! Thanks so much for bringing Nate home!” the man exclaimed. “Nate’s mom Judith is on her way down from the homestead with Molly and Jason now. She’s desperate to see him.”
“Jessie, this is Evan,” Q said, introducing the two.
“Did you say, Molly?” Jessie asked, shaking the man’s hand.
“Yeah, my wife, Molly Baird,” Evan responded.
Seeing confusion on Jessie’s face, Q asked, “What’s wrong?”
Turning back to Evan, Jessie said, “Where is your wife from… originally?”
“Colorado. That was a long time ago, though. Why?” Evan wondered.
Jessie’s heart began to pound in his chest. Could it be? Could he finally be at the end of his long, difficult struggle to find his last remaining family member?
Turning to see a woman in her sixties running into the church with tears in her eyes, Jessie heard Evan shout, “Jason, over here!”
Looking to the man Evan had referred to as Jason, Jessie saw a woman, a few years younger than he, standing next to him. He hadn’t seen his sister in many years. They had been separated by a bitter divorce at a young age, and Jessie and his sister had simply drifted apart. Sure, they had written the occasional letter or sent a Christmas card at times, but as the years went by, they had seemed to go their separate ways with their divided family. And once the attacks that had driven the country into collapse began, they were completely lost to each other.
