Chapter 25
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Mace gathered everyone on the porch of the gift shop. “We need a new plan. The marauders have turned this way. Rich Creek and Peterstown are under assault. And from the initial looks of it, their meager defenses fell quickly. I just talked to the sheriff at Union. He continues to live in some dream world. So let's throw some options on the table.”
Vanessa said, “We could always just pack up and leave. I mean, it might take a day to haul everything back out of here, but we could go somewhere else.”
Tres hesitated with a response. “I'd rather stay. This place is perfect and we have so many of our needs taken care of now. We have water, food and fuel. And within a week, thanks to Dr. Jeff, we'll have that keg of gunpowder we were talking about, plus more.”
Jasper scowled. “I ain't runnin' from nobody. This is my home. I'm old, and I will fight to keep it. Anybody trying to come and take it will end up on the wrong end of my shotgun when I'm pulling the trigger.”
Jasper crossed his arms, giving his best look of defiance.
Jane said, “I think we should still consider ways of slowing them down. There's a lot of road between here and Peterstown. Maybe we set up a few sniper ambushes. Pick off a half dozen and they might turn back.”
Mace nodded. “OK, good option. Johnny?”
Johnny rubbed his hands together. “I like the ambush route. Hit 'em and run, hit 'em and run. And the Second Creek bridge, we take that out and they will have to turn around.”
Mace looked at Jeff. “Doc, you think you could piece something together that would take out a two-lane concrete bridge?”
Jeff Moskowitz sat silent for several seconds. “Any way I can get a run into town? I might be able to build a fertilizer bomb like they used at the Federal building in Oklahoma so many years ago. Park a truck like that there and it would possibly take out a small bridge.”
Mace glanced over at Johnny. “Want to give the doc a ride over to Ronceverte? Might do us good to alert them to what's coming as a courtesy.”
Jane said, “While you're there, you might go on a recruiting drive for fighters. This might cost us, but we could pay a grand a head for twenty to twenty-five good fighters. Maybe offer a couple hundred extra to a grand for the best shooters.”
Johnny smiled. “Mercs. I like it.”
Don said, “The road just south of Second Creek would be an excellent location for an ambush. We block the road just out of sight and hit them when they stop. From there we fall back across Second Creek to the hills there. If they make it through the blockade to the creek, we have another one set up there. If Doc can rig up a truck full of fertilizer, we could blow the bridge from up on the hill. Anyone trying to cross the creek and come up the hills... well, it would be suicide for them.”
Mace pointed to the helicopter. “Cam, can you bring us the maps of this area?”
Cam nodded and headed off for the maps.
“Those are topo maps, so we should be able to pick out effective locations. I say we look those over and then head down there to see what we could do in the next twenty-four hours.”
Don laid the maps out on the porch. “Right here. We could put a blockade here, and line these hills. Take your best shots and then scamper up and over. Then up here at the bridge, stake out this hillside, do your damage, blow the bridge. If their losses are high enough, they may turn back toward the easy pickings.”
Mace nodded. “I could get behind that. Take the ‘copter up, scout those hills from above. We'll head down in the cars.”
Jasper was left on the porch, waiting for Johnny's and Jeff's return. If successful at finding a sufficient stockpile of fertilizer and a truck, Jeff would begin work on his bomb while Johnny went on a recruiting drive for mercenaries.
The remainder of the group, including Tonya, headed for the narrows just south of Second Creek.
Mace was the first to exit his Jeep. “This is good. We tuck a blockade up around that swerve. They would stop right here. We should have excellent firing lines from both right and left flanks. Anyone caught down here will be in a world of hurt.”
Everyone was sent up the hills and told to look for good shooting positions. Having an escape route up and over the hilltops was paramount. The run from the top of the hill back to the bridge was three quarters of a mile, which raised concern.
Mace said, “We park spare vehicles here and drive them to the bridge and leave them—cuts that run time in half. The confusion of the attack and them having to get around our blockade should give us plenty of time to get into position.”
Tres nodded as he looked over the terrain. “I think we can do this. If we start out close to the top, the run back won't be so bad.”
“When we get back,” said Mace, “you and I are heading to the neighbors. We’ll be scrounging for anything that moves that we can park in that roadway. Whatever it is, they will probably never get it back, but this stand is for their protection too. If we fail, they fail.”
Jane said, “We need to position ample ammo at both locations. And we could have another fallback about a mile back up the road. I noticed a nice crop of granite rocks sticking up on the hillside. If we could block the road there it would give us another ambush point. After that, we have the RV and the cave.”
Mace pursed his lips. “OK, I think we have a plan. We need to have this in place in the next twenty-four hours, and we need to run a few practice drills. If Johnny can bring a dozen good shooters from Ronceverte, this has a good chance of working.”
Jane shook her head. “A month ago, while standing behind your bar, would you have ever fathomed something like this?”
“My imagination is not that good. Had you told me to sit down and to sketch out what might possibly happen if we lost both power and comm... I wouldn't have come close to this.”
Jane laughed. “I know one thing, I would have paid a lot closer attention to those prepper magazines. Could have built a bunker under our garage back in Norfolk and not worried about seeing daylight for a year or two. Things would have settled out by then.”
Mace helped Jane down off the hill. “What a huge difference a few weeks makes.”
The next several hours were spent going from neighbor to neighbor, explaining the coming horror and gathering every vehicle that could be used as part of a blockade. On the road below Second Creek, a sizable front-loader was used to stack cars two high and two deep going across both lanes of the road.
A narrow opening remained for any traffic that needed to pass through in the short term. Everything too large was given directions on how to go around the blockade while still reaching their destination. Each was told of the marauders.
A second blockade was constructed on the Second Creek bridge.
Jane walked up to the front-loader as Mace stacked the last car. “We have a problem.”
Mace turned off the engine. “What?”
Jane pointed down the small roadway that ran alongside the creek. “Right there in front of us. A second bridge over the creek. I looked at the map. You can get around and back on this road about a mile up. Unless we blow them both, they will be able to get around.”
Mace frowned. “Well, we have enough spare vehicles. I'll stack some over there. Maybe it will at least slow them down.”
Jane sighed. “This means our rocky hill for a third ambush site is useless. They could just bypass it.”
Mace restarted the front-loader yelling down to Jane from his high seat. “Well, we'll just have to stop them here then!”
Another car was shoved into the roadway before attention was diverted to the second bridge. Forty minutes later, the blockades were set except for the final blocking cars. The group returned to the cave where Johnny and Dr. Jeff were waiting.
Johnny said, “Best we could scrounge was this van. Doc thinks it'll be adequate. We have every square inch of it packed.”
Mace asked, “How about the recruiting?”
Johnny shook his
head. “No interest. Most responses were people saying they would get in their car and leave. If someone trashes their house, so what, they can patch it up or live with neighbors, but at least they live.”
Jane plopped down on the porch. “We need people. Of the nine we have, Jasper can't run, and Vanessa, Cam, and Tonya aren't trained. That leaves five of us. I just don't see that as enough.”
Vanessa stepped up. “I can shoot a rifle. And not a bad shot either.”
Two pickups turned into the drive, pulling to a stop in front of the gift shop.
Five teen boys and one girl hopped out. “Heard you were paying cash for shooters. Where do we sign up?”
Mace stood. “How old are you boys, and you?”
The girl said, “I'm fifteen, but I can out shoot any of them.”
One of the boys said, “That was one time.”
The girl angrily replied, “Yeah, let's set up a target right now and see who wins!”
Jane held up her hand. “Who's the oldest?”
A blond-haired boy stepped forward. “That would be me. Syler Sanks.”
Jane asked, “Syler, do your parents know you are here?”
The young man shook his head. “No. But we aren't doing anything against the law, right? This is defending our homes. And we’re all legally old enough to shoot without needing permission.”
Johnny stepped forward. “These people we’re going up against... this isn't a game. If they catch you, they will cut your throat without blinking.”
Syler replied, “We understand. Look, we're too young for the townsfolk to put us on the barricades, and too old to just be sitting around the house playing card games. We can shoot, and if that gang we heard about is as big as you say, you need our help.”
Jasper said, “I know two of these boys. They can handle themselves well enough. You need their help. Heck, too bad you can't get the whole rifle team from the high school over here. They won state two of the last four years.”
Mace stepped off the porch, walking to just in front of the five teens. They stood defiant.
“We need them, and anyone else they can bring. You have other team members willing to take this on?”
Syler smiled. “Yes, sir. I believe we do. At least another four. Should we bring them back here?”
Mace gestured toward the highway. As soon as the sun is up we'll be expecting you at the bridge over Second Creek. You will only need to bring rifles with you, and as much ammo for them as you can carry. We'll be shooting at targets averaging about five hundred feet away. And keep this in mind, you will be getting shot at. People will be dying. And some of those people might be by your shots. If you don't think you can pull that trigger, don't come out, you'll just be in the way.”
Syler Sanks and the other teens piled back into the two pickups. “We'll see you at the bridge at dawn!”
The trucks pulled up the drive and back onto the roadway.
Jane was shaking her head. “This just seems like a bad idea.”
Mace said, “We don't have to like it, but we need the help. These are their homes they’re defending. This is their valley. If the marauders make it through, it will be their families being slaughtered. Tough times call for tough measures.”
Thumps from the rotor wash on the helicopter could be heard as it circled in and landed in the field. Don Rogers hopped out, jogging over to the gift shop.
Johnny asked, “The marauders, where are they now?”
Don stepped up onto the porch. “Peterstown is burning. There were a handful of vehicles forming up on the road coming this way, but they may just be lining up for the morning. I think the mob has grown. I counted at least seventy vehicles that I believe are with them. And each one has at least two people in it. There are also two passenger buses with at least a dozen people each, and they now have four semis that I can only guess is their supply system. And we can add one tanker truck to the mix.”
Tres sighed. “That's probably two hundred people now. Where are they coming from?”
Mace said, “Charleston or further north.”
Don half frowned. “One of the buses had Detroit city markings. And it gets worse. They have two school buses and I saw them dragging women and young girls onto one of the buses. I think we all know what's happening there. This is just one big nasty hurricane of evil that is wiping out these small towns. How goes our efforts here?”
Jane replied, “We have a van bomb that we hope is adequate for the bridge, and our attempt at rounding up a militia netted us five teenagers. I'm not feeling overly confident at the moment.”
Mace held up his hand. “We don't have to kill them all, just enough to turn them back. If we manage ten shooters in a superior position, I still believe we can accomplish our goal.”
As the discussion on the porch continued, Tres went for a walk with Vanessa, Molly followed behind her new best friend. “This could get bad by tomorrow night.”
Vanessa took his hand. “We just have to do what we can and hope it's enough.”
“I'm not a good shooter. I don't know if I can hit anything. Will probably just be wasting bullets.”
Vanessa stopped. “It's OK to be nervous. I'm terrified. I mean, I have the confidence to handle a gun, but you've been all over every part of this venture, building structures, making gunpowder, and a dozen other things. And you helped to free Tonya. When you get out there, if you have to pull the trigger, you will do your best because it's what you always do.”
Jane called out, “Vanessa, can you give me a hand with dinner?”
“Sure Mrs. T. Be right there!”
Vanessa smiled at Tres before kissing him on the cheek. She whirled around and walked toward the RV.
Tres said to himself, “So you're going off to war tomorrow and all you get is a peck on the cheek? Nice going, Tres, way to show her you're a man.”
As the sun began to set on the horizon, one final run was made in the helicopter. Tres, Mace, and Cam joined Don for the ride.
Once high above Peterstown, Mace looked down through the binoculars. “I think you're right. I have twenty to twenty-five cars and trucks lining up on the highway coming our direction. Looks like they are settling in for the evening, but ready to move on.”
Mace scanned the ground. “I see the two buses and the semis. The buses are in a small lot and the semis parked on the roadway in front of it.”
Tres said, “Wish we could do something for them.”
Mace replied as he changed his view from vehicle to vehicle. “Well, maybe we can. Don, take us over Rich Creek.”
“What is it you see?”
Mace lowered the binoculars. “I know this sounds crazy, but I don't think they’re watching the road where they came from at all. I don't see any evidence of anyone moving about in Rich Creek. And there aren't any cars on the road. What I'm about to suggest, I'll be looking for you three to talk me out of.”
Mace again peered through the binoculars. “Those buses. I see one person standing guard. The road south of there is clear. If Tres and I can get in there, we could drive those buses away before anyone knew what was going on. The rest of them are going house to house with their pillaging. Tres, you ever drive a bus?”
Tres shook his head. “No, but it can't be that hard. The ones we had back in school were all automatics. Just give yourself plenty of room to turn.”
Mace again lowered the binoculars. “Doesn't sound like you're talking me out of anything.”
“How do we get down there?”
Mace looked at Don. “Think you could drop us in Rich Creek? Maybe come low up the river and dump us on the shore? It would be up to us to find transportation from there. It's only a mile from the river. We could drive up to that cemetery, park the car and leave it running, and cut through those trees and then those buildings. If we use the suppressors, we might not even be heard.”
Tres asked, “Let's say we do manage to get those buses out. Where do we go with them?”
Mace pointed, “We dump t
hem there, in Pearisburg. They'll be on their own, but at least we got them out of there.”
Don said, We probably only have an hour of daylight left. If you really want to do this, you have to start now.”
Mace picked up his pack, pulling out the suppressor. Tres looked on nervously.
Mace said, “Didn't bring your bag, huh?”
Tres replied, “Sorry. Didn't think I would be needing it.”
Mace pulled two additional magazines from his pack. “Take these, and don't pull that trigger unless you absolutely have to. When we go in, let me clear out anyone standing around. You get on one of those buses and get it ready to go.”
Tres nodded. “I can do that.”
The ‘copter made a wide arc, going south before circling around to the river. Five minutes of low-level flying had the men landing on the shore at the edge of town. Other than the crackling of burning buildings, everything was quiet. A car was located and commandeered, the dead driver pushed out onto the street.
A short ride later the car was parked on the drive leading to the town cemetery. Mace and Tres hustled through the woods, emerging behind a building across the road from the buses. The silhouettes of least a dozen lowered heads could be seen on each bus.
Mace grabbed Tres by the forearm. “OK, when we move, remember to breathe. I see three men in that lot. One smoking in front of the store, and two standing beside one of the buses, talking.”
Tres nodded. “I see.”
Mace continued with a low voice, “I'll take out these two first. The other I'll have to hit from around the bus. You wait on this side until I give you the all clear. What's our password?”
Tres replied, “Cowboy?”
Mace smiled. “Just do as I said and we'll be rolling out of here before they know what happened.”
Tres grabbed Mace's shoulder. “What if we can't find the keys?”
Mace shook his head. “Then we've done all we can for them. Just tell them to be quiet and run toward Rich Creek. And to stay away from the main road.”
Tres took a deep breath. “I can't believe we are about to do this.”
Mace grabbed his shoulder at the base of the neck and squeezed. “You'll do fine. You always do.”
With that, the raid to free the women of Peterstown was underway. After crossing the roadway, Mace approached the men at the bus from behind. Tres followed close on his heels.
Two silenced pops could be heard before the women on the closest bus erupted in horrified chatter. The third man tossed his cigarette to the ground, raised his gun, and took one step off of the sidewalk. A third round dropped the man where he stood.
Tres boarded a bus. “Hush. I need you all to be quiet. We're getting you out of here.”
Tres wiped his hand around the dash and the keyhole. “Keys? Anyone know where the keys are?”
A girl in the front seat pointed toward the dead man on the ground. “He had them.”
Tres stood and took a step down the open door. The silhouette of a man confronted him.
Three rounds emptied into the floor of the bus before Mace took control.
Mace yelled over the busload of screaming girls. “Here's the key. Go!”
The engines of the two buses turned over several times before coming to life. Tres pulled the shifter handle to D before stepping on the gas and stalling the bus. Mace waved frantically from the other. The engine again turned over and powered to life. The buses, with all occupants holding their breath, pulled out onto the roadway.
As they turned onto Highway 460 going east, Don swooped down in front of them, showing that their way out was clear. Once in Pearisburg, the buses were parked and the women told to disperse. No other explanation was given other than to run and to seek shelter as far from the buses as they could. Don landed on the parking lot beside them. Seconds later, the four men were on their way home.
A quick pass was done high over Peterstown. Several cars and trucks were parked around where the buses had been. Most of the marauders continued their pillaging, while others worked to form a line, readying for the following day's assaults.