A Private War Read online

  The cool reflective waters of the pool greeted them as they returned and Gaylon sank down into one of the overstuffed chairs with a sigh of relief. He looked at Kate and Jimmy as they sat at the edge of the pool and stared into its silent depths. Both too tired to even cry over the loss of both parents. With a low moan, he got up from his chair and walked over to his well stocked bar. Taking down a bottle of Jack Daniels, he found a clean glass and after reaching into the ice maker, dropped in some ice then poured a large shot of Jack and covered that with some Coke-cola. Stirring the drink with his finger, he belted down a big gulp. The taste cleared the dust from his throat, but not the bitter after taste of defeat that would linger for a long time to come.

  "I'm sorry about your parents, I did all I could."

  Kate and Jimmy said nothing, just looked into the water, tears streaming down their faces so Gaylon walked over to a control panel by the steel door and pushed a number of buttons. The panel controlled the special sensors and low light cameras he had installed after the war. They covered the area around the outside and in the tunnels. It also controlled an M-60 machine gun mounted outside the front doors. It was wired to fire by remote control. A low light camera was mounted next to the barrel and both were moved by the use of a joystick. Setting all of the controls on automatic, he told Kate and Jimmy not to go outside then headed off to bed. The next morning, the smell of bacon and eggs reached Gaylon's nose as he awoke. With a quick spring in his step, he raced through a quick shower and was just finished shaving when Kate called him in to breakfast. When he walked into the kitchen, he could hardly believe his eyes, thee was fresh eggs, bacon, and fresh baked bread. The last of his real eggs had been eaten months ago.

  "Where did all this comes from, I haven't seen eggs and bacon in so long I almost forgot what they taste like. The few farmers I know had lost most of their chickens and pigs during the war."

  "You forgot, we were farmers, too. This was in that sack you saved from the fire. I though we might as well eat it now," Kate stated as she sat down to eat herself, "the pirates got everything else."

  "Well, with cooking like this, you can stay as long as you want. A man gets tired of his own cooking after a while."

  Kate's eyes flashed," I'll be no one's maid and I'll have you know that I can dress out a deer or fix a flat as good as any man!"

  “Whoa, I just said I like your cooking."

  "Oh, don't worry about her, she's always been like that. If she gets too bad, just take her over your knee. That's what Dad had to do." Jimmy said with a smile that slowly faded as he thought about what he had said. Gaylon smiled back and said 'that he would have to remember that'. After they finished eating, and after helping with the clean up, he went into his workshop with his guns. He quickly stripped down his M-4 and both Kimbers and was just getting started on the two AR-15s when Kate walked in. He ran a patch through the barrel of Jimmy's AR while watching Kate out the corner of his eye. Seeing that she knew what she as doing, he went back to his cleaning. Then taking the Japanese sword from its sheath, he carefully cleared the blood from the blade and replaced it in it's sheath. After reloading and giving each magazine a quick slap against his hand, Gaylon reloaded both of the Kimber's magazines and jacked a round into the chamber then thumbed up the safety before replacing them back into their holsters and closed down the snaps. Taking the M-4, he checked the action and the magazine release, then lowered the bolt and placed a magazine in the well and pushed it home. The Gerber Mark II survival knife only needed a few passes with a stone to give it back its razor-like edge and a touch of oil finished the job. He then walked over to his gun cabinet and removed a handgun and holster, strapping it around his wrist. Popping open the chamber, he dumped the rounds into his hand and placed the gun on the table.

  "This is one of my best guns, it's a Smith and Wesson .357 Model 66 with target hammer and trigger, zebra wood grips, and a gold Presidential Seal. With 158 grain three quarter jacketed hollow points, it will stop a man cold." Gaylon said as he quickly cleaned the gun and gave it a light coating of oil. Finished, he reloaded the gun and placed it back in its holster. Checking the speed loaders on the gun belt, he placed a few more into his pocket. Meanwhile Kate had checked and reloaded her AR-15 and was reloading more magazines and placing them into one of Gaylon's many assault vests she found on a clothes rack. She added a lighter, flashlight, small first aid kit, and other bits and pieces. Gaylon's eyebrows went up upon seeing the vest and magazines.

  "Whatever you are thinking about, forget it, the answer is no!"

  "What are you talking about and besides, who are you to tell me, no!"

  "The one who saved your life the other day and who isn't going to let you start your own private war with the pirates. They'd cut you to pieces as soon as you started shooting and you know it. So, stay here and mind the store."

  "Fine, get your own ass shot off because there was no one to watch your back. See if I care!" Kate shouted right back as she walked to the front entrance of the cave and dropped off her gear and rifle.

  "Just stay here, and keep the outside gun on remote, I may need some help on the way back." He explained as he flipped some switches on the main control panel and walked out the slowly opening steel door. Kate mumbled to herself for a second or two then grabbed up two radios off the control panel she threw her gear and rifle ahead of her and ran out the door just before it closed again. The sun was shining with just a few clouds in the sky, but the wind had a chill to it. Kate saw Gaylon a short distance ahead and ran to catch up. As she did he turned, the M-4 pointed at her chest and his finger on the trigger.

  "Look, didn't I tell you to stay behind." He snarled at her.

  "Ok, I'm here now, so let's just go. Here, put this on," she said as she handed him a Yaesu 2 meter Shortwave radio. The Yaesu is a small FM radio that clips on your belt with an added throat mike and separate earbud. All that is needed to use it was to just talk, the radio was voice operated. He removed his hat and placed the throat mike so it nested around his Adam’s apple and then placed the earbud into his right ear. He reached down and turned on both radios and set them to VOX. A few more buttons pressed and the radios would only key on a special tone. So, their talking should not be heard by others.

  "We've wasted too much time already, let's get going," was all he would say.

  Twelve miles later, they approached an area where he knew the pirates had used as a camp before and even a mile away, they could hear the sounds of engines racing and drunken laughter. As they approached, he motioned for Kate to get down and they both belly crawled to the top of a rise. Gaylon counted at least thirty men and women along with over a dozen trucks and motorcycles loaded down with supplies. It looked like they were breaking camp, because most of the tents and crude shelters were down and were being packed away.

  "I was hoping to wait for nightfall before we attacked, but they'll be gone well before then. So it's got to be now. Do you think you hold down this side of the road while I set up down there on the other side," He asked Kate as he checked his rifle to make sure it was set to fire.

  "No problem, just give the word and I'll open up."

  As he worked his way down the side of the hill, he thought that whoever had picked this spot for a camp, couldn't be too bright. The area used to be a small park before the war and all the small trees and brush had been removed to clear a large open area that was bordered on one side by a river and a hill on the other. The park was really nothing more than a point of land with a road in and a road out, like two choke points. A small party could cover both ends and have a killing ground in the center. Kate watched the pirates for a short time then moved behind a pile of rocks that over looked the park. As she checked her rifle and chambered a round, she could feel the Angel of Death looking over her shoulder and she was chilled to the bone. Having made his way down to the road and crossed without being seen, Gaylon crawled over rusty beer cans and bits of trash in the knee high grass. The strong smell of urine and feces caused
him to change direction slightly as he moved near a fallen tree trunk at the edge of the park. He could see that many of the pirates were dead drunk and that several had bloody bandages under their leathers. Moving as close as possible, he quickly checked his guns and pressed the throat microphone firmly to his throat.

  "Kate, can you hear me, ok?"

  "Yes, I hear you."

  "Are you in a good position to fire?"

  "Yes, I'm in the big pile of rock almost directly across from you. The pirates look like they are going to start moving any minute," she replied.

  "Ok, as soon as you hear me open up, that's your signal. Don't let any get by you if you can help it. Especially cover the other exit."

  "Can do!"

  "Good luck, Kate."

  "Same to you Gaylon. Just remember it's your turn to cook when we get back."

  He waited a second before propping his M-4 on the fallen tree trunk and after taking a deep breath let half of it out and looked for someone to kill first. He quickly sighted through the four power scope at the first pirate he saw. The M-4 bucked against his shoulder as the pirates seemed to grow a red flower in his chest. He fired at another and another. Over the crack of his M-4, he could hear the sound of Kate's rifle and he smiled. Switching the M-4 to full auto, he sprayed the area in front of him and three men died who had tried to rush him. As he shot empty, he dropped the M-4 and pulled the big .357 from its holster and laid the front sight on a pirate running towards him with a 12 gauge shotgun. The handgun roared in his hand and the heavy hollow point hit the pirate just above the bridge of his nose. The back of his head exploded with a rain of brains and blood. He sighted on another and fired. The bullet caught a woman with a handgun in the chest and knocked her to the ground like a limp rag doll, blood on her shirt. Looking left he fired twice in rapid order, the rounds striking a pickup truck loaded with gas. The resulting flash saw gas cans exploding like Roman Candles as they went flying through the air, raining burning gas and flames over a wide area. Quickly, the flames raced through the tall grass to the other trucks, cars, and motorcycles so that many pirates ran screaming with burning flesh and hair.

  On the other side of the road, Kate fired into a group of pirates and was rewarded as she saw one and then another fall to the cold earth. Thumbing the selector on her modified AR-15 to full auto, Kate covered the camp with fire and on shooting empty, punched the magazine release, rammed a fresh one home, jacked back the charging handle and continued firing. A truck caught fire and exploded in a huge fireball, killing several pirates as the burning shrapnel tore into them. Two pirates tried to run down the road and Kate cut down one with a head shot. Switching targets, she fired a short burst, and caught the other in the back and he pitched toward on his face. She could see Gaylon firing the .357 at a pirate running towards him, who's M-16 was blasting the bark from the tree trunk he was behind. The first bullet he fired took the pirate in the chest and the second caught him in the throat. A geyser of blood sprayed out behind him as he fell. Kate sighted on more targets as they ran from him.

  Putting the .357 back in its holster and reaching under his armpits, he pulled the twin Kimber 45's. Firing first the one in his right hand and then the left, he killed anything that moved. The pirates, seeing they were cut off, started firing back in earnest and bits of leaves and bark rained down on his position. Dropping both Kimbers, he picked up the M-4, changed magazines, and fired back on full automatic. The long burst of fire forced the pirates back for a short time, but Gaylon knew he was in trouble.

  "Kate, can you bring any fire to bear on the pickup truck about thirty yards in front of me. I'm getting some heavy fire from that direction."

  "No problem, it's on the way."

  All around the pickup, leaves and grass were jumping as Kate emptied an entire magazine into the truck. With a whoosh, the gas tank exploded and men ran screaming, only to be cut down. Kate thought to herself, "Like I said, No Problem!"

  Suddenly a burst of fire started coming from the base of the hill and two pirates fell. "Die, you bastards!"

  "Gaylon, that's Jimmy down there, he'll be killed!" Kate screamed.

  "I'll get him!" he shouted as he rammed the Kimbers into his vest and started running across the road just as the remaining pirates made a break for freedom. As the lead truck passed him, he fired a long burst at it with his M-4 and dove for cover. Something slammed into his right leg, the pain burning deep into his thigh and he could feel the blood running down the side of his leg. The pirates poured on the firepower as they raced by, but gunfire was still coming from Kate's position and a motorcyclist pitched over the handlebars and the bike slammed into a tree.

  Looking down he could see the blood running down his leg was bright red, "an artery", Gaylon thought, "shit, not now!" He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and jammed it into the wound then removed his belt and tied it around his thigh, above the wound.

  "Kate, I'm hit, I can't get to him, you'll have to do it."

  He grabbed the M-4 from where it had fallen and started firing toward the road. Shooting empty, he pulled the .357, dumped the empty brass, and with a speed loader, reloaded and continued firing. With a final burst of gun fire and a roar the last of the pirates flashed down the road and out of range.

  As Kate ran down to the road she had to stop and stare at the carnage that they had caused. At least ten trucks were wrecked and burning, and bodies lay everywhere, some burning from the fires. Most of the tents that were still up had either burned or were still burning and the smell of burnt flesh lay heavy upon the air. Kate shook her head in amazement and ran to where Gaylon lay, his head propped up against a tree.

  "Are you, all right?"

  "I'll live, go check on Jimmy."

  Kate ran across the road, but as she got closer she slowed. She saw that she was too late to help her brother. Jimmy must have left Granite House after Kate and had followed them to the pirate camp. Just like Kate, he wanted some payback for the killing of their parents. He had watched Gaylon make his way across the road and had started to follow but had only made it to some rocks on the side of the road. He covered his head as the firing started and realized that he was still a fourteen year old boy. But, when he saw the pirates starting to rush Gaylon's position, he knew he had to help or his friend would be killed. The bullet that ended his life came as no surprise and Jimmy died knowing that he had avenged his parent's deaths. Kate could only stare at Jimmy body, too many had died and she was too drained inside to cry. Maybe tomorrow she could cry, but not today, so she turned and walked back to Gaylon as he lay on the ground. He looked into Kate's eyes as she walked up to him, they told him the story, and Jimmy was gone. Straining he stood, and reaching down, picked up his M-4 and slung it over his shoulder. Putting his arm around Kate's shoulder, they headed into the burning camp.

  Most of the fires had finally burned out as they moved from body to body, a tent pole for a crutch. They checked for any that might still be alive, but they had done their work too well. In all, they counted twenty two bodies in the camp, many with burns. Dragging all the bodies to the center of the camp, they covered them with gasoline and set them ablaze. Taking anything they could use, along with any weapons, they loaded down one of the surviving trucks, a 4 X 4, and returned to Granite House with the equipment and a shrouded body of a young boy.

  Neither of them had much to say on the trip back. Later, Gaylon lay on his bed at Granite House as Gaylon told Kate how to tie off the bleeder and about putting on a fresh bandage on his leg. The bullet had entered his upper thigh, but it had missed the femoral artery and major nerves, all good news, and so far there had been no signs of infection. So Kate gave him a tetanus shot and tried not to worry. The shortage of doctors had made the smallest cut dangerous and turned a major sickness fatal. He was lucky that he had planned ahead; his library was well stocked with all kinds of books ranging from simple how-to books to complex medical and chemistry texts. He had also filled his two freezers with deer, pheasant, chic
ken, beef, and pork shot or bought before the war.

  With his own power supply, he was safe from a blackout. In one of the side tunnels, he had created a green house with flicker lights and he liked the freshness in the air the plants helped to maintain. Plus the fresh fruit and veggies were vitally needed for a healthy diet now that most of the big farms and orchards were destroyed. Next to the green house were many large white plastic tanks or totes which were part of the aquaponics system for trout, tilapia, and catfish which in turn fed the plants growing above them. In another tunnel was his woodshop that contain a complete Shop Smith Mark V, Model 510 with all the extras so he could make anything with wood and could even machine some small metal parts. One long side tunnel was used as a firing and archery range, Gaylon had hundreds of arrows and the supplies to made more. The stock room contained supplies for more than 5 years and at every chance he got he bartered for more. Kate could only shake her head as she stirred the soup on the twin hot plate that was used in place of a full size range. All baking was in a microwave or a toaster oven because of the massive drain it caused on the power plant. The soup quickly came to a boil and Kate searched the cupboards for a bowl.

  "Try the one to your right, third shelf up, and get one for me." a voice said behind her. Kate jumped.

  "God, you scared the hell out of me, what are you doing out of bed. If you wanted something, just yell. That leg of yours needs time to heal and walking around like that is going to start it bleeding again."