by Ed Robinson
It was impossible for me to return fire. The back of the cabin was being ripped to shreds, and the sound of it was getting closer. I crawled out and hid behind the refrigerator, hesitating to make the break towards the loft ladder. The shooting stopped. He must be reloading. I popped up alongside a shattered kitchen window with my rifle pointing outward. I saw the Chief advancing down the grassy slope and reloading. I fired twice without aiming. The Chief dropped to one knee and resumed firing in my direction. I crawled back behind the fridge without being hit, but I could feel the rounds passing over my head and smashing into the walls.
“Breeze,” Brody screamed. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good,” I said. “Not sure I can get to you without exposing myself.”
“Where’s that cop?”
“Any second now, baby,” I assured her. “Hang in there.”
The madman outside was still advancing towards our back door. It was locked and chained, but with no glass left it would be simple to reach in and open it. I’d have a split second to make a kill shot before he cut me down. I had to save Brody, even if it meant sacrificing myself. I was in that situation again, knowing that there was a real possibility that I might die soon.
I didn’t have time to relive all of life’s memories. I had to stay focused. Forget everything that’s ever happened, I told myself. There is only Brody and the immediate threat. I forced myself to calm down. I lowered my heart rate and slowed my breathing. I visualized swinging out from behind the fridge and making the perfect shot. I leaned the rifle against the wall and took my pistol out of its holster. It was the better choice at close range. The forty caliber bullets would knock a man down, and a kill would be assured with any kind of accurate shot.
The sounds of the moment amplified. I heard him reload again. I heard a siren in the distance. Help was on the way. I heard Brody cock her weapons. Over the radio, the trooper announced his imminent arrival.
“Coming down your lane,” he said.
The Chief was at the door. He stopped shooting, and I could hear his footsteps. I readied my weapon and prepared to make my move. It was do-or-die time.
Except it wasn’t. I heard the Chief turn and run away from the cabin. I got up and watched him climb the slope in a hurry. The patrol car skidded to a stop in the driveway. The officer used his loudspeaker to order the fleeing suspect to stop. He didn’t stop. He disappeared into the woods.
“He’s gone,” I yelled to Brody.
I went outside to greet the cop and survey the damage. The cabin looked a mess. Its stout log siding was littered with hundreds of holes. Window frames were ripped to shreds, and of course, there was no glass left at all.
“You two all right?” asked the trooper.
“Just shaken,” I said. “No injuries. You going after him?”
“Up there?” he asked. “Against an automatic weapon? I don’t think so.”
“Do we have more help on the way?”
“More than we’ll need I reckon,” he said.
That’s when I saw Chief Hicks coming down the drive from Banner Elk, followed by two State Police cruisers. A small army had descended on our little cabin, including Rominger. A crazed man was loose on my mountain. Six cops stood and scratched their asses wondering what they ought to do.
“Is someone watching that car?” I asked.
“We have a man there waiting.”
“Who’s going up there after him?”
There was no response other than the six cops looking at me.
“This is your mountain,” one of them said. “No one knows it like you.”
Four cops agreed with him. Chief Hicks didn’t like it.
“You can’t send a civilian after this man,” he said to the others. “It’s completely against all protocol.”
“High country protocol ain’t the same as wherever you came from,” Rominger said. “Breeze has an aptitude for these types of situations. This is his land. He’s got a way with the woods.”
“This is ridiculous,” said Hicks. “We’re the law officers here. Let’s get our shit together and apprehend this shooter.”
“You’ll die trying,” I said. “He’s got superior firepower and holds the high ground.”
“You ex-military?” Hicks asked.
“Never saw combat,” I said. “I pushed pencils with the pretty nurses at Fort Sam.”
“And you think you’re the best man to go after him? He said, laughing. “What were you, a God damned nurse?”
“You were a Marine weren’t you?” I asked.
“I am a Marine,” he said. “Once a Marine always a Marine.”
“I have the utmost respect,” I said. “But lots of Marines died charging the beach at Normandy. That’s what will happen to you if you go running up that hill. We can’t afford to lose anybody.”
“You’re gun shy because of that Hollaway fellow,” he said.
“I saw him get hit and I watched him die,” I said. “I’d prefer not to do the same with you.”
“You are not part of law enforcement,” he said. “I don’t care what these jokers think.”
“I’ll keep that comment in mind when you need our help,” said Rominger. “We are anything but jokers.”
“I can’t condone this decision,” he said. “That’s all I meant.”
“The decision isn’t yours to make,” Rominger told him. “You can head on back to town any time you like.”
Chief Hicks was outnumbered five to one by the state cops. He was the new kid on the block. He hoped to enjoy a long and successful career as police chief in an affluent town with little crime. He didn’t like it, but he knew when discretion was required.
“Fine,” he said. “I’m out of here, but if this Breeze character kills our suspect, I won’t let you cover it up. I’ll make sure he faces charges. I stand with the law and not vigilantes.”
“Your statement is noted,” said Rominger. “Now unless you want to climb that hill by yourself, I suggest you drive back to your office where it’s safe.”
Hicks didn’t respond. He walked to his car, got in, and drove away. Once again I found myself being stared down by a whole group of cops. I heard Brody’s voice in my head telling me just to say no. They were the cops. I was a guy who’d just had his home shot all to pieces. Brody and I were the victims. They were sworn to protect and serve the likes of us. There was a completely logical argument for refusing to go after the Chief, but I couldn’t use it.
This was my fight and my mountain. Those men would be putting themselves at great risk if they tried to find him up there in the woods. I couldn’t ask them to risk their lives on my behalf. I was the only one that had half a chance of getting to him without getting killed. I had their blessing, with the exception of the new Chief. Rominger had slapped him down in no uncertain terms. He’d stood up for me and my unique expertise. I couldn’t let him down after that.
“All right,” I said. “But I’ve got to do this my way. I need some of you at the car and some of you here. We can’t leave him an escape path. I take this radio and my weapons. I want some of you on the mountain, but well behind me, out of harm’s way. I’ll go inside and get ready while you figure out who does what.”
“The Chief was right about one thing,” said Rominger. “We won’t be much help if you kill this dude.”
“I don’t want to kill him,” I said. “But I reserve the right. If it’s him or me I’m going to do what I’ve got to do.”
“Understood,” he said. “But it will get real messy afterward.”
“Also understood,” I said. “Feel free to overrule me and take charge of this operation at any time.”
“I know that I ought to do just that,” he said. “But I also know that you’ve got a much better chance of success than we do. You’ve also got bigger balls than all of us put together, including the new Chief.”
“But I’m not bullet-proof, pal,” I said. “That’s why I’ve got to do this my way.”
“Mo
ve like smoke?”
“Exactly.”
Twenty
I went back inside to prepare. I found Brody with her head in her hands. She wasn’t crying but she was shaking her head back and forth.
“It always comes to this,” she said. “When the shit goes down you’re on your own. I sit here and hope that you survive one more time.”
“I had my mind made up about this,” I said. “But if you tell me not to go, I won’t.”
“I can’t stop you,” she said. “That’s not who you are. I know that.”
“It will be okay,” I told her. “Shit works out.”
“It does work out,” she said. “But not always the way you want it to. One of these days I’ll be trying to figure out how to live without you.”
“Not today,” I said. “Today is not that day.”
“Promise me a way out, Breeze,” she said. “Even if we have to move away from here.”
“I’d do anything for you,” I said. “You know that. As soon as this is over, we’ll look at our options. We can do anything we want to do.”
“Go finish the job,” she said. “Come home safe.”
I went to the garage where I kept my dirty mountain clothes. They had no manmade scent and the colors blended into the woods better than any store bought camo. I put on the deerskin shoes that I’d taken off Pop’s dead body, and the floppy cloth hat he used to wear. I stood alone in the quiet garage, channeling my dead friend, willing his skills to be transferred to me. The policemen didn’t know what to think of me when I emerged.
“I’m going to cross the creek to get into the woods without exposing myself,” I told them. “I’ll find him.”
“Do everything you can to bring this to a peaceful resolution,” Rominger said.
“I’ll try,” I said. “But the man’s already put about five-hundred rounds into my house. Good chance he’ll want to go down shooting.”
“I can go with you,” he offered.
“We’ve been down that road once already,” I said. “It got Hollaway killed.”
“We were up there with you chasing Shook,” he said.
“He didn’t want to shoot you guys,” I said. “His problem was with the Chief. He didn’t get the showdown he was after.”
“Be careful, Breeze,” he said. “Do your Zen thing and catch this man.”
I hopped from rock to rock to get to the other side of the creek. The woods were thin there, but they thickened soon enough. I disappeared into a thicket of rhododendrons and made my way westward, moving like smoke. I let the sounds and smells come to me, becoming one with the mountain forest. It felt good to slide through the trees undetected. I don’t know where this ability came from, other than what Pop had taught me, but I was good at it.
I moved slowly and carefully, in full stealth mode. I made no sound. Each step was carefully calculated for silence and concealment. My eyes were focused on both the minor details and the bigger picture at the same time. I was able to concentrate on my movements while also looking forward and up the mountain.
I thought about the man I was hunting, trying to put myself in his shoes. Where would he go? It seemed obvious that he’d try to make it to his car. Once he saw the cops there, he’d have to retreat. He didn’t know the mountain, except for the path he took from the car to my place. He had to be somewhere on that path. He wasn’t wearing or carrying a pack while he was blasting away at the cabin. Unless he’d hidden one up there someplace, he didn’t have supplies to survive for long. He didn’t impress me as a mountain man.
I moved towards the midway point of the trail I thought he’d be on. The mountain sent signals to all of my senses, steering me with an unseen hand. My focus intensified as if I knew for certain exactly where he was. My feet were still in touch with the earth, but I felt as if I was floating through the woods like the ever-present mountain fog.
I heard the snap of a twig and saw songbirds fly away from their perch. I was on him. I smelled gunpowder and fear in the air. I smelled the fresh blooms of mountain laurels. I used the bushes for cover and snuck in closer to my target. He was sitting with his back to a tree with his rifle across his lap. It was an AR-15, clearly converted to a fully automatic version. The chief wasn’t moving. He was just sitting there waiting for someone to come for him.
What would he do? Would he give up or shoot? Could I sneak up behind him and subdue him without gunfire? He’d be listening for any pursuers, but his awareness was questionable. I outmatched him in every way except for firepower. It would be a simple matter to shoot him from where I sat, but I couldn’t that, or could I? Maybe I could wound him with a leg shot. That would take the fight out of him.
As I was considering my choices, he got up and moved off the trail and deeper into the woods. He was trying to be careful, but he wasn’t good at it. His boots were heavy and stiff. The coveralls he was wearing were new and not broken in. They swished as he walked. I could track him with my eyes closed, but I didn’t want to track him forever. I needed a way to bring this mission to a close.
I wanted to get out in front of him to set up an ambush, but my need for silence made it impossible to move quickly. He was walking along at a good clip. I continued to follow, waiting for him to stop so I could get around him. He had no idea that I was on his tail. It started to rain. The drops hit the leaves loudly, muffling all the other sounds except the babble of the creek. I could still hear the Chief, but there was no way he would hear me.
He ducked under a big pine to get out of the rain. I had my chance, and I took it. Under cover of a downpour, I hustled in a wide circle around his position and gained the high ground above him. I couldn’t see him under his tree, but I’d spot him as soon as he came out. I ignored the rain and melted into a pile of rocks to wait. I imagined that he was wondering where the cops were, and maybe second-guessing his choices that day.
His rage had led him off the rails, but the cool rain was sobering him up to the reality of what he’d done. He was trapped on unfamiliar turf, practically surrounded by a bunch of cops and one determined mountain man. There was no way out for him. I decided to try to talk him down.
“Give it up Chief,” I said, suddenly remembering how this tactic worked out with Tom Shook. “You can’t win this.”
“All you had to do was mind your own business,” he replied. “This is all your fault.”
“I’ll end it for you if that’s how you want it to play out,” I said. “You can’t run or hide from me.”
“I can fill you full of lead,” he said. “At least I’d have that satisfaction.”
“You’ve been a real pain in my ass the past few weeks,” I said. “I might be motivated to shoot you first.”
“You won’t get away with it again,” he said. “You’ll go to jail this time like you should have in the first place.”
“You haven’t hurt anyone yet,” I said. “Your jail time shouldn’t amount to much. Weapons charges, terroristic threatening maybe.”
“I’m a cop,” he said. “I can’t go to jail.”
“I guess we’re at a stalemate then,” I said. “Think about your odds up here — you against me. I’ll walk out of here. Your body will have to be carried.”
He didn’t respond for a long time. The rain let up a bit. I let him think it over. Ten minutes passed before I saw him crawl out from under his tree.
“I’m going to walk down to my car,” he said. “You’ll have to shoot me in the back if you want to kill me.”
“You plan to turn yourself in peacefully?”
“Nothing else left to do,” he said. “You win. You want to walk with me?”
“I think I’ll pass,” I said. “But I’ll be behind you.”
“Suit yourself,” he said.
He slung his rifle over his shoulder and started the downhill hike towards his car. As soon as he was out of sight, I rose and carefully followed. I still didn’t want him to see me. This could be a trick, and I didn’t want to face a hail of bullets fr
om his automatic weapon. He made no effort to be quiet, so he was easy to track. Was it over?
I was careful not to reveal my position. I didn’t follow directly in his footsteps. I veered off right and left of his path. He could spin around at any minute and spray the trees with gunfire. When I had a choice, I chose solid cover over simple concealment. Rocks and trees could stop bullets much better than a shrub could.
Just before we reached the edge of the woods close to the road, I whispered into the radio.
“He’s coming out near his car,” I said. “Says he’s giving up but be wary.”
“10-4.”
I watched the Chief step out on the shoulder of Pigeon Roost Road about a hundred feet from the waiting cops. This was a vulnerable moment. He could hit them easily with his rifle if he decided to go out in a blaze of glory. They had pistols drawn and pointed at him, demanding that he put down his weapon. I wedged myself behind a boulder for protection, choosing to listen rather than watch.
The Chief began to fire, but not at the cops. The trees and bushes around me were shredded by bullets. Several bounced off the boulder I was hiding behind. Before his clip was empty, somebody put a bullet in him. It was over, but I was hesitant to come out.
“All clear,” an officer yelled. “The shooter has been neutralized.”
As I revealed myself, I realized how ridiculous I must have looked. If I had a long white beard, I could have passed for Pop Sutton. I smelled like him too. I laughed at my own expense.
You need a shower, mountain man.
Twenty-One
Brody ignored my filth and stench and gave me a long hug and a wet kiss. We stood in the kitchen holding each other for a long time. Red was asleep by the fire.
“It’s over,” I told her. “We can live in peace now.”
“I knew it would work out,” she said. “Shit always works out. Now go take a shower.”
Author’s Thoughts
I have the deepest respect for law enforcement everywhere. No reference to any of the police agencies mentioned in this book should be taken seriously. This is a work of fiction. Special thanks to our local department in Banner Elk, The North Carolina State Police, and the Watauga County Sheriff’s Department.
