The Guardians (38 page)

Evan borrowed Sarah's hand held radio and transmitted, "Griff."

"I'm here," he replied.

"Do y
ou need anything?" asked Evan.

"I'm trapped like a rat without a long gun; I've just got my pistol.  I doubt you can get anything to me safely though, Griff replied.

"OK, well, if you need anything let us know," Evan said. "You can be our eyes on the ground in the meantime."

"Wilco," replied Griff.

After a few more uneventful moments, Linda yelled out, "I've got movement on this side in the tree line."

"Over here as well," called out Judy.

"Well hell," said Evan in frustration.  "They are blocking off all of our escape routes."

Just then, a voice came over the CB radio that said, "Howdy neighbors.  That wasn't very neighborly what you did to our house and our friends.  We're here to return the hospitality."

"Frank Jr.?" Evan asked over the radio.

"Why yes it is," the voice on the radio said.  "You see neighbor, you and yours have put quite the damper on our once prosperous enterprise, and we feel you owe us reparations."

"What do you want?" Evan asked. 

"The way
I see it," replied Frank Jr., "You shot the shit out of our home rendering it simply unlivable, so we think it would only be fair if you give us yours.  We want your house, your land, and everything on it. Oh, and we'll take any pretty girls you may have in there as well.  That young one looks pretty sweet.  We've been watching for a while. We know what you have and where you have it."

"That sick son of a bitch!" Evan said in a fit of rage as he paced back and forth.  He then stormed out of the room, came back a few minutes later with his .50 BMG, and began to
set it up facing the tree line where the main body of the Muncie gang seemed to be located.  "If I see that sick bastard I'm killing him on sight," Evan said as he chambered one of the massive fifty caliber rounds.

"Every last one of you will die if you make a move towards this house!" Evan shouted over the radio.

"Yes neighbor, we realize that," answered Frank.  "We ain't stupid.  We've planned for that eventuality.  You can either lay down your weapons and surrender willingly, or we will burn you out.  If we can't have your house, no one will.  We will burn every last woman and child to death, while we sit back here, have a beer, and watch.  Hell, I might even use your wife's smoldering ashes to light a celebratory cigar."

Evan ordered "Fire at the tree line! Try and flush them out!" as he began firing blindly into the woods with his big fifty.  Everyone at the Homefront opened fire, aiming low to the ground and just inside the tree line, where they assumed the men might be taking cover.

"OK then, I guess that's your answer," Frank Jr. answered in a disappointed tone.  "That's a shame too.  I really wanted that young'un."

They then heard a large diesel engine fire up in the distance.  It sounded like it was coming right down the main driveway.  To their horror, they saw a large bull dozier come into view.  It had steel plates welded on around the cab for armor and the blade had several oil soaked logs
chained to it that had been set on fire.  It crashed through the front gate and began to head for the house.  Evan and Jason both opened fire on the dozier trying to find a weak spot in the make shift armor.  The operator immediately raised the blade to shield the cab from their shots. 

"They might as well have a tank!" said Jason in an exasperated tone.

The dozier came to a stop approximately seventy yards from the house.  "One last chance to change your mind," Frank said over the radio.

Evan looked at Jason and said, "Run downstairs and let them know to get the kids ready, we may have to make a run for it, and it's not going to be pretty if we do."

Jason just looked at Evan realizing the horror that awaits them and their children.  They both knew if they were forced to run for it, they would be cut to shreds.  "Tell them if we give the signal, to run for their lives and never look back.  We will hold them off the best we can while they get away.  And tell Molly and my kids I love them.

Jason reluctantly turned and went downstairs to give the terrible, but seemingly necessary instructions without saying a word.

After a moment with no reply from Evan, Frank said, "Alrighty then.  Game on."  With that, the dozier resumed its advance towards the house.  Simultaneously the tree line erupted with gunfire directed at the house from all directions.  Everyone near an upper floor window dropped to the floor as the windows all began to shatter as the barrage of bullets found their way into the room.

Almost as soon as the gunfire had begun, the bullets began to be redirected
, and ceased to hit the house, yet the sounds of the shots continued.  Evan slipped over to one of the windows, peeked out through the shooting port in the ballistic shutter, and saw the attackers retreating from the tree line as they fought off someone behind them.  The attackers were being cut to pieces, but by who?

The dozier however, continued its ominous cou
rse unimpeded towards the house with its payload of burning lumber.  Evan then saw a man on horseback come barreling out of the trees at full gallop.

"
It's Daryl!" Evan yelled aloud.

Darryl's horse ran straight for the dozier from behind.
As the dozier got to within ten yards of the house, Daryl tossed a backpack onto the dozier's engine compartment and then turned away riding as hard as he could.  A huge blast rocked the house as the pack exploded, bringing the dozier to a complete stop. 

The operator of the dozier opened the reinforced cab and bailed off of the burning machine, shaken and disoriented
, holding his hands over his ears in pain.  Daryl then turned his horse back towards the dozier and ran back towards the man at full gallop.  As he came upon the man, Daryl drew his 1875 Remington revolver and shot the man dead.

The gunshots began to subside, and as the last attacker was killed, the Homefront's defenders emerged from the woods.  It was nearly every man from the community: Lloyd, Bill, Jimmy, Charlie, William, and of course Daryl.  Nate and Peggy were also with them, each carrying a rifle themselves.  The community that Evan, Jason and everyone at the Homefront had worked so hard to bring together, had stood side by side in a time of de
speration, and saved them all.  They truly earned the name, the Guardians.

**The End**

A Note from the Author

I just wanted to personally thank each and every one of you who have purchased and read The Last Layover: The New Homefront, Vol. 1, and The Guardians: The New Homefront, Vol. 2.  These two books have been a labor of love and a great experience for me both personally and professionally.  As I developed the story and the characters, I tried to put in place the feelings and experiences that the average American might have in such a situation.  I feel that although this exact scenario is merely one of myriad things that could happen to our great society, we all need to have the mindset that nothing in this world is certain, and nothing is guaranteed.  Having the proper mindset during the onset of a world-changing situation
, could mean the difference between our survival, and our demise.

I would also like to personally thank everyone that has provided me with support and encouragement along the way, as well as the readers of Volume 1 that provided online reviews and email feedback, which I used to help improve the reader
's experience and the quality of Volume 2.

Respectfully,

Steven C. Bird