Part 2 (2/2)

Ben was ready. The three of them had worked hard and swiftly for several hours in preparation for Campo and his creeps. Now all they could do was wait.

”Why did we pile all that junk around those

fifty-five.

gallon drums of gasoline, Ben?”

Judy asked, pointing to the carefully piled materials at each corner of the block.

”Because when I get as many of Campo's people within this one-block area as possible, I'm going to turn this street into an inferno. We toss a c.o.c.ktail into the debris, then, when it's burning, shoot into the drums of gas. The fumes ignite.”

”Where are you going when this is over, Ben?”

”Just wandering. How about you?”'

”Wally wants to stay in this area and start up another church.”

”And you?”'

”I don't want to stay. I'd like to see the country. I'll bet I haven't been three hundred miles in any direction from this point. Not in my whole life.”

”How did you avoid Logan's resettlement plans?”'

”Paul and me hid out, then we went to live with kin up in Kentucky. That's when I started back to school. Then the rats came.”

Ben had learned that most people did not care to discuss that period of their lives. The memories were just too horrible. Those rodents had almost been the final blow against humanity.

”Well, I'm certainly going to ramble around when this is over, Judy. You're welcome to come with me.”

”No strings attached?”'

”None whatsoever.”

”Here they come!” Wally shouted. He scrambled down from the building and took up his position. Ben watched him through worried eyes.

Wally had pointed toward the east.

”You don't think Wally has his share of guts, do you, Ben?” Judy asked.

”I'm sure he is a very brave man, Judy.

But being a brave man and being a survivalist are two entirely different things. Wally has a reluctant trigger finger, that's all. And at times like these, that is a drawback to those who might be depending on his reactions.”

”He's killed before,” Judy defended her brother.

”When absolutely pushed to the wall and then only after putting his life, your life, or somebody else's life in jeopardy.” It was not posed in question form.

”How'd you know that?” ”Wally's about ten years older than you, right, Judy?”

”How'd you know that?

Yeah, that's right.”

”Wally remembers when a person could call a cop. His formative years were in the late '60's and '70's. He probably feels guilty just at the thought of picking up a big, bad gun to defend himself against all these poor misguided souls that roam the country, raping and killing and stealing.”

She laughed softly at the expression on his face. ”You ever been married, Ben?”

The sound of labored engines was growing louder.

”Yes. A long time ago.” Long ago and far away, the line came to the one-time-writer-turned-warrior. ”Here they come.

Stay very still, Judy.”

”Campo won't come in with his men,” Judy said.

”He always lays back until it's clear. I've watched him do it a half-dozen times.”

Ben nodded and watched the lead vehicle turn the corner, its ugly, squat nose poking arrogantly around the corner. The truck was not a one-ton truck but a heavier bob truck. The front and sides had been fortified with steel plate. Gun slits bad been cut into the steel plate. The muzzles of automatic weapons stuck out of the slits.

Ben watched as two more fortified trucks pulled around the corner. ”They're going to strafe first,” Ben whispered. Whispering was not really necessary. The trucks had no m.u.f.flers and were making enough noise to almost cover a gunshot. ”You climb down into that bay there.

I'll join you very soon, believe me.”

Then Ben was alone as the woman scampered into the protective old bay. He heard the metallic sounds of radio speakers barking out their static.

Another truck pulled around the corner, then another. He watched as the muzzles of the guns on his side lowered. He slipped into the concrete protection of the bays just as the machine guns opened up, the slugs tearing great jagged holes in the old wooden doors of the service area. Bits of broken gla.s.s sparkled in flight, showering Ben and Judy with shards of gla.s.s. Several of the big .50-caliber slugs struck the inner frame of the sliding door and knocked the door ajar.

The strafing stopped. ”Remember, Jake wants that c.u.n.t alive. Fan out and search both sides of the block. They got to be here. They didn't make it to McKinnon and they ain't on the east side of town. Most out.”

Ben had tucked his truck into a ravine a half-mile out of the town proper and covered it with brush. The ravine wound around and connected with a dry creek bed that ran just behind the old station. That would be their escape route.

They hoped.

Boots crunched on the broken and litteredstreet and sidewalks. Ben and Judy tensed as the boots stopped in front of the service station.

”s.h.i.+t!” they heard a man mutter. ”Ben Raines ain't nowhere around these parts. And if n he was, I don't want no truck with him.”

”You better not let Jake hear you say that,”

another man said. ”Jake hates Ben Raines.”

In the darkness of the bay, Ben felt Judy's eyes on him, asking silent questions. Ben shrugged.

So far as he knew, he had never met Jake Campo.

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