by Robert Boren
The paramedic nodded, and got to work.
The Doctor got there in a couple of minutes, and trotted over to the wreckage. He looked at the boy, who was now on the gurney, ready to load in the ambulance.
“Concussion,” the Doctor said. “He’ll probably be alright, but he needs to go to the hospital.”
“Is there a jail ward there?” asked Charlie. “We don’t want this kid getting up and walking away. He’s an enemy combatant.”
“Well, kind of. We have a room that locks from the outside. We could put him in there.”
“He might be dangerous,” Jerry said. “We should cuff him to the bed. I saw a pair of cuffs in the Sheriff’s station. I’ll go get them.”
The Doctor nodded. Jerry took off running, and was back in a minute. He cuffed the kid to the gurney, and handed the keys to the paramedic.
“Alright, we’re off,” the Doctor said. The ambulance took off down the road, with the doctor behind it.
“Now what?” asked Frank.
“Let’s go gather up those gun registration forms,” Jane said.
Frank nodded, and they went back into the Sheriff’s station.
“I’ll call the coroner about those two deputies in the jail,” Charlie said. He fished his cellphone out of his pocket and walked away as he dialed.
Jeb looked at Jackson. “Let’s take these rifles back to the Sporting Goods store,” he said. “I put the guns in the back.”
Jackson nodded, and the two of them got into the SUV and drove off. Charlie and Jasmine and Jerry walked into the Sheriff’s station.
“Coroner’s on the way,” Charlie said. “Wonder if these guys have family in town?”
“Probably,” Jasmine said. “So sad.”
“I’m going to mop up this blood,” Jerry said. “I saw a mop and bucket in the back.”
Jane and Frank walked out of the back with a file storage box.
“This is all of the gun registration files,” Jane said. “What should we do with them?”
“Burn them,” Jerry said.
“You know, that’s not a bad idea,” Frank said. “Let’s do it.”
“Isn’t that illegal?” Jane asked.
“Who cares?” Jerry asked.
“We could take them down to the Sporting Goods store,” Jane said.
“That’s probably the first place that the enemy looked for them,” Jerry said. “And I’ll bet the folks who run that store are all dead.”
“I’m afraid of that too,” Charlie said. “Burn em.”
“Alright,” Jane said.
“There’s a 55 gallon drum behind this building,” Frank said. “Let’s use that.”
Frank carried the box around and dumped it into the drum. Charlie pulled out a book of matches and started one of the papers, and then dropped it in. The paper caught, and soon there was a big flame extending a foot out of the drum. Jane stood by and watched, and then walked next to Frank and put her arm around his waist.
“I guess it’s for the best,” she said. “Look, here comes Jeb and Jackson.” She pointed to the SUV slowly driving up to them. They pulled over to the side of the road and got out of the SUV.
“What’s that?” asked Jeb.
“Gun registration records,” Charlie said.
“Good thinking. Somebody went through all of the paperwork in the Sporting Goods store too. There’s bodies in the store. Looks like the owner, a young kid who was probably clerk, and somebody who looks like a customer. I just kept the rifles, and grabbed a bunch of ammo.”
“I was afraid of that,” Charlie said.
An older woman walked up cautiously. She had on a long dress, and her gray hair was tied up behind her head. She was a handsome woman with a pretty smile.
“Jeb?” she asked.
“Stella, is that you?” Jeb asked. “I ain’t seen you in a coon’s age. Was that you behind that window over there?”
“I didn’t think you recognized me,” she said, with a calm smile. “I’m old now.”
“You’re still beautiful, Stella,” Jeb said. He walked over and gave her a hug.
“You live in town?” Jane asked. “I’m Jane, by the way.”
“Yes, Jane, I still live here,” she said. “Most of the people who live around the center of town are about my age. Some of them are in worse shape. Luckily the Doctor is still around to look in. The younger people who lived around here are mostly gone, except the ones that work in the hospital and the little hotel and saloon.”
“Saloon?” Jackson said. “It still open?”
“Yes, Clarence is still running the place.”
“Clarence?” Jeb asked. “That old SOB is still alive?”
“Yes, Jeb, he’s in good shape for an old guy, too.”
“Did you know the Deputies?” asked Jane.
“I knew the Sheriff’s nephew. Great kid but way too gentle for the job. The other two got hired from outside of town.”
“Well, I guess that’s good. They are both dead in the jail.”
“Oh, no. Those poor boys,” Stella said.
“Are there a lot of people who live outside of town?” asked Frank.
“Yes, there are homes all over the place. Lots of rednecks. I’m surprised they didn’t attack these folks.”
“Any of them in the militia?” asked Charlie.
“A few were, but they all left, from what I heard,” she said. “Nutcases.”
Charlie’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket.
“Hi, Doc. Earl ready to pick up yet?”
“Yes, you can come get him any time. The prisoner woke up, too. He’s a handful. You call the coroner about those two bodies in the jail?”
“Yes, I called them. They ought to be here any minute. There’s several dead people in the sporting goods store also. I’ll let them know.”
“Alright. You guys want to come down here?”
“Sure, after the coroner gets here,” Charlie said. “How’s the Sheriff?”
“He’s good. He’s already flirting with the nurses. He perked up considerably when he found out that his nephew is going to be alright.”
“Yeah, I got the impression that the Sheriff thought he was dead.”
“He did,” the Doctor said. “I’d better get going. See you in a while.”
“Thanks, Doc. You’ve been such a big help.”
“Don’t mention it,” he said.
Charlie put the phone back in his pocket.
“Earl?” Jackson said.
“He’s in good shape, and we can pick him up any time. Sheriff’s recovering quickly as well, and our prisoner is awake.”
“So we are going over there after the coroner gets here?” Frank asked.
“Yep, but not all of us have to go over.”
“I should call the Major and ask him what we should do with the prisoner,” Frank said.
“Good idea,” Jeb said. “I think I’d like to take a quick walk over to the Saloon. Could use a beer.”
“I heard that,” Jackson said.
“I’ll go with you,” Stella said. “So old Clarence doesn’t shoot you when you walk in the door.”
“Don’t drink too much,” Charlie said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen around here. We might not be finished yet.”
Jeb nodded, and walked off with Stella and Jackson.
Frank went over to the squad car and picked up the radio microphone.
“Major Hobbs, you there?”
“I was getting worried about you guys. What’s happening?”
“Mop up. We just talked to the Doctor over at the hospital. Earl’s good enough to come back with us. The Sheriff’s recovering, and the Deputy as well, but they’ll be in the hospital for a little longer…especially the Deputy. Oh, and we know where that chopper is.”
“Where?”
“I’m looking at its smoking wreckage right now,” Frank said.
“Really?”
“Really. It arrived about fifteen minutes after th
e battle was over, and opened up on us with the .50 cal. We took cover in the Sheriff’s station, except for Jeb. He took the pilot and co-pilot out with a hunting rifle. Head shots. Amazing.”
“Anybody survive?”
“Yes, the kid who was manning the .50 cal is alive. He has a concussion, but otherwise seems to be fine. We have him restrained in the hospital, but it’s not very secure. What should we do with him?”
“How about the jail?”
“That’s what we were thinking, but I don’t think we want to be responsible for him very long.”
“Gotcha,” the Major said. “I’ll call the CO.”
“Alright. We’re going over to the hospital as soon as the coroner gets here.”
“Coroner?”
“Yes, the other two deputies were hung by the enemy. They’re inside the jail cell.”
“Dammit.”
“That’s not all. They also hit the sporting goods store. There’s three bodies in there.”
“Did they take a lot of weapons?”
“I don’t know,” Frank said. “The snipers on the roof had some nice Weatherby hunting rifles with scopes. Jeb used one of them to take out the chopper. He kept them after he saw that the folks in the store were all dead, and he grabbed a bunch of ammo too.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“Yeah, the enemy ransacked the store and the Sheriff’s station. They found gun registration forms in the Sheriff’s station, and were getting ready to take them away.”
“Interesting,” the Major said. “What did you do with them?”
“We burned them,” Frank said.
“Good. I’ll get back to you after I’ve talked to the CO.”
“Alright. If you can’t get to me on the radio, try my cellphone.”
“That reminds me, you might want to take a look at the cell tower. Maybe there’s a way to make it more secure.”
“Excellent idea, Major. Forgot all about that. Talk to you soon.”
Frank hooked the radio microphone back onto its holder and shut the door to the squad car. He walked back over to the group, just as the coroner’s wagon rolled down the street and parked.
“It’s the meat wagon,” Jerry said. Jasmine rolled her eyes.
“Sick, man,” Frank said, chuckling as he walked up. “The major just reminded me of something. We should go check out that cell tower, and see if there’s anything we can do to make it more secure.”
“I’m with you on that,” Jerry said. “Oh, and I mopped up all that blood, so the coroner can get in and out easier.”
“Good,” Charlie said. “I’ll get the coroner going, and meet you guys down at the saloon. Then we can go over to the hospital.”
“Where is the saloon, again?” Jerry asked.
“It’s on the street that runs behind these buildings…..to the north. The cell tower is on the way…about a block this side of where the saloon and hotel are.”
“Alright,” Frank said. “Charlie, will you drive the squad car over after you’re done here? We’ll take the SUV over to the cell tower.”
“Sure,” Charlie said. “I’ll lock up the Sheriff’s station after we’re done, and take the keys over to the Sheriff when we hit the hospital.”
“C’mon, girls, lets go,” Frank said. Jane and Jasmine nodded, and they all climbed into the SUV.
“Hey Frank, Jasmine is an expert on cellular technology,” Jerry said. “Good thing we have her here.”
“Excellent,” Frank said. Jane looked up at him.
“I hope we are almost done. I’m tired, and I’ll bet Lucy is going crazy sitting in that motor home all by herself”
“She has Mr. Wonderful to keep her company,” Frank said. “You and Jasmine saved our butts big time.”
Jane smiled and put her hand on his thigh as he drove.
“I’ll say,” Jerry said.
“Good, then you won’t be making us wait while you guys go fight anymore, right?” Jasmine asked.
“Nope,” Jerry said. “At least until I have you knocked up.”
“Jerry! You’re as bad as mom,” Jasmine said.
“There’s the cell tower,” Frank said, pointing. He pulled the SUV over to the side of the road, and they all got out and walked over to it.
“Crap, look at this,” Jasmine said. “They just barely re-connected it. That isn’t going to last. If somebody steps on it here, it will come apart.”
“What do we need to fix it?” asked Jane.
“Some new connectors,” Jasmine said. “And I’d like to have some kind of conduit over it, like that.” She pointed at the original conduit that was ripped open and tossed to the side.
“Wonder if there is a good hardware store in town that is still open?” Frank asked.
“I’ll tell you what,” Jasmine said. “I can jury rig this thing so it will hold for a while. Then we can ask the folks in the saloon if there is a place we can get what we need.”
“Okay,” Jerry said. “Tell me how I can help.”
The couple got to work. Frank looked around. He could see the Saloon. It was only a block away.
“Jane, let’s walk over to the saloon,” he said. Jane nodded.
“We’ll see you over there in a few minutes,” Jerry said.
Frank’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket.
“Frank here,” he said.
“Frank, it’s Hobbs. The CO is coming over there. He’ll be in a larger helicopter, with a detachment of men. It will be a dual rotor job. Chinook. Ought to be arriving in about twenty minutes.”
“Excellent,” Frank said. “Jerry and Jasmine are working on the cell tower now. It’s in bad shape. We need some parts, but she can jury rig it for the short term. We’re going over to the Hotel and Saloon. Hopefully we can find out if there’s a store around that carries what we need.”
“Alright, Frank, talk to you soon.” Frank put the phone back in his pocket.
They were almost up to the Saloon. It was an old west looking building with a wood sidewalk in front of it, and swinging saloon doors. The main doors were closed behind it.
“Something’s not right,” Frank whispered. “Why would those inner doors be closed?”
“Uh oh,” Jane said. “Look at the Class C over there.” She pointed, and took off the safety on her M-16. Frank did the same on his Winchester.
“Let’s sneak up and look in a window,” Frank whispered. The crept forward, and crawled up onto the wooden sidewalk. Frank stuck his head up for a split second, then brought it back down, a worried look on his face.”
“What?” Jane whispered.
“Lewis is in there, holding a gun on Jeb and Jackson and Stella.”
Chapter 9 – Chester Saves the Day
“What do we do now?” asked Jane, looking frightened.
“If I know Jeb, he’s about three steps ahead of this creep,” Frank said.
“Jerry and Jasmine are going to show up any second,” Jane said.
“I’ll text Jerry now,” Frank said. He pulled out his phone and sent the text.
“Jeb and others held in Saloon by Lewis. Can see them through the window. Be carefu.l”
“Got it. Jeb always has other weapons on him. A diversion would help.”
“I’ve got an idea.”
“Shoot.”
“Sneak up and shoot tires on the Class C.”
“Then what?”
“Jane and I will tag anybody who comes out, and then go in.”
“Good, be there in a minute. I’ll call Charlie.”
“Good, thanks.”
Frank snuck back over to Jane.
“Jerry and Jasmine are going to sneak over here and shoot out the tires on that class C. You and I are going to be ready to shoot Lewis if he comes out. Hopefully the diversion will give Jeb or Jackson an opening to do something in there.”
“Risky plan. What if there are other people here with Lewis?”
“If they aren’t ours, blast em,” Frank said.
“Shit, forgot about him. He’s really old. I think it’s unlikely that an elderly man is with Lewis’s folks, so don’t shoot any really old folks unless they are shooting at you.”
“Great advice…..don’t shoot old people,” Jane said, smirking. “Look, here they come,”
“Good. Why don’t you sneak over behind that tree….you can see the front doors and windows.”
“Where are you going?”
“Back up on the porch, so I can see in the window when things start up,” Frank said.
“That’s pretty exposed.”
“I can roll off of this sidewalk quickly if I have to. And I have you to cover me, and Jerry and Jasmine.”
“Alright,” she said, and she ran in a crouched position over to the big oak tree off to the right side in front of the building. When she was in place, Frank gave a thumbs up sign to Jerry. He got on one knee and aimed at the Class C rig. Jasmine did the same, about four feet away from him. Then they both fired, and hitting the two front tires of the rig. It slumped down in front. Two men came flying out of the door of the coach, and were hit immediately by Jasmine’s M-16.
Frank looked into the Saloon. Lewis turned around, and Jeb leaped at him with a bowie knife in his hand. He stabbed Lewis before he could react. The gun fell out of his hand. Jackson grabbed his gun off of the bar, and tossed Jeb’s gun to him as well. Frank started to get up, when a shot came from inside the Class C. Then another. He dived off the wooden sidewalk, into the planter below.
Jerry and Jasmine ran for cover behind a tree on the other side of the building, and both of them shot back at the Class C rig.
“Stay down Jane!” Frank yelled. Then he saw movement behind the Class C. It was Chester, sneaking towards the door with his usual limp. He made eye contact with Frank and held up his hand. There was a grenade in it. Frank nodded. Chester pulled the pin, then yanked open the screen door on the rig and tossed it in. Then he jumped to the ground and tried to crawl away. The Class C exploded. Chester was way too close.
“Shit, Chester,” Frank yelled. He ran over and grabbed his shoulders, and pulled him away from the burning hulk. He had glass and metal and wood stuck in his back, and a bloody gash on the back of his head. Jane ran over.
“Oh, no, is he dead?” she asked.
