The War Journals: Resistance

by Cory Mccoy

  "Who are you?" Demanded the voice behind the steel pressed against my temple.

  "I'm Connor" I said, quite unsure of what to do next.

  "What are you doing here?"

  "I’m just..."

  "Don’t fucking move! Ill kill your gook ass!"

  "I'm an American," I said as calmly as possible.

  "He's the General, you fucking moron!" Jesse said as he walked in, rifle trained toward my assailants head.

  "Bullshit! that's just some rumor!"

  "You aren't in a position to bargain." I heard Liz say, somewhere to the side. Possibly through a window.

  "Listen, man." I said, not wanting to resort to violence. "We can talk this over. I promise you'll be much better off if we do."

  "Oh and you're calling the shots now?" He screamed, "I have a fucking gun to your head, think about it!"

  "I'm thinking pretty clearly right now," I replied coolly, "You have one gun against my head, another two aimed at yours."

  "Put your weapons down or he dies!" he yelled

  "I wasn't finished," I replied, my voice cold as ice. "If they're telling the truth and I am who they claim I am, you'll be dead before they have a chance to shoot you."

  It was a huge risk, hoping he had heard something about this mysterious warrior known as the General.

  "You're lying!" he rasped, his voice full of uncertainty.

  "Perhaps, but I suggest we let cooler heads prevail." I said, holding my hand low and fingers apart. Signaling Jesse and Liz not to shoot. If they didn't catch on, I was as likely to die as my attacker.

  "I don't believe any of you!" He screamed. In an instant I acted, forcing my body to move. My arm screamed as I yanked his gun down and slammed him face first into the wall in a violent, twisting motion. I could feel my the fingers in my hand trying to dislocate as his headed bounced off the wall.

  "You don't have to believe me, but I’d rather not kill you" I whispered to him, his head shoved painfully against the wall. My arm was failing me, but I couldn't let him know. "I'll only ask you once, stand down or die."

  "Ok! I give" He cried desperately.

  I released his head, yanking the shotgun away with my right hand. Don't show the pain, I told myself. I compensated by kicking him hard in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

  "We aren't here to hurt you." I said, tossing the shotgun out of the doorway, Jesse catching it mid air.

  "Please don't kill me" the man sobbed from the shadows.

  "Get up and turn on the fucking lights." I barked.

  "Ok, ok"

  "There are two guns aimed right at your head, asshole" Liz said like a cold, hard, mob enforcer.

  "Try something, I fuckin dare you." Said Jesse, the only light in the cabin coming from the laser he had trained on this man's forehead.

  "For some reason, I’m not worried about you's two like I am him." the terrified park ranger said as he turned on the lights, seeing me with only the Kukri in my hand.

  "Well then, you're smart and lucky." Jesse said lowering his gun. "You're the only person I’ve seen him let walk away since this shit began."

  Chapter 13