push this screen door open a little so I can get a better view.”
Lettie took position on the far side of the front window, her gun pointed outward.
I opened it a crack at first. I figured any movement of the door would bring a hail of gunfire, but none came. So I opened it a little more.
Because I was so low to the ground, I couldn’t see much. With no shots to warn me otherwise, I inched a little higher, then a little more.
Standing bent at the waist, I could see two sets of feet kicking about in the brush. That meant two down, one to go. And he had to be the fellow with the scattergun behind me.
I knelt again and checked to the south. Using the door as cover, I peered into the lush green brush, searching for something out of place. If he had a shotgun, he couldn’t be too deep in. But as best as I could tell, there was no one out there.
Seeing his two comrades fall may have motivated the third assailant to hightail it for the next county. I kept looking, searching, probing each hole in the dense canopy for any sign of life. Maybe the war was already over , I thought. Would’ve been nice if the remaining fellow at least said goodbye.
I turned again to get a better look at the wounded. Checking my rear one last time, I dared a step away from the cover of the door. Still nothing. This was over. We had won.
Three steps towards the injured men, I heard a twig snap behind me.
Shit, it wasn’t over.
Day 1,030 - continued
The shotgun blast shattered the otherwise calm woodlands. I felt two burning spots in my back as I tumbled to the ground, spinning to point my weapon at the shooter. He wasn’t there; I couldn’t find him anywhere.
“Why don’t you drop your gun, Bob,” a voice called out from behind. It was not just any voice, it was Carmen’s voice.
“And why don’t you have anyone else with a gun toss them outside,” he continued, sounding joyful for the situation. But why shouldn’t he have felt that way? He was winning.
Someone laid the 30-30 beside me. Looking back, I saw Lettie. Lettie and a half-blasted away screen door. That explained why the blast hadn’t ripped me in two.
“Any more?” Carmen called out.
Lettie gave me a defeated look. “No, that’s all. Just the two we have.” Good girl, I thought.
“John’s gonna come from the south, and I’m going to approach from the north,” Carmen stated. I could hear him moving through the brush. “If either of you does anything stupid, you both die.”
My back burned worse than I thought it could. I’d fallen in the dirt and could feel grit grinding against the wounds like sandpaper. I heard men approach from both sides.
“Guess I didn’t get you both in the brush over there,” I said, wincing. “Too bad.”
“Oh you got both of them,” Carmen replied, sounding disappointed. “There were four of us though. I was kind of counting on you buying into that.”
Sure, play to the stupid man. The guy in the dirt without a gun.
“And I think you made mortal shots on both of them,” he continued. “They’re not even kicking anymore.”
“Too bad I don’t get a bead on you,” I shouted. “John and I could have made a deal.”
Carmen cut off the sun with his shadow. “I got a deal for you, Bob. I’m going to kill you right in front of your friends. Then they’ll know who they’re dealing with.”
His friend pointed the long shotgun at my head. “Now okay, boss?”
I saw both of them laugh. That wasn’t good. None of it was.
“Let’s haul everyone outside so they can see the end of Bob Reiniger, John.” Carmen answered with a grin. “Wouldn’t want anyone to miss this.”
“I got a question for you before you kill me. Who sent you here?” I wasn’t trying to stall. I just needed to know before I died.
Carmen knelt next to me and pulled my hair, forcing my face to look at him. “Friend of yours— Susan Weston. She said you’d be excited to have company. Claimed you’d want to share your food and
Lettie took position on the far side of the front window, her gun pointed outward.
I opened it a crack at first. I figured any movement of the door would bring a hail of gunfire, but none came. So I opened it a little more.
Because I was so low to the ground, I couldn’t see much. With no shots to warn me otherwise, I inched a little higher, then a little more.
Standing bent at the waist, I could see two sets of feet kicking about in the brush. That meant two down, one to go. And he had to be the fellow with the scattergun behind me.
I knelt again and checked to the south. Using the door as cover, I peered into the lush green brush, searching for something out of place. If he had a shotgun, he couldn’t be too deep in. But as best as I could tell, there was no one out there.
Seeing his two comrades fall may have motivated the third assailant to hightail it for the next county. I kept looking, searching, probing each hole in the dense canopy for any sign of life. Maybe the war was already over , I thought. Would’ve been nice if the remaining fellow at least said goodbye.
I turned again to get a better look at the wounded. Checking my rear one last time, I dared a step away from the cover of the door. Still nothing. This was over. We had won.
Three steps towards the injured men, I heard a twig snap behind me.
Shit, it wasn’t over.
Day 1,030 - continued
The shotgun blast shattered the otherwise calm woodlands. I felt two burning spots in my back as I tumbled to the ground, spinning to point my weapon at the shooter. He wasn’t there; I couldn’t find him anywhere.
“Why don’t you drop your gun, Bob,” a voice called out from behind. It was not just any voice, it was Carmen’s voice.
“And why don’t you have anyone else with a gun toss them outside,” he continued, sounding joyful for the situation. But why shouldn’t he have felt that way? He was winning.
Someone laid the 30-30 beside me. Looking back, I saw Lettie. Lettie and a half-blasted away screen door. That explained why the blast hadn’t ripped me in two.
“Any more?” Carmen called out.
Lettie gave me a defeated look. “No, that’s all. Just the two we have.” Good girl, I thought.
“John’s gonna come from the south, and I’m going to approach from the north,” Carmen stated. I could hear him moving through the brush. “If either of you does anything stupid, you both die.”
My back burned worse than I thought it could. I’d fallen in the dirt and could feel grit grinding against the wounds like sandpaper. I heard men approach from both sides.
“Guess I didn’t get you both in the brush over there,” I said, wincing. “Too bad.”
“Oh you got both of them,” Carmen replied, sounding disappointed. “There were four of us though. I was kind of counting on you buying into that.”
Sure, play to the stupid man. The guy in the dirt without a gun.
“And I think you made mortal shots on both of them,” he continued. “They’re not even kicking anymore.”
“Too bad I don’t get a bead on you,” I shouted. “John and I could have made a deal.”
Carmen cut off the sun with his shadow. “I got a deal for you, Bob. I’m going to kill you right in front of your friends. Then they’ll know who they’re dealing with.”
His friend pointed the long shotgun at my head. “Now okay, boss?”
I saw both of them laugh. That wasn’t good. None of it was.
“Let’s haul everyone outside so they can see the end of Bob Reiniger, John.” Carmen answered with a grin. “Wouldn’t want anyone to miss this.”
“I got a question for you before you kill me. Who sent you here?” I wasn’t trying to stall. I just needed to know before I died.
Carmen knelt next to me and pulled my hair, forcing my face to look at him. “Friend of yours— Susan Weston. She said you’d be excited to have company. Claimed you’d want to share your food and
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