Chapter 3: Falling down a hole

I had been around spooks enough to know what would happen next. All I could think of was slipping away, maybe a nice camping trip in the mountains. I kept the pistol with me and walked into the back of the house. In my bedroom I went to the corner facing the walk in closet. I hesitated, I hadn’t touched my go bag in a year.

I pushed on what looked like two tiny nail heads and the panel popped open. I opened it the rest of the way and looked at the two black bags. I pulled them out and started undressing. It was a good thing I had never put on weight as I got older. I pulled out the first vacuum sealed package and opened it.

I quickly dressed in the soft but durable black pants and shirt, next was the soft wool socks and black boots. I started sliding weapons into different places, most were knives or throwing darts. I pulled the combat vest and rig out of the bag and put it in the other bag.

After packing the vest and other combat gear into the one bag, I lifted the modified assault rifle out. It was like my pistol, I had machined it and it fired 7.62mm caseless. It was still in its soft case and I took a moment to load it. I closed the rifle case and fastened it to the outside of the black bag. I put the pistol in the small of my back and lifted the bag, “Time to go.”

I went back to the front of the house and took a moment to look out my front window. I saw the surveillance right away and shook my head. Whoever these people were they were amateurs. I went into my garage, pulled a long dusty overcoat on and lifted the dark green pack full of dehydrated meals off the shelf. I swung it over one shoulder and gave the shelf a tug.

I swung the shelf away from the wall and pushed on the wood panel behind it. I squeezed through and into my shed. I carefully opened the door and slipped out and across a brick path into the tall hedges along my fence. I stayed between the fence and the hedge all the way to the back. The hidden gate opened quietly and I slipped onto the golf course.

I moved right and was almost to my hidden exit when I saw a shadow pass over me. I glanced up and cussed. They were using a remote to watch and probable follow me. I waited for it to make a turn and opened the hidden gate and squeezed through. I closed it behind me and knelt under a tall bush, dropping the bag and pack. I pulled the overcoat off and pulled my vest and combat harness out of the bag and put them on.

I slid the pistol into the swat holster on my right leg. I hesitated and then closed the bag. I pulled the overcoat back on and shouldered the pack. I grabbed the bag in my left hand checked for the remote before moving. I was almost at the street when two men in suits stepped onto the narrow path in front of me. Both men reached into their jackets and I pulled my pistol.

It was close range, not more than nine feet. I didn’t hesitate as I brought my pistol up and put one round in each man’s head before I started moving. I walked straight across the street and down a narrow walk that let out onto the grass of the campus. They knew this old man had teeth now.