Options Are Good (15 page)

“That boy is good,” Bob said.

Angus agreed. “He scoped the vulnerable spots out in just a couple of minutes. I definitely have to fix that.”

Everyone jumped when the short range radio broke squelch. They hadn’t seen Bandy lift his radio up.

“Good to go. Give me thirty seconds to get into position and then come on out.”

“Let’s go, Sweetheart,” Bob said, taking the canvas bag from his wife that had a few things she’d brought over for the Sheriff to use. She was closer in size to her than June was. The bag was now partially filled with some things the Longhammer’s would use if they had to come to the Sheridan shelter.

Ana-Bella took a long last look at the monitor, losing sight of Bandy again, before she hurried over to the shelter main entrance. Junior was right there to operate the door for them.

They were in Bob’s pickup, Ana-Bella in the front passenger seat of the big crew cab one-ton four by four, with Magdalene buckled in the rear seat. The truck was inside the garage. Just as the Longhammer’s had access to the Sheridan home, the Sheridan’s had access to the Longhammer’s. Bob pressed the button to open the garage door, drove out, and pressed it again to close the new, much heavier door.

Looking frantically around, Ana-Bella couldn’t spot Bandy until he suddenly rose up from beside his truck, got in and took off ahead of them. Apparently he’d already had the truck running, for he was in it and on the way before Bob could react.

Once on the road, Bandy cautioned Bob to have Magdalene and Ana-Bella keep an eye on the road behind them, and to the right side. And to drop back far enough so they could just see his truck.

Ana-Bella didn’t like it much, but Bob thought it was a good idea and did as Bandy suggested. They made it to the Sheridan Ranch without incident.

Brewster was waiting for them, squatted down at the corner of the garage so he could watch the driveway for them to come up. Bandy smiled when he saw the rifle Brewster had in his hands when he stood up as Bandy turned his truck around on the garage apron. It was a rifle capable of stopping a vehicle at more than a thousand yards, and taking out a person at twice that distance. Bandy had one similar.

Bandy made a snap decision. Ana-Bella, he knew, would probably want to skin him alive, but he decided he would be more effective at the Longhammer Dealership than at either home. So he headed back down the drive.

He barely had the microphone in his hand to explain when Ana-Bella’s annoyed voice came over the radio. “Where are you going?”

“The Dealership,” Bandy replied. “I’ll be in a better position to do something from there than if I’m in one of the shelters at the homes. Probably should have been there before. This might all have been over by now.”

“Bandy!” Ana-Bella protested.

Bandy heard Bob cut her off just before she un-keyed the microphone. Bandy sighed in relief. Let Bob take the brunt of her anger. And he was pretty sure Bob would not let her follow Bandy towards town, using the same arguments as before.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Making sure those in the Dealership knew he was coming, Bandy broke radio protocols by intentionally staying on longer and giving more information than was needed to get the message across. Ana-Bella wasn’t the only one that thought it strange.

Colin didn’t think it was strange. He just assumed Bandy was stupid. Which was good. For now Colin knew just exactly where Bandy was. Everything had gone downhill from the time that he saw Bandy Hawkins at the Longhammer place. And it was now obvious the only business he had in the area was to interfere with Colin’s plans. He would pay for that. Dearly, Colin vowed.

When he arrived, Bandy was satisfied with the security arrangements. He did not get into the shelter until the occupants made sure it was him, and that he was alone.

As Bob had done at the Sheridan Ranch, Angus had placed his top manager in charge. She too was ex-military, though her branch had been the US Coast Guard. And she had seen plenty of action in Florida as team commander of a boarding team.

She had returned to town the day after Colin had attacked the first time. Louella Hastings had been on a buying trip when the computer Intelligence took over. Something of a prepper from way back, she had enough gear with her to make it back and take on the responsibilities of keeping the Farm Supply and Implement Dealership safe and sound.

Also like the Sheridan Ranch, almost all of the employees had decided to stay at the business after going home to get a few things, including their families. The risk of Colin’s Militia taking one or more of them as hostages had prompted Angus to make the offer. It had been one of Bandy’s suggestions. Both to have the shelter large enough and equipped properly for it, and to make the offer for safe haven for the employees.

The three that chose not to stay had not stayed locally, either. All three families had packed up and headed for other places, so were in no danger from Colin.

It was two days before Colin made his move. This time it was a concerted attack at the Sheridan Ranch just before dark. As soon as the Dealership shelter got the news, Bandy headed for the door.

But before he left he talked quietly, but urgently, to Louella. After she acknowledged his words with a nod of her head, Bandy was gone. Rather reluctantly, Louella made the radio call to the Sheridan’s that Bandy was on his way. With a large fighting force. They would come up behind the Militia and hit them from there.

Angus was livid and got on the radio to lambast Louella for broadcasting in the clear that information.

Louella smiled and transmitted one word. Angus did not respond, as she and Bandy knew he wouldn’t, upon hearing that code word. The word was Sherlock, referencing Sherlock Holmes statement that ‘things were afoot’, meaning that Bandy was up to something.

Bob, Magdalene, and Ana-Bella all heard the set of transmissions. Bob from the fighting position he was in facing the driveway and Magdalene from the bunker communications and monitoring desk in the shelter.

Ana-Bella asked out loud, from the new armored cupola on top of the ranch house, “What is he up to now?”

She heard shots and swung the binoculars around in that direction.

Brewster Amhurst had his handpicked team out, taking on the Militia over a slight rise, where they had cut through one of the pipe and wire fences to gain entry.

Brewster’s quiet, powerful voice came over the different frequency they were using for tactical situations close in. “They are withdrawing. Permission to pursue? There are only a few of them.”

“Negative,” Bob said immediately. “Don’t want us firing at the Cavalry coming.”

Brewster smiled. He’d heard all the same transmissions Bob had. There was no Cavalry coming. Bandy was up to something. So he’d play it out with Bandy’s plan, whatever it was. He called for a maintenance team to come out to repair the fence while his team held their positions to protect them.

Ana-Bella met her father at the entrance to the shelter. “What is Bandy doing?” she asked Bob.

“I have no idea. I’m not even sure he has anyone with him. Or the  whole fighting force that Angus has at the dealership. They might be setting up an ambush, knowing we would be able to drive the Militia off.”

Bob shrugged his shoulders and opened the shelter outer door after Magdalene unlocked it when Bob stated the ‘okay’ word for the trip.

“Wait a minute,” Ana-Bella said, stopping just inside the inner door of the shelter. “It looked and sounded like a major attack. But Amhurst said there were just a few of the Militia.”

She looked at her father for a second, alarm obvious on her. “I’m going out there to see what is going on!”

“No, Sweetheart,” Bob said, dogging down the door latches. “Same reasons as before. You are certainly a good shot, and sharp as a tack, but whatever it is that Hawkins is doing, he is counting on you to be here, safe and sound, so he doesn’t have to worry about you being taken as a hostage. Or worse. And it is going to be full dark in just a few minutes. And you know how dark it is outside now.”

“That excuse is getting really old,” Ana-Bella said her annoyance more than a little obvious. Bob sighed quietly in relief when Ana-Bella headed for the communications desk. Apparently she blamed Bandy and not him. Which was good.

Rather cheerfully, considering the circumstances, Bob headed for the kitchen area of the shelter to get something for a snack. He’d learned that there was more to Bandy Hawkins than surface appearances.

Bandy didn’t head for the Sheridan’s Ranch at all. He drove out of sight of the Dealership and stopped. It was only the matter of a few minutes and Bandy had his radio direction finding antenna rigged and was back in the truck.

He waited for an hour, until he heard one of Colin’s men radio, “He ain’t coming, Cousin. What you want us to do?”

“Come on back. The coward is probably hiding in the bathroom of that weasel’s shelter.” Colin actually sounded disappointed.

Bandy keyed the mike of his radio and taunted Colin. “I’ve got you in my sights, Colin. Boys, you guys with him better scatter so you don’t get caught in the cross fire. All I want is Colin. And we’ll be shooting everything that moves since it is so dark out here.”

In all the shelters glances were exchanged, surprise and consternation in several of them. “What is he doing?” Ana-Bella whispered her eyes on the radio. “He is going to get himself killed!”

Bob kept his mouth shut. This was unexpected. He was beginning to wonder if his earlier thoughts might be off base.

Angus and Junior were discussing the situation, trying to figure out what Bandy was doing, too.

Only Louella Hastings and Brewster Amhurst had any idea what Bandy might be doing. Both recognized the technique he was using.

Bandy had barely un-keyed the mike when Colin’s screaming voice was blaring through the speaker. His other hand already on the loop antenna handle, he quickly swiveled it until the signal faded to its lowest level. Ignoring Colin’s screaming rant, Bandy calmly took a compass reading on the direction ninety degrees from the null signal direction.

With only the red LED lights on in the cab of the truck, Bandy drew a line on the map of the county he had made ready earlier. That done, Bandy turned off the red LEDs, picked up and put on his night vision goggles, and by feel, opened the small panel in the console of the truck and turned on the infrared driving lights mounted on the front bumper push bar and then put the truck in gear.

Almost silently, and nearly invisible in the darkness to anyone not using sophisticated equipment, Bandy drove quickly to another spot, taking into account where he thought Colin might be, and the first bearing he’d made with the RDF antenna.

Bandy thought even Colin might get a clue, so he was only expecting the trick to work one more time. So when he was set, he really went on a rant of his own, his voice low, soft, and slow, to trigger at least one more radio response from Colin.

It worked better than Bandy had even hoped. For over fifteen minutes Colin described in great detail what he was going to do to Bandy and every one of the Sheridan’s and the Longhammer’s. As soon as he had the second RFD bearing, Bandy changed positions and was able to get a third bearing that pinned down Colin’s location very closely.

Either Colin ran out of steam, one of his men convinced him to shut up, or the battery of the radio ran out of juice, because there was no response for the several minutes Bandy stayed and waited for another outburst.

Satisfied he knew Colin’s current location, Bandy headed for a location he’d scouted out earlier. It was the matter of only a few minutes before he’d secured the truck, moved a hundred yards away, eaten a handful of jerky and another of GORP, followed by a long draught of water, and slipped into his sleeping bag.

Bandy was up and on the move by three in the morning, having slipped into a jacket due to the light wind and cool temperature. Again with the IR vision gear on, he headed toward Colin’s location.

He stopped well before reaching the place in a spot he’d picked out on his topographic map. It wasn’t much cover, but it was the best available.

After gearing up, Bandy made his way toward the small farm Colin had taken over on the opposite side of the county from his uncle’s place. A couple of minutes to set up and fifty rounds of .308 peppered the area around the house, and through it in areas that Brandy was fairly sure no one occupied.

He slipped another of the drum magazines into the rifle and headed back to the truck. He smiled when he saw the beams from hand held flashlights being waved all around in his mirrors as he drove away. He was sure he heard shots.

But then Bandy’s attention went to the radio. Colin was screaming something unintelligible. This time Bandy didn’t respond. It would now be a harassment game, with no communication on his part. It would infuriate Colin even more, not getting a vocal response, than it would if Bandy answered every time. Colin did not like being ignored.

The silence would be hard on those in the shelters, Bandy knew, especially Ana-Bella, but he was determined to finish things as soon as possible, and would not be going back to any of the shelters or answering radio calls until Colin was run off. Or dead.

Bandy guessed wrong where Colin would attack. He had the Sheridan ranch staked out, ready with Vigilance VR-1 .408 CheyTac long range sniper rifle he had picked up on his buying jag before the event. But from the radio chatter, Colin had directed an intense attack at the Longhammer’s.

So Bandy just packed things up, found another place to hide out, and spent most of the rest of the day and night sleeping, his minimal camp set up the same as that first night.

It was a tossup whether Colin had changed locations or not. On the off chance he hadn’t, Bandy picked another place well away from the farm and hiked toward it, keeping a very sharp eye out.

Sure enough, he spotted two men keeping watch a hundred yards from the house. One was smoking and the other one had a bad cough, making them easy to spot.

Bandy debated for a long time about what to do. He still could not bring himself to simply kill them from a distance, without warning. But he was not adverse to taking them out of the picture for a while.

So, twenty minutes later, when he dumped another fifty rounds of .308 slugs in and around the house, the two men were tied and gagged, out of the way.

When Bandy quickly went back to the two men, he stood over them, his shiny stainless steel Spyderco Harpy folding knife in his hand. Even with just the starlight, the wicked looking serrated hooked blade glimmered brightly. Suddenly, making both men struggle to get loose, as they tried to scream through the Gorilla tape on their mouths, Bandy went to one knee, between them.

The Harpy swung quickly and the tape on the men’s wrists was slashed most of the way through. With the warning that if he found them again, he would kill them on sight ringing in their ears, each was deciding on which plan to use to get away from both Colin and Bandy without getting killed as they worked on the last strands of tape to get their hands loose after Bandy disappeared into the darkness.