Dark Coup (14 page)

“It’s me, Amanda,” Amanda said.  “I’m with Clint, Coop, and Tony.  We found a couple of other people while we were out last night.”

They hadn’t stopped walking at the command to halt, and Amanda was in the lead.  She kept the guard’s attention until it was too late for him to raise the alarm.

“Bad idea,” Eric said, as the guard drew a breath to yell.

When he realized he had three guns trained on him, he deflated and handed over his rifle.

Clint closed his eyes and slumped a little.  If this was the best chance he had of being rescued, he was doomed.  It was almost sunrise and everyone would be getting up shortly, but by then he had no doubt that his captors would have full control of the camp.

Amanda led everyone, the guard included, straight to Clint’s trailer.

“Everyone inside,” Kyle said.  “You too, gorgeous,” he said to Tony–who looked awful with all of the sticky, drying blood on his face and shirt from his broken nose.

Once they were all inside, the trailer felt extremely crowded until all of the prisoners were finally sitting down.  First, they tied up the guard so he couldn’t raise any kind of alarm, and then Eric started rummaging around the cabinets and drawers, clearly looking for something specific.

Once he found a BIC stick pen, he squatted down in front of Tony and said, “This is going to hurt, a lot, but it’s the right thing to do.  Lie down on your back.”

Tony just glared at Eric until Kyle made a fist that cracked his knuckles.  He’d been doing that a lot lately.  Tony shot a worried glance at Kyle and then lay down on his back where the ‘kitchen’ table would usually go.

“You can whimper,” Eric said, “you can curse under your breath, and you can mutter all you want, but do. not. scream.  Do I make myself clear?”

With the gag in place, all Tony could do was nod.

As gently as he could, Eric felt for where the break was in the nose. Tony winced, but he didn’t make a sound.  Next, he used the pen to keep things straight inside each nostril, and then he set Tony’s broken nose.

He was right.  It hurt, a
lot
, but not as badly as getting it broken.  It didn’t even bleed that much after it was set.

Clint made some muffled noises and Kyle pulled his gag down.

“Why’d you bother doing that,” Clint asked.

“I already told you,” Eric said.  “It’s the right thing to do.  I’m not planning on killing you and I’m not going to let the rest of your camp kill you either.  As far as I know you’re all going to live long, productive lives.  Tony here is going to need to be able to breathe through his nose–simple as that.”

Eric helped Tony up and then he sat down next to Coop.

“Now,” Eric said, “I’m not a dentist, but let’s have a look at your teeth.  Bite me and I’ll go back on my word.  I’ll blow this whole thing right now and shoot you in the head.”

Tony’s eyes got big and he shook his head.

“Ok,” Eric said and took off the gag.  “Nope, clean hit.  Busted lip and nose.”

Eric turned to Kyle.  “Well done,” he said, “don’t do it again.  I’ve been spit on by better than this.  Give me a clean gag.”

“Yes, Sir,” Kyle said a bit sheepishly.

…

“Okay, Amanda,” Kyle said.  “It’s time.”

Amanda nodded and reached out and squeezed Kyle’s hand and then leaned in to give him a kiss.  Clint ground his teeth some more because there was nothing
else
he could do.

Amanda left the trailer and went to find Earl.

A couple of minutes after Amanda left the trailer, the old hand-crank air-raid siren that they used to signal a camp meeting started up.  Everyone should be gathered in less than five minutes.

…

Amanda went to Earl’s trailer and knocked on the door.

“Just a second,” came a voice that was less than pleased to be disturbed.

After a minute, Earl answered the door.  He’d lost a
lot
of weight over the last year, and was tucking in his shirt.  “Yes, Amanda…isn’t it?”

“Clint wants everyone gathered in the center of camp, ASAP,” she said and blushed a little.  “He wants to make an important announcement.”

She’d been trying to think of things that would make her blush and Kyle had popped into her head just as she said the part about the important announcement.  Everyone knew that Clint had been pursuing Amanda, and Earl read exactly what she hoped he would into the statement.

Earl nodded and headed over to the siren.

…

“Amanda said to give it about six or seven minutes after the siren,” Eric said looking at Clint.  “Long enough to get everyone there, but not long enough to have someone come looking for you.”

Clint made a face around the gag, but nodded.

“Let’s go, then,” Eric said.

…

Eric was leading the procession of four leashed prisoners, with his .45 pointed at the back of Clint’s head.  Kyle brought up the rear and covered everyone with his M4.

They gave the gathered group a wide berth. Amanda saw them coming and got up on the picnic table to draw everyone’s attention to herself.

“Everyone,” she said, and all eyes quickly turned to her.  The nasty business of William’s father was still fresh in everyone’s memory, and nobody wanted a repeat of that.

“We have a very special announcement to make,” Amanda continued.  “As of this morning, there’s going to be a change,” and Amanda put on a big smile.

Eric took over at this point with his Drill Sergeant voice.  “Yes There Is,” he boomed as the group came into view from behind a trailer.  Several guns came out of holsters, but were almost immediately lowered as folks got a better view of what was going on.  The guns were not, however, put away.

“Clint is no longer in charge,” Eric said as he pushed for the line of prisoners to step up onto the table in front of him.  “And neither are Cooper or Tony.  Call it an end to a reign of terror, or a regime change, or just a coup.  Whatever it is, these three will no longer be running things around here.  In fact, they won’t be around here at all anymore.”

Mutters and mumbling came from the crowd, but Eric put an end to that.

“I’m Not Finished,” he barked and everyone grew silent.  Clint was in awe, even as he seethed. “I have been led to believe that some of you would have liked to leave after the last…incident… at one of these meetings, but everyone who left did so on foot and without any provisions.  I have a problem with that…”

Eric was interrupted by Kyle’s rifle coming down between Tony’s and Coop’s shoulders and aiming at the crowd and Kyle yelling “Drop It!”  Kyle had been watching the crowd ever since they had all gotten up on the table, which was groaning and protesting the weight of all six men, and had seen someone starting to eye Eric.  As Kyle yelled for the man to drop his weapon, he raised his pistol to shoot, but was tackled by at least a half-dozen people around him.  It looked like the people formerly known as Clint’s merry band of misfits were at the very least able to police themselves in time of need.

A very short struggle ensued, followed by a yelp and a few curses.  The offending party was escorted to the front of the crowd, with his pants hanging loosely around his waist as his belt was now being used to bind his hands.  Someone bent his knees for him to make him kneel down, and then pushed him into a sitting position so he couldn’t get up quickly.

Eric tried not to acknowledge what had happened, but smiled a little before he went on.  I guess you could call the two of us mercenaries, since we’re doing this at the request of someone else.  But, since we’re doing it for free, I think I’d prefer the term freedom fighters.”

Eric pointed at the crowd, “
You
need to choose someone to be in charge now.”

Immediately there was more murmuring and talking amongst the crowd, until someone yelled, “Earl.”  Several other people yelled in agreement, and then a large part of the crowd took it up like a chant.

Eric held up his hand and everyone was quiet in just a couple of seconds.  Again, Clint was amazed and furious at the same time.  “Earl,” Eric said.  “The people are pretty clear, what do you say?”

And then it hit Clint.  He knew where he recognized this guy from; that day out on the road, when we had the flat tire and I was talking like an inbred idiot.  Earl getting all hot under the collar and me having to cool him down. 
“I’ve been having run-ins with the Army since day
ONE
,”
Clint fumed.

“No way,” Earl said.  “I don’t want to be in charge.  I’ve spent the last six months trying
not
to be in charge.”

Eric interrupted him.  “I didn’t ask if you wanted to be in charge,” he snapped.  “I asked if you would do it.  Our Mayor didn’t want it either, but he stepped up once the votes were counted.  Look around, who else is there?  We’re leaving, so someone has to step up.”

Earl was silent for several seconds before he responded.  “Okay then, they have to vote,” Earl said.  “Everyone has to vote.  It doesn’t have to be unanimous, since I’m sure it won’t be, but it has to be a majority.”

“By a show of hands,” Eric said.  “And no cheating.  All those in favor?”

It looked like somewhere between half and two-thirds.

“All those opposed?”

About one-third.

Earl took a deep breath, let it out, and walked up to the table.  “That thing isn’t going to hold another person,” he said to Eric.

Eric nodded and Kyle cut the rope between Clint and Cooper, and then led everyone but Clint off the table.

Earl considered his options for a moment and then climbed up.  “Can I have you release them into my custody,” he asked Eric.

“The guard, yes,” Eric said.  “The other three, no.  You and I both know that would be a bad idea for a number of reasons.”

Earl nodded and turned to Clint.  “I’m sorry,” Earl said.

“That’s it for now, everybody,” Earl said.  “I have a feeling I need to chat with these folks, so don’t be surprised if you hear the siren a little later.  Normal work schedule until lunch. Nothing’ll be decided before then.”

Chapter Fifteen

June 27, 2013 - Promised Land Army Base, Natchez Trace State Park, Tennessee

Mathis was trying to ignore the throbbing from his dislocated left ring finger.  He really hadn’t thought Ben would have the guts to carry through with his threat.  The taped splint on his hand proved just how wrong he’d been.

Mathis was focusing on what his guards were saying outside his makeshift cell, while ignoring the fire in his hand. They were complaining about “babysitting the traitor” as they changed shifts.  Instead of keeping their mouths shut and doing their jobs, they were busy talking about what they would rather be doing around the base, down in town, or on one of the outlying farms.  For the last week he’d been gathering whatever intelligence he could about the base and the surrounding area from their conversations, just in case he got a chance to use it.

For example, he now knew that they had three fuel dumps around camp, one of which was fairly close to the brig.  He also knew that they were still using surface water from the lakes in the park for almost all of their potable water.  Those two pieces of information alone could prove very handy if he ever got out of here.

…

“Dinner,” the guard said, before he opened up the door to Mathis’s cell.  It had been replaced with a door of welded steel bars earlier in the day.  Mathis was on his side, on his cot, with his back to the door…eyes closed and shivering slightly.

“Just stay on your cot and I’ll bring the tray in,” the guard said.

Usually they would open the door, enter his cell, and then close the door.  Once the guard was in the room and a little closer to Mathis, he noticed that he was shivering.  He set the tray down on the small table, the door forgotten, and took a couple of steps closer to the cot.

“Hey,” he said.  “Are you ok?”

Mathis didn’t respond or react at all.

The guard took another couple of steps and put his hand on Mathis’s shoulder.  The guard didn’t want to get any closer in case Mathis had somehow come down with whatever was going around the base, even with the quarantine.  It was just about all he and his buddies had been talking about for the last week and now that the antibiotics were all but gone, he was wondering if he needed to call for the medics.

…

This was the opening Mathis had been hoping for.  He’d listened for the door to shut after the guard came in, and when there was no clang of metal on metal he knew that this would be his best chance of escape.  As the guard’s footsteps came closer, he opened his right eye slightly to see if he could gauge the guard’s position by his shadow.  When the guard put his hand on Mathis’s shoulder, he struck.

Mathis swung his left elbow up and back as he pushed himself up on his right elbow.  He was rewarded with a solid impact on the side of the guard’s head, immediately followed by a fresh bloom of agony in his hand from the jolt it sent to his finger.  The guard was only dazed and not out, though, so Mathis couldn’t take time to nurse his screaming hand.

Mathis rolled off the cot and stepped into a punch that drove all the air from the guard and dropped him to one knee.  The guard was completely out of the fight at this point; he hadn’t been expecting anything and the hit to the head had stunned him enough to give Mathis his opening.

After a quick glance at the door, Mathis stepped behind the guard, put him in a choke hold with his right arm, and started to squeeze.  The guard put up a struggle, but he hadn’t had a chance to take a breath since the first punch, so it was weak and short-lived.  It took almost a minute for the guard to go completely limp, and then Mathis had a decision to make.  Ben had accused him of being responsible for the deaths of seventeen men, but he hadn’t seen it that way.  Now, with what he was planning, he
would
be directly responsible for the deaths of heaven only knew how many; and he needed as much time as possible before someone raised an alarm.

So, Mathis kept the pressure on the guard’s neck for a full three minutes.

…

The radio on the table just outside of Mathis’s cell came to life as Sergeant Keeler was checking in on the guard on duty.  He’d missed his check-in at the bottom of the hour and was about the get reamed out for it, but he didn’t respond.  The guard was lying on the cot facing the wall, under the blanket.  He wasn’t going to be responding to anything. Mathis had made sure there wasn’t a heartbeat before he left.