“And you’re sure it was a .50 cal?” Carl asked as he looked down the dark trail. “Couldn’t have just been a shotgun at close range?”

  “We didn’t notice any peripheral pellet holes.” Corey replied. “You’d think at least one of them would have a peppered shirt or something. Those guys were… I’ve seen that kind of damage before. I have no doubt it was a .50, Carl.”

  “Shit, that changes the game considerably.” Carl said. “This thick forest plays in our favour, though. It takes his range from him. All we have to worry about is the power of the damn thing. Hiding behind anything less than a mound of dirt is basically useless.”

  “Our best bet is to take it out as quickly as we can.” Stu said. “One shot to the scope or trigger group and it’s done.”

  “Or to the guy’s head.” Carl added.

  “That works too.” Stu said.

  “Too bad Allen isn’t here. He was a real sniper with that moose rifle of his.” Carl said.

  “Yeah, he was.” Stu said. “George’s 7mm magnum is the best bet we have. That thing’s a bit of a cannon in its own right. He’s always been good at keeping his rifles dialed in.”

  “That rifle was through a shit storm in that house, Stu.” Carl said. “If we want to use it, someone needs to try a couple test shots first. See if it’s still sighted in. Which one of you guys wants sniper duty?”

  “Who says it has to be a guy?” Stacey asked. “Bruce is my responsibility. I’m the reason he’s coming for us. I should be the one to end it.”

  “Don’t start with that shit now.” Carl said. “That Capo son of a bitch wasn’t your problem, but you dealt with him for us. Now it’s our turn. We’re all in this together, Stacey and we’ll deal with this together.”

  “And if all goes as planned, shooting him will only be the start of it, not the end.” Stu added.

  “You got that right.” Carl said.

  “If she wants to be our sniper, I think we should at least give her a chance.” Corey said.

  Carl considered the argument for a moment. He didn’t really care who took the shot, as long as it was taken well.

  “Leo, front and centre.” Carl said.

  “What’s up?” Leo asked, stepping forward.

  “Run to the cabin and grab that rifle we picked up today. Make sure it’s still loaded and bring it out here. And, for God sakes, make sure everyone knows to expect a little gunfire. Tell them we’re just taking a few practice shots.”

  “Yes sir.” He replied as he turned and ran off.

  “I better go sit with Mom and Dad.” Grace said. “They’ll both lose their minds if I’m not there to calm them down.”

  “Maybe I’ll…”

  “… You stay right where you are, Cole.” Carl said before Cole bolted off too. “You need to pay attention. You’ll have a role in all this too”

  “Yes sir.”

  Once Stu had the headlights of the Bronco pointed up the trail, Cole had been sent as far as he could see to set up a five gallon pail to serve as Stacey’s target. It was now about 75 metres away sitting at the base of a tree.

  “Okay, Stacey, you want the job?” Carl asked. “Lie down on the ground and show me how badly you want it.”

  Stacey looked up at the old man and started to smile. She knew that Carl was telling her to go prone, so she could steady her aim, but her mind wouldn’t allow her to get past the way he had phrased it. Stu had heard it too and knew exactly what she was thinking. As she stared at Carl and he at her, Stu silently pleaded with her to keep her mouth shut.

  Please don’t say it. Please don’t say it. Please don’t…

  “…Well, thanks for the offer, Carl. I’m flattered, but I already have a boyfriend.”

  She said it.

  Carl furrowed his brow, silently wondering what the hell she was talking about. Realizing suddenly, what he had just told her to do, he reacted… unexpectedly.

  “You couldn’t handle all this, sweetheart.” Carl said. “Now, could we please start focusing on the job… please?”

  Stacey did as she was told and laid down, shouldering the large calibre rifle. She was told to expect a large kick when it went off, but was reminded to put that out of her mind. She lowered her eye to the scope and slowed her breathing, searching for the pail in the dim light downrange.

  A few seconds later, she fired, the large calibre rifle kicking hard into her shoulder. The bullet zipped downrange and the pail… did nothing. She tried again with the same result. In the dark, it was impossible to see where the shots were landing, but they all knew where they weren’t. After the third try, she looked up from the rifle with a sore shoulder and a look of disappointment across her face.

  “Stacey, you mind if I give it a try?” Corey asked. “Maybe the scope is just messed up like Carl was saying.”

  Stacey passed him the rifle and he laid down in her spot. Without hesitation, Corey pulled the trigger and the pail instantly vanished. Three seconds later, they saw it land back on the trail, cracked in half.

  Looking up from the scope, Corey shrugged and said, “Don’t feel bad, Stacey, I’m sure you can still kick my ass.”

  “Whatever.” Stacey said.

  “Congratulations, Corey. You’re our sniper.” Carl said.

  “What? I’m not sitting in a damn tree while you guys…”

  “… Stacey, kick his ass.” Carl said.

  Stacey moved in quickly like she was going to hit him.

  “Okay, geez, I’ll do it!” Corey said, shielding himself from the mock attack.

  “Now we need to discuss where to hold this shindig.” Carl said.

  “As far up that trail as we can.” Stu said. “The further away from the cabin, the better.”

  “That’s sounds like the right play, but I’m concerned they might try the back door.” Carl said. “You sure there’s only the one way in, Stu?”

  “One way in, one way out. This place was set up to stay hidden.” Stu said.

  “There’s nothing stopping them from leaving their trucks behind and getting around us through the trees, though.” Brian said. “Once we get this party started, I’m sure that’s what they’ll try. That’s what I would do.”

  “Shit, you’re right.” Stu said, reconsidering. “If enough of them get around us, Syd’s group would be in trouble.”

  “Having the cabin as a fall back position would be nice too.” Carl said. “Not to mention, being close to some medical help.”

  “Okay, so what do you say we set up… 200 metres up this trail.” Stu said. “Not too far to get some help, but far enough that we won’t lose track of anybody that tries an end around.”

  “I think that would be good.” Carl said. “Once Corey finds that asshole and ventilates his head, we’ll open up on them. If a couple get past us, Sydney, Leo, Grace and Cole will be there to mop up.”

  “One question, guys.” Brian said. “That trail entrance isn’t exactly easy to find. What if they just drive right past it?”

  “That would be awesome!” Stacey said. “…Wouldn’t it?”

  “Only if you think sitting out in the cold for days is awesome.” Carl said. “Those assholes have got a map with an ‘X’ right on our heads. They’ll find the entrance eventually.”

  “I know it sounds crazy, Stacey, but we need to lay out the welcome mat for that prick.” Corey said. “Channel him and his goons right into our kill zone. They don’t know we’re expecting them, so they shouldn’t be expecting a trap.”

  “We’ll need to find a way to stop their trucks, though.” Carl said. “It’ll be easier to hose them down if we can bunch them up together.”

  “Alright, well, does anybody want to come for a ride?” Stu asked. “I’ll take the Bronco down to the gravel road and open up the entrance a bit. Before I leave, I’ll spin the tires and fire some dirt out onto the road. With any luck, they’ll see it and know which way we went. Once they start seeing George’s goofy signs, they’ll know they’re on the right track. On the way back, we’ll stop 200 metres from here and drop a bunch of trees on the trail behind us.”

  “Sounds like a plan, Stu. I’m in.” Brian said.

  “Yeah, me too.” Corey said.

  “Okay, you guys go ahead then.” Carl said. “We’ll make sure our secondary defenses are set up here. We won’t need them, but I want this cabin surrounded by guns too.”

  “You can never have enough guns in a gun fight.” Corey said.

  “This ain’t gunna be no gun fight, Corey. What we’re doing here is setting up a ‘fish in a barrel’ type scenario.”

  “Roger that.”

  ◆◆◆

  By midnight, all of the group’s preparations were in place. Three bulwarks had been built up and fortified, so that they now had some defensive positions spread out across the front of the cabin. Sydney’s team would only be set up behind two, leaving the third to serve as a back up. These bunker type fortifications would shield them from any bikers that got past their primary defenses.

  While the rest of the group helped set those up, Stu, Brian and Corey had cut down several large pine trees and laid them across the trail. This was as close as their enemy’s vehicles would get to the cabin, 225 metres beyond it. It would be up to the primary team, to make sure that nobody got any closer on foot.

  The UTV was fueled up and loaded with supplies and even the cow had been afforded some consideration. She now resided inside the wood shed, presumably somewhat protected by the piles of firewood and the cattle trailer that now blocked its opening. The chickens, it was quickly decided, were on their own.

  Blessed with a cloudless night and a bright full moon, they had managed to navigate around the property fairly easily, making all of these hurried preparations possible. Inside the forest, however, the thick canopy of pines prevented the moonlight from penetrating to the ground. As eager as Carl was, to survey the surroundings and choose an advantageous position for everyone, he would simply have to wait until daybreak. If Stu’s assumptions were correct, he’d have plenty of time to set up their primary defenses in the morning.

  The Bronco had been loaded with their weapons and ammunition and enough food and water to last each of them for a day. In the morning, Leo would drive their equipment down the trail to the fallen trees, help them unload it all and then turn around and join the secondary team at the cabin. As eager as he was to fight alongside his dad again, he hadn’t complained when he was told that his skills were needed elsewhere.

  First, though, they would all see Fran and the kids safely off. The easiest way around the lake was still going to be challenging and Fran would be hard pressed to make it to the other side in less than three hours. Because of this, getting them started early was imperative. It had been decided that Jersey would be joining them too, trotting along side. The Walker coonhound would finally get a chance to put her perimeter guarding skills to use for something other than a peculiar anecdote.

  “Well, I guess that’s it then, guys.” Stu said. “I think we’ve done all we can do tonight.”

  “Leo’s asleep in the back of the Bronco.” Sydney said. “Brody and Joey are sleeping with the other kids in the living room.”

  “I got plenty of rest last night, so I’ll be going out on watch for a while.” Carl said.

  “Alright, Carl. I’ll come out and relieve you in a few hours.” Stu said.

  “The hell you will!” Sydney said. “I’ve slept alone enough. I’ve reserved one of those bedrooms and we’re putting it to good use tonight.”

  “Seriously?” Stu asked, stunned at his wife’s not so subtle suggestion.

  “Our towels are already in the bathroom.” Sydney said, walking off. “If you want to join me, you know where I’ll be.”

  “See you in the morning, guys.” Stu said as he hurried off after his wife.

  “Brian, you and Fran can go to bed too.” Carl said, shaking his head and smiling. “It’ll be a quiet night. If I need you, I’ll let you know.”

  “Thanks, Carl.” Brian said. “Good night, buddy.”

  “Good night, you two.”

  ◆◆◆

  “Yo, Carter, time to get…”

  …Dutch froze midsentence as he heard the distinctive sound of a charging handle being slapped on the side of an AR-15. He looked to his left where a shadow sat in a chair in the corner of the bedroom.

  “Sorry, man… Uh… Bruce said we’re heading out early.”

  “I’ll be right with ya.” Carter said calmly. “Close the door on your way out.”

  Dutch immediately backed out, closing the door gently behind him. His first interaction with their new VP and already he had screwed up. He had been forced to break the number one rule when dealing with Carter… leave Carter the hell alone.

  He went back outside where Roy was waiting for him with a huge grin on his face.

  “How’d that go?”

  “How the hell do you think it went?” Dutch asked, obviously rattled. “He pulled his gun on me! I think he slept in a damn chair all night.”

  “Ha. Why do you think I sent you in? The guy’s nuts.”

  “I don’t get it… Bruce tells you to go get him up and I end up almost getting shot.”

  “Come’s with the promotion, Dutch.” Roy said. “Bruce gives me orders and I pass them down the line.”

  “That’s bullshit.” Dutch said. “Last week, I would have told you to go fu…”

  “…You assholes get everybody up yet?” Bruce asked, suddenly appearing in front of them.

  “Yeah, they’re all stumbling around inside those cabins, getting dressed and whatnot.” Roy replied.

  “Good.” Bruce said. “And the women?”

  “The one in my cabin is okay.” Roy said. “The guys knew not to mess them up too bad. I’m sure the other one’s fine too.”

  “Why another early start, Bruce?” Dutch asked. “I mean, it’s probably only 4:00.”

  “It’s 4:30 actually, Dutch.” Bruce said. “You guys can sleep in shifts on the way up, I don’t give a shit, but I want to get this done. It’s cold up here.”

  “Oh, I see.” Dutch said through a yawn.

  “And just so you know, Dutch, that’s your one question for the day.” Bruce added, taking a more ominous tone. “From this point on, it’s ‘no questions asked.’ Got it? When Roy gives you an order, you better damn well obey him too.”

  “Uh… yeah, Bruce. No problem.” Dutch replied, taken aback.

  “Are you sure?” Bruce asked. “That’s not bullshit? You’re not going to tell me to go fuck myself?”

  Shit. He heard me.

  “No sir. I would never…”

  “…Those trucks roll out in 10 minutes, Roy.” Bruce said, uninterested in any further dialogue with Dutch. “Make sure they’re all in them or they can walk home.”

  “You got it, Bruce.” Roy said as he watched his president head back into his cabin.

  “You really are a dumbass.” Roy whispered to Dutch.

  “I really am.”

  ◆◆◆

  “What the hell is this now?” Bruce asked as Roy rolled their truck to a stop.

  The members of Malsumis’ Pack had been on the road for almost four hours and they knew that they had to be getting close. Up until this point, they hadn’t come across anything that had slowed them down in any serious way.

  Every hour, Bruce had pulled over and permitted the guys in the truck beds to switch seats with the guys in the cabs. It really was a frigid morning and he didn’t want to have a bunch of guys complaining of frost bite when they finally arrived. He needed fighters this morning, not a bunch of whining little bitches.

  The three executives, Bruce, Carter and Roy were the only men that had kept their seats in a warm cab for the entire trip. At Carter’s insistence, Denny had been sent off to rotate in and out with the men in the other three trucks. Bruce had agreed that it would be better to not show any favoritism to the new kid. He needed those men out there to watch Denny’s back today because he had a special task to perform, one that didn’t involve him carrying a gun.

  Bruce, Carter and Roy looked through the windshield at the horrific wreck in front of them. By the looks of it, three vehicles had decided to share the exact same spot in the road at the exact same time. The lumber truck had made out far better than the other two vehicles, but all three of them now blocked the road entirely.

  “What a mess.” Roy said. “Geez, I think there’s still people in that minivan.”

  “I don’t give a shit about that, Roy.” Bruce said. “Get your ass out there and see if we can make our way through. I’ll look at this map and see if there’s another way around.”

  “You got it.”

  Roy got out to take a look, but it didn’t take him long to figure out that they had a lot of work to do. Just to make a show of it, though, he walked all the way around the carnage before coming back to Bruce’s truck.

  “We’re screwed.” Roy said. “Any luck with the map?”

  “I don’t think so.” Bruce said, still studying the piece of map in his hands. “There is a way, but it’s way the hell back there. I’m not taking us two hours out of our damn way.”

  “There’s a dozen guys out there that have been complaining about the cold, Chief.” Carter said. “A little work would warm them up.”

  “Damn right, it will.” Bruce said. “Pass the word, Roy. Everybody out.”

  ◆◆◆

  “Feels like flippin’ D-Day around here.” Carl said to Stu as they watched Leo and Corey pile fire wood up in front of a horseshoe pit.

  “Wouldn’t that make us the Germans, Carl?” Stu asked.

  “Shit, you’re right.” Carl said. “Forget I said anything.”

  “That pit’s going to make a nice little fox hole.” Stu said.

  “Yeah, your boy’s got a good head on him, Stu. He needs to know not to stay in it too long, though. He’s got to…”

  “…I’ve talked to him already, Carl. Relax, man. We don’t need to worry about him or Syd. They’ll do alright. I’m a little concerned about Grace and Cole, though. I could barely get a word in with them this morning. I think they’re scared shitless.”

 

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