Ray Gorham - Daunting Days of Winter

She turned to Sean and smiled, her face glowing and radiant in the soft spring sunshine. “And I want to tell you, Sean, how happy you’ve made me. When I came to Deer Creek, I was just hoping for an opportunity to be part of a community that would give me a chance. I wasn’t looking for, or expecting to find, a friend and a love like I’ve found in you. It’s not often in life that we get do-overs, and I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I pledge to you that I will try and be all that you hope I am. I promise to love you and stand by you, no matter what life has in store for us. I’m so much happier today than I ever imagined I could be. Thank you so much.”

Gabe beamed as he helped Rose step down from the platform. He directed the couple to hold hands, then performed the wedding ceremony, a short, simple, yet emotional affair that concluded with Sean taking Rose in his arms and kissing her passionately. Then, cheered on by their friends and neighbors, the newlywed couple sauntered hand in hand back down the aisle to their horses.

In the midst of the cheering, Kyle heard a vaguely familiar sound. He looked at David, who had turned pale and nodded confirmation. “Everyone!” Kyle shouted above the din of the crowd, his voice rising in alarm. Another man towards the front was waving his arms for attention as well. Kyle yelled again. “Everyone, please!”

The applause died quickly as attention turned towards Kyle. “I’m sorry,” Kyle began, “but I…”

The alarm rang at the militia house again, cutting him off.

“Gentlemen! Militia members!” Sean shouted as a silence fell over the group. “You have absolutely no idea how sorry I am to say this, but you need to grab your rifles and gather at the assembly point as quickly as possible.” He pulled Rose towards him, hugging her and kissing her deeply. “I’m sorry,” he said, then ran and mounted his horse, turning it towards the assembly point.

Kyle handed Madison to Jennifer with an apologetic look, and he and David ran for their home to retrieve their weapons.

Jennifer spun around, taking in the scene of despair that had quickly engulfed the community. Most of the men, and some of the women, were already running for their homes. The balance of those left behind were scared and dazed, the last assault, not yet two months old, still painfully fresh in their memories. What had been tears of joy were now replaced with fear and worry.

“Emma! Spencer! We need to get home now!” Jennifer shouted as she grabbed Spencer by the hand. “Hurry!”

Saturday, April 7 th

Deer Creek, MT

“David, I want you to wait here!” Kyle shouted down the stairs as he ran for the front door, rifle in hand. “If things get bad, you can still help defend the town from the house and protect everyone here.”

David bounded up the stairs. “It’s okay, Dad. I’m coming. I’m not afraid to do this. Besides, I’m already bigger than some of the men on the militia. Let’s just go.”

“But I’m not okay with this. I don’t want you to go. I don’t think I can handle it if anything happens to you.”

“Mom was this same way, but if we don’t keep them from getting into the town, then I’m not going to be able to stop them here. Mom and everyone else will be in trouble. Let’s go.”

Kyle swallowed hard and threw his necktie on the couch. He knew they didn’t have time to argue. “Then promise me you’ll be careful. I love you too much to have anything happen to you.”

“I promise,” David said as he hurried out the door, then rushed to the assembly point with his father beside him.

When they arrived, Sean was already speaking with three of the other leaders from the militia. Sean glanced over as David and Kyle arrived, then did a quick count of their numbers. “Gather in quickly folks. We need to hurry.”

Kyle looked around and saw at least forty people already there, with at least a dozen more heading their direction.

“Alright,” Sean began. “We’ll do this like we did last time, but hopefully with none of the casualties. I’ve been talking to Rob here, and it looks bad. He was up in the nest and is the one who spotted the caravan. Says there are at least eight vehicles, and they look beefy. Possibly military.”

One of the men in the group spoke up. “That’s a good thing if they’re military, isn’t it?”

“We don’t know. Could be good, or it could be really bad. If the wrong people have that kind of firepower, we’re in for a long, difficult day. They’re on the freeway side of the river, so they’ll have to come across the bridge if they plan to pay us a visit. I want twenty people at each barricade. We’ve expanded the barricades, so you need to spread out. I don’t want anyone closer to their neighbor than they have to be.”

The sound of engines in the distance became more noticeable, and the group shifted nervously.

Sean continued. “I don’t know what to expect. We’ve got the machine gun from February’s raid, and our defenses are reinforced, so we’re in better shape.” Sean kept talking, hoping that as more men trickled in, it would help settle the nerves of the militia members. “I don’t know about you folks, but I’d much rather make a stand with a trained group in a fortified location than not. I know most of us don’t want to be here doing this, and if you think you’re better off taking these people on one by one at home, you’re welcome to leave. Otherwise, our best option is together at the bridge.”

His offer was met with silence, but no one left, so he continued. “Gabe, I want you positioned here directing people. Send a couple east, and a couple south. Everyone else, I want at the bridge.”

Gabe nodded and moved to intercept some of the latecomers.

“I’m going to take the east barricade with this half of you,” he motioned with his arm to divide the room, indicating the group to his left. “Craig will take the west barricade with the rest of you. If they come in hostile, we’ll do everything we can to stop the lead vehicle on the bridge. With the obstacles already out there, if we plug things up with the lead vehicle, that should bring them to a halt and make them reconsider, or at least get them on foot.” He paused and looked over the group, then held up his hand. “I don’t know if I should say this or not, but I will anyway.” He looked each of them in the eyes. “If this gets out of hand, if we get overrun, get back to your families. Get them up in the hills. There are the valleys south of here that most of you have probably hunted in. We’ll gather there if we have to.”

There was silence in the group, though several heads bobbed up and down. Sean smiled confidently and clapped his hands. “Time’s short, people! Let’s do this!”

Sean ran for the barricade, the members of the militia close on his heels. The short distance to their defensive positions took no more than three minutes to cover, but most of the group was breathing hard and sweating when they arrived, a combination of age, exertion, and nerves. Kyle crouched midway along the barricade, with David immediately to his right. He looked at his son and said a silent prayer.

“Hey Sean!” a voice called from the opposite barricade.

“What?” Sean shouted back from the centermost position of the barricade as he peered over the top.

“Was this the plan for your honeymoon, or did you have something a little more romantic in mind?”

Sean laughed nervously, as did most of the men around him. “Rose wanted to do Hawaii,” he shouted, “but I thought an armed confrontation at home would be more exciting.” He paused. “Right now I’m thinking we should have gone with her plan.”