Chapter 7

[Preservation – Janice]

It was Thursday when our sentry post advised us by radio that we had company coming from Atlanta. We had a quick pow-wow and decided that a couple would be heading over to High Falls park to "prep it for winter" with the plan that they would be seen and talk to the Triple-A party coming down the road. They carried a radio in their wagon but would keep it hidden and off when they met the Triple‑A contingent.

They reported that they saw the Triple-A coming down I-75 and would wave. They signed off and our watchers kept us informed. The Triple-A's saw them as they went by and curved back up the ramp to them. Our watchers saw them talk to the Triple-A's. Todd was shot and his wife, Becky, was grabbed and pulled into the back of a truck. At the sound of the shot, their horses began to run taking the wagon away. The Triple-A's were busy with Becky and didn't do anything to follow the wagon. This was not a good sign for peaceful relations.

We prepared a roadblock heading west and prepared a killing zone that would keep us out of trouble. At least, we hoped it would work. We didn't plan on losing Todd so our plans weren't going so well at the moment.

The Triple-A group turned west and headed our way. There were two Humvee's and a big truck in their group. They came to our roadblock and stopped about a hundred fifty feet away. Two men got out and called out, "Who are you? Why is the road blocked? We are the Triple-A's and claim this land." He then stood waiting. It wasn't someone I had seen.

Poppa Jack spoke into a wire set so the sound would come from the roadblock. "This is Preservation. We have had this land for years. What was the shot we heard?"

"Someone who was foolish enough to resist us."

"Then you have killed a member of our community on our land. Does the one who killed that person want to step forward and die or do you all accept responsibility?"

There was a pause. Then he said, "We all do. Fire!" They began to shoot at our blockade. We shot both him and his companion. Anyone else who showed himself was immediately subject to gunfire. We were accurate and could see our targets while they weren't and couldn't. Using grenades, we took out the tires on their vehicles. One Humvee'started to back up on its shredded tires. The next grenade went under it. When it exploded, the Humvee flipped in the air and landed on its roof.

The shooting was quickly over. Becky had been molested. She had been shot by a Triple-A when the shooting had started. We mourned her loss and Todd's and buried them side by side. Poppa Jack said that we wouldn't risk any more of our people. He also called back to Preservation and his dad to request reinforcements. Three days later, we had a large well-organized party ready for a fight.

We continued to maintain a sentry post up the road but well away from the right-of-way. We hoped that any future incursion would again come down I-75. It did. The next group was much bigger with armored Humvee's and trucks. It was a more military group in their actions. They had the points going before them on two motorcycles. We set up a much bigger ambush off I-75 and waited. We had a red flag on all four of the ramps with a speaker with wires running to a booby trapped radio. The motorcycle riders came up to the red flag and stopped.

Poppa Jack's voice came over the speaker, "You are being watched. Proceed no further unless you want a war. The last group you sent murdered two members of our community so they were killed when they wouldn't surrender. This is your only warning. If your leader wants to talk, two people may come forward on foot and a representative from Preservation will meet them. This is our land and we defend our land and our people."

One stayed and the other went back to the main group. That suggested that they didn't have radios with them! We waited as the main group came up to the rider who had been left waiting. Two men got out of a Humvee and came forward to talk to the rider. After talking to him a bit, they went forward with their hands open. When they reached the top of the ramp, Poppa Jack and Bennie met them.

Poppa Jack said, "Who are you two? I am presuming you are part of the Triple-A group."

One of the men answered, "It doesn't matter who we are. You are our prisoners. This is now our land."

I had insisted that both Poppa and Bennie wear vests and was now glad hearing the feed from Bennie's radio. Poppa Jack said, "First, we are not prisoners and, second, this is not your land, it is Preservation land and will remain that way. Now, the question is do you want to talk or fight? Going for a weapon is not a good life move." He gave the hand signal for the shooters that included me to take these two out if they tried anything.

"There is nothing to talk about. We will let you go back into your hole. We are going to drive up this ramp and take charge. Anyone who resists will be shot."

Bennie said, "It's unfortunate you see it that way. Art and Jim struck me as reasonable men who wouldn't lead in this manner."

"Art and Jim are dead and there's a new boss."

"Very well. Go back to your men."

Poppa Jack and Bennie turned and began to walk back down the road. The others took two steps and then one turned, drew his pistol, and died. I don't miss and it was a pretty head shot. I was ready because I didn't trust them. Poppa Jack and Bennie ducked out of the way fast. The Triple-A's opened up and mowed down the plants beside the on-ramp. If someone had been over there, it would have been bad. Fortunately for us, that was not where we had our trap. Poppa Jack did fire off the explosive killing the radio and speaker. Bennie and I had set a few more closer to the Interstate and I fired those off. It would help keep their heads down. The other shooters and I took a few more out before they went inside their vehicles to survive.

The trucks were different. They weren't armored and were soft sided. We shot at the drivers and into the canvas covers. One shot was particularly lucky hitting something inside a truck and causing it to explode and take another truck with it. The first Humvee to the top of the ramp went across the ramp to the east taking a blocking position. It was a nice idea if they had had the manpower to accomplish something and if we were running. As it was, it was stuck out there and I took a shot at it to remind the occupants that we hadn't forgotten them.

The second, third, and fourth Humvee's turned west and began firing into the woods. Their machine guns were scary. The bullets could go through a small tree! However, to shoot them, a person would have to get in the top where the gun was located. Our snipers picked off two before they had second thoughts about the intelligence of that move. Poppa Jack's voice came over the radio saying, "Shoot the mechanism on those machine guns. It would be nice to damage them."

Any time a Humvee'stopped, rapid aimed fire came after the guns. They couldn't sustain many hits before their mechanisms were broken. That helped. With their primary fire power out of action, the Triple-A's had to stop, leave the safety of their vehicles, and fight us. They weren't as accurate with their weapons as we. We also had and used grenade launchers which surprised them. Soon, hands came up in surrender leaving only the Humvee at the bridge. While we were circling it, it took off down a ramp and headed back toward Atlanta at a high rate of speed.

We rounded up our prisoners carefully. We had no trust in good intentions on the part of these people. None of them tried anything and they became our captives peacefully. That was a happy surprise. They were brought before Poppa Jack singly and questioned. They were surprised by our ability to fight them but were confident that many more would come to rescue them and conquer us. The way they told it, you were either assimilated or dead. They had never been beaten. The commander of this group was dead but we had the second in command. Jeff was in his mid forties and had a brutal look about his eyes. He didn't talk much. After Poppa Jack was finished, I went to him and asked if Bennie and I could question him. I said that we might be able to get more out of him. Poppa Jack looked me in the eye and told me that torture wasn't allowed.