“I didn’t do anything. It was done already,” he said.
The militia convoy was on its way back. Rob and Brad had everyone in position. The plan was put together rather quickly, but since they had learned from Haliday that conventional fighting was not an option and guerilla warfare was the only option, that’s what they decided to do.
As word had spread over the past couple of days about the militia getting whittled away, the townspeople managed to get a few more people to join the cause. This was their fight and their fight for their own survival. Nobody would be riding in like the cavalry and saving the day. Any chance they would have of surviving started with this fight and those involved in the community had to do it.
The militia convoy was coming through the small town now. They were tired, worn, had taken severe losses and wanted to get back to the airport. Thirty one people had left the compound and nine were now dead and six injured. Three of the injured would most likely die within the next couple of days. This didn’t include the observer, who had been Haliday’s neighbor.
In order to take the wounded back, they had left behind two of the quads. The Jeep was left in the ditch as well. They were certain Haliday’s group would certainly take them as their own. The Jeep was the biggest loss as far as the vehicles were concerned. The guy who owned it had about 50 grand worth of work done to it. Lift kit, run flat tire system, radio, extra roll bars, snorkel kit and more. Haliday had seen it and said it looked like a JC Whitney catalog exploded.
The convoy was getting ready to make a right hand turn down a small street full of houses that would lead them to the main gate of the airport. The lead vehicle made the turn and got about 200 feet down the road when four people on each side of the road pushed some vehicles down the driveways of the houses where they had been waiting.
The vehicles rolled down the drives and met in the street blocking the access. The militia vehicle had hit the brakes as soon as they saw them move. The convoy only had about 50 feet between the vehicles and three more had made the turn. They were all trying to back up now. The man on the lone motorcycle went across the lawns and made a run for the airport’s main gate and made it.
The militia called the airport for help but were told negative. They couldn’t put any more members in danger right now. The vehicles started to split up. They moved in different directions. They could cut through the surrounding neighborhood and eventually get to the airport provided they didn’t run into too many problems.
One of the pickup trucks that had not made the right hand turn shot straight ahead instead. Only 150 feet down the road, they ran over two of the stop sticks the townspeople had made and the tires went flat immediately. The truck tried to keep moving but the shredded tires and rims on the road made it hard.
They stopped the truck and both occupants jumped out. They started running south. The airport was about a quarter of a mile away and they would try to get there on foot. They crossed through some yards and then into an open area with homes on both sides, and continued moving. They were hesitant and sensed an ambush.
No sooner had they turned to look for cover when eight of the townspeople started firing on them. The townspeople had unleashed a volley of over 100 shots fired. The men had never stood a chance as the rounds hit them and they fell lifeless to the ground. The townspeople moved in and took the weapons and ammo from the men.
The deuce had been second in line. After it had backed up, it moved forward again quickly and rammed the two vehicles. It barely made it through them and it continued toward the gate. All of their injured were in the back. The driver did not hesitate; he just kept right on going. If the vehicles used to block the road hadn’t been in neutral, it would have been a different story.
He made it through the gate and to the back of the admin building where more members helped unload the injured. One of the townspeople on top of the roof was going to fire but after seeing the wounded people he just let them be. He couldn’t find it in himself to shoot any of them. He would seek out another target.
The last vehicle in line had seen all of the activity and locked up their brakes and hit reverse. The vehicle was going almost 45 miles an hour backwards. A few people tossed some of the caltrops into the road. One of the rear tires blew out and the vehicle careened backwards into a party store. People moved toward the store and then took cover. The militia inside the vehicle got out and took cover behind the vehicle inside the store.
One of the men ran to the back door and tried to open it. It had been padlocked from the outside from one of their own group during the seizure of all the supplies in town. He went back and told the woman with him that the only way out was through the front of the store. They didn’t know whether to fight or surrender.
One man yelled to them. “Who are you guys? What are your names?” The militia couple did not answer. They didn’t know if it would do them any good. They thought if they could get out of there and no one knew who they were, they could deny being involved. They talked about it for a few minutes and made their decision.
“Listen out there,” they said. “We want to surrender. We’ll come out and surrender, please don’t shoot.” Brad was with this group. He didn’t honestly know what to do. He called Rob and asked him about taking prisoners. Rob had no idea either.
Rob called him back, “Hey Brad, take them down the street to the police department and lock them up. Take all their gear though.”
Brad yelled in to the store. “Come on out, hands raised, no weapons or we’ll shoot.” The couple came out slowly with their hands in the air. Brad made them lay down on the ground and a couple of others searched the couple. Brad was looking at them. “I know you guys. Jerry, what the hell are you guys doing?” Jerry just looked at him. Brad asked him again but still no answer.
“Jerry, I can’t believe you got involved in all of this. Then you went and attacked that guy and his family. How could you do that?” Jerry and his wife just laid there. “Get them up and let’s go,” Brad said. “Put their asses in the police department and in the jail.” They walked them down to the police department which was empty. They placed them in a cell with the blankets they had in their truck and locked it.
Brad walked over to Jerry. “Man, I thought I knew you, Jerry. I had no idea you could do this.”
“Do what?” Jerry asked, “Try and survive. Try to live through this shit?”
“No,” said Brad, “turn on your community, steal from them, kill innocent people.”
“Don’t pretend you would do anything different Brad.”
“I did Jerry, I’m doing what’s right,” he said. Brad walked away and called Rob.
Rob told Brad that two vehicles were still out there. He wasn’t sure how many people were in them. A Jeep and a Bronco. Everyone was looking out for them. Rob thought the ambush was going to end it all, but the lack of training and the speed at which they had to prepare had made it hard to control the inbound militia convoy.
Rob called a few guys together and they met at the police station. Brad was there as well. Let’s set up shop here. I don’t think the police will be back any time soon. We can watch the prisoners then too. Let’s see about getting a duty roster together and see about heating the place somehow. Brad said he would handle it. Rob went back to help try in tracking down the remaining two vehicles.
When Rob had returned another man came up to him. “Hey Rob, we found the Bronco. It was empty, and it had two flats. Looks like whoever was in it made a run for it.” Rob told him to let the guys watching the airport know to be on alert in case the people tried to sneak in there. No telling what they would try in order to get back into the compound.