ME: Don’t forget. That’s a mistake that could cost you or others.
HEATHER: Right, sorry. I’m on it. Don’t you worry!
ME: Okay. I’ll see you later.
HEATHER: You have a chipper day, buddy!
ME: Shut up.
**
Haven was on full time alert. There was never a time when people weren’t on post or watching. As each day passed we all became more tense. We anticipated an imminent attack within days after our ambush. On day three post ambush I sat down with Hank for a conversation.
ME: I know you weren’t around Victor very much so you don’t know him very well…but I need to know anything. The smallest details about him can matter.
HANK: Nor did I want to be around him. Man terrifies me.
ME: Is he irrational at all? Methodical? Does he go off all unhinged? Basically, would he attack us as soon as he finds us? Is he impulsive?
HANK: Well, when that one fella spit in his face, he didn’t fly right off the handle. I told you the story. The man regretted it dearly, but it’s not like Victor whipped out a pistol and shot him. He wanted to send a message. He thought about it and then decided to throw him off a roof in a public display.
ME: He’d watch us like we watched him?
HANK: I’d think so, yes. I wouldn’t bet against it anyway.
After speaking with Hank I gathered with Todd, Jim, Reggie, Travis, Alexis and Alan.
ALAN: Do you think they’ve already found us? You think they’re watching us?
ME: I ain’t saying that. I’m just saying they either are or may end up doing so.
REGGIE: So, what the fuck? I mean, we’re on constant watch. I think we’re on a stricter watch routine now than The Retreat ever was while we watched them. We’d see them?
ALAN: Every team has binoculars right?
ME: Yeah. And the night team on the west wall have the night scope. We can see all across that field and road. It’s the other directions that are more obstructed by trees. I haven’t ventured out much.
TODD: Maybe that’s something we should talk about? Some of those pricks cause easily catch a glimpse before we noticed and then park and walk through some of these woods to observe us.
JIM: What do you suggest?
REGGIE: We’re gonna have to take a risk. We need to do short distance patrols outside the walls maybe.
ALAN: I don’t like that.
JIM: Me either. We’d be falling right into an ambush situation like the one we set for them. We’re still a little outnumbered. We can’t risk that.
REGGIE: Yeah…good point. I’m just throwing ideas out.
ME: We can’t do that. We just have to be vigilant at all times and keep a strong defense. We gotta be ready to defend our walls to the best of our abilities. If we get breached, then we give them hell.
REGGIE: Why’d these fuckin’ freaks have to set down roots in our neck of the woods? Why couldn’t they be further out? Like another damn state!
TODD: Be nice, wouldn’t it? Seems that’s not the case, though. There’s other crazies out there…hopefully they’re far from here. We’ll be more secure once this is taken care of. We’ll be much more safe.
ALAN: But at what cost?
TODD: Trying not to get hung up on that potential price.
ME: Reggie…how’s your arm?
REGGIE: Oh, it’s fuckin’ dandy! Thanks for asking! I love this sling made from an old sheet. It’s awesome! I knew you’d get me injured someday.
ME: Scared the hell out of me, man. Could have been worse.
REGGIE: Ya think so?
**
Days turned to weeks. Then months. Never once did we waver or let our guards down. We didn’t get comfortable or get into the mindset that they weren’t coming. We stayed just as tense and alert as we did the day after the ambush. I constantly, along with the others, spoke with everyone daily and made sure they were alert, ready and not slacking.
The Retreat launched their attack on Haven at roughly eight in the morning on August 11th.
**
I was standing at my window speaking with Reggie when the sounds of rapid gunfire rang out to the west of Haven. Reggie dropped his cup of coffee. It shattered seemingly in slow motion as we grabbed rifles off of my table and made our way to the door. I opened it and looked to the west.
From the distance I couldn’t tell who were on some of the walls, but they were firing out and then suddenly turned and jumped off the walls into the yards. Seconds later, portions of the trailer walls they had just been positioned at exploded in flames after being hit by molotov cocktails.
ME: Go around back of the houses and make our way up…looks like their attack is fully upfront.
REGGIE: Go, let’s go!
We ran full sprint between two houses into the backyards. Todd and Larry were hunkered down on Larry’s porch, peering between the next houses into the front.
ME: You got a better idea of what the fuck is going on than we do?
TODD: Kurt yelled out he saw someone. They started shooting. There was some return fire and then they jumped down before the firebombs hit.
REGGIE: Okay…so we’re all in the same boat. Fuck! What now?
LARRY: Let’s move the fuck up a back porch or two and try to pop a few weasels. Those bastards will come over those walls.
We went along with that. Good an idea as any at the moment and logical. Two houses further west now. So far the walls were clear of intruders. Now more cocktails came over the wall further in and exploded on the lawns. Thankfully, no one was there.
Jim and Kelly startled us from behind.
JIM: How many?
REGGIE: Shit, man! Make yourself known! I coulda’ fuckin shot yo ass!
JIM: Sorry!
ME: We haven’t seen any of them yet. They just threw more firebombs over the wall.
KELLY: Is anyone hurt?
ME: I don’t know. I don’t think so-where the fucks Ben?
JIM: He went to make sure Lily and the kids were secure. He’s gonna usher them into the attic crawlspace and then set up post at the front windows with Ray.
KELLY: A majority that were on watch on the east wall are making there way here, some stayed behind just in case.
TODD: Good, cause they’d want us to focus all we have on the west and front walls.
I saw Alan and Rachel further up. Both looked terrified. Kurt came running from the side of a house and was limping badly and fell down by Alan and his daughter. His left pant leg was charred off and his leg was burnt. He took some fire from a molotov.
The best thing about our locale was the fact that it was hard to ram our walls. Across from our entrance was an abandoned house and woods. No straight shot at us. Every direction was mostly wooded with the exception of the west and the field. But even there was an intersection with deep ditches on each side of the road. No vehicle was going to get across the ditches. They were deep before hand, but we dug them deeper a very long time ago.
More cocktails were flung over in the same area. Did they really think someone would still be in the location? They were trying to keep people away from there for some reason. I pointed that out and we watched carefully. We made out some small movement near the tops of the walls and quickly realized they were leaning ladders against them.
ME: Look! They’re about to attempt a breach! Get ready to fire!
Moments after the tops of the ladders were seen, canisters came flying over the walls and erupted in a thick smoke around the wall. Two men in gas masks appeared at the top and jumped down quickly. They were barely visible. I began to shoot into the foggy gas and fire returned from them and two more emerged at the top of the wall. They were firing at the front of all the nearby houses to cover themselves. I heard Alan scream “MORE!” and saw that he was pointing further west on the wall overlooking the backyards. More ladders, more gas and more men.
REGGIE: Oh, this is fucked!
ME: [screaming to Alan and those around me] GET INSIDE THE HOUSES! YOU KNOW THE B
REACH DRILL!
Before going inside the door next to us, which was Mindy’s house, Jim lined up with his sniper rifle and took aim. One of the men in masks were still atop the wall, not shielded by smoke. Jim took the shot and hit him center mass, sending him flying back off the wall, before we ducked into the house.
We yelled to Mindy that it was us. She screamed and then realized what was said. She ran into the kitchen where we looked out the windows.
ME: Who’s here with you?
MINDY: Tina is. She’s at the front windows…we can’t see them, they keep throwing smoke things!
TODD: They’re coming over the west backside now with smoke, we have to watch all sides.
TINA: [from living room] You serious?!
MINDY: What do we do?!
ME: We stay calm. Panic can get you killed, so focus. We’ve been planning for this for months.
MINDY: I just didn’t picture it this way.
REGGIE: None of us did, man. Especially the damn smoke grenades!
JIM: Must have looted a police department at some point.
TODD: They can’t fill all this land with smoke. We also have home field advantage. We know every inch of this place. They don’t.
The kitchen window above the sink was partially open. Jim flung it all the way open, tore the curtain down and punched the screen out. He leveled his rifle on the window frame. A man was moving in on where Alan, Rachel and Kurt had entered a house. He started shooting at the door and windows.
Jim focused and took the shot. A bullet ripped through his stomach area and out of his side. He crumpled; firing rapidly as he did. He was trying to crawl away when Jim fired again hitting him in the upper back. He stopped moving.
Gunfire erupted from the opposite direction from a man we didn’t see. Bullets hit the window frame sending us flying back for cover.
REGGIE: Shit! Fuck!
ME: Stay down!!
Todd ignored that and stood firing back.
TODD: Fuck! I missed. He ran between houses toward the front!
JIM: You’re up, Tina!
I crawled quickly into the living room, making my way to the far window. I crouched and leaned my rifle out too. The Head Hunter went sprinting through the middle of the yard. Tina fired and missed him by inches. He spun and fired randomly in our directions. We ducked down and waited for a pause. I looked again and he was running. I fired full auto and bullets ripped through his back sending him spiraling to the ground.
ME: How’s the back?
TODD: Clear! For now, anyway.
ME: We need to move. Down to where Alan is…
MINDY: WHY?!
ME: Kurt is wounded, his leg is badly burned. Grab whatever supplies you need. We have to make a run for it. We’ll surround and cover you.
MINDY: Son of a bitch…
REGGIE: I can’t take this bullshit. I’m already injured…I get shot again then Imma shoot you in the arm, Jack. We can get matching sheet slings!
ME: Deal, now let’s move!
REGGIE: I’m holding you to that shit.
We opened the door and looked around before moving down the side of the house to peek between buildings and yards. It was clear and we ran to the next house and stayed close to the sides. After seeing no one, we ran toward the next house which was our target. Halfway there, bullets shredded the ground in front of us. Tina, Mindy and Reggie screamed. A man with a creeping smile was walking towards us aiming an AR-15. We braced for the firing, for the pain of the bullets to cut us down. All we heard was a click. We looked at the man stunned and relieved. He tried to shoot again. His creeping grin turned into a look of panic. Now I caught myself smiling.
He raised his hands and looked defiant.
MAN: Go ahead, assholes! Fuckin’ shoot me!
TODD: No. That’s not gonna happen.
ME: It’s not?
REGGIE: Say what, now?
TODD: He’s gonna talk!
Todd fired a single shot, hitting him in the thigh. He stumbled backwards, reaching for his leg. He hit the ground screaming. He rolled over on his chest and tried to push himself up. Todd ran up and cracked him in the head with the butt of his gun, knocking him out.
TODD: Sorry, doc. Looks like you have a new patient.
MINDY: That’s awesome. Thank you for that.
Todd lifted the man carefully and flung the prick over his shoulder. We ran the rest of the way to the house. I called out to Alan so he knew not to shoot and he opened the backdoor and hurried us in.
ALAN: You have one alive? What the shit for??
ME: Further information.
ALAN: Hank is one thing. He’s become like, one of us. I even seen him earlier shooting at his former companions. But this guy…he tried to kill us! He can’t stay here!
TODD: Oh, don’t you worry about that, friend. After I get whatever information I can from him, he’s a dead man.
ALAN: Ugh! I don’t need to know that or the details…you do what the hell you need to do.
TINA: You’re gonna what? Torture him?? Then kill him?
TODD: That’s the idea, yeah.
TINA: Are we barbaric like them? Is that it?
TODD: Wake up, girl. We ain’t nothing like them. Barbaric is keeping people as slaves and killing them when they step out of line or can’t keep up. Barbaric is cutting off their heads and putting them on fucking pikes or getting them infected and chaining them to walls. These people are vicious killers and scum. You wanna live? Sometimes this is what it takes. Don’t forget that two minutes ago, had this dick not been out of ammo, you’d be dead right now. So don’t go feeling sorry for this piece of shit.
TINA: It’s just…it’s still a horrible thing regardless.
TODD: Yeah, I know…trust me. But, it’s them or us. Just remember that fact.
MINDY: So, why am I treating him if he’s gonna die later anyway?
TODD: Cause I’d like him not to bleed out before we can speak to him.
MINDY: Right…okay…where’s Kurt? Who needs the most attention right now?
ALAN: Kurt is holding tough. He’s in a lot of pain but he’s stationed at the front windows with Rachel.
MINDY: Okay, I’ll take care of this guy’s leg first. He’s bleeding but it’s amazingly not as bad as I’d imagine…only reason I asked who needed more attention. And mostly cause I don’t care about this guy.
JIM: Got two spotted out back here. They’re getting ballsy. Fuck it, I’m taking one down. Get ready for the other one.
The shot rang out and hit one of them in the head. The other took to running and was stopped dead in his tracks when an arrow struck his chest. He collapsed onto the arrow sending it through his back.
ME: WHOA!!
JIM: Shit, man!
ME: Where the hell is she??
JIM: I don’t see her anywhere…
REGGIE: She’s a motha fuckin’ ninja.
ME: When she said she was good, she wasn’t kidding. I’ve yet to see her miss a target.
I jogged to the living room and checked on Rachel and Kurt.
ME: How’s it look?
RACHEL: I donno. Okay right now. I see them farther out, here and there. It’s harder to see, they set off some more smoke.
I walked into the room and leaned down to look out. Smoke was drifting on the wind through the front of the houses in the middle of the yards.
Then, from nowhere, a bullet hit Kurt right in the forehead sending a spray of blood and matter through the room behind him.
Rachel screamed and jumped back, crawling backwards toward the kitchen. Tina and Alan came running and I told them to hit the ground. Once they were back in the kitchen I crouched in the door way and leveled my pistol at the window. I went on a whim that the cocky bastard would think he flushed us out the back and would come looking into the front. I was right. A face appeared and leaned in the window to look around and I put two rounds through that face.
ME: I got him!
TODD: What the fuck happened?!
/> RACHEL: Kurt! They killed Kurt!
ALAN: What?!
REGGIE: No! You’re not seeing right…he ain’t dead!
ME: No, he’s dead. Don’t go in there.
JIM: This is fucked! We need to finish this!
The Dead Lands Diary Vol. II) Page 12
