Bug Out! Part 4: Mortars and Motorhomes

by Robert Boren

  “What’s the second thing?” Jerry asked.

  “I suspect that chopper is going to show up, so I’m going to have some birds in the air. If they see it, it’s not going to be around for long.”

  “Sounds good,” Franks said.

  The men turned their heads as they heard the pop pop pop coming from the M-16s. Then Charlie came walking up with Jackson, Earl, and Jeb.

  “Good, we get to go kill us some traitors and heathens,” Jeb said.

  “What the heck are you going to do with that?” asked the Major, looking at the bow that Jeb had hanging on his shoulder.

  “I know the town, and I know all the best places to hide out in that square by the Sheriff’s office. I’m going to go hunting. And I won’t be going in the car with the ladies. I’m sneaking over there now.”

  “You taking the hunting rifle too?”

  “I was going to put it in the back of the SUV, just in case. And I’ll have my .45 on me, of course.”

  “Earl, Jackson, you alright with all of this?” asked Frank.

  “Yup,” Earl said. “As long as we all agree that Simmons isn’t going to live through this.”

  “Ditto,” Jackson said.

  “Yes,” Major Hobbs said.

  More pop pop pop sounds came from the pasture. There was a pause, and then more.

  “Sounds like they are getting the hang of it,” Jerry said.

  “If they have any experience shooting at all, they’ll get those down fast,” the Major said. “I hope they don’t have to fire a shot, though. How come you guys are going along with this? I can tell that you don’t want to.”

  “It scares the hell out of me,” Jerry said. “I think Jasmine’s mother convinced me more than anything, though. We aren’t living in the same world anymore. If we are going to survive, we’ll need to do the tough jobs together.”

  “I’m not happy,” Frank said. “But I know Jane. I can tell when she won’t budge. Best to just accept it, and do it in a way that will give her the best chance to survive.”

  “You guys mind if I take off now?” Jeb asked. “I want to scope out some good vantage points.”

  “Sure, go ahead,” Charlie said. “And don’t go getting yourself killed, you old reprobate.”

  Jeb just smiled, and walked out of the barn.

  “It makes me feel better that he’s going to be in position,” Charlie said.

  “What’s he going to do with that bow and arrow?” asked Major Hobbs.

  “He’ll take out anybody he sees that is getting ready for an ambush, and nobody will hear it.”

  “He’s that good?” asked the Major?”

  “Oh, yeah, he is,” Charlie said.

  “Are we taking guns?” asked Earl.

  “Simmons didn’t say we shouldn’t, so I’ll be packing my Winchester and my sidearm,” Frank said.

  “Sure you don’t want to move over to an M-16 or an AK?” the Major said. “That relic is going to get you into trouble.”

  “No, I’ll stick with this for now,” Frank said.

  I have another suggestion for you guys,” the Major said. “Body armor. We have some. Might keep you alive.”

  “Now that I’m okay with,” Frank said. “Since we will be totally exposed down there.”

  “Alright, follow me,” the Major said. They went to the back of the barn.

  Jane and Jasmine walked back into the barn, carrying their M-16s. Lieutenant James followed them.

  “Where is everybody?” Jane asked.

  “We’re back here, Jane,” the Major said. “Be out in a minute.”

  “Wonder what they’re up to?” asked Jasmine.

  “Don’t know,” Jane said. “I’m liking this M-16. It’s a joy to shoot.”

  Jasmine nodded, as the men came back out towards the door of the barn.

  “What were you guys doing?” asked Jane.

  “We just got fitted with body armor,” Frank said. “Feels a little stiff.”

  “You’ll get used to it,” the Major said.

  “I’m glad,” Jasmine said. “You guys are going to be out there with no cover at all.”

  “Yes, that’s why they talked us into it,” Jerry said. “Maybe you girls ought to be wearing it too?”

  “We won’t be out in the open,” Jane said. “I’d rather be able to move around better.”

  “I agree with Jane on that,” the Major said. “As long as you know not to do anything stupid like run out into the open.”

  “I just saw Jeb taking off in his jeep,” Jasmine said. “He’s not going with us?”

  “He’s going to get there earlier, with his bow and arrow,” Charlie said.

  “Oh. To take out snipers without making any noise, right?” asked Jane.

  “Yup,” Charlie said.

  Hey, you guys,” came a voice from behind them. It was Hilda, on crutches. Chester was walking beside her.

  “Hilda, should you be out here?” asked Charlie.

  “I heard what you guys are going to do,” Hilda said. “I called a couple of people I trust in town. They are seeing some folks there that don’t belong.”

  “Knew it,” Charlie said. “They’ll be set up for us. Good thing Jeb is going.”

  “Ah, Jeb is taking his bow over there, isn’t he,” Hilda said. “Good. They won’t know what hit them.”

  “I’m going to drive you ladies into town,” Chester said. You get in the back where they can’t see you easily. Then you can jump out quickly if the need arises.”

  “Good idea,” Frank said.

  Static came from the radio in the Major’s Humvee. He ran over and got in.

  The Major came back over.

  “The drone is overhead. There’s no large group of troops there, but there have been people on and off of the roofs surrounding the park.”

  “How much time do we have?” asked Jerry.

  “About an hour,” Frank said, looking at his watch.

  “Alright, do we have a map of town?” Jerry asked.

  “Use Google Earth,” Frank said. “The tablet’s in the clubhouse.”

  “Right,” Jerry said. “Let’s go back over there.”

  Meanwhile, Jeb was approaching the town in his jeep. The streets were almost completely free of traffic, but that wasn’t unusual for this little town. He parked about a block away from the park, and got out. He walked carefully along the sidewalk, trying to stay under the trees and out of sight. He could see the block right in front of the square. The library building was the tallest building, but it was only two story. ‘If I could get up there I could command the area,’ he thought to himself. The surrounding buildings were one story, and they were close enough together for him to be able to take people out with the bow and arrow or the pistol.

  He snuck closer to the last street before the park, looking at the back of the library building. Then he heard something. A click. The double doors on the back wall opened, and two men walked out. They both lit cigarettes. They talked to each other in hushed tones, and then one of them walked to the end of the wall and turned right, heading up to the next street that led to the park. The other man stood there finishing his cigarette. He looked up and saw Jeb just as he had the arrow pulled back. Jeb let it go, hitting the man in the heart, bringing him down silently. Jeb smiled, then ran over and pulled the man into the back door. He closed the door behind him, and locked it. Then he pulled the arrow out of the man’s chest, and rubbed the blood off on the man’s shirt. He snuck over to the stairs, and headed up to the roof. He slowly cracked the roof door open, and peered through the crack. He could see two chairs and a table by the side of the roof overlooking the park, behind the façade. There were two rifles with scopes leaned up there, along with some bottles of water and a walkie talkie. He snuck out on the roof and looked around. Empty. There was a breeze. It hit the sweat on the back of his neck and made him shiver. He crouched and walked up to the front of the building. Then he heard a scratchy voice coming over the radio.

&nbs
p; “OK, everybody check in,” the voice said. “Sheriff’s station.”

  “Check,” said another scratchy voice.

  “Clancy’s bar,”

  “Check.”

  “Library.”

  Jeb pushed the button.

  “Check,” he said, his heart pounding.

  “Drug Store.”

  “Check.”

  Jeb settled down, and looked at his watch. A half hour to go before his friends got there. He watched and waited. The sun was beating down on him. He picked up an unopened bottle of water and took a drink. Then he heard somebody pound on the back door. He leapt from his chair, grabbed his bow and went to the back of the roof. He peered over.

  “Hey, Stan, dammit, open the door,” said the man below, backing up so he could see the edge of the roof.

  Jeb got an arrow ready, and stood up. The man looked up and saw Jeb just as the arrow hit him square in the chest. His hands came up to grip the arrow and he staggered backwards, falling over a hedge and into the front yard of the house behind the library. A woman’s face appeared at the window, looking at the dead man on the lawn. She looked up and saw Jeb standing there with the bow and arrow, and gave him a thumbs up sign. Then she closed her curtain. Jeb went back up to the front of the roof and waited.

  Back at the RV Park, the men were loading up Officer Simmons’s squad car, and testing the radio loud speaker. It worked.

  “Alright, guys, it’s about 15 minutes before the hour,” Frank said. “Time to take off.”

  Jane and Jasmine ran over to their men and hugged them tightly.

  “Don’t you dare get yourself killed,” Jane said to Frank.

  “You either,” Frank said. “Sure I can’t talk you out of this?”

  “No,” she said. “But you already knew that.”

  “Be careful, Jerry,” Jasmine said. “I love you.”

  “Don’t worry honey,” he said. “I love you too.”

  Hilda hobbled out of the Clubhouse with Charlie. She gave him a kiss, looking frustrated because the crutches kept her from throwing her arms around him.”

  The men all squeezed into the squad car. Major Hobbs came running over.

  “Jeb is on the roof of the library now. He has a commanding view of the other buildings. He took out both sentries that were manning that building. I don’t think Simmons has any idea.”

  “That’s Jeb,” Charlie said, chuckling. “They aren’t going to know what hit them.”

  “Let’s go,” Frank said. He got into the back next to Jerry, and Charlie got into the driver’s seat. They drove out of the park.

  Jane and Jasmine looked at each other, and then at Hilda. All of them were on the verge of tears.

  “We can do this,” Jasmine said.

  “I’m not afraid,” Jane said. “I’m pissed. This asshole isn’t going to win.”

  Chester walked out.

  “You gals ready to load up?” he asked.

  “Yes, let’s go,” Jane said. The three of them walked back to the barn, and got into the militia SUV. Chester fired it up and backed it out of the barn. As he was about to drive off, the Lieutenant came running up. He had a box in both hands.

  “Chester, do you remember how to use these?” He passed the box into the window. It was heavy.

  “Hand grenades,” he said, cracking up. “Yeah, threw more than one of these in Korea. These might come in handy.”

  “Good,” the Lieutenant said. “Good luck to all of you.”

  Chester nodded and drove off towards the gate. Hilda watched them. She stayed in the driveway, looking past the gate, for long after they were out of sight.

  Chapter 7 - Showdown

  Charlie drove down the main road into town. As they got closer, the sparse buildings thickened, mostly rundown buildings from the mid-50s and early 60s. Then there was downtown. It was dense, and had a 1930s look to it. The streets were deserted.

  “The Sheriff’s station is right around the corner,” Charlie said. “I’ll park in front, and we can walk across the street.”

  “Why there?” Jerry said.

  “Well, for one thing, it will be harder for the snipers on the roof to hit it without showing themselves,” Charlie said. He laughed, but it was a nervous laugh.

  They rounded the corner, and could see the edge of the park. Charlie slowed down, looking in all directions.

  “Is that the Sheriff?” asked Jerry, pointing.

  The Sheriff, his shirt torn and bloodied, was chained onto the swing set at the park, and his arms were stretched out like wings. His head hung down.

  “Is he alive?” asked Earl.

  “He’d better be,” Charlie said. He pulled the car in front of the Sheriff’s station. It was shaded by the buildings. The men got out cautiously and picked up their weapons, cocking them, and taking off the safeties. They walked slowly across the street, looking in all directions. Nobody was around yet. They approached the Sheriff. The men could see him breathing.

  “Sheriff,” Frank said in a loud whisper. His head jerked up, and he saw them.

  “It’s a trap,” he croaked. Frank rushed over to him, pulling a water bottle out of his pocket. He lifted the Sheriff’s head and poured water into his mouth, as the other men covered him, looking up at the buildings and towards the back end of the park.

  “Gentleman,” a loud voice said, coming from behind them. They saw Officer Simmons walking out of the Sheriff’s station.

  “Where’s the Deputy?” asked Charlie.

  “Sorry, he didn’t make it,” Officer Simmons said, with a fake look of sorrow on his face. “I’d appreciate it if you would put those guns down.”

  “Yeah, I’ll just bet you would, asshole,” Jackson said. He pointed his rifle right at Officer Simmons’s head.

  “We’ve got you guys covered from all sides,” Officer Simmons said mildly. “Put them down.”

  “Stuff it,” Earl said.

  Frank glanced up on the Library. Jeb was up there. He did a quick salute, and then got back out of sight. Frank repressed the urge to grin.

  “Here, I’ll take off my sidearm,” Officer Simmons said. He unbuckled his gun belt and dropped it at his feet, and continued on across the street.

  Frank looked at his friends. He nodded at them, and moved his eyes up to the library. He cracked a slight grin, and then set down his Winchester at his feet. The other men set their guns down at their feet as well, and turned to watch Officer Simmons as he approached.

  “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Simmons asked.

  “What kind of deal do you want?” Jerry asked.

  “I just want to talk to Earl and Jackson, like I said. You let me do that, and I’ll let all of you fine people walk right out of here.”

  “Alright, talk,” Frank said.

  “Not here,” Officer Simmons said. “In the jail.”

  “No, we aren’t letting Earl and Jackson out of our sight, traitor,” Jerry said. “Talk to them right here.”

  “That’s really not nice, Jerry,” Officer Simmons said. “You shouldn’t treat me like that. I just might take that out on your pretty wife.”

  Jerry lurched for his gun, and a shot came from the roof to the right of the library, hitting the ground about six inches from the AK-47. Jerry froze. Frank glanced up just in time to see Jeb stand up and let an arrow go. He looked down at Frank and gave a thumbs up, then sank out of sight again.

  “Why, Jerry, are you upset with me?” asked Officer Simmons. “I was only kidding. You know, like Frank was when he shot me with that .44 mag relic.”

  Frank glared at him.

  “Alright, tell us what you really want, Simmons,” Frank said. “I’m getting tired of this crap. I’ve got things to do.”

  “Yes, and people to see, too, I suspect,” Officer Simmons said, chuckling. “You guys aren’t going anywhere.”

  “On whose authority are you going to hold us?” asked Jackson.

  “Mine.”

  Jackson laughed out loud.<
br />
  “You? You’re just a garden variety nutcase, Simmons. You try to hold on to me and I’ll take you apart.”

  “You’ll regret that comment, hillbilly.” Officer Simmons raised his hand. A man stood up on the roof to the left of the library. He fired his rifle, and a bullet tore into the Sheriff’s left upper arm, causing him to cry out in pain.

  “You piece of shit,” Jerry said. He looked up at Simmons, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Jeb stand up and let an arrow go. The man on the roof with the rifle fell over. The rifle fell out of his hand, falling to the sidewalk and making a loud crash. Officer Simmons whirled around, trying to see what happened. Jerry cracked up.

  “Something wrong, nutcase?” he asked.

  Officer Simmons turned back around, then went for something behind his back. He pulled out a small pistol and pointed it at Jerry. Earl saw that, and lurched forward, tackling Officer Simmons. The gun flew out of his hand. Charlie dived for it, covering it with his body. Another shot came from the roof, hitting Earl in the calf. He rolled off of Officer Simmons, holding his leg. Simmons grabbed the pistol from Charlie and turned to Jerry, who was almost to his rifle. He aimed, and then a woman’s voice yelled out.

  “Freeze!”

  It was Jasmine. She was standing next to the battered SUV, her M-16 pointed at Officer Simmons. He stopped, but then put his hand in the air again. Nothing happened. He shook his hand impatiently. Still nothing.

  “Uh, something wrong, scumbag?” asked Frank.

  Simmons slowly turned towards the buildings. Jeb was standing there, bow in hand. He had a big grin on his face.

  Officer Simmons screamed with rage, then turned around and shot Jerry square in the chest. Jerry clutched his chest and rolled on the ground.

  Jasmine screamed “Nooooooooo!” and fired, hitting Officer Simmons in the side and in the shoulder. He fell, but then got back up and pointed his gun towards Frank. He fired, hitting Frank in the chest. Then his head exploded. The men looked back and saw Jane, gun still aimed at where Officer’s Simmons head was, as he slumped to the ground.

  Jasmine and Jane ran over and dived down next to their men. Jerry turned over to Jasmine and smiled.

  “Jerry, how badly are you hurt?” she cried. There was no blood. She clawed at his shirt, pulling it out of the way. There was a bullet stuck in the body armor.