The Western Front: Parts 1-3 Part 15

Chapter 24.

Jake Alabama Geram slipped quietly through the thicket with the side-folding AKM. The shorter length of the folded weapon helped him avoid getting tangled up in the myriad of vines that hung from the trees. It was still an hour before dawn. He hoped the early morning approach would give him an advantage over any exhausted night watchmen.

As he made it to the edge of the tree line, he peered out at the clearing before him. Geram noted the house, the large metal building not far to the side and the fallow field beyond. From his vantage point, the place look deserted, but he had learned that looks could be deceiving.

He stayed within the tree line and slowly moved around the perimeter of the clearing. From a distance, if he could have been seen from a distance, he would have looked like some strange, tree folk moving through the forest. He had Spanish moss and small limbs woven through his vest and tied to his hat. His steps were carefully chosen and without any rhythm. He planned his movement so that he avoided snapping any errant branches on the ground. If it took him along a path that was twice as long as what it could have been, it mattered not to Geram. His goal was not to be swift in his approach, but to be alive.

The sun was just beginning its morning ritual as he finished traversing the perimeter. He had observed no signs of activity at the house or shed as he had made his way through the thickets. The windowless side of the country house that faced him was less than a hundred yards from him. He positioned himself strategically and crouched low as he prepared to burst forth from the woods to a windowless wall.

With a sudden flash, he sprang forward as fast as his muscles would allow. Each movement was fierce and strained. Geram pushed his body as hard as he could. He dashed from the woods and in between the fig trees in the clearing. He slid low as he reached the exterior wall and slapped the folding stock into its extended position. He struggled to control his breathing as he pressed his ear against the wall, listening for any sounds inside the home.

He peered around the corner at the front of the house nothing. He slid along the wall to the back and transitioned around the corner. He moved in a purposeful and efficient manner as he crept underneath the window sills to the back stoop. He stayed low as he readied himself at the door. With a sudden movement, he slammed the door open and quickly moved through the interior of the home, his barrel sweeping from corner to corner of each room before proceeding to the next. The layout of the old house was seared into his memory.

No inch was left unchecked by his deftly, precise movements.

As he finished clearing the house, he relaxed somewhat and began to focus on the minute details around him. He ran his finger along the kitchen counter and noted the thick layer of dust that blanketed it. It appeared that the house had been empty for months. He clutched his radio and simply said, "Jake."

"Go ahead."

"The house is clear. No one has been here for weeks, maybe months. I'm going to check the shed just to be sure. Hold off until you hear from me again."

Jake sat impatiently in the Bronco with Kate and Sasha. He rapped the steering wheel with his fingers as he waited to hear from Geram again. Kate broke the silence in the SUV.

"At least we know your dad made it out."

"Yeah, now we have to find a way to reach him."

The radio crackled to life again, "All clear."

Jake replied, "On my way in."

As he drove the Bronco down the long driveway to his father's country home, he noticed something had been spray painted, like graffiti, on the front door. It was a large white circle; inside the circle was the following: BLL.

H 0100 "What's that?" Kate said as she noticed the front door.

"I'm not sure."

"It's not what they put on doors after disasters, is it?"

"I don't think so; that's usually an 'X'. I'm willing to bet this is a message from the old man, we just have to figure it out."

As they pulled up to the house, Geram stepped out of the metal shed and walked over to meet them. Sasha hopped out of the back seat and stretched as she let out a whine. She bounded across the yard and to the field beyond to explore the new territory. As Jake and Kate exited the Bronco, Geram called out, "I'm going to draw some water out of the hand pump out back. I for one am ready for a warm bath."

For each bath, they brought fresh water to a boil in a large, galvanized tub over an open fire, and then took turns relaxing in the clawfoot tub in the bathroom. The power was out at the home, but the wood burning stove still functioned perfectly. After they had all bathed, they warmed some canned goods on the stove and sat down to enjoy the odd breakfast.

"So," Geram said, "the door, what do you think it means?"

"I'm sure it's a message from Dad, I'm just not sure what he's trying to say."

"Yeah, me neither."

They ate in silence for a while as they enjoyed the sense of normalcy brought on by the baths and a meal at a table. As she finished her plate, Kate got up to retrieve the percolator from the stove and topped off their cups.

"If you're going to meet someone," she said, "what all do you need to know?"

"Well," Jake said, "you need to know where to meet them."

Geram interrupted, "And when."

"Right," Kate replied, "a time and a place; that's all you need to know. That door has the time and the place. We're already pretty sure of the place though, right?"

"The landing."

"Yeah, the landing." She opened the door inward so that they could see the markings from the table.

"You're right Hun; BLL, that's Bates Lake Landing. Now we're getting somewhere."

She smiled, "We know the place, now we just need a time."

"Too easy," Geram replied, "0100 has got to be one in the morning."

Jake slammed the table with the palm of his hand as he exclaimed, "Thursday, one o'clock at the landing!" They cheered and laughed as they deciphered the message that was lovingly left for them.

"You know what this means," Geram said, "Every week for months, Pop's been coming to that landing to look for us. He's been waiting and watching for us since the crash."

Jake smiled, "That's Dad."

Jake, Kate and Geram crept down to the landing with their weapons ready. They had left the Bronco a mile or so up the dusty, red-dirt road to allow for a silent approach. The ground at the landing sloped quickly down to the lake below. The tiny fis.h.i.+ng community was dotted with camp houses on timber pilings near the water's edge. They did not see a single light on the lake. Apparently the landing was experiencing a blackout.

Jake checked his watch, it was 12:45. They sat on a stump close to the water that was concealed by a small stand of scrub trees. The night was loud with the sounds of the swamp. The frogs, owls, insects and other creatures serenaded the three as they waited for contact. Sasha quietly followed several cold trails around the stump before giving up and stepping out into the lake. She lay down in water nearly a foot deep and began lapping it up happily.

Jake peered across the water but saw nothing. He checked his watch again; 12:50.

"What if he doesn't show?"

"He'll show."

"I know he'll show if he can, but what if something happened to them?"

"I don't even want to think about it. I have no idea what we'd do. I guess we'd just go back."

"Talk about an awkward return, and I don't even know how we'd make it back."

Geram chuckled and replied, "None of that matters; he'll show."

"We've got a lot of memories out here, you know."

"Tell me about it. A lot of hunting and fis.h.i.+ng and just being together, the three of us."

"I hope one day there's time for that again."

"That might be a long time off."

"You've got to have something to hope for; something to live for. Otherwise, what's it all for?"

Suddenly, they were illuminated by a spotlight from somewhere across the lake. They jumped off the stump and crouched behind it. Jake checked his watch; 12:59.

"It's him."

"It better be." Geram gripped the rifle tightly in his hands.

The boat silently trolled across the lake and landed just feet from the stump, its gentle wake lapping at the sh.o.r.e. The brothers were met at the water's edge by a bear of a man. He grabbed each of them with tree trunk arms and pulled them to him.

"My boys! Thank you G.o.d for my boys!"

"We're all here."

"Kate!" Clayton released them and grabbed her, lifting her off the ground with his giant hug. "You been keeping 'em straight, sweetie?"

Kate laughed and replied, "They manage themselves; you've got good boys, Clay."

"Yeah I do, yeah I do."

Moses bounded out of the aluminum boat and greeted Sasha with a wagging tail. He nuzzled her wet head with his. She returned the affection of her new friend. He jumped back in the boat and she followed immediately behind him. They both took a seat in the front of the vessel.

Clayton laughed at the dogs and said, "I have to agree with the pair, we should get going. It's safer on the water, and Claire won't want to miss a minute of the reunion."

The night was starry and clear as they raced across the muddy waters. The stars and moon reflected off of the open water all around them. The brothers were flooded with memories as they recognized the landmarks from times long past. The towering, solitary, cypress tree still stood like a colossus at the mouth of the lake. The ancient, oak tree that grew horizontally and hung over the river still beckoned them to its domain. The world had changed all around it, but the swamp had remained the same.

Geram stared in awe at the rifle mounted in the center of the boat. He looked up at Clayton and shouted over the sound of the motor, "You're practically running a guns.h.i.+p here!"

"What?"

Geram simply pointed to the Barrett. Clayton let out a bellowing laugh and exclaimed, "Isn't it a work of art? It's already paid for itself in spades out here."

Geram huddled up to the gun and swung it left and right, testing it out. He turned and said to Jake, "This thing is perfect, it puts you head and shoulders above anyone else out here. A three-man team would be nearly invincible: one on the gun, one with a rifle and the operator I could get used to this."

Jake flashed a smile and shot back, "He always thinks of everything, doesn't he?"

As they pulled alongside the staircase and tied the boat off, Claire stepped out the front door. She squealed in delight upon seeing the three. She rushed down the stairs and met them as they were coming up. She wrapped her arms tightly around all three of them and wept with joy.

Claire fixed a late night dinner of catfish and cornbread. The family ate and laughed and talked about life in the past few months. For a short while, the sorrows and realities of recent events disappeared. Sasha and Moses were exhausted from the long night; they both lay head to tail in front of the door. After several hours of celebration, Claire and Kate retired, so the men took their conversation outside.

Clayton leaned against the railing and stared off into the faintly illuminated swamp. The blue hour of twilight was just beginning to break the shadows of the night. The brothers sat on the stairs in quiet contentment. It felt strange to not have a goal or task that need completing in the morning. They were where they had strived to be, their journey was over.

"I know I've said it before, but I can't tell you both how good it feels to have you here."

"It feels good to be here."

"We've worried about you so much."

"It's over now; we're here. We can relax for a while."

Clayton moved closer and paused for several minutes, enjoying the silence before continuing, "I really don't want to bring this up, not tonight, but I don't have a choice."

"What is it, Dad?" Jake asked.

"I'm not asking you boys to come. It's not your fight, but I have to go. We've been planning it for several days now, the sheriff, several others and me. Tomorrow night we're raiding a camp just north of town. Not long ago some people moved in and they've been causing a lot of trouble for everybody.

Several people in town've been killed and they tried their hardest to get me a little over a week ago. They were foolish enough to follow me up into the swamp and I managed to take one alive. By the time I got to him, he was ready to tell me his life story. We'll all be deputized and are going in under the pretense of making arrests, but if they try to fight back, all bets are off."

Geram interrupted, "So you're telling me somebody tried to kill you last week and you're going to get the people responsible for it, and we can just stay here?"

"It's not your fight. I don't want you to get involved."

"We're already involved; it's as much our fight as it is yours. We're in, like it or not."

Chapter 25.

Reese Houston, Texas The Humvee slowly drove down Main Street in downtown Houston. Reese opened the top hatch and emerged with a megaphone. He noticed how empty the city looked. It was almost as if the city had already been evacuated. No one went outside anymore; it was too dangerous these days. Soon enough, he reasoned, the streets would be awash with panic-stricken mobs.

"Attention residents of Houston, this is not a test, this is not a drill. An imminent terror threat has been detected within the city. The governor has declared a state of emergency. By order of the governor, all citizens should evacuate immediately. I repeat, all citizens should evacuate immediately."

He paused to listen for a moment. It sounded as if his voice was echoing all across the city, but he knew it was not. Those were the voices of nearly twenty other men in as many Humvees performing the same drill all over the Houston metropolitan area.

"Please do not panic. Listen to the following instructions and perform them in a calm and orderly fas.h.i.+on. If you do not have a means of evacuation, please report to the nearest METRORail station to be transported to Reliant Park for evacuation by bus. Every able-bodied member of your family should pack a backpack or suitcase full of nonperishable food, toiletries, a change of undergarments and bottled water.