Chapter 18

Present – Erast – At Bob's country bunker

Shit! I hated to fire those two shots, but the damn banditos had already seen me. It would have been better if I could have slipped back to the Country Bunker and sounded the warning. Once again I'm dodging like crazy, trying to keep trees between me and them. As rounds whistle past me, I mark the location, put the Winchester over my left shoulder, put my right hand on the butt stock and use my left thumb to pull the trigger.

I know I might get lucky and hit someone but I'm mostly hoping to slow them up some. I fire four times and hear one yell (yeah I did get lucky). I flip the rifle upside down, grab six more rounds and start reloading.

When I'm close enough to the sleeping guards I begin to yell. One of them wakes up and demands, "Why in the hell are you making so much noise."

I stutter, "S-S-Santa Ana's army is here."

He blinks his eyes and yells, "What the fuck are you..."

He never finishes because I think he sees them. He jumps up, wakes up the other guard and says, "We need to get the hell out of here!" Then they run away.

I yell, "D-D-Damn cowards!"

When I enter the guard house, I see they left their weapons. So I pick up the M-16, duck and begin to return fire. This is going to be a short as hell battle if I can't find some way to alert the compound...

Present – Rex – Taking in the prisoners

Shit that was a hell of a thing! I was heading towards Austin to deliver the three fake Rangers I have in the back of my truck, when I round a bend in the road and run right into a damn bandito convoy. But this one had two major differences from the normal banditos: First it was big as hell and second I was damn sure I saw some Federale vehicles in it.

I reached down, put my Dodge Ram Truck in four wheel drive, headed off the road and floored it. The big V-10 in my Dodge roared. I crashed through the underbrush and a few small trees (hey if you can't Dodge it ram it) and finally found a small road.

Oh they sent some vehicles after me, but I'm a native Texan and I've been driving these little back roads long before it was legal for me to drive. I knew the bastards were headed toward the Country Bunker. They hated that place because Bob delivered his own brand of Western justice on any banditos that were caught (he liked to think he was Judge Roy Bean and said he was the law East of the Pecos). I get to a place where I think I can relax a little and I pull out my cell phone to call the Bunker and warn them. Son of a bitch I don't have any signal! Then I remember the Feebs were coming down here to look into someone destroying the cell phone towers. I guess I need to drive like a bat out of hell until I get to someplace with some reception...

Present – Erast – At Bob's Country Bunker

I feel and hear the bolt lock back on the M-16, look down for more ammo and see a big red button. I figure 'what the hell it can't hurt' so I slam my fist down on it. At first nothing happens, then I gradually hear the old style air raid siren start warming up. It reminded me of the damn one they had next to the school - I hated it when I was a kid and they tested it each month. I reload, rack the bolt and begin to fire.

I see a truck headed toward the front gate when Bob runs up and yells, "Sheeit! Where 'r my damn guards."

I reply, "They ran away. We cannot let that truck reach the gate."

I put the M-16 on full auto and begin dumping rounds into the truck. Bob picks up the second rifle and does the same but he's not very accurate. The driver's now dead, I take out the tires and the truck finally stops and then there a big fucking explosion which throws us both to the ground.

Bob questions, "What the hell was that?"

I reply, "That was an ANFO truck bomb."

Bob replies, "Like the one in Oklahoma city? Well these mesicans are playing dirty this time. How many of them did you see?"

I give him the truth, "If you have some way to evacuate the women, I would get them out of here."

He says, "Damn that many."

I look up, I see something and question, "Is that a fifty caliber browning machine gun in the tower?"

Bob says, "Hell yes, she's a real beaut."

I continue, "Does she work and do you have any ammo?"

He laughs, "Hell yes she works like a sewing machine and I have about oh 20 or 30 ammo boxes full. Do ya know how to work one of those?"

I reply, "Hell yes I do, now keep me covered."

I jump up and I'm amazed because now there's about fifty guys fighting, many of them look like they are nursing hangovers. I get to the tower, start up the ladder and the bastards start firing at me.

Present – Anastasia – At Bob's Country Bunker

I'm having such a great dream when I'm startled by, "Wake your ass up and join the fight if ya don't want the mesicans doing things to your body that ain't never been done before."

I open my eyes and question, "What!"

She laughs and says, "Shit missy! We're under attack from the mesicans and it's every girl for herself."

I question, "My brother."

She laughs, "He's kickin' ass! Now get your princess butt out of bed and help us."

I jump up, the room spins a little, the woman hands me a shot and says, "Take this, it's hair of the dog what bit ya."

I slam down the shot, it burns like hell and I promise, "I'll be right out."

I throw on my shoes, and then I do what Ben taught me: I check my tactical vest, grab my assault pack (which Ben never let me mess with), grab two rifles and head out the door.

Erast needs my help...

Present – Erast – At Bob's country bunker

I get to the top of the tower and notice they did one thing right as hell, they mounted the fifty on a tripod in the middle of the tower. But then they fucked up and built a roof over it and I could only fire the fifty towards the gate. I do a quick threat assessment and realized we are royally fucked! I thought there were several hundred banditos, but a quick estimate puts the number at well over a thousand. And they are being smart as hell this time, they are keeping us busy at the front gate while there's even more trying to get to the back fence.

I haven't closed the hatch yet when Bob runs over and yells, "Is everything okay and do you need anything?"

I reply, "Bob send half the men on the front gate to the back fence because they have a bigger force there. And bring me a damn chainsaw."

He takes off, I take the cover off the fifty, do a quick assessment and function check - Bob's right this is one fine machine gun. I see two ammo boxes (which won't be enough) pop one open, load the fifty and begin to rip on the front gate. Yeah this is one nice machine gun.

Most people think with a machine gun you hold the trigger down – what I like to call the spray and pray (that you hit something) technique. It's much more effective to acquire a target, fire a short burst then find a new target, not only do you conserve ammo, you also keep the barrel of the machine gun cooler.

Present – Anastasia – At Bob's country bunker

I run outside to find it's a war and we're right in the middle of it! It seems like everyone is confused about what to do and they're all running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Bob runs past me and says, "Eras' is in the tower with the fifty."

I take out my tactical radio and call, "Erast do you need some help?"

He rudely replies, "It's about damn time you woke up! Give your tactical radio to Bob so I can tell him where to send his men then find someplace to hide because I don't have time to take care of you."

Bob runs past with a chainsaw and I wonder if this is going to be a remake of the Texas Chainsaw massacre. I run after him, hand him my tactical radio and say, "Erast said to give this to you so he can tell you where to send your men."

He mounts the earpiece and says, "Thanks missy, I'm taking this chainsaw to him right now so just follow me."

We run toward the tower, but they are shooting at us so I begin to zigzag like Ben taught me...

Present – Erast – At Bob's country bunker

I hear Bob's voice over the radio, "Erast, the chainsaw is ready for you to haul up. Plus I have your sister with me."

I open the hatch in the floor and I see they have a pulley and rope (hooked to the roof) they use to pull things like the ammo boxes up to the tower. I'm a little pissed that Anastasia didn't follow orders again but I figure this time I can use her because we can't afford for the fifty to be out of action for the length of time it's going to take me to fix this fucked up tower. I reply, "Send my sister right up and tell her to move her lazy ass."

I continue firing but I'm damn sure Bob tells her exactly what I said because she flies up the ladder like her ass is on fire. She gets into the tower and starts to complain, "Lazy a..."

But never finishes but asks...

Present – Anastasia – At Bob's country bunker

I get into the tower begin to yell at Erast, then I look around and I see that we are surrounded and that we're not doing a very good job. I remember studying about the battle of the Alamo and wonder if this will be the new Alamo. I ask, "What can I do."

Erast says, "Watch how I fire the machine gun and then copy me while I cut the top off this tower with the chainsaw."

I watch, he aims at a target, pressed the thumb thingies, the machine gun fires two or three shots then he lets go of the thumb thingies.

I nod, "I understand."

We switch places, I begin to fire the machine gun, Erast hauls the chainsaw up to the tower, starts it up and begins to cut...

Present – Erast – At Bob's country bunker

The first thing I do is cut the rope and pulley assemble from the roof of the tower, we are going to need more ammo and that's the best way to get it up here. I know better than to try to rip right through the four posts holding up the roof or I will bind the blade on the chainsaw. So I nibble and notch into each post. Finally one post is barely holding the roof on. I order, "Anastasia, duck down."

She ducks, I clear the fifty, take her off the mount and set her on the floor. I look at Anastasia and say, "Come here and hold my belt very tightly."

She grabs my belt, I stand on the side of the tower in one of the windows, put my hands against the roof and push with all my might. The roof cracks and creaks so I push even harder by straightening my arms and using my legs. The roof finally lets go and heads over the side of the tower. I yell, "Timber!"

Now we will have a three-hundred and sixty degree field of fire with this machine gun which is what we're going to need if we're going to survive. I begin to setup the fifty, and Anastasia announces, "Erast, Boo-Boo is downstairs."

I look, see him and decide to try something, I yell, "Wojtek we need more ammo."

He salutes, then begins to run around in circles and groan. Anastasia says, "He does not know where the ammo is."

I yell, "Wojtek find Bob", and he takes off.

The fifty is back in operation, I shut the hatch, spin it around and work on the back fence where they seem to be concentering their forces.

Anastasia questions, "Erast what's my job."

I reply, "First you need to make sure any brass that falls into the tower is removed because we can't be stumbling on it. Use your rifles to provide support and make sure you take your time and finally, keep an eye out behind wherever I'm firing."

I hear a noise and say, "Duck."

Present – Anastasia – At Bob's country bunker

Wow Erast gave me many jobs but this might finally be my chance to prove to him I'm more than just a pretty face and great body! I am going to do such a good job he will forget all about that Mira bitch he told me about then perhaps he will 'train' me like he 'trained' her.

There's a whoosing noise, like I remember from the bus battle. Erast yells, "Duck." So I do.

He yells, "Where did that RPG come from."

I point where I saw the smoke, he spins the machine gun around, finds the bandito and when he shoots - there's an explosion.

Present – Erast – At Bob's country bunker

Well I had hoped they didn't have any RPG's but I should have known better. But for them to take this long to get them here, meant they were still more banditos coming than what I had originally seen and that they are being resupplied.

I find the bastard with the RPG (I guess they didn't learn to fire and run before you reload) and take him and the extra rounds out.

I hear Bob yelling on the radio, "Eras' what did you tell this damn crazy bear?"

I reply, "Bob, show him where the ammo is for the fifty. And it looks like they are now focusing their attack on the eastern fence so move your men."