Forgotten Forbidden America:: Patriots Reborn (32 page)

“Thank you,” Malinda said, moving off. “You stay safe.”

“That was awesome driving, dude,” Devin said, passing by Gavin.

“Thank you,” Gavin said with a grin. They watched the two disappear into the trees.

Nelson took off in a jog, and Gavin fell in behind him with Gerald bringing up the rear. They were halfway to the four-wheeler when they heard Malinda and Devin speed off down the highway. “Hope they make it,” Gavin said, puffing.

“They stand a good chance,” Nelson said, easing his pace when he heard Gavin panting. “They’re smart.”

Reaching the four-wheeler, Nelson pulled off the netting and jumped in the now almost empty trailer. “Gerald, get us to the top,” he said, sitting down.

Gerald lifted Gavin up and sat him on the seat then jumped behind him. Gerald didn’t back out of the small gully; he drove up and out of it, shooting over the hill and onto the highway.

Bouncing up and down, Nelson held on for dear life as Gerald shot over the highway and up the hill. “Damn it, Gerald, slow down,” Nelson snapped, grabbing the sides of the trailer.

“Shut it, Tarzan,” Gerald said racing up the hill barely missing trees as he weaved between them.

When they reached the top, Gerald drove around the house and slammed on the brakes, seeing a quad seat UTV sitting beside his ATV. Reaching for his AR, Gerald stopped, seeing Josh and Kevin sitting in the UTV. “They found it,” Ronald said, sitting on his ATV.

“This isn’t a shopping trip,” Gerald said, jumping off.

“Shit, with the way you drive, I would’ve found another ride before riding in a trailer you’re pulling,” Nelson said, jumping out.

“We need to book,” Gerald said, jumping on his ATV and starting it up.

“Waiting on you, old man,” Nelson said, patting the back rack for Zeus. Zeus jumped up, and the ATV bounced as he lay down behind Nelson. Sitting in front of Nelson, Gavin just looked around, grinning at everyone.

Gerald just sneered at Nelson then took off down the road. Nelson’s eyes got wide, seeing Gerald wasn’t going through the woods. “Ronald, bring up the rear,” Nelson said, hitting the gas and throwing up dirt until his tires hit the paved road.

Glancing down at the speedometer, Nelson saw he was passing forty and still wasn’t closing on Gerald. Gunning it wide open, Nelson pulled his left hand off the handlebars and wrapped his arm around Gavin as the needle passed fifty.

Ahead, Gerald barely slowed as he turned south on another paved road. “Gerald, my ride doesn’t go as fast as y’all’s,” Ronald called over the radio. Easing up on the speed, Gerald continued hauling ass to the campsite at the ford area to meet the others.

When Gerald finally turned onto a dirt road, Nelson gave a sigh of relief, feeling very exposed on the paved roads. “Thirty,” Gerald called over the radio, and Nelson let Gavin go and reached back and patted Zeus, making sure he was still there.

Feeling Zeus’ massive head, Nelson smiled and gripped the handlebar again with his left hand and followed Gerald as the dirt road became narrower, and trees started covering the road with branches overhead.

Reaching the campground, Nelson smiled, seeing the FLYERs waiting on them. Gerald gave a wave, and the FLYERs pulled up behind Ronald as Gerald sped off down the dirt road with the sky starting to get bright in the east.

Chapter Seventeen

“Predator drone coming in from the east at fifteen thousand feet,” Nancy called over the radio.

Gerald slowed and looked up and could barely see the predawn sky through the tree branches covering the road. Glancing around, he pulled off the small road deeper into the trees. He climbed off his ATV and looked back at the others, pointing in the trees then dragging his hand across his throat. The others understood and pulled off the road into the trees and shut down.

When all the vehicles were off, Gerald looked up but could only see small breaks through the leaves. “Get your gear, and we will set up away from our rides in case some heat is picked up. I really don’t want to be here if a Hellfire is sent.”

Gavin looked up, flipping his goggles out of the way. “They can see through the leaves?”

“No, son, Gerald’s just being cautious,” Nelson said, motioning for Zeus to get down.

Grabbing gear, everyone moved to the other side of the road, setting up around a massive oak tree. Nelson dropped his rucksack and smiled, watching Gavin drop to his knees and put his head on Nelson’s rucksack.

“Good idea, son,” Nelson said as he knelt and patted Gavin.

“I’m tired,” Gavin yawned.

Reaching up, Nelson took off Gavin’s helmet. “Get some rest, son. You’ve earned it.”

“You just had to do the Tarzan yell?” Michelle said, coming up behind him.

“Hell yeah,” Nelson said, standing up and turning around to see Michelle grinning at him. “You’re just jealous that you can’t do it.”

“That was you?” Josh said, sitting down and leaning his back against the tree. As Nelson just grinned at him, Josh shook his head. “Shit, I started looking in the trees, expecting to see Tarzan swinging.”

“You heard him from the observation point?” Michelle said then kissed Nelson’s cheek.

“Yeah,” Ronald snorted as Michelle sat down beside Gavin and lay down beside him, caressing his face as he snored lightly.

“What was the point?” Gerald asked, dropping on his butt and leaning back on the tree.

Taking off his helmet, Nelson shrugged. “Like doing that when I win.”

Matt snorted. “Yeah, when he won National Three Gun last year, he did that and got a standing ovation.”

“How far away from Van Buren are we?” Josh asked, digging in his rucksack.

“Twenty-two miles to the southwest,” Gerald answered as he took off his helmet. “We almost made it to our rally point to wait out the day.”

“Shit, I’m just glad we made it far away before drones showed up,” Ronald said with a yawn.

Seeing Nelson moving over to Gerald, Michelle sat up. “No, you can’t have a go pill. Get some rest. I’ll stay on watch.”

“Damn it,” Nelson mumbled and dropped down on the other side of Gavin.

“You’re tired, Jedi, so rest.” She smiled and reached over, patting his arm.

Bernard sat and looked around. “Think those people have a chance of getting away?”

“A better one than they did,” Nelson yawned.

An explosion sounded off in the distance from the direction of Van Buren. “Hope they didn’t stay together,” Bernard said in a sad tone.

A few minutes later, they heard the thumping blades of helicopters off in the distance. “Why didn’t Nancy call that choppers were coming?” Kevin asked, sitting up, alarmed.

“She doesn’t want to risk being picked up on radio,” Gerald said, opening an MRE. “She knows we are hidden after she called out a drone was overhead.”

Thump, thump, thump…
sounded off in the direction of town. “That’s an Apache using its gun,” Ronald said, sitting up.

“We knew they were going to send trouble,” Nelson said with his eyes closed. Another explosion sounded from Van Buren, but it sounded different. “That was in the air,” Nelson said, jerking up as a jet roared over them. It was so loud and flying so low, Gavin cried out, jumping up and looking around in fear.

Michelle grabbed Gavin, pulling him to her chest, and two more jets roared overhead as another explosion sounded in the distance. “Those were F16s,” Gerald said, getting up and hearing more explosions and cannon fire in the sky.

“They are shooting down the helicopters,” Ronald said, jumping up. “The Free States sent air cover.”

Raising his hands as the others cheered, Gerald shook his head. “Guys, we don’t know that, so don’t try and fill in the blanks unless we know for sure.”

“Gerald, you can’t hear the choppers anymore,” Ronald said, beaming.

“Ron—” Gerald started as Nancy came over the radio.

“Away team, three Falcons just swooped in, taking out two Apaches, three Blackhawks, and the Predator. I don’t know what they are doing, but they swooped north, attacking somewhere outside of my detection area. Then they dropped ordinance at the bridge across the river at Owls Bend. They all broke off and almost flew over the farm, heading southwest—the way they came from.”

Gerald looked around at the smiling faces as he grabbed his squawk box. “Did you call them?”

“Hell no!” Nancy shot back. “We heard that explosion from here, so I’m sure it could’ve been picked up by satellite.”

Turning to Gerald, Nelson put his hands on his hips. “Yeah, now is the time to explain how you made a hundred and fifty pound fuel air bomb into a mini nuke.”

Shrugging, Gerald sat back down. “The gas was still on, so I just unhooked a line and opened a valve.”

Nelson shook his head. “Gerald, we were kinda close for you to make the explosion bigger.”

“Owls Bend?” Kevin said, sitting up and looking at Josh. “There was a biker gang there blocking that bridge.”

“Nelson, I saw a chance to ensure our plan worked,” Gerald said then shoved food in his mouth, turning to Kevin. “Yeah, there was a gang there, and it makes sense if the Free States launched a strike to hit more than one target. For all we know, they had already planned this strike, and we are lucky we didn’t get caught in it.”

The smiles fell off everyone’s faces. Nelson shook his head. “Maybe, but I think they saw an attack happening and jumped on the bandwagon. We didn’t hear ordinance dropped in Van Buren, and you damn well know if they had dropped that close, we would’ve felt it, much less hear it.”

“Don’t, Nelson,” Gerald said, looking up. “You’re grasping for hope. Our hope is with our group and no others.”

“Think we can head home now?” Bernard asked.

“No, we—” Gerald stopped as two planes flew over low to the ground. He jerked his head up. “Those were A-10s.”

“Someone is about to have a bad day,” Nelson said, looking up at the tree branches.

“Away team, two A-10s south of us just flew northeast,” Nancy called over the radio. Michelle looked up at Nelson, and he just shrugged as two roaring jets flew over. “Away, two F-15s flying MACH1 followed the Warthogs.”

Way off to the northeast, they heard the
Brrrrrr
of the Warthog’s Gatling cannon. “Were they after them?” Bernard asked as explosions sounded to the northeast, and the ground trembled.

“I’m picking up aircraft seventy miles to the north east at twenty thousand feet. The F-15s are engaging several F-16s and kicking their ass.”

“They were the CAP,” Gerald said, giving Duke some food. He looked up to see Bernard, Josh, and Kevin looking at him funny. “Combat Air Patrol. They were the cover for the ground strikes.”

“Are they safe at the farm?” Bernard asked.

“We don’t look like the federal government at the farm,” Gerald said. “Do you really want to run around in FLYERs that the Feds use as combat aircraft fight overhead?”

“Fuck this,” Nelson said, pulling out his map.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Michelle asked, still holding Gavin.

“Going to see what the fuck they did in Van Buren.”

“Like hell,” Michelle said, letting Gavin go. “Those jet jockeys see something on the ground moving in a target area, they shoot first.”

“Ah, away team,” Nancy broke in over the radio. “You really need to head back.”

They all froze as Gerald grabbed his radio. “What is it?”

“Fighting everywhere is being talked about over the radio. Texas invaded Oklahoma, and Canada invaded Montana and North Dakota. Too much to talk about, but I’m picking up a lot of aircraft to the north,” Nancy said as Nellie talked in the background. “I think we might need you here soon. Like real soon.”

Everyone grabbed their gear and ran for the vehicles. “I’m in the lead!” Gerald bellowed. “FLYERs behind me, and Nelson brings up the rear!”

Gavin ran over and jumped on Nelson’s ATV, putting his helmet on. Nelson climbed on behind him and started up the ATV. “Zeus,” Nelson yelled, putting his helmet on. Zeus jumped up behind him as Gerald pulled out on the road and took off. Grabbing the handlebar with his right hand, Nelson watched the others pull out and speed off after Gerald. “Gavin, hold onto my arm,” he said, wrapping his left arm around Gavin.

Tired and scared, Gavin nodded and held his dad’s arm, and Nelson gunned the ATV out onto the dirt road, following the dust the others kicked up. Giving up on trying to see and too tired to be scared enough to stay awake, Gavin’s head leaned back on Nelson’s chest, and he was soon asleep.

Nelson patted Gavin’s chest as he looked down at the speedometer. “Fifty is kind of fast on these dirt logging roads,” Nelson mumbled, keeping Ronald in sight. Staying twenty yards behind him wasn’t an option. The dust kicked up was enough to cut down his vision, not to mention ability to breathe. They were over fifty miles from the farm, but unlike the ride out, they were now hauling ass.

“Home, is attack imminent?” Gerald called over the radio, and everyone’s hearts sped up.

“Don’t know yet, but a farm was attacked by a gang ten miles from here. Nellie heard the woman call out for help on the CB. She and Bernard know them,” Nancy called back.

“Do you see a threat before we come hauling ass in?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t getting ready on our perimeter or road,” Nancy said.

“Buggy one and two, pass us by, and clear the way,” Gerald called out on the radio. “Get to base as fast as you can. We’ll follow as fast as we can as a group.” Nelson was too far back to see Bernard pass Gerald with Michelle sitting behind the mini gun. Matt and Ashley followed them and were soon out of sight.

“Can we go with them?” Josh called out on the radio.

“Negative. They can go faster than you, and you would get left behind,” Gerald called back. “Alone, you’re just an easy target.”

Only slowing to take turns, the ATVs drove hard, and when they were over halfway home, Nancy called out, “Buggy one and two here.”

“I’m the one that wanted the FLYERs, and I’m not even in the damn things,” Nelson mumbled with the dust getting thicker. Taking his left hand off Gavin, Nelson pulled his shemagh off and wrapped it around Gavin’s face, covering his open mouth as he slept. Wrapping his arm back around Gavin, Nelson slowed for a turn.

When Nelson got back to fifty, Gerald came over the radio. “Did buggy one or two report trouble?”

A pause that seemed to last forever filled the radio. When Nancy’s voice came on, the group tensed. “The home the combine came from was on fire.”

Shocked to say the least, Nelson let off the thumb throttle, slowing down as Gerald called back, “They have visual on hostiles?”

“Negative. I have an eye out and haven’t seen anything yet but can only get it out so far before I have to bring it back.”

Shaking his head, Nelson pressed the throttle, speeding back up hearing Nancy refer to the quad copter. With his left arm still holding Gavin to his chest, Nelson reached up to his radio with his left hand and pressed it. “Gerald, the dust is too thick, and we are spread too far apart. We need to slow down some so we can keep a visual on each other.”

“Copy, back down to thirty, but keep twenty yards apart,” Gerald called back.

Not liking it but knowing someone could pick them off one at a time, Nelson and the group slowed. They smelled the fire long before they reached Highway 60. Pulling on the highway, Gerald called out. “Paved road, fifty. When we hit dirt, back to regular speed.”

Pulling out on the highway, Nelson saw the dark column of smoke rising in the air to the east and off in the distance saw a dozen more all along the valley floor the highway followed to Van Buren. Passing the Kimple farm, Nelson sucked in a breath when he saw the house, barn, and the other outbuilding on fire. “Yeah, hard for an accident to start fires in multiple buildings and separate locations,” he said.

Speeding past the fire, Nelson looked ahead and saw Gerald turning off the highway onto the dirt road, heading home. Slowing down, Nelson glanced over his shoulder looking west and saw several more columns of smoke rising in the air. Looking down, he saw Zeus holding his head off the side of the ATV with his mouth open, letting his tongue flap in the wind.

“The simple pleasures of a dog.” Nelson smiled and looked ahead to see Josh turn the quad UTV he was driving with Kevin turn on the road heading to the farm. Slowing more so he wouldn’t close in and bunch up with Ronald and present a group target, Nelson swiveled his head around and got an idea.