Chapter 17

[Atlanta, Georgia]

With our sentry positions and scouting set for tomorrow, we had supper and then Shirley called into the net for the evening. We had thrown up a dipole. Jeff had made good progress and expected to be in Georgia tomorrow afternoon. He had seen no people and little signs of any. He admitted that he had only stopped for gas and restroom breaks. He had food and sleeping accommodations in his RV. Shirley gave him the repeater data good for the area north of the Atlanta area and for our local repeater at home. He took it down and repeated it to check it. Shirley confirmed and told him to expect to talk to Linda, Betty, Julia, or Cindy via repeaters. She also told him to follow I-75 down to I-285 following it west and south regardless of the signs about cities to I-85 south. She said, “You should have them on our local repeater before you get on I-85 but that’s how to go.”

“Roger, I understand. Jeff is clear.”

“Okay, Jeff. Anyone have anything else for the net?” Mary said as she came back on. She paused for a long few moments. “Hearing nothing, I will close the net at this time. Talk to you tomorrow night at the same time. Thanks. Mary out.”

We sat around and talked a bit and then went to our beds. Shirley and I had the master as the only married couple present. Once in our room and lying together, I told her, “It looks like Janice is interested in Bennie, too”

“Yes, that’s what she told me. He seems to like her, too. I told her not to push it and just let things happen naturally and find out if it is meant to be.”

“Well, he seems like a nice young man as is Oliver.”

“Yes, but both of them will have to be tough in the future.”

“Shirl, watching someone being tortured to death is not how to be tougher.”

“It is if you have to watch and if that’s what bad guys do. It helps you understand why bad guys have to be stopped. They won’t get better by themselves. Bad guys were circumspect because the police were watching but we don’t have any more of those. We have to protect ourselves by taking them out. There is no other way left. After all, we have met Dave.”

I conceded her point.

We had an early breakfast and loaded up for the day. Ted and I took a new Mustang and carefully went around to a safe seeming spot to check out the west side of the Blasters’ complex. We left the car parked out of the way and started walking. We would have to walk a mile or more to reach an observation point. Everyone had earphones and throat mikes on their radios. We agreed to only radio important information and when we were at our vantage points. I had heard Bennie report that he and his father were on point in back. Just after we exited the car, Shirley checked in that she and Mike were in position across the road in front. I then reported that we were now on foot moving toward the complex.

Bennie came on the radio and said, “They are assembling. Something is about to happen. Everyone be alert. More in a moment.” He came back on a minute later and said, “Alpha had talked with Dave. He and about ten guys are headed toward the front with weapons.”

“Shirley copies.”

“Mike copies.”

“Jack copies.” I said.

Ted said to me in a low voice, “They suspect something. My guess is that someone heard one of the Mustangs. We have a problem. No team has any way of supporting any other team.”

“Okay, I understand.” Over the radio, I said, “Shirl, Mike, do not go back to your car. Find a place away from the Blaster complex to hide out. They must have heard you or us. We are going to ground.”

“Roger, Shirley out.”

“Okay, Ted. What should we do?”

“Let’s go back toward the car and watch from a safe place. They are going to be looking for a car that’s out of place. We are the most likely for that. They must have heard us or Shirley and Mike. We weren’t noisy but it is very quiet nowadays.”

We found a place with a way to retreat and where we could watch the Mustang. Sure enough, Shirley reported that two SUV’s left one going in each direction on the main road. That confirmed Ted’s suspicion. We stayed in our hiding place and watched. We could hear the SUV coming toward us clearly. I looked at Ted and grinned ruefully. We must have made noise coming in this morning. The SUV came closer to us on the main street. I heard it stop a block before us. Then, I heard it move again. We could just see it when it came to the corner. It took them just a couple of seconds to spot the Mustang. Their horn honked twice quickly, paused, and did it again.

Ted said, “They don’t use radios. If they had radios, they would not have honked as a signal.”

A moment later, the other SUV started slowly down the street stopping at the Mustang blocking it. I looked at Ted and whispered, “They have the car.” On the radio, I said, “They are at our Mustang. We must have gotten too close and they heard us. Everyone stay calm and stay put. We’re okay.”

At least, I thought, as long as they don’t start a house-to-house search. We were inside in a second story room overlooking through two backyards to our vehicle. I heard three shots and saw steam come from our Mustang. “We’re okay,” I said over the radio, “they just shot the car.”

Shirley radioed back, “That’s not okay. They know someone is around and will search.”

“I’m aware of that but we are watching them. We have plenty of time to leave if that’s necessary.”

Ted and I watched as they guys milled around the Mustang for a bit. Fortunately, we hadn’t mounted a radio in it. It was a new pick. We were using HT’s instead. There was no trail leading anywhere and we were not in the line of march toward their complex nor close to the main road. Ted and I had figured that we could retreat and curve around away from the main road and get to the other side and walk out carefully if we had to do that.

We waited.

For a while, nothing happened. Then we saw Alpha exit a SUV. He gave directions and two groups moved off. One was on the main drag with a SUV following them as they spread out covering more than just the street. The other group started to move toward us. However, they were only about two houses in and not too spread out. We were four back. We waited some more. I warned Shirley by radio that they were walking along the main road so be on watch. She acknowledged.

Ted and I watched them move beyond us. Ted motioned to me to stay put and he moved to the front of the house where he could continue to track them. I was watching the SUV that was still in place. “Jack, they are continuing toward the next road. Let me know what the SUV is doing.”

“Okay.”

We waited some more. The SUV cranked and pulled into a drive. Then, it backed out and went to the main road and headed toward the road closer to the complex. I told Ted. Later, he said, “They have met the SUV and are going on.”

“Okay, I’m going to your end of the house.”

“Okay.”

Shirley said, “Why don’t you guys leave?”

Ted answered, “Why should we? We are where they have searched. They won’t even look for us. Shirley, stay put tonight. We don’t want to crank a car if we can avoid it. Also, tonight, be very careful about lights. Even though they won’t find us, that doesn’t mean that they won’t listen and be looking for a mistake.”

“Okay, Ted. I don’t like it.”

I reached Ted as she said that. “I’m glad you told her and not me.”

Ted chuckled. “It’s tough to be married to an independent and intelligent woman, Jack.”

“Yes, but entertaining.” He chuckled some more. We watched the Blaster search party move closer to their complex. We waited for an hour after the SUV left before we moved. We had counted heads but that SUV could come back. We skittered along keeping under all available cover. Shirley announced during one of our movements that the search party had reentered their complex apparently giving up the search.

Ted responded, “Don’t believe it. They will still be alert. Be very careful. There may be extra watchers in some windows. Shirley, keep Mike with you and show him how to stay under cover while you watch them.”