The Day America Died Trilogy Read online

  “If you tell your Mom, I’ll kill your sorry ass, too, and throw you in the hog pen.”

  “I won’t tell mom, but you’d best not swear on her grave no more.”

  George raised his pistol, turned and blew his boy’s brains out.

  George looked down at his son and said, “Pussy.

  ***

  We followed the trail for two hours when we saw where the two had stopped and rested. One was still leaving a blood trail. The tracks showed that the man limping was leaving the blood trail. We kept trudging on, and an hour later, we saw where they had rested again.

  I said, “Guys, stop talking. They can’t be very far ahead of us due to stopping all the time.”

  We walked another mile or so, and Paul said, “I see them up ahead. See, they’re going around the bend in the road. Hey, they stopped. Duck!”

  There were a flash and a gunshot coming from the direction of the men we were following.

  Ally said, “Zack, did you see that. The asshole shot his own man.”

  I replied, “Yeah, that was cold. He doesn’t appear to be worried about being followed. Damn, he just walked off and left the other guy. That’s one less we’ll have to kill later.”

  We stayed about a hundred yards behind the man for another mile when we saw a light up ahead. I noticed he had quickened his pace and guessed this must be his destination. He was almost running when he tripped on something and fell down. We stopped and hid in the shadows while waiting for him to get up and head on home.

  He must have rested for a few minutes before getting up because he lay still in the snow, but then pulled himself up and walked the last 50 yards to the house.

  “Paul, follow me and let’s make sure these are the outlaws and not just strangers that opened the door. Go to the back side and listen in while I check out the front.”

  Paul said, “Roger that,” before heading over to the tree line behind the house, and work his way behind it.”

  I told the others to hide in the ditch in front of the house while we checked them out.

  I used a yard shed and a truck to conceal my movement towards the house and made it to within a few yards of the front porch when three men came outside to smoke.

  I could hear them talking. One said, “I knew those dumb bastards should have waited for us to get here and help them. Hell theys all dead, but George.”

  Hal, George is just plain old stupid. That asshole cain’t find his own ass with both hands. What the fuck was he doing leading an attack.”

  “You got that shit right. It sounds like they did some damage and them folks won’t be out tonight. Let’s get some sleep today, then go over to the church campground, kill the men, and take their women.

  I need a new one myself. May wants a ton of drugs for that red head. I think I’ll just go get one for myself.”

  I’d heard enough and worked my way back to the group. Paul arrived a minute later, and we filled everyone on what I had learned.

  I spoke first and told them, “These are the assholes that attacked us. The attack was premature, and these guys weren’t here in time to join in. Thank God, or we might all be dead.”

  Paul added, “I heard pretty much the same, and I was able to look in several windows.

  The blonde and redhead that left us are chained to beds in the back right bedroom. There wasn’t anyone in the other bedrooms. There are a few women and no children. The women are hard cases who need to be eliminated along with the men.”

  I gave them instructions, “As we planned, Lynn, you take the back, Joan take the front and kill anyone outside when I give the signal. Then kill any who try to escape after we begin the attack.

  Roger, take these two grenades and pitch one in the back kitchen window when I whistle. That is the signal for Lynn and Joan to begin sniping.

  I’ll throw one in the front living room at the same time. Roger wait ten seconds, and we’ll throw the other grenades into the house. Paul and Ally, be ready to follow Roger and me into the house to finish off any survivors.

  We won’t take any prisoners. The two girls are in a back bedroom and should be okay.

  I’ll head to the left bedroom. Ally, take the middle one after we clear the living room and kitchen. Be prepared and have your heads on swivels. These rats could pop out anywhere. Oh and by the way, thank Davi for getting us the grenades. Good luck and may God go with us this morning. Move into position.”

  Everyone was in position, there were the same three men on the front porch, and two men and a woman were smoking on the back porch when I whistled. Lynn and Joan took three shots each, and six dirtbags lay dying as Roger, and I ran up to our positions.

  I started to whistle, and several of the thugs flew out the front door shooting in all directions. Lynn and Joan cut them down, and I whistled as I pulled the pin on the grenade. I threw the grenade into the room and ducked.

  Roger’s grenade landed under the kitchen table with six of the criminals drinking whiskey and smoking pot. Mine rolled up against the couch, which had two people all snuggled up on it and four others lying drunk on the floor.

  Roger’s grenade exploded first, mangled their legs, and killed four outright. Two, including May, lay on the floor screaming in pain.

  My grenade exploded, killed three of the four on the floor, blew the head off the woman on top of the man on the couch but only scared the hell out of the man who was shielded by the woman’s body.

  “Let’s roll,” I yelled as I entered the living room.

  I entered the room, saw the blast and felt a searing pain in my chest. The man had recovered enough to shoot me in the chest with a .357 Magnum knocking me to the floor.

  Ally was behind me, and she shot the man three times. She then shot every one of the thugs in the head. She looked over at me, saw me clutching my chest gasping for air and ran to my side. Joan entered the room and watched for any threats.

  “Zack, speak to me. Damn it, are you okay?”

  I was still gasping for air and finally caught my breath as I said, “Thank God for these flak jackets.”

  Roger kicked the back door down and began shooting the survivors.

  May looked at her mangled legs and said to Roger, “Why kill us? We didn’t hurt you.”

  “You attacked the church camp. Poke the bear and die bitch.”

  He shot the pervert between the eyes.

  Ally, Roger, and Joan checked the other rooms and the first two were empty, as Paul had told us. They entered the last room and didn’t see anyone.

  Roger yelled, “Jackie, are you in here?”

  A reply came out from under the bed, “We’re under the bed. Is it you Roger?”

  “Yes, the gang is dead. You’re safe.”

  Both women came out from under the bed and hugged Roger. Joan and Ally kept their distance.

  “Can we come home to the camp? These people raped and abused us.”

  Ally pointed her gun at the two and said, “Hell no. We tried to help you, and you knocked out Lynn, stole our gear and disappeared. We should shoot you right now. No, we’re going to turn you over to the Rolling Hills police.”

  “Well, we’ll just wait and see what Zack has to say.”

  I overheard them talking, struggled to my feet and said, “Ally, shoot them if you want, if not, we’ll take the ungrateful bitches to Bert’s brother in Rolling Hills.”

  I asked Joan and Ally to keep watch while I checked on the others. Roger had some glass blow back in his face and needed some small pieces removed, Paul tripped and cut his hand when he slipped in a pool of blood and my chest hurt like a son of a bitch, but there were no serious injuries well, except for my bruise the size of a basketball. I guess I’m a delicate flower, too.

  I doused the fire in the two fireplaces, shut the doors on the houses and walked out. Frozen bodies don’t stink. Someone else can worry about them later.

  We took several of their trucks, all of their guns and ammo, and then drove back to the camp. We would come back in
the morning to retrieve any food or other supplies we needed.

  We arrived back at the camp and sat in front of the massive fireplace swapping tales about our victory and filling in the folks that stayed home to guard the camp.

  Joan and Ally played doctor cleaning and bandaging everyone’s wounds. Joan checked me for broken ribs while Ally worked on Roger’s face.

  “You’re damn lucky you had that flak jacket, else you’d be laying here dead. That bullet hit just below your heart.”

  I replied, “I know, I’m lucky. We need to get better at this shit before someone kills us.

  Davi, can you give us some more training on entering and clearing rooms. You know SWAT stuff.”

  “Zack, I still recommend you all should hide out for the next year until the gangs and thugs kill each other off. This is serious business and people are going to die if you keep confronting every asshole that comes along.”

  I was getting hot, and my ears must have been three shades of red when I replied, “So what would Miss Princess Warrior do? Hide for a year.”

  “No, I would go out and kill every one of those assholes. Zack, I’ve been in training all of my life to survive and kill to protect my home and family.

  You are trying to train as you go and there just isn’t any short cut to becoming proficient at survival, killing and military tactics.”

  Davi batted her eyelashes at me and said, “Do you really think I’m a Princess.”

  Ally responded, “Princess go find your own knight in rusty armor. This one’s spoken for.”

  I slept straight through the night thanks to the Ibuprofen Joan gave me for the pain in my chest. I rolled over on my back, and the pills must have worn off because my chest was throbbing. I opened my eyes and Ally stared into my eyes as she ran her fingers through my hair.

  “Good morning lover,” she said as she ran her hands down my chest.”

  I said, “What are you doing?”

  “We’ve been married for months now, and if you don’t know what I’m doing, I feel sorry for you.”

  “You know what I mean. I’m injured, and my chest hurts like a son of a bitch. I can’t…help, help…”

  She rolled over and out of bed saying, “I was just messing with you. I’ll get a couple more pain pills for you, but after those wear off, you’ll have to tough it out you wussy.”

  “So you think that acting horny and making fun of me is the way to show me that you love me?”

  Ally stepped close to the bed, took her t-shirt off, dropped her panties to the floor and said, “Yes, I like flirting with my husband,” as she ran into the bathroom to take a shower.

  “You forgot my pills, ouch.”

  Chapter 10 - Break in Winter

  The Campground

  A week had passed since we wiped out the drug and slave gang. The Clan was healing nicely, and my ribs didn’t hurt nearly as much as they did the first time my body armor saved my ass. Callie’s ribs were still very sore, and she remained on light duty for the next week.

  Davi conducted classes in military and SWAT tactics to every adult, and we gave age appropriate training to the kids. All of them were taught to respect weapons and proper handling. They learned to reload magazines, put out fires and hide from the enemy if needed. Even with these events, we still had a lot of time on our hands.

  We were all suffering from cabin fever. The classes and the organized games helped a bit with the boredom, but as time dragged by, we became overly anxious to do something, anything. Tempers were beginning to take on a ragged edge.

  Ally and I were caught up on all of the lovemaking we’d missed during my recovery from the shot to the chest.

  I fell more in love with her every day and thought less and less about Geena until one day I just didn’t think about Geena at all.

  Ally had been in an oppressive relationship and bloomed in front of my eyes. She was smart, quick-witted and very funny. She was always flirting with me and teasing Mike. She played several jokes on Mike and only I knew the perpetrator’s identity.

  Mike came to breakfast cussing and muttering as he sat down with the rest of us, he said, “I was just sitting down for my morning dump when….”

  “Uncle Mike, too much information is bad for my digestion.”

  “As I said, my ass just hit the seat when a big assed hairy spider fell in my lap. It was a fake spider, but I about killed myself getting out of the bathroom.”

  Lynn spoke up, “Yes, and he fell into me with his pants and underwear down around his ankles. My friends, I saw more of Mike than I ever wanted to see.”

  Roger laughed and said, “Did it scare the….” he looked around, saw the kids and added, “the poop out of you?”

  “I think I had a heart attack. Three days ago, it was the clear wrap across the top of the door and the week before the clear wrap on the toilet. That sucked. Who hates me so much?”

  Ally replied, “Maybe you have a secret admirer, and they just want your attention, or maybe it’s a ghost.”

  Everyone laughed and picked on Mike throughout the meal.

  I caught Ally alone after breakfast and asked, “Ally, how do you manage to set these traps without being caught? I couldn’t keep a straight face, and it would only take a minute for everyone to see the guilt in my face.”

  “Dear, that’s because you are an amateur. I; however, I am a professional. I am akin to the ninja, dressed in black that can walk among mere mortals without being seen. If you tell anyone it’s me, I’ll make you my next target.”

  “Whoa girl, I’m on your side, of course, I’d be insane not to be. Just promise me there will be no blood or violence.”

  “Deal.”

  “What if Mike retaliates and innocent bystanders are pranked.”

  “Collateral damage is a distinct possibility during pranks.”

  The pranks stopped for a while, and Mike never knew who had targeted him, however about once a week after that everyone, including me, was pranked.

  One night just after we went to bed, I asked Ally if she was the one pranking everyone.

  “Darling, I did not pull a prank on Sally or you. I’m innocent. My bet is that Mike is pranking everyone to make sure he gets the original perpetrator.”

  “I’m not convinced.”

  “Babe, the pranks have kept us from killing each other, and they make for great conversation at meal time. I will cease-fire for 90 days if it makes you feel better.”

  “So it is you and not Mike.”

  “No, I have not pranked anyone but Joan, Roger, and Callie for several weeks.”

  I brought everyone together and read them the riot act about how the pranks had to stop, when, during my speech, a large black spider fell in my lap. I swatted at it while dancing in my chair. I crushed the damn thing while everyone was laughing their asses off at my expense.

  “Who’s the asshole who dropped the spider on me?”

  Mike couldn’t stop laughing while he answered, “Zack, uh…ha, uh...that spider committed suicide. I guess we won’t be seeing him again.”

  “Yeah, well, I guess that’s true. Now, if I can just get my heart rate back to normal. Oh, and please, everyone, stay out of the Halloween boxes.”

  Ally tried to keep a straight face while she said, “Hon, I think it was a coincidence. No one could get a spider trained to jump on my big Ninja spider killing husband on cue.”

  “Look this shit is not funny. I could have been hurt.”

  Everyone just laughed harder and piled on the comments after my statement.

  “Big man, afraid of a tiny spider.”

  “Zack, you looked like a man in a phone booth trying to kill a snake with a 9 iron.”

  “Daddy, I’ll protect you from those mean ole critters.”

  I finally calmed down even though my face and ears were fire engine red and said, “Now back to the matter at hand, “No more pranks.”

  Mike laughed while he said, “Zack, we can’t stop the insects, or animals from attacking
you.

  I gave him the finger and left the room. The dirty bastards made fun of my killer spider dance for weeks.

  Then, in mid-January the snow stopped, the weather warmed, and it felt like spring. The snow took several days to melt off the roads, but it didn’t totally disappear from the shady sides of hills, and woods, but it was finally nice enough to enjoy being outside. The temperature was in the mid 60’s in the afternoon, and we spent much more time enjoying the sun and warm air.

  I knew the good weather might not last and proposed to the team that we send a small group over to scout out Rolling Hills and make contact with Bert’s brother Jake, who was the sheriff of Warren County.

  We had promised to come back and check on their progress in eliminating their gang problem but hadn’t been able to make it back.

  “Ally, I’m going to go over and check things out in Rolling Hills. It would be nice to move back into a house until we can go back home. I’ll take several of the guys and Davi in case we need some firepower.”

  “Take Paul, he needs the experience. How long will you be gone?”

  “Probably over and back in the same day; however, we’ll pack for a three-day excursion.”

  “Wear your body armor.”

  “As the commercial said, ‘I never leave home without it.'”

  “Be careful, and watch out, in case Prescott has spies in Rolling Hills.”

  “Damn, I hadn’t thought about that happening. I guess that bastard plans to annex all of Western Kentucky eventually and it makes sense that he wants to know what’s going on in the towns around Daviess County. I’ll have to think of a way to get to Jake without everyone in town knowing about our visit.”

  ***

  “Davi, we’re going over to Rolling Hills this week. Prescott could have spies there. I want to meet with Jake without letting everyone in town know who we are, and what our business is. Any ideas?”