Now what? (The struggle for justice never stops)
Dec 25, 2020 10:56:43 GMT -6
texican, remembergoliad, and 7 more like this
Post by bitsmith on Dec 25, 2020 10:56:43 GMT -6
Chapter Seven
“… This is Carrie Smith transmitting on ISR frequencies calling for all civilians in the immediate area of Knoxville, Arkansas and the Inland Sea Command’s floatila. Please evacuate the area, immediately. We are expecting a serious battle in that immediate area. We intend to put an end to the ‘Major’s’ governance over free American citizens and patriots. Again, please leave the area, get to shore, at least 10 miles north of I-40 before 1500 hrs. This message will repeat every 5 minutes.”
“Ma? You hear that on the radio? Someone else. Not that usual nice ISR woman.”
“Yes, dear, I heard. They want us out of the area. Seems the ISR is about to be attacked by those people with Captain Dan.”
“Damn it! When will them people understand? We don’t want no wars. We want to be left alone to live our own lives!”
“Yes, dear. Maybe you can write ‘em a letter?”
-----
“OK, Jones. What do you think about that rail track over there? Think you can get to the top of it?” Dan asked, as he stopped on the side of the road.
“I’ll do my best, sir!” Jones answered as he got out of the truck.
“Stay low, It looks like they have lined up on that loading ramp. We will be coming in from the north, on that road. Don’t shoot us.” Tony advised.
Jones just nodded, before turning and jogging off, crouched low.
Dan waited a full 60 seconds, before pulling out and rounding the corner onto the frontage road of the former river, here. Slowly he crept up towards the landing made by the barge floatilla. He stopped the truck, facing the barge, ready to run up onto it.
“Everyone out,” Dan said. Wilson got out, keeping the door open as cover, as did Dan. Tony dropped to the ground, behind Wilson, laying flat, he had a view of most of the floatilla.
“I’m here for my friends, Nada and Ellie. Send them to me and we will leave, peacefully,” Dan called out.
“Trade! Them for you!” came back a voice. “Approach, unarmed. Once we have you, they will be released.”
“Well, that is not going to work, for me. I will come aboard, as I see them safely away. I’m going to approach on the northside of the boat ramp. You let them go on the south side. They get away, and I’m yours. Easy-peasy,” Dan shouts back.
“Not good enough. We have sharpshooters. We can kill you whenever we want.” Came back the voice.
“Dammit. I have to go. When they get to the truck, get them clear. You hear me? I want them clear,” Dan says.
“Not a good idea, sir,” Wildon replies. “They Will take your weapons.”
“They only think they will,” Dan says as he starts taking off his jacket. A minute later, Dan steps out from behind the door of his truck.
“Show them to me!” He calls out. Shortly, Ellie is seen at the entry to a foot bridge off the barge.
“Show me Nada, too! It’s a two for one deal, boys!” Dan called back. Nada was pushed out on to the foot bridge, with Ellie.
“Dan! Don’t do it! He will kill you! He’s a psycho!” Nada called out.
“It’s OK. I know what will happen, here, and I’m OK with it,” Dan called out. “Keep coking as I get closer. My friends will get you out of here.”
As Dan stepped out from behind his truck, the recreational river boat started it’s paddle wheel.
“Hurry up! We are leaving. You want them, then get aboard! NOW!” ordered the voice behind a short wall of steel barrels.
“Alright, Alright! I’m coming,” Dan shouted back as he slowly limped towards the boat ramp. “Go on, girls. Go to that side of the truck. Everything will be alright, little one, Dan says as he gets as close as he will to them. Now hurry.”
Appearing to be in pain, Dan slowly walks up the foot bridge. It’s about 1456. And time is counting down. As soon as he is on the barge, he is surrounded by several armed men, as others are casting off lines, lifting the foot bridge, behind him. Not gently, he is walked to the middle of the barge deck, where he is told to take off his jacket.
“I don’t think so, boys,” Dan says. “Bring me to your Major. He and I have a few things to discuss. And he has a few things to answer for.”
“The Major will not be seeing you, until we know you are unarmed.” Came a calm, quiet, professional voice with clipped diction.
“I see. Well, how about one of you boys, come close and take my side arm. I really don’t want to be shot to death because one of you is a bit jumpy,” Dan says as he is playing for time, holding both hands out high and forward. One of the more skittish men slowly steps forward, then tugs on the grip of the pistol. “Son, calm down. Pull it up, then you can take it. It has to clear the holster first.”
Another man approaches Dan from behind, starts at an ankle and works his way up, meticulously feeling his way up. Then down again, to the other ankle. Then the belt. Up the ribs. And he stops.
“What is that?”
“Armor vest. Think I’m nuts to step on here, with no body armor?” Dan asks.
“Take it off. Won’t stop a head shot, anyway, so you don’t need it.”
“Well, that create another bit of a problem, Let me show you,” Dan says as he turns to partially face the man, but to put his chest towards pointing towards the most enemy grouped together. Slowly, he lowers the zipper of his jacket. He takes it off, tossing it at the man who just frisked him. Then he slowly frees the clips on one side, holding his armor in place. Letting it fall off one shoulder, he shows them all the claymore mine taped to his chest. The dead man switch detonator fell into his hand as his armor slid off his shoulder.
“Now, I believe this changes things just a little, doesn’t it?” Dan asks sarcastically. “Take me to your Major or we all die.”
Suddenly, there was a roar and a stream of missile exhaust as the fuel boat and barge in the main river mouth to the inland sea was blown. Dan nearly missed the sound as a bullet passed over his shoulder and into the neck of the man standing behind him. Dan dove to his other side, as Jones started dropping targets, apparently randomly. Tony and Wilson both had opened fire, as well. Dan crawled towards cover of the shipping container in the middle of the barge. Staying to the side that Jones could cover, Dan, went around the shipping container, expecting the Major to be in the wheelhouse of the paddleboat.
As he crawled over the body of the man who took his pistol, he was able to retrieve it.
Another missile hit the barge on the far side of the paddle boat.
“Weapons Free!” Dan called into his radio, still on his belt. “Weapons Free! Civilians clear!”
Two more missiles took out more barges on the far side of the paddle boat. Dan continued to make his way into the danger of those missiles. Suddenly a small hole appeared a few feet in front of his nose. The steel of the shipping container vibrated with the impact of the shot. Dan dropped to one knee, rolled out, away from the shipping container, pistol in hand, firing as he cleared the corner. Two men down. Once around the shipping container, Dan saw it was held to the next with heavy chains. As he crawled over the bodies of those he just shot, he found a grenade in the load bearing vests of each corpse.
“Yes!” Dan said to himself. He crawled his way closer to the chains and the pintle they were attached to. He stuffed the grenade between two chains and pulled the pin. Snatching up his radio, he called, “HotShot. Can you hit that grenade?”
“I got it! Just tell me when!” Hotshot called out. And we got help, too. The other team has a sniper. He’s on a housetop to your six. The container is blocking his view of you, though. We got you covered, Sir.”
“Roger that. Give me that smoke, now!” Dan said.
As he climbed the steps to go from one barge to the other, Dan saw there was a machine gun nest with barrels protecting it. He tossed the other grenade he had at it and dove into the small canal between the deck and the sidewall of the barge. As he bounced off the hard steel, the grenade he left for Hotshot blew almost the same instant as the one he threw at the machine gun nest. The concussion from both explosions rocked him hard. As he watched, one of the machine gunners stumbled out from behind the barrels. Towards the side of the barge. On fire, stumbling he tread, in halting steps. Dan watched as the man stepped off into the water as the two barges were separating farther and farther apart. Only the chains on the back of the barge were holding it to this one. Dan progressed across the barge to the side of the once gambling boat. He looked over the edge of the boat’s sidewall, quickly dropping down as he attracted the attention of many armed men with very twitchy fingers. Bullets flew over his shoulders as people on shore shot at those on the boat and those on the boat fired back at them. He was pinned down for a moment, unable to move.
Laying on his gun arm, back against the gambling boat wall, Dan is looking for a way out of this. He glances to the railroad bridge that HotShot is supposed to be shooting from. A flash catches his eye and the thought passes through his mind that he is dead and just waiting on delivery. Dan hears the impact and a grunt. Taking stock of himself, he is startled when another body falls onto him. A long moment passes as Dan realized he was not shot by the sniper as he was fearing. With a sigh, he shoves the body off of him and rolls over it, away from the riverboat.
Dan fires at a clouded shape as there is murky water running over his face. The shape falls as Dan’s pistol goes dry. He feels around the body next to him, looking for a weapon. The corpse has a death grip on an empty machine gun. No pistol or magazines that will fit Dan’s. But he does have a long knife.
Dan takes it, as he starts to crawl his way down the sidewall of the riverboat, away form the sporadic shooting that is still happening between shore and the boat. Dan feels the boat moving. He sees the railroad bridge coming closer. Peaking over the sidewall, Dan sees stairs leading to an upper deck of the fancier boat.
Quietly as possible, Dan slides over the railing atop the sidewall, just in time to see an attack helicopter strafe the front section of the boat. Gunfire from there ceases Voices are heard up the stairs. Two men are startled to see Dan, climbing up the stairs they were heading down. And just as suddenly both men stop, stiffen with surprised looks on their faces as they fall forward, taking Dan with them, to the bottom of the stairs.
Dan is dazed for a moment before he struggles out from under the bodies. Waving slightly to Jones, he shows he is well enough to continue and is again armed with s dead man’s gun. Again, Dan starts climbing the stairs. Looking around, he catches a flash to his right, from a housetop in the woods onshore. The window in a door has grown a small hole in it. Carefully, Dan releases the handle, and the door swings open as another body falls through the open hatch. Again waiving towards shore Dan, then turns and enters the narrow and tight hallway.
“… This is Carrie Smith transmitting on ISR frequencies calling for all civilians in the immediate area of Knoxville, Arkansas and the Inland Sea Command’s floatila. Please evacuate the area, immediately. We are expecting a serious battle in that immediate area. We intend to put an end to the ‘Major’s’ governance over free American citizens and patriots. Again, please leave the area, get to shore, at least 10 miles north of I-40 before 1500 hrs. This message will repeat every 5 minutes.”
“Ma? You hear that on the radio? Someone else. Not that usual nice ISR woman.”
“Yes, dear, I heard. They want us out of the area. Seems the ISR is about to be attacked by those people with Captain Dan.”
“Damn it! When will them people understand? We don’t want no wars. We want to be left alone to live our own lives!”
“Yes, dear. Maybe you can write ‘em a letter?”
-----
“OK, Jones. What do you think about that rail track over there? Think you can get to the top of it?” Dan asked, as he stopped on the side of the road.
“I’ll do my best, sir!” Jones answered as he got out of the truck.
“Stay low, It looks like they have lined up on that loading ramp. We will be coming in from the north, on that road. Don’t shoot us.” Tony advised.
Jones just nodded, before turning and jogging off, crouched low.
Dan waited a full 60 seconds, before pulling out and rounding the corner onto the frontage road of the former river, here. Slowly he crept up towards the landing made by the barge floatilla. He stopped the truck, facing the barge, ready to run up onto it.
“Everyone out,” Dan said. Wilson got out, keeping the door open as cover, as did Dan. Tony dropped to the ground, behind Wilson, laying flat, he had a view of most of the floatilla.
“I’m here for my friends, Nada and Ellie. Send them to me and we will leave, peacefully,” Dan called out.
“Trade! Them for you!” came back a voice. “Approach, unarmed. Once we have you, they will be released.”
“Well, that is not going to work, for me. I will come aboard, as I see them safely away. I’m going to approach on the northside of the boat ramp. You let them go on the south side. They get away, and I’m yours. Easy-peasy,” Dan shouts back.
“Not good enough. We have sharpshooters. We can kill you whenever we want.” Came back the voice.
“Dammit. I have to go. When they get to the truck, get them clear. You hear me? I want them clear,” Dan says.
“Not a good idea, sir,” Wildon replies. “They Will take your weapons.”
“They only think they will,” Dan says as he starts taking off his jacket. A minute later, Dan steps out from behind the door of his truck.
“Show them to me!” He calls out. Shortly, Ellie is seen at the entry to a foot bridge off the barge.
“Show me Nada, too! It’s a two for one deal, boys!” Dan called back. Nada was pushed out on to the foot bridge, with Ellie.
“Dan! Don’t do it! He will kill you! He’s a psycho!” Nada called out.
“It’s OK. I know what will happen, here, and I’m OK with it,” Dan called out. “Keep coking as I get closer. My friends will get you out of here.”
As Dan stepped out from behind his truck, the recreational river boat started it’s paddle wheel.
“Hurry up! We are leaving. You want them, then get aboard! NOW!” ordered the voice behind a short wall of steel barrels.
“Alright, Alright! I’m coming,” Dan shouted back as he slowly limped towards the boat ramp. “Go on, girls. Go to that side of the truck. Everything will be alright, little one, Dan says as he gets as close as he will to them. Now hurry.”
Appearing to be in pain, Dan slowly walks up the foot bridge. It’s about 1456. And time is counting down. As soon as he is on the barge, he is surrounded by several armed men, as others are casting off lines, lifting the foot bridge, behind him. Not gently, he is walked to the middle of the barge deck, where he is told to take off his jacket.
“I don’t think so, boys,” Dan says. “Bring me to your Major. He and I have a few things to discuss. And he has a few things to answer for.”
“The Major will not be seeing you, until we know you are unarmed.” Came a calm, quiet, professional voice with clipped diction.
“I see. Well, how about one of you boys, come close and take my side arm. I really don’t want to be shot to death because one of you is a bit jumpy,” Dan says as he is playing for time, holding both hands out high and forward. One of the more skittish men slowly steps forward, then tugs on the grip of the pistol. “Son, calm down. Pull it up, then you can take it. It has to clear the holster first.”
Another man approaches Dan from behind, starts at an ankle and works his way up, meticulously feeling his way up. Then down again, to the other ankle. Then the belt. Up the ribs. And he stops.
“What is that?”
“Armor vest. Think I’m nuts to step on here, with no body armor?” Dan asks.
“Take it off. Won’t stop a head shot, anyway, so you don’t need it.”
“Well, that create another bit of a problem, Let me show you,” Dan says as he turns to partially face the man, but to put his chest towards pointing towards the most enemy grouped together. Slowly, he lowers the zipper of his jacket. He takes it off, tossing it at the man who just frisked him. Then he slowly frees the clips on one side, holding his armor in place. Letting it fall off one shoulder, he shows them all the claymore mine taped to his chest. The dead man switch detonator fell into his hand as his armor slid off his shoulder.
“Now, I believe this changes things just a little, doesn’t it?” Dan asks sarcastically. “Take me to your Major or we all die.”
Suddenly, there was a roar and a stream of missile exhaust as the fuel boat and barge in the main river mouth to the inland sea was blown. Dan nearly missed the sound as a bullet passed over his shoulder and into the neck of the man standing behind him. Dan dove to his other side, as Jones started dropping targets, apparently randomly. Tony and Wilson both had opened fire, as well. Dan crawled towards cover of the shipping container in the middle of the barge. Staying to the side that Jones could cover, Dan, went around the shipping container, expecting the Major to be in the wheelhouse of the paddleboat.
As he crawled over the body of the man who took his pistol, he was able to retrieve it.
Another missile hit the barge on the far side of the paddle boat.
“Weapons Free!” Dan called into his radio, still on his belt. “Weapons Free! Civilians clear!”
Two more missiles took out more barges on the far side of the paddle boat. Dan continued to make his way into the danger of those missiles. Suddenly a small hole appeared a few feet in front of his nose. The steel of the shipping container vibrated with the impact of the shot. Dan dropped to one knee, rolled out, away from the shipping container, pistol in hand, firing as he cleared the corner. Two men down. Once around the shipping container, Dan saw it was held to the next with heavy chains. As he crawled over the bodies of those he just shot, he found a grenade in the load bearing vests of each corpse.
“Yes!” Dan said to himself. He crawled his way closer to the chains and the pintle they were attached to. He stuffed the grenade between two chains and pulled the pin. Snatching up his radio, he called, “HotShot. Can you hit that grenade?”
“I got it! Just tell me when!” Hotshot called out. And we got help, too. The other team has a sniper. He’s on a housetop to your six. The container is blocking his view of you, though. We got you covered, Sir.”
“Roger that. Give me that smoke, now!” Dan said.
As he climbed the steps to go from one barge to the other, Dan saw there was a machine gun nest with barrels protecting it. He tossed the other grenade he had at it and dove into the small canal between the deck and the sidewall of the barge. As he bounced off the hard steel, the grenade he left for Hotshot blew almost the same instant as the one he threw at the machine gun nest. The concussion from both explosions rocked him hard. As he watched, one of the machine gunners stumbled out from behind the barrels. Towards the side of the barge. On fire, stumbling he tread, in halting steps. Dan watched as the man stepped off into the water as the two barges were separating farther and farther apart. Only the chains on the back of the barge were holding it to this one. Dan progressed across the barge to the side of the once gambling boat. He looked over the edge of the boat’s sidewall, quickly dropping down as he attracted the attention of many armed men with very twitchy fingers. Bullets flew over his shoulders as people on shore shot at those on the boat and those on the boat fired back at them. He was pinned down for a moment, unable to move.
Laying on his gun arm, back against the gambling boat wall, Dan is looking for a way out of this. He glances to the railroad bridge that HotShot is supposed to be shooting from. A flash catches his eye and the thought passes through his mind that he is dead and just waiting on delivery. Dan hears the impact and a grunt. Taking stock of himself, he is startled when another body falls onto him. A long moment passes as Dan realized he was not shot by the sniper as he was fearing. With a sigh, he shoves the body off of him and rolls over it, away from the riverboat.
Dan fires at a clouded shape as there is murky water running over his face. The shape falls as Dan’s pistol goes dry. He feels around the body next to him, looking for a weapon. The corpse has a death grip on an empty machine gun. No pistol or magazines that will fit Dan’s. But he does have a long knife.
Dan takes it, as he starts to crawl his way down the sidewall of the riverboat, away form the sporadic shooting that is still happening between shore and the boat. Dan feels the boat moving. He sees the railroad bridge coming closer. Peaking over the sidewall, Dan sees stairs leading to an upper deck of the fancier boat.
Quietly as possible, Dan slides over the railing atop the sidewall, just in time to see an attack helicopter strafe the front section of the boat. Gunfire from there ceases Voices are heard up the stairs. Two men are startled to see Dan, climbing up the stairs they were heading down. And just as suddenly both men stop, stiffen with surprised looks on their faces as they fall forward, taking Dan with them, to the bottom of the stairs.
Dan is dazed for a moment before he struggles out from under the bodies. Waving slightly to Jones, he shows he is well enough to continue and is again armed with s dead man’s gun. Again, Dan starts climbing the stairs. Looking around, he catches a flash to his right, from a housetop in the woods onshore. The window in a door has grown a small hole in it. Carefully, Dan releases the handle, and the door swings open as another body falls through the open hatch. Again waiving towards shore Dan, then turns and enters the narrow and tight hallway.