Matthew Mark - Dark Days Rough Roads

Jim said, “Ernie, they don’t trust you. But I think we can cut a deal here. Look, we’ll all go home, but we gotta have something that shows good faith. Why don’t you give us all some food to get by until we work out a deal on issuing the supplies.” Ernie told him the supplies would be sold or traded, not just given out.

“Look Ernie. I have to agree with these guys, you can’t take this stuff and then sell it back to us, that ain’t right. Now if that’s going to be your final offer, then we can’t accept that, you understand right?”

Ernie said, “I understand, but you don’t Jim. That’s not the way it works now. We don’t bargain with terrorists either.”

“Ernie, we’re not terrorists, just people from the community like you. You guys are acting like the terrorists here.”

Ernie walked away for a minute and talked on his radio. He came back. “Jim, the only deal is you guys go home and don’t pull stunts like this again. You’re the leader right?”

“I sure am, but we can’t take that offer.”

Haliday saw Ernie shift positions and Haliday yelled, “Everyone down!”

Jim never stood a chance as a bullet ripped through his chest. Haliday and everyone else took cover. Haliday tried to fire at the group, but too many of the guys ran between him and the four wheeler. A couple of the guys fired at the militia group and the militia fired back. Another man spun around and dropped his weapon as a round pierced his shoulder.

Haliday started yelling, “Get back. Get back!” The militia had lured some of these guys out into the street and into the direct line of fire for their own sniper. Ernie had merely confirmed the order and then set up Jim for the shot. Jim had confirmed he was the leader and they figured an eye for an eye was in order, even though their commander was just injured.

The militia ducked down behind their four wheeler. They would raise their rifles and fire some shots toward the crowd. Once in a while they hit another man in the back who was trying to run. Haliday finally had a clear field of fire and started firing back at the militia group. The rest of Rob’s friends who had been supporting Rob had managed to all get clear of the sniper.

Haliday counted three armed men plus Blake and himself. They hadn’t hit any of the militia yet. There were quite a few rounds fired from the militia, but only one or two men fired back in response. Two had bolt action hunting rifles and one had a Ruger Mini-14. “Save your ammo,” Haliday yelled.

He crawled over to Blake; Rob was lying next to him. “Rob, take my rifle. I’m going to signal to Blake when I want you guys to fire.” Haliday crawled over to his bike in the truck well. He grabbed his M24 and went around to the back of the building. He climbed a metal ladder that was attached to the building and hoisted himself up on the roof.

He moved slowly toward the peak of the roof. It was a metal roof and it was cold. He reached the peak and loaded his rifle. He quickly scanned the compound. “Where are you damn it.” Haliday couldn’t find him. He searched some more and up on the roof of the admin building he spotted a bunch of sand bags.

He looked over at the gate and saw them opening it. One of the deuces pulled out slowly. They had armored this thing up with plate steel on one side and on the cab area, but he couldn’t see any gun ports or anything. The deuce pulled up behind the four wheeler and nudged it a bit. The militia got alongside of the deuce, which started to back up slowly.

It was about halfway back to the airport now. Haliday watched. Damn good idea. Just roll up, use it as a shield and roll back home. He told Blake to hold fire. One of the guys ran out toward the four wheeler and jumped in. He started to drive it toward the feed store when he was hit by the militia fire. It just rolled over toward the feed store. The man had been hit just below the base of the neck between his shoulders.

“Fire, Blake, fire.” Everyone started firing toward the deuce. Haliday aimed at the center of the sandbags and fired a round. He fired again and still nothing. He fired two more shots and nothing. He looked through the scope. All he saw was the side of a shoe and a white Nike swoosh. He aimed at the swoosh and fired one last round. He scrambled down the roof and to the ladder.

He climbed down wondering whether or not he hit the guy. He didn’t know it, but the first four shots were wasted. The fifth shot was the only one that hit its mark. Whoever it was that was up there sniping them would only need to buy one shoe from now on. The whole lower half of his foot had exploded inside of his shoe. Haliday was surprised the guy didn’t have boots on. Seeing the swoosh was pure luck.

Haliday called Blake and everyone over. He told one guy to watch the main street and another to watch the back street. “How many Rob?”

Rob said, “Two dead and three wounded.”

“You get the guy?”

“I have no idea. Rob, you think you can get that four wheeler?”

“Are you crazy?” Rob asked.

“Rob, it’s out of the kill zone for that sniper now. The rest of us will lay down suppressing fire toward the deuce, the admin building and the rooftop where the sniper was. You guys need that thing. You really do.”

Rob looked at him questionably. “You sure it’ll be ok?”

“You want me to lie to you Rob?”

“Roger, please do.”

“It’ll be fine Rob. We got ya covered.

“Everyone make sure you’re loaded up. You three fire on the barricades by the admin building. Blake, you fire on the deuce. I’ll fire on the rooftop where the sniper is. Go on three. One, two, three.” Rob ran over and pushed the guy out of four wheeler while everyone laid down suppressing fire. He got it started and drove it back to the feed store. There was some return fire, but not much. It was only a short 40 foot drive to safety.

Rob was shaking like crazy. “I never did anything like that before. But like you said, it worked out ok.”

“Good thing too,” Haliday said, “I was starting to doubt myself.” Rob just looked at him. “I’m kidding, Rob. Calculated risks Rob, we take calculated risks. Now you guys have yourselves a four wheeler.”

He walked over to the machine and looked around. He opened the little glove box. “A gas card too. You get every gas can you guys have and you get them filled as soon as you can. Fill anything that will hold gas. Oh, from now on make sure you take firearms with you. Travel in pairs at a minimum.”

He opened up a case and there was an AR inside. He handed it to Rob, “Give this to someone who’s gonna use it.”

“What about me,” Rob asked.

“You have one at your house, remember?”

“Oh ya, the quad too.”

“Keep this; give the quad to someone else.” He looked down at a metal box mounted in the back.

He opened it up. It was loaded with 5.56 rounds. There had to be about 2,000 rounds there on stripper clips with some magazines and loaders. Haliday said, “It looks like a lot, but it’s not. Blake and I are going to reload our magazines and you can keep the rest. Again, there’s a several hundred back at your house, Rob.” Haliday and Blake reloaded their magazines.

Everyone was standing around now. They started to ask a bunch of questions. Haliday stopped them all. “You guys know a doctor around here?”

They all kind of looked at each other. One guy spoke up, “Ya, my neighbor, but I don’t speak to him, why?”

“You have three wounded that need attention. Get them loaded in this four wheeler and take them there. He won’t like it, but he’ll help, it’s in their genetic make up. Then hook back up with Rob.”

They got the injured guys loaded up and the four wheeler took off. Rob said, “What if the patrols get them?”