Survival Rules Series (Book 4): Rules of Engagement

by Hunt, Jack

  She opened a door that led into a garage. There was a BMW parked in there and some yard tools like a hoe, rake, lawn mower, and a shelf full of various items as well as a gasoline can.

  Making her way out into the kitchen, she stopped and leaned against the doorway observing Helen’s interaction with Nate. She’d taken off his jacket and was wrapping his arm. Nate looked at Erika and they exchanged a glance that made it clear they would talk later about what had transpired. “I’m not hurting you, am I?” Helen asked.

  “No, I’m good.” Nate glanced at Erika again. It was like he could sense her eyes boring into him.

  “So I guess coming here was a bust,” Erika said in a sarcastic tone while looking around.

  “Not exactly,” Danny said. “They’ve got Twinkies!”

  His hands were full of Twinkies. He dumped the packets on the counter and proceeded to unwrap and devour two like he hadn’t eaten in days. “Oh, sweet mother of Abraham and Joseph, now that is divine,” he muttered with his mouth full. “You want some?”

  “I’ll pass. Thanks,” Erika replied. “Anything to drink?”

  She opened a pantry and bent down sifting through packets of dried food. Then she spotted a gallon of bottled water shoved to the back. She reached in and pulled it out, tearing the top off and chugging it back before splashing some over her head.

  “Geesh, Erika. Seriously?” Nate said.

  “You thirsty?”

  She was now crouched in a puddle of water. She screwed the top back on and slid it over to Danny who looked like he was choking. “Seems your parents did well. I haven’t seen a pantry closet this stocked since the lights were on.”

  “My mother buys in bulk.”

  “She’s a prepper?” Nate asked.

  “No. A couponer.”

  He chuckled, so did she. Erika noticed them share a moment. She rolled her eyes and let out a fake laugh. “Oh so hilarious.”

  “Yeah, she has a whole folder full of coupons. My father is always trying to point out that there is just the two of them now but old habits die hard, I guess.”

  “You have a big family?” Nate asked.

  “Five of us. Four brothers and myself.”

  “Please tell me they don’t live in Whitefish, because I really don’t want to keep playing musical houses,” Erika said, thinking she was going to take them on another dangerous trip.

  “Musical houses?” Danny said. Then the penny dropped, and he understood what she was getting at. “Oh, right. Good one.” He started laughing, and that caused him to choke on the food he had in his mouth.

  “No, they live in Kalispell.”

  Helen got up and crossed to the sink to pour away a bowl of bloodstained water. “You should be good. Fortunately it just took a chunk out of your arm,” she said. Helen looked at Erika as she walked back over. The animosity between the two of them was tangible.

  “Your parents have probably been put to work as slaves,” Danny said. “Militia came knocking at our place. I hid in the attic. I don’t expect they’ll be back here anytime soon. So what’s the plan?” he said, then stuffed another Twinkie in his mouth.

  Nate gestured for him to toss over a packet. “There is no plan. For now we stay here. Tomorrow morning we’ll see about heading further north.”

  “You’ll be doing that without me,” Helen said. “I’m staying.”

  “Staying?” Nate said in a confused manner.

  “Yeah, you heard her,” Erika said, overjoyed to hear that update.

  “I want to be here when my parents get back.”

  “But it’s too dangerous.”

  She pursed her lips then said, “I’ve put you all through enough as it is. I don’t want to be responsible for…”

  “Getting us injured? A little late for that,” Erika said. “A few inches to the right and Nate wouldn’t have been here.”

  “Erika. Would you mind?” Nate said.

  She huffed and walked out, heading back into the living room. Danny followed her leaving Nate and Helen to chat. “You don’t like her, do you?” Danny said.

  “It’s that obvious?” Erika replied, knowing full well it was. It was not like she hid it.

  Danny sank into a recliner chair and put his feet up. He filled his mouth with more food. “Could have been you,” he said.

  “Yeah, whatever.” Erika looked out the window and noticed there were a number of young mothers hurrying out to scoop up their kids. She squinted and tried to see what was happening but the bottleneck of the road disappeared out of view behind houses. She released the drapes and looked back at Danny.

  “What about you? You coming with us?”

  “Hell yeah. I love my parents but screw that, I’m not staying in psychoville. Besides, Nate was telling me that the settlement you’re a part of has everything. Sounds sweet.”

  “Wouldn’t know, we haven’t been there yet.”

  “But he said…”

  “He’s passing on information. For all we know they might have been taken over by the militia. I haven’t seen Tyler in weeks.”

  “Tyler?”

  She smiled at the mention of his name. Now there was a guy she had mixed feelings about. Hell, if it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t be alive but then on the other hand, she wouldn’t be here. She wasn’t too sure whether that was a good thing or not. What she did know was he was a good person at heart. Her mind wandered, thinking of Bailey. She missed that damn dog. It was her only family. At least, closest. Without that dog she felt a little lost. A tear formed in her eye and then she wiped it away.

  Right then just as she was about to take another look outside, she heard a voice come over a megaphone.

  “Put your weapons down and come out with your hands up.”

  Danny froze. Erika peered out and saw a Humvee, and at least eight militia soldiers.

  19

  Corey was there to meet them as Holden drove the truck into Eureka. Tyler glanced over at Jude. Having already voiced his reservations about the meeting, he’d agreed on one condition, that they met in the small town of Eureka. He felt like it gave him some sense of control over the situation just in case it went south. In addition, he said that if Andy was truly for uniting the two settlements, then it was upon him to meet them halfway. That would at least give him a sense of his true intentions.

  A utility truck was parked outside the old bar and Corey was stationed there with five armed Camp Olney members. Holden eased off the gas and killed the engine. They all got out and made their way over.

  “Where’s Andy?” Jude asked immediately.

  Corey thumbed over his shoulder. “Inside having a beer.”

  A few tense moments ensued as they surveyed the empty street before entering. Before going in Corey took hold of Tyler’s arm. “Be aware, he’s pissed.”

  “I expected him to be,” Tyler replied, leading the way. Andy was seated at the bar with a bottle in one hand, and the other clutching his bloody rag. He cast a sideways glance and turned on his stool.

  “Jude Lawson.”

  “Andy.”

  “Get you a beer?”

  “Sure.”

  Tyler took a seat and tried to gauge Andy’s reaction as he went around and got a bottle. “Nice place you’ve set up here. Kind of figured you would take over a few towns,” Andy said.

  “We have no need for the town. Our scouts were using it.”

  “It seems so,” he said raising two types of beer. “Which one?”

  Jude pointed to a Budweiser. Andy took the top off and slid it down the bar. “And you?” he asked Tyler.

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  Andy eyed Tyler “Bit of a brazen move.”

  “We didn’t have many options,” Tyler replied.

  “Oh we always have options, Tyler. After all I taught you, you should know that.”

  Tyler narrowed his eyes. “You mean your options?”

  “Mine, someone else’s,” he said as he came back around the bar. “They would have p
robably been better than this.” Andy retook his seat and looked at Jude in the mirror. “So how did Tyler convince you?”

  “He didn’t.”

  “Let me guess, it was Maddox?” He swigged his drink then continued. “Hold on, actually, it was the group. Right? I mean since you’re such a leader for the ages.”

  Jude glanced at Tyler and he knew what was coming. He should have figured Jude would be the one to deliver the news. “It was Dianna.”

  Andy let out a chuckle. “Huh. Right. She visited you in a dream. I get it. Speaking from the dead. Oh, I love that.” He took another swig finding it amusing. “How was she?”

  Tyler swallowed knowing this was about to go in a whole other direction.

  “Dianna is alive, Andy.”

  “Of course she is. Alive in our hearts. Let’s drink to that, shall we.” He held up his beer waiting for Jude to raise his but he didn’t. He stared back at him with a deadpan expression. It was only then that Andy set his beer down and looked at Tyler as if to determine if Jude was telling the truth or playing some sick game.

  “Tyler?”

  Tyler sighed. “It’s true. She’s alive.”

  “That’s impossible.”

  “Nope,” Jude said.

  Andy shook his head. “Why are you doing this?”

  Tyler chimed in, “He’s telling the truth, Andy. You wanted to know who Morning Star was. Now you do.”

  Andy turned on his stool, his left arm resting on the bar, the other against his thigh.

  “Dianna is Morning Star?” He let out a laugh. “Oh please. Come on. You expect me to buy that?” He paused for a second. “She was sick. I saw her casket. We buried her.”

  “You buried someone, but it wasn’t Dianna. And as for the illness, she didn’t suffer with what you think she had. She planned it and before you turn and point the finger at me, I didn’t know either. I was left in the dark just as much as you.”

  “And yet you expect me to believe she came to you instead of me?”

  Andy was speechless which was very rare. He drained the rest of his beer in one go and got up and went around to retrieve another. Halfway around he began coughing, some blood splattered against the bar and he braced himself. Jude got up to help but Andy waved him off. “Leave me alone.” He got another beer and took a large swig.

  Jude continued. “She had her reasons. You were one of them.”

  “Oh yeah? Go ahead. Rub it in, why don’t you?”

  “I’m not here to gloat, Andy. I’m here to talk about Whitefish. I’m here to discuss uniting.”

  He burst out laughing. “Uniting. Oh that is fresh! And here I was thinking you were just here to dig the knife in a little deeper.” Andy stopped at the end of the bar and gripped Tyler’s shoulder. “Come on now, a joke is a joke. I get it. You and I haven’t seen eye to eye but this…”

  “I’m afraid it’s all true,” Tyler said.

  “How long have you known?”

  “He never told me, if that’s what you’re asking?” Tyler replied.

  “How long!” Andy bellowed gripping his shoulder tighter.

  “A month.”

  Andy stumbled back, his eyes scanning the floor like a man losing his mind. “I get it. This is your way of getting back at me.” He began shaking his head. “No. No. This is a lie. Just another one of your games,” he said stabbing his finger at Jude then swiping two empty bottles off the bar. They smashed on the floor. “I’m not doing this. I’m not…”

  “Andy,” Jude said.

  “Fuck off,” he replied. “I shouldn’t have come.”

  He stumbled outside; Tyler glanced at Jude then followed after him.

  “We’re leaving now,” he said to Corey with a gesture towards the truck.

  “What?”

  Tyler shook his head at Corey as Andy got in the passenger side.

  “Corey. Now!” Andy yelled.

  When Corey didn’t move, Andy got out and charged over to him gesturing with his hand. “Fine. Give me the damn keys.”

  “No.”

  Andy scowled. “What did you say?”

  “You heard him,” Tyler replied crossing the sidewalk towards them. “You do this every time things get hard, or don’t go your way. You turn your back. Well you’re not doing it this time. Old man, this isn’t about you. It isn’t about Jude. It isn’t even about Dianna. It’s about Whitefish. It’s a community that we could help if you will just stop being a bitch and spewing at the mouth for one…”

  Before Tyler could finish, Andy lashed out and slapped him across the face. Jude, who had made his way out, instinctively reacted by running forward to intervene but Tyler put his hand up to stop him. “No!” He turned back to Andy. “Did that feel good? Huh? You want to do that again? Go on. Go on. I dare you.” Andy was gritting his teeth. His hand was trembling. Corey also wanted to step in but Tyler wouldn’t let him. He shoved him back. Father or not, this had been a long time coming. Breathing heavily, Tyler looked at him as he wiped blood from the side of his lip. “Does it burn you, Andy, that Dianna chose my father over you?”

  Andy lashed out again but this time Tyler caught his wrist, charged forward and knocked him off balance, causing him to hit the sidewalk hard. Tyler brought his hand down in one quick motion around his neck. “You’re getting slow, old man. Now you listen up, you stubborn sonofabitch! If you want to walk, you can walk. But you are not going to put all the lives of Camp Olney at risk. Now you can either come back in and talk about this or go your own separate way, but you know what…? Dying by yourself can be very lonely.”

  They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity before Tyler released his grip on Andy and rose to his feet. Corey gawked at him. He knew Tyler would have never had the balls to do that when he was younger, but so much had changed since he’d left home. He’d become his own man. Found the confidence that Andy had beaten down. Tyler turned to his brother. “The keys.”

  Corey tossed them. Tyler placed them in Andy’s hand and closed his fingers tightly around them. “You want control? There you go. But if you’re not going to help, don’t ever come back, or return to Olney.” With that said, he motioned to Corey and the others to head in, leaving Andy outside to make his final decision.

  When the sky had turned an inky black and only a few stars were visible, Hopkins dismounted from his horse, over a hundred miles north of Whitefish. A light rain wet his face as he watched eighty of his men get into position on the outer perimeter of O’Brien Mountain. Two-man mortar teams moved into place to the east and south. He didn’t have to worry about the west or north as those areas were hedged in by mountains. He couldn’t wait to see the M224 once again in action. It fired sixty-millimeter shells and could easily take out large areas of the settlement. He’d considered rolling in and swarming it with his entire crew but in light of what Thomas had shared, it was clear they wouldn’t be as easy to control as Whitefish. Peering through his high-powered night vision binoculars he scanned the terrain and observed those in the camp. The attack would be swift and then they would retreat into the night, like ghosts.

  He turned to one of his men who was adjusting his ballistic vest and helmet.

  “You ready for this, soldier?”

  “I was born for it.”

  Hopkins smiled and got on the radio to Nathaniel who was positioned a few miles away in the forest to the east with forty men. “On my cue, we’ll have the mortar team shake these assholes up, then move in.”

  “Roger that.”

  “Everything good, Nathaniel?”

  “Fine. Over.”

  “You still got my back?”

  “Wyatt. You know I have. Though don’t you think we are taking some risks here?”

  “We have enough men back in the town to watch over people.”

  “And what if we lose some tonight?”

  “For God’s sake, Nathaniel, I’ve already discussed this. There is a cost to advancing. Every war has its casualties. And we are in the thick of a
war for this country. Just like before, we are shaking them up. Seeing what they’re made of. But from what I can see so far, they are ripe pickings. Hardly any defenses, and those scouts they had in the forest were easy to pick off thanks to Thomas’ sketch. By the morning we will have our hands on more supplies and I’m sure you’ll want a cut of that, am I right?”

  No word came over the radio so Hopkins repeated, “Am I right?”

  “Yes, Wyatt.”

  “Good. Now let’s give ’em heck!”

  Two loud booms sounded throughout the valley as mortars came crashing down in the heart of the settlement. “Hold!” Hopkins said as he watched the camp dwellers emerge from tents, cabins and RVs frantically running. “Send in more mortars.”

  Another few booms shook the ground and Hopkins smiled as he watched shells explode and decimate everything in their path. Those in the camp would run one way only to be cut off by another explosion. A plume of thick smoke billowed above the camp before Hopkins bellowed over the radio, “Roll in!”

  Hopkins pushed down his night vision goggles, snapped the reins and gave the horse a kick. He charged forward, M4 in hand, with many of his men riding along with him. Through the familiar green hue of the NVGs he watched others jog forward out of the tree line, their muzzles lighting up the night as they opened fire on anyone carrying a weapon. They didn’t stand a chance. It was like watching frantic chickens with their heads lopped off. It was a pity to have to wipe out so many, as he could have put them to work in the town, but he was more intent on collecting what they had than forming a deal. Men around him fanned out in combat intervals. The rain soaked his face as he picked up speed, keeping the horse steady with one hand and opening fire with the other. He saw all ages among the camp. Women, children, most had been trained to fire a gun. His men didn’t hesitate. Casualties occurred no matter what age. It was their life or his.