Original Work The Unwelcome Sign

They already know, they are on an island after all, not much escapes those who can see…gas will all be gone soon anyway! Could just booby trap it and get a few more for the same buck! Or just burn the damn thing up so it has no further use…but I'm abe tinking…fill it with dirt and rock at one of the roadblocks…maybe just hide it real good for excursions to the 'outland' in a disposable vehicle.

 

Great update as usual.

 

Be waiting for that big invite to 3ball's funeral and all dat sheet! And just who was the short fat guy giving directions? The big toad's dad?

I'm thinking that the 'toad people' will be putting a bounty on some prime heads…in memory of 3balls naturally….

And I'm remembering that shack they passed on using for cover; and thinking that someone is inside it and they get all the blame for poor ol 3balls delimma…of now having no balls at all!

 

Whew... Zen/Zed... breathe, in ... out... after just having a heart stress test yesterday, I relate ... running uphill... I feel for the 50 something man who isn't in good shape...
We're all hoping that his shooting was much better than his running...

 

Yeah, I must admit that it brought back memories of "agony hill" at Ft. Carson, CO, all those many years ago…at 75 I don't do a lot of running anywhere these days…but the body remembers and hates me for it!

 

Nice story, you plan on finishing it?

 

That empty…make that "empty" shack they passed keeps coming to mind and I'm wondering whether they actually cut into someone else's action and shot first…and now the 2 SUV's are driving into a trap that no one knows about…especially since the sniper bed/hide was not obvious…yes sir ree…let her rip…be needing dead bodies to feed the dogs and wildlife and all that sheet! ;-) On second thought…maybe they had an out post there and he/it, the toad, was asleep on de job and sheet!

 

You in a rush?

I'm trying to bring it full circle. It's going to take some doing to wrap it up.

 

Damn good story Glad you have not forgotten it. We will be waiting, lol

 

We crawled a bit further into the bush, going around a thick patch of 'catch-and-keep' until we found an out cropping of boulders we could put between us and the road. We sat and waited, me still trying to catch my breath and slow my heart rate.
The sound of running water caught our attention and we moved towards it. Another ten yards revealed a gut. Run off from the early morning rain filled the bottom six inches. We splashed some of the cool water over our heads and soaked bandanas that we tied, dripping, around our necks.
The gut was rock and boulder strewn, left over from the soil eroding from around it. It offered an open space ten yards across and going up and down hill away from our position.
I detached the Winchester from the pack and reloaded it. Opening the bolt I thumbed in four rounds. I pushed down on the top round and closed the bolt on an empty chamber. I gave it the once over, sad at the scratches on the stock from the improvised tripod and going through the bush. Finished, I strapped it to my pack once again.
A few minutes later we heard engine noise coming down the hill. We were far enough in the bush that we could no longer see the road. As the car got closer, gunfire erupted. It was in the same direction as the car, so I assumed it came vehicle.
The gunshots came in three round bursts, one after the other. The bursts were a bit of a clue. The shots got louder and closer. Jacob gave me a questioning look. “Recon by fire”. I hunkered down behind our rock and he followed suit. They are just firing randomly trying to flush us out.
The next couple of bursts resulted in the angry bee sounds of bullets passing close and a couple of them impacting the rocks that sheltered us.
“Just sit tight.” I reassured myself, as much as Jacob. The slow moving vehicle passed us continuing to fire into the bush.
“Think it's OK to move up the hill now?” Jacob was thrilled at the idea of sitting still while bad guys were looking for him and using bullets as a prod.
“No. Not yet. We're cool here. Let's just wait.”
The shots continued to move down hill. It was quiet for twenty minutes or so, and I started to wonder if they'd given up and that we could move, when the shots started again, slowly working their way back up hill.
The vehicle came up even with us again, fired a couple of bursts that tore through the leaves over our heads. Instead of another set of shots a bit further up the hill, there was a lull.
Jacob and I looked at each other, neither liking the direction our thoughts were going, but afraid to say anything. As much to not give voice to our fears as to not wanting to be heard.
We waited, not breathing for ten, and then twenty seconds. Then the car doors opened and closed.
“Shit”
“What do we do?”
I took a breath and tried to think it through. Something made them stop and get out. They must have seen something.
Of course there was always the chance that they were just taking a bathroom break.
But I couldn't assume that. Maybe they'd seen something, some indication of our passing. I was surprised, and then realized that I had underestimated them, counting on them to be unobservant.
Shame on me.
Another burst was directed towards us followed by some yelling. I formed a mental picture of a Sargent dressing down an over eager private that had fouled up.
“I heard three car doors.”
Jacob nodded that he concurred with my count. So at least three people exited. Was that all of them? Did the driver stay with the vehicle?
Jacob was watching me, waiting for direction. And I was dithering. Did they have radios? Were they coordinating with the other vehicles? Have they radio'd in that they've seen something?
I just didn't have enough information. We couldn't wait any longer. I had to assume reinforcements were on the way.
“Fighting retreat. Just like fire and maneuver but in reverse.”
Jacob's swallowed, but his eyes never left mine. “OK”
I looked over the rocks in front of us, back the way we came. I could only see about fifteen or twenty yards, and that was only snatches between the leaves. I couldn't see them yet, but I could here voices and foot steps, slowly coming this way.
“Start moving to the gut. Once there head up it. Find a place to cover me. Got it?”
“Shouldn't I stay here? Two guns are better than one” he whispered. I glared at him and shook my head then tilting it towards the gut. Jacob moved off quietly, at a crouch.
I looked back over the rock for a moment to try and determine which way they'd come. That's when I noticed what gave us away. The ground was just wet enough that our foot prints were easy to see. At least one of the gang bangers had sharp eyes.
With that in mind I pulled one of the camo veils over my head and wrapped another around the forend and short barrel of my Krink. Moving to the right of the sheltering rocks I set myself up to engage the gang members. Tilting the rifle so I could see the right side of the receiver, I verified the safety was off.
While I waited what seemed like minutes but was only a few seconds, I had time to second guess myself. Maybe I should have had Jacob flank them and we could finish this now.
No. The bush was too thick. I wouldn't know where he was and the chance of a friendly fire situation was too great. Too late anyway, we'd have to go with what I'd set in motion.
These guys were taking us seriously, moving slowly. Their noise discipline was so-so, and I could here them talk between themselves. I couldn't catch words, just tones, and those conveyed a sense of worry.
Good. I wasn't the only one that was scared.
I caught a glimpse of motion and I brought the short rifle to my cheek and put the sights on the spot. If I touched a round off, they'd all hit the dirt and not move for a moment, giving us a chance to get out of here.
But I wouldn't know for sure if I'd hit anyone. No. I'd let them come in a bit closer.
Moving my focus in and out, and paying attention to my peripheral vision, I made out the location of a couple of other people. They were in a line, one behind the other, and bunched up.
I checked the position of the safety again, making sure it was pushed down to thwe first notch. Dangerous situations bring out the OCD in me. Easing the muzzle forward I made sure it was clear of any obstructions. Sight offset is more likely to bite you with short barreled long guns.
One more step. One more step. One more “boom!” The short AK blew out a fireball of muzzle blast. My round took the first guy I saw square in the upper torso. My mind registered a flinch from the guy behind him, whether he'd been hit or it was just body alarm reaction, I'm not sure.
This wasn't the first time these guys had been shot at. I fired another quick triplet of shots. I didn't have targets, just wanted to reinforce the shock and awe of the ambush.
I turned and ran at a crouch and made the gut in seconds, going a little further than I wanted and ending up ankle deep in water. I looked up hill and Jacob moved just enough that I could spot him. He was set up to shoot around a boulder twenty yards up and to my left. It was a bit of a stretch as far as bounds go, but I understood why and agreed with Jacob's choice. I started picking my way up the uneven and treacherous footing of the gut, balancing a need to cover some distance with a desire to not twist an ankle.
Or worse.
I was just about even with Jacob when he let loose. The muzzle blast from his AK loud, being a bit in front of it. It spurred me to change the speed/caution equation to favor speed.
He paused after his first shot, and then fired a pair several seconds later. Then he settled down to a round every one to two seconds. I slid behind a rock ten yards past Jacob and brought the rifle up and the sights to bear.
“COVERING!” I fired a round to send the message home. Jacob left cover and ran up the gut.
I moved my point of aim with each shot, trying to put them where I thought bad guys would be. I'd only fired three shots when I heard. “COVERING!”
Jacob touched off a round and that was my cue. I moved up hill in my next bound.
A burst of shots went off. As I was looking up hill, I didn't see where they came from but knew they weren't from Jacob. While they must have been aimed in our general directions, there were none of the usual indicators that they had come close to us.
My next stop put me about fifty yards from where we entered the gut. “COVERING!” Jacob and I made a couple more bounds. I set up again, thighs burning, chest heaving, trying to slow my breathing with big, slow breaths.
I yelled “COVERING!”, but broke the pattern by not firing. Cheek met stock and I held the sights just below where I thought the bad guys were, waiting to see if my lack of firing would embolden them.
My lack of fire clued Jacob, who didn't announce that he was in position to cover me. I waited five, and then ten seconds and finally twenty and then took my next leap, this time stopping even with Jake. I needed a few moments to rest.
We had our rifles up, watching, waiting. I was about to relax when there was movement. Someone was at the bank of the gut. He didn't see us, he kept looking back over his shoulder, having a heated discussion. My mental picture went active again with the same sergeant as before haranguing a reluctant soldier forward.
“Hold” I whispered to Jacob. “Hold...”
The gang banger, AR at port arms took a faltering step into the gut and stopped. Looking back into the bush, he took another. He was more worried about what was behind him that what was in front. That worked for me.
He took another step, then another, each more confident than the last. I was hoping he'd make it far enough that who ever was behind him would show themselves.
Gang boy made it almost to Jacob's first cover when he stopped. He looked back and the relief was evident in his posture when he saw one of his companions leave the bush and come join him.
I wondered if that was it, or were there more? The new man looked back in the bush. That answered that question.
I wanted that third person out in the open, but I wasn't sure of the timing. The closest man was half way to us. I caught Jacob's eye and pointed to him and put up one finger, then to myself and held up two. He nodded his understanding.
The closest gang banger froze and I knew the timing wasn't going to work out. He looked at my rock and started to bring his rifle up.
Jacob drilled him and a second later I'd put a pair into his partner. “COVERING” I put lead into the bush where I hoped the third guy was. A couple of seconds later Jacob was in place. “COVERING!”
My Krink was feeling light, so I grabbed a spare mag out of the chest pouch as I ran, trading a full one for the partial, which I stuffed down the front of my shirt.
I slid behind another rock, rifle up, sights on the edge of the bush.
“COVERING!”

 

Yep…when the bitch speaks you know your mama's voice…and what a weight loss program they have…my 7.62 SUKA with the milled receiver was definitely in need of weight loss…yes, I can relate to the action…and I'm loving it. Terror is a wonderful teacher as all can see here…now, is the lesson learned?

 

MOAR. thanks.

 

Great stuff.

 

Yes.. the memories of a youth misspent, or is that well spent?
Oh never mind, great stuff Zen, don't you be harried by the peanut gallery into bringing it full circle too soon...
you have loose ends... quite a few if you think about it...
tying knots in the end is what makes a real author, and not just another internet hack...

 

Can we please have an AMEN here, I say AMEN! Can you all heah me, AMEN! I do love a good story with "No shame; No apology; and certainly…No regret! And indeed, the time of life well spent…bring out them memories and make them real for all of US! We be loving it, and of course the story is great.

 

Your fortunate the bad guys have lousy communications but having just lost there leader and wanting blood it's going to cost them .

 

Yes, but was that really their leader…the short fat guy was giving orders…maybe 3balls was just the front guy himself following orders and directions that he was unfit and unable to formulate on his own…maybe!

Yes, communications are the key to command…true then, true today…always.

 

I agree, comms and coordination should have these two unfortunates in the bag shortly...
3ballz is obviously just a gangbanger... but could be ex military...?
also, he has a sergeant... we all know who makes armies 'work', eh?


however, aren't they close enough to the Frenchies, for them to hear 'the sound of the guns'?
hmm, waiting...
waiting...

 

The No. 2 position is always in control…and so far no 'war dogs' have entered from either side…waiting, waiting…wait….ing…..