Moonshine Wizard

by Phillip Drayer Duncan

  Scooping up his shotgun again, he stepped back to the mouth of the alley and saw the Brotherhood was still trying to force their way forward. He opened fire, letting the spread of the scattergun do its work. The buckshot spread just enough for him to catch two of the assholes in one shot. He pumped another shell in and tried again, this time only getting one.

  He stepped back into cover, shoved a couple more shells into his shotgun, and noticed that the last of the stragglers had made it inside. Pumping another round in the chamber, he motioned for his comrades to fall back.

  He held the alleyway alone, firing two more rounds before backing out himself. He was alone in the alley, then, and bolted for the Saloon. From the door, his allies covered him and he bolted inside, diving for cover as the bullets zipped around him.

  “Holy shit,” he said, lying on the ground in the Saloon. He glanced over and saw Neil sitting with his back against the wall a few feet away. “Oh, hey, buddy.”

  Neil glared at him. “Did you throw me? Or did I imagine that?”

  “Nah,” Kevin said. “Must’ve imagined it. I definitely didn’t throw you.”

  Neil squinted at him, unsure. “Well, good call on the katanas. I like that.”

  “I thought you might,” he replied, grinning. “You okay?”

  “Who, me?” Neil said, shrugging. “I’m fine. Just got a little winded is all.”

  “Winded?” Kevin asked, rising to his feet. “It looked like you were out cold.”

  “Just catching my breath,” Neil replied, also standing. He appeared to be all right after all.

  Together they moved to the front of the Saloon, where Brock was barking out orders. They’d set up a trauma center for the injured and the children were ushered into the kitchen area. Anyone who was armed and capable of fighting was spread around the bar to stand guard.

  She glanced up at Kevin and Neil, concern on her features. “Where are the rest of your friends?”

  “Still out there,” Kevin said. “The Brotherhood is trying to take the school. Bert is leading a counterstrike.”

  “Damn,” she replied. “I bet there’s a lot of people in that school house.”

  “That’s what we were told,” Neil said. “Sounds like the bulk of the Brotherhood force is there.”

  “How many people did he have?”

  Kevin shook his head. “Not enough.”

  “What do you think we should do?” she asked.

  Kevin and Neil glanced at each other, both unsure.

  Neil said, “I don’t know that we could get there in time.”

  “I just hope they’re having better luck than us,” Kevin said, reloading his shotgun. “Because if not, they’re in serious trouble.”

  Chapter 29

  With Gus leading the way, Bert and company made their way toward the center of the Underbelly. Despite their numbers, they managed to get to the edge of the square without any trouble.

  They huddled in an alley and Gus gave him the rundown of the area. Bert had been to the square a few times, but he didn’t know the layout like the older man. The square consisted of the largest collection of buildings in their little town. Utilizing crude materials, they’d managed to expand the historic buildings upward, creating something of a legitimate, albeit rough, downtown type of area. He didn’t know what each of the buildings were, though, and Gus explained that the schoolhouse was on the opposite side of the square from where they hid.

  They couldn’t attack the Brotherhood head on, especially not in the open space. The numbers would overwhelm them. But getting pinned down in an alley wasn’t any better.

  Jim crept toward him and whispered, “We can’t shield all of these people, Bert.”

  Acknowledging the concern on his friend’s face, Bert replied, “I know. I think I may have an idea.”

  Bert turned his attention back to Gus. “Are there two nearby alleyways that run into the square? Two that are fairly close to each other and neither too wide?”

  The older man looked thoughtful for a moment and said, “Yeah, there sure is. Just up ahead.”

  Bert waved Hunter closer and addressed the three of them. “What if we split the group into two teams? One goes with Jim, and the other goes with me. We stay at the mouth of the alleys so Jim and I can shield both groups, while the folks with guns create a firing line behind us. Since the alleys won’t be wide enough for everyone to shoot at once, we’ll need to assign a few folks to support roles. And we’ll need people guarding our backs from the teenage mutant ninja dicks. Preferably the fastest and strongest. Gus, are there any other were-creatures with us? Vampires? Anyone who’d have a chance against the ninjas?”

  Gus’s eyes scanned the group. “There’s a handful of were-dogs and a few vamps. See that hairy fella with the shaggy beard? He’s strong as an ox. Saw him pull a crumpled shack off a boy once. And that purple-skinned guy, he’s mighty quick. He puts on little juggling shows for the kids sometimes with hatchets and knives.”

  “Okay,” Bert said, “I think we can make this work. Jim and I can communicate from afar, so we can stay in constant contact. The only problem is if the Brotherhood gets close to either of us, they’ll break our connection. And not just to each other. Their bodies nullify magic energy, so if they get too close, they’ll break our shields. That means we all die. Everyone needs to understand that.”

  “Keep the wizards alive,” Gus said. “Got it.”

  Bert grinned. “Not just alive, but we need to keep those bastards further than arm’s reach from us.”

  “I got it,” Gus replied. “It’s a good plan, kid.”

  “Really?” Bert asked, a little surprised.

  “No,” Gus admitted, shaking his head. “But we don’t have time to sit here scratching our balls while we come up with another idea.”

  “Agreed,” Hunter said. “If we take them by surprise, and hit them hard, maybe we can force a retreat.”

  Jim nodded. “It sounds like a decent plan to me.”

  “Okay then,” Bert said, taking a deep breath. “Then let’s sort out who is going with who.”

  A few minutes later the two teams were decided on. Anyone who felt they could stand against the ninjas moved to the back of their respective groups and traded their assault rifles for smaller guns and any makeshift weapon they could find. Those with experience shooting took the best rifles and moved to the front of their groups. Those with experience hunting or shooting long range took anything with a scope. They’d work as snipers.

  Despite his desire to keep Hunter close, Bert decided to send him with Jim. It was twofold and he knew it was the right choice. Jim’s shield offered the strongest protection, and Hunter was likely the most experienced shooter they had. They could protect each other. Bert had Sharp to watch his back.

  With the groups sorted out, they split up and headed in different directions. As Bert followed Gus toward their alley, he wondered again if he’d sent his friends into a death trap.

  ***

  Jim asked one of the locals to lead the way, and walked beside him, keeping his shield up in front of the group. He didn’t doubt Bert’s plan, but he wasn’t super confident in it either. He’d all but given up being a wizard, and now, here he was, preparing to lead a group of strangers into supernatural warfare. He abhorred violence, and his magical abilities reflected that. His attack magic was a joke. Sure, he had other abilities, but combat wasn’t his strong suit. Not that it mattered in this fray, anyway. What was he even doing here?

  Then he remembered the face of the little boy, and felt his resolve steeled. It was an image that would be burned into his mind forever, and the more he thought about it, the more his anger grew.

  They approached a corner and his guide paused, informing him that this was the alley they were to hold. He nodded at the man and glanced back at his group. His snipers broke off started looking for places to roost. Most headed toward a side door on the building beside them. He didn’t know if they knew where they were going, but didn’t
have time to worry about it. This was their town. Surely they knew a way up to the top of the building.

  He poked his head around the corner and saw that their alley was clear. He guessed it to be about twenty yards to the end where it opened out into the square where the mass of the Brotherhood milled about looking for something to kill. In the alley was an old dumpster, a few smaller trash cans, mounds of random junk, and a few bags of trash. It wasn’t much, but it was some cover.

  “So, how does it look?” Hunter asked from beside him.

  “Gus wasn’t joking,” Jim replied. “There’s a whole army out there.”

  Hunter took this in and asked, “How does the alley look?”

  “Well, there isn’t much cover protection, just a dumpster. There’s plenty of trash to hide behind, though.”

  “So, we should probably have our rear guys hold this spot.” Hunter said, his expression thoughtful. “It’ll take the snipers a few minutes to get into position. I’m guessing this building has windows overlooking the square. Or they were just bailing on us.”

  Jim forced a laugh, trying not to show his fear. He couldn’t remember a time he’d been more afraid. Adrenaline had carried him through the earlier action, but now, knowing more was just moments away, he was terrified. And before, Bert had kept things moving. He’d been the one calling the shots. Now Jim was in charge of this little group, and that alone made him want to give in to panic. He was glad Hunter was with him. They’d never been close, Hunter being more a friend of Bert’s than his, but he was tough, and so far, he’d kept his cool.

  “I think you’re right,” Jim said, adjusting his glasses. “We’ll have the rearguard hold this corner. Then put a few guys behind the dumpster just in case the rearguard gets overrun. We should also assign a few to helping the injured and jumping into help wherever needed.”

  “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” Hunter said. “So, is this normal for you guys? I mean, does this sort of thing happen often?”

  Jim shook his head. “No, most people don’t even believe these guys exist. I think the only thing saving our asses right now is they didn’t plan for resistance. But, if you meant are we always staring death in the face, well, that’s also a no. I mean, Bert still gets involved in some dangerous stuff from time to time, but the rest of us pretty much live like normal people. You probably face more danger in your job than I see in a year.”

  The look on Hunter’s face told him he hadn’t bolstered the police officer’s confidence. Hunter had been looking for a way to normalize the situation a bit, and Jim had slapped the notion away. Way to go, idiot, he told himself, glancing down at his own trembling hands.

  Hunter noticed as well and forced a smile. “At any rate, I think if we get the jump on these guys we can take them. I’ll spread the plan around, if you want to let Bert know we’re in place.”

  Jim nodded and watched Hunter step away. He was new to this and he was the one trying boost Jim’s morale. Pathetic. Shaking his doubts away, he called out to Bert. “Hey man, we’re in position.”

  Bert replied, “Are you guys ready?”

  Jim stared at his shaking hands again and said, “Ready as we can be.”

  ***

  Bert was relieved to hear Jim and Hunter were already in place. It didn’t mean they were safe, but it did mean they had a secured position, and that was better than being out in the open. A part of him wanted to check on Neil and Kevin but thought better of it. If they were in trouble there was nothing he could do, and worse, if they didn’t respond he wouldn’t be able to keep his head in the game. It would have to wait.

  Bert glanced around at his team. He’d already given them instructions and was just waiting for them to get into place. Their alley wasn’t the worst place to hold up. The Brotherhood was a good distance from them, so his main shooters were already at the mouth of the alley and ready to go.

  The alley wasn’t very long, but both sides were lined with lumber, metal, and other building supplies, all of which provided ample cover. In a stroke of luck, it turned out his alley was being used as a staging site for a construction project. Both his vanguards and rearguards had cover, along with everyone in the middle.

  Both his and Jim’s strike teams were in place. There was nothing else to wait for. He’d would’ve liked to give his snipers a little more time, but every moment they wasted was another moment they risked losing the element of surprise. It was also another moment the people in the school house could be butchered. He knew it was time to make their move, but something held him back. In his mind, he could picture Uncle Tony telling him that to hesitate was to die. But his Uncle would also have told him to trust his gut. And at the moment, something in his gut didn’t feel right. The Brotherhood was milling about in the square, but they didn’t seem to be pressing a full-on attack at the school house. And by this point, surely, they were aware that two of their strike teams were missing. Shouldn’t they be looking for the culprits? Had it been too easy for Bert and company to get here? Was he just being paranoid?

  “Sharp, what’s your take on this?”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “Me neither, but I was hoping you might have more than that.”

  “What am I? A goddamned fortune teller?”

  “Well, you are a talking sword.” Bert shrugged. “Seriously, what do you think?”

  “I’m incapable of thought. I’m just an inanimate object, remember? Hello, my name is Sharp, and my favorite color is clear.”

  “You done?”

  “It doesn’t make sense,” Sharp said. “They should have strike teams out looking for their missing strike teams. They should have this whole area secure. They should’ve killed everyone in the school house by now.”

  “Those are my concerns as well.”

  “I don’t know, Bert. It feels like a trap. But you’re pretty damn committed now.”

  Bert sighed. The sword was right. Bastard was always right. There was no turning back. And he’d wasted enough time hiding in the alley. It was time to move.

  He called out to Jim, “Are you guys still ready?”

  “Yeah,” Jim replied, but he sounded nervous. Nothing Bert could do about that presently.

  “Hold your fire until we get their attention.”

  “Understood,” Jim replied. “And Bert…”

  “Yeah?”

  “Good luck, brother.”

  Bert smiled to himself and replied, “Forget luck, old friend. Just kill them before they kill you.”

  “Right. What’s that you always say? Why waltz when you can rock ’n’ roll?”

  “Exactly.” Bert turned to his group. “All right, everyone get ready. When I give the word, start shooting and don’t stop until you’re empty.”

  “Sharp, keep your eyes open,” Bert said as he summoned his shield and spread it over the mouth of the alley. “And I may need you to help me shield.”

  “Aye, aye, Cap’n!” Sharp replied a little too enthusiastically.

  Bert turned his gaze on the Brotherhood force in the square. There had to be at least fifty of them. Probably more. He glanced once more at his small strike time. Why waltz when you can rock ’n’ roll, indeed. He sighed and gave the order.

  Chaos ensued.

  ***

  Fighting his nerves, Jim turned to Hunter and said, “It’s time.”

  Hunter nodded. “All, right let’s do this.”

  They led the pack straight to the end of the alley. The sounds of gunfire ripped through the small square. Jim couldn’t see where Bert’s group was hidden, but he could see the effect of their efforts. Having caught the Brotherhood off guard, they were able to mow down several before they organized. With all the Brotherhood focused on Bert, Jim was able to lead his band straight down to the end of the alleyway without being noticed.

  He doubled the strength of his shield and molded it to cover the entire front entrance of the alley. Hunter, along with four other men wielding assault rifles, spread out on either side o
f him.

  Bert’s voice came through his head. “Now, Jim. Open Fire!”

  “Now! Fire!” he heard himself say.

  The rapport of the automatic weapons so close to his head was deafening. It was as if he were in a dream. His adrenaline amped up, and his nervousness melted away. Time slowed, and he could feel his heart pounding like a drum. He blinked once, and as his eyes slowly opened he looked out into a world full of carnage.

  His group’s flank assault had worked perfectly, and Brotherhood members fell in droves. It only took them a few seconds to recover, though, and split part of their force to focus on Jim and his allies. Gunfire smashed against his shield, creating small blue sparks as they hit. The slugs fell harmlessly to the street at his feet.

  Beside him, Hunter was handling the assault rifle like an old pro. Bert had always complimented Hunter’s aim, but Jim had never grasped the extent of Hunter’s marksman prowess. At least half the goons that fell were victims of Hunter’s. When his clip emptied, Hunter pressed the magazine release with his left hand, allowing the empty clip to fall free, while his right hand slammed a new one home and hit the slide release. And Hunter was firing again. Apparently, he’d used an AR-type rifle before.

  A grenade hit Jim’s shield and bounced away to the ground. A couple of his shooters panicked and tried to back away, but it was no real threat. Jim added a little more energy to the shield and it absorbed the blow, covering his shield in black smoke for a few moments.

  Hunter paused his shooting long enough to give Jim a look of amazement. Then he was back at it.

  As the smoke cleared, several of the ninja-clad dipshits charged toward them. Hunter opened fire and began hammering them down. The other men regained their composure and began firing also, driving them back.

  Seeing they were up against a mage with a stout shield, the Brotherhood troopers started seeking cover, making them harder for Hunter and company to hit.