The Bonner Incident: Joshua's War (18 page)

“Yeah, if I could ever get sunlight,” Joshua said.

“We have a better one, if you want it,” Ernest offered. “It will recharge in half the time and it’s lighter.”

Letting out a chuckle, “Then I can’t turn it down,” Joshua said.

“All your batteries are recharged and we have spares for your night vision gear,” Ernest said and held up another radio. “I want you to take this but don’t transmit from it. Before long, they will change codes and you won’t be able to listen to all the frequencies, but we can triangulate where they are.”

Walking around beside Joshua, Ernest held out the radio. “The thing on the side is a digital recorder. We will burst transmit a message every day and you can record it. When you play it back you can hear it, but the transmission will only be a few seconds long. We send it really fast but when you play it back, it’s at normal speed.”

Nodding as Ernest showed him how to do it, “Quite smart,” Joshua said.

“Despite what people think, technology doesn’t win a war and it can be overcome,” Ernest said. “It all comes down to the willingness of people to fight for their beliefs and freedoms.”

Taking the radio and recorder, “Shit, I just wanted to be left alone,” Joshua said putting the radio in his saddlebag.

Patting Joshua’s back, “That’s usually the way rebellions start Joshua,” Ernest said. “When one man decides that he’s not going to be pushed anymore.”

“Rebellion,” Joshua scoffed. “I’m not fighting a rebellion; I’m just trying to stay alive.”

“Then why are you fighting? You could’ve surrendered at the beginning to Buck and spent some time in prison,” Ernest said. “Eventually you would’ve gotten out.”

Looking up at Ernest, Joshua shook his head, “Yeah, eventually but doubtful. When I fought back, the government decided to make an example of me. I’m not stupid, but don’t try to put me on the same pedestal as the Founding Fathers.”

Dropping his hand off of Joshua’s back, Ernest walked around the table. “Not even they wanted to fight in the beginning Joshua, but they knew if they didn’t, their situation was only going to get worse with more control. Like you and many others, they could only take being pushed so far.”

“What others? There are others out there killing feds?”

“Not yet, but it’s coming,” Ernest said and Joshua’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh, we gave our word that your family would be protected, so don’t get worried.”

“Much obliged for that,” Joshua said with relief. “Contrary to what you might think, the feds are going to come after them. I just hope you can get them out before the feds roll over you.”

A grin split Ernest’s face. “Trust me, they won’t roll over us that easily. But when or if they do, I have to say, we will get them to a safe place. But after that, it’s on you. I hope you understand.”

“Ernest, I’m probably one of the few people who do understand,” Joshua said with a sigh. “Have you and your group got your families tucked away?”

Shaking his head, “No, they don’t know who we are, but if they attack, the feds will do their damnedest to find out,” Ernest said. “Some of us will have to go back to our lives, so the feds can’t figure that out.”

“Ben knows where to take them,” Joshua said, looking at Gene. “You sure you want to stay on? I would understand if you didn’t.”

“Boy, don’t make me take you outside,” Gene huffed. “I haven’t dealt with Ben night and day for weeks on end just to hightail it when the going gets rough. Josh, you realize I’ve been with Ben twenty-four-seven for almost a month?”

Looking over at Ben and Chris, Joshua grinned at seeing Ben shoot him the finger. “Hell will freeze over and Satan will become Catholic before I leave a buddy,” Ben said and Chris nodded.

“Joshua,” Chris said clearing his throat. “Just how did you knock out two Blackhawks?”

“With a Barrett fifty that I took from them,” Joshua grinned. “I found some of those black-tipped API bullets you’d talked about and you weren’t lying, they will punch right through some stuff.”

A young woman came in and walked over to Ernest, “Your horse and mule are in very good shape Joshua,” she said then leaned toward Ernest, whispering.

When she was done, Ernest looked at Joshua. “I’m afraid it’s time for us to part ways. A convoy just passed the house heading toward the area where you shot down those choppers. I don’t like having most of my force away when they are moving in strength.”

“Completely understood,” Joshua said then hugged Sonya and William. “You two, stay strong and be ready to move. Please try to get mom to leave.”

Pushing up on her tiptoes, Sonya kissed him. “Babe, I tried and I’m sorry, but that was it. Nana got mad at me for trying.”

Letting out a huge sigh, “Okay,” Joshua said as William handed him the PDA. “You’re the man around the house, so you protect them.”

“I will, Dad,” William said hugging Joshua.

Ernest held out a small notepad. “Joshua, this is the key to the code we use. Get up high at 2000 hours tomorrow and the message will tell you when the next contact will be. If you send out, you have to vacate the area very fast. Tracking a ten-second transmission is hard, but not impossible. We will always be monitoring, so you can transmit anytime.”

“You really don’t have to do this. I’m holding my own pretty well.”

Several in the tent laughed as did Ernest. “Oh, we know that but in time, they will change codes and I doubt you will get lucky again, getting a radio that has been fully unlocked,” Ernest said. “All of your batteries are charged,” he said holding out his hand.

Reaching over the table, Joshua shook it. “Thank you,” Joshua said and let it go. “Can you tell me something?”

“What?” Ernest asked.

“What do the people think about this? Not just around here, but everywhere?”

“Around here, the only reason they aren’t shooting feds on sight is because of Buck. The polls on the internet show thirty to forty percent of the country understands. Ten percent of those want to help.”

Digging in his saddlebag, Joshua pulled out his camera. Taking the memory card out, he handed it to Sonya. “I want you to watch these and decide which ones get online,” he said and turned to William. “I set up a new email like you told me.”

“I’m going to teach you computers yet,” William beamed.

“Son, I’m trying,” Joshua said looking up at Ernest. “If it’s okay with Sonya and William, can you get those videos out? I’m sure the news site I sent the first one to will have responded to my email by now.”

“You’re videoing your actions?” Ernest asked in shock.

“Well, yeah, why wouldn’t I?”

Sonya looked at the memory card in her hand as her body went cold. “Joshua, if we do that, they will most certainly kill you,” she mumbled.

“Hey, that’s just video. At every attack site, I leave a scrench with my thumbprint. I want them to know, it’s me and not someone else.”

Ben’s mouth fell open, “You always told me to not advertise when I was being bad.”

Shrugging, “Well, I think this goes beyond being bad, and I don’t want them to try and blame others,” Joshua said.

“If Sonya approves the videos, then we will get them on the internet,” Ernest said. “You mind if we watch and offer our opinions?”

“No, but Sonya and William get the final word.”

“You stay safe,” Ernest said walking around the table and leaving with his group.

Gene walked over and grabbed Joshua’s shoulder. “You heard him, stay safe,” he said in a low voice. “I’m a little pissed that you just didn’t hide out. You’ve left them with no choice but to find you now.”

“No Gene, that was always their plan,” Joshua said. “I do feel sorry for killing them, but they started it and I’m not going to stop until they leave us alone.”

A grin split Gene’s face. “We’ll stand with you till the end,” he said and pulled out a scrench. A logger always had one. “Can you put your thumbprint on here, in case we need to do something to get the feds to back off?”

“Like what?” Joshua asked grabbing the scrench and placing his thumb on the top. 

“I don’t know and it makes me sick to say this but if we do something close to the house, we need the blame to be on you and not on Sonya and William,” Gene said, carefully taking the scrench back.

“Gene, you don’t feel bad about that,” Joshua said as Ben handed him another scrench and he pressed his thumb on it. “But please don’t do something unless you have no choice.”

“I’m not Ben,” Gene said stepping back.

Putting his scrench away, Ben looked at Gene with a hard face. “I get the first cool tent when we kill some of them, you hear me?” he almost growled. Without saying anything, Gene just walked out, shaking his head.

Sonya and William helped Joshua carry his stuff to King and Jack who were saddled and standing outside. “Joshua, do you think this will end without you dying?” Sonya whispered.

“Only when they get tired of sending in new people for me to shoot,” Joshua said tying the saddlebags on. “It may take a while, but yes. I’m hoping they will just pull out and hope to catch me when I come into town.”

Sonya looked into Joshua’s eyes and could tell he didn’t believe it. “We’ll be here,” she said wiping her eyes.

“I wish you weren’t, but I can’t think of any place to send you to and have protection,” Joshua said turning to her.

She looked up at him with determination. “I said ‘through better or worse’ and I meant it. I will always stand with you and if William had someplace to go, I would be in the mountains with you.”

“No,” Joshua said. “I would turn myself in first. I couldn’t do this if you were with me. I’ve had enough close calls to know I’ve been lucky for one person. If there were two of us, they would’ve already killed us.”

“Can I help, Dad?” William asked, trying not to cry.

Joshua leaned over, hugging him tight. “You are, Son. You’re here with Sonya and being the man of the house.”

“I’ll do my best, Dad,” he said in a breaking voice.

“I know,” Joshua said and kissed them both, then climbed on King. “I’ll try to keep in touch, but they are getting very persistent.”

“You just worry about staying safe, we will be fine,” Sonya said putting her arm around William. Giving a wave, Joshua kicked King, heading back into the forest.

“We will get to see him again, won’t we?” William asked as the tears rolled down his face.

“Baby boy, all we can do is pray and hope,” Sonya said not wanting to give any false promises. “I feel we will because Joshua never loses.”

Wiping his face, William looked up. “He’s never fought like this before.”

“That’s my point,” she sighed. “He’s fighting a war against impossible odds and is winning for the moment.”

“I hope he kills them all,” William sniffled.

Sonya squeezed him and led William back to the tent. “I just want them to leave Joshua alone, but they won’t. It’s all about saving face now,” she said softly and walked into the tent.

Chapter Thirty-One

Sitting in the briefing room the next morning, Moore looked over at Winters as they waited on Griffey. “You okay?” Moore asked.

“Yeah, I didn’t get shot,” Winters huffed as a tech walked in carrying an evidence bag.

“We photographed the cards sir,” he said handing the bag over. “There are eighty-five cards in this deck, when you count the cards the two bodies were holding.”

“Thank you,” Moore said taking the bag. Leaning back, he pulled out some latex gloves and snapped them on.

Watching as Moore opened the bag, “What has you so bothered about those cards?”

“The way they are arranged,” Moore said spreading the cards out in a line, all face-up. “The tech at the site said the next hand was a dead man’s hand and when they’d tried to move the bodies, a grenade went off.”

Leaning over and looking at the line of cards, Winters nodded. “Look, the next five cards are a royal flush.”

“Shit,” Moore said and starting from the top, he arranged the cards in groups of five. When he was done he stared at each one. “He arranged them, each hand to be dealt could be a winning hand.”

“You think the royal flush was saying he had us?” Winters asked.

“Maybe,” Moore mumbled as Griffey busted in the room, frothing at the mouth.

“What the fuck happened out there?” he screamed.

Not looking up from the cards, Moore shrugged. “Ambushed.”

“No shit!” Griffey bellowed kicking his chair back. “Where did he get those weapons from?”

“I told you, he’s ransacked the bodies he’s killed. We gave him the weapons,” Moore said and started moving the cards around in hands.

Looking at the cards, “You’re playing cards?” Griffey snapped.