“Ok Blake, cover me while I get into the woods.” Haliday crawled about 30 yards into the woods. He took up position and told Blake to low crawl in while he used suppressing fire to cover him. He went through three magazines himself. “Go get ready, Blake.” Blake went a little deeper into the woods. Haliday continued to fire although he wasn’t hitting anything other than the four wheeler. A Jeep came out of the compound and pulled up close to the intersection. They fired blindly into the woods.
Haliday and Blake had a path between the two wooded areas that they were going to use. They crawled their way back there. The Jeep moved up slowly and started heading down the path. Haliday and Blake fired at them. The Jeep backed off. Haliday heard the guys shouting out instructions. “I think it’s a trap,” said one of the guys, “just hold on, it’s coming.”
Back at the airport one of the militia had managed to wheel a large extinguisher to the hangar where she released the chemical into the hangar and on the two piper cubs. Her efforts paid off, the flames were put out. The condition of the planes was unknown, but hopefully they wouldn’t fly any time soon.
The motor pool hangar door opened and the M113 rolled out. It went out the main gate and made its way toward the wooded area where Haliday and Blake were. The Jeep had backed out of the woods and the guys got out and jumped in the back of the track. They raised the back door ramp and started heading toward Blake and Haliday.
The militia had five people in the track. Two were actually women. Haliday had actually done a good job of ruffling their ranks over the past few days. He hoped that using the women meant that their ranks were not numbered as high as he originally thought. The option was very angry wives out for payback. Still, they had enough to accomplish what they wanted to in the area. His count would later prove to be wrong.
With the promise of food and shelter they would be able to recruit some additional people as well. They had to have been promising the gas station owners something. Why else would they be restricting the gas? Who knew what else they were promising people or would promise them. With the country in the crapper and people getting cold, tired and hungry they’d jump on board in a minute to protect themselves and family.
The store/barter idea would have allowed the militia to selectively recruit people, preferably singles or couples with no kids. As they came in to trade for food and supplies, they could screen everyone. In actuality, it wasn’t a bad idea. That plan may have been disrupted. If they started recruiting, they would win this game.
The track turned its lights on. It moved forward slowly but effortlessly at a walking pace. The path here was wide enough to drive a truck through and fairly level. Just some bushes and undergrowth in most spots. The issue was the trees on both sides. Lot of places for people to hide, but the gun ports on each side provided cover and a sense of safety.
The upper turret was manned with one guy and what looked like a .308 of some sorts. Most likely it was an AR configuration. The track was accompanied by two people bringing up the rear. They were determined to find these guys and even the score. They searched the area thoroughly as they moved along.
The track reached a pinch point in the path where the trees narrowed. This narrow point left barely a few inches on each side of the track. The driver was checking his alignment and let it creep forward. As it crept through the trees two booby trap simulators went off, which startled everyone.
The guys in the rear dove for cover and the guy in the turret ducked down as the driver stopped. They were braced and ready to take fire. The guys in the rear scanned the area and did not see anyone. The turret gunner stood back up, but kept nice and low behind the armored cover.
Overhead there came some light popping sounds. They looked up and didn’t see anything, but felt the fluid dropping all over the track. The gunner and the driver felt themselves getting wet. The driver tried to scramble to get out of the driver’s compartment and knocked the gunner down. The floor had become slippery. In a matter of moments, flares hit the track and ignited it.
The track burst into flames. The driver and gunner were flailing around inside screaming as the flames engulfed them. The people inside the back of the track were trying to get out and couldn’t locate the hatch control. Everything started to ignite inside the track with everyone moving around and spreading the fuel and flames.
The gunner climbed up out of the turret hatch and over the side of the track where he fell to the ground. The driver was rolling around the floor of the track trying to smother the flames, but it was fruitless as there was gas burning on the floor as well. One more person made it through the gunner’s hatch. The driver, a man and a woman didn’t make it out of the track. The flames had licked higher and burst the rest of the balloons that had not popped, dumping more gas on everyone.
Haliday had strung up some balloons filled with air and gas over this area. They were tied up in small bunches with fish hooks taped to the strings supporting them. A couple jerks on the fishing line caused them to burst. The gas dropped and then had he used a flare from the 37mm to ignite it. The rest was the brutal nature of fire and it took its course.
The track had been abandoned now and was completely engulfed in flames. A truck came flying up and two militia tried to help their friends. Three had succumbed to the flames and two were badly burned. Only the two outside the track had avoided the inferno. The militia grabbed the injured and retreated, leaving the track to burn.
Chapter 24
Back near the airport, another alarm had sounded. Every person in the militia group was responding and taking up defensive positions. There was sporadic gunfire as they fired into the woods and surrounding buildings. No one knew what they were firing at. Shadows, light dancing off windows, or just their imaginations.
There were vehicles heading in all directions around the entire perimeter. People were then getting out and either lying prone and watching their area or taking cover behind their vehicles. It was a mix of adults and teens. They all had the same Russian camo on too.
The crowd had cleared out and was completely out of sight. More than half had gone home. About a dozen of the remaining members stayed behind by the feed store with Rob. In about 15 minutes Haliday and Blake came up from the other direction on their bikes. They ditched them inside a truck well at the feed store.
Haliday walked up to Rob. “How’d you make out?”
“One guy got hit in the leg and old man Burton got shot in the back while he was running away. He didn’t make it. He owned the Burton tire shop. He didn’t have any family, but we’ll get him taken care of.”
Haliday said, “It ain’t over yet. I guarantee these guys are going to try and remain in charge. That or they are going to come after you.”
They heard a vehicle coming down the street and watched as the truck pulled up to the main gate of the airport. After it entered, the gate stayed open but four people stood there with rifles ready and sweeping the area. Another vehicle came up less than five minutes later. This continued for about another 30 minutes as all of their patrols had made it back to the HQ.
Haliday pulled out his binoculars and looked over at the compound. “Rob, these guys are bunkering down. There isn’t going to be any chance of getting in there any time soon. Blake, take some notes.” Blake went and grabbed the notebook out of the saddle bag and came back.
“I count five quads, four ‘four’ wheelers, three motorcycles, I see 15 trucks or Jeeps, about eight golf carts, the two deuce and halves. They must have fixed the tires on the one. I count over 60 people total. I’ll assume if they have any younger kids other than the teens, they are shielded inside somewhere. I have no idea how many prisoners they have if they are even still alive. Hell, I don’t know how many others may be inside. They hid their numbers rather well. More recon is what I should have done, this sucks. I’m not sure what the hell they have total.