Forgotten Forbidden America:: Patriots Reborn (7 page)

When the kids were done, they left for the living room as Nelson stood up. “We need to hit a church in Winona that they are using to hold people they pick up who refuse to leave. That’s what this group does; they mark sites, and then a group comes out and either kills or moves the family. They really don’t care which,” Nelson said, opening the notebook. “I have the layout, and there are nine deputies and one more Homeland agent there.”

“Just how are we going to take out a location that is held by ten armed guards?” Bernard asked.

“Easy: Matt and I are going to pose as agents and get inside. We find the other agent, grab him, and kill the deputies. Gerald and Michelle will keep the outside covered. The people around here have been cowed down. It seems they let out how the sheriff was killed. His wife, daughter, and granddaughter were raped in front of him for a day. Then, they had their throats cut, splashing their blood over the sheriff’s face.”

Slamming his fist on the table, Bernard jumped up. “Ginger was five years old!”

“Yeah, Palmer told me how old the granddaughter was. He has pictures on his phone to show people who don’t cooperate.”

“I’m fucking coming with you,” Bernard growled and no one said anything about his language.

“Me too,” Nellie snapped, jumping up.

Holding up his hands, Nelson shook his head. “I want you two to think about that. Winona is almost empty of people, but there are still some there, and most of those are marching to the government’s drumbeat. If they see you, they will know where we are. Nobody knows about the rest of us.”

Breathing heavily and wanting to hurt something, Bernard nodded as he sat down. “That argument will only work so many times.”

“Hey, I would love to have you bring your wood chipper, but I really don’t want our hideout compromised,” Nelson said, looking around the table.

“So we hit the church, and you think that will bring the heat off of the Scooby Gang that drove up here?” Gerald asked.

“Hell no,” Nelson scoffed.

Nancy turned to her brother. “I programmed the car’s GPS to say they were on the other side of the county when they disappeared.”

Smiling, Gerald turned to Nelson. “So we ready to go?”

“Almost,” Nelson said and pulled out a map as he turned to Bernard. “Bernard, I want the most back way you can think of to get here. I don’t care if we take deer trails as long as we can drive the Bronco and a trailer on it. I still have some questions to ask the boys when I get back, but can you do that?”

“Southeast side of Eminence, sure, but you’ll have to cross several roads,” Bernard said, studying the map.

“What’s there?” Michelle asked.

“A safe house.” Nelson grinned.

Clearing her throat, Nancy said, “Not exactly. It’s an operational command and supply for the group operating in this area. Homeland divided up the states in blocks. This area has a thirty-man platoon of military contractors that are used as the strike force. That is where they operate from.”

“So what’s so special about it that we have to travel to Eminence for?” Michelle asked.

“I didn’t have time to really explore the issue since Palmer just blurted it out when I brought the calf back in as Nancy talked to him,” Nelson sighed. “But from what he’s saying, it’s loaded with shit.”

Michelle stood, squaring off with Nelson. “We have tons of shit here now! We don’t really need more! Especially traipsing off thirty miles after we take out a government collection point!”

“Michelle,” Nancy said, clearing her throat. “We really need to go there. They have a computer link to the government system I need to get into.”

Michelle turned to look at Nancy and then turned back to Nelson. “What’s there that you want so bad?”

“Have no idea, but it’s going to be military grade weaponry. Granted we do have shit here, but babe, you’ve been in this before. Those with the bigger and better toys win,” Nelson said. “He who shoots most has the advantage.”

Sitting back down in her chair, Michelle said, “I’m going with you there as well.”

“I really think the person responsible for our medical care needs to stay behind,” Gerald said.

Slowly, Michelle glared up at him. “I don’t care; how can I patch your ass up if I’m here, dumb ass?”

Giving a startle, Gerald raised his eyebrows in shock. “Well, ah, I don’t…”

“Stop while you’re ahead, brother,” Nancy said. “I’ll be ready by tonight.”

“Matt, get a pair of your tan tactical pants and a polo shirt. Dig out that windbreaker that has Homeland across the back and seal on the front. Grab that UMP 45, and I’ll bring mine. That’s what we take inside,” Nelson said.

“You two bring your tactical vest as well, and Michelle and I will keep them in the Bronco in case this turns into a circus,” Gerald said, standing up.

“They have one of the Suburbans there, and I’m leaving that sedan and taking it,” Nelson said.

“I’m sure they can track them,” Matt said.

“Oh they can,” Nancy said, standing up and walking to the counter. “But I have something here that will stop it. They aren’t that hard to turn off. The agency learned in Iraq that having a vehicle tracking device can hurt you if the enemy cracks your system. They learned that the hard way—as did the military when the Jihadist figured out how to hack into the trackers for the military vehicles.”

She handed Matt what looked like a large, handheld phone. “So I turn this on, and it blocks transmissions?” he asked, looking up.

“Cell and satellite phones,” Nancy said.

“Matt, let’s go. Gerald, I need you to gather something that will burn a building down but not blow a hole in the Earth,” Nelson said, walking into the living room. He hugged the kids then ran to the cabin.

As he dressed, Michelle came in and changed tactical vests to the one he had given her with ballistic plates. “Put that vest on,” she said as Nelson grabbed a dark blue polo shirt. Sighing, Nelson reached in the closet and pulled out the concealable vest Matt had taken from Homeland.

“Thank you; I was going to wear my old one,” Nelson said, pointing at the vest lying on the bed.

“Nelson, you keep your head in the game. Matt hasn’t pulled the trigger, so you be ready to call for us to back you up,” Michelle said, tightening her vest.

“I know, but Matt knows how to act like a cop. I know you know how to act like an MP, but I need you on the outside to help Gerald keep a path open if this goes bad.”

Stepping over and helping Nelson tuck in his shirt, Michelle smiled. “I understand, baby,” she said and kissed him. “You promise not to act like an idiotic ass, and I’ll wear the Leia slave outfit again this weekend.”

Lust filled his eyes as Nelson’s jaw dropped to his chest. “Just what constitutes being an ass so I don’t screw it up?”

“Don’t get shot or get us shot.”

“Whew,” Nelson sighed with a lopsided grin. “That, I can do.”

When they walked outside, they found Bernard waiting on them. “I’m going over to check on Hank,” he told them, slinging his M-14 over his shoulder.

“No,” Nelson said, grabbing his arm. “His brother sold us and him out. Steven told them we gave them food, weapons, and ammo, wanting a reward.”

Bernard turned away. “I’ll kill the son of a bitch myself.”

“No,” Nelson said, running around then stopping in front of him. “Wait till we get this handled; then, we can go over. You don’t know how Hank is going to react to us capping his brother. He may hate him, but it’s family.”

“Tomorrow,” Bernard said, turning for the house, and Nelson grabbed his arm.

“You will take care of the kids if this goes bad, right?” Nelson said in a low voice.

“You know I will,” Bernard said, reaching over and putting his hand on Nelson’s shoulder. “You two just stay safe.” He dropped his hand and started heading for the house. “I tell you one damn thing; Gerald is about to start giving me some time with Devin; that I can damn well guarantee.”

Nelson looked at Michelle, and they both said, “We need another kid.”

Ashley walked out with Matt hugging her as Gerald drove up in his Bronco. “Round trip to kick some ass,” Gerald said, rolling down the windows.

“We’ll take two tickets,” Michelle said, opening the passenger door as Matt and Nelson climbed into the back.

“Put this on your neck,” Nelson said and handed a balaclava to Matt as Michelle handed one to Gerald. “When we kill the deputies, put it on so the ones we rescue can’t identify us if they are captured.”

Matt pulled it over his head and put on his sunglasses. “Why? No one knows us here.”

“If they identify us, I don’t want them to start tracking phone records and cellphones that have been to our house,” Nelson said as Gerald pulled out of the driveway, and Bernard closed the gate behind the only way in from the berm. “We did call Bernard, and they had cellphones registered to them when they came over to visit.”

“Dude, what got you so freaked?” Matt asked as Nelson put on his sunglasses.

“The shit Nancy was asking in the barn when I wasn’t talking. She pulled out a knife, asking about an OpCom center. That’s when Palmer blurted out about the place near Eminence,” Nelson said in a scared voice. “She knows some shit about the spook works, and when I get back, we are sitting down and having a long talk.”

Gerald looked over his shoulder. “She will answer those questions now that she doesn’t work for them, and we are all wanted now, but if she would’ve ever said anything and they found out, she would be dead, and I would be dead or in prison. I would’ve started a one-man killing spree.”

“Fair enough,” Nelson said as Gerald weaved around the turned over truck and trailer. Nelson got out and waited on Matt. He held out a badge that clipped on the belt and an ID holder with a badge. “It’s Ivan Stonavitch’s badge. I have Palmer’s.”

Matt nodded, clipping the badge on his belt and tucking the ID in his back pocket. He adjusted the sling for the UMP that was under his right arm. “How many magazines do you have for your UMP?”

“Six in spandex webbing on my back,” Nelson said and lifted his left arm as he pulled out a 1911 with a suppressor. “I have my XDM and this as well.”

Matt looked Nelson over and could tell he had the UMP under his right arm like he did. “Not to sound gay, but let me carry the 1911. I’m bigger and can hide more shit.”

Looking at Matt’s wide shoulders and narrow waist, Nelson had to admit he couldn’t really tell he was carrying a submachine gun. “Point taken,” Nelson said, handing over the 1911. He pulled off his holster for the 1911 and passed it over as well.

“You boys going to play dress up, or are we going to kick someone’s ass?” Gerald yelled out from the Bronco.

Matt shook his head. “I hate taking him anywhere,” he moaned, adjusting the shoulder harness until it fit. It wasn’t that Nelson was small; it was Matt was a freaking huge, muscle-bound mountain.

“Yeah, but the boy has played in some serious games, so we need to have him along,” Nelson said, putting on his windbreaker. “You drive,” he said as he got in the passenger seat.

As they drove, Nelson drilled the layout of the building to Matt and the location of all the guards. When they pulled out on Highway 60 fifteen minutes later, Matt started reciting the layout back. Nelson looked back to see the Bronco barely a car length behind them.

Turning around, Nelson shook his head looking at the empty highway. “This isn’t right,” he mumbled. They drove past Birch Tree and only saw one car—a sheriff patrol car moving around.

Matt was suddenly turning off Highway 60 onto 19, which led them through Winona. It wasn’t a big town by any means. Nelson would be surprised if it had more than a thousand people, but it was empty. They passed an empty school yard as Matt turned off the road, heading to the church on the north side.

“Pull up under the awning,” Nelson said, seeing the large church ahead.

“I’m ready for this,” Matt said in a steady voice.

As Matt pulled under the awning, a deputy stepped out of the church. He looked up to see Gerald pull up behind the sedan. “Who are they?” the deputy asked as Nelson got out.

“Heavy hitters,” Nelson growled. “Seems some people around here like fighting back.”

The deputy laughed. “I haven’t heard of anyone fighting back. We can do whatever we want around here.”

Fighting the urge to kill the deputy, Nelson moved his coat, revealing the badge at his waist. “I’m State SAC Homeland Agent Kent. If that’s hard for you to understand, it means special agent in charge, and I’m the big dick in this state. I’m looking for Agent Jakowski. He’s wanted for questioning in unwarranted food distribution.”

“He’s inside,” the deputy said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

“Deputy, unless you want to be on the bus heading to St. Louis in the morning with the dissidents inside, I suggest you show me,” Nelson said, closing his coat.

“Yes sir,” the deputy said as he started trembling. “That looks a lot like Agent Palmer’s car.”

“Shows your intelligence, Deputy. It’s a government sedan just like his,” Nelson said, following the deputy inside. The deputy nodded as he yanked the door open and led them inside. An older female deputy was sitting behind a desk, monitoring radios and watching monitors. Nelson paused and confirmed what Palmer told him. The monitors were watching the inside of the worship area where the people were being held.