“It’s only a couple of blocks from here. There’s nobody in it as far as I can see, though they’re nearby. It looks like they’re getting ready to go after the safe house.”
“If they get that APC in there, it’s game over. We’ve got to take that thing out,” said Rico.
“Too bad Sly’s not here with his Molotovs,” offered Slime.
“We could use that APC to get our people out,” said Craig.
We all looked at one another. “Laura, just how heavily guarded is the APC?” asked Rico.
“It’s not. They seem to be in some sort of briefing or something.”
“One way or the other we’ve got to make sure that thing can’t be used to get them to the safe house,” said Rico.
“Okay Craig, you and Hector get started, but stay close. If you hear me screaming, come running.”
“Got it,” said Craig.
Rico glanced at Hector who nodded. With that we were out of the vehicle and off down the alley. Craig backed out and drove away slowly. Hector already had the jamming going.
Rico led us off in the direction Laura had indicated. It didn’t take long before we could hear voices and see the glare from all their lights.
Rico and Laura eased into the extremely narrow space between two buildings. They got down low and moved silently. “Where is the APC?” asked Rico.
In a whisper Laura answered, “You see that SUV that says Sheriff’s Department?”
“Yes.”
“It’s just to the right of it.”
“Can you set up the computer, so I can see what you see?”
“Sure, but we should slip back around the corner; it’s pretty bright.”
“Okay.” With that they slid back around the corner into the alley. The rest of us were down on one knee facing outward weapons at the ready.
It took her only a moment to set it up. “Okay, look here. See there’s the APC. I don’t see anyone around it. And over here is where these guys are getting set up. You know we could just crash the whole thing and see how many we can take down.”
“Yeah, but we can’t get all of them. If we can just get that vehicle, it won’t even be necessary. With it we can get our people out. Without it we are in for a hard fight.”
He seemed lost in thought for a moment. “Bring the drone around this way. I want to see what’s over there.”
She did as he said and soon got a look at the back of the buildings next to us. “If we go through these yards, we’ll have to go over several fences. I wonder….”
He thought for a moment. “Pacho,” he whispered, “I need you to find out if you can get us into any of these buildings, this one here and something on the other side. Especially check on the basements. Got it?”
I nodded, and was off. I checked on the first one. The basement had been boarded up and the place seemed abandoned. There was a fence cutting off the area between the two buildings so that we could not cut around behind it.
A dead dog lay in the backyard. It looked like the poor animal had been tied out and left to starve to death. This was probably a decent middle class neighborhood at one time. Not anymore, the dead dog just encompassed the whole thing for me, not just this neighborhood but our whole society. First it was Detroit, then the rest of the country.
In the next building, the plywood had been torn off the front door, and I went in. The place was almost empty. Someone had brought in the seat from a car to sit on and there was a table. Somebody had been using this place.
From a backroom window I could see the police setup and the APC. I found my way to the basement. The side of the building opened into a fenced in area and had a door that led outside. It was locked and chained.
I carefully opened it as much as I could. The fence in back had been overgrown with vines and the APC was right on the other side. All we would have to do is use bolt cutters to cut through, and we should be hard to detect.
I got back to Rico quickly and quietly in the dark. This was in opposition to the racket the cops were making in their well-lighted staging area.
“If we go around this building, we can get in the next one. There is a door on the side of the building opening out the basement to a yard with a chain-link fence. The APC is right on the other side. We will have to go through tall grass and the fence is overgrown with vines. We will have to cut a lock in the basement and cut through the fence.”
“Perfect,” said Rico. He called on the radio, “Old Timer I need you to go to drop-off.”
“Wilco,” was Craig’s only reply.
He looked over at Hector. “That was quick.”
“Maybe something went wrong.”
“We’ll know in a minute.” With that he pulled a U-turn and headed back.
“Tim, I need you to go back to where we were dropped off and pick up the bolt cutters. Tell Craig and Hector that we are going to steal the APC. We‘ll be in the next building over. Got it?”
“Get the bolt cutters, let them know we are stealing the APC, and find you in the next building over.”
“Hurry, Ricki go with him.”
After they left, Laura leaned over to Rico and said, “Maybe you shouldn’t have sent the two of them. They might take all night getting back.”
Rico chuckled lightly. “Hadn’t thought of that. We need to get into that house. Pacho, lead the way.”
I did, and soon we were looking out the dirt smeared basement window. Rico and Laura were hovering over the computer silently watching preparations for the assault on the safe house.
I went over to them. “Rico, you want me to go up topside and watch for them?”
“Good idea.”
I left and waited up by the door. Eventually, I saw a figure in the darkness and was about to step outside and say something, when there were suddenly two more.
Uh oh, I thought to myself. If they try to come in here, the whole plan will be up in smoke. I backed away and watched through a crack in the boarded up window.
They were in no hurry and were talking among themselves in what seemed a relaxed manner. Soon they were past me, so I eased back downstairs.
“Rico, they’ve got foot patrols out. One just passed out front.”
“Okay, get back up there. Slime go with him. Don’t shoot unless you have to. Come back as soon as you have Tim and Ricki.”
“Right.”
“Old timer,” Rico called on the radio.
“Go ahead.”
“Let the team I sent know there are foot patrols out in our vicinity.”
“Too late, they’re on their way back.”
“Understood.” He looked up at Laura, “Great, all we need is for them to stumble into a patrol.”
We didn’t have to wait long. They came carefully around the next building moving quickly across the open space, Ricki first followed by Tim.
I went out and motioned them inside. “You see the patrol?” I asked.
“Yeah,” said Ricki. “We almost stepped on them. Fortunately for us they were making a heck of a racket.”
Tim slid silently up the steps. “What kept you?” I chided.
“We stayed behind the patrol.”
“Follow me,” I said and led them back down stairs.
Slime asked, “Shouldn’t I stay up here?”
I thought about it. How could he let us know if he had seen anyone? What if it’s him they spot? Glad I’m not Rico.
“What about waiting at the top of the stairs?”
“Good idea.”
Rico seemed a bit exasperated. “We just found out that they’ve got patrols out?”
“Yeah,” said Tim. “If they had not been making so much noise, we might have run right into them.”
“We tailed them all the way back,” added Ricki
“Good, okay everybody, gather around. Pacho, get Slime.”
After we returned he began, “This is what we’re going to do.”
I listened intently, but kept an eye on the stairs. If you had told me one year
ago that I would be about to steal a police armored vehicle, I would have wanted to know what you’d been smoking. Now it seems normal, weird how things change.
“Slime, would you like to do the honors?” asked Rico.
“Most certainly, this could get to be a whole new career field for me,” he said.
Slime carefully set down his grease gun and cut the lock making sure not to let the chain make too much noise. The door was another matter. It squeaked.
Rico led us up out of the basement. We duck walked or crawled across the yard. Slime followed Rico with Laura right behind them encumbered with her remote control device. I kept an eye out for that patrol.
In what seemed like an eternity, we made it to the fence. I could see Slime ease up alongside Rico. He would be straining on the bolt cutters momentarily.
In the distance I could hear gunfire. Where the devil was Red? Was she all right? She may come across as smart mouthed and butch, which she is not, but she is still flesh and blood. That smart mouth won’t stop a bullet.
Before I knew it, Slime finished cutting the links, and we crawled through the fence one at a time. The bulk of the APC protected us from their sight, but we would have to go around to the open back. That’s when they would have a chance to see us.
We got down low and crept as silently as white tail deer and eased into the vehicle. Rico climbed up into the driver’s seat. He was the only one with any experience in these things. Slime took the turret position with his ASG. I quietly closed the rear hatch.
Rico fired up the engine. As soon as he did that all eyes turned toward us. He accelerated away in a puff of black smoke. As he did so, Slime let loose blasting out windows of cars and sending the whole lot of them down on their faces.
Laura had the antenna stuck up behind Slime and was checking our way to the safe house. It was only a few blocks. Rico stopped long enough for Tim to tie the Gadsden Flag to the antenna. No sense in getting shot by our own people.
While he did that Rico called, “Postage Stamp this is Raider.”
“Go ahead Raider.”
“We’ve commandeered the zombie APC are now enroute to the objective. We are flying the Gadsden, so don’t shoot us.”
“Say again Raider.”
“We have stolen the APC from the zombies. We are enroute to the safe house. We are flying the Gadsden flag; don’t shoot us, over.”
“Stand by.”
Soon another voice came over the radio. “Raider, we’ll try not to shoot you, and we’ll let those in the house know you’re coming.”
“Roger.”
We must have been one heck of a sight. A black army surplus APC thundering through the night flying that old bright yellow symbol of resistance to tyranny.
* * *
“Little Bear, this is Postage Stamp.”
Lee had been trying to get another shot off. Both sides seemed to have the other pinned down. He hoped that there was another unit in here, but from the sound of gunfire, it was hard to say where anybody was.
“Little Bear, go ahead.”
“There is a stolen APC headed your way. It’s flying the Gadsden flag. It’s a black SWAT armored personnel carrier, but it’s been commandeered by one of our teams. Do not fire on it. Do you understand?”
Lee stared at his marine radio for a moment in disbelief.
“Little Bear, are you there?”
“Affirmative, I am to hold my fire when I see a black APC flying the Gadsden flag. Is that correct?”
“Affirmative, do not, I say again, do not, fire on the APC.”
“Roger, Wilco.”
“Hey you guys, you won’t believe this, but there is a black APC coming that’s ours. It’s flying our flag. Hold your fire, got it?”
The members of his team glanced at each other. “This should be interesting,” quipped Shotgun.
“Yeah,” agreed Angel.
“I hear something,” added another member of the team.
* * *
Rico stopped short of the objective. “Postage Stamp we are ready for the assault. Are our people ready?”
“Affirmative.”
Rico turned to us and called out, “I’ll back up to the door. Pacho, open the hatch, and have them come out. If Hector has keep them from communicating, we might be able to pull this off.”
“What about the zombie team?” asked Slime.
“We should be able to take them out with this, or at least we can make them keep their heads down.”
“At least try to block them with this thing,” added Slime.
“Yes, the rest of you make sure Slime doesn’t run out of ammo.”
“Pacho, see if you can get them to open up to you without getting shot.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Let’s do this!” Then he added in a low voice, “Here’s where we stop getting pushed around, charge.” With that he launched the APC out into the open near the safe house.
In the back we could see nothing, we just bounced around. Slime let her rip with multiple short bursts. Smitty had another mag ready for him when he needed it.
The safe house had a small front porch, just a landing and a tiny roof to keep the rain off while you found your keys. Rico parked at an angle to block the zombie SWAT team.
I opened the door. It hit something after it came open about a foot. “Rico pull up a bit,” I shouted, but he couldn’t hear over the gunfire.
I moved forward as fast as I could in this small space. “Rico,” I yelled in his ear. “Move up about three feet.”
“I want to give them as much cover as possible.”
“I can’t get the door open.”
He turned and gave me the strangest look. “Oh.”
With that the APC lurched forward and I fell hurting my right knee. “Ouch, that hurt.”
“You okay?” asked Smitty.
“I’ll mend, but that’ll leave a bruise.” I limped back to the door and swung it wide open, the occasional bullet passing within inches of my head.
“Hey you guys,” I yelled, as I pounded the door. “Open up you guys.”
The door cracked open and I was looking down the barrel of an AR-15. “Hey don’t shoot.”
A bullet knocked a small bit of wood off the support for the porch roof. “Didn’t you get the message?”
“Yeah, but some of us don’t believe it.”
“We’ve got incoming choppers, two of them,” shouted Laura.
“You don’t know our commander.”
“Who’s your commander?”
“Rico,” I said.
“What’s the holdup?” yelled Rico.
“They don’t want to come out.”
“What! Oh man.”
Rico got out of his seat and stormed back to where I tried to talk some sense to these people.
“Open up.”
“Who are you?”
“Commander Rico, we’re getting you out of here. There are two choppers on their way in. We don’t have much time.”
“Wait a minute. I know him.” Another man pushed his way to the door.
“I know him. That’s the guy that got us out. He’s their commander.”
“Amos?” I called out.
“Pacho, what are you doing here?”
“Breaking you out again. I’m going to have to start charging.”
There was a few moments animated discussion behind the door. “Okay, we’re coming out.”
“Do you have the place rigged to blow?” asked Rico.
“You better believe it. Everything of value has been packed up and is ready to go.”
Suddenly, we heard the report of Slime’s .30-06.
“We’re out of shells called Smitty.”
It was crowded, and we sat on top of one another, but I managed to get the door shut. “Okay, get us out of here.”
He took off and we were slung around inside with bullets clattering off the sides of the APC. Slime had gotten down inside. There was no way he could cope with that
much firepower.
They came out shooting and made for their remaining SWAT vehicle, but in their haste failed to consider Commander Lee’s team. He had brought his people up with him leaving only one to watch their backs.
The zombies were caught out in the open. They never made it to their vehicle.
“Postage Stamp, the rescue team is away with the personnel from the safe house. I say again, all personnel are safely away.”
“Roger, Little Bear. Get out of there.”
“Okay people, let’s move out and try not to get shot,” shouted Lee.
The choppers roared overhead in pursuit of the APC. Angel spoke up. “Do you think they left the keys in that thing?”
“Grand theft auto, that could get us in a lot of trouble,” laughed Shotgun.
“Yeah, it could,” grinned Lee. “Come on.”
They went out the old dilapidated gate and down the alley toward the SWAT vehicle. “Hurry,” called Angel. “They’re coming.”
Looking over his shoulder Lee could see a huge mass of cops coming on foot. Some were able to run and were out ahead of the group, real gung ho types. Most had just had too many doughnuts.
“Cover us, called Lee.”
Two of the men took kneeling positions and began laying down a base of fire with their AR-15s. The cops took evasive action and got the heck out of the line of fire. Angel helped herself to several AR-15s and a few .40 caliber automatics. A couple of others did the same and grabbed what ammo they could.
Lee was in the driver’s seat and had the SWAT vehicle cranked. He leaned out the open door and yelled, “All aboard!”
Angel and the rest clambered in the back while one of the guys kept their heads down. “Okay, Commander, we’re all in,” she shouted.
Lee shot off in the direction the APC had gone. “Postage Stamp, this is Little Bear.”
Little Bear, are you out of there?”
“Affirmative, and we’ve appropriated the SWAT vehicle used by the zombies in the raid.”
There was a pause on the other end. A new voice cut in which Lee recognized. It was the commander of the loosely allied North Texas resistance.
“Commander, what’s your situation?”
“My team and I are in the wheeled vehicle the zombies used in the raid on the safe house. We are proceeding in the direction taken by the APC flying the Gadsden flag.
World War III - Home Front: A Novel of the Next American Revolution - Book One – As Day turns to Night Page 26
