Chapter 16

We drove into town to see a barricade that had been erected by the Kings. I said, "All cars stop. Group Two cars, back further and peel around to the left. Stay out of the square. You may defend yourselves with machine guns. Karen, your people need to stay back from the square but be ready to kill or at least slow stragglers as best you can."

Karen's voice came on. "10-4, General Honey. We're ready. Hit 'em hard."

"This is Lead. Car Two, give 'em one quick splatter with cannon on your side." We had practiced this and Chuck gave the barricade a quick burst. It blew the barricade away. I used the outside loudspeaker and said, "It's over! Come out with no guns and your hands up! You have ten seconds! Runners will be shot!"

Shooting started immediately including a machine gun. "Car One, it's your turn. Use a long burst and take out their machine gun."

"Okay, General Honey!" People were having too much fun with my wife's nickname for me! Mel was the gunner for that car. He opened up and ruined the entire side of the barricade. In the process, he took out their machine gun.

Dad came on the radio. "Son, you made an impression. Hold off a moment. They are talking and aren't in full agreement. Stand by."

"This is Lead. Hold fire unless fired upon. Group Two cars and Karen, be ready. They may try a break."

I heard an open mike giggle and Sara's voice came on. "General Honey, Suh, perhaps I can talk some sense into them." She was pushing a southern belle accent hard.

I said, "Go ahead, Sara. It might help. Love the accent."

Sara's voice came over the loudspeakers. She sounded like a warm summer breeze and unquestionably southern. "Boys, this is Sara. I really don't want to hurt you but you have to surrender. It's not going to get better." Pat had to move off the controls because she was laughing so hard. I was chuckling, too.

It's interesting. For southerners, there are accents and then there are accents. The one most known on TV before the Day is the rural, uneducated one which is a minority group. The educated southerners use all the proper words but there is a real difference in voice tone from an educated northerner. Sara was the later. It also dripped with her sexy sound.

I whispered. "Steve is a lucky guy." I chuckled. When Pat whipped her head around, I chuckled some more. I said, "She sounds delectable, my love." Pat turned back to her duties though I'm sure to hear about that later.

It was quiet across the barricade as a long minute passed with no activity from either side. Heather came over the radio. "General Honey, they are having quite an argument. There are about thirty of them. Ten or fifteen want to quit but the rest seem to want to fight. Five look to be really hard cases." A moment later, she said, "Two are trying to sneak away. They are heading to your right."

Karen said, "I see them. They are walking into our trap. When they get close, we'll give them a chance to surrender." It was another long moment. Karen came back after we heard gun shots. "They wouldn't surrender. They shot at us so we took them out. We're okay."

We waited.

Five minutes later, a white flag waved. A voice shouted, "We want to talk!"

Into the loudspeaker mike, I said, "I will listen, Go ahead."

"What guarantees do we have? How do we know you won't massacre us?"

"You get no guarantees. You don't know. However, remember you shot our people first back on the bridge without warning. You invaded our land. You know we can kill you now. I think you have to decide. Tough actions result in tough reactions." I clicked off the loudspeaker.

"The voice shouted, "Some will not surrender. We won't lay down our guns without guarantees."

I said, "Heather, where are the hard case ones?"

She said, "They are about thirty feet to your right."

"Thank you. Gunner, light 'em up. Use the cannon." There was a long burst from our Bradley. Over the loudspeaker, I said, "You are trying to negotiate. There is nothing to negotiate. Either you surrender and take your chances or you die right now. Ten seconds. All cars, I will count down. At zero, wipe them out.

"Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five!"

The flag was waved again. "We're coming out! Don't shoot!"

Over the loudspeaker, I said, "All cars, hold fire.

"Come out in single file with no weapons. There will be no games and no second chances." Over the radio only, I said, "Heather, Dad, talk to me."

Dad said, "There are four who don't look like they are quitting. The others are coming out and dropping rifles and pistols. Be careful, Son. It isn't over yet."

"I know. All cars, stay alert. Stay buttoned up."

I started counting and reached fifteen before the shooting started. It came from behind the men by those still hidden. Those surrendering dropped down trying to find cover. Heather came on the radio. "Dan is going to shoot them." From the roof came four quick, spaced shots. "He got all four, Mark. We don't see any others. Wait!" She came back on. "Some are running up the stairs."

"Group Two, send a team into the flat-topped building. Heather and Dan are on the roof."

A voice responded. "We are on the way."

I said, "Heather, we're sending a team up. Hold on!

Cars One and Two, this is Lead. Take charge of the prisoners. Be careful." There was now a gun battle on the roof. All I could do was listen. Pat came out of her seat and embraced me. We held each other and waited. Finally, a voice came on the radio. "They're alive but wounded. We're carrying them down the stairs. We need medical help."

Karen's voice came over the radio. "I'm sending four with supplies now."

Miss Mabel came on. "I'm waiting for them at ground level."

I looked at Pat. "Take over, Love. I need to see to Dad."

"We'll both go and wear flak jackets. Tom, take Lead."

As we left, I heard Linda say to him, "Colonel Honey, be careful. These assholes can't be trusted."

I slipped on one of the jackets while Pat put on another. We grabbed our rifles and left the Bradley. Running, we met the group carrying Heather and Dad in front of the building. Mabel was working on Heather while a man and a woman from Karen's group was working on Dad. Other than stand there and worry, there was nothing to do.