by TW Gallier
"Jesus Christ! Is that all any man thinks about?" I cried. "Just as many women survived as men, so you don't have to take us against our will. There are women eager to find men like you."
"Shut up," he said, and backhanded me. "After a while, you'll be just as eager."
My knees buckled as my head spun. I managed to catch myself before I fell to the ground. I tasted blood. Then I heard angry shouts to my right.
The men were being forced at gunpoint to cross the road. They were lined up at the edge of the road, facing away. Another line of camouflaged men began forming behind them.
My heart fell. I thought I'd be sick as tears began to flow. They were going to summarily execute all of the men! Including fifteen year old Jake!
"What kind of monsters are you!" Kate screamed.
"Shut it," her captor said. "You belong to us now."
For a second I couldn't think or breathe. How did it go so wrong, so fast?
"Ready!" one of the men shouted.
I panicked. My body energized, and everything became crystal clear. I saw rifles rise and point at our men. Roger was in the middle of them. They looked as stunned as the rest of us. I looked left and right. Sony and Kate were staring in horror at me. So I brought my knee up as hard as I could between that bastard's legs.
"Uggh!"
At the same time I grabbed his Uzi with both hands, twisting it straight back and away from my face. He pulled the trigger, and I cried out in rage as I forced its barrel back toward his face.
And then I slipped a finger over his trigger finger, and forced it down.
Pap-pap-pap-pap!
And he was dead.
Ripping the Uzi out of his slack hand, I shot the man holding Sonya, and then the one holding Kate. As those two women reached for the dying men's weapons, I turned and opened fire on the firing squad. Our men dropped to the ground at the same time, making me think they'd been shot dead anyway, but then I saw them scrambling across the ground on their bellies.
Half of the firing squad went down right off. The others turned on me and opened fire. By that time Kate and Sonya had weapons and were firing back as the three of us dropped to one knee. Most of the firing squad was down, so the rest broke and ran.
We turned on the men holding the other women. They looked stunned by their reversal of fortunes. I took advantage of their hesitation, and charged them with Kate and Sonya following me. By that time our men were grabbing up dropped weapons and joining the fight.
"Don't let them escape!" I shouted when the remaining men broke and ran.
For a moment we were on opposite sides of the same car. Then Roger ran up and shot straight into the car. Men on the other side cried out in pain and surprise.
"Bullets go through cars," Roger said, and jumped up onto the car's hood and started firing down into the bad guys. Mike, Charlie, Sean, and Terrel were racing around both ends of the car by that time. "Get them!"
I noticed men in camo running away. "Guard the children!"
I was actually talking to Kate and Sonya, but they followed me after the men. We charged off the road and up the rise. Once on the ramp, I could see businesses beyond. The men in camo were running across a field with some trees. Beyond it was a steel building and a concrete structure. In the gap between them was a line of ATVs.
Roger was leading the pursuit. Why was he always in the lead? I had a flash of anger, but got over it when the bad guys stopped to fight. I led Sonya and Kate into the brush to the right.
We moved quickly through the thick foliage. A fierce firefight raged to our left flank.
"Where are we going?" Kate asked.
"We're going to flank them," I said.
"Where did you learn this shit?" Sonya asked.
"Um, I'm an Army brat," I said.
Once we were close, I dropped to my belly and began low-crawling. Kate and Sonya followed my example, but struggled a lot more than me. It wasn't easy for me, either, but I at least knew how to do it. It didn't take long to find the bad guys hiding behind trees.
We lay there in line, and took careful aim.
"Fire," I whispered.
Ratta-tat-tat-tat-tat! Ratta-tat-tat-tat-tat!
We took them completely by surprise. Some of the fools even rose up to turn and confront us, and were promptly killed in the crossfire. The fight was over in less than a minute.
None of them survived.
"Jenny! Are you all right?"
I heard crashing through the brush before Roger, Terrel, and Sean came barreling through towards us. We jumped up and embraced our men, holding on tight. I might've cried a little from relief and happiness.
"Let's get the hell out of here before any of their friends show up," Sean called.
"I can't imagine men like that having friends, but I agree," Sonya said.
I looked at her. Sonya didn't tell too many jokes. She winked at me.
Ka-boom!
That explosion made us all jump.
"Oh, it's them," Roger said, relaxing.
Mike, Charlie, and Brett were over by the ATVs. One of them was burning after being shot with a 40mm grenade. Then Brett and Charlie each shot a grenade into ATVs. It didn't take them long to destroy every single one of those little vehicles.
By the time they were finished blowing up the ATVs, I was back with my children. The mothers gathered their kids around them for some very personal consoling, with the help of the other women. The men just wanted us back in our designated vehicles so we could tear out of there, but we had to take care of the children first.
Unfortunately, incidents like that were becoming too common, so our kids were calmed down pretty fast. We loaded up and left, without any more gas. I know, because Roger grumbled about it.
Chapter 30
Roger
We drove like bats out of hell for the next couple of hours. My gas gauge was getting closer and closer to empty. Mike blew through Saginaw about two hours back, and then sped through every small town along I-75, but he also got an extra six gallons before we were jumped. No one else got any gas at that stop. I saw a few cars on the side of the road with a clear view of the surroundings, so safe enough to stop. But he didn't stop.
"Surely that pickup burns more gas than us," I said. "I'm below a quarter tank. How much further is Mackinaw?"
Fred had the map. He used his finger to try and estimate the remaining distance.
"I don't know. Maybe eight to ten miles?"
"That close? Oh shit." I looked all round at the heavily wooded country. "Jenny. Everyone, keep a close lookout for helicopters or anything else."
Mike began to slow down. I noticed a pair of cars on the side of the road. He rolled to a stop next to them. It was pretty open on both sides of the road, but I could feel the tension in the others.
"Are you sure it's safe?" Ally asked.
"No," I said. "But there isn't anything close to hide behind. And we need gas."
We'd been driving through heavily wooded country the last couple hours. There were cleared patches along the road, and Mike found one of them to stop. Still, the treeline seemed awful close considering how many savages could be hiding in ambush.
I closed with Terrel's bumper, leaving barely enough room to pass between our vehicles. Everyone got out to stretch their legs, but I noticed they were keeping a close eye out for trouble. Jenny even kept a finger near the trigger as she walked Sookie off to the ditch to relieve themselves.
"Roger, keep the boys on that side of the cars, okay?"
"No problem. Boys pee on this side, girls on the other side," I said, heading up to meet with Sean, Terrel, and Mike. Charlie and Brett were already siphoning gas out of a car, with Kate and Tanya helping them. "What kind of gas mileage does that damned truck get?"
"Pretty good. I still have more than a quarter tank," Mike said. "Sean started honking and flashing his lights, so I figured he wasn't doing so well."
"The man's a frigging genius," Sean grumbled. "You passed by a dozen good prospects for gas."
>
All Mike did was shrug. The first six gallons went into Sean's sedan. Then each of the minivans got six gallons. And at that time there was only a gallon or so left for the pickup.
"How do you guys want to approach Mackinaw?" Mike asked. "Just try to blast through like we did Saginaw?"
"Hell no," I said. "If there are going to be troops posted, it'll be on that bridge."
My mind filled with the possibilities. None of them good for us. Getting so close to the city and bridge without seeing an aircraft or ground patrol was a good sign.
"I got an idea." Charlie pulled out his map. "See that road to our right?"
It was a simple single lane, all-weather road that cut through the woods. A country road like I'd driven upon a million times in Georgia.
"According to my map, it goes due north all the way to US-23. I think I-75 will be watched a lot more closely than that other highway," Charlie said. "Or we can abandon our vehicles and go on foot once we reach US-23. It'll only be a few miles."
Sean had a different map. His map had a city map of Mackinaw on it in one corner. We studied it a moment.
"I think we can get pretty close to the city on US-23. I like Charlie's idea," Sean said.
"I do, too. I think it's a plan." I touched a spot on the map. "I think we should try to reach this Tee Pee Campground. It's on the water, and I bet we can see Mackinaw from it. And if the bridge is unguarded, then we have our transportation right there with us."
"Mount up," Sean said.
With kids, it took a few minutes to get everyone loaded and settled. Mike continued to lead the way, turning off the highway and crossing over to that other road. The pickup took it well, but the other three vehicles struggled across the bumpy terrain. Fortunately it was a short stretch of open ground. The road was better than I expected, and we quickly got up to a respectable speed.
We stopped at the intersection with US-23 and walked over to the shore to look around. No ships, boats, or aircraft were to be seen. So we continued toward Mackinaw at a much slower speed, with Charlie and Vince in the pickup's bed to keep lookout for aircraft.
The Tee Pee Campground had a small store on the highway. It was thoroughly ransacked. So we left everyone there, while Mike, Charlie, and I went in to check out the campground.
"How do you want to do this?" Charlie asked.
The campground looked to be a couple hundred foot long and narrow area cut out of the woods. Two parallel roads ran down its length, with camp spots along them. Woods crowded in on both sides.
"If there was anyone here, they heard us arrive so probably moved into the woods," I said. "So we'll check the woods on the right side first, and then check the other side. We'll check any occupied camp sites last."
I put Mike on point, with me following, and Charlie bringing up the rear. We melted into the trees and moved quickly and silently. There was a lot of trash in those woods, and a few human remains. Not bodies, because it looked like zombies ate them, so mostly just tattered clothes and bones.
As we ensured the woods were clear of threats, we were able to steal looks into the campground. Only one tent remained standing, with another four down. There were five campers, too. Every single camp site looked in disarray, so I didn't think anyone was living there.
When we reached the Lake Huron shore, I paused to look toward Mackinaw. Using binoculars, I could see marinas with boats in them. Also, there was what looked like a pair of red and white Canadian Coast Guard ships. The largest ship had a helicopter on the rear deck.
"Looks like the Canadians beat us here."
Mike scowled. "For a country known for how nice they are, they're not living up to their reputation. Hell, I don't even think they're trying."
"Not trying to be nice, at any rate," Charlie replied. "I did a tour in Germany, and my company trained with them once."
"Were they any good?" I asked.
"Sure, but what I really remember is the epic beer party they threw afterwards," he said. "Man, those guys knew how to have a good time. I got so drunk it was ridiculous."
"Not helping," I said. I indicated the woods on the other side of the campground. "We'll clear that side, and then check out the campsites."
It didn't take long to clear the woods, and then check every camper and the campground building in the middle. Then we directed our four vehicles to different campsites scattered along the length of the campground, so they'd blend in if an air or ground patrol passed by.
We gathered the kids together in the woods, and while a few women stayed back to feed and care for them, the rest of us went up to the shore to check on Mackinaw. Sean's map showed the marinas on that side of town, but didn't show any on the other side.
"That seems odd," I said. "Why would all of the marinas be on Lake Huron, and nothing on the Lake Michigan side? Maybe that map is old."
"Only one way to find out," Charlie said.
Mike grinned. "Road trip!"
"Yeah, we'll scout it out and see if there is a way past the guard force," I said, noticing Jenny glaring at me. Yep, I went off and volunteered again. "Don't worry, baby, we'll be careful."
"Helicopter!" Brett said, and took off for the woods.
Chapter 31
Roger
"Don't take any unnecessary chances," Jenny said. "Just go into town. Take a look around, and then come back. No heroics."
"Hey, you know me. I'm a non-confrontational kind of guy," I replied, trying to make her smile. She just shook her head. "I'll be fine. I have Mike and Charlie covering my back."
"Don't get me started on them," she said, but then I saw a hint of a smile.
"Hey, loverboy," Mike called. "Time to go, sweetheart."
Before I could think of something rude to say, he turned away to hug and kiss Tanya again. Charlie was nearby and face-to-face with Corinne. I wondered if it was love or lust for those guys. It kind of felt like something significant for them.
"It's times like this I wish you weren't so good at being a soldier."
"I'd rather stay here with you, but we're the ones with all of the training and experience," I said. "But don't worry. We'll be fine."
"Knock on wood," she said, turning to rap her knuckles on a tree. "Just get in there, find out what we need to know, and come back to me as fast as you can. I'll be worrying the whole time you're gone."
"You're so sweet," I whispered and kissed her. "Love you."
"Hey, Jenny, could you give him his balls back for just this one mission?" Mike said.
Oddly enough, almost all of the adults laughed. It made me wonder if my manhood was being compromised.
"You're not funny," I said.
"Everyone laughed."
I didn't have an answer for that. "Let's go."
I led the way toward US-23. We crossed the highway and melted into the woods on the other side. I discovered an all-weather bike trail running parallel to the highway just a short ways in. It wasn't on our map, but we followed it all the way into Mackinaw. The trail crossed US-23 where it curved to the west, and the end of a line of lakeshore vacation motels.
"Charlie, you take the point here."
"Hey," Mike said.
"Shut up, you glory hound," Charlie said.
I pointed across the street to the Clarion Hotel. Being made up of two- and three-story structures, I considered it a motel, but what did I know? The parking lot was in the middle of the buildings. It was butted up to the lake.
"Find us a way through to the shore. I think we're close enough to see the marinas from here."
"Sure thing, boss," he said, and took off trotting. "Cover me."
Mike and I stayed behind cover as we kept watch. It was a pretty good stretch of open ground between us and the Clarion. Charlie made it to a spot under the big clock, behind a thick concrete column, and waved me over. Once all three of us were safely over, Charlie led the way deeper within.
We stayed close to the buildings, under the cover of the walkways on the floors above. Charlie quickly
led us to the Clarion's private beach. There was a lot more cover there than I could hope for, but we were too low to really see anything beyond the ferry landing.
"What about one of those balconies?" Mike suggested.
The Clarion's rear most building was three floors, with balconies off the back rooms. So we went around front, made our way to the top floor, and forced our way into a room.
"Well, that sucks greasy donkey balls," Charlie said.
That pretty much summed up my feelings. A third ship was approaching the two Canadian Coast Guard ships. The Coast Guard ships were pretty small as ships go. Maybe they were technically boats. I didn't know how the navy determined such things. But the newcomer was definitely a Navy warship, though also on the smaller side. Of course they didn't need much against the few survivors still around.
"I don't think they're going to let us go boating," Mike said. "Shame. It's a beautiful day to be on the water."
"I've seen enough. Time to check out the bridge." I led them back inside and pulled out the map. "There's a lot of ground activity around the docks, so I think we need to cross to the other side of I-75 before heading into town. Get us to the shore west of the bridge."
Charlie led us due west, across the highway and back into the woods. Well, the woods didn't last. It turned into scattered trees, brush, and weeds. Better than nothing. He did an excellent job of keeping us in cover while moving with all due haste. Within half an hour we were back in mixed residential and commercial neighborhoods.
"How many motels does that town have?" Mike asked. "Every other place I look at is a stupid motel."
We more or less followed I-75 northward, staying to the western side of it. Soon we found a disturbing sight.
"A fucking tank company? Really?" Charlie asked.
"That's just rude," Mike said. "We've been Canada's friend for hundreds of years."
An armored company had taken over Mackinaw's Holiday Inn. The parking lot was filled with tanks and other military vehicles. I spotted a few dozen heavily armed men stood guard around the perimeter, with soldiers doing routine maintenance on their vehicles behind them.
