“Yep, I was thinkin’ the same thing. I think I can find it. Gonna be dark by the time we get to it, though,” John answers.
“And what about me? Where do you want me positioned?” her grandfather asks. The men just look at each other.
“Doc, this is dangerous. It’s not a good idea for you to go with us,” John tells him.
“They’re my neighbors, John. I’ve known them my whole life. We’ve all lived here in this valley our whole lives, and I feel it’s only right to help,” Grandpa adds.
“Yeah and you will, sir. When we clear out the area, then we’ll probably need your help- your
medical
help,” Kelly tells him. It is obvious they do not want her grandfather in this fight. Reagan’s more appreciative of this than she can say.
“Also, Doc, we’re gonna need you and Cory with the women and kids to watch out for the farm in case any of them go running. You don’t want them to breach this farm,” John tells Grandpa.
“Right, I understand,” Grandpa answers with a solemn nod.
“Plus, we may be bringing people who need medical care. Or if it’s clear, we’ll come and get you, Doc,” Kelly offers and turns the map slightly to study it again.
“Ok, now that that’s worked out, where do you want me?” Reagan asks seriously and jostles her way through the men to stand over their map. John and Kelly look at each other briefly and burst into obnoxious laughter which makes Reagan glare at them.
“Your little butt is staying right here, mini Doc,” John informs her superiorly.
“What? No way. There are injured people over there, and I can shoot. So I’m going, too,” Reagan asserts.
“I don’t think that is such a good idea, Reagan. Seriously, this isn’t a joke. This is gonna get rough. We could get killed, and you sure as shit could,” Kelly tells her on a frown.
“I’m a smaller target, idiot. Plus, you are never gonna find the way there in the dark. I’m the only one here who can navigate that trail to get you there,” she informs them. John is scowling.
“Fine, you’ll get us there. Then you can wait in the woods with the horses. If the crap gets bad, then head back here,” John tells her as if he has the right. Who does he think he is? What an overbearing dick!
“I know how to shoot. I’m going in,” Reagan insists and points to the silo on the map. “Here’s something none of you dumbasses have thought of. You see this silo? There’s a ladder on the outside. And why would there be a ladder on the outside? Yeah, that’s right! Because it goes to the top of the silo! Oh holy shit, what a novel idea, right? So I’m going up that ladder, and I’m gonna’ perch up on the top and snipe guys from up there.” Man, it feels good to outwit them. She can see that these city boys haven’t thought of this. They are looking back and forth between each other and then to her Grandpa who nods his assent.
“Cover fire, smart,” Kelly admits. John glares at him, and Kelly just shrugs helplessly. “She’d be safe up that high outta danger and out of range for a gun shot.”
“Can you shoot like that, Reagan?” Derek asks her. “I mean, we don’t want you hitting us is all. I know you wouldn’t shoot me or Kelly, but John’s another case altogether.” Kelly laughs. John continues to scowl like a baby with a sore tooth.
“Reagan shoots better than most men I know. She’s dead on accurate, especially with that .308 with the scope. I believe that she would be a very valuable asset to you, or I’d never agree to put her in harm’s way. Plus she’ll be safe up on the silo,” Grandpa champions her. He makes eye contact with her, and she gives a half smile.
“I’ll have to go in first, though. I’m not gonna be able to climb that silo in ten seconds flat. It’s a hell of a climb. So you’ll have to spot me about ten minutes to get there and get to the top,” Reagan tells them. There isn’t a farm kid in the country that hasn’t climbed a silo. But she was telling them the truth. They are a bitch to climb.
“Climbing in the daylight and not having to carry a rifle slung over your shoulder while you’re doing it are two different things,” John argues. Reagan glares at him and jams a fist on her hip.
“She’ll be fine, bro,” Kelly tells him. Good, two of them are on her side so far.
“But if it goes sour on us, then she’s pinned up there,” Derek argues.
“Then don’t let it get to that,” Reagan says simply. Now John rolls his eyes at her, and his mouth has become a thinly set line of anger.
“There’s also a difference between target shooting and shooting an actual person,” John contends.
“No shit, Sherlock,” Reagan comes back swiftly.
“Reagan will be fine on that account, don’t worry,” Grandpa adds in her defense. She knows he’s thinking of the university. He’s the only one in the family who knows what she did to those two men. She’d had to explain just the barest details to him so that he could better understand her wounds. There were moments, though, when Grandpa had dosed her with enough anesthetic that she’d passed out. She’d never told her sisters or Grams what she’d done to those men. And she’d made him promise not to tell anyone, as well. They would look at her differently if they knew how capable of being a monster she really is. It was not a defining moment, and she won’t allow that one incident to dictate how people see her.
Kelly and Derek raise their brows and shrug as if to say ok.
“Alright, Reagan, you’re in. Let’s go over it again. Then we’ll get ready to move,” Derek says decidedly. John doesn’t argue further, but she believes he would like to. Is it because his brother outranked him in the military, or is it because his brother is simply older? She doesn’t have time to dwell on it, though, as they review the plans and head outside to the shed.
“Why do we all need to go to your med shed, Doc?” Kelly asks as they all walk across the back yard toward her grandfather’s building.
“You’ll see,” Reagan tells them.
When they get to the metal pole building with the steel reinforced door, Grandpa turns the key in the locked door and then unlocks the padlock hanging from a thick steel chain, as well. They all follow Grandpa into the medical supply shed and look confused as they pass all of the shelves full of medical items and come to another locked, lesser known door at the rear of the building. John and Derek look to each other with confused expressions. Reagan barges past them as they go through this door which Grandpa first unlocks.
“Whoa,” John says as they enter and Grandpa hits the switch for the lights. There are no windows in this part of the building, and it is dimly lit with only two light bulbs hanging from the center of the ceiling.
“Holy shit, doc,” Kelly says in utter shock.
“Ok, Sue said you had some guns, but I didn’t think it was anything like this,” Derek reveals.
“I don’t show this to everyone. You are the first people in here who aren’t directly related to me. I wasn’t trying to keep it from you necessarily, but I really didn’t think we’d ever need any of this. There are a few guns around the house and the ones you brought, but I thought that they would be enough for anything that might arise,” Grandpa explains and then glumly adds, “until now.”
The men look around the small room which is ten feet by ten feet and packed to the gills with rifles, cans full of ammo, pistols, shotguns and holsters. There are thirty-three rifles, some high powered, seven shotguns and almost two dozen handguns. Lined along the floor, against the back wall are the cans of ammo, tactical gear and silencers, some homemade.
“I’ve always been kind of a collector,” Grandpa grins and seems embarrassed.
“My dad was a collector, too,” Kelly answers. “Especially after the gun laws tightened up so many years ago. He even buried some in the back yard in metal containers.”
“My obsession started when I was just a boy. Started with antique military guns, Mausers and Enfields mostly, and then started in with the Ruger 10/22’s and then the hand guns. Have four or five Mini 14’s. I always like Smith & Wesson handguns- as you can see. Reagan’s a fan of the Browning shotgun and the Remington high power rifles. Figures, the littlest person would pick the biggest gun. Small girl complex,” Grandpa teases. The men laugh. It’s a tension reliever. Reagan knows Grandpa’s tactics so well, and they work.
“I have some .223 ammo around here somewhere for those M16’s you brought here. We’ll get those loaded up and give you clips for your side arms. You take whatever you need. Me casa de artillery et su casa,” he jokes again.
“Thanks, Doc. We’re gonna need mags for our rifles, and my 9 mill could use some ammo. I’m going to take a shotgun, too. This one here will do. Holds five rounds and I’ll take ten more,” Kelly says.
“Take what you need, all of you. Don’t be shy. I’d rather you use all the ammo than not use enough and have those bandits make it to this farm,” Grandpa tells them. “We don’t know exactly how many bandits are over there.”
“I’m going to get my rifle, and I’ll take this extra clip,” Reagan says and turns to leave.
“We’ll be along soon, honey,” Grandpa tells her. “Don’t forget your starlight scope for your rifle, Reagan.” He hands her the scope that she’ll switch out on her rifle so that she can see her targets at night. As she leaves she can hear Kelly saying how cool the starlight scopes are and how well they work. They’ll see soon enough.
An hour later, the men are preparing to leave, and Billy is awake and made aware of the finalized plan. Hannah and Grams have made everyone bags of food to eat on the trip as they will be missing the evening meal and have no idea when they will return, if they return. Reagan can’t imagine eating at a time like this, but she will eventually force herself to once they are on the trail. Hannah had insisted on putting Reagan’s hair into a French braid to hold it out of her way. She’s in her room, in her closet, changing into her black riding pants to go with her long sleeved black tee.
“Knock, knock?” John says from the outer room. She quickly zips her pants, curses him, grabs her tall, black riding boots and goes out to meet him.
“What do you want?” Reagan gripes and retrieves her pistol from the stand where she left it with the extra, full clip she’d taken from the med shed. She takes a second to glance at him. The look on his face is full of anxiety, yet resigned.
“I wish you’d reconsider this,” John pleads. His eyes soften and squint into a frown.
“There’s nothing to reconsider. It’s us or them and it’s not gonna be us if I have anything to say about it,” she says simply. Sitting on a gray, upholstered chair, she tugs her slim fitting riding boots on.
“Fine, hard-ass,” he curses at her angrily and tugs at his shaggy hair like he might just pull some out. He never curses, and it startles her. Their eyes meet. His gaze is heavy and tortured.
“Look, I can handle myself. You don’t have to worry about me. Just worry about yourself and what you’re supposed to be doing once we’re out there,” Reagan tells him conciliatorily and looks away again. She finishes with her boots and straps her holster with her pistol in it back onto her thigh.
“Not worry about you? Are you serious?” he asks dubiously. He hangs his head, shaking it back and forth with disbelief and his shoulders slump as he places his hands low on his hips. His sigh of defeat is loud and exasperated. “Alright, if that’s the way you want it. But, here, take this.”
He hands her another extra clip for her .45. Reagan reaches for it, but John doesn’t release it. He holds it firmly, gives it a tug, using it to pull her a step closer. Her eyes narrow with nervous hesitancy as she looks up at him. The look in his eyes is furious, worried and other things that she can’t put a name to that frighten her. And so she indignantly yanks the clip from his grasp and turns away. Reagan sticks the clip in the back pocket of her riding pants and retrieves her rifle from its perch near the window. When she turns back, John is gone.
Kelly
“Please be careful,” Hannah requests quietly. They are the only two people left in the kitchen. Everyone is already out in the barn tacking up horses and likely saying their goodbyes. It feels too fatalistic, too final. He’s never been on a mission like this one. He’d always fought for his country, taken orders from a colonel or general or squad commander. They’d fought against terrorists, communists and men who wanted to harm Americans. He’d never had to fight actual Americans. They’d made arrests when they were sent into the fray when the shit hit at home a few months ago. But they hadn’t had to kill anyone. They’d been acting as glorified police officers, which was probably part of the problem and why things had gotten so out of control so quickly.
Hannah reaches for him and Kelly steps into her hand, still marveling at her delicate touch as her hand falls lightly against his chest. He’s never been sent into battle before by someone who wants so badly for him to come back. He’s never had so much to lose, either.
“Yes, ma’am,” he gravely answers her. Hannah’s lovely features are contorted with angst and worry. He hates this look on her. Kelly lifts her braid, which hangs over her shoulder down to her middle chest. Her breathing increases. If he fails in this mission, they’ll come here next. The thought angers him, fills him with dread and makes him feel like he could do violent things. He lets her braid drop down again.
Kelly turns to go, but Hannah throws herself around his middle, hugging him tightly. Her arms barely reach all the way around him. At first he’s too stunned to do anything, but he eventually wraps her in a brief embrace. When he pulls back, there are tears streaming down her pink-tinted cheeks. It’s more than he can bear. He grasps her face between his two large hands and holds her there.
“I’ll come back,” he promises, and she nods with a delicate sniff. Kelly carefully leads her by the hand to the barn with the rest of the family.
Once they are at the barn, he deposits Hannah next to Grams and gets his horse from its assigned stall. When they are all saddled and ready to leave, Kelly and the other men give a few more simple instructions to Doc.
Cory rushes over to him, and Kelly knows what’s coming again. “Kelly, come on, man. Let me go with you.”
“I told you that I need you here. The littler kids are your responsibility now, Cory. You have to take care of them and look out for Grams and the women for me, too,” Kelly tells him for the fourth time.