Freedom Fight: Beginnings Series Book 9 (14 page)

Sweaty, dirty and exhausted, The Captain returned to his home a small apartment that sat above a former drug store. The windows weren’t as open as he wanted them to be, but the rain that had scattered about every once in a while made the Captain close them. The night was hot and he walked slowly to his front window, opening it up, and letting the cool--after rain--breeze hit against his body.

He could see the people walking slowly down the street. He knew where they were headed. A special prayer service would entail on this evening, a service for the men about to embark on another freedom fight. But this one was different as it involved many of his men, more than the Captain had ever sent out. The Captain wanted to be a part of the service and he knew he would be. He’d forego his tired body from maneuvers, he’d get cleaned up, and he’d join the community he ran.

Afterward, though his mind was full, he would try to rest. He needed to be strong and at his best if he was going to lead his men into battle and fight alongside of them. They would do exactly what he himself had trained them to do. There was a drive in the Captain, strong and vibrant. A rush of need and urgency filled him. Was it the pull to eliminate the close Society camps? Or was it the desire to try to help Beginnings, knowing, even without certainty, that somewhere within the two new Society camps were the two people that Beginnings now searched for so diligently. Something inside of the Captain told him this fight was different. This fight held more importance than any he had been on before. Why exactly that was, Captain Hal Slagel just didn’t know.

A quarter of a mile outside the town of Bowman, on the overgrown highway, they spread to the fields, an army of two hundred and forty strong. On horseback they manned together like a carpet of hope that spread out. They waited in silence and in uniform. The soldiers from corporals down wore the color navy blue, UWA sewn onto their sleeves. Their hands wore homemade gloves, gold in color, the fingers exposed. That gold color was the same color that they wore on their heads, no hats, caps, or covers. A golden bandana, like the sun, covered their head and came down to just above the eyebrows and tied in the back. Their rifles were strapped to their backs, and at their waists, swords so polished they reflected the moon’s light.

The horse’s gallop drew closer to them, steady and not too fast. It made some of the UWA soldier’s hearts beat faster. Captain Hal Slagel rode to them, so strong on horseback, sitting so straight. He slowed down, accepted a salute from Sgt. Ryder, and then rode around the gathered men to where he could be seen.

Wearing a gray uniform with a red bandana and gloves, Hal pulled on the reigns of the horse to stop him. The horse danced a little before settling down.

Hal waited for the faces to be on him; the silence was his signal. He spoke to them strongly, seriousness on his face. “In Corinthians, Paul tells us,
I plead with you . . . to be of one mind, united, in thought and in purpose.
Like Paul, I plead the same to you. Together we have seen many tragedies, but none as tragic as the oppression this great land of ours now faces. We are not in the thick of it, but only the beginning. A long hard war lies ahead of us, and if we fight hard now, we will only grow stronger. Though our camp divides in separate ways, in a few short hours we will synchronize in yet another battle for freedom. We will bring our mighty sword to those who try to change what this country was founded on. We ride together not only in unity, but in spirit and heart. We ride tall, holding our heads high. Let our voice carry out, loud and strong. Today is our call, our warning, let it be heard. We will not fall so easily to their tyranny. We will not diminish without a battle. This is the fight of our forefathers and now our fight. This is our land, our home, our freedom. We will not stop and will emerge victorious. We will . . . take it back!” With a swift motion, Hal pulled out his sword, raising it high.

There was a synchronization of metal sounds as all the men pulled forth their swords, raised them high, and with pride joined their leader in his signification motion.

Hal, his sword still held high above his head, saluted Sgt. Ryder and nodded to the soldier beside him. The soldier lifted his bugle, gave a simple blow, the men cheered, and the horses divided up. Together, yet in two separate ways, they rode off and onto their freedom fight.

^^^^

Dean’s head swayed slowly back and forth as he sat on his front porch. The steam from his coffee hit against his nose. He hadn’t slept all night. He brought his lips to his mug, and as he did he heard his screen door open and close.

The large brown hiking boots were the vision Dean saw first, followed by the khaki pants. He turned his head to see Henry had joined him on his seat on the step.

Henry hesitated before saying anything. He looked out into the quiet predawn streets of Beginnings. “I heard you pacing last night, Dean. You should have come down to talk if you couldn’t sleep.”

“Henry . . .” Dean spoke so softly, “I couldn’t even think last night.”

“We’re going to find something today, Dean. I feel it in my heart that we’ll find something,”

“Does your heart tell you if it’s good or bad?”

“I know what my heart tells me,” Henry said, “but you don’t need to hear my heart. You need to hear yours. What does yours tell you?”

Dean closed his eyes. “She’s in so much trouble, Henry. I feel it. If it’s physically possible for a heart to ache, mine’s doing it.” He shook his head. “I’m so worried. She’s out there and we know Frank’s hurt. What if he can’t protect her anymore, then what?”

“We’ll find, Dean. If it’s the last thing I ever do in my life, I will find Ellen.”

“Find her soon.” Dean looked at Henry. “Find her soon because I’m just so . . . I’m just so lost right now.”

^^^^

Sitting at the dining room table with his head slumped forward, lying on his two hands was not Robbie’s normal stature Jess was used to seeing. Jess cleared his throat to alert Robbie that he was in the room. “How are you?” Jess asked him.

“Worried.”

“Need to talk?”

Robbie shook his head. “Talking won’t help.”

“It might.” Jess joined him at the table. Like Robbie, he wore his Beginnings security uniform. He was dressed and ready to go out with the search party that would leave within a half hour’s time.

Robbie breathed slowly out as he sat back in his chair. “I’m worried if I’m doing the right thing.”

“What do you mean?”

“I wonder if my leading the search is the right thing. It’s my brother, Jess, my big brother.” Robbie closed his eyes in pain. “With him and El out there, my mind is so frazzled. What if I miss something? What if I’m not thinking clearly? This isn’t something little; this is big. My screw up could be their life.”

“You won’t screw up,” Jess spoke with certainty. “I can guarantee it. Would you like to know why?” He waited for a simple nod from Robbie. “The one who will search his best is the one searching with his heart. Yeah, Beginnings sticks together, but there is nothing like family. I haven’t known any of you for very long, but I know you Slagels have this connection. All of you. When one hurts, you all hurt. When one cries out, you all hear. You’ll hear your brother, Robbie. Just listen for him and follow it.”

“I hear him all right, Jess.” Robbie shook his head. “My gut hears him. It just doesn’t like what Frank’s saying.”

^^^^

Ellen’s scream was long and painful. A loud “No” came from her as two guards held her back and she watched two more bring Frank to the door. She struggled and fought, trying to pull her body from the clenches that held her back.

Frank didn’t struggle but stood tall. His hands were still cuffed behind his back. He watched Ellen, making nothing but eye contact with her as he was moved backwards and near the open door.

“No!” Ellen cried. “Don’t take him. Please don’t take him. I’ll tell you anything you need to hear. Don’t take him.”

Frank shook his head once. “El,” He spoke her name calmly. “No. My life or our kids, who is more important?”

Ellen calmed herself and took one more look at Frank. Just as they started to move again, she gave it everything she had and charged forth to him as they tried to stop her.

“Let me say goodbye, please,” she begged the two guards. “Please.” When they stopped, she laid her hands on Frank’s face. “I love you.”

Softly Frank’s lips touched to hers then moved harder against Ellen’s, kissing her fully and with his heart until he was pulled from her. “El,” he swallowed as they moved him out, “I love you.”

The two guards that held Ellen released her and walked from the room, pulling the door closed. Ellen raced to the door, flung herself against it and pounding on it. “Frank!” Her head rested aga
inst the wood surface. In defeat, she slid down to the floor crying.

Sgt. Ryder looked down at the face of his watch. “Two more minutes.” He lifted his binoculars and peered to the town in the distance. He looked to his bugle boy. “Be ready. I’ll signal.”

Hal placed the pole, which held the American flag, firmly in his youngest soldier’s hand. “This is your moment,” Hal told him. “You are the deliverer. You will mark our victory and freedom. You stay back here and watch. When you see our victory in imminent, you ride down, raise that flag high, and secure it center of our battle. Understand?”

“Yes sir.”

“I’ll see you down there.” Hal gave the young soldier a proud look then rode a few feet to his leading position. He faced the town his men were about to charge then looked at his watch.

Set up toward the center town in a grassy area were two large posts. The soldiers led Frank to them and uncuffed him. Not once did Frank flinch when he passed the twenty armed soldiers who lined up twenty feet before the emerging posts.

His hands weren’t free for long. They were secured by rope, one each to a pole. Frank’s feet stayed planted firmly to the ground and his arms extended in a crucifix position. He faced what would be his firing squad.

The lieutenant walked from behind the line of twenty men. He moved to Frank. “Last chance.”

Frank shifted his eyes to him then faced the soldiers who were weapons ready.

The lieutenant stepped back. “On my call!” he ordered out. “Ready.”

A simultaneous pumping of chambers.

“Aim.”

All twenty soldiers lifted their weapons.

The lieutenant looked at his men, then to Frank. He opened his mouth to give out the order and the sound that emerged was a single trumpet blown. He quickly jolted backwards to what sounded like a stampede. His eyes filled with horror. Rapidly charging forth was a long line of horses. Riding on them were men with swords held high. They moved so swiftly the cloud of dust beneath the horses feet swirled as if a cyclone. Gun shots entailed.

Ellen stood by the boarded up window and her heart sunk to the floor when she heard the shots. She moved from the window, sobbing from the depths of her soul. It was over.

Frank pulled at the ropes that bound his hands. He was so vulnerable as firing went mad around him. He looked at his wrist, trying to figure a way to free himself. He stopped when a horse approached him. He saw the grey pant leg and he followed it up to the man with a red bandana. He held a sword high, swinging it about. Frank kept his eyes on the sword as it swooped down. With a sweep of his blade, Sgt. Ryder freed Frank then quickly cut the other rope, nodded to Frank, and ran off into battle, along with his men.

Frank sped forth, grabbing the first rifle he saw laying in the hands of a dead Society soldier. He ran towards the building he knew Ellen was in. With so much confusion, so much firing, Frank only worried about getting caught in the exchange. In his race to the bank building, Frank slowed down as he saw the Lieutenant taking cover behind a military truck. He hated to take the time, but he did not want to miss the opportunity. Frank pumped the chamber on the rifle, quietly hunched down, and ran up to the Lieutenant.

Before the Lieutenant knew it, he felt the cold steel of the weapon to the back of his head. He dropped his revolver, raised his hands, and slowly turned around. He looked at Frank.

Frank smiled, stepped back, raised the rifle, and fired a single close shot directly into the center of the Lieutenant’s forehead. Feeling complete, he took off into the bank.

At top speed, through the confusion and with a typical huge Slagel grin, Hal rode. He knew the horses had thrown the Society off and added confusion to their already staggering state. With the wind whipping in his face, he raised his sword high, seeing the aims of the Society soldiers at him. He swung down at the first soldier so fast, the head flew from the soldier, bounced off the horse, and dropped to the ground in a roll. One by one he took them out as he rode by them. In the camp he descended on, south of Bowman, the Society dropped quickly. They were too stunned to defend themselves properly and not trained well enough, even if they were prepared.

As Hal rode near the end of the camp, ready to turn around and sweep through again, he saw one of his men fall from a horse and lose his weapon. A Society soldier aimed at Hal’s man. Turning the horse around and using his body weight to guide the horse faster, Hal rode to his man and grabbed the Society soldier in his quick pass by. He carried the soldier another fifty feet before finally dropping him. Like it was instinct, Hal looked back, pulled out his revolver, and while still moving, Hal shot him dead then continued in his fight.

Ellen heard the footsteps running to her door. She slowly stepped back away from the door. Three gunshots were fired and Ellen covered her ears. She heard the bang, saw the wooden splinters, watched the door blast open, and Frank charge in. She shrieked, ran to him, grabbed him, and kissing him.

“What did I tell you?” Frank embraced her quickly then grabbed her hand. “Never say never.”

“What’s going on?” Ellen asked as he ran with her, pulling her the whole way.

“Someone attacked, saved my ass.” Frank checked out the staircase. “I was screwed.”

“Someone saved
you
?” Ellen asked as they barreled up the steps.

“Not just someone, a whole fuckin brigade.” They reached the main bank floor. Frank looked out first. He could see the fighting in the street. “El, it’s fuckin awesome.” Frank grinned and ran with her across the bank floor.

He stood by the broken doors, making Ellen stay off to the side. He raised his rifle and saw an opportunity. A riderless horse ran in circles a few feet away. Taking Ellen’s hand once more, Frank careened out the doors of the bank, fired at the Society for cover, and grabbed the confused animal. Frank helped Ellen to the saddle then joined her.

“Can you ride?” Ellen asked.

“We’ll find out. Hold on.” Frank snapped the reigns and the horse took off. They rode quickly through the hand to hand combat war that surrounded them and straight to the edge of town. He looked back and watched the new men on horses battle the Society soldiers and they looked like they were in trouble. Frank stopped the horse. “El, the reigns control him. Pull back when you want to stop. Ride far enough away.”

“What?”

Frank jumped from the horse. “Wait for me, but not for too long.”

“Frank, what are you doing?”

“Be careful.” With a loud ‘ha!’ Frank smacked the backside of the horse and it took off with a screaming Ellen. After seeing her ride off, Frank raced back into town. He knew what he was going to do. After stealing more ammo from a dead soldier, he would go to a rooftop and do what he did best, take a sniper’s position to help this new army. And he did.

Sgt. Ryder, in a rare occurrence, didn’t see it coming. In his attack on a soldier, another grabbed his leg and pulled him from the moving horse. He fell hard to the ground and on to his back. Before he could pick himself up, a foot slammed into his chest and a rifle aimed directly at him. He thought it was over but he thought wrong. He heard the shot but didn’t think twice about it until he saw the forehead of the soldier veer off and blood sprayed outward. As the soldier dropped, Sgt. Ryder stood up. He looked around, grabbed his weapon and as he did so, he saw another Society soldier take a head shot. Single shot precision was not something he had seen often in his life. His views went up as he lifted himself back on the horse. He saw Frank on the rooftop, aiming down. He smiled and mounted his horse to finish off the battle that neared its end.

^^^^

Amongst the large mound of dead, the UWA soldiers cheered loudly as the youngest soldier planted the flag. As the flag stood on his own, Hal raised both his arms high in the air in a victory mode.

He backed up, still on his horse, and took in the scene that his men had just created. He felt in his heart that north of them they had accomplished the same. How could they not? The UWA had something that the society lacked, spirit.

^^^^

Sgt. Ryder closed one eye and gave an odd look as he watched Frank walk up to every single Society soldier. It was something Sgt. Ryder had never seen, a man so seriously nudge a body with his foot. If he moaned or twitched, Frank fired a single shot into the head, securing their deaths, and then he’d move on.

“Is this necessary?” Sgt. Ryder approached.
“Yhey aren’t zombies.”

“
You never know. Never leave any stone . . .” Frank heard a moan from the soldier beneath him. He fired. “…unturned.” Frank moved on to the next.

Sgt. Ryder moved beside Frank. “The rest of my men have moved out.”

“Go on. Just send my wife back.” Frank fired, stepped over the body, and moved to the next.

“Your wife? You want your wife to see this.”

“She’s seen . . .” Frank shook his head at another moan, “worse.” He fired. “Fuck, don’t you teach your people to take them out without leaving them still alive.”

“The man you just shot had no arms. What’s the point?”

“Hey, some of these guys got fuckin microchips in their brains. How do we know the Society can’t just come by, pick up the limbless ones, and make a bionic man army out of them. We don’t.” Another shot, another step. Frank paused, retracted his footsteps, and bent down.

“What is it?”

“A really nice luger.” Frank picked up the hand gun. “Whoa.” He stood up, went to put it in his shoulder harness and missed. It wasn’t there. “Fuck.” Frank secured the weapon in the back waist of his pants.

“Do you have to do this? Don’t you feel that walking up to these men is a desecration?”

Frank snickered, reloaded the revolver, and walked on. “You people came in here swinging your swords around. Yeah, that’s a real tribute to the human body.”

“We people? I saved your life.”

Frank spun hard to the sergeant. “And I save yours, so get off my back.” Frank coughed, took a step, and coughed violently.

“You’re not well, are you?”

“Well enough to finish this off.”

“I don’t understand this hostile attitude. You could show some respect. ‘Sir’ would be nice.”

Frank laughed loudly and it bred another cough. “Sir? I call no man sir. People call me sir.” Frank fired another shot. “I’m sorry.” He faced Sgt. Ryder. “I’m usually not this much of an asshole. Frank.” He held out his hand.

“Elliott.” Sgt. Ryder shook his hand. “You’ve done this before?”

“Many times. This is how we finish it off and it looks good.” Frank nodded. “Now you’re certain Ellen is safe with your men?”

“Positive.”

“Good. Let’s go.”

“Are you two going to join us?” Sgt. Ryder walked with Frank.

“You mean go with you?”

“You’re welcome to.”

“Thank you. But . . .” Frank coughed. “We have a family, El and I. I’m sure they miss us.”

“You look pale. Where is home?”

“Where are we?”

“North Dakota.”

“Fuck!” Frank stopped cold. “Fuck! Fuckin’ North Dakota. Can I be any fuckin further from home? Son of a bitch! I’m gonna need one of your horses to get to Montana.”

“Beginnings?”

Frank looked oddly at the Sergeant. “How did you know?”

“We figured you were Beginnings people. Why don’t you come with us? We’re about seventy miles south east of Beginnings. Rest up there, get well, then we’ll escort you home.”

“Thank you but we can’t. We’ve been gone long enough.”

“I understand. Your people are worried about you.”

Frank looked at Sgt. Ryder after that comment but didn’t question it. He would, but at that moment getting out of that town and to Ellen was foremost on his mind.