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Expensive Diary,
It’s me, Jessica. We have been in bother and we knew it.
Jack seemed previous the Northern barrier.
“He is aware of. Every thing. Our defenses. Structure. Numbers. Weapons. The militia. He is aware of. Every thing.”
“Hen and biscuits, Jack,” Rae sighed. “Don’t you go on blaming your self for one thing you had no management over.”
“Aye, Jack. Rae’s proper. No level in crying over spilled milk. What can we do now?” Sean requested kindly.
Jack continued to look to the North for a number of moments. I used to be starting to really feel a bit uncomfortable when Jack abruptly mentioned,
“He has the intelligence his spies offered. He will likely be making a battle plan. He’ll want time to implement it. I’ll put a machine gun up on the hillside with a few of our greatest marksmen on the hill overlooking the barrier the place Jessica and I obtained blown as much as forestall him from flanking us there. We are going to bulk up that place as a protection. We should reinforce the barrier. He has one thing else in thoughts.” Jack paused, nonetheless trying North. “Whoever he’s, he’s very crafty and -”
He lower the sentence off after we noticed two riders approaching. The reverend Ishmael was on horseback, as was the opposite man we noticed with him the primary time. He carried a white flag as they rode as much as the defensive trenches and stopped. They waited.
“Aye. Let’s go see what they should say.”
“Jessica,” Jack mentioned to me. “I would like you to come back with. Carry your rifle as I taught you, Mozambique carry. Don’t say something however look them within the eyes always, as calm and impartial as you’ll be able to. I would like them to see you.”
“Okay,” I replied, not understanding, and adopted Sean and Jack to the defensive trenches.
“We’re blessed with one other superb morning allowed by our good father in heaven, the almighty God,” Ishmael acknowledged, Bible in hand-held to his chest. He gave a slight bow.
“Amen,” he and the opposite man mentioned.
“Good morning to you, Mayor Sean and pal Jack,” Ishmael mentioned with a heat smile.
He ignored me.
The opposite man gave me a as soon as over however paused at my shouldered rifle. He then seemed me proper within the eyes. I simply seemed again. He then seemed away.
“Morning,” Sean mentioned merely.
Jack mentioned nothing however gave a slight nod of his head.
“Gents, I implore you within the good Lord’s identify to undergo me and my congregation to forgive you in your sins and welcome us as your saviors. To make you part of one thing better. A powerful neighborhood of God-fearing women and men! Who will sing in His praises in His identify!” Ishmael raised his Bible to the sky together with his eyes closed and mentioned, “Amen!”
The opposite man repeated, “Amen!” with closed eyes.
Ishmael lowered his Bible to his chest, leaned ahead in his saddle, and checked out Sean in a quiet however stern voice,
“There must be no bloodshed. We all know of your defenses, your weapons, your militia. Undergo me now, and nobody must die needlessly.”
“Reverend,” Sean mentioned politely, “As I mentioned earlier than, many people are merely not involved in your interpretation of the great e-book. I’m completely able to delivering these from sin as you’re for individuals who comply with.” Sean shrugged. “Some do. Some don’t. That’s their alternative. It isn’t my place to move judgment on anybody. Neither is it yours.”
Ishmael’s face flushed at Sean’s rebuke. “All are sinners! All must be forgiven! All must undergo His will! To enter into His kingdom, they should obey my phrase and the phrase of our Lord in heaven! My Lord instructions it!”
“I do know of your energy and weak point,” the opposite man mentioned abruptly, trying straight at Jack. “I’ll exploit your weak point to my benefit. Give up now. Or I’ll raze this complete city of sinners like a scythe earlier than wheat.”
“Amen,” Ishmael cried, Bible upheld, eyes closed.
Jack didn’t say something for a protracted second, trying straight again. Then he gave an odd smile and mentioned, “I stay up for assembly you on the battlefield.”
The opposite man’s eyes narrowed. He abruptly seemed unsure. The reverend checked out him involved, then at Jack. He then abruptly turned his horse and rode off, the opposite man following.
“What was that about, Jack?”
“An thought.”
Entry two
We spent the remainder of the day fortifying the place on the hillside and the Northern barrier.
We might additionally hear the sounds of hammers and the ring of metal coming from the cult camp. They have been engaged on one thing. Later within the afternoon, the hammering had stopped and we heard singing.
“What are they singing,” I requested Rae.
She paused, turning her head to 1 facet to pay attention.
“Hymns. They’re singing hymns. They have to be having a service earlier than dinner.”
I nodded however nonetheless didn’t perceive. It appeared odd to carry service and sing hymns earlier than a battle.
Rae should have seen the confusion on my face. She defined, “It offers folks a way of calm. Being collectively, praying, and singing. Supposedly, some warriors, even on the battle line simply earlier than the preventing would begin, would sing a battle hymn collectively. Gave them braveness.”
I nodded once more, understanding higher.
Jack arrived a short while later and gave the order for each different particular person to get “chow” whereas the remainder manned the barrier. As soon as they have been completed, they’d return, and the opposite folks would get their meals.
Rae instructed me to go first with a nod and smile.
“I will likely be again quickly,” I assured her.
“Don’t rush, honey. It isn’t like we’re going anyplace.”
“Gorging down your meals gives you indigestion and offer you bizarre desires at night time,” Jack added with one among his grins.
“Okay,” I laughed as I stepped out of the van that made up a part of the barrier.
Rifle slung, pack on my again, I made my method towards 4 Corners and South facet to discover a meal. When there’s a menace, and 4 Corners’ personal militia is “stood up,” as Jack would say, these manning the barrier or the gates, these anticipating to combat throughout that point, should not have to commerce for a meal. However I at all times give what I had for a meal. Most attempt to refuse, however I give them my finest smile and slip them one thing.
I discovered the younger couple and their two kids with the outside cooking fires. That they had constructed one thing greater than a shack that was widespread in 4 Corners however not fairly a small home. That they had seasoned beef, rooster, and venison skewers, grilling over a hearth. I took two of every and gave the younger lady eight Halloween-sized sweet bars from my pack. Eyes broad, she began to refuse. I simply smiled and held up a hand. “Please. On your kids.”
There have been a number of camp chairs and upturned logs for folks to sit down on one facet of the cooking fires to eat. I acknowledged just a few, mentioned “whats up,” and started to eat. The skewers have been nonetheless scorching sufficient that I couldn’t “wolf” my meals down. I requested if anybody knew what the seasoning was, as I couldn’t put my finger on it. The younger man tending the skewers and the cooking fires replied, “Mexican!”
Somebody commented on how they’d kill for a correct burrito or taco.
One other yearned for a spicy fried rooster sandwich, with waffle fries and particular sauce to dip them in.
Others chimed in.
New York-style pizza.
Chinese language perform.
Crab truffles.
I added, “Peanut Butter Waffle Cone ice cream.” I obtained a number of, “Ohhhhs!”
Then a number of others shouted out flavors. Some argued towards a taste. Others defended. All of us laughed.
I then realized this was just like the “gallows humor” a few of the militia expressed earlier than a combat. All of us shared a meal, shared widespread pursuits, and had fun.
And we weren’t eager about the approaching combat.
Diary, now I perceive.
Entry three
Simply earlier than dusk, Jack assigned folks to a two-hour “hearth watch.” After their watch, they’d wake their alternative, and so forth. Everybody was to get as a lot sleep as they may. He assigned himself to the final watch earlier than dawn. I used to be assigned to the primary watch. After two hours, I might wake Rae. Jack needed me recent at daybreak. I mentioned I used to be undecided I might sleep. He nodded and mentioned, “You’ll.”
Jack was proper.
I awoke with a begin as Jack gently shook my shoulder. I nodded I used to be awake, stood up and hopped out of the van that was my “rack” for the night time. As I stretched my arms, again, and legs, I might see to the East. The sky was starting to lighten, however there have been nonetheless stars seen to the West.
Jack and the others had been busy through the night time. Two autos to the left of the one I used to be sleeping in had been eliminated and changed with two picket panels, every eight ft broad and eight ft tall.
Rae joined me a second later, additionally stretching the kinks out of sleeping within the seat of a automobile.
“What’s that?” Rae requested, her arms stretched over her head.
“No thought.”
Rae then twisted to 1 facet to stretch her decrease again and requested, “Who’re they?”
Wanting behind me, I responded once more, “No thought,” prompting a giggle from Rae.
I might see the types of folks sleeping on the bottom on both facet of the street behind the barrier.
Jack walked up.
“It’s our militia.”
“What? How did-”
Jack interrupted me,
“I despatched Mr. Miller and Billy to get them. To not ship them East. Had them arrive through the night time so the cult wouldn’t see them.”
“Hen and biscuits, Jack! You staged that complete factor for the children to see!”
Jack gave Rae a smile and winked.
As daybreak broke on the Jap horizon we noticed the cultists had additionally been busy through the night time. Two wagons have been out entrance of their line. Jack, trying via binoculars, described what he noticed.
“Heavy wooden development. The tops are containers lined in plate metal. The fronts are slanted at a forty-five-degree angle away from us. There seems to be a hinged plate protecting. Firing slots.”
He handed the binoculars to Sean, and mentioned, “Cell machine gun nests.”
Sean seemed via the binoculars and requested, “What number of weapons per wagon?”
“Not less than one. Maybe two. No extra. Small or medium machine weapons will make issues attention-grabbing. A heavy machine gun, we’re in bother.”
“Our machine gun on the hillside be of any use?”
“If the entire wagon is roofed in plate metal, unlikely. They gained’t have a transparent shot on the gunners inside, both. To advance them towards us, they may want half a dozen males pushing these nests. They should keep behind the wagons for canopy. Ship a runner to our machine gunner and the marksmen on the hillside. Inform them concerning the machine gun, brief burst, and harassment hearth to the rear and behind the wagons. Maintain these males out of the combat. However husband their ammunition for the machine gun. We don’t have so much to waste. In the event that they or the marksmen can get , clear shot, take it. ”
Sean turned to see who was out there to behave as runner.
“Jessica. If you’ll be so form.”
“Jessica,” Jack turned and held out the binoculars to me. “Take these do a as soon as over and report again. Keep low and out of sight.”
“On it, Jack.”
Diary, I don’t thoughts a tough hump or a run, however low crawling is simply plain terrible.
I returned fifteen minutes later to report, sweating and soiled, with scrapes and bruises on my elbows and knees I might have for the subsequent few days.
“Cooking fires going. All their using horses are saddled and have rifles on them, able to journey, near their wagons by the perimeters of the street. The opposite horses nonetheless picketed. I might see some motion between the wagons. Just a few girls and youngsters are going between the cooking fires and the large tent.”
“Ought to we hearth on the tent,” Sean requested.
“No. We now have restricted ammunition. With each shot taken, the machine weapons come that a lot nearer to turning into large heavy golf equipment. I don’t need to hit girls and youngsters, both. Until they’re capturing again.”
“The horses?”
“Useless horse is canopy. A panicked horse is stay catastrophe for the rider or anybody within the instant neighborhood.” Jack paused. “I’ve one thing else in thoughts too.”
About 1stMarineJarHead
1stMarineJarHead just isn’t solely a former Marine, but in addition a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter.
He presently resides within the nice white (i.e. snowy) Northeast together with his spouse and canines. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, often hogs, cows and typically geese. He grows numerous veggies and has a bizarre fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys studying, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, goal capturing, and is presently increasing his woodworking expertise.
