Jernigan's War (25 page)

“They look American and they are not in a hurry. Do you want me to ride out and meet them?”

“No, I’ll go out and meet them, Porter you come off your blind and ease up about 400 yards behind me with your long gun. I want you between me and the house. If a ruckus starts up, I want you to kill as many as you can see, then head back to the house and get the family heading for the lodge. Sam and Steve, I want you to get within rifle range so that when I meet them
we will have them in a crossfire. If the shooting starts you know what to do.”

Porter put on his pack and grabbed up his long gun and placed it in the scabbard on Old Dollar’s saddle. He hung the AK47 behind his back and swung into the saddle. He watched as Charlie, on his horse, crossed from his left to his right in the distance. He let him get almost out of sight before he gently bumped his heals against Old Dollar. The mule started at a plod towards Charlie, he instinctively knew where Porter wanted to go. When they reached a point on a rise where Porter could see Charlie and the approaching line of men, he got off Dollar and set up his tripod and got out the long rifle. He set the rifle in the fork created at the top and peered through the scope. He cranked up the magnification to the 9th power which enabled him to see the men close up. He cycled the action, picked a target and waited.

Charlie rode his horse up to a point on the trail where he was above the riders and dismounted. When they were about 100 yards down the trail, he stepped into view with his rifle pointed at them from his waist. Anyone else would have to raise their rifle to eye level before making an accurate shot. Charlie on the other hand, could easily knock the lead rider off his horse by firing from his waist at this distance. The lead rider made no aggressive moves and only tipped his hat. He stopped about 20 yards away, “I’m Roger Daniels and I am looking for Charlie Cross.”

“You got him, what can I do for you fellas?”

“We are on our way to Louisiana to join the Constitution forces fighting there. Cooney Jones told us to come through here on our way and check on you guys. He also said we could probably camp for a couple of days at your lodge. Without taking his rifle off him Charlie asked, “What else did he say?”

“He said you had his grandson Porter staying with you.”

As he lowered his rifle, Charlie said, “Good answer.” He pushed the button on his portable radio, “Guys, it’s ok, stand down, they’re on our side. Porter, meet me at the house.”

Porter folded up the tripod and stowed it along with the long gun back on the saddle and climbed back on Dollar. They were about 5 miles from the ranch house so he turned Dollar towards the house. Dollar knew the way, Porter didn’t have to guide him; he had been going home his entire life. Porter looked at the back of the mule’s head as it gently bobbed up and down with each step. He flapped his ears and chomped at the bit a little, rearranging it in his mouth. Porter left the rains slack and let Old Dollar just do his thing. Porter beat the men back. They were down in a valley of sorts and it took longer on the trail to work their way up to the flat where the ranch house set. They were on the same trail that Porter and his girls were on when they drove up, months earlier.

When they reached the barn, Porter turned Dollar into the corral and went into the barn. He opened the side door and let him in, Dollar stopped near his stall and waited while Porter pulled off his saddle, blanket and bridle. Porter put some grain in the feed trough and some hay in the basket, there was water in a trough just outside the door. Porter took his long rifle under his arm and headed back towards the back door when the men came riding up.

“Porter, I want you to meet Roger Daniels, he is a Sergeant in the Constitution Army and he has been in touch with your Grandfather Cooney.

Porter brightened up, “Have you talked to him? Is he ok?”

“He’s fine and getting around on crutches. I used to work for him before he sold his company. All of us guys worked in the oil patch with his construction company.”

“I never knew what he did, I just knew he was retired and lived in central Louisiana in Catahoula Parish. I only spent a couple of weeks with him several years ago after my Grandmother died.”

“That’s a shame, kid; he is one hell of a man.”

Charlie piped up about that time, “Roger, you guys follow that trail down behind the barn. About 5 miles down it you will come to a lodge. There’s a corral for the horses and a tack shed that you can stow your saddles in. There’s hay in the loft and a water trough. The lodge has wood stacked out back for the fireplace and wood stove. There are can goods already in the kitchen, kerosene lamps, bunks and blankets. We’ll be down later with some meat. If you want showers, you’ll have to fire up the gas hot water heater, we have a windmill well pump and the house has a solar powered water pump so you will have water pressure in the kitchen and bathroom.”

The men disappeared down the trail. Bonnie and the girls were standing on the porch and looking out the windows as the men proceeded down the trail and out of sight.

“Charlie, who were those men?”

“They’re Constitution Army volunteers headed to Louisiana. They are going to lie up at the lodge for a couple of days to get some rest and clean up. Why don’t you rustle up a basket of fresh biscuits and a couple of pones of your cornbread? Porter and I will slice up some pork and venison and cook it up on the grill. It will be a little tough, but I bet it will go down good.”

She smiled and turned back toward the door, “I’ll have it ready in about 45 minutes.”

She and the girls went to work on the bread while Porter and Charlie fired up the wood grill and cooked the meat.

“Mr. Charlie, you told me that if I hung around to spring you would travel with me to Louisiana; if Sergeant Daniels will let me, I would like to tag along and join the fight. With John gone, you’re needed here.”

“Have you thought about Sandy and Ally, what do you think they will have to say about you leaving?”

Porter sighed, “I don’t expect them to be wild about the idea, but let’s face it, there is a war going on and I know how to fight and kill as well or better than most men. We won’t have much of a life so long as the Chinese and American communists are here. The best we can hope for is stay hid or be executed or enslaved; I’m not up for any of that. If we can clean them all out, we can start over.”

Charlie looked at him, “That is one of the most mature and reasoned decision I could have heard. You need to talk to Sergeant Daniels and see if he would be willing to take you on. Let’s load up the meat and bread and head on down to the lodge.” They saddled up Old Dollar; Charlie had left his horse saddled, and they took the baskets of food down to the lodge. The snow was still on the ground but the stars were out and the moon lit the landscape. The horses exhaled their steamy breath into the night air, Porter and Charlie didn’t talk the entire trip out. There was a column of smoke coming up from the stove and fireplace in the lodge. Several men, who served as sentries, waited on the outskirts of the yard as silent guards. Unlike the Chinese, they had no fire and were hidden from view. These were men who had spent their lives in the outdoors working, hunting and fishing. They held their weapons with a comfort that only comes from a lifetime of handling them. The men relished the food and didn’t seem to mind that the meat was a little tough. They joked among themselves and enjoyed the evening. A card game was taking place on a coffee table and they all gathered around the short wave.

The person on the radio was relaying information about the fighting. A gasp of shock and indignation erupted when the
operator gave the news about the nuke hitting Fort Hood. They were all silent as they listened. Finally Sergeant Daniels stated, “Guys we will have to travel south before we can travel east. There will be a trail of fallout blowing to the Northeast from there. Unless we can find some potassium iodate, K103, we’re going to have to stay well south of Fort Hood.

Charlie broke the silence, “Guys, we have found ourselves in one hell of a fight. Roger, Porter and I need to have a word with you.”

“What’s on your mind?”

“Porter here would like to join your command and get in the fight.”

“How old are you boy?”

Porter was embarrassed and answered in a low voice “fourteen.”

“The youngest one in our group is 23, do you think you are ready to head into what could be hell on Earth?”

Charlie smiled and spoke up, “See that dart board on that far wall? Porter, stick that board with your knife.” In one motion the knife appeared from behind Porter and landed with a “thunk” almost dead center of the board about 18 feet away. Roger Daniels let out a whistle from between his teeth, “Damn that was a good throw, but there is a big difference between hitting a target and actually killing a man.”

Charlie smiled once again, “Do you remember that pile of dead Chinese you passed on the trail?” Roger nodded. “Two thirds of them were put there by this man. He quit being a boy a while back, in fact he showed up here already a man.”

“We can use all the good men we can find, you willing to join the Constitution Army? I can give you the oath tonight. You will start as a Private, you won’t get paid, you have to provide your own gear and we expect you to be in the Army for life. After we
win the war you will remain on reserve duty until you are too old to get around, you ready to be sworn in?”

Porter grinned, “I’m ready.”

“Then hold up your right hand and repeat after me, “Do you swear to uphold and defend the original Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic, as written by the founding fathers of the United States of America with the additional provision that every citizen automatically becomes a member of the militia at birth, so help you God?” Porter repeated every word and everyone patted him on the back.

“Private Porter, report here at daylight the day after tomorrow. You need to have full gear and rations, a pack horse would not be a bad idea either. You are now a member of Daniel’s Devils, sounds vicious doesn’t it?”

“Better than Daniel’s Dancer’s,” Charlie piped up. They all had a good laugh.

Porter wasn’t looking forward to telling Sandy where he was going. On the ride back to the ranch house, Porter asked Charlie, “I hope you don’t mind looking after Sandy and Ally until I get back?” “I told you Porter, ya’ll are part of my family now, not guests, family, do you understand?”

Porter nodded, “I feel the same way, I guess I sorta feel like Sandy and Ally are my girls and I expect them to be with me for the rest of my life. I didn’t think I would be in this position until after I got out of college, but it doesn’t look like I’ll be heading off to college any time soon. I don’t think there will be any colleges anywhere for quite some time.”

“No, you went from being a pimple faced kid to man in a few months time. You still can’t grow whiskers worth a dang, but you sure as hell can fight.”

“Thanks to you, without your training I’d probably be dead.”

“Don’t be thanking me, I almost got you killed out there in the blind, but at least you got some dynamite scars to show your grandkids one day.” They both laughed and headed back to the ranch.

The night was real cold, Porter knew that Steve and Sam would be spending the night in sleeping bags in their respective blinds. He would get to sleep by the fire for two more nights. After that, his life would be living on the trail far from the comfort of a mattress and good home cooked meals.

Sandy was waiting up for him when he came in. Charlie patted him on the back, “Goodnight kids” as he headed up the stairs. Sandy sat on the bunk next to him and started to cry softly, “I know you are getting ready to leave and you won’t be taking me and Ally with you.”

“How did you know?”

“I just know, I’ve been around you enough to figure out what’s on your mind. I won’t put up a fuss so long as you promise you’ll come back for me. I don’t know how to say it just right, but I love you and want to be with you from now on. I know we are too young to do anything; but, soon we will be old enough to get married and I don’t want anybody else but you.”

Porter gave her a kiss on the lips, “I feel the same way, but I know we can never have a life so long as the communist Chinese and the communist Americans are here. We would spend the rest of our lives living in blinds, running and hiding. We could never have a home and kids or anything. We would be nothing more than slaves.”

“I know you’re right. It’s just so hard.”

“I want you to stay here on the ranch, this is our family. I have you, Ally and my grandfather. With a little luck I’ll catch up to him, I’ll be in touch on the short wave whenever I can. I’ll be
leaving the day after tomorrow. You can help me get geared up in the morning. I’m taking Old Dollar and another pack mule.”

Sandy started crying again and Porter said, “Don’t worry you’ll see Old Dollar again someday.” She punched him in the stomach and gave him the best kiss he ever had. He hated to see her disappear up the stairs. He topped off the stove with wood, crawled into his bunk, and was soon asleep.

Morning came with Sandy kissing him on the cheek and his mug of coffee. The house was soon up and once again he had a hearty country breakfast. He laughed when he thought of how his mother wouldn’t let them eat bacon, sausage or eggs. If he were back home, she would be giving him oatmeal or a bran muffin. He remembered his dad taking him down to Waffle house for the good stuff, of course he couldn’t tell his mother or he wouldn’t get to do it again. It seemed like so long ago, it was almost as if it were someone else’s life. His hands were calloused and his body was scarred. He drank coffee and had a beautiful girl friend and could do things he could only have imagined a few months ago. The months seemed like years at this point.

Charlie told Porter, “Catch up that brown mule with the gap in her ear. We’ve used her as a pack mule as well as a saddle mule. She and Old Dollar get along and we’ve used them as a pair over the years. We call her Ruth, neither one of them have shoes, which is just as well, there won’t be any blacksmiths where you are going.”