Chapter 17

Day Seventeen: Tuesday

One thing about sleeping packed tightly with five women is that I've found that at least one of them will need to get up for some reason during the night. That doesn't normally bother me as I am a fairly heavy sleeper. I did notice it when both Lana and Laura got up at the same time, since I had been sleeping between the two of them. I couldn't seem to get back to sleep and lay there wondering if this was an extension of women always going to the bathroom in pairs when you take them out to eat. I just about made my way back to sleep when Lana called to me. I saw it was two in the morning as I wormed my way out of bed.

I didn't have two much time to ponder the time as Laura stuck her head in the door and said, "Hurry up, something's wrong!"

I quickly threw on my pants and was zipping up as I moved into the living room. Kim must have been sleeping lightly as she too appeared at about the same time. I asked, "What's wrong?"

Laura said, "Can't you hear that racket the dogs are making? Something's wrong outside."

I grabbed my pistol belt from inside the closet. As I moved I thought to myself that it was probably a squirrel or one of the men on guard duty changing shifts. I started to say that when I heard shouting from outside. I quickly donned my pistol belt and cautiously opened the door. As the door opened I saw one of the security trucks drive off. After my eyes adjusted to the darkness I saw what appeared to be someone kneeling near the parking area attending to someone else who was lying on the ground. I also saw The Professor and Mary Ann straining at their ropes trying to get loose.

As I came outside other doors opened up and I saw Jim and Sheila among others rushing to the fallen man. Lana quickly went back inside for Irene while Laura and I made our way to the edge of the parking lot. I pushed my way through the group assembled there and found Frank Willoby kneeling next to Bill Jenkins, who appeared to be unconscious. I noticed that Bill was lying at an awkward angle because his arms were handcuffed behind his back. I was relieved to see that he seemed to be breathing normally and took Frank aside as soon as Irene appeared on the scene.

Frank was breathing hard and spoke in a rapid staccato delivery when I asked what had happened. He said, "I was on my way to relieve Bill on guard duty about 20 minutes ago and just stepped out of my unit when the security truck drove up. That puzzled me because Bill should have been the only one out and about that had access to a security truck and he was supposed to be guarding Ab and John in the security building. I started to run over and find out what was wrong when the door opened and Ab stepped out. Then he reached back into the truck and pulled Bill out by his shirt collar. I noticed that Bill was handcuffed and that Ab had a pistol.

""I stopped as soon as I saw that and stepped back into the shadow of one of these big pine trees. The next thing I saw was Ab heading straight to the unit where his family was quartered. He prodded Bill along in front of him using the barrel of his pistol. When they got there he knocked on the door and pushed his way in as soon as it was opened. I started to go for someone at that point but seconds later he stuck his head out and looked around. He did that all the time he was in there. He looked pretty nervous. Finally he came out again with his wife and family, still pushing Bill ahead of him back to the truck. Mrs. Grayton stopped and argued with him when they were at the truck. I couldn't hear all they said but I did hear her say that she wasn't going with him and then he said that he would kill Bill, her and the kids if she didn't. He was ranting and raving pretty loud but I couldn't hear very well because by that time the dogs were barking pretty loud.

""The last thing that happened was that he hit old Bill pretty hard with the pistol and drove off with the truck. Bill dropped like a sack of flour right where he was standing. I hollered for help and ran over to see if Bill was all right.""

A group of men including Tom and Jim had listened to most of what Frank had to say. Things moved pretty damned fast after that. Tom and Jim pretty well knew my mind at that point. I wasn't going to let the bastard get away with all that he'd done. I was feeling pretty ticked at myself, thinking that I should have shot the shithead in the first place.

Frank took three of the men in the other security truck, the one he had originally planned to drive, and headed after Ab. I think we all had a pretty good idea of where he was headed. I told him to catch up if possible, but not to push him into a confrontation. I wanted his family back safely as they had cast their lot with ours. Jim, Tom and all of my wives except for Irene went with me to the flight line in the MCP. I had an idea that the best time to catch Ab off guard was the first moment he felt safe, which would probably be at his farm.

We spent a good 20 minutes planning our mission. By then we had received word that John was still in his cell. He had wanted no part in Ab's folly. We wore our vests and took our M16s with us inside the helo. I took off and flew a circuitous route designed to make sure we didn't overfly any of the farms that were still occupied or the road Ab would be driving on. The flight took much longer that way but was still 30 minutes quicker than threading our way along the road. I landed in the corner of an open field just out of sight of Ab's farm. Night landing in the unlit field was tricky. Darkness plays havoc with your depth perception. I was sweating freely by the time the rotors stopped turning.

Tom took charge at that point and we cautiously approached the farm house. All the lights were out and there was no sign of a security truck. The house was a typical one story farmhouse with a driveway that ended in between the barn and the house. Jim said that on the few occasions he had visited Ab he noticed that everyone entered and exited the house from the rear door, which was into the kitchen. We checked all of the doors and found that the place was locked up tight.

At that point Tom, our entry expert, found a rock. The small window broke and the glass went into the room. The broken window was hardly noticeable from the driveway. We quickly entered the house and made our way to the kitchen where we would lie in wait. The idea was to grab Ab when he first entered the house.

I hate waiting. I didn't think we would have to wait long but I was wrong. I was beginning to believe that he had decided to go somewhere else. I was talking to Jim and Tom about where else he might have gone when we heard the truck pull up. The next thing I heard was Ab shout, "Get in the house. I don't care what you think." This was followed by a loud slamming of the door of the truck.

They evidently didn't move fast enough because next I heard Ab say, "Get your asses in the house, now! As soon as you kids get inside, get in your rooms and stay there. Keep your windows closed and the curtains pulled tight. If I hear any more backtalk from any of you, I'll get my strap down and wear your butts out."

Next thing I heard was the door rattle. Alison then said, "The door is locked. I don't have a..."

There was a scuffle and I heard Ab say, "Get out of the damned way. I don't know why I put up with you."

Then there was the sound of a key in the lock followed by the door slamming open. Ab didn't even look as he turned and hollered, "Get your asses in here. I've got stuff..."

At that moment, while the rest of Ab's family was still outside, Tom sprang forward and put a gun in Ab's back and yelled, "On the floor, now!" When Ab didn't move fast enough Tom put him on the floor, face first.

As Jim went to cuff Ab, I moved outside and asked, "Everybody out here alright?"

The young girl was crying and the two boys were red faced. Alison had a hand print on her face that was probably going to turn into a nasty bruise. Kevin wrapped his arms around his mother and ended up drawing the rest of the family into a group hug. I could see that he appeared to have matured some over the last few hours.

After a moment the family seemed to calm down. Kevin turned and said, "He stopped at Bert Michael's farm on the way and told him to get Sam Dixon and Bubba Harrison and meet him here at sundown."

I asked, "What else did he say?"

Alison said, "That's all. He told Bert he would let them know what had happened then. Bert's wife Millie came out while Bert was talking and he told her to get back in the house and stay out of his business. She gave me a look ... it was pitiful ... like she was at her wits end."

I asked Kevin to drive his family back to the base. I told them to take anything else they wanted from the house but to try to get to the base before noon. Jim volunteered to stay and ride back with them.

Ab appeared subdued but the look of pure hatred in his eyes showed me different. His red nose looked to be broken but the bleeding was mostly stopped by the time we took off. He was handcuffed with his hands behind his back. I should have known that he wouldn't go back peacefully. We were about 150 feet in the air and about half way to the base when he made his move. He and Tom were sitting side by side in the troop seat in the back of the helo. Suddenly he lunged sideways at Tom knocking him out of the seat towards the back of the helo. Then he lunged forward and rammed my seat from the back, shaking me in an attempt to get me to land. He fell on his ass and kicked back at Tom like a wild man, probably figuring Tom couldn't use his gun in the helo. In between kicks he repeatedly lunged against my seat back. He kept looking out the open sliding door in the side of the helo, trying to judge whether I was heading down. I had problems holding the stick steady and had descended to about 100 feet, having decided I was going to land in a field so we could subdue him. I had to circle to the left to land and I had just tilted the stick in that direction when he hit my shoulder. It nearly caused us to crash as the helo violently rolled to the left. Tom was back behind the open door and bounced off of the inside of the helo. Ab wasn't so lucky and was pitched sideways out the open door. I barely managed to right the helo and quickly landed it in a nearby field. Ab didn't quite make the field as he bounced off the side of a large pine tree before hitting the ground. He died quickly as the impact broke his neck.

After we landed in the field Tom said, "I never saw that coming. I had his seatbelt fastened but left mine undone like I normally do when I'm riding in the back. I must be getting old."

I said, "Tom, you did what you thought was best. I'm just glad when we rolled you weren't the one to fall out. I hate to say it but it saves me a big headache deciding what to do with him."

Tom asked, "You want to get a body bag and take his body back?"

I shook my head, "Why? There's no use for it back at the base. I don't think he'd want his family to remember him all smashed up and I sure as hell don't want anyone to waste any energy burying him. He's already found his final resting place at the foot of that pine tree. Let him lay where he fell."

I don't think Alison or any of his kids ever shed a tear over his fate. If they did, it wasn't in public. Some at first thought we threw him out of the helo and none thought that a bad idea, either. Alison came and spoke with me several days later. She said, "Steve, I want to apologize for all the trouble Ab caused. He changed so much in the last few years that I never knew what to expect from him. We were on pins and needles around him for the longest time, never knowing what would set him off next. He was always a black and white type of guy who had no sympathy for anyone who made a mistake. I'm just lucky that he left the raising of the kids to me. The only time he seemed to notice the kids at all was when they did something wrong, and then he would explode into a tirade. I'm just glad that no one else got hurt."

I had grown up in a small community like Piney Woods as a child and knew of a lot of women in situations like Alison's; women who couldn't or wouldn't leave their men no matter how bad it got. Alison at least had broken free by deciding to stay here when Ab was banished and I respected her for that. She had also protected her kids and had seen they had a proper upbringing.

At the end of our talk she told me that Kevin and Chad still wanted to become flyers. She said she knew it was dangerous but didn't want to keep them from doing something that they wanted to do.

Later that afternoon, after all the questions and discussion about Ab had subsided, I had an informal meeting with the Black Ball Committee and a few others about the remaining families in Piney Woods. Those 'few others' grew to Kari, Frank Willoby, Bill Jenkins, Tom Barker, Sarah Michaels, Norma Harrison and Phyllis Dixon. Bill Jenkins head was still wrapped from his earlier confrontation with Ab.

The group was too large for the type of quick meeting I wanted, but I needed each person's input and we needed to move quickly. I didn't intend to rehash the tale of Ab's demise but had in mind an idea that we should pay a visit to the Michaels, Harrison and Dixon homes while those men were busy trying to rendezvous with Ab Grayton. As soon as everyone was comfortable I explained, "From what Alison Grayton said Millie Michaels was more than a little distressed during Ab's visit there. That makes me think that maybe the women and children of those families might not want to be there. After dealing with Ab I want to make sure those women and children are all right and not being held under duress. Anyone have any comments?"

Sarah Michaels spoke up right away saying, "Momma argued against daddy taking me to the church at first but by the time they packed my bags she was trying to convince me it was for the best. I don't think she can go against him very long. I would like to see my sister Grace and help her get away from there if possible."

After a long pause in which it seemed nothing else would be said, Phyllis Dixon spoke up, "My mom got into a hell of a fight with daddy about them sending me away. I was sent to my room and only heard the shouting. When it was over she had a bruise on her face and wouldn't even look me in the eye. I don't know how she feels about things now. I'd like to at least thank her for standing up for me."

I asked, "How about brothers or sisters?"

Phyllis said, "I don't have any."

Norma Harrison was the quiet one. She finally spoke, "Momma believes women are supposed to do what men say, like it says in the bible. I don't think she'd leave daddy, but she didn't like it when he sent me to the church. I would like to see my brother and sister again if I could. I think they're old enough to decide on their own where they want to be."

I ask her, "How old are they."

"Jim is 14 and Janey is 12. I could take care of them if need be."

I looked back at Sarah and asked, "Sarah, how old is Grace?"

She thought for a second and then said, "Nine."

I looked around to each member of the group to see if anyone had anything to add.

Jim shrugged his shoulders and gave me a noncommittal look. Then he said, "We might be putting those women in danger by going up there. If they don't come back with us and the men find out, they might take it out on them for just talking to us. After talking to them when we went up there I wouldn't put anything past them."

Sarah Michael's nodded her head and said, "I think all of this has made daddy crazy. I've never seen him act the way he did when Jim talked to him day before yesterday. Maybe momma would come but even if she didn't, I know Grace would come if we gave her a chance."

I looked at Jim and said, "You may be right and this may be a bad idea but after seeing the way Ab acted and treated his family I think we've got to try to give those women and children a chance. You don't need to go this time; I'll take Tom and the members of the family."

Jim backpedaled quickly and said, "I didn't say I was against it. I was just playing the devil's advocate. Somebody's got to give you the other side of the argument."

I smiled at my friend and said, "I know, but I'm going to have as many as I can carry just with family members. I'll need someone to drive the trucks to a rendezvous point so that I don't have to fly back to the base if I get passengers from each house. Our time is going to be limited because as soon as those guys see Ab's not there they're probably going to head back to their homes."

Jim grinned and said, "What if we took them out first? I think it would be safer if we waited on them at Ab's house and took them one by one. Then we could secure them there with restraints and take our time with the families. I doubt we'd have enough time to do it any other way."

It was taking a risk but after a moment's thought I agreed that was the best idea. Still that meant getting the security vehicle Ab had taken back up there before sundown and with enough people to secure three armed men.

Tom spoke up and said, "Frank, Jim and I should be able to subdue them with no problems. Too many people would just get in the way anyway. We'd need to drive up though. Jim sounds enough like Ab to get them inside Ab's house. I doubt they're going to be on their guard anyway. We'll just secure them with some nylon restraints and take their truck keys with us. Even if they get loose they can't walk back to their farms in time. Then we can drive to the farms and help ferry out the family members that want to leave."