by Steven Bird
“It’s gonna be dark, soon,” Jessie observed, taking a moment to notice the fact that the sun was almost lost through the trees. “I need to go get help. You’re in no condition to press on, and we know for a fact this isn’t something I can handle on my own. You need help, too. I can’t do both. Maybe those folks on the other side of the bridge?” he wondered aloud.
“No. Not them,” Nate rebutted. “There’s a reason they knew something was going on here and merely chose to avoid it. I mean… don’t get me wrong. Clearly, they’re good people, but not all good people are willing to trade their own lives for strangers. They’d eventually run out of lives to spare. No, I’d say they’ve seen and done enough of that over the past few years to want to hold their position and hold their own, and not much more.”
“Then…. Who? Any suggestions?” Jessie asked as he watched Nate pondering their options.
“Okay, well, I guess you’ve proven you can be trusted,” Nate said with a chuckle. “We, my group, that is, have seen enough people turn on each other in recent times to have good reason to keep things to ourselves. We took on new recruits that seemed as motivated and dedicated as the rest, only to have them turn out to be double agents for the powers-that-be, or to simply give in to the pressure applied to their families in order to save them, at the expense of us, our families, and our cause.”
“I’ve seen the same,” Jessie conceded. “So has every rebellion or insurgency in history. It’s easy to join; it’s hard to stay the course.”
“Still, I think the standard of trust I’ve held you to is far beyond reason,” Nate admitted, wincing in pain when Jessie pulled tight on a suture. “After that, though, maybe I should reconsider,” chuckled Nate. “But seriously, I apologize for treating you like you couldn’t be trusted. Clearly, you can.”
“No need to apologize,” Jessie replied. “You’ve been very prudent, and loyal to your cause.”
“Anyway,” Nate continued, getting back on track. “Here’s what I want you to do. Travel east to the town of Del Rio. Once you arrive, you’ll encounter armed men guarding every entrance to the town. Unless things have gone awry since I left, they’re good people, and they have the local population’s best interest at heart, even though they may seem rather unwelcoming and threatening to you as a stranger. An armed stranger, at that.
“They aren’t gonna let you just waltz right into town. Tell them you need to get to the Del Rio Baptist Church to find Pastor Wallace. Tell those guys Nathan Hoskins sent you.
“Once you get to Pastor Wallace, tell him everything. Tell him to relay to my wife, Peggy, and our little boy, Zack, that I love them more than anything, and I will be home when this is all over.”
“Will he believe me? That you sent me, that is?” Jessie asked.
With a sly grin, Nate replied, “They know I’d never give my family’s names and whereabouts away under duress. That’ll be all he needs to hear to know your story is legit.
“He’ll contact our group, the Blue Ridge Militia, through all of the proper channels. He’ll get you the help we need. There’s no question about that.
“Del Rio is probably thirty miles or so from here. My map is in my pack back in the cave, so I can’t be sure, but that’s a good guesstimate. That’s a long way by foot, especially given the terrain between here and there.”
“I’ll do whatever I can to get there as fast as humanly possible,” Jessie replied, patting Nate on the shoulder. “By the way, it’s good to finally receive a proper introduction, Nate Hoskins,” he said, holding out his hand.
Smiling, Nate reached out and shook Jessie’s hand firmly, and insisted, “Now get the hell out of here.”
“Wait,” Jessie said. Reaching to his side, he picked up the night vision taken from one of the hostiles in the cave. “This is the good stuff. It’s a PVS-14. I’m not sure how much longer the batteries will last, but this will let you keep an eye on things tonight. Even if those bastards don’t track you here, there may be other critters, like coyotes, feral dogs, or black bear that smell your wound and come looking. How many rounds of ammo do you have left?”
“I’ve got a few mags,” Nate replied.
“Don’t give away your position by shooting at a coyote if you don’t have to,” Jessie said, “but, you know that already.”
Pushing the goggles away, Nate said, “You keep these, you may need them to travel at night.”
“Nonsense,” Jessie replied. “I’ve got freedom of movement on my side. You don’t. You need everything you can get to level the playing field with whatever may come along, sniffing you out. I’ve still got my torch in the dry bag. I’ll use that if I absolutely have to have light, but once my eyes adjust, the moon may be enough. Like you, I’ve traveled a long way for a long time, mostly in the dark. I feel right at home in the dark now.”
Standing up and looking around, Jessie looked up at the stars, gathered his bearings, and said, “Well, I’d better get going. Take care of yourself out here until I get back.”
“I will,” Nate assured him with a nod.
And with that, Jessie turned and ran off into thick trees and underbrush of the forest, disappearing almost instantly, like a ghost.
Leaning back against the log Jessie had hidden him behind, Nate picked up his M4 and placed it in his lap, easily within reach, and donned the night vision monocular. Doing a quick function check, and fitting the headband snugly and securely, he powered it down and then flipped it up and out of the way. I’ll save the batteries and use my eyes as much as I can. There’s no telling how long it’ll take him to get back.
~~~~
Jogging through the woods with his Marlin slung across his back, Jessie thought of the miles he’d traveled during his journey and reasoned thirty or so miles? That’s nothing. It’s barely more than a marathon. Time is the only thing that makes it a big deal. Neither Nate nor Britney have time to spare.
Running in a steady, rhythmic cadence, Jessie leapt over obstacles that lay in his path like a hurdler at a track meet. He’d always been a naturally fit man, and even at his age, he found prolonged cardiovascular workouts to be soothing and rejuvenating, rather than exhausting. Still, thirty miles is two or more days, even at a steady pace. That was two days too long in his book.
Just get to a town, he thought. Maybe I can find a bicycle or something, but then I’d have to stick to paved roads to make any time. I’m not sure that would work. Something… some opportunity will present itself. I just have to keep my eyes open to see it and take advantage of it. But for now, I run.
Tripping on a root that lay across his path, Jessie hit the ground hard with a thud, sliding to a stop on his face. “Dammit!” Picking up his hat and dusting himself off, he said aloud, “Keep that up, and you’ll hurt your damn fool self. Then where will that leave Nate and Britney? Focus!”
Picking up the pace once again, Jessie heard the spine-chilling sound of the horn that had been haunting them since entering these woods.
Was that for me, or for Nate? he wondered. Focus! You’ll find out one way or another soon enough. Just keep moving.
~~~~
Nearly dozing off to sleep from fatigue, Nate’s eyes immediately opened wide when he heard the sound of the horn echoing through the woods.
Ah, hell! he thought as he picked his rifle up from his lap. Attempting to focus his eyes in the darkness of the night, Nate quickly gave up such a futile effort and pulled the night vision monocular down over his right eye. I wish I had an IR laser on my gun now, he mused. That’s what I get for not wanting to deal with the extra weight of all the tacti-cool stuff.
Hearing the crack of a branch behind him, Nate slowly turned around and surveyed his surroundings for threats. Quickly conditioning himself to the detail provided by the PVS-14 monocular, he searched for movement.
Whatever that was, it was big and heavy. That wasn’t any squirrel or bird.
Hearing what sounded like a large animal pushing through the weeds, he caught a glimpse o
f something off in the distance. It’s a horse! he thought as the picture became perfectly clear to him in the green image of the monocular. There’s a rider, too. Damn it.
With no IR laser, I can’t aim with this thing. What the hell do I do? I guess I can only fire when the target is close enough to point aim without the use of my sights.
As Nate watched the horseman closely, the rider appeared from behind a tree to clearly reveal himself through the night vision. It was one of them. A large figure sitting atop the horse, wearing what appeared to be animal fur, along with a hat or headdress made of animal hide as well. The figure held a rifle in one hand and the horse’s reins in the other. Around the figure’s neck was a horn.
They must use those for communications somehow, he proffered. Seeing the figure turn toward him, it was clear the horseman wore night vision as well.
Crap! Nate thought, ducking down behind the log and out of sight. If I can see him, he stands a good chance of seeing me as well.
Remaining below the log, Nate nervously listened as the horse and rider worked their way through the woods. Nate gripped his rifle tightly, playing through his head how he may react if it came down to it, which was something he’d prefer to avoid if at all possible.
If I engage this guy, the others will know where I am. I can’t run. I’m a sitting duck. I guess it’s best if I just lay low and hope he passes on by.
With the horse and rider now within what seemed to be only twenty yards from his location behind the log, Nate prepared for the worst-case scenario. Just as he began to make his move to pop up above the log to fire, he heard the distant sound of a horn. The horse and rider quickly turned, and in almost an instant, darted off through the woods toward the direction of the horn’s blast.
Still holding his rifle tightly, Nate waited and listened, afraid to make a move.
~~~~
Dodging brush and branches as best he could, using only the moonlight to navigate while he ran along the ridgeline of a hill, Jessie heard the familiar sound of hoof beats bearing down on his position.
Turning sharply to his left, Jessie took a leap of faith and began working his way down the steep hillside, one leap and bound at a time. Knowing the rider on horseback couldn’t follow him straight down the side of the steep hill, he hoped the move would buy him some time or present him with an opportunity on which to capitalize.
Leaping into the darkness below, Jessie’s boots sank down into some soft, muddy soil along the side of the hill where a spring trickled from a small rock slide.
Losing his balance from the unexpected stop, Jessie fell headfirst down the hill, tumbling end over end several times before coming to rest in a large, briar-filled bush.
With his head reeling from the impact, Jessie struggled to regain his bearings, and to his horror, he realized his rifle now lay somewhere behind him on the hillside. Feeling for his Colt, Jessie was relieved to find his faithful old friend still in its well-worn leather holster.
As he slowly and quietly drew the pistol, Jessie found it difficult to move without disturbing the bush with the surrounding thorns having embedded themselves into his clothing, causing the brush to move along with him.
There he comes, he thought as he heard the hoof beats draw near.
Looking around, Jessie realized his tumble had ended on the side of an old, overgrown logging road, giving the horseman easy access to his location.
With the horse closing in on his position, Jessie hoped the horseman’s view of him would be obscured by the bush. Don’t move a muscle, he reminded himself.
As the rider brought the horse to a stop alongside the bush, Jessie knew the rider was searching the hillside in an attempt to locate him. As a cloud drifted by, allowing the moonlight to highlight the silhouette of the rider and horse, Jessie saw a large figure wearing fur, just like the one he’d caught a glimpse of during their pursuit after Britney was taken.
As he stared at the figure, he thought back to his encounter with the boat in the darkness of the cave. I guess that’s what I felt when I tackled the other one. Do they all wear that crap?
When the figure turned his head, the moonlight exposed the outline of a night-vision monocular of a similar make and model to the one he left behind with Nate.
Do all those bastards have those? Well, that explains their ease of movement through the darkness of the caves.
After he studied the man, he looked down at the horse and realized, Hank! He’s riding Hank! Excited to see his equine friend, Jessie nearly yelped in excitement, which would have surely given away his position.
Seeing that Hank was getting anxious, Jessie wondered if the horse was beginning to pick up his scent. Just then, the rider began turning Hank, and nudged him away, back in the direction from which they had come. Sliding his Colt carefully back into its holster, Jessie drew his knife from its sheath, and yelled, “Hanky boy!” as he erupted from the bush.
Hank immediately reared up, throwing the rider from his back. Grabbing hold of the man as he fell off Hank’s back, Jessie stabbed him repeatedly in the chest until the man’s struggles ceased.
Removing the night vision monocular from the man’s head, Jessie donned it and looked him over carefully. The man had a thick, black beard, and wore a coat made of what appeared to be the fur of a black bear. The man had also worn a hat that was sourced from a bear. Looking at the hat more closely, he could see that the front of the hat was adorned with a small black bear’s muzzle, whiskers and all.
Even the man’s boots were wrapped with the fur, claws and all. That explains the tracks, he thought. Taking the man’s weapon, a sawed-off double-barreled shotgun, Jessie cracked it open to reveal one slug and one load of buckshot. Being fitted with double-triggers, the gun was perfectly suited for a choice between close up shots with the buck, and longer range or penetrating shots with the slug.
Opening the man’s fur coat, Jessie found that he was wearing a bandoleer of shotgun shells, which he quickly removed and tossed across his shoulder.
Turning to Hank, who had circled back around, attracted by his owner’s familiar voice, Jessie walked up to him and began to scratch him on top of the head, followed by giving him a warm hug, and saying, “That’s my boy.”
Looking back to the hillside where his rifle lay somewhere in the darkness, and then hearing more hoof beats off in the distance, possibly headed his way, Jessie knew he needed to cut his losses and get moving with his old friend, Hank.
Moving back alongside Hank, Jessie looked at the horse’s tack with confusion. “What the hell is this?” he whispered allowed. “A bear skin saddle. Well, it’s sort of a saddle. Oh, well,” he said as he climbed aboard, nudging Hank into action. The two then galloped off in the opposite direction, away from the approaching threat.
Chapter Ten
Running through the darkness of the caves, chills shot up Britney’s spine as she could feel her pursuer gaining ground. Seeing light from the cave’s entrance up ahead, she dug down deep and ran with every ounce of effort in her tired, shaky legs.
Just as the light of the outside world seemed to be within reach, her legs felt as if they were beginning to slow. No matter how hard she tried to push ahead, the muscles in her legs seemed as if they had turned to mush. She began to falter and felt the firm grip of her pursuer on her shoulder.
Jerking away, Britney was awakened by her chains when they abruptly stopped her spastic movements and rattled in the darkness from her sudden moves. Screaming with rage as she realized she had merely fallen asleep from exhaustion and was still confined in her own personal hell, Britney gritted her teeth as her heart pounded in her chest.
Her tears were burned as fuel in the fires of rage that now flowed through her veins. She had lost everything. Her family had lost everything that was dear to them. She had lost them, and now these… whoever or whatever they were, had taken her freedom and threatened her very right to live.
Instead of cowering and crying in the darkness, she wanted to wrap the
chains that bound her to the floor around the throat of one of her captors and squeeze the wretched life right out of him. She wanted to rip the chains from the floor and lash out at them, whipping them with the very instruments they used to keep her captive.
She’d simply had enough. She had nothing else in this godforsaken world to lose, and she refused to waste her last breath with a whimper; no, it would be a vicious roar.
Startled by her cries of anger, Greg’s chains rattled as he stammered the words, “St… stop it. You’ll just make them come in here. Please, stop screaming.”
With her heart pounding and her chest heaving, she closed her eyes and began to calm herself. Turning toward the sound of Greg’s voice in the darkness, she said, “If they come, don’t go easy. Don’t give them the pleasure of your tears. Don’t give them the power they crave by cowering to them. Fight! Fight with everything you have!”
“We’re in chains. We can’t fight. We can’t get away. What are we supposed to do?” he retorted.
“Anything and everything,” she contended. “What do you think is going to happen to you when they come that final time?”
“I don’t even want to think about it,” he whimpered.
“You can surrender your life to them if you want, but I’m going to make them earn whatever it is they plan to do.”
“They’ll kill you either way,” he argued. “They’ll just make things worse on you if you struggle and fight.”
“So be it. I’d rather die a painful death knowing I made them earn it than to simply have my life end in submission and tears. Submission is why I’m here. It’s why my family died. We submitted to those who wielded power over us. Never. Never again. If I never see the sunlight outside of this hell again, at least I’ll die knowing I didn’t just give up.”
“Just wait…” Greg said. “Just wait until you’ve been down here as long as I have. We’ll see how tough and brave you are then. Just wait until you hear my screams. Just wait until they drag me out of here and you’re the only one left, knowing you’re next. I know I’m next, and it’s killing me inside. I just want it to be over. I just want to stop being afraid. I want to stop being hungry. I just want it all to stop.”
