Bug Out! Part 10: RV Race to Battle (11 page)

“Yeah, men,” General Hogan said. “And watch for video cameras and trip wires.”

“Look, that little pass would be an easy way to get on the ridge,” Malcolm said.

“Okay, let’s go,” Jeb said. “Backup team, ready?”

Terry, Jackson, and Earl came over, along with Privates Jennings and Peterson, nodding at them. They walked up the pass, but had to climb rocks before too long. The moon lit the red rocks and sand in an eerie way.

“Looks like frigging Mars,” Jeb whispered.

“There’s the top of the ridge,” Kurt whispered, his breath coming faster now. “Wish I was in better shape.”

“Yeah, me too,” Malcolm whispered.

They got to the top of the ridge, and looked around, seeing the backup team behind them.

“Let’s walk the ridge over in that direction,” Jeb said. “Looks like it might be productive.”

Productive?” Malcolm asked.

“Yeah, as in hunting,” Jeb said. “You get a sense after a while.” They walked along in a crouch, towards a set of rock structures.

George and Heidi were picking up the M107 and the OICW, and also had hunting rifles on shoulder slings.

“We’re a little weighted down,” Heidi said.

“Yeah,” he said. “We’ll make it, though. Just take it slow. We want to find a good vantage point to set up the M107. Our main job might end up being clean-up. Take out enemy fighters trying to escape.”

“How about that spot?” Heidi asked, pointing up towards a high, flat rock formation.

“You’ve got a good eye,” George said, chuckling. “Nasty climb, though. We’d better get going. It’ll take us a little while.” They headed in that direction, and then both of them jolted as their phones buzzed.

“Short range app,” George whispered. “Enemy close by. Be quiet, and keep your eyes open.”

“George, I see the icons that are buzzing you,” Frank said over the headset. I can see you guys too, in the satellite feed. You going to that tall flat topped rock formation?”

“Yeah,” George whispered.

“Okay, the bad guys are on the next ridge over, hunkered down, looking. It’s about two hundred yards away. They’re going to be hard to see, and they might see you before you see them. Keep your heads down.”

“Hey, I just got buzzed,” Jeb said.

“Yeah, me too,” Kurt said.

“You guys see that flat top rock pile we’re talking about?” George whispered.

“Yeah, I see it,” Jeb said. “We’re on our way to the next ridge over, the one Frank’s talking about. We’ll come along that ridge from the east side, and nail them before they know we’re there.”

“Tell me when you’re close,” George said. “Maybe I’ll do something to let them see me.”

“Yeah, when they’re looking at you, we’ll stop their clocks,” Malcolm said.

“Here comes the bad part of the climb,” Heidi whispered. “Why don’t you climb up there, and then I’ll hand stuff up to you.”

“Good idea,” George whispered back. “I can manage the OICW and the hunting rifle, if you can hand me the M107 when I’m up.”

“I can do it. Go ahead.”

George climbed up the side. Some small rocks rolled down the hill as he climbed, causing him to freeze. “Shit.”

“They didn’t move,” Frank said. “Keep going.”

George got to the top and set things down, staying in a crouch. He turned back nodded to Heidi. She pushed the M107 up to him, and he reached down and grabbed the barrel. Heidi followed it up the cliff. When she made it up, she saw George setting up the tripod and loading the first magazine.

“You see them?” she whispered.

“Yeah,” George said. “Look over there. Idiots are wearing white.”

“Oh, I see them. Looks like four. You going to take them out?”

“No, I think we’d better let the bow team take them, or everybody here will know something’s up. This M107 is
loud
. Just relax for now and watch.”

“I want to check that app,” Heidi said.

“Don’t expose any light up here from your phone,” George said. “They’ll see it.”

“Gotcha,” she said, slipping back down behind the rocks, out of sight. “This is great,” she whispered. “I see the four, but also several more just a little further. Better warn Malcolm and the other bow hunters. They can’t be walking on the top of the ridge.”

“I heard you, sugar plum,” Malcolm said. “We’re below the crest now. We’ll stay that way until we take out the four. I can already see the first one. Wish we had four bows. We’re liable to get some shouting.”

“I can reload pretty fast,” Jeb said.

“Yeah, me too,” Kurt said. “You take the first shot, Jeb, then me, and by that time you’ll be ready for round two. Malcolm should hold off for anybody who might get further away. He’s got more speed and range.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Malcolm said. Jeb nodded, and they continued to sneak closer.

“Hell, I can see all four of them now,” Jeb whispered, drawing back his bow, getting a bead. “You guys ready?”

Kurt and Malcolm took aim.

“Go for it,” Kurt said. Jeb let an arrow go, followed split second later by Kurt. Both arrows were in the air at the same time, hitting their targets one after another, both dead men rolling down the hill as the other two looked on in horror. Jeb reloaded and got the third man as he was starting to climb away in a panic. The fourth one started to get up and run, and Malcolm fired his crossbow, hitting him square in the back.

“Why didn’t any of them yell?” Jeb asked.

“We didn’t give them enough time,” Malcolm said. “Let’s go take over their position. Maybe we can get the next group from there.”

“Hey, guys,” Private Brown said. “I can see the big outcropping, and I’ve got the designator ready to fire up, but it might be too late. There’s a stream of folks leaving out the rear of the park. Saladin’s icon among them.”

“I knew it,” George said.

“They’re going to flee,” General Hogan said, “but they won’t get away from us. Light up the ground they’re on, and the hideout too, just in case. Frank still sees a bunch of icons moving around in there.”

“Roger that,” Private Brown said.

We need to get further down this ridge to the east,” George said. “We need a view of the back of the park. I think we can get up and walk now since our boys took out those first four guys.”

Heidi nodded, and the two picked up their stuff and moved as quickly as possible.

“Perfect,” Private Brown said. “They’re clumping up into a group in front of the big outcropping now, talking. They have no idea we’re on top of them.”

“They can’t see the laser beam, I hope,” Jeb said.

“Nah, they won’t notice it,” Private Brown said. “I’ll walk it over in the dirt so I don’t hit any of them in the eye.”

“Go ahead, son,” General Hogan said.

“Okay, it’s on them,” he said. “I’ll follow them if they start to move.”

“Listen,” George said, as he and Heidi rushed along the ridge.

“I hear it,” Heidi said. “Missile.”

“Following our laser target designator right down the chute!” George said.

The sky lit up in front of the outcropping, a loud whoosh noise coming at them with the heat and light.

“Wow,” Jeb said. “The whole canyon is on fire. There’s those sentries. Let’s nail them.”

Jeb pulled back his bow, aimed, and let go, the arrow flying through the bright sky, hitting one of the fleeing sentries in the back.

“Nice shooting,” Malcolm said. “I’m going to try that guy on the side of the hill.”

“That’s pretty far,” Kurt said, as the crossbow let go with a dull twang.

“Wow,” Jeb said as the arrow found its mark. The sentry fell and slid down the side of the mountain. Then there was the crack of a rifle, chipping the rocks below their feet.

“Get down, boys,” Jeb yelled. They dropped and got their rifles ready.

“See them?” Kurt asked.

“Need a little more light,” Jeb said. Just at that moment the sky lit up again, as the second missile flew into the mouth of the outcropping, filling it with fire.

“There they are,” Malcolm said, aiming his rifle and firing off a round.

“Yeah, I see them,” Kurt said. “Damn, looks like about thirty of them.” They fired quickly as the enemy returned fire, and then there were some really loud shots, coming from the east.

“George,” Malcolm said, laughing, watching rock chips rain over their targets.

“Watch the east,” General Hogan said. “More of them trying to escape, a little further out.”

“Should I paint them with the designator?” Private Brown asked.

“Yeah, but you won’t get all of them. They’re not bunched up anymore.”

“We can see them,” Terry said. “Almost in good position to fire at them.”

“Who’s with you?” General Hogan asked.

“Earl, Jackson, Jennings, and Peterson. This is like a shooting gallery. I’d hit them with another missile just to give us more light.”

“Gotcha,” General Hogan said. “Light them up, son.”

“It’s on them now,” Private Brown said. In another few seconds, there was the sound of a missile approaching, and then the bright flash, and the heat rushing at them. Terry’s team opened up, hitting as many fleeing fighters as they could while the air was on fire around them.

“Damn, this is fun,” Jackson shouted, shooting as fast as he could. They took fire and crouched lower. “Where’s that coming from?”

“Up yonder,” Earl shouted, pointing.

“I see them,” Heidi said. She fired her rifle as George got the M107 pointed in that direction. He fired the M107 like a mad man, moving quickly from one target to the next, eye glued to the scope.

“I see Saladin’s icon,” Jeb said. “He’s out in front of the fleeing group, furthest east. I’m going after him.”

“I’m with you,” Malcolm said. “Kurt, stay here and catch stragglers.”

“Okay,” Kurt said, looking up at them for a second from his rifle scope. Then he went on firing as Jeb and Malcolm ran forward in a crouch, trying to close the distance.

“I’m going to move this sucker a little further east,” George said. “I want to get even with that last group.”

“How many icons left?” Terry asked as they were finishing off the group that was firing on them.

“A whole lot that aren’t moving now,” General Hogan said. “There are a lot less, all of a sudden.”

“It’s the fire,” Frank said. “The chips can only take so much heat. Any of them getting a direct hit with one of those firebombs will drop off our display. There’s a fairly large group of them here, though,” he said, pointing to the screen.

“Some high ranking people,” Jane said.

“Look, there’s movement up by the front gate,” Jasmine said. “A group trying to flee that way. Mid-level folks.”

“We aren’t going to be able to get there,” George said. “We still got that roadblock up?”

“Yeah,” General Hogan said. “In fact, they’re closing in. I just talked to the commander down there.”

“Good,” George said. “I’m almost to the position I want to be in. Shit!”

“What?” Frank asked.

“Somebody’s shooting at us,” George said. “We got down in time. I’ll set up.”

Jeb and Malcolm were moving quickly along the ridge, heading for the lead group trying to flee. “You see them yet?” Jeb asked, sounding out of breath.

“They ducked behind that small ridge over there,” Malcolm said.

A shot rang out, chipping rocks below them. “Get down, they see us,” Jeb shouted.

Both men hit the dirt.

“Choppers,” Kurt yelled. “Hear them coming?”

“Yeah,” Heidi said. “I see them, flying fast and low. Ours?”

“No,” General Hogan said. “The jets are close by, and they see them.”

“Where did they come from?” Private Brown asked.

“We don’t know,” he replied.

“Malcolm and I are pinned down,” Jeb said. “They’re firing at us from behind that rock outcropping, to the northeast.”

“Yeah, I see where you’re talking about,” George said. “I’m in a good spot. Keep your heads down while I get out my toy.”

“OICW,” Malcolm said, laughing. “Let them have it, George.”

“Want me to man the M107?” Heidi asked.

“Yeah, hit that outcropping as close to the west side as you can. Hit the far east side too. We want them bunched up.”

Heidi went to work, firing away, rocks and dust flying into the air in both spots. Then George aimed the OICW and pulled the trigger. There was a sizzling noise as the projectile raced towards the ridge, and then a loud bang.

“Yes! Nice shot,” Malcolm said.

“Still Icons moving, George. Hit them a few more times,” the General said.

George fired again, the sizzle and loud bang of the projectile filling the air.

“Damn, that’s one strange weapon,” Jeb said, chuckling. “I want me one of those.”

Malcolm looked up at him and grinned. There was another sizzle, and another loud bang.

“I see them running now,” Jeb said, “What’s left of them, anyway.” He got up and took aim, firing, hitting two of them.

“Where’s Saladin now?” Malcolm asked.

“He’s with the group that Jeb’s shooting at,” Heidi said. “I can see his icon.”

“I’m going down there,” Jeb said.

“Wait for me,” Malcolm said. They rushed down the side of the hill, in pursuit. They saw five men running away. Jeb got down on one knee and fired twice, hitting two before one of them turned and fired. Malcolm hit the dirt, as Jeb looked right at him and fired, sending him flying to the ground.

“Get down, man!” Malcolm yelled. Then there was a shot from behind them, hitting Jeb in the torso. He fell. Malcolm turned and fired, but couldn’t see where the shot came from. He crawled for cover.

“Jeb’s been hit,” he said, out of breath.

“Oh, no,” Rosie said, tears streaming down
her face as she listened to the chatter from the web meeting.
My
Jeb is down.
Is he alive?

Hilda rushed over to her. Jasmine followed.

“No, not Jeb,” Frank said, his eyes welling up with tears.

“He might be okay, honey,” Jane said. “We need to keep at this. The team needs us.”

“She’s right, Frank,” General Hogan said.

***

“Malcolm, stay down!” George said. “I can see where the shot came from. He’s behind some rocks. I’ll get him.”

“Okay, George,” Malcolm said, still struggling to catch his breath.