Part 23 (1/2)
”Pull over there to our patrol,” Ben said, pointing at a Jeep parked curbside, a group of men and women gathered around it.
”Probably beggin” for food,” Chuck muttered. ”G.o.dd.a.m.n, are they helpless?”
”No,” Ben said.
”Then they're fools.”
”Foolish, at the very least,” Ben agreed in part.
Ben sat in his Jeep and looked at the people, standing silently, looking at him. They knew who he was, and Ben could sense the mixture of fear andresentment emanating from them, directed toward him.
Why him and not me? drifted the silent vibes.
”Well, the big bad wolf is gone,” Ben shattered the silence. ”Now what are you going to do?”
A man broke from the crowd and walked up to Ben.
”Are your people going to stay and help us?”
Ben checked his temper and bit back a smart-a.s.sed reply.
”No,” he said with a sigh. ”That's doubtful at this time.”
”Then what are we going to do?” the man asked.
”How about helping yourselves?” Ben offered.
”Give us the means and we will,” the man said.
Hope for them yet, Ben thought. ”What's your name?”
”George Williams. You're Ben Raines?”
”Yeah. What do you want?”
”Guns,” George said, a firmness in his voice.
Ben waved one of the recon team over to his Jeep. When he spoke, it was as if George was not present. ”These people know anything about guns, Jimmy?”
”From what they told me, General, no.”
Ben arched an eyebrow. He looked at George. ”Yeah, George. You can have your guns and ammo.”
”But you and your people are not going to stay and help us, are you?”
”Not at this time, no.”
”General, can I tell you something?”
”Sure. It's still a free country. What's left of it.”
”General, we both hold vastly different political views. As you have a right to yours, I have a right to mine.”
”That's right, George.”
Ben thought of another George, the civilian he'd met briefly back in Red Bluff and left in charge. That George had been tough and capable looking, not willing to be enslaved by any person. Ben had left him in charge.
He looked at the recon man. ”Don't waste too much time on them.”
”Yes, sir.”
He told Jimmy, ”Let's get out of here.”
Chapter.
Twenty.
”Now both them girlies is dead,” an outlaw reported to Sonny Boy. He c.o.c.ked his dirty head to one side and stared at the warlord. ”I thought you was gonna keep that woman Rebel for yourself?”
”Too d.a.m.n much trouble,” the warlord grunted his reply. ”Ever' time I wanted to stuck it up her a.s.s I had to pract'ally whup her half to death. It wasn't worth it. I'm gettin' bored, Snake.
All this doin' nothing is makin' me edgy. You?”
”Yeah. How come Hartline don't just cut usloose and let us go kick the a.s.s off of Raines and them Rebels?”
Sonny Boy shook his head. ”I don't know.
All that s.h.i.+t we've heard about Raines and them people of his'n don't add up to what I've seen about them.
I think Raines is runnin' a bluff. That's what I think.”
”You think we could take ”em, Sonny Boy?”
Snake asked.
”h.e.l.l, yes! Snake, you go get the rest of the boys on the horn. We gonna have us a sit-down. And I don't give a s.h.i.+t whether Hartline likes it or not.”
But before Snake could turn away, a shout came from the gang's radio operator. ”Popeye's on the horn, Sonny Boy! Wants to talk to you.
Says it's important.”
”CominThat What the h.e.l.l? he thought.
Sonny Boy listened through the headset, his face first paling, then turning red, as anger overrode shock. ”Yeah,” he said. ”We can't have no more of that s.h.i.+t. You right. Look, you call Skinhead and I'll call Grizzly. We'll have us a meet tomorrow at noon.” His eyes lifted to a dirty map tacked to the wall. ”We'll meet at old Fort Klamath. Yeah. I'm with you, Popeye. Looks like it's gonna be up to us to kick the a.s.s off Raines and his people. Right. Is Daddy gonna make it?”