The New Brotherhood
23
Things were quiet for awhile after the men left. The hunting parties and patrols picked up tracks here and there but saw no one until they came upon a trap that had been sprung. The blood was evidence that something big had been caught and escaped somehow so they followed the drag tracks to make sure whatever it was was dead and before long reached the edge of the woods behind a two story house where the blood trail changed and was joined by 3 and 1/2 sets of footprints leading up to the house. The group retreated deeper into the shelter of the woods to keep watch while 2 went back to Sanctuary to get help. ***** "Sounds like the Marshall place but Brian told me before Thanksgiving they had stopped at the Sheriff's Office to let him know they were moving to Florida and wouldn't be back." Andy said when Bill told him what they'd found. "We know there's at least 4 people there counting the injured man. We need to assume there are more and that they're armed so we proceed with caution." "Danny take a truck up to the shack and pick up the patrols then follow the road down until you get to the bend before the Corbin House, the Marshall place is on this side of the road about a mile up. The rest of us will take the back trail to the house." "We should get there about the same time but wait for the signal before you make yourself known. I'll fire 1 shot and say "This is Sheriff Gordon. You're trespassing. Come out with your hands up." if you don't hear the right answer or you see anything that looks wrong move in quick." ***** "Tom, you and Steve move to where you can see the road and let me know when Danny and the others get in place then move into a position that will let you fire at anyone who tries to run out the side door or down the stairs without making yourselves a target. The rest of you spread out and cover the windows. I'll take the back door." "Hold your fire until you get the order." ***** "Yo in the house." "This is Sheriff Gordon. You're trespassing. Come out with your hands up." Andy waited a moment when he got no answer he fired 2 shots through the window beside the back door. "You are surrounded on all sides, come out now or we'll come in shooting." The answer this time was a shot from an upstairs window. Someone returned the shot and the window shattered as the body of a boy fell through it and hit the ground. More gunfire was exchanged and then the signal was given to move in. Andy ran forward and then dove for the porch firing his pistol. He kicked the door in as he pulled the trigger on the assult rifle; a moment later the front door crashed and gun fire was exchanged. Two others followed Andy onto the porch and covered him as he ducked inside weapon ready taking down a woman who was crotching behind a table with a gun. A short exchange of gunfire came from the Living room and they heard" Living room clear". "Kitchen clear." he called back as they moved forward clearing each room until the words "All clear down here" rang out. A few minutes later they moved cautiously up the stairs leaving two to guard the basement door as they were climbing they heard a door bang open and then gunfire from outside. They searched the upstairs in the same way and encountered more gunfire, then as they approached the last room someone shouted. ***** "There are women and children in here. I'll kill them I swear I will." "For what purpose? Then you'd die anyway. Come out while you still have a chance. Even if you manage to kill 1 or 2 of us trying to escape you'll still end up face down in the mud." "Send them out and surrender. It's your only chance." Gunfire sounded and a child screamed "Momma." "There's your answer" they heard as they kicked the door in. The shooter hesitated for just a split second and Danny fired. He fell. ***** Besides the women that had been executed there was another woman and 7 children, one an infant. The woman was big with child and the children looked sick. Several were injured. How many are there?" Andy asked the woman while Dragon checked the children out. ***** "11, I think, there are 2 of our men chained up in the basement. The bodies of the rest were thrown in the cars and left to rot on the road where we were ambushed. "You 4 get them ready to move to the truck along with our wounded. The rest of you follow me." Danny said. ***** "If the woman can be trusted and she's not just pretending she was a hostage to save her own skin there are at least 2 hostiles missing and 2 male hostages in the basement. How do you want to proceed?' "These might help," Danny said handing Bill a knapsack. "We found them behind the couch." "Smoke bombs, tear gas, and masks. That should do it." Bill said opening the door a crack and throwing the cylinder then they quickly put on the masks or covered their faces and stepped back. A moment later the door burst open ***** When the smoke cleared they covered each other and decended the steps. The hostages had had their throats slit and the room was empty. The battle was ended. ***** "Take the children and our injured down to the infirmary and then return with the digger and 2 trucks so we can gather and bury the dead including the ones who were left in the discarded automobiles up the road. Danny and the others will take the prisonors and the woman down for questioning in the 2nd truck.".
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