Without law 20, p.9
Without Law 20, page 9
“Fantastic,” I agreed. “We’d love to have you.”
A couple more men with backgrounds with trains volunteered, along with a few more soldiers and some of the civilians from my own group. I was happy to see not everyone volunteered to go. Sometimes people felt volunteering was the honorable thing to do, even if they didn’t have the right qualifications, but this group seemed to understand that, and everyone who volunteered cited some sort of useful skill they had for the mission.
By the time it was all said and done, I had about sixty men in total, so I sent them to gather their belongings and get the vehicles packed while I talked to Sergeant Wilson.
I hadn’t seen the Sergeant yet that morning, so I made my way over to his tent. His boots were outside the door, which I took to mean he was inside, so I did my best to knock on the side of the flimsy fabric.
“Sergeant Wilson,” I called. “It’s Tav.”
“I know who it is,” the man’s southern accent said through the door, then he unzipped it and looked at me. “I heard ya’ll are leavin here soon.”
“That’s actually why I wanted to speak with you,” I said, and I glossed over the fact that he had heard the entire conversation from his tent. “I’d like for you to come with us.”
“Hm.” He pursed his lips and looked up at me from where he still laid on the floor of his tent. “I don’t like the idea of leaving my men to go into battle without me.”
“I get it,” I told him. “Believe me. But you’re the only other person besides Minji who’s actually fluent in Korean, and she’s going to be in the front train once we take it over. I could use another Korean translator to stay with me after she leaves. I already spoke to the General about it, and he agreed to send you with me, if that’s alright with you, I mean.”
I needed him, but I wasn’t going to push him into it. Sergeant Wilson didn’t seem like the kind of guy that could be pushed to do anything, he needed to do it on his own.
And I completely understood how he felt, too. I didn’t like leaving my crew to fight without me, either, but it was necessary for us to win this war.
“I get it.” He nodded and sat up. “I’m in.”
“Alright.” I grinned and grabbed his hand to pull him to his feet. “Good to have you on the team.”
“When do we leave?” he asked.
“I’d say in ten minutes or so,” I told him as I looked back to see how far the girls had gotten into loading the jeeps. “Not long.”
“I’ll be ready in five,” he assured me, and he turned around and reached for some clothes on the floor of his tent.
I walked back over to the group of people getting the jeeps ready for us to leave and started to help. It didn’t take long before we had them all packed with at least one of every single weapon we’d brought with us, as well as a couple days’ rations of food and water.
I doubted we’d be gone that long. We needed to be back in Atlanta by tomorrow morning to be part of the larger battle that was going to take place, but I didn’t like to go anywhere without at least two days worth of rations. There was never any telling as to what might happen out in the world, and I didn’t like the idea of not being prepared.
Once the vehicles were ready to go, all the smaller teams hopped in. I waited for Pete to give Tara a hug, then slowly release her to my custody.
The man nodded at me seriously, and I understood he was telling me to take care of his daughter. I nodded back, though he didn’t have to tell me to watch out for her. Tara and the unborn life she was carrying were my top priority.
Yes, I had a war to win, too, and I was doing that for my family, but I wasn’t going to let anything happen to Tara. I knew that during the mission I’d need to focus on the task at hand and trust that she’d be able to handle herself as well, but it was going to be easier said than done.
Finally, I waved goodbye to the General and pulled out onto the road with the small convoy of three jeeps and two old military trucks behind me.
We’d left the General and his men with plenty of supplies, and the majority of the civilians I’d brought with me were planning on fighting with him as well, so I knew he’d be alright without us, but I still hated to leave him to his own devices.
The man was older, and while he’d done a great job of keeping the resistance going, he made me think of Rolly, and it made me want to take care of him more than anything.
I took a deep breath and reminded myself that soon enough this war would be over. Then we could all relax for a little while.
It’d be a long road to rebuild the country after this, but I had the home I’d built on campus with the girls, and I didn’t need much else, at least not at the moment. I was sure whatever scientists America had left could figure out a way to use the plasma energy for good, but that could take a long time so it was good that I was content with my life as it was.
The road was clear as we drove, and I put on the aviator sunglasses I kept in the jeep that Bailey had picked up for me a while ago. They calmed the glare from the road, and I looked in the rearview mirror and saw Tara eyeing me like a cat in heat.
I shook my head, but I couldn’t help the grin that came over my face.
“Hey, ladies,” I said. “Once we get to our ambush position, if we have time I’d like to go over some hand to hand techniques.”
“Aren’t you all trained in hand to hand combat?” Minji asked, and she looked around at the girls. “I know Tara is for sure, but aren’t the rest of you, too?”
“We’ve been trained in hand to hand before,” Paige said, and she pushed her glasses further up on the bridge of her nose. “But we’re not all as proficient as Tara, so he probably just wants to give us a refresher.”
“Anna’s quite good, too,” Bailey pointed out.
“It’s true.” Paige nodded. “She and Tara are the strongest with hand to hand.”
“I see,” Minji said, and her eyebrows pinched together with concern. “Well, I can assist if you’d like, Tav. I’ve kept up with my maneuvers and drills since the EMP hit.”
“That much was clear when we sparred,” Tara chuckled.
“I don’t think that’s a bad idea.” I smiled at Minji in the rearview mirror. “Thanks.”
“Do you think we’ll have time to get a practice session in?” Paige asked.
“And also, do I need to be part of said practice session?” Bailey asked, and she raised her hand slightly.
“Yes, and no,” I laughed. “I do think we’ll have time, at least to go over a few moves. And no, Bailey, you don’t have to participate. Why don’t you use that time to find your vantage point.”
“Sounds good to me,” the blonde agreed.
“I feel like Bailey’s just getting out of everything today,” Paige said with a glare in the blonde’s direction.
“Cut her some slack, she’s got the loneliest job,” Anna said.
“My job isn’t lonely,” Bailey protested.
“You don’t ever wish you were with the team when you’re by yourself watching them?” Minji asked with a frown.
“I am with the team.” Bailey shrugged. “I know I’m just as valuable of a member as anybody else. And besides, I like the quiet. It’s nice. And I’m not the greatest with hand to hand anyways. I’d rather take my target down from afar.”
“That makes sense.” Minji smiled. “I wish I had the skills to do what you do. It’s incredibly impressive. Especially with how young and small you are.”
“Are snipers typically larger guys?” Bailey asked. “Everyone’s always commenting on how small I am, but is that really that abnormal for a sniper?”
“I mean, you’re incredibly tiny,” Minji said. “But I suppose you have a point, most of the snipers I’ve known weren’t extremely large men. A lot of them were tall and thin, kind of like you. Except with a little more to them, of course.”
“Your gun is like fifty pounds,” Tara chuckled. “That’s why everyone comments on how tiny you are.”
“I--” Bailey held up her finger to speak, then she thought for a second and shook her head. “It’s only thirty pounds, but I get it.”
“Yeah, thirty pounds is, like, one of those big bags of dog food,” Paige said. “You’re literally carrying that around with you all day.”
“It’s really not that bad now that I've gotten used to it,” Bailey said.
“Oh, please, girl, I still hear you panting sometimes,” Tara chuckled.
“I’ll give you that,” Bailey laughed. “But only when it’s really hilly.”
I shook my head at the girls’ antics then focused back on the road in front of me. We were headed out of Atlanta and up toward Huntsville, Alabama. I didn’t pay too much attention to where we were, I just followed Paige’s directions and let my thoughts overtake me.
I thought about Kimmy back at home and how she and baby Anthony were doing. There were so many people still on campus that I missed more than I even thought I could.
Of course, Kimmy and baby Anthony were at the top of the list. The beautiful dark-skinned woman had stayed behind for Anthony, and I had supported her decision, but she was a brilliant computer engineer, and she was resourceful as hell in the field. Kimmy could fix just about anything, and she looked damn good doing it.
I felt a small smile tug at the corners of my mouth as I thought about her and baby Anthony and how they were probably out in the courtyard reading stories right about now, or possibly at the farm finishing up this year’s harvest. Wherever they were, I just hoped they were safe and happy.
I knew Rolly wouldn’t let anything happen to them, though. The old man wasn’t much of a fighter anymore, though that was more my choice than it was his. Once I’d taken over the group, I’d let Rolly step down as the makeshift protector and begin to actually enjoy his later years. He’d even found Betty, and the two of them had been married on campus.
I smiled as I recalled the wedding and how good the old man had looked in his tux. It had been one hell of a celebration, and it reminded me of all the people I’d come to know since the EMP hit.
It was strange to think how much it affected my life, but it was even stranger to think about how positively it had affected my life.
If that EMP hadn’t hit, I didn’t think I would have ever met Anna, Tara, Bailey, Paige, Kimmy, or Minji. My life would have been completely different, and probably incredibly boring.
If the EMP hadn’t hit, I probably would have come out of the woods and found the nearest motel so I could take a shower. Then I would have found a hamburger somewhere, then I probably would have gone home to see my mother.
The two of us were never incredibly close, but I loved her nonetheless, and I hoped she was out there surviving just like we were.
“What are you thinking about?” Paige asked quietly, and her voice drew me out of my thoughts.
“Oh, just what I would have done after I got out of the woods if the EMP hadn’t hit,” I chuckled.
“Let me guess.” Tara pursed her lips with thought. “Gone right back in?”
“Oh, ha, ha.” I glared at the platinum-blonde in the rearview mirror, but everyone else seemed to find her joke rather funny.
“I mean, she’s got a point.” Anna shrugged. “What would you have done? You just kind of seem like the kind of guy who’d be out in the woods for no reason.”
“Why did you go out there like that anyways?” Paige asked. “Why not buy a small piece of property and build a cabin and go off-grid. That way you’d still have running water and stuff.”
“I went to the woods to live deliberately,” I said. “And not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”
“Ummm, okay.” Tara cocked an eyebrow at me. “That doesn’t exactly answer the question.”
“It’s a quote,” Paige laughed. “I didn’t know you knew Thoreau!”
“I know a little bit,” I chuckled. “Literally that one little bit.”
“Oh, my gosh.” The brunette shook her head. “Well, I think it’s a good reason even if you don’t know any more Thoreau than that.’
“Thank you, Paige.” I grinned at her through the rearview mirror.
“Oh, turn here,” Paige said with a point.
I did as she said, and soon enough our nice paved road turned to gravel and a sign warning of a Primitive Road graced our view.
“The tracks should be right up here,” she said.
Less than a mile later, the tracks came into view, so I slowed the jeep down and pulled over to the side of the road.
The small caravan behind me did the same thing, and we all hopped out to look around.
“If we go through the woods just this way,” Paige said, and she pointed with her left hand while she held her map with her right. “We should get to a nice wooded area where we can get everything prepared for the ambush.”
“Good call,” I told Paige. “Lead the way.”
The brunette nodded and led us into the woods. We walked for about a quarter mile, then she stopped next to the tracks and gestured to the dense area of trees just next to them.
“This should be perfect.” I grinned.
“Oh, good.” Paige smiled.
“Let’s get all the supplies unpacked,” Anna said.
“Right,” I agreed. “Then I want to go ahead and do some hand to hand combat exercises.”
“Which means I get to find my vantage point.” Bailey grinned from ear to ear.
“And they say I’m the psycho for wanting to torture people.” Tara rolled her eyes. “Meanwhile, Bailey’s over here getting excited about finding the perfect spot to kill someone below her.”
“It’s part of the job.” Bailey shrugged.
“Mmmm, I don’t think it is,” Tara chuckled.
With how many people we had with us, we made quick work of the supplies, and once the necessary ones were all back at camp, everyone took their chosen weapons and practiced while I grabbed the girls to do the same
“Alright,” I said. “Paige, Tara, show me what you got. I want to see what you remember.”
“Oh, come on,” Paige chuckled. “You’re putting me against her?”
“Scared?” Tara asked, and she proceeded to make chicken noises.
“Hardly.” Paige stepped into a low stance, cracked her knuckles, and stared at her opponent. “Let’s do this.”
The brunette was never the greatest with hand to hand. Honestly, she didn’t truly excel at most things related to actual battle. Paige was a lot better with a huge weapon she could fire the hell out of like her Atchisson. Luckily, she had it with us. Unluckily, it was much too large for the mission we were headed to, and there was no way that damn thing could be sneaky even if it tried. The brunette would have to make do with her pistol, knife, and hands, which was part of the reason I was giving them a refresher lesson in the first place. She wasn't the strongest when it came to physical battle, she did much better with battles of the mind, so this mission would no doubt be difficult for her.
Truth be told, she did seem slightly intimidated by Tara, but she wasn’t going to give the platinum-blonde the satisfaction of knowing that. Tara had a big enough head as it was, there was no need to make it bigger.
I watched as the two women began to circle one another.
“Wait, wait, can I just say one thing?” Paige asked as she stepped out of her stance.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“No pregnancy bullshit,” she said and looked right at Tara.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” the platinum-blonde scoffed.
“Oh, I know exactly what she means,” Anna said. “No squealing ohh, you’re hurting me, or hey, I’m pregnant, and then when your opponent lets go you take that opportunity to pounce on them. It’s dirty.”
“I would never,” Tara said with mock innocence, and she brought her hand up to her heart. “Though, nobody ever made a rule about fighting fair”
“Well, I’m making it now,” I said. “The girls are right, no pregnancy stunts. It’s not funny, and you won’t be able to do it in the real match.”
“Fine.” Tara rolled her eyes and grinned. “I’m going to kick all your asses anyways, though.”
“Alright, let’s do this,” Paige said, and she crouched back down into her stance.
The two women began to circle each other once more, then, finally, Tara grew impatient, and she lunged at her opponent. Paige was swift to counter her attack, and she immediately stepped to the side with the hope that Tara would lose her balance.
The platinum-blonde was skilled, though, and instead of falling forward, she quickly landed on one foot and pivoted herself around so she was facing Paige once more.
“Good try,” Tara growled. And glared at her opponent. “But not good enough.”
Paige’s eyes narrowed then, too, and I heard the brunette let out a low breath, and her nostrils flared with anger.
Paige stepped forward and shot her hand out next to Tara’s face.
Tara was quick, and she jerked her head back just in time to avoid Paige’s palm, but she wasn’t quick enough to avoid Paige’s feet below her.
The brunette only used the hand gesture to throw Tara off, her real goal was to knock her on her ass, and it looked like she was about to succeed.
When she stepped forward, Paige shot her arm out to capture Tara’s attention, and at the same time she swung her leg and set it behind Tara’s ankles. Once Paige was in place, she pushed the platinum-blonde’s chest, and Tara fell backward and landed right on her ass.
“Ooooh, shit!” Anna cheered. “Good job, Paige!”
“Thanks,” the brunette breathed, and she high fived the hand Anna held up for her.
“Hm, that was good,” Tara said as she stood up and brushed herself off.
“You’re not mad?” Paige asked, and her eyebrows narrowed with confusion.
“Why would I be mad?” Tara asked. “You bested me. I’m proud of you.”
“Damn, I was almost hoping she was going to be mad,” Anna muttered.
“Me, too!” Paige agreed.
“Sorry to disappoint you two,” Tara laughed.
“If she wasn’t pregnant, she’d be super pissed,” Anna said quietly.
