by Ira Tabankin
“Listen asshole, we provided the firepower that enabled you and your people to reach the fields and silos. If it hadn’t been for us, you would all have been cut down, none of you would have made it to the trench, let alone to the houses. The only reason you’re still alive is we came along and killed the defenders.”
“Dutch, that’s bullshit and you know it. If you killed them, where are their bodies? You and I both know they’re around here someplace. I don’t think we killed any of them. If we did they dragged the bodies away with them. We had a good plan, we were working our way around their rear and flanks. We could have done it without you. We might have lost a few more people, but we wouldn’t be on the outside while you sit here drinking yourselves blind. We demand some of the liquor, we demand an equal share of the food you found.”
“What do you mean you demand? Who are you to demand anything from me?”
“I have the right based on the number of souls my group lost.”
“Tough shit, I don’t care about the people you lost. You shouldn’t have attacked in human waves, you presented them with perfect targets. Next time you to decide to attack a well-defended location you better bring a hell of a lot more guns and ammo. I saved your dumb asses, which means I get first choice of anything we find.”
Robert yells at Dutch, “You held back, waiting for us to wear the defenders down. When they were tired and wounded, you attacked. You pushed ahead of my people so you could get first dibs on the rewards. You sat on your ass watching my people die leading the attack which provided you with cover. All I want is our fair share of the bounty.”
“Rob, you’re a nice guy, tell you what I’m going to do, I’m going to give you your fair share.” Dutch looks to his right saying, “Jose, please give Rob over here his fair share.” Two shots blast out from Jose’s Glock 30S, two JHP 45 caliber bullets tear Rob’s heart apart. He’s dead before his body hits the floor.
Dutch looks around the dining room at the other mob leaders, “Does anyone else want their fair share?” Jose waves his Glock towards the other mob leaders in the room. He asks, “Anyone? I’ve got a lot of ammo.”
The other mob leaders shake their heads no, they file out of the dining room and my house listening to Dutch’s laughter echo behind them. “Told you those pansies weren’t going to be a problem.”
Jose laughs, “Dutch, I didn’t believe you. I thought after they realized we were using them to overwhelm the defenders, I worried Rob would do the same to us. I didn’t expect him to show up demanding his fair share.”
Dutch laughs, “His fair share. What the fuck does he think this is? Congress? We ain’t no welfare department. Man what an asshole. Someone get his stinking body out of my new house.”
Everyone in the club hanging around the living and dining rooms laughs at Dutch’s joke.
Snake asks, “Dutch what are you going to give the mobs? We don’t want them swarming us in the middle of the night to get to our food. If you give them something, they’ll most likely leave us alone.”
“We’ll give them some food in an hour, just enough to give them all a taste. At the same time, double search the houses and the grounds. I don’t like the odds here. Rob’s people may decide to swarm us. I know the defenders are still here, I don’t know where, but by gut says they’re here. I don’t want us caught in the middle of an attack by Rob’s people and the owners. I think we should pack up and leave soon.”
Snake says, “Dutch, winter is coming, why don’t we spend the winter here? We’ll have a roof over our head, food, beer and working shiters. I don’t think the owners and the mob will work together. The mob tried to kill the owners. If anything, I expect the owners to return and attack the mob.”
“You might have a point there. I’ll think about it tonight. Are any of the mob’s women pretty, or are they all the type of girl that is typical of the far left that never shave their legs and armpits?”
Snake laughs, “Dutch, there are some real lookers in the group.”
“Great, why don’t you select a half dozen and invite them to party with us.”
Smiling, Snake says, “Great, will do.” Before any of the club can say another word, the lights strobe off in the house. Dutch stands up saying, “Shit, now what? Snake, find out what happened. Find a way to turn the lights back on.”
One of the club yells, “Dutch, the water don’t work either.”
“Goddamn it, the owners are still here. They’re around here someplace, shit, they may be watching us. Find them, bring them to me. I’m going to enjoy listening to them beg to die.”
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US Army Captain Black and his companies are slowly moving south on Interstate 57. They’re greeted with flowers, hugs and kisses at every town they enter. He sees the same story repeated in every town; hunger, thirst, pain, illness and fear of being attacked by roaming gangs. Captain Black remembers that Illinois had some of the strictest anti-gun laws in the country. Her citizens were left almost defenseless when the shit hit the fan. They were easy prey for the criminals who laughed at the gun laws. The small rural towns had all been attacked and stripped clean of food, bottled water, beer and alcohol. Every drug store and hospital were stripped to their bare walls. Parents cry and beg the captain to find their missing daughters. The gangs took most of the pretty ones when they left town. Captain Black is disgusted by the conditions he finds. He curses under his breath at every liberal politician who stripped the people’s right to defend themselves. He sent a message to HQ informing them he was again going to need resupply and his ETA at Nashville was going to be further delayed. He sends two LAVs ahead to scout the next couple of towns while he provides hot food and medical attention to the citizens. He plans to make sure each town can protect itself before he moves to the next on along his route. He knows if we can’t leave them protected the scum will return and do worse to the town’s people.
When the LAVs reach the next town along their route, they are surprised to find the road blocked with overturned buses and tracker trailers. Second Lieutenant Greek stood in the LAV so that his head was sticking out of the cupola, he’s looking at the barricade when a bullet strikes the armor less than an inch from his face. He quickly orders, “STOP, we’re under attack, prepare to return fire!”
Staff Sergeant Hill taps the LT on his leg, “Sir, I think the town’s people are giving us a warning. Why don’t you tell them who we are before we open fire on our own people?”
“Sarge, they almost killed me.”
“Sir, either it was a warning shot or their aim was bad. Sir, this is an American town. I’m telling you these people blocked the road to stop the roaming gangs and criminals.”
“Sarge, we have to blast this illegal roadblock off the road. When the captain arrives, he won’t be pleased to find a barricade blocking his path. He’ll blame me for not having it removed.”
“LT, he’s going to be a lot more pissed if you kill a bunch of civilians who are just trying to protect themselves.”
“Sarge, how do you know…”
“LT, trust me on this. I’m going to use the mic to tell them who we are. If I’m wrong, then you can blow the hell out of the roadblock and the town.”
“Sarge, go ahead and give it a try, we’ve got nothing to lose except for time.”
Sergeant Hill picks up the microphone, he clicks it three times, “Attention, attention, we are the advance unit of four US Army platoons. We are here to help you. We’re bringing food, bottled water, and medical supplies. Please don’t shoot at us, if you do, we’ll be forced to return fire. Our mission is to provide you with security, provisions, and assistance.”
A voice yells back, “How the hell do we know you are who you say you are?”
“May I exit my vehicle?”
“Unarmed. Walk towards the roadblock with your hands up. Tell your buddies not to move the machine guns in the LAVs or we’ll kill you. The round that scared the crap out of your brown bar was a warning shot. We bet he’s got a brown stripe
in his shorts to match the one on his collar. We have trained snipers who are watching you. If we wanted you or your LT dead, you would be lying in the street.”
“I agree to your terms, I’m going to open the rear door of the LAV, I’ll exit with my hands up, unarmed.”
Sergeant Hill exits the LAV with his hands up. “Walk towards the overturned school bus.”
Sergeant Hill slowly walks towards the school bus, repeating, “I’m unarmed.”
“Take off your shirt.”
Sergeant Hill complies, he slowly turns around so the sniper can see he’s unarmed. “Come forward.”
When Sergeant Hill reaches the school bus, he’s met by three men and a woman. The woman is holding a 7.62 caliber sniper rifle with a large scope attached. “I’m US Army Staff Sergeant Hill.”
He’s patted down by a man wearing a police officer shirt and camo pants. I’m Tuscola police captain Blake Edwards. Sergeant, what brings you here?”
“May I put my arms down?”
“Yes.”
“We’ve been ordered to scout and provide aid between Chicago and Nashville. We have two groups, one traveling south on Interstate 65 and us traveling south on Interstate 57. We’re commanded by US Army Captain Black, who is a couple of towns back. We’re bringing food, water and we have a couple of MASH units traveling with us. I know this sounds funny and full of bullshit, but we’re here to help.”
“Damn, I never thought I’d hear anyone associated with the government really look me in the eye and say that. You’re a little late, we needed you six weeks ago. Why didn’t the government send us any help when we needed it? We tried contacting everyone we could. We, like most of the other towns, were attacked by motorcycle gangs and roaming thugs. They slid into town in the middle of the night. Before we knew it, our mayor and most of my police officers were lying dead on the street. They stripped our town bare, they took our food, alcohol, broke into our only drug store emptying it, and kidnaped six teen girls. Where the hell were you when they were being raped? What good are you to us now? Are you able to find our people? Return our dead officers, bring the girls back to their parents? Bring our medicine back? We’ve already lost eight people because they ran out of their medications. You’re part of the government that left us defenseless. You outlawed us owning the weapons we needed to fight off the gangs. As the local police captain, I was ordered to use nonlethal force against criminals. That didn’t work very well. We built the roadblock to protect us in case another gang tried to take the little we have left.”
Sergeant Hill looks at the people in front of him, all are gaunt, their eyes are sunken, their clothing hangs on their bodies. He looks at the woman with the sniper rifle holds it ready. “Are you the one who scared the crap out of my LT?”
“If I wanted to hit him, he’d be dead. I only wanted to get his attention.”
“You did that, he almost returned fire, he would have wiped you all out.”
The sniper laughed saying, “I don’t think so.” She whistles, ten people armed with shotguns and Molotov Cocktails exit the woods that line the interstate. “We would have given you a warm welcome. The cocktails would have cooked you inside those LAV crap boxes.”
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John looks at the monitors displaying what’s going on inside Jay’s house. After seeing the biker leader kill one of the mob leaders who attacked their property, John nods to himself and types instructions into his laptop. A moment later the lights start going out in Jay’s house, followed by Fred’s, Rich’s and every other house in the compound. He leans back thinking, next time you shouldn’t attack people who were minding their own business. Soon, you’ll be sleeping for a very long time. Soon, the vengeance will be ours. We will take back what’s ours. Soon asshole, you’ll be waking up in hell. You’re tearing up our homes, you’re tearing up the fields we worked so diligently to produce our food. You’re stealing what’s ours. You should have let the food grow so you’d have something to get you through the winter. Without that food, you’re going to freeze or starve to death. Winter is a harsh mistress. She is a long day’s night. She is a dark, cold hearted bitch. Jay, Tony and I are heartless bastards when it comes to revenge and we’re going to be coming for you. We’re going to send you to hell. John smiles to himself, knowing revenge is going to be sweet.
Chapter 3
Ricky whispers to Sammi, “There he goes again, he’s driving me crazy. All he does is walk the halls all day and night. Doesn’t he have something to do, you know, like figuring out how to get us out of this bargain basement?”
“Honey, leave him alone. He has a lot on his mind. He’s most likely just checking everything to make sure everything is running correctly. He has a lot of responsibilities. He’s trying to take care of forty people.”
“Sammi, I understand he’s your father and you unconditionally love him. I’m telling you, I’m going nuts in here. He’d better figure out how to get us back into the house. I want to feel the sun on my face. I want to be able to take a dump without worrying about who’s sitting in the stall next to me. This is worse than the dorms in school, I moved out of them due to their lack of privacy. We have no privacy down here. What about Linda, God knows what she’s picking up in here. Some of these people don’t bath every day. Look at how some of the parents allow their kids to run wild. And a mobster? We have a mobster who’s second in command, I didn’t get a vote on him and his friends living with us. What is he teaching Linda? I’ve tried to tell Linda not to spend time with Tony’s kids, but your father put all the kids together in a large playroom. There’s no way to keep Linda away from the bad influences like him.”
“Ricky, it’s going to be OK, I promise you. We’ve only been here for a few weeks. I know my dad, he’s working on a way to return us home.”
“If he doesn’t do it soon, I’m going to propose he be replaced as the leader of the community.”
“Ricky, don’t. I’ll be really upset with you. He’s my father! Look at all he’s done for us. He saved all these people. He saved ours and Linda’s life.”
“How do we know that? If he hadn’t pushed us to come here, we’d be back home safe and sound. When he brought us here, he placed all of our lives in danger. He’s the cause of our problems. I wish we’d never come to visit him. We didn’t need his blood money as much as we needed him to leave us alone.”
“His gift wasn’t blood money. It was a gift based on his love.”
“No, it wasn’t. It was blood money. He bribed us to come down here. He built a fortress, if he’d only shared his food with those who were hungry we wouldn’t be hiding here underground like a mole. I hate it here. I don’t know why your father couldn’t have arranged a sit down with the people who attacked us. Why couldn’t he have just found a way to negotiate a truce of some sort? He had enough food stashed away to feed them and us. It was his greed that caused all of those people their lives. You saw the piles of bodies up there. You saw how he killed those people in cold blood. He’s nothing more than a cold-blooded murderer. Look who he hangs out with, the local mafia boss. No wonder your father’s a killer. I want us out of here ASAP. This is no place for our daughter. If he doesn’t get us out of here soon, I’m going to take us home.”
Sammi gets up the courage to smack Ricky across his right cheek. “Ricky, my father did NOT kill those people in cold blood. He fought only because they attacked us. We didn’t cross the street to attack them, they came to kill us and take what’s ours.”
Rubbing the bruise on his cheek, “They attacked us because he didn’t offer to share what he had with them. He had more than his fair share. Sharing was the right thing to do and he refused. He might as well have condemned those poor people to death by not feeding them. Look what happened, they have the food anyway and we’re stuck down here in this cesspool. It smells down here. I want us out of here, I want to go home. If your crazy father can’t figure out how to take his home back, I think we should sneak out in the middle of the night and go home.”
“Ricky, how do you expect us to get home?”
“We locked our car in his garage, I bet it’s still there.”
Todd walks by their room saying, “Hey guys, what’s going on?”
Ricky looks at Todd with hate in his eyes, Ricky says, “Nothing, why aren’t you following the old man. Your nose is usually stuck up his ass.”
Todd stares at Ricky trying to decide if he should punch him or not. “Ricky, normally I’d take you down, however, you’re too dumb to know why you got a beating. Why don’t you do something useful or stay in your room?”
