“Are we winging it, Mac?” asked Marty as he approached. He had spent enough time with Connor MacMillen and he thought he recognized some doubt in the man’s words. “Is that what you’re saying—we’re winging it?”
“C’mon, Marty, have a little faith.”
“I’m not worried about faith, Mac. I’m worried about bullets.”
Connor raised his eyebrows at Marty, but said nothing. He turned his attention back to the group. “I know we don’t have a lotta time here, but I’m gonna tell you a short story. A long time ago, when I was a young pup full of piss and vinegar, I lived on that mountain. I set up shop there—I know it like the back of my hand. And, during that time, I set contingency plans in motion for an end-of-the-world scenario like what we’re experiencing right now. It started out innocent enough—it was more like an exercise in ‘what if’. Mostly, it was for fun and I did it with a very close friend who lives up here. I’m told he’s alive. After awhile, we agreed to real-time prep—we signed off on the shit we were discussing. We made plans and promises. Now, wouldn’t you agree that what we’re facing is end-of-the-world shit?”
“Yeah,” said quite a few in the group. Others simply nodded their agreement.
“The friend I planned this with was named Mark Harmon. He owns some strategic properties in those mountains. And, I found out from the people in Perryopolis that he’s known as General Harmon now. He was a good friend, the best, and he became invested in the idea of prepping for the worst despite the fact he never spent a day in the military.”
The team waited, wondering what Connor’s point would be. Connor noticed that no one risked a glance at the approaching enemy.
“From what Commander Del Re told me, Mark is very much alive and well. At the top of this road is a hotel. We always called it the Summit Hotel, but I’m not sure that’s its actual name now. That hotel is in the best defensive position to keep turds like Phoenix Justice off this mountain. If you hold the road in front of the Summit Hotel, you control this end of the mountain. Period. It’s so easy to defend at that point that Phoenix’s army will be nothing more than a minor inconvenience there.”
“Are you sure the hotel’s still there?” asked McLeod.
“It’s there. If it’s not there, something’s there that makes it equally difficult to pass. Mark would never leave that section of road vulnerable to a breach. That’s where faith comes into play. Mark would set up something there to control who came into his neck of the woods. It’s time to go—let’s move now!”
They hoisted their gear and were on the move in seconds.
Renaldo caught up with Gabby who was walking near Rhonda. He put his arm around his little sister in a protective half-embrace.
“Is that mean man gonna catch us, Nully?” she asked.
“No way! Not if Connor Mac has anything to say about it.”
“I like Mr. Mac, Nully.”
“Me, too, Gabby.
“He’s strong and smart like Daddy.”
“Yeah, he’s a lot like Daddy.” He risked another glance behind him at the enemy. They were edging closer.
“Can we stay with these people, Nully? I want to.”
Renaldo clasped a firm arm around her shoulders. “I like them, too, Gabby. Now grab your stuff, we gotta run real hard and real fast right now.”
“Okay, Nully.”
“Keep up with me.”
“I will, Nully.”
“I love you.”
“Love you, Nully.”
“Let’s go.”
CHAPTER 11.7-The Battle at the Summit Begins
“I’m down to fifty sniper rounds, Mac and I’ll plow through those pretty quick when Phoenix fully engages.”
“Make every one of ’em count, Surf Boy. How much you have left for the M-4?”
“Only 156 rounds. Plus, sixty-two for the Colt. Thirty-two left for the Beretta.”
“Okay. We’re gonna need ’em all.”
“Copy that.”
“Stick with BB.”
“Yeah, Mac, I will. He’s sitting ’bout the same on the M-4. He only has a box and full mag left for his Glock. We’re settin’ up on the picnic bench over there. There’s a nice angle to the curve down the highway—I should be able to kill a bunch of those scumbags when they start their climb.”
“Agreed.”
“From here on out, the shooting won’t be more than five hundred yards—that’s child’s play, Mac.”
“Okay, Surf Boy, just don’t waste your ammo.”
They had left Hopwood, the small town at the base of the mountain, and climbed the rising road hoping to make it to the Summit Hotel and the reported tollgate and stellar defenses, but were also counting on Connor’s Lick Hollow picnic area as a secondary engagement point, if necessary. Route 119 veered off to the south prior to the start of the climb. Route 40 headed east and led them up the winding mountain road. Gathering three thousand feet in elevation over a three-mile stretch of twists and turns, the road hugged the mountainside—north was a sheer cliff rising into the sky and south was a ravine that couldn’t be negotiated without the proper gear. There was no real possibility of being out flanked by Phoenix’s larger force. When the attack came, it would only come from the road and it wasn’t likely they’d receive any enemy fire from the uphill side.
“You know I won’t waste ammo, Mac. I’ll make every shot count. It’ll be like shootin’ fish in a barrel.”
“A lotta fish in a small barrel, Surf Boy,” interrupted BB, as he approached from the guardrail after studying the ravine below.
“Are you gonna help out with the shootin’ or are you gonna make me do all the work as usual?” asked Marty.
“Piss off, Surf Boy. I make all mine count.”
“Hmm,” said Marty. He smiled.
“Okay, guys, that’s enough. BB, you’re with Marty. Both of you, make ’em count.”
“You got it, Mac,” said BB.
“Roger, Jason, and Jude will be behind this guard rail—it’ll give them a downward angle on anyone who makes it through your initial fire. They have sufficient ammo for at least the first twenty or thirty minutes of any initial engagement. Me, Daubney, and Edgars will take position off that line of trees. Top?”
“Yes, sir,” answered Mickey. He jogged over from conversing with John McLeod. The serious intensity on his face made it clear he was fully charged and ready to engage the enemy. John McLeod followed behind him, recognizing that the time for action was fast approaching.
“I want you to travel with McLeod, Rhonda, and the kids. Take Rice with you, too, for back cover.”
“Sir?” he questioned. There was frustration in his look—he clearly wanted to be part of the team that would kick Phoenix’s ass.
“I know, Top. I know you want to be here, in the thick of it all, but I need you to deliver that precious cargo into that garrison. Jackson and… Burroughs will be going along with you.”
“Um… yes, sir.”
“I know you don’t like it, Top, but I need you and McLeod to convince whoever’s there that we could use their help. You lend solid credibility to the situation, no offense John.”