The Ostara Skirmish
19
"Are these what I think they are?" Meggie asked coming up from the root cellar where they'd gone to collect some potatoes and other winter vegetables and canned things for the kitchen. She handed me some bulbs and seed packs they had found in a crate of shredded papers. "They're early spring flowers and vegetables - crocus, daffodil, snow babies, herbs, asparagus, and some others I can't even remember, the list should be in the box somewhere. They're usually going in the ground about now up on the ridge or under tarps and the old window panes I keep in the shed. I'd forgotten all about them. Why don't you give them to Mike; maybe he can find some place sheltered to plant them, Goddess willing we may get some shoots to sprout. It would be a blessing to have fresh flowers for Easter and Ostara." ***** "Can we join you, or were you discussing business?" Abe said pushing Missy and Tee-Tee up to the table. "Want MeMa." Tee-Tee screamed trying to get free. "Of course, but I thought you 3 usually ate dinner with your grand mother. Come to think of it I haven't seen Mother Judy in a day or so. I hope she's not feeling poorly too." I answered, lifting the baby onto my lap. "No she's fine but with Ms Cora down sick she's decided to stay in the cabin with her. She sent a message though that someone named Ben says we should make a trip up on the ridge and get the ground ready if we can. I have a feeling she's being criptic again." "In case you don't know, Ms Cora has Terminal Cancer. Ben was her husband; he died last year and to be perfectly honest we never expected her to last this long. I personally think she was holding on waiting for you to get here and take over with your grandmother." ***** "Did Bobby tell you what they found up on the east slope? Danny said sitting down. ***** "John & Wes say the tracks are from at least 4 different people all wearing military issue boots and they have dogs - but they're not hunters. The deer they found butchered was killed with a single head shot and cut up right where it was dropped; the carcass just left for the wild animals. The tracks led off in the direction of town and the abandoned rails." "We're taking a squad up that way tomorrow to see what we can find. Wes told Andy to make sure whoever goes is well trained because if these people are exmilitary they may shoot first and ask questions later." "Well, you men would know more about that then I do, I just pray The Goddess will keep everyone safe. Abe, if you and Missy are going to be here a while I'll take a tray on over to the cabin for the ladies. I want to speak to Mother Judy anyway." ***** "That grave not be for Cora, Ms Jo. Her gonna be pretty near alrigh in bout a week or so. Ben not comin to meet her til them roses bloomin. We needs that grave for one the men who goin out tomorrow, an no iffin Your Lady want you to kno who her tell you." "Ben say him an some the others up ther on that ridge been watchin an guardin an them be som real bad men up ther in tha ole tunnel; he say we has to finish with them afor anymore joins them or we lose lot more then one person." "Is there no way to stop this? "There always be another way but this be the way that gonna save the mos peoples. Your Lady dun tol you 4 gonna dies - the firs be tomorrow. I's sorry but the children coming sos we's need to talk bout somthin else; this talk be for us only." At dawn 10 men left for the east slope where the abandoned tracks were and began their trex up the mountain towards the collapsed rail tunnel. ***** They weren't out of site of Sanctuary but maybe 4 or 5 miles when they heard a gun shot directly ahead of them. Brian, a former Special Forces Major, signaled the men to spread out and go silent. Ahead of them 3 men in quasi-military dress were busy butchering a deer and weren't paying attention. Roy, Brian, and Bobby circled around behind them while the rest covered them. When everyone was in position Bobby unleashed an arrow and took the first man down , at the same moment Brian lept forward and slit the throat of the second then rolled and threw his knife burying it into the chest of the third man as an arrow went into his throat before he had a chance to scream. ***** "Are they military, Dad?"Bobby asked in a voice just barely above a whisper. "Militia probably, from the looks of the Tatts I'd say part of the Brotherhood." "They're well armed whoever they are. This is an assault rifle but hidden under his jacket that way I'd say he wasn't figuring on needing it: a soldier would have had it ready and waiting, regardless.They're also all carrying pistols but no extra ammo and the uniforms aren't military issue." Wes added. "Take their weapons now but leave them, we'll take care of the bodies later. I'd say their camp's not far; they're not wearing snow gear and they were cutting the meat to carry back in those knapsacks." John said pointing. "I agree. Spread out and go silent. Keep the men on your flanks in your sight and be ready with your bows as well as your weapons, no point in announcing ourselves until we have to. It won't be long before those 3 start being missed. John and I will take point." Brian finished wiping his blade on the dead man's clothes and stood up. ***** We'd been following the tracks the men had left for about an hour when Brian signaled a halt. He pointed at the smoke from a campfire that burned at the mouth of the tunnel about 600 yards ahead of us and raised 3 fingers. Then he pointed up and raised 2 more. We all looked. Above the entrance were 2 men with assault rifles standing watch behind an outcrop of rock. The men in front of the entrance were eating and talking; their weapons laying casually beside them. The absence of any loose rock clearly told us they had not tried clearing the tunnel which meant it only extended abut 10 feet in until you hit solid rock. ***** We'd just begun moving again when the dogs raised their heads growling and began straining at their chains. One man ducked inside as the dogs were unleashed. "So much for surprise." Stu mumbled unleashing an arrow into the chest of a massive black dog as it leapt at John's throat then, swinging his rifle up, he finished the job. "Pick your shots." Brian yelled dropping a scraggly long haired man running towards them. The dogs were killed but not before one had sunk its teeth into Matt's leg. Another man was dropped and the others quickly retreated into the shelter of the tunnel leaving him moaning on the ground. We moved forward slowly but quickly realized we had to get a better angle on the men above the entrance or we'd be picked off before we could accomplish what we needed to do. Brian and 2 others took assault rifles and moved steathly off into the shadows to find a better angle while the rest of us tried to keep their attention. ***** After what seemed like an eternity we heard a turkey gobble and we knew the men were in position. A moment later we heard gunshot and a scream; one man fell landing in front of the mouth of the tunnel. When the gunfire started above them the ones on the ground took advantage of the distraction and moved out guns blazing. Roy dropped his bow and drew his knife taking down a man who charged out of the tree line where he'd been hiding and the firing stopped. "All clear on top," Carrie yelled as a body hit the ground. ***** "We can use this," Wes said handing Brian a bottle of whiskey he had taken from the pocket of a dead man. "Isn't it a bit early to celebrate?" Bobby joked humorously ripping a long strip of material from the shirt of a nearby body. "Someone needs to get close enough to make sure it gets inside the cave before it explodes. It has to be someone who can get in and get out fast or they could get caught in the back draft." "I will go, The Great Spirit has appointed the task to me." John Long Feather said reaching for the Moletove Cocktail. "We need someone younger and faster," Stu said shaking his head. "I'll go." "No!" Roy said. "Let Long Feather go. It is as it should be." Brian spoke standing up. "The Ancesters guide you on your journey, Grand Father Chief." he said placing his hand over his heart and then on John's chest. "I'll go wait for the others." Roy said walking away. ***** John released the homemade bomb but instead of trying to escape he just stood there - watching.The bottle went high and for a moment looked like it was going to overshoot the entrance but then it seemed to drop before propelling itself forward and landing true inside the entrance. A final gun shot sounded and flames burst out of the entrance as John's body fell. "I can't see any blood, but he's clutching something in his hand." Carrie said bending over John Long Feather to pry his fingers open as the others began moving carefully towards the tunnel to make sure everyone inside was dead. "The others will be here soon with the sleds, they stopped to pick up the bodies in the woods and cover up the evidence." Roy said walking up with his brother and kneeling down beside their Grand Father. "Roy, this was in his hand." Carrie said holding out the bullet. ***** "Ms Jo sent word we need to get everything useful out of the tunnel including any papers we might find in some cubby hole on the back wall, then put all the bodies in there before we dynamite it shut forever and Dragon tells me Matt and Pete will both be fine" Andy said when the sleds arrived. "I presume this is what she's refering to." Brian said holding up a pouch, "and the supplies and other things we found are over there waiting to be loaded." "You'd be surprised how loud thoughts can be if you listen hard enough." "We'll be ready as soon as the Long Feathers finish calling their Grand Father's Spirit back so we can carry it home to Sanctuary with his body." he finished. ***** "Ms Jo, may I come in? White Eagle said knocking on the door about an hour after the men had left. "Of course, I was coming to look for you in a few minutes anyway. Can I get you something?" I asked, knowing why she was there. "Thank you. I've also asked David, Abraham, and Andy to join us and Ron will be here too, as soon as he retrieves the bundle he's looking for. They need to go meet the others to help bring the Waushino Chaska home." "I's here too, My Jesus dun tol me no women be llowed in ceremony so I jus here to help sen the prayers." Mother Judy said hobbling in supported by Amy and Beth. She was followed by the men. "You gonna need this too." Mother Judy said handing Ron the deer skin robe White Eagle had stitched for her as a Christmas gift as the men were leaving. "It not be fittin for a chief to meet The Great Father with out his robes an such." "We'll have everything ready by the time you return" White Eagle added and followed the men out.
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