Leo gathered the group and whispered. “We’re about ten minutes south of the lodge. Everyone keep quiet. Me and Mercy will go first, we’ve got the guns, everyone else follow us until we get eyes on the situation. Understood?”
The group stared at Leo blinking and nodding.
“You take point, this is your turf after all,” Mercy said, she took the Ruger American 9mm pistol from her jacket and checked the magazine. Leo unslung the AR-15 from his shoulder and signalled the others to follow.
The rain and the long grass made it difficult to see. After five minutes the lodge roof appeared in the distance. Leo turned and signalled everyone to lie flat. They crept through the grass. Finally it thinned and they could see the lodge beyond.
A lone SUV stood outside. Mercy’s eyes flitted to the windows on the near side of the house. The upstairs windows were shuttered, the ground floor shutters were open. Leo raised his hand, he wanted to watch the lodge for a while.
Rain continued to fall, Mercy was cold. She glanced back at the others, some were shivering, they needed to do something soon. Leo tapped her arm, she returned her attention to the lodge; a uniformed man had appeared at the door and was staring in their direction, he held a shotgun and a sword hung from his belt. Mercy froze, had he seen them?
The man reached for his pocket and pulled out a cigarette packet, he put a cigarette between his lips and lit it blowing blue smoke out into the rain. He looked up at the SUV. A voice called him from inside, he turned and disappeared through the front door.
“At least two then,” Leo said.
“How are we going to flush them out?” Mercy said.
The grass parted on Mercy’s left and a figure broke cover, walking towards the SUV. Mercy stared through the rain.
Saph? What’s she doing? Mercy gripped her pistol, her muscles tensing.
“Christ, Saph, what the fuck?” Leo swore. He raised the AR-15, he was familiar with firearms, his father had taken him hunting in November every year. He sighted the rifle on the lodge door his finger on the trigger.
Mercy turned around and held her hand up to the others. “Heads down,” she hissed.
Saph had reached the SUV, she went to the driver’s door and pulled on the handle. The door opened, she got in and leant over to the passenger seat disappearing from view.
“Hey you, get out of there. What do you think you’re doing?” the soldier appeared from the doorway and stepped towards the SUV raising his shotgun. “Get out or I’ll shoot—”
Saph came into view in the passenger seat. Leo blinked, the soldier was in his sights, his finger was a heartbeat away from squeezing the trigger. A second soldier appeared in the doorway carrying a hunting rifle. Saph opened the passenger door and climbed out, the SUV’s door obscured the soldiers’ view of her right arm.
“It’s just a kid,” the second soldier said drawing on his cigarette.
The first man lowered his shotgun a fraction. “Get out of—”
Saph stepped towards him revealing the pistol she had found in the glove compartment. “This is for my mother,” she shot the man in the chest. He crumpled to the ground, she took another step and fired again at the second soldier missing him and hitting the door post beside his head.
“Fucking bitch,” the soldier shouted, raising his rifle. Leo fired a controlled burst, the soldier fell to the ground blood oozing from his leg. He writhed on the ground screaming.
Saph took three more steps and stood over the soldier. “This is for my father.” She shot him between the eyes.
Silence descended on the scene. Saph looked into the building then turned to the long grass. “It’s clear, you can come out now.”
Mercy gave Leo a look. “Looks like you got your own Rose right there mister.”
Leo checked his watch, it was an hour since they had left the others. “Well those shots will be heard for miles, we’d better—”
The distant sound of automatic weapons fire rang through the forest.
“Shit,” Mercy said.
Chapter 15 The Grove
Jude led his group through the trees, the Ithaca 37 shotgun in his hand. Tawny was on his right, she carried one of the captured AR-15 automatic rifles. Ruby walked on the left, her crossbow at the ready, a few of the others held nailed baseball bats. With some reservations Jude had given Rose the Glock 17 pistol.
“This way,” Jude gestured the group forwards, “stop where the trees thin out.”
The group spread through the trees at the edge of a clearing.
Tawny looked at the clearing, seeing nothing but forest floor covered with leaves and scrubby undergrowth. “So this is the grove? What’s so special about it?” she asked Jude.
“Quicksand.” Jude replied, he pointed to an area of ground, “See over there?”
Tawny followed his gaze. Then she saw it, a deer, only its head remaining above ground, its antlers snagged on a fallen tree. “Gotcha, loud and clear,” Tawny said an approving look on her face. “You could sink an army in there.”
“That’s the plan, our runner knows where the ground is firm, the NSA don’t,” Jude replied. He pointed at six of his group, “Max, Emmy, Rob, Axel, Molly, Gina, take positions, you know what to do. I want crossfire on that ground. The rest of you follow me.”
Tawny watched as the six kids split off and took cover around the clearing. She felt a tug on her arm.
“I’m staying here with these guys Tawny. Someone’s gotta keep an eye on them—” Rose said, her face serious.
Tawny nodded and tried to hide her misgivings. “Yeah, they’re not exactly the Angels are they?” She gave Rose a fist bump. “Give the NSA hell Rosie girl.” Tawny walked off after Jude and the others.
“That’s why I’m here sister,” Rose said under her breath and went to find cover near the fallen tree.
Tawny caught up with Jude and the rest of the party. “So who’s your runner?”
Jude strode ahead not looking at her. “Me.”
Tawny looked at his back, surprised. “So who’s going to lead the others then?”
“You are,” Jude replied.
Tawny considered his answer. “OK, I got it.”
“I know, you can handle yourself. I’ve told the others, they’re good with it,” Jude elaborated.
“What happens if—”
“If they get me?” Jude finished for her.
“Yes.”
“It won’t happen, but if it does, then I guess it’s down to you,” Jude responded.
Tawny smiled, it was good to be back in the fight after being a prisoner. It was payback time. Jude turned to the group and made a swiping motion at his throat for silence. They had reached the west road. He stopped and crouched in the trees at the road side, they listened to the forest. The wind rustled the treetops, leaves blew along the tarmac, crows called out overhead.
Jude was about to stand when Tawny grabbed his shoulder. He froze. Tawny pointed down the road at the opposite tree line. He saw nothing at first, then movement, a hand lifted in the air motioning forwards. Six camouflaged figures rose from the forest floor.
“Jesus, that was close—” Jude whispered.
Tawny kept her eyes on the men. “They’ve not spotted us, they’re sweeping the far side of the forest, throwing a wide net, they’ll come in around us. We should pull back and try and out flank them.”
Jude shook his head. “No, that’ll take too long. We’ll stick to the plan. I’ll skirt along this side of the road just past them and get their attention. Then I’ll run like hell to the grove. You hold back until they follow me, then take them from behind. Watch out for any UES—”
“UES?” Tawny asked.
“Unexpected surprises,” Jude replied, grim faced.
Jude crept back and confirmed his instructions to the rest of the group, then he melted off through the trees on Tawny’s left. The men were sixty feet away and combing the forest methodically. Tawny levelled the AR-15 at the lead soldier watching him through the scope. His
face was blacked out as were the others, they looked tough and determined. They carried automatic rifles, she spotted grenades on their webbing.
“Fucking men—” Tawny muttered. She trained her scope on the near side of the road and searched for Jude. Nothing. He was good. The men were coming closer, forty feet, thirty.
Now would be good Jude, come on, where are you?
Then, further down the road a figure stepped out from the trees, followed by two more.
More soldiers, shit— Jude.
Tawny turned to see the kids behind watching her with their bows and arrows. They were no match for these men, what were they thinking? She turned back to the road, the soldiers were twenty feet away, she could take out the first one or two with the AR-15 but the others would return fire.
A scream tore through the air. Tawny trained her scope on the distant soldiers, one lay sprawled on the ground clutching his leg. The others turned and ran back towards him. One man opened up on the trees beyond the fallen man with a burst of automatic rifle fire. Two crouched to deal with their wounded comrade, the rest took off into the forest.
“Game on,” Tawny muttered. She signalled at the kids to follow her through the trees along the road to the wounded soldier. He was screaming, blood soaking his trousers, a knife sticking out of his leg. One of the soldiers was wrapping a tourniquet around his thigh the other was applying pressure to the wound. Sporadic gunfire came from deeper within the forest off on the left.
Tawny pointed at, then waved forwards, four of her group, she signalled them to draw their bows and, in a countdown gesture, fire their arrows at the three soldiers on the road. Silent killing was the key. Four arrows flew through the air, all struck home. The two crouching soldiers went down, arrows protruding from their bodies. Tawny rushed forwards combat knife in hand. One of the soldiers was clearly dead, an arrow having hit an artery in his neck, the other soldier was hit in the chest, his breathing laboured. Tawny knelt, dispatching him with her knife.
She turned to the soldier with the leg wound, he had slumped back, his eyes closed. He was pale and unmoving, the road around him pooled with blood. Distant shouts broke the spell, they had done it. Three of the NSA killed without any losses.
“Grab their weapons, ammo and anything useful,” Tawny ordered the kids. “Who knows how to fire a gun for real?” she asked. Four hands went up. “Really?” Tawny asked, her face disappointed.
An older boy spoke. “Leo showed the kids who were interested, so me and the others got the basics, but we’ve not had much practice.”
Tawny bit her lip. “OK here, you take one of the rifles, and you three take a pistol each, remember to take the safety off here,” she demonstrated for them. “Let’s go, follow me, remember shoot to kill.”
They headed through the trees after the soldiers. More gunfire erupted in the distance. Tawny rushed ahead, she wasn’t sure if the kids were keeping up. She carried two AR-15s one on a shoulder sling the other in her hands. Movement came from ahead and a soldier burst from the undergrowth, his right arm covered in blood. Tawny shot him in the chest and moved on.
Shouts came from her left followed by a single pistol shot. More shouts on her right and a burst of an automatic rifle. A blur on her right, a soldier appeared and grabbed the rifle from her hands, she misjudged her footing and fell pulling her attacker down. He was on her in a flash pressing the rifle stock against her neck trying to crush her windpipe; a move she had practiced with the Angels over and over. Her training kicked in, she brought her knee up between his legs. He groaned, his grip on the rifle weakened, she had less than a second. She released one hand from the rifle stock and grabbed the knife on the soldier’s webbing. She rolled right taking the rifle’s pressure off her throat, she rammed the knife handle into the ground. The soldier rolled off her and onto the knife blade, he screamed releasing the rifle.
Tawny kicked him hard, pointed the AR-15 at his chest and pulled the trigger, he stopped moving.
~
Jude had seen the three soldiers, they were spread out, sweeping the near side of the forest. He dropped to the ground and crawled into cover. The men were advancing in silence, spaced twenty feet apart, he held his breath as one of the men passed a few feet away. Jude felt his heart beating like a hammer.
He’s going to see me, he’s going to see me—
Jude realised he was lying on his gun, he’d have to move to bring it to bear on the soldier. He cursed to himself. The soldier passed him continuing on, the stink of his sour sweat permeating the air. Jude lay still for over a minute then lifted his head to see the three soldiers standing on the road. He rose and approached them using the undergrowth as cover. The men had stopped, one speaking to the others.
Jude pulled out his knife and took aim throwing it at the men. He did not stop to watch instead he turned and ran. Screams and shouts came from behind, bullets ripped the earth at his feet and slammed into the trees on his right. He zig-zagged, keeping his eyes on the terrain.
His mind registered the way; there was the lightning strike tree, there was the dip to the right, down the slope to the creek. The rocks, the ferns, the big oak tree, then ahead he saw the clearing through the undergrowth. More shots from behind distracted him, he stumbled and staggered almost falling, he knocked into a tree which spun him around to face his pursuers. His hand gripped the AR-15 and he squeezed the trigger. His bullets went wild tearing into foliage, trees and branches.
Everything went quiet. He had bought some time but had lost momentum, his side hurt where he had hit the tree, he looked down and saw blood staining his shirt. His vision blurred.
Pull it together, the grove’s just over there, do it, do it now—
Jude rose to his feet and lurched forwards breaking through the trees into the clearing. He focused, aiming for solid ground, he felt weak, the bloodstain on his shirt was growing. Maybe it wasn’t the tree that had injured him, maybe he had caught a bullet, his mind slowed. He fell, his face hit the ground, his breathing became laboured, he crawled forwards to the next patch of solid ground. Shouts and gunfire erupted behind him, he tried to move forwards but his legs wouldn’t respond, he rolled over and looked at the sky through the trees.
I should’ve told mom I loved her, I shouldn’t have left her with angry words, I shouldn’t have cursed at dad—
It was coming full circle, his parents were closer than before, he could feel their presence, he could smell his mother’s perfume. The sky was receding, the trees whispered, he closed his eyes, a light rushed towards him.
~
Rose saw Jude stagger into the grove, he was hit and losing a lot of blood. She watched as he ran across the soft ground making it to the centre of the clearing before collapsing. The undergrowth behind him erupted and six armed NSA soldiers burst into the grove. Three fell after a few steps as the ground beneath their feet gave way, sucking them down. One soldier made it to Jude and placed his gun inches from Jude’s face, another soldier managed to find firm ground and stood marooned watching the others sinking to their waists, then chests. The last man stood at the edge of the clearing his eyes wide.
A deadly hiss filled the air, the three men in the quicksand stopped struggling as arrows struck them. Rose stood up and took careful aim at the soldier standing over Jude, she squeezed the Glock’s trigger and watched as her bullet found its mark. The soldier crumpled on top of Jude. Rose saw the man on the firm ground pointing his AR-15 at her, she screamed emptying the rest of her magazine in his direction. Her rounds struck the ground uselessly at his feet.
An arrow struck the man’s leg, his gun arm jerked as he fell, his finger squeezing the AR-15’s trigger, its bullets ripped through the air above Rose’s head slamming into the trees behind her. Rose held her ground, ejected the Glock’s empty magazine and rammed a fresh clip in place. The soldier at the edge of the clearing ran for cover disappearing into the undergrowth.
Rose chased after him running around the grove and into the forest beyond. She stopp
ed to listen and after a second heard branches snap in the distance, she ran towards the sound. Her heart thumping like a piston, she felt something surge through her, something warm, something precious… she realised it was joy. She was the hunter, this man was fleeing her, he was afraid. She tasted his fear, she wanted his life, she wanted to break him and take it from him. She pushed through a stand of saplings her gun raised and saw Tawny on the ground covered in blood. The soldier was lying still beside Tawny face down, the fingers of his right hand twitching.
Tawny looked up and saw Rose, something passed between them. Rose walked up to the soldier, his breathing now shallow, she kicked his rifle away, pressed the Glock to his forehead and pulled the trigger. She felt nothing, there was nothing in death, it was an empty place, full of bones and dust.
“Different when it’s up close isn’t it Rose?” Tawny said struggling to her feet. “What took you so long anyway?”
Rose turned to Tawny. “That’s eighteen.”
Tawny raised an eyebrow. “You’re still counting? I gave that shit up long ago—”
“I just wonder how many men I’ll get before they get me,” Rose answered her face serious. “Like they got my family back in the city.”
Tawny looked into Rose’s eyes and saw her own reflection. “Come on girl, let’s go pick up the pieces again, see what’s left.”
Rose paused, saying nothing, then looked back at the dead man on the ground, “Tawny it’s you and me now, you and me against the world, there’s just us left.”
Tawny reached out and put her arm on Rose’s shoulder. “Yeah Rose, it’s you and me, but remember Laurient made Mercy an Angel too, so strictly speaking it’s you, me and Mercy Dawes and we all got ghosts in us. We got ghosts and angels fighting by our sides.”
Rose looked up at Tawny and gave a crooked smile. “I know Tawny, I see them every day.”
The Survival Chronicles (Book 2): Angel of Mercy Page 13
