Enforcing Home

by A. American

  Billy looked up and sniffed loudly, “You want me to just let you kill another one of my men?”

  “I don’t remember asking your permission,” I shot back.

  “You willing to start a fight over some trash that’s guilty of trying to grab kids?” Sarge asked.

  Billy rolled his head, his neck giving an audible pop. “They’re young; you know how it is. It’s not exactly easy to get a date these days.”

  Hearing the words, I felt my blood rise. My ears got hot; and I could feel the rage building in me. “So they try and snatch an eight-year-old girl! You think that’s right? You sick fucks rape kids?” I shouted.

  Without skipping a beat, Billy asked, “How old was the other girl?”

  The statement slapped me in the side of the head; I was speechless. Sarge, however, was not.

  “What’s the age limit for your rape victims. I mean; what’s too young?”

  I didn’t wait to hear the answer. “It doesn’t matter; you fuckers need to kick rocks.” I pointed to the prisoner, “this one stays here. And if I catch any more of your sick fucks trying to grab anyone, anywhere, I’ll put a bullet in their head too!”

  Billy rolled his shoulders and stiffened, “If you’re going to do it, then do it.” He looked at the man on the road, “Execute him.”

  Again, I wasn’t ready for the response. It wasn’t until Sarge looked at me that I realized it really was going to happen, right now, right here. I pulled the guy to his feet and snatched the bandanna from his mouth. He immediately began begging Billy to help him, to take him home, as if this were all up to him to decide.

  I looked back at Billy, “You want to watch? Fine by me.” I quickly drew my pistol and raised it; as the muzzle swept past the man’s head, I squeezed the trigger. The blast cut his pleas in midsentence as the body fell to the ground, issuing a geyser of blood in an arc. The world slowed; time seemed to blur, like putty being pulled. The sound of the casing hitting the road and bouncing echoed in my head.

  Billy’s men all jumped, Billy didn’t even blink. Instead, the corners of his mouth pulled down slightly as his head slowly nodded, the movement barely perceptible. Without saying a word, he turned and climbed onto one of the ATVs; and his band of miscreants followed his lead. In a flurry of sound and dust they were gone. It was surprising really; they simply mounted up and left, without a word said.

  Ted came out of the woods; he was shaking his head. “We should have ended this here while we could.”

  “And some of us would have died,” Sarge said.

  Mike came jogging up, “Why didn’t we kill those fuckers?”

  “They’re just going to come back,” Ted added.

  “I was waiting for the shooting to start,” Thad said.

  “I’m with Sarge. There were too many of them; someone would have been killed,” I said.

  Ted spit into the dirt, “You know they’re coming back,”

  Sarge was looking out towards the road, “I figure as much; we need to get them a really nice reception ready.”

  “How are we going to know when, or where for that matter, they’re going to come?” Tyler asked, wiping beads of sweat from his forehead. It was still mild out; so it wasn’t the heat causing his head to leak.

  Sarge looked at Mike, “You said you think you know where they’re laying their head at night?”

  Mike nodded, “I do.” Then pointing to the body on the ground, “if Chief Loan here hadn’t popped that guy’s grape, we could have asked him.” The reference to the street execution by the Police Chief of Saigon in 1968 wasn’t lost on me.

  “No sense cryin’ over spilled brains at this point. Teddy, you two go see if you can find them. Get an eyeball on them and see what we’re up against,” Sarge said as he rolled the dead man’s head over with the toe of his boot. “Damn, that forty-five makes a hell of a hole.”

  “We’ll go after dark. Let’s get some comms set up,” Ted said. Then he slapped Mike on the shoulder, “come on; let’s get our shit together.”

  “You want some help?” Jeff asked.

  “You can help provide security if you want. We’re going to ride in close, and then proceed from there on foot. You can hang back and cover the ATVs,” Ted replied.

  Jeff nodded, “Sounds good; I’m in.”

  “Get your marbles together and let Teddy shake you down before you head out,” Sarge said.

  “I’ll help you guys get ready; but I’ll stay here to assist with security,” Doc said, following behind the guys.

  “What’s your plan; you going to try and hit them where they live,” I asked.

  “No; I figure they’ll be coming soon enough,” Sarge answered.

  “I think we need to increase our firepower up here. We need to bring one of the buggies up here with one of the machineguns on it; maybe keep it out of sight, but have it here just in case. We can park it in the woods there,” I said, pointing into the trees at the north side of the road.

  “That sure would make me feel better,” Thad added.

  “We can do that. Thad, why don’t you come back with me and we’ll set it up. You can bring it back up here,” Sarge said.

  I stayed at the barricade with Tyler while everyone else went to prepare for the night’s activities. I was thinking of what could have been done differently, if we should have just punched the clock and gone all OK Corral right there. I know someone would have been shot; those guys were far too well armed. Even if it weren’t an immediately fatal shot, it may as well be. Infection, or the need for advanced care, would only result in a lingering and miserable death.

  Tyler couldn’t stop looking at the body; the pool of blood the head was lying in had turned really dark and started to gel. I could see him look at the body, then at me; but it didn’t matter… it was done. Maybe I shouldn’t have shot the bastard; but what do you do with miscreants like that? They were trying to take my girls, my girls. On second thought, it’s exactly what they needed. Back in the day, they would have been arrested, maybe put in jail, maybe. Some shit-bag lawyer would claim they were sick, and that therapy was the proper remedy for them, not prison. They would do it again, though. I looked down at the body, but not this one.

  I could tell it was eating Tyler; so I finally asked the obvious question, “Is that first one you’ve seen?”

  Tyler looked down at the body again, “It’s the first time I’ve seen someone shot like that, right in front of me.”

  I leaned over the barricade and rested my head on my forearms, letting out a long breath I said, “It gets easier.”

  I could feel him looking at me. His confusion, fear and uncertainty were palpable. Finally, I asked, “What is it?” He hesitated for a moment; so I straightened up and looked him. “Go on, spit it out.”

  “I don’t know if I could do that. I mean, one minute the guy’s on the ground, and you’re talking about him like he isn’t here; and in the blink of an eye you’re blasting his brains out. It was that fast, I blinked and didn’t even see it.”

  “You saw it, but your brain is still conditioned to the way things used to be. That’s a horrible thing to see; so your brain is doing you a favor and blocking it out.”

  He stared at the body for a long time; then asked, “How many?”

  I shook my head, “I try not to think about it.”

  Thankfully, Thad and Sarge pulled up on the smaller of the two buggies. A SAW was mounted to the top of it. Their arrival ended Tyler’s questions. Thad backed the buggy into the woods, making it nearly impossible for it to be seen from the road. Sarge wandered over as Thad was laying some brush over the front end.

  “You alright there, Morg?” He asked.

  I nodded, “Yeah. What else could be done about it; damn sure couldn’t let him go.”

  Sarge snorted, �
�Don’t make it none easier.”

  I grunted, “No shit.”

  “You go on home; check on them girls. I’ll stay down here for a while; just get a relief set up for us later.”

  I nodded, “Thanks, I’ll probably come back with Danny; just don’t feel comfortable having any of the girls down here after dark considering what’s going on.”

  “Good call; don’t forget Doc is around to help out.”

  “You got any spare night vision; yours is way better than what I’ve got.” I asked.

  “Yeah, we brought a set down here.” Sarge pointed to the buggy, “there’s a radio in there too; if the guys call in, you’ll hear it up here as well.”

  “Don’t worry Morg; we got it,” Thad added.

  “I appreciate it; I’m headed home,” I said as I started to walk off.

  I didn’t feel well, an exhausted nauseous feeling settled over me. Looking at the ground as I made my way home, I could smell rain, that earthy odor that often announced an advancing storm on a warm day. It wasn’t long before the first drop hit me on the back of my neck. Soon, the tan oak leaves that littered the road were glistening with moisture as my clothes started to soak up the water. It was fitting really; the rain was the perfect addition to my mood.

  Hearing tires grinding on the road and the rumble of a diesel, I looked back. Ian was waving from the turret of the Hummer, soaked from the rain. Perez pulled up and stopped beside me, “Hey sailor; want a ride?” He asked.

  “Thanks; but I’m good,” I replied. As I looked up, I added, “I’ll walk; the rain’s helping to clear my head.”

  “I can dig it; been a rough day huh?” Ian asked.

  Squinting against the rain, I looked up at him. “Yeah; you guys get everything from the armory?”

  “We did; Sheffield wants to see you, tomorrow,” he replied.

  “For what?”

  He shrugged, “Hell if I know; I’m just the messenger.”

  “Alright; dinner should be ready soon.”

  “We’re good; we ate at the armory. We’re going to get some shut-eye so we can relieve you later. Sarge said you were coming back down for a watch; we’ll come take over after some sleep,” Perez said.

  I looked in at Jamie, “You sure? You’ve had a long day too.”

  Jamie nodded, “We’re sure.”

  I offered a weak smile, “Thanks, I’ll see you guys later then.”

  Ian slapped the top of the Hummer and Perez pulled away. I stood in the rain for a moment and watched them as they made the turn and headed home; then continued my walk in the rain.

  Chapter 3

  Mike came into the living room of the house. Doc was sitting on the sofa with his feet on the coffee table. His head was laid back on the cushion and his hat pulled down over his eyes. “Hey Doc, you got a stethoscope I can borrow?”

  Without moving, Doc replied, “You and Ted playing doctor again?”

  Mike didn’t miss a beat. “No, ever since the time I played proctologist, Teddy won’t play with me.”

  Doc’s head rocked back and forth on the sofa as he reached into his pack lying beside him on the couch. He fished around, pulling the apparatus out and tossing it in Mike’s direction. “Don’t break it; and bring it back.”

  Mike snagged it in the air. “No worries; I won’t hurt it.”

  Now properly equipped, Mike went back to the bedroom and opened the closet door. Looking at the huge safe, he smiled. “Hello gorgeous,” he said as he slipped the ends of the scope into his ears. Pulling a Sharpie out of his pocket, he uncapped it and held it in his mouth as he placed the chest piece against the safe just above the dial.

  After giving it several spins to the right, he began turning it very slowly, listening intently as the dial moved. After rotating the dial about one third of a full revolution, he heard a faint click through the earpieces. He released the dial and smiled, noting that it was set on 36, which he wrote down on the safe. He capped his marker, “That’s enough for today;” and laying the stethoscope around his neck, he headed out to the living room. Tossing it back to Doc, he said, “Thanks, I’ll need to borrow it again later.”

  “Didn’t get in huh?” Doc asked from under his hat.

  Ted was in the kitchen, and asked, “Get into what?”

  Doc wiggled his feet, “Houdini here is trying to get into that safe.”

  Mike looked at Doc with mock surprise, “Why; whatever gave you that idea?”

  “You want in that can? I can get you in,” Ted said.

  Mike stared at him for a moment. He knew better than to ask; but curiosity got the better of him, “Oh yeah, how?”

  Ted reached into his pack lying on the counter and pulled out a small block and tossed it to Mike. He caught it and smirked, “I want whatever is in there in one piece,” and tossed the block of C4 back to Ted.

  Ted caught it and shrugged, “Whatever; it’ll get you in though.”

  “I’ll try my way first.”

  Ted held the block up, “You’ll want it later. I’ll hold onto it for you,” he smiled, winked and shoved the block back into his pack.

  Mike gave him the finger in reply. “I’m going to get some sleep before our fun tonight.”

  “Good idea; now shut up so I can too,” Doc replied from under his hat.

  I was in the bathroom changing into some dry clothes; the rain had soaked me to the bone. The house was quiet. I assumed Mel and the girls were at Danny’s house, which was fine by me for the moment. Dropping my wet clothes in the tub, I toweled off and put on a dry set. After changing, I went out to the living room and sat on the couch, listening to the rain as it pelted the roof. I laid my head back on the sofa and closed my eyes. As soon as they closed, the image of the bullet crashing into the man’s head I had just executed flashed into my mind. It was as if I had been jolted. I quickly sat up and slipped a holster onto my belt. Picking up the Springfield, I looked at it for a moment, turning it over slowly.

  The gun was wet, rain thankfully; and I used the towel to dry it. Dropping the mag, I replaced it with a full one from the vest and pushed it into the holster. I picked up the carbine as I went out the door for the short walk to Danny’s.

  Mel was sitting on the porch with Little Bit in her lap. Lee Ann was in front of her with her legs hanging off the porch, her H&K laid across her lap. Bobbie, Jess, Fred and Mary were there as well. I tried to look upbeat as I approached, doing my best to smile, “Hey guys.”

  Mel looked up; it was obvious she could see through my attempt at hiding my mood. “Where’s Taylor?” I asked.

  “She’s inside lying down,” Jess replied.

  I looked at Lee Ann, “You alright kiddo?”

  She shrugged, “Yeah, did you find them?”

  All eyes were on me, waiting for my response. I surveyed the faces of those before me, “We did; and they won’t be bothering anyone any time soon.”

  Lee Ann cocked her head to the side, “Did you kill them?”

  “I hope so,” Little Bit replied.

  “You better have,” Mel added.

  Danny walked out on the porch, “What’s the word?”

  “The word is the three that were after the girls are no more,” I replied.

  “And?” Mel asked.

  “And there are more of them.”

  “We’re going after them aren’t we?” Jess asked.

  “Yeah; we can’t let them come back,” Fred added.

  “Mike and Ted are going to go find them later tonight. We don’t know how many there are, or where they are. We have an idea, but we’ve got to get some more info,” I said.

  “You think they’ll come back?” Danny asked.

  I looked up at him, “You know they are; three of theirs are dead.”

 
The statement caused a flurry of comments. I told everyone we needed to keep our eyes open, especially at night. Jess and Fred were convinced they would be back tonight, but I thought it unlikely. Their leader, Billy, seemed like the kind of guy that would surely want his revenge; but he would probably plan it and pick the time and place to act on it. While we were discussing this, Miss Kay walked out on the porch. She was perpetually smiling it seemed; she announced, “Dinner’s ready.”

  “I’ll run get Brandy,” Jess said as she hopped up. I was pleased to see the .45 I gave her jutting out of a back pocket of her jeans; she needs a holster, I thought. We went in and had a quiet dinner; no one talked much. Taylor wouldn’t come down; she stayed upstairs in the bed. I for one was happy there was no conversation; what I’d just done was weighing heavy on my mind. Miss Kay tried to lighten the mood with cheerful conversation, but it didn’t go far. I was brought around by Danny talking about the chicken feeder.

  “We got your chicken feeder running,” He said.

  I was caught off guard by the comment; and it took Little Bit chiming in to bring me around. “Danny put the guts of the squirrels we killed today in a bucket. He said it was a chicken feeder.” She screwed her little face up, “chickens eat guts?”

  I smiled, “Actually they will; but the guts aren’t for them. The guts are for the flies.”

  “Eww, they’re going to eat the flies?” She asked.

  Laughing, I replied, “No.” I leaned across the table towards her, “they’re going to eat the maggots!”

  “That’s disgusting,” Lee Ann offered.

  “You have a bucket of guts to grow maggots in?” Miss Kay asked.

  I relayed the concept to everyone, with Little Bit adding colorful details on the design. Once the description was done, I sat in silence with all eyes on me. Little Bit was beaming, smiling from ear to ear. Finally, Miss Kay spoke up, “That is amazing; I would never have thought of that.”