JAA Ch. 01: Aftermath

Michelle turned to see Rudy dragging another body from behind the barricade. The body was limp and smaller than the girl George covered.

"Jan!" the girl screamed and tried to run to the body.

"You stay here," Michelle yelled.

Michelle ran to Rudy's side and knelt down beside the small body. Rudy let go and ran back around the barricade. The shooting was still going on, as were screams of pain and snarling of dogs. Michelle pressed her fingers to the young girl's neck and found a strong rapid pulse.

"You can open your eyes now," Michelle said with a smile on her face. "No one is going to hurt you anymore."

Pretty blue eyes slowly appeared from under the eyelids of the young girl. When she saw Michelle's' smiling face, she closed them again.

"I'm telling you the truth no one or thing will hurt you. That includes me and the dogs."

"I don't believe you."

"Why would I lie?"

"They did."

"And as you can hear the dogs are punishing them for lying to you."

Her little head cocked slightly as she listened to the screams coming from the other side of the barricade. She then sat up quickly and hugged Michelle. Michelle hugged her back and rose holding the child to her as she walked back to the hummer. George had the tailgate down and the other girl sitting on it wrapped in a blanket.

Michelle lowered Jan down on the tailgate next to her big sister. She put the safety on her weapon and lay it down on the tailgate of the hummer. She then looked over Jan.

"Did those others hurt you, do anything to you?" Michelle asked.

"No, they pretty much left me alone. They did hurt my sister, I heard her screaming."

Michelle moved over in front of the older child.

"What's your name sweetheart?"

"Helen."

"How old are you Helen?"

"Nineteen."

"Did they hurt you?

"Yes," she said softly. She started to cry. Michelle wrapped her arms around her and hugged her. Jan stood up and hugged her sister.

The firing had stopped and both dogs came back to the hummer, their muzzles covered in blood. Cappy and Waylon were now behind the barricade. George took a rag from the back of the hummer and cleaned the blood off the dogs. They both sat looking up at the children, well child, and her adult sister.

"Why are they looking at us?" Jan asked.

"They love children. They like to play and give children kisses. Here I'll show you."

Michelle knelt down with the dogs and started to praise them, both dogs became excited, licking her face as she hugged them to her. Jan giggled as she watched. Helen smiled at the animal's antics.

"They were only saving you from whoever was back there. They would never hurt you," Michelle told the girls.

Just to prove the point Sunny ducked out of Michelle's grasp and placed her feet on either side of Helen's legs looking her straight in the eye. Sunny then leaned her head forward and licked Helen's cheek. She then placed her head on Helen's shoulder next to Helen's head. Helen just could not help herself, her arms came up and hugged Sunny.

Jan looked down at Rudy and patted her legs. Rudy was up in her face immediately, licking her cheeks, her nose, her mouth, her neck. Jan was giggling and turning and twisting to keep the dog's tongue away from her face.

"Rudy, out!" Michelle said, softly.

Rudy stopped, got down and sat next to Michelle. Jan was still giggling as she watched Rudy sit there. Sunny turned and looked at Michelle. Michelle pointed at the ground beside her and Sunny got down and sat beside Michelle where she had pointed.

Waylon and Cappy came walking up to the hummer. Waylon kept going on past to one of the deuce and a half's further back in the line. Cappy stopped, smiling at the girls.

"Who have we here?"

"These two say they were grabbed not two hours ago by those behind the barricade," Michelle told him.

"Those men hurt my sister," Jan told Cappy.

"Jan shut up, you don't have to tell everyone you meet," Helen scolded.

"Jan I'm glad you told me, but you don't have to tell anyone else okay?"

"Okay."

"And you are young lady?" Cappy asked Helen, while he waved Michelle to silence as she started to answer for her.

"Helen, sir."

"You don't have to call me Sir Helen, Cappy will be just fine."

"Okay."

"Are you okay for now?"

"Yes, I guess so."

"Are you hungry, cold, tired?"

"Yes to all of them, si...Cappy."

"Jan how about you?"

"I'm cold, hungry and tired."

"Okay then, George, get them back to a bus. The one with Vivian I would think. And maybe you and the kids can move back there with them. Sunny, go with George."

Sunny's ears perked up and she looked to George.

"Kids? You have other kids on these buses?" Jan asked excitedly.

"Sure do," Cappy told her as he helped her off the tailgate.

"Oh goody!" Jan exclaimed taking George's hand.

"Come Sunny," George told the dog. "Come on Helen there are some people on that bus your age too."

Helen smiled slightly at that information as she scooted off the tailgate.

"Did you find out what they did to her?" Cappy asked Michelle.

"No."

"Maybe you should go with and fill in Vivian, we'll wait until you get back."

"Good idea."

Michelle went running after George and the kids. Waylon came over to Cappy and looked at him questioningly.

"Did anyone survive back there?"

"There was one, he told me some interesting things that will be coming up on our route down south."

"Like what?"

"A hundred miles or so further on is another barricade that's at an underpass. He said they try to kill everyone wanting to get past and take whatever they may have in the way of possessions and food."

"Do you believe him?"

"I don't know, but I don't think they would be a problem for us. I think they will be looking for people on foot mostly."

"We'll take a look at a map, there may be a way around them."

"Around what?" Michelle asked as she came back from talking with Vivian.

"Nothing..." Cappy's voice, drowned out by a deuce and a half roaring up to them, screeched to a halt beside them. This truck had a large plow on the front.

Cappy waved his hand over his head and pointed at the barricade. The driver nodded and slowly moved until the plow was up against the barricade. He then engaged the clutch all the way and pushed most of the barricade out of the way. They were now able to drive past easily.

"You think twelve of us would do?"

"More than enough," Waylon answered.

"What? What's going on?"

"Nothing, could you go get Linda and have her come up here full kit?"

"Sure but, what's going on?"

"Go little lady."

Michelle huffed off and headed back the way she had come. Waylon too started to walk back along the line of vehicles. As he passed certain ones, he signaled with his hands, individuals exited them and hurried to the front of the column.

By the time, Michelle and Linda had gotten to the front of the column there were two hummers, one military humvee, and a civilian version humvee. Two of Waylon's marines were mounting fifty caliber machine guns on the top of the vehicles. Michelle just knew they were going on a scouting patrol without her.

"Michelle..." Cappy started as another military humvee pulled up. "Michelle you'll ride in that vehicle."

"I'm going with you!"

"No, you're not. George control your wife for me?"

"He's..."

"Michelle!" She stopped mid-sentence at her husband's shout. Her shoulders slumped and her chin sank to her chest.

"I know you want to go but give someone else a chance. Linda has yet to be out with us. It's her turn. Clear?"

"Yes, Cappy," Michelle told him ice in her voice.

"Michelle you know that's not nice," George told her softly.

She did not respond as she turned and climbed in the back of the humvee Cappy had indicated. George just shook his head and turned to go back to the bus. Cappy and Waylon climbed into their humvee with Linda and headed out, racing away from the convoy.

Waylon felt they were making good time as he led the civilian humvee on a wild ride down the interstate, there was a clear path through the wrecks, but a straight line it was not. In some places, they could really pick up speed as the road was clear but then there would be places almost clogged with debris.

"How far back do you think the convoy is?" Cappy asked.

"Probably about half an hour, we haven't been making very good time," Waylon answered him as he swerved around another pile of wrecks in the road.

Linda and Collins were sitting in the back seat looking a little green as the roller coaster ride they were getting. Johnson and Seacrest were having a good old time sliding around in the very back.

"Those dogs in the hummer back there got it cushy in the civilian model," Seacrest yelled as he laughed.

Cappy looking back at the other hummer, in his mirror could see the face of Blagen as he tried to keep up with Waylon.

Chapter 13

They sat just below the crest of a hill, the tops of their vehicles just poking above the crest. Cappy was scanning the barricade ahead with his field glasses, as was Waylon. Collins had wanted to pop the hatch and expose himself. Linda had pulled him down as Cappy was shouting a warning.

"I got one with a rifle and scope on the bridge above. He looks to be lining up a shot..." Waylon said.

"And he missed. The wind blew it twenty feet to the right and fifty feet too long. Collins hand me my rifle, it's behind your seat."

"Sure boss," Collins responded as he rummaged around.

Cappy took the rifle when Collins had found it and exited the hummer. He walked the twenty feet to the top of the hill and lay down. He uncapped the scope, pulled the bolt back and slammed a round into the chamber. Cappy then spent the next five minutes, lining up his shot on the sniper on the bridge. Waylon now had a spotting scope pressed to his eye watching the man on the bridge.

"Nine hundred fifty-two meters, wind four knots out of the east," Waylon yelled to Cappy.

After the five minutes, Cappy squeezed the trigger, got up and walked back to the hummer.

"A hit, just above the left eye," Waylon told him as he climbed in the vehicle.

"Shit I was aiming at his nose," Cappy said, as he sat down.

All of a sudden, bullets started to fall all around them. Cappy signaled Collins up into the gun turret.

"Take them out, Drake."

The fifty went to work, chattering its anger at the men shooting at its companions. The other hummer pulled up alongside and its fifty went to work also. The rounds exploded as they hit the barricade, prompting an early reply by RPGs that went astray before getting to the humvees.

A bullet impacted the glass in front of Cappy.

"Sniper?" Cappy queried Waylon.

"Yep, someone else is up there now."

Cappy climbed out of the humvee again, ran to the side of the road, and lay down behind a wreck. He scanned the bridge again with his scope and halted when he spotted the sniper. He was laying behind his fallen comrade lining up another shot on the humvee. Cappy used the same settings on his scope as the last shot and squeezed the trigger. He saw the head of the sniper pitch back as blood streamed out of the hole that had been his eye.

As Cappy rose, he noticed that Dickson and Bellamy had broken out a mortar. As Cappy slinked back to his humvee, they dropped the first round down the tube. A dull thunk reverberated between the trucks. As Cappy watched, the center of the barricade exploded sending debris flying in all directions. The second round hit with the same precision as the first just the other side of the bridge.

A white flag was waving off to the right side of the barricade. Cappy signaled Dickson to cease-fire.

"Well, should we go see what they want?" Cappy asked Waylon.

"I think they didn't expect anyone like us to come along, so I would say we probably beat the crap out of them and those left want to live instead of fight."

"Dickson, you're in charge. Okay, hit it, Waylon."

"What about Linda?"

"What about me? You heard the man 'hit it'."

Waylon shrugged his shoulders and put the vehicle in gear. Collins was still in the turret and Cappy was watching the bridge for any signs of another sniper. When they were fifty meters from the bridge, Waylon stopped and set the brake. He and Cappy climbed out staying behind their respective doors.

"Linda, you stay inside until I call you. Drake, keep us covered. Don't hesitate to shoot at anything suspicious. Seacrest, Johnson stay behind the hummer until we see what the fuck is going on."

"Affirmative," Drake answered.

Linda just shook her head. Seacrest and Johnson took a knee behind the hummer.

"Come on out, we won't shoot as long as your hands are above your head and you have no weapons," Waylon shouted.

"How do we know you won't shoot us?" a voice asked from behind the barricade.

"You are the one that waved the white flag and you started shooting at us first. We stopped when you waved the flag. You don't trust us, that's your problem. I'll just bring the rest of my troop column down here and clean you weasels out."

Silence ensued. Cappy tapped Collins on the leg. He fired a ten round burst into the barricade.

"Wait, wait, we're coming out." The flag was waving frantically as six men and five women came out from behind the barricade.

"Is that all of you?" Waylon yelled.

"All except for the children down by the stream in camp, yes."

Just then, ten children ranging in age from seventeen to four came running up behind their parents. The adults tried to shield the children from Waylon and their guns.

"Why did you fire on us?"

"We didn't, they did."

"They?"

"The ones you killed, we were their captives until you killed them."

Cappy shook his head. He had been watching several of the smaller children as Waylon spoke. They had been looking behind the barricade then quickly away.

"How many were there?"

"Just six, but they had the guns."

"I see. Just stay there." Linda was about to climb out of the humvee when Cappy waved her back.

"Keep them talking. But don't let them come here and don't go there," Cappy said softly to Waylon.

Cappy slowly faded back from his door and started slowly walking to his right around a wreck. He heard Waylon jabbering about something or other keeping everyone's attention on him. It took longer than Cappy had planned to get up over the road to the other side of the bridge works. As he slowly crept around the hill, he saw twenty men with weapons of various kinds huddled behind the barricade.

Cappy slowly crept back to the top of the road and signaled the other humvee to come as fast as they could. However, as Cappy stood there three of the armed men came over the top of the rise to the road. One of them flipped backward, blood streaming from his head, the other two ducked and started firing at Cappy.

Cappy pulled out a grenade, pulling the pin and tossing it in the general direction of the others crouched behind the barricade. The two that were back peddling down the rise, came running back up full tilt toward Cappy. He brought his M4 up and pressed the trigger spraying bullets in their direction. One of them went down due to a sniper shot the other dropped because Cappy had gotten lucky.

The grenade went off, screams of pain could hear down the hill. Cappy ran to the guardrail of the bridge and looking down on the armed men, started methodically to shoot them from his position. Cappy was surprised to find that Linda had joined him further along on the bridge and was shooting down on those men with weapons in their hands.

Waylon ran through the opening in the barricade, followed closely by Seacrest and Johnson when the first sniper shot reverberated in the distance. The group of unarmed men and women stood stock still as they ran around them to confront those behind the barricade. As they started firing the group of unarmed men, women and children fell to the ground and became still as statues.

When the three of them saw the twenty men, now looking behind them they brought their rifles up to their shoulder and slowly started to shoot the men. Waylon saw a grenade come flying into the group of men from above but none of them saw it as their attention was turning toward Waylon and the other two with him. The grenade went off before any of them could get a shot off. Through the explosion, Waylon kept firing as the explosion had not killed or incapacitated all the men.

Within seconds, fire from above joined Waylon's neutralizing the group of men. Waylon, walking so as not to expose his back to those lying on the ground, moved so he could check on the men behind the barricade. Cappy and Linda were coming down the embankment from the road above, both with their rifles to their shoulders.

Drake came through the barricade, rifle at the ready, just as the other humvee roared up and six marines jumped out to storm around the barricade. They all halted as Waylon held his hand up. All the armed men were dead from what Cappy and Linda could tell with a cursory look. Linda then went to those who were huddled on the ground.

As she went to each child, a marine covered her. Cappy walked to where Waylon conversed with one of his marines. As he approached, a man slowly rose from that group with his hands held high.

"I was telling the truth..."

"We figured that," Cappy said, "or you wouldn't be alive now. You can put your hands down but, don't make any sudden movements."

"Sure. Is it alright if I see if my wife and children are all right?"

Cappy nodded at him as Waylon stood back watching everything at once along with five of his most trusted and sharpest men. As the man bent down over a woman on the ground, she screamed as he pulled a rifle from under her body. A single shot rang out as the man tumbled to the ground dead.

"Everyone up, hands in the air and they better be empty," Waylon, shouted smoke curling from the barrel of his rifle.

The five women and five men got up their hands in the air, the children lay huddled on the ground at their parent's feet.

"Kids, get up, you won't be hurt," Linda told them.

She went to the child closest to her and gently picked the child, a young girl, up and placed her on her feet next to the adult whose feet she had been lying. She then bent to help the other child up.

"Just keep your hands out in front of you and everything will just fine." Linda looked into the eyes of the little girl as she squatted holding her hand.

"Yes ma'am," the child answered.

"Now, the rest of you get up please," Waylon, said softly.

One by one, the children rose keeping their hands out in front of them. Linda slowly backed out of the line of fire not really wanting to leave the children's side.

"You adults, are there any more of them," Waylon pointed at the man he had shot, "among you?"

"No sir, he was the last. He was among us to try to lure you around the barricade for his men to deal with. There was supposed to be one other with the kids but my boy said they overpowered him and he's tied up down by the stream," the man said, pointing toward where the children had come running from.

As the man spoke, Waylon watched the others. They all shook their heads in the appropriate places unlike when the bandit he shot was talking.

"All right, you can all put your hands down. Linda, look them over. Waylon, do we have room on one of the buses?" Cappy spoke from behind them.

"We have two empty buses. I would suggest putting some of our people on an empty one and putting this lot in with a couple of my marines, Wanda and Linda's husband Jeremy."

"Sounds good make it happen when the convoy catches up with us. You two go down to the stream and bring back whoever is tied up down there."

"Right Cappy." The two marines sprinted off down to the stream.