by Bobby Akart
Swinging the barrels of their rifles side to side in a sweeping motion, they advanced on the commandos. Major placed his focus on the back side of the silo. Palmer focused on the men who were sprawled out on the ground.
Just as they arrived at the now dead gunmen, a shot reverberated through the steel structures behind their position. They both swung their guns around just in time to observe the fourth commando tumbling into a tree before he died.
Cooper’s voice could be heard from the trees. “Hey, don’t shoot! It’s just us.”
He and Riley emerged into the clearing by the fence. Palmer ran to Riley and hugged him. Cooper walked backwards as he covered the group’s back in case they had missed one of the North Korean shooters.
“Everybody good?” asked Major.
Cooper turned to his father. “Yeah, you guys?”
Before Major could respond, Riley interrupted, “Y’all, the shooting’s stopped at the house.”
“Do you think it’s over?” asked Palmer.
“We’re fixin’ to find out,” replied Cooper as he walked briskly toward the house.
Their fast walk changed to a sprint as gunfire filled the air once again.
Chapter 25
January 24
The Armstrong Ranch
Borden County, Texas
Duncan realized he was behind schedule. His plan required that he eliminate Holloway before the attack on the south sentry post. Now he had to deal with Holloway and any additional commandos without drawing the attention of the armed commandos who were shouting instructions as they emerged from the barn.
He motioned for Sook to stay in place and watch the front door. Before he climbed the stairs in search of Holloway, he adjusted the night-vision goggles on his head. He drew his sidearm and quietly made his way up the stairs. On the landing at the top of the stairs, he pointed it in the direction of the master bedroom, assuming that was where Holloway was sleeping.
He moved down the hall and slammed the door open with his left hand and fired repeatedly into the bed. The bullets tore through the cover and ripped into the feather pillows, which were stuffed under the covers in an attempt to deceive any intruder. Duncan realized his mistake at the last second when Holloway tackled him from behind.
The much heavier man knocked the breath out of Duncan as the two fell onto the wood floors. His night-vision goggles had been knocked off, and he’d lost control of the pistol as he hit the floor. Duncan’s chest, still tender from the IED blast under his Humvee, gasped for air as Holloway began to pummel his head.
Using his arms to fend off the onslaught of punches, Duncan heard gunfire downstairs and knew Sook was exchanging fire with someone in the front yard. The shots periodically rang out, but Duncan had to focus on defending himself.
Duncan tried to turn his body sideways to throw Holloway off balance, but the crazed man slugged Duncan twice in the ribs. With all his effort, Duncan responded by raising his hips, which forced Holloway forward and toward Duncan’s head. This had the effect of shifting Holloway’s weight horizontally and less directly on top of Duncan.
No longer pinned down, Duncan lifted his butt higher into the air, taking a cue from the bulls Cooper used to ride. Holloway flew over Duncan’s head and into a nightstand. Duncan searched for his pistol in the darkness, and then he saw it near the foot of the bed. But so did Holloway.
Like two kids scrambling for doubloons at Mardi Gras, the men crawled on all fours and lunged at the same time for the weapon. Duncan’s fist hit the gun first, but it caused it to slide under the middle of the bed, placing it effectively out of reach for both of them.
Duncan scrambled backward and started to pull his rifle over his neck and shoulders. However, Holloway didn’t hesitate as he swung his legs around to kick Duncan in the ribs with a heavy blow that knocked him to the ground.
Duncan abandoned his efforts to unsling his rifle and pulled one of his knives. As Holloway lunged for him, Duncan stabbed him in the upper left arm, which forced a guttural groan from Holloway.
Holloway quickly recovered and growled at his adversary. He grabbed Duncan by the wrist and then twisted Duncan’s arm, forcing him to release the knife, which was still embedded in the stronger man’s bicep. Holloway was crazed now. He ripped the blade from his arm and yelled at Duncan, “Ready to die?”
“Are you?” Duncan yelled back as he quickly slid his hand down his pant leg to retrieve his other knife.
The men both rose to their feet and circled one another. Duncan contemplated removing his rifle and shooting Holloway, but his adversary was far too quick. Holloway would pounce on Duncan before he could use the quick release on his sling and point the weapon.
“Just give it up, pal! I’ll let your family live, but you, you gotta go.”
“Screw you! Hear that gunfire? That’s the sound of your men dying.” As if on cue, Sook fired off several more bursts as she continued to exchange gunfire with one of Holloway’s men.
“Really?” growled Holloway as he continued to circle the room with Duncan. “Sounds to me like you and the other guy are trapped in here. Last chance, hero. Give it up!”
While Holloway was focused on making speeches, Duncan had reversed the knife within his grip. He had the benefit of the darkness to prepare a side-body throw to embed the knife in Holloway’s chest.
Duncan continued the circular dance with the killer until Holloway had reached the open doorway. At that moment, Sook fired off several more rounds, which momentarily caught Holloway’s attention. That was the opening Duncan was waiting for. With a slashing motion, he let his knife fly. Silently, it flew across the room with a swooshing sound until it struck Holloway in the sternum.
Surprised, the large man looked down at the blood pouring out of him and reached to remove the knife. Duncan didn’t hesitate and bum-rushed Holloway. The impact of the two men colliding served to force the knife deeper into Holloway’s chest and caused him to drop Duncan’s other knife. Duncan quickly scooped it up and plunged it into Holloway’s heart, ending the former warrior-turned-criminal’s life.
He leaned over the dead man’s body for a few seconds to catch his breath. The shooting had stopped, and the night fell silent once again. Duncan stood and moved to the top of the stairs. He called for Sook.
“Sook, what’s happening?”
“One shooter in the hayloft. All others left in the trucks.”
Duncan returned his knives to his pants and finally was able to put his rifle to use. He moved to the front window overlooking the front yard. He focused his attention on the two windows facing the ranch house. In the darkness, he was unable to detect any movement.
“Hold him off, Sook!”
He ran back into the bedroom and searched for the night-vision goggles, finding them in the corner of the room. Duncan affixed them to his head and made sure they were working properly. Then he raced back to the front window.
The illuminated field of vision was helpful, but he still couldn’t identify the location of the shooter. After a few tense minutes in which Duncan became concerned the man might have escaped toward his family, who were in the area of the silos, he came up with an idea.
He walked over to the railing and whispered loudly to Sook, “Begin shooting from right to left from the corner of the barn to the first window. Understand?”
“Yes!”
Duncan moved back to the window as Sook began firing. An illuminated silhouette moved past the first window toward the middle of the barn.
“Keep going toward the center!”
She continued firing, and Duncan readied the powerful AR-10. As soon as he saw the man emerge in the second window, he opened fire. Bullets ripped into the barn board and sailed into the window, where the body twisted until it hung over the opening. Sook continued to fire, ensuring the final commando was dead.
Using his night-vision capability, Duncan made out four figures racing through the horse pens in their direction. He readied his rifle and allowed them to g
et closer to the burned-out barn. He waited, hoping they’d bunch up and make his work easier.
Almost. Almost. Come on, suckers.
Duncan slid his finger onto the trigger as they came closer.
Chapter 26
January 24
The Armstrong Ranch
Borden County, Texas
“Hold fire. Hold your fire, Sook!”
He spotted the ponytailed hair of Palmer as she reached the taller man leading the contingent. He quickly assessed the body shapes of the four once they arrived in clear view and realized it was his family.
Duncan shouted out the window, “Hey, it’s me. Are y’all okay?”
“We got ’em all, son! We think we got ’em all!”
“Clear the barn! I’ll be right there.”
Before Duncan descended the stairs, he moved toward the last bedroom at the end of the hallway where Holloway had emerged earlier. He entered the room with his rifle ready, and that was when he discovered another body.
Duncan removed his night vision and flipped on the bedroom lights. Lying partially clothed on the floor was the battered, dead body of a young woman. Duncan shook his head in sadness and disgust at what had happened to her. He shouldered his rifle and removed the duvet cover from the bed. He knelt down next to the woman and gently covered her. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then exhaled.
“So senseless,” he muttered as he stood.
Duncan marched out of his room with his right hand on the pistol grip. He paused at his parents’ bedroom and almost drew the weapon to shoot Holloway in the head out of spite, but then the bloody mess on the floor reminded him that they’d have enough to clean up already.
He started down the stairs, but Sook reached him halfway and rushed into his arms.
“Is it really over?” she asked as her tough exterior broke down into a flood of emotions.
“Almost,” Duncan replied. “The sun will be up soon, and we’ll need to sweep the ranch. But first, we need to help the people in the bunker.”
She gave him a long kiss and whispered, “I love you,” into his ear.
“I love you back, Sook. I am so proud of you right now.”
She shook her head from side to side. “I want this to be over and everyone to be safe. Then I will be proud too.”
Duncan understood. His family had been forced to become killers. This was a loving, caring group of people who followed Christian principles in leading their lives. The circumstances and the assault upon their home had forced them to take up weapons against their fellow man to protect themselves. It was not necessarily a proud moment, but one born of necessity. Duncan only hoped it was the last.
“Barn’s clear!” shouted Riley from the front yard.
“C’mon, Sook. Let’s go dig out the rest of our family.”
They walked into the front yard and were immediately greeted by an enthusiastic Palmer. She and Sook cried tears of joy as Major joined them. He and Duncan gave one another a hearty hug until Duncan reluctantly pointed out his injuries to his father.
“Sorry, son. I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I’m good, Dad,” he said as Riley and Cooper joined the reunion. Everyone took a moment to offer congratulations and thanks to God for protecting them during the fight. Then Duncan forced them to get down to business once again.
“Guys, we’ve got lots of work to do,” started Duncan as he began to dole out the assignments. “I wanna believe that we’ve taken them all out, but you never know for sure. Until sunrise when we can canvass the ranch, we need to be aware of our surroundings and possible stragglers who are dumb enough to attack us again.”
“Agreed,” said Major. “Tell us what to do.”
“Dad, I think you and Riley should ride down to the east woods. They’ve been alone down there, and as tough as Momma is, I’m sure she’s worried out of her mind.”
“Okay, I’ll round up our horses,” said Riley.
Duncan continued to address his father. “Dad, I have to warn ya. The house is full of blood and dead bodies. There’ll be cleanup to do, but I just thought you might want to warn Momma before she sees it for herself.”
Major chuckled and placed his hand on Duncan’s shoulder. “She won’t care, son. I can assure you of that. Now, she might start to grumble here and there, but deep down, she’ll be glad we’re all safe.”
Duncan turned to Cooper and the girls. “We need to dig out the families. Let’s go.”
Cooper and Duncan walked briskly toward the barn. Palmer and Sook followed close behind. Duncan posted them to stand watch while the guys began to remove charred debris from the burnt-out barn.
Ten minutes later, Cooper came across the empty can of garbanzo beans. “That’s weird. I wonder why this didn’t burn.” He reached down, and that was when he found the hatch to the bunker.
The hatch measured thirty inches in diameter and featured a steel wheel embedded in its lid. A flap-style cover could be set to the side, revealing the wheel, which required several turns to open.
“Duncan! I found it.”
Duncan quickly joined Cooper, and they frantically cleared a path from the hatch to the other barn. In the darkness, they didn’t want one of the kids to step on a blackened nail or piece of metal.
Cooper removed the flap and tried to turn the wheel. It wouldn’t budge. Duncan gave it a try and was unsuccessful.
“The intense heat from the fire must have welded it shut,” Duncan surmised.
Suddenly, Cooper jumped up and ran toward the other barn. “I’ve got an idea.”
He was gone several minutes, and he returned with his hands full of tools.
“First, let’s pour this motor oil around the wheel. It might help lube the threads. Then we’ll use this Council Tool crowbar to break the weld.”
It was a five-foot-long heavy carbon-steel crowbar used for prying and moving heavy objects. It had a round, tapered handle and a pinch point to create maximum leverage on the wheel.
The guys worked together to lube the wheel and then determined the best way to angle the tool into the wheel without breaking it. Once they agreed on the process, Cooper took a deep breath and leaned his shoulder into the council tool. The long crowbar began to bend slightly as he gave it more effort, and then with a final push, the seal broke and the wheel moved slightly.
“Yeah!” shouted Duncan as he caught his brother, who’d lost his balance during the sudden shift of the wheel. “Now let’s try it.”
Duncan’s shout grabbed the attention of Sook and Palmer, who ran to the hatch to assist. The wheel was still difficult to turn, so the guys alternated until the hatch seal finally succumbed, releasing a rush of stale, hot air.
“Antonio! Antonio! It’s Coop. It’s over!”
Duncan opened the hatch all the way, and everyone crowded around to looked inside. It was pitch black, and they couldn’t hear anything.
No shuffling. No voices. No crying. No breathing.
Duncan tried. “Hey, it’s over! You can come out now!”
Nothing.
Palmer was the first to break down. “Oh my God! Please, Lord, no!”
Cooper, leaning on one knee, buried his face in his hands as he began to sob. “We’re too late. Oh no, we’re too late.”
Tears streamed out of Sook’s eyes as she tried to comfort Palmer and Cooper. Duncan’s eyes welled up in tears as he consoled the others, but he knew that someone had to go down and investigate. He pulled his shemagh out of his kit. Then he wrapped it around his nose and mouth in anticipation of encountering the stench of death. With his SureFire flashlight leading the way, he descended into the dark bunker.
“I’ll come with you,” said Cooper, leaning over the hatch as he tried to fight back the tears that soaked his face.
“Nah, Coop. I got this. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Duncan took a deep breath and held it as he found his way down the final rungs of the ladder to the bottom. He turned and illuminated the room with his
flashlight. He turned to his right, pushed open the slightly ajar utility closet door, and found the room to be empty. Stepping deeper into the underground bunker, he looked into the bedroom to his left. It had been slept in, but now lay empty.
A chill came over Duncan’s body as he fought off the feeling that ghosts were all around him. As he passed the galley kitchen and the seating areas, he looked for any trace of the ranch families, whether dead or alive. There was none.
Finally, he reached the hallway that connected the two bunkers together. He stepped through the portal to the steel, cylindrical tunnel and shined his light on the other bunker. The door was shut. He approached cautiously and tried the access handle. It wouldn’t move.
He carefully moved forward, leaned against the door, and placed his ear against it. The sound was subtle, but it was recognizable. A baby was crying inside.
Duncan removed his knife and used the ringed end to begin tapping on the hatch. Nothing happened. He tried it again.
There was a clanking sound followed by a high-pitched squeak. The handle was moving, and Duncan stood back, allowing the flashlight to brighten the hall.
“Hello? Antonio? It’s me. Duncan.”
The door slowly pushed open, and Duncan used his flashlight to look inside. Crammed into the smaller bunker were frightened, crying round faces. Babies, children, and mothers all looked at him with wide-open, confused eyes. They clutched one another and began to cry as they tried to process what was happening. Duncan wiped the tears from his eyes, and then he smiled.
“You’re safe now. It’s over.”
Only Antonio stood up among them, his eyes tired from lack of sleep. He shuffled toward Duncan and hugged the taller man.
“Gracias Dios. Gracias, Duncan.”
They were a disheveled bunch, but they were alive. He and Antonio helped everyone to their feet and lit up the walkway to the next bunker with his flashlight. Duncan led the way until he reached the bottom of the ladder.
“Hey, y’all!” he shouted with a laugh. “You wanna give me a hand in getting these folks outta here? They’re all alive!”
