Part 23 (1/2)

Nathan buckled on his gear, then picked up his pack, grunting hard. ”s.h.i.+t, did it get bigger?” Nathan asked no one in particular. When he was set he looked around, the area making sure nothing was left. He had started making them bury all leftovers. The only trace he wanted to leave was disturbed ground.

Nathan led the group to the road and they started off. There was a full moon and no clouds so it was very bright. No one had NVGs turned on, but all still wore them. Nathan laughed, remembering the first night everyone complaining of headaches after wearing the monoculars all night. Now the NVGs didn't bother anyone.

They had barely been walking an hour when they heard gunshots off to the southwest. They usually heard several during the night and more during the day but this was a lot more gunshots than usual. After two minutes the shots were still going and increasing in intensity. Nathan led the group to the side of the road and up into a stand of trees. Pulling out his map, Nathan listened to the battle.

”You think you can figure out where they are?” Jasmine whispered.

Nathan smiled at her. ”I'm very proud of you. You didn't ask what the shooting was about. You asked something we can work out.”

Jasmine smiled, thankful she hadn't asked that, because it was her next question. ”Well, can you figure out where they are?”

Nathan laid the map out and everyone gathered around. ”Which way is it coming from?” he asked. Everyone pointed to the southwest. Nathan took out his compa.s.s and ordinated it with the map. ”We are here,” Nathan marked with a grease pencil and looked up and listened to gunfire, still at an incredible tempo. He picked up the compa.s.s, checking the azimuth. ”It's between four and five miles away.” He set the compa.s.s back on the map and pulled out his protractor. ”The sound is coming on bearing 224.” He drew a line from their position. ”Just northwest of the town of Nettleton. My guess is here by this small lake.” Nathan pointed at the map.

”I don't know who lives there, but I'm sure my dad knows,” Howard said as the gunfire started to taper off. Finally it stopped.

”Anyone want to take a guess how many weapons that was?” Nathan asked.

”About twenty or thirty,” John answered.

”Very good, John, that's right,” Nathan said. ”How much ammunition do you think was used?”

John thought for a second. ”A couple of hundred rounds?”

”More,” Nathan said.

”Six hundred?” John asked.

”More,” Nathan replied.

”A thousand?”

”I estimate over two thousand, closer to three,” Nathan said. ”Those were AR-15s with at least one M-4 shooting on auto. You can shoot two hundred rounds in a minute easily using semi. What does this tell you about that fight?” Nathan asked.

”Neither side cared about how much they shot,” Amanda answered.

”So what does that tell you?” Nathan asked her.

”They have more,” she answered.

”Yes. My guess is someone attacked a house and was beaten off. Did you hear how the gunfire tapered off, then stopped? You do that to get away from someone,” Nathan said.

”Couldn't the people in the house be the ones that got away?” Amanda asked.

”Think about that. If someone is attacking, they will surround you. You figure out what happens if you try to leave then. If the defenders had lost, the firing would've tapered but would be still be going on as the attackers mopped up,” Nathan told them.

”How do you know this stuff?” Amanda asked, amazed.

”I read, I think, and I've been in and watched enough a.s.saults on houses to know,” Nathan said.

”You are so awesome,” Amanda said, grinning.

”Well thank you, little lady. What does everyone think now?” Nathan asked the group.

”A group of attackers is leaving from there,” Jasmine said, getting worried.

”That's what I'm talking about. You're thinking,” Nathan said, folding the map.

”Should we be worried?” Jackie asked, looking around.

Nathan stood up. ”Definitely.” He put the map away. ”If they move northeast they will get close. There is only one road that they can take. But they could move anywhere.” Nathan hiked back to the road with the others following.

Nathan lowered his NVG. ”Don't bunch up, and keep about ten feet between each other. Don't walk behind someone. Watch me and if something happens go to the same side of the road I do.” Nathan started down the road.

Everyone lowered their NVG and spread out on the road. As one, the group took a deep breath and followed Nathan down the gravel road. They soon turned onto a small paved road. It was less than thirty minutes after the gunfire that Nathan suddenly turned and ran to the right side of the road. Everyone followed him. Nathan pointed to the trees and everyone jumped the ditch. John and Tom each grabbed an end of the wagon with several others and carried it across then set it back down and pulled it into the woods.

When everyone was in the trees Nathan slunk to them, keeping his rifle aimed down the road. When he reached the group he laid down on the ground and everyone copied him. Less than a minute later they heard galloping hoof beats on the road. Amanda pulled Athena down, whispering for her to be quiet. Seconds later, over a dozen horses galloped past. Everyone stayed p.r.o.ne as the galloping hoof beats faded away then disappeared.

All eyes turned to Nathan, who just stayed put. The mosquitos started to come out and Nathan pulled out his Thermal Cell making the sp.a.w.ns of h.e.l.l leave. The group stayed p.r.o.ne for an hour before Nathan stood up and motioned everyone to the road. When everyone was on the road Nathan led them at a fast walk for half an hour before turning onto a small gravel road.

After an hour he led them once again off the road to a small cl.u.s.ter of trees that surrounded a pond in the middle of a field. ”Okay everyone, keep your voices down and always keep an eye out,” Nathan told them and dropped his pack. He wanted to grab his woobie, but Emma was wrapped up in it and there was no way he was waking her up at two in the morning.

”I think we're on the Carter farm,” Howard told Nathan.

”We are two miles from your dad's place, but we aren't moving till light,” Nathan replied.

”How did you know the horses were coming?” Amanda asked.

”Heard em,” Nathan said, grabbing a bottle of water. ”Ares let me know something was coming.”

”I was listening and I didn't hear them till we were in the woods,” Amanda said.

Nathan reached up and pulled something out of his left ear. ”I heard them,” he said, holding out the small object.

”What is that? Is that a hearing aid? You have to have a hearing aid?” Amanda fired off the questions, feeling disappointed.

”No-, well it is kind of a hearing aid, but this is a Hunter's Ear.' It amplifies sounds to give me super hearing. It also blocks out loud gunshots. When I have the ear bud in for the radio I lose a lot of hearing on my right side so this more than makes up for it,” Nathan said.

Amanda gasped. ”You had something that gives you super powers and didn't tell me?”

Shocked, Nathan looked at the little girl like she was insane. ”Amanda, it's not super powers. It's an edge.”

”I want an edge,” she said, crossing her arms.

”You have a ballistic vest on. You're carrying an M-4, a compact 1911, and a .38. You have a PVS-14 night vision monocular. That's quiet an edge,” Nathan said in a monotone.

”I want super hearing,” Amanda mumbled.

”Will that make you happy so you'll quit making me miserable?” Nathan asked.