Grabbing his AR off the table, Ben set it against the wall and went to William’s room to find him and Sammy up and getting ready. “Alright boys, when you get home, you have to show me how to get my wizard to level thirty,” he said walking in the room.
“Okay,” William said smiling.
“Cool,” Sammy said putting on a shirt. “I told you that computer games were fun.”
“Yeah, but my fingers can’t make my guy on the screen do what I want him to fast enough,” Ben said.
“Takes practice,” William said grabbing his shoes.
Hearing pans rattling in the kitchen, Ben left and walked into the kitchen to see Sonya, Barbara and Mrs. Anderson making breakfast. “I was going to make them something,” Ben said pointing at the boxes of cereal he had out.
Mrs. Anderson walked over and patted his chest, “Ben, they are growing boys, they need something more than that,” she told him and started putting plates on the table. Before the boys had made it to the table, bacon, eggs and biscuits were waiting.
Barbara stepped over kissing his cheek. “Now, isn’t that much better?”
“Well, yeah, but with a full stomach and a boring class, that just spells ‘I need a nap’,” Ben said stroking his goatee. The boys laughed as Barbara slapped his butt, hard. “Ow,” he said rubbing his butt.
“Don’t be telling them how you acted in school,” Barbara said walking away.
Setting down a pitcher of orange juice, Sonya turned to Barbara, “Ben actually did good in school,” she said and Ben lifted his head up. “Till you account for all the trouble he got into.”
Ben dropped his head and walked out to the living room. “I didn’t get in that much trouble,” he mumbled.
“Ben, don’t be tellin’ stories,” Mrs. Anderson called after him as she moved to the stove, helping them make breakfast for all the men and women outside. Yes, in Idaho, the women went armed also and had no problem standing up to protect a family.
“Was he bad?” Sammy asked shoving food in his mouth.
“No, Ben usually waited till school was over to get in trouble,” Mrs. Anderson said.
Hearing a knock at the door, Sonya walked over while pulling out her pistol, a compact XD. “Yes?” she said.
“It’s Gene.”
She opened the door and he stepped in seeing her holster her pistol. “Now, was that so hard?” he asked stepping over to the table beside the boys. “If you have it out you can use it. Just putting your hand on the gun to answer the door will take time to pull it out if you have trouble.”
“Gene, I’m not Ben so don’t lecture. And I’m not Joshua, so don’t float it as wisdom,” she said walking to the stove. “This is my house and those as….” She stopped looking over her shoulder at the boys. “If they try to gain entry, I promise you, the gun will be out and firing.”
“I’m just saying, it’s easier to have it out,” he said reaching down and taking a slice of bacon. “Are you making food for the group again?”
“Yes,” Sonya said putting more biscuits in the oven. “They are helping me protect my family, so the least I can do is feed them.”
Gene nodded as Ben walked back in with his tail between his legs. “See? You learned a lesson this morning,” he said with a grin. Not saying anything, Ben just nodded. “See, any other time you would be arguing back, but you’re learning.”
“Gene, don’t be mean to Ben,” Barbara said walking over and kissing Ben on the cheek again and Ben perked up.
“I’m not,” Gene said as the boys finished.
“Ready,” they said jumping up.
“Sonya, stay in the middle. I don’t care if the ones in front of you are going slow,” Gene said heading for the door.
Wiping her hands on a towel, Sonya said. “You need to tell them to move their asses then.”
“Nana,” Sonya said turning to Mrs. Anderson, “The biscuits will be done when the timer goes off. Will you make sure they eat everything and not try to be polite today?”
“You bet,” she said patting Sonya on the cheek. “You hurry back.” Sonya had months of vacation time saved up and when her boss had found out what was going on, he’d told her he had no problem letting her stay home.
They walked out to see four pickup trucks and two older SUVs loaded with armed men, on the road waiting. Sonya climbed into her minivan with the boys jumping in the back. Barbara walked around and got in the passenger side. Backing out, two trucks and one of the SUVs moved in front of her and the others got behind her.
Driving out to the highway, she saw the huge bulldozer moving off their side street and two motorcycles pulled into the lead. The men riding them had rifles on their backs. Turning onto the highway, they headed south to Priest River.
Just a few miles down the road, they came up on the roadblock. The National Guard troops knew who they were because Gene had gone and talked to them when they sat up days ago. Before, when they saw the convoy, they just moved the barriers. Today, they were standing in the road.
As the convoy stopped, men and women piled out of the vehicles, spreading out and aiming at the troops. “Wait, hold on!” one shouted holding up his hands. “We just have to check the vehicles.”
Gene stepped out from behind the door of his Bronco that was behind the two motorcycles and lowered his rifle. “Never have before.”
“Something happened in Nordman sir,” the man said, still holding his hands up.
Looking over his shoulder, “Move the two trucks through, set up on the other side and cover us while we roll through,” he said and those riding in the trucks jumped back in. As they pulled to the roadblock, the troops didn’t even approach the trucks, since each truck had ten weapons pointed out. Gene got in his Bronco as did those who were riding with him.
When the two trucks had pulled through and the men got back out, Gene pulled up to the roadblock and saw it was a captain that had yelled out. Gene rolled down his window. “Captain, if your men make any move towards those kids, I’ll be burying your body today,” he said and rolled up his window and drove through.
The troops turned to see the minivan and other vehicles slowly pulling forward and stared in shock as Barbara and Sonya had their pistols out aiming at them through the glass. In the back, the boys had their faces pressed against the windows sticking their tongues out.
When the vehicles passed, a sergeant walked over to the captain. “Sir, I’m going back to Boise,” he said and walked off the road to where they had tents set up to sleep in.
“Sergeant, that’s desertion,” the captain yelled out.
The sergeant spun around, yelling at the top of his voice. “They were protecting those kids from us, sir! Those American citizens, residents of the state of Idaho were protecting kids from us! You tell me how in the fuck that’s in the nation’s interest, sir!”
The captain just stared at the wild-eyed sergeant. “It’s our duty,” he finally said.
“Then you do it. I’m going to protect my own kids,” the sergeant snapped spinning around. “Any that want to come with me, I’m out of here in ten minutes.”
In shock, the captain watched all but three men run for the tents. In ten minutes, they were the only ones left. The first sergeant turned to the captain. “Sir, what are your orders?”
“Get me the colonel,” he said looking around.
“You going to ask for more men?”
“No, I’m telling him to find some more, we’re heading home. That sergeant was right. They were protecting those kids from us.”
“Yes, sir,” the first sergeant said grabbing the radio. “Can’t do anything here anyway, nobody gave us any ammo.”
“First sergeant, those people knew that and I think that’s the only reason you and I are alive.”
***
At 1045, the deputy stationed at the school was sitting in his patrol car and looked up as a black sedan pulled to the front of the school. As he reached for the door handle, the door flew open and he felt a gun next to
his head. “FBI, don’t move while I confirm your identity,” the voice said as a badge was stuck in front of the deputy’s face.
When the badge moved away, another man opened the passenger door and reached over, handcuffing the deputy to the steering wheel. Before he got out the man grabbed the car keys. “Don’t move, identity is being confirmed,” he said getting out.
A man in a suit had stepped out of the sedan while the deputy was being handcuffed and walked into the school, looking at his watch. He followed the signs to the office and pulled out his badge. “I’m Agent Evans with Homeland Security here to serve a warrant,” he said putting an envelope on the counter.
The principle stepped out of his office and looked at one of the secretaries. “Call the sheriff,” she said walking over to the counter. “What’s the warrant for?”
Two helicopters roared overhead, setting down in front of the school and armed men poured out of them, running into the school. Knowing where to go, they moved down the halls. The secretary looked up, “The phones aren’t working.”
Agent Evans nodded, “Thank you for your cooperation,” he said putting his badge away as the SWAT team busted into the classroom that William was in. They knew who he was instantly from photos and videos they had watched. Two ran over and grabbed him while William fought back, but a thirteen-year-old boy against men in full tactical gear couldn’t do much.
The visions in William’s mind of him using his martial arts and beating them up quickly flew away as he flailed away at the two carrying him. Stopping in the hall, the two put flex cuffs on William, more to protect William from hurting himself, as he beat against their armored bodies.
In three minutes, the choppers were airborne flying north, and the sedan and SUV left the school heading west out of the state. The only mistake in the operation for the government, was that the helicopter hadn’t gone west.
Chapter Sixteen
Buck was hanging onto the dash when he hung up his phone as Cory drove up highway 57 heading for Nordman. Behind him was a very long line of sheriff cars and civilian cars loaded with extra men and women. The rifle barrels poking out the windows left little doubt if they were armed.
“You get Ben?” Cory asked slowing to eighty to take a curve.
“They’re moving the dozer now,” Buck said vibrating in rage. It had taken twenty minutes for him to even find out, when the school’s phones had turned back on and one of the custodians had unhand-cuffed his deputy. Then, it’d taken another thirty to call out for his deputies on their cellphones because the radios wouldn’t transmit.
An hour and a half after William had been taken from the school, Buck had jumped in with Cory and they’d headed north as the radios started working again. The normal fifty-minute drive from Sandpoint to Lamb Creek took only fifteen.
Blowing past the roadblock, Buck looked at the empty tents and saw that all the National Guard vehicles were gone. “Glad we didn’t have to deal with them,” he said and pulled out his pistol, flipping the cylinder open. Seeing the six bullets, he flipped his wrist to close it.
Then, as they blew past the side road that lead to Sonya’s, they saw a line of cars waiting to pull out. Clearing Lamb Creek, Cory hit triple digits heading the ten miles to Nordman. “Cory, if they shoot me, open fire,” Buck said when they reached Nordman and saw a roadblock manned by feds.
Two wooden sawhorses blocked the road. “Blow through,” Buck growled and Cory didn’t slow the SUV. Seeing the turn for Reeder Bay Rd, Cory tapped the brakes as he guided the SUV onto the turnoff heading to the resorts.
Keeping his speed at fifty, Cory took his foot off of the gas, seeing the road blocked with cars ahead. “Sheriff, I don’t think I can plow through that many cars,” Cory said as he slowed down.
“Just pull up to them and stop. Here’s as good a place as any to have a shootout,” Buck said grabbing the door handle. When Cory stopped a few yards from the cars blocking the road, Buck jumped out. Turning around, he saw cars stopping behind them and people poured out, running towards him and carrying guns. “Spread out!” Buck yelled. “If I go down, open fire! Kill them all and get the boy!”
The men and women running towards him stopped and spread out across the road and into the forest. Buck turned around to see Agent Griffey at the roadblock. “Sheriff, I must remind you, that this is interfering with a federal investigation,” he said wearing his customary fake smile.
“Give me William Anderson now or we start a war,” he said cocking the hammer back on his pistol but keeping in pointed down.
“Sheriff, surely even you realize that you are outgunned,” Griffey said.
“Wrong, you’re surrounded. Hear that whine out on the lake? That’s over a hundred boats heading here. We are leaving here with William Anderson and will kill every one of you to do it,” Buck said and Griffey could hear the whine of the boat engines.
Griffey held up an envelope. “This gives me the right to secure William Anderson, in respect that the state CPS failed to provide adequate safety for him.”
“Are you ready to die today Griffey, because I am,” Buck said and heard a car driving up behind him, but he knew both lanes were packed. He turned to see a new caddy driving toward him rather fast in the ditch bouncing up and down over the uneven ground and people were jumping out of the way. The caddy skidded to a stop in the ditch, ten yards behind Buck.
“Griffey, you don’t have long,” Buck said as Sonya jumped out of the passenger side, holding a pump shotgun and Mrs. Anderson got out of the driver’s side, reaching back and dragging out a long double barrel shotgun. Buck spun around, “Give me the boy now,” Buck sneered.
“I’ll kill every cocksucker here!” Mrs. Anderson screeched out and feebly walked out of the ditch. Glancing over his shoulder, Buck saw her raising the shotgun to her shoulder, looking down the two massive barrels. Buck knew that if she pulled the triggers, that ten gauge would throw her down.
“Give me my baby!” Sonya shouted running toward Griffey and brought her pump shotgun to her shoulder, aiming at Griffey’s face while several dozen men behind Griffey aimed their weapons at her.
“He’s not your child,” Griffey said calmly, but Buck could see he was sweating in the cool air.
“Hold on,” Moore shouted moving up beside Griffey. “It was a lawful warrant.”
Buck turned his head over his shoulder. “Prepare to fire and advance to get William Anderson. You will kill everyone that has a federal badge. No quarter will be given. No wounded will be taken. You will kill all of them!”
“Yes sir!” a bunch shouted.
“Hell yeah, we’re with ya’ sheriff!” many others shouted.
“Give me my grandson or I’ll kill you now!” Mrs. Anderson screeched, cocking both hammers back.
Throwing his hands up, Moore screamed. “Hold your fire!” he turned to the men around him. “Lower your weapons now or face a board of inquiry.”
When his men lowered their weapons, Moore lifted a radio to his mouth. “Bring William Anderson to the primary roadblock.”
“We lost another officer and this is how you respond?” Griffey said looking at Buck.
“You were about to lose a lot more,” Buck said and turned to Cory. “Tell Duane that they are bringing him out and hold off the attack from the lake.”
“Yes sir,” Cory said grabbing his radio.
Turning back around, Buck saw a car drive up to the roadblock and William jumped out. Before anyone could stop him, William took off running toward them. Letting out a cry, Sonya dropped her shotgun and William ran at her as she opened her arms.
Buck looked at William’s face and saw his right cheek was swollen and his eye was black with dried blood under his nose. “Fuckin’ Gman!” Mrs. Anderson shouted seeing William’s face and brought her shotgun up to her shoulder again.
It seemed like nobody doubted she would fire, since Moore, Griffey and all those around them dove for cover. Buck spun toward her and stood at the end of the barrel. “Mrs.
Anderson, don’t,” he said calmly.
“They beat my grandbaby, I’m killin’ all the bastards!”
“Mrs. Anderson, William is away and if any shooting starts, he stands a good chance of getting hit.”
Gritting her teeth, she lowered the shotgun. “I’m goin’ to get more bullets,” she said to Buck. “Sonya, William, get in the car.”
“Mount up and wait till they reach their house then head back home, but stay by your phones!” Buck shouted and people started moving to their cars.
“The boy did that to himself, hitting our officers,” Griffey said getting up.
Buck spun around, “You fuckin’ touch one more person in this town and the next time, we aren’t talking. That is a thirteen-year-old boy you kidnapped to get at his dad. Well, I’m here to tell ya’, your plan will work. You’ll be hearing from Joshua soon.”
“Sheriff,” Moore said getting up. “What would you have done if the boy hadn’t been here?”
“You would all be dead,” Buck said turning around and Moore shivered, knowing that Buck wasn’t bluffing. “Just a word of advice; your other five choppers at the airport? I heard they were sabotaged, so don’t fly them. Don’t worry, I’m opening an investigation.”
“Hold on sheriff,” a man shouted, running up from behind the feds with a group of people. “We want to go with you.”
Buck recognized him as the manager of the Elk lodge and the employees. “What about your cars?”
“They won’t let us drive them here, we have to be picked up in Nordman,” the man said.
“Hop in a ride,” he said pointing down the road at the line of cars waiting to turn around.
“You can’t leave,” Griffey said as the man stopped but the others kept on going.
“I’ve talked to my attorney sir, and he’s informed me that the government has agreed to purchase this establishment. So you sir, can kiss my ass. We are out of here,” the man said and left.
When all the cars had turned around, Cory followed them out. “Stop by Sonya’s,” Buck said holstering his pistol. He held out his hand to see it shaking. Squeezing his fist tight and dropping it to his lap, Buck looked up feeling old and tired.
Bonner Incident Page 22
