chapter 43
Chapter 43
this chapter will be longer either when it is published or maybe a few days , just think there is more to do with it. but thought I would get you guys some reading material.
Oh and by the way anyone like zombies I am considering a story. I have a few pages but just something I can work on when I have to take a day or two off this. I am looking at it as more of a short story.
JT walked back up the drive for a second time, He had played some with the sensitivity of the cameras after a stray cat came waltzing by as he sat and did some emails at the computer. Dan had sent him the link and he had listened to the audio from the show they did and was pleasantly surprised. It had came out better then he had hoped and he did not come off sounding like some nut. He rolled his shoulder forwards and back raising his arm the gun shot still gave him some trouble now and then. That was to be expected he thought to himself as he looked up at the house as he continued up the roadway. It was just starting to get dark and he wanted to get in bed at an early hour tonight. He felt tired,,, or was it weary. All this stuff happening and now he was in the fray all the way, Jumping in with both feet but then what else could he have done. He could have not opened that door and called the police. Was that still really a consideration? No! He thought to himself with each step. No matter how this turns out even if it cost him his life or freedom that was not the solution. Fighting back was the right choice. He topped the rise and walked past the front entrance and headed towards the back door. He smiled to himself they seemed to never use the front door it might as well be a fake door for the number of times people go in and out of it in a year. He sat down on the back step and chaos came over for the nightly ear and back scratch session. She however cut the session short tonight and laid her head on his hand. He petted her head and snout and roughed her chin as she licked his face and he looked deep into her eyes. He stood up and walked in the back door and Chaos walked over to the doghouse and lay down. Jt stopped and remembered he had loaded the ranch hand and left it in the back seat of the blazer and besides the Gerber brush cutter was still embedded in the sapling he trimmed. JT walked downstairs and checked his email one last time and checked the cameras they seemed to be working alright. He considered shutting them down tonight but decided against it. He had the sensitivity set pretty well and it would take a large target to get an alarm now so he would let it run tonight. Well at least until the first deer walked by and he had to wake up and go turn the damn alarm off on the computer he grinned. He headed up stairs and then one more flight up to the bedrooms. His wife was already in bed and looked surprised to see him up there so early.
“hey old man you gonna try and get some sleep tonight” she asked
Laughing “yeah maybe; it might make me less grouchy.” he said as he leaned down and kissed her lips.
she squeezed up her face and reached over for a tissue to wipe her lips “no fair you let the dog kiss you first.”
“Yep.” he said smiling.
He went into the bathroom and washed his face. Stopping by the closet on the way back to grab the pistol grip Mossbergh and sat it under his side of the bed. He turned back the covers and lay down leaning over and giving his wife a non dog infected kiss. He noticed on the bedside table she had the Taurus judge in the holster. He smiled as he lay his head down on the cool pillow. He could hear the occasional helicopter from Fort Knox and every once and awhile he could make out a car heading down 44. The only other noise was the sound of the quiet. It could engulf you with the darkness and hold you in a tender embrace like that of a comfortable lover. He remembered his time growing up in the country and pitch blackness and silence that hung in the air. His mind drifted down into the darkness of sleep a comfortable and soft-fall that he welcomed. He had been so racked with doubts and questions that his sleep these last few months had been difficult at best and at times non existent. He slept as he had not done in some time. “Those little slices of death how I loath them” he thought in his dream. He had read all of Poe's works finding him a favorite author. His mind relaxed and he slept.
Patrolman Josh Rein was sitting in the patrol car just up the road from the Tanner family turn off on State Road 44. He hated to leave his wife home alone at night but he had volunteered when the Sheriff asked for help in keeping an eye on the Tanner house. Josh was 24 with a wiry frame and square jaw he had been a wrestler in high school and then went on to college and had just finished his training and was excited to become a deputy. His dad had worked for a small department in southern Kentucky town finally becoming the sheriff and had been sheriff until he had a heart-attack on the job and died when he was 70 just a few years back. Josh has seen all the coverage of the incident at the mall and the ensuing happenings to Jerome Tanner and his family and he felt privileged to protect them. There was talk that Mr. Tanner was going to make a radio show with that lady from out-west and post it in the next day or so. He was excited to hear it. Although he respected the Sheriff Mr. Tanner was someone who had faced down the terrorists on his own and come out on top and that meant something to a great many people. Josh sat in the cruiser and watched the road and the turnoff to the tanner house in his rear-view mirror. He knew to call in if he saw anything that looked out of the ordinary. There was never much traffic on the road at night and it was settling in to being another quiet evening.
The dark van had turned onto the State Road off of Dixie Highway and made their way down the winding two lane road. The driver had driven this road several times over the last week they had this attack planned. The Imam had feared the second attack might not work and had this as a backup consideration. The driver had been picked early on and had made his way down the road so he could recognize the turn off in the dark. There was however a new wrinkle that a police officer was posted to guard the house. If he was able to alarm those inside or his comrades this would all be a futile waste and they would be caught. They however would not go down quietly. They had been told to fight to the last man now matter what the conditions. They would make their Imam proud.
Josh saw the van coming up behind him and pass his position. He was unable to make out anyone in the Van as it sped by. It looked to be some sort of delivery van as he could just make out a divider between the front and back areas. It had caught his eye. He tried to check out the driver but was to late. The Van drove straight down State Road 44 and then disappeared in the distance. Josh sat back and watched the retreating lights as he looked down at the computer screen and listened to the calls over the radio. His father would have been amazed at the gadgets that a police cruiser had these days. In his fathers days it was a radio and a base station and now he could stay connected to the dispatch with the laptop or the radio that was on his belt. Just as Josh was thinking about all the changes a set of headlights topped the rise. He could tell it was a van and then made out it looked very similar to the one that had just passed. It stopped about 15 yards down the road from him and he could see them roll down the drivers window. Great he though some lost driver this late at night. He considered calling it in but thought he would wait and get out and see what was the problem. He had his radio on his belt and could call in if it was trouble. He opened the car door and took a step away from the cruiser and then reached back in and flipped the lights on. He did not want some errant driver running him down although the lights did not guarantee his safety it did help some. Josh was not several feet in front of the cruiser and saw a hand come out of the van window and wave towards him. Josh removed his hand from the butt of the glock and walked a few more steps towards the van. As he got within ten feet of the van he looked across and could see two men in the front and could see the divider between the front and the back. As he stood on the edge of the street looking down the road for cars he turned as if to cross the road his back towards the ditch along the two lane byway. He raised his hand towards the driver and took a step towards the other side of the roadway. He had barely picked his foot up to take a step and he heard a sound from behind him. As his head turned he felt the knife go deep into his back and out his chest. The scimitar blade slicing through the back and under the ribcage cutting organs and nerve tissue as it made its path through the young mans body. A hand across the mouth stifled the scream and the driver ran over and pulled his hand away from his gun. A random shot now could destroy the whole mission. This was a mission of stealth. They must get to the home undetected only then could they catch the entire family asleep and slit their throats as they lay in bed. This man had the luck of the devil and must not have a chance to fight back. They pulled the officers body back to the cruiser and sat it in the drivers seat and leaned his head forward just as if he had fallen asleep. They turned off the cruiser lights so as not to attract anymore attention. The van pulled up the road and into the Tanner drive. They pulled off the gravel road so the van was partially hidden by a tree they were going to walk from the bottom of the driveway to the house. The eleven assassins grabbed their gear and exited the van. They grouped by the back van door and checked the AK and their side arms as they could in the darkness. A red filtered flashlight illuminated the magazines and sidearms in a eerie red light as they loaded the magazines and pulled the bolts back on the AK. They were all ready and the light was turned off as they began walking up the drive way and split into three sections. Two three men teams would take the left side of the road and the largest expanse of field, one team of three would take the right side and a two man team would take the main road. The men walked up the main roadway until the came to an old truck the Tanner man had put out for sale. It was to bad he had not done so earlier laughed one of the men as he would never see the money for it he said quietly. The groups stood beside the small pickup and broke off into the smaller groups heading towards the house and crossing the hundred or so yards between them and the family they were there to kill.
JT lay in bed and slept peacefully his wife had drifted off to sleep only a few minutes before. JT dreamed of his boyhood in the country and the quiet and peaceful times. He dreamed of his now dead mother and father. He was talking to her she was trying to tell him something but this horn would not stop blowing. Over and over the incessant sound of the horn and his mother trying to shout over it. She was shouting and waving as the horn blared on. He tried to get closer to her but it was as if his feet were buried in mud. She was fading now leaving like a specter but he could make out now it was like as she became more transparent the louder she became. WAKE UP! JT was awake in bed and took a few seconds to get his bearings but then could hear the alarm for the cameras and he threw back the covers and ran downstairs. He had a bad feeling as he took the steps three at a time heading down to the basement. He landed at the computer an replayed the last few minutes. The video made his heart sink. Several men with weapons. He looked at the time and although it seemed like the alarm had been going on for some time it had only been 30 seconds. He dashed up the basement stairs and up the interior steps to the bed rooms. He opened his sons door and was surprised to find he was awake.
“I heard the alarm and you running down stairs, I assumed it was not good news.” Dan said getting dressed.
“nope we have company. Get your sister awake and get to my room with the 30-30 and your XDM.” His dad said in a sharp and quick reply.
JT headed back towards his and his wife’s bedroom at the front of the house. Before entering the room he looked back down the hall and could see his son going into his sisters room.
“no Lights” He shouted quietly. His son nodded.
He moved into his room and shook his wife awake she was fully awake and sitting up quickly. JT told her what was one the video as he pulled pants up and boots on his bare feet. She was shaking the sleep from her head as she grabbed a pair of Jeans from a hamper and pulled them up and grabbed a t shirt. Dan and Nora arrived soon after as JT was grabbing the shotgun from under the bed and XDM out of his drawer. He shoved two magazines in his front pocket. He now had his security six and three 16 round magazines for the XDM. He also had the 20 gauge mossberg and about 20 rounds on the bandolier her grabbed.
“Nora and Anne downstairs into the basement. Shoot anyone who is not me or Dan that tries to come down the stairs.” JT said as he was heading out the doorway. “Dan I need you up here until I am outside. I am going to turn the outdoor lights on and that will give me about 25 yards or so of light for shooting. Then protect the backdoor and your mother and sister.” Dan nodded.
“I am not going to do and hide while this house is attached” Anne said
“Neither am I dad. They had taken this to our door step and now they can face us all.” Nora said defiantly.
“dammit I am trying to keep you from having to kill someone, this is not going to end well no matter how we come out of it. There are several men coming to kill us all.” JT said angrily.
Anne walked over and touched his face. “Yes. We know but now this had come here and we cannot sit by and allow you to face it all. We are a family and we will fight as a family.” Anne said as she kissed him.
He resigned himself that he was not going to change anyone’s mind and he did not have more time to try now. “alright, Nora grab the Schmidt Rubin out of the closet and get at the window with your brother, no one shoot until they are within the light. It will be hard to say they were not coming here if they are that close. Anne the bottom of the stairs the back door. Shoot anyone that comes in that door. If they get in come back up here with the kids they have extra guns and ammo.”
Nora and Dan knelled at the front windows and pulled back the curtains sliding the windows up quietly. Dan quietly loaded the Marlin lever action 30-30 working the lever quietly as Nora slid a magazine into place and pulled the straight pull bolt action back. She had shot the K31 many times before and she was dead on with the diopter set that her dad had somehow manged to order from some Swiss firm. JT was down the stairs and towards the backdoor looking over his shoulder to see his wife standing at the base of the stairs with her handgun pointed down the hallway at him. She held it down and as he moved out the back door he could see she raised the gun. JT said a silent prayer that the Lord would keep his family safe. He was going to try and take all these men out. They had come to his home and now they would not be allowed to leave. He needed to get to the garage and turn the outside lights on from the switch inside the door. It would hopefully startle them and give him time to kill some of them. He left the shotgun leaning against one of the massive planters he had built for his wife. He had loaded the first 5 rounds with slugs. JT hunched down as he made his way to the garage some 20 feet away and then he listened. The sounds of footsteps moved closer to his position. It sounded like several men were coming up his side of the hill. He thought back and it seemed that there were maybe eight or nine men on the screen so if two or three were coming in front of the garage then the rest were coming up the road and the other hill in front of the house. He could hear the shuffling steps move closer.
The three terrorists who had walked up the right side of the road were moving closer to the garage and spread out about five feet apart. They could clearly make out the house now and the doors on the garage as they moved closer. The darkness hide them as they moved in getting closer to their objective.
JT peered into the darkness and looked for any movement, he could just make out what appeared to be three shadows in the darkness moving across the top of the hill coming to the garage. If the others were walking the same they would be approaching the house soon. He needed to wait until they were as close as possible. The XDM was held in his right hand and held a 16 round magazine complete with Hornady Zombie max 9mm ammo. He stifled a laugh. In another instance it would be comical. The kids had picked up 50 rounds for him for Christmas. He had shot about 5 rounds and liked the way it felt so he loaded his main magazine for the XDM with it. JT bowed his head as he tightened his fingers on the light switch. Another time that he must fire his gun in defense “Lord help my aim be true and that of my children and my wife.”
Dan and Nora waited for the lights to come on and illuminate the hillside. They would try and pick off as many as they could see as soon as the light dispersed the darkness and showed the people who had come to kill them. Both looked at each other and then Dan back through the scope of the lever action 30-30 and her through the diopter of the Schmidt Rubin K31,
JT flipped the switch and the world was bathed in light. He could see three men dressed in black walking up the hillside about 15 feet away. He raised the gun and fired striking the man closet to his squarely in the chest with two rounds. The man went down and JT could see both of the other men still trying to get their vision adjusted as they leveled the two AK's in his direction. He moved his hand to the left and fired again hitting the second man in the shoulder a second round hitting the middle of the chest, JT adjusted and shot a third shot that hit directly over the heart as the man spun to his left and went down. He fired two more shots hitting the third man before the terrorist was able to pull the trigger on the AK and spit out five or six rounds in JT's direction. JT ducked around the corner of the garage and held close against the wall. He took a quick look and could see two men further down the road and six men over in front of the house and were about as close the 3 he had encountered. All of the men were now stopped as the surprise the fact they had lost the element of surprise but were now under fire themselves in a surprise attack. JT looked carefully around the corner and could see the man was down to his knees trying to level the AK. JT shot him twice as he collapsed onto his side. He turned to his right backed up against the garage and fired on the two men in the driveway as he ran towards them and the cover of the large planter closest to him. He fired off two more rounds hitting one of the men low in the abdomen as he saw him him double over before JT ducked behind the planter. He raised up quickly and fired 3 more quick rounds and then was hit by a barrage of fire back at him. He was happy to have spent the extra money on the reinforced concrete and re-bar. As he was taking fire he heard the sound of shots being fired from the house and looked over to see several rounds come from the second floor windows.
Dan and Nora saw the lights come on and took a few seconds to line up shots. The men were just outside the range their father had set and they had not fired yet so they waited. Shots rang out to the left of the house and they knew their Dad had intercepted some of the terrorists. The men in front of the house moved forward up the hill and into the light. They could see six men directly in front of the house and they could make out what looked like two men walking up the driveway. They both took notice as the men seemed to be watching something to their left and knew something was happening. The men starting firing towards the garage a volley of rounds could be heard hitting the side of the garage and the planters in front of the house.
“choose a target and make it count and then fire at will. I have the man on the far right.” Dan said loud enough to be heard over the shooting. Nora looked over and nodded and then sighted in the man farthest to her left.
Dans first shot hit one the dark clad man mid stride catching him in the side under his raised arm tearing through his heart and dropping him where he stood. Dan worked the lever and fired at the next man in line and hit him in the left shoulder spinning him around. Nora fired and took out the man farthest to the left with a head shot. She knew better but she also knew she could hit a skeet at 100 yards. She pulled the straight pull bolt and fired again at the next man dropping him with another head shot. The two remaining men began to fire at the house tearing into the brick exterior. Dan and Nora both ducked as the rounds tore into the windows. When the initial barrage finished Dan knelt back up and fired two more rounds towards the closest targets. As he was working the lever several rounds tore through the top of the window and sent Dan to the floor. Nora screamed and went to her brothers side praying that he had not been hit badly. She moved quickly to his side staying low and took hold of his shoulder and turned him on his back. There was blood all over his face.
Dan saw the kids shooting at the men close to them and he was sure that Nora was taking head-shots, she was a tad to sure of herself with that damn rifle he thought. Of course so far she had not missed so complaining might have to wait until another time. He had dropped one magazine and slide another one in place and was about to fire on the two men in the drive way when he heard the 30-30 fire again and then more shots back towards the house and he was sure he could hear a scream from Nora. His mind raced for a brief moment had they hit his daughter or was that for Dan and Nora screamed because he was hit. He could not think that way now there were still four men who if he let them would kill them all without question. Dan had used up the zombie magazine and now had two more filled with golden saber. As he let the slide drop on the fresh magazine he raised up his body shielded behind the planters up to his waist and fired five rounds at the two men in the driveway now shooting at the house. His first rounds connected and dropped one of the men transecting the neck as the other continued to fire and move back behind the cover of his blazer. He silently cursed as he fired towards his beloved truck. He did not see any indications that he hit the second man as he fired several rounds towards the last two men in front of the house making them duck towards the house to be away from the gun shots out of the windows. Dan could not see them men as they planted themselves in the front wall of the house so he scooted in between the planters and tried to get an angle to shoot down the front of the house. He leaned out and could see the shoulder of one of the men and fired.
Simon moved behind the truck and around towards the rear. He was now one of three left from the attack. They had not caught the man by surprise but had been caught off guard themselves. He was the chosen he would finish them all if he had to on his own. He would not let the Imam down. He could not go back in defeat. He rounded the passenger rear of the truck and could see the infidel trying to fire on his brothers. He was just about to fire as Simon raised the rifle and fired a shot.
JT began to fire the round as he caught site of the next assassin and as he depressed the trigger the gun exploded and he turned with the round and went back behind the planter box. He was momentarily stunned as he looked down at the pieces of what used to be the XDM. He then held up his right hand and worked the fingers. They were all they and they all moved but they stung like crazy. The man from behind the truck he thought as rounds hit the planter from that direction. JT was angry now. He had not followed that man and shot him when he should have but let his attention go to the men nearer the house. He grabbed the shotgun by the fore-grip and slid it back quickly. It was a classic sound from any movie or for that matter when ever a shotgun was racked. JT came up and fire several of the slugs into the passenger rear panel of his truck now not caring if he had to blow the thing up but he would damn well not be shot from behind it again. He walked towards the vehicle and fired two more rounds and then loaded several of the 00 buck 20 gauge rounds and moved to the back of the passenger side. He looked around the vehicle and then behind him and the man was gone. He made sure his feet were hidden behind the wheel so as not to make a target if the man tried shooting under the vehicle. He moved down the drivers side slowly. He saw the man take a run for the planters as he moved to the front of the truck. He fired on him and then he was gone behind the nearest planter. The two men were making their way towards the edge of the house and towards the front door. They stood out from the front door and fired through the door. He fired on the two and knocked the one closet to him off balance and received a string of shots for his troubles and then another volley. He could hear the other man firing on the door tearing through the tough oak door. JT was pinned down and unable to return fire as the two men kept him unable to return and fired through the door and into his home.
Nora looked down at Dan grabbed a pillow case and wiped the blood away from his eyes and mouth. She was looking trying to find where he had been shot.
“would you please stop that you are not getting my room, I got cut by the glass.” Dan said with a hint of annoyance.
Nora smiled and finally found a nasty gash to his forehead at the hairline that was bleeding profusely. She put pressure on the wound and she felt him grimace. He took his hand and held the cloth to his head.
“Check on Dad. There were four left.” She nodded grabbed the 30-30 and looked out the window and could not see anything or anyone. Just then a torrent of shots came through the front door and she heard her mom yell out. She ran into the hall and down the steps meeting her mother retreating up a few steps out of the way of the rounds. Nora ran down the stairs and cut over into the living room during a slight lull during the incoming rounds. She ran to the middle of the room and sighted below the scope. The dovetail sights were still able to be used and she leveled them at the man who was shooting towards the door. She fired the 30-30 and saw the man stop in mid action. It looked like he was trying to pull the trigger but nothing was happening. She could see him turn and look through the curtains and his eyes grew wide as he she knew he saw her. She worked the lever and fired again knocking him on his back. She moved towards the entrance to the living room and could see the man see assumed was firing on her father and fired a third round and hit the man in the shoulder and ejected the round and was ready to fire again. Click. Damn she was out and he was spinning around firing into the window. She ducked and ran towards the steps. Her mother stopped at the bottom and fired through the window. The alternating 45 colt and 410 shotgun rounds sending the shooter ducking and then she could see she hit him as he stumbled backwards.
JT reached into the back of the front seat and grabbed the ranch hand shooting from the hip fired 6 rounds at the man standing firing into the front window. He hit the man in the back spinning him around and then again and again as he stumbled back and fell into the window. JT could hear the sirens in the distance and hoped that this was the end of this attack. He knew one of the men had escaped behind the planters and he fired a few rounds from the shotgun but go now response.
Simon was sitting behind one of the large planters unsure how to proceed. The last two members of his team were killed and now he had to kill this dog of a man. He could not fall . The Imam had given him something if he found himself in this position. He pulled the hand grenade from his pocket and held it in his right hand. He had kept this a complete secret. Gun were easily accessible but they had to find the right man who had access to military hardware and who could make things disappear with no paper trail or a paper trail that showed they were sent overseas. They had very few and he was honored that the Imam would trust him with one. He pulled the pin and pitched it over towards the truck but it landed on the passenger side. Simon cursed and then stopped as he saw JT moving forward across the front of the vehicle. JT saw something flying towards the truck as he made his way around the front and he heard the thud as something hit the ground. He took a step and he could see a small round object his eyes going wide as his mind knew what it was. He turned and was able to make three good steps before the explosion. JT was knocked over and rolled towards the driveway. His ears rang and his body hurt. He shook his head and looked towards the planters. Simon stood up and fired the several rounds from the AK striking around the feet of the downed man. He started to fire again and nothing happened the pin fell on an empty chamber. Simon dropped the rifle and pulled the pistol from his hip holster. Dan was starting to be able to hear and he was looking for the ranch hand. He spied the small rifle many feet away and he turned back towards the last remain assassin. His right hand was under him and he could move it ever so slightly he could feel the security six. He wrapped his hand around it . Simon could see him moving and fired a round near his feet.
“that is enough. I am the chosen one and I am here to send you to hell. I am here to give you what you deserve.” Simon said as he walked closer. “once you are dead none will challenge us... the righteous warriors. “
JT made a dismissive sound through his nose and stayed still. If he was going to die he was going to die shooting. If this guy started to pull the trigger he was going to pull the security six and try and get off one clear shot.
“you scoff at your own doom. Allah Ackbar,” Simon said as he raised the gun pointing it at JT's head. His finger began to depress the trigger and then... He screamed a loud piercing scream. The gun went off and hit wide to the left of JT. Simon looked down and clamped onto his calf was a large white dog. Blood was already drooling out of the holes in his pants as the large dog shook his head digging his teeth in deeper. Simon used the gun and smacked the head again and again trying to dislodge the beast. He turned the gun down and fired once twice three times into the animal before the vise-like grip released. He stumbled back to the planter behind him grabbing it with both hands so as not to fall his eyes looking down as the wound to his leg, His mind came back to where he was and what was happening and looked to where his prey had been.
JT was surprised as he saw the man fighting with something around his leg and then he knew chaos had clamped onto the mans calf. The assassin was beating chaos with the gun and JT started to pull the security six. He then heard the first shot and was enraged. He did not have to see he knew what had happened and he was to his feet quickly and began to run towards the wreckage of his old vehicle. He had never understood what people talked abut when they say red they were so angry he was past that. All he saw was red. He now accepted his place in all of this. He would kill them all starting with this one. He spied the Gerber brush cutter embedded in the small sapling close to the wreckage. The gun was forgotten what was needed now was something medieval. He did not want to kill this man. He wanted to destroy him. JT grabbed the handle holding it as if he were throwing a discus and ran towards him as he staggered back against the planter.
Nora walked out the front tattered front door and carefully looked around the XDM leading the way. There had been very few shots and then the loud scream. She saw a man against the planter holding onto it a dark gun in his right hand and she saw her dad running with something in his hand.
JT jumped placed his foot on the side of the planter wall and was airborne coming from the side of Simon. The blade slicing through the air striking on the side of his neck slicing through it as JT descended back to earth with the blade in his hand. Raising his arms like a conquering gladiator he bellowed a scream at the top of his lungs as the sheriff topped the rise in his truck. Nora would remember later this was the point her father could not come back from. He continued to roar as he turned towards the truck with his arms still in the air and blood running down the blade of the defiled weed trimmer.