Defending Home

by Jeffrey Miller

  They didn’t have much time to prepare, and Nate knew they only had two options: a fast retreat back to the homes; or split up and try to take them down. If they retreated, it would only be a matter of time before they were found, and possible reinforcements would be called in if they had a radio. It was possible that this was an expeditionary force looking for some high points of land to use for observation. Nate knew they had to stop them now.

  “We need to split up and get them in a crossfire,” Nate motioned with his hands. Henry nodded.

  “One shot, son, is all I need. Let’s make this fast,” Henry replied.

  Nate could see his father turn into the Marine he was, which was understandable because he also knew…once a Marine, always a Marine. Slowly they backed up and moved apart. They also managed to keep an eye on where they were in relation to one another, so they didn’t shoot each other.

  The three soldiers were now approaching the steepest part of the hill. Each slowly managed to walk closer together. More gunfire erupted off to the east, and one of the men raised a hand shouting something in Russian as though he were celebrating. He was the first one to drop.

  His head erupted in a red mist over the other two as they stood stunned momentarily. This delay on their part, gave Nate time to quickly fire his weapon. Two rapid shots to the chest at the neckline, just in case he wore a vest. The man dropped where he stood. The other man now sprayed and prayed. Nate dropped further behind a rock, just missing being hit by one of the rounds. Henry already had the man shooting at Nate in his sights when two more soldiers came from around a huge bolder from down below. One of the soldiers appeared to have a grenade launcher. He was getting in position to fire when Henry changed his target. Henry pulled the trigger and the man fired as he was hit. The trajectory sent the grenade in the direction of his comrade. The soldier tried to flee, but it was too late.

  The explosion sent rocks flying everywhere. The one remaining soldier retreated and began running down the long slope. He couldn’t be allowed to escape.

  Nate aimed his weapon and fired several rounds in rapid succession until he fell to the ground. Nate waited, and listened for any further troops who might be coming. It seemed this was all of them. Nate slowly stood and cautiously walked to Henry.

  “I hope there are not any more nearby. I guess we should go and inspect them and see what, if any, Intel they might be carrying,” Nate stated. Henry nodded and they both made their way down the mountainside.

  As they came closer to the first two soldiers, they noticed that the uniforms were not American. The colors and pattern seemed to be that of an older Russian design. It appeared to be the older pixilated version of the Flectarn worn by the Russian Airborne. It was an effective pattern that blended in well into numerous environments.

  First, they checked out the soldier who still had a head. He was older than Nate; in fact, he looked to be in his fifties. He didn’t appear to be a leader, having no patches to indicate a rank. His BDUs didn’t even fit well. Nate removed his weapons and checked through his pack which was still attached to his back. Inside were a few folded American-made road maps. The maps were of Montana. Did they purposely land in Wyoming, or did they have to deploy when they did due to the trouble with the plane.

  “We need to bury these guys, dad,” Nate said.

  It would take some work, but perhaps they could manage to bury them with many rocks hiding them along the mountainside. Digging holes in the dirt wouldn’t be easy. Henry retrieved the weapons and pack from the soldier with no head. He was also older like the other soldier. Henry wondered if they had many young men left in their ranks. Nate and Henry quickly carried each soldier to a separate location, and then covered them with rocks, ensuring that their bodies would blend into the mountain slope. If someone did come looking for the soldiers, it was best not to leave them exposed; that would indicate to a force nearby to call for more reinforcements.

  Henry and Nate finished up as quickly as they could with covering the bodies. It was now well after dark. They headed back with four rifles, some knives, a few packs of ammo, loaded magazines, and many grenades. When they got back home, they would need to store away the grenades somewhere safe. They were older models, but still effective.

  There was a lot to talk about once they got back home. They needed information. What was going on? Was this nationwide or just locally? What was our government’s response? Recently, some information was sporadically coming across radio airwaves. Something of this nature would certainly be known to the government.

  It was nearly 9:00 p.m. when Henry and Nate walked up the path that took them by Gene’s home first. Gene, along with his wife and Sammie, were sitting on the porch waiting. Sammie saw Nate, jumped up, and walked quickly to him. Nate was pleased to see her, but he held back his desire to pull her into his arms. These were all new feelings for him. It had been years since he had been in a relationship.

  “We are so glad you are back. What happened, Nate?” Sammie asked, wanting to hug him, but pulling back when she saw all the rifles he carried. She looked over at Henry who was carrying the packs, and she took one as Gene stood and grabbed a few.

  “We have visitors,” Henry said to Gene. Gene looked puzzled. He glanced at the rifles Nate carried.

  “Who are they exactly?” Gene asked.

  Nate dropped the rifles and sat on the porch step. He ran his fingers through his long dark hair with both hands. He wasn’t happy with what they had done. Yes, he was a soldier, and a damn good one, but that was then. He, however, knew the reality of the situation they were in. These were not American forces, or even NATO. A foreign nation dropping in with paratroopers during a national crisis is a recipe for an invasion. If they had not taken the first shots against four men armed the way they were with full auto-capable rifles and grenade launchers, they would not have lived long. No, this wasn’t his fault; this was someone else bringing the war to his back door. This was an act no nation had ever tried on the U.S. mainland. Whoever this was would find resistance, he hoped. Millions have died since the collapse, so he hoped there would still be enough people out there like himself to resist.

  *****

  Nate posted up as the first guard for the night. First he went in and discussed everything with Ben and Nicole. Nate was running things through in his head, all the numbers. They only saw one plane and hadn’t seen any since. They did not see any heavy equipment deployed, and it would be easy to spot with all the parachutes used to get them safely to the ground. One very important factor was that they didn’t hear any artillery or tanks. If Nate had to bet…this was a small force of maybe 130 or so men deployed who were in a sparsely populated area. Why? This was the unknown. Could it be a forward expeditionary force sent ahead of the main invasion that was yet to follow? It was possible and the only viable target in all of Wyoming was in Cheyenne; F.E. Warren Air force Base. That base had around 4,000 troops on any given day, and was home to only one of three missile bases housing ICBMs. If this was their target, then they were a long way off the mark. They would also be hopelessly undermanned for such a strike. However, this may be only one of many forces to come. Only time would tell.

  Life had suddenly changed again for everyone. Just when they thought the worst thing they had to prepare for was the cold harsh Wyoming winters, this is thrust upon them. The only good news was the invasion force would also have to deal with the cold weather and the lack of food.

  Nate scanned the area around him as he sat perched high up in a deer blind. He was using a set of advance Russian night vision goggles he managed to take off of one of the dead soldiers. He was amazed at the actual technological advancements they had achieved over the years. His scan of the area produced nothing but several good size deer living to see another day.

  The deer stand was a good one. It was well camouflaged, and high up in one of the ponderosa pines not far from the homes. It provided a good layout and view to the wide-open areas that lead to the homes. At the other end of the
property, Randy was perched up in another tree, watching also. It was now 4:00 a.m. and there was no sight of anyone coming. The sun would be up in a few hours. Henry agreed to relieve Nate so he could get some rest.

  Tensions were understandably high. No one except Henry and Nate understood the nature of war – how utterly devastating it was, or the total impact it had on an environment. There were so many things happening out in the world that none of them really had a clue about, and that bothered Nate the most. He often wondered about his home in Texas.

  What had become of it and the property? Would they ever be able to return, and if they did, would they find someone else living there?

  This was home now, and he would not be forced out again. He scanned off toward the east, watching the skyline for any activities such as tracer rounds or sounds of gunfire. Just silence fell over the area. The sun rose across the valley and warmed up the cool morning. Nate saw his father headed toward him. He climbed down…with his rifle across his back.

  “Nothing, no action seen or heard,” Nate said as he removed his gloves.

  The temperature dropped drastically overnight. The weather in Northern Wyoming was a little different than Texas for this time a year.

  “Well, that’s good news. Maybe, as they landed, those Russian boys were met by some good ole’ American rednecks!” Henry said sarcastically.

  That really wasn’t a far cry from what could be happening. Contrary to what most people think would happen, most of them would take up arms and start trying to pluck the soldiers out of the air before they landed. The thought made Nate laugh out loud. However, not knowing exactly who they were would cause some hesitation, and that would give the men with fully automatic rifles the advantage. When the soldiers were coming down, Nate and Henry did hear a lot of weapons firing. Nate could only hope it was to repel them.

  Nate helped his dad up the first step to go up the tree and the ladder that was secured to the base. His dad slowly made it to the perch about twenty-five feet up. Sometime ago, Randy had set up the blinds. It was Nate’s idea to remove some of the branches that were looking off to the east. They were not extremely high up in the mountain, but they were high enough to see for a great distance as the terrain sloped gently and down toward the outskirts of Sheridan.

  “Go get some rest. If I hear anything, I will radio you. Ben is getting a little worried. I tried talking to him, to reassure him, but I think he wants to hear things from you, son,” Henry said as he continued his climb.

  Nate nodded and walked away. He thought about the fact that Ben had gone through a lot since they met back in Colorado. This was something different for him, something that was foreign to really everyone around right now except Henry and Nate. Henry knew what war was like and Nate had served in the Army through many campaigns and years. Just one year ago this month, he declined a position in D.C. He hadn’t thought much of that day since.

  *****

  Washington D.C., one year earlier

  The day couldn’t be any better. The sun was out and the trees in Washington D.C were starting to turn colors. Nate was sitting on a park bench checking his flight times. He was in D.C. for an interview. A longtime friend and former Army buddy asked if he was interested in joining the U.S. Secret Service. Riley Kenny was serving as an U.S. Secret Agent and reached out to Nate because they needed good quality people. Nate, being a man of service, didn’t ignore the opportunity. He flew to D.C. from Texas, and went through the grueling interview process just like everyone else.

  Riley put in a good word for Nate and Nate was certain he would get the position. In the end he was offered a position, but it wasn’t stateside. He would be going back to Iraq and Afghanistan to serve as protection for several U.S. cabinet members who were trying to secure U.S. Government energy policies. This did not appeal to him in the slightest. He knew what it was – a shit job. Nate turned down the position and decided to go back to Texas and work the ranch with his father. He felt that he had done his time in those theatres of operation, and he wasn’t going back. If Uncle Sam wanted him back there, they would have to reinstate him through the normal methods. Otherwise, he would be happier in the west Texas deserts.

  Nate looked around at all the suits and stiff collars. That wasn’t him. He was still young and would find another way to make a living. He often thought about going to work for the Sheriff’s Department back home, but realized he would need to make that move soon since he wasn’t getting any younger. His phone rang indicating a text. It was Riley saying he was going to be late. Nate had not told him of his decision not to accept the position. He wasn’t really worried about his reaction because Riley was the type that wouldn’t have taken that post either. His wait would end up being another hour.

  *****

  Present time

  Nate often wondered if he had taken the position with the Secret Service, would he now be trapped in a foreign nation like many others. It wasn’t a thought he focused on though. Things occur for reasons, and Nate was just glad to be in the U.S.

  Nate walked into the home he shared with his family. When Nate walked in, Ben was up and waiting for him. Ben stood and rushed to Nate, hugging him tightly. There was a look of relief on Ben’s face. Nate sat his rifle down and returned the hug. Betty stood in the kitchen entry and observed Ben’s action. He was an affectionate young man. Even so, Nate had not seen him like this in a long time.

  “Everything will be ok, Ben” Nate said as he pulled Ben back to look at his face. Nate wasn’t sure of that everything would actually be ok, but he had to play it out and put on a good face for the young man. To Ben, Nate was the strongest person he knew, and Nate had always protected him. Nate initially felt the need to reassure Ben that he would always protect him, but soon realized that he needed to be honest with him; Ben deserved that.

  “Ben, I honestly don’t know for sure what is going on. All I know is we will handle it as we always do, son. You know I will always do my best to protect you and I won’t allow anything to happen to you or anyone else,” Nate said as he guided Ben to the sofa.

  Samson wandered into the room and sat between Ben’s legs with his back against him. Ben reached down and stroked the dog’s head.

  “Is this going to be like that old movie Red Dawn?” Ben asked.

  Nate smiled. He hadn’t seen that movie for some years.

  “No Ben. That is a movie, and there were so many things that would prevent that kind of thing from actually happening. Yes, some troops seemed to have invaded this area, but we only saw one plane. We haven’t seen any others since. I don’t think 130 men or so will be able to take over our nation. I am not sure what is going on honestly; but you know my gut…Ben, it hasn’t told me to be concerned like that,” Nate explained.

  Ben knew that Nate always told him the truth. Nate had always told him that, the truth, no matter what it is – good or bad, can save you later down the road.

  “You’re going to go find out what’s going on then?” Ben asked directly.

  Nate was taken back some from Ben’s question. Nate had not even thought about leaving.

  “No Ben, I can’t do that. Hopefully, what is going on will be handled by our forces in the area. It will be ok,” Nate said reassuringly.

  In the back of Nate’s mind though, he was curious as to what was really going on. He was here as a father now, watching from a distance for anyone coming up the mountain. He was a protector of his family. All these things were now true. However, he couldn’t ignore that forever-growing pit of anger in the pit of his stomach. He was, and would always be, a warrior. If his nation was under attack like it appeared to be, then when did he react? At what point does he stop being on the defense and go on the offense? He and his father already removed four lives very quickly from the battle. How many Russians were on the ground; how many more were still to come? He knew for now there was little he could do from a far.

  Nicole walked in and Nate asked her to have a seat. He spoke to her about the Russian
invasion force. Nicole was more aware of world events and history than Ben; but understanding the issues that Nate spoke about still made her very worried. Nicole leaned in to Nate and hugged him. He could see the pure freight of what was going on around, and not far away. Nate was still in awe of what he now had in such a short time. He went from being a single man that could go anywhere at any time, to a man with two kids to take care of. The times had changed; the time of chaos and crisis was upon everyone now. His training as a U.S. Army Ranger never prepared him for this.

  Chapter 2

  Problems

  Henry was on his Ham radio searching frequencies for any information about the paratroopers. He had spent nearly thirty minutes on the radio before finally reaching a contact. The contact was a man from Missouri who was receiving information from his son. He never said it, but he eluded to his being somewhere in the D.C. area or in a location of what was left of the government. Henry asked if he had heard of any invasions anywhere. The man said that some Russian troops had come into South Florida by means of Cuba. They were met with extreme local resistance and militias had destroyed them. Henry laughed in approval. A few other attempts by the friendly people from south of the border managed to come through the Big Ben National Park, but they were stopped in their tracks when the First Calve received radio communications from the still active, but limited, U.S. border patrol units. The First Calve was assisted by a few hundred Texas State Militias. The U.S. Army was hurting due to the collapse and having to send troops to cities to assist the National Guard units. It became clear after Texas that the troops would need to be deployed along all borders, especially in the southern U.S, to keep desperate nations from seeking natural resources.