“We fought hard, but we couldn’t hold them back. By dawn, we were using lethal ammo… but they still came. We… we were killing them by the hundreds, but they still came and grabbed us.”
Murphy pressed back against the seat and took a long drink of water from his drinking tube. He let out a long sigh. “Just before dawn, orders came to pull back. We loaded up in the trucks and prepared to move out, but…”
“But what?” Jacob asked.
“I saw them,” Murphy whispered.
Stephens nodded. “I know, brother. I saw it too; we all did.”
“What? What did you see?” Jacob asked impatiently.
“The soldiers—the ones we lost, our friends. They were back but changed… still wearing their riot gear. They marched with the mobs,” Murphy said.
Jacob leaned back in the seat. “This is all bullshit. It had to have been something else. Maybe another unit, a group you didn’t know about, in stolen uniforms.”
Murphy nodded and turned his head to look out the window. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”
Stephens started the car’s engine and put it into gear. “We need a place to hole up.”
Chapter Ten
The patrol car rolled slowly down the center of the empty road as Jacob surveyed the small industrial park that was coming up on their left side. Only a block from the two-lane road that led to the park encampment, it would make for a perfect hide.
Stephens slowed the car until it was rolling just above idle speed, then turned into a paved drive that faced a building with a double overhead door. The wheels crunched as the car maneuvered over broken asphalt. A large sign at the front of the building labeled it a commercial heating and cooling sales shop. Stephens eased the patrol car forward, then stopped it in front of the door—close, but not so close that he couldn’t turn and flee if need be—then reached down and shut off the ignition.
“Why here?” Jacob whispered, still frustrated they were not going straight to the park. He was growing anxious with worry about his family.
“This building looks solid enough: only one door in the front, no windows, steel overheads,” Stephens listed off patiently as he dropped his arm and secured his rifle. He reached up, popped the dome light cover, and removed the bulb. He held a hand on the door and used his other to slowly pull the latch so that the door quietly released under pressure while Murphy did the same on the passenger’s side.
Jacob waited and watched as they quietly let their doors swing shut. Stephens opened the back door, and Jacob realized for the first time that there were no handles on the inside of the rear passenger’s doors. Stephens handed Jacob the shotgun they’d retrieved from the dead cop. “Here take this; it’ll get you farther than that rifle,” he said.
Jacob nodded his acceptance and stepped out of the car.
Stephens moved to the rear of the car and used the key to open the trunk. A large black gear bag was inside; Murphy reached in and opened the zipper.
Inside were a police carbine and a black tactical vest already loaded with three, thirty-round magazines. Murphy removed the rifle and set it to the side, then pulled out the heavy vest and placed it next to the rifle. The rest of the bag was filled with road flares, a protective mask, and a baton. Another bag was filled with tools and other emergency gear. Murphy closed the bags and pushed them aside. Searching the rest of the trunk, he found nothing further of use.
He waved Jacob forward and placed the vest in his hands. It was heavy. Police was stenciled across the back in white, bold letters, and an embroidered badge patch was affixed to the front center. Several loops held zip ties and other bits of equipment. Jacob pulled the vest tighter and let the weight adjust in his arms. Murphy took the rifle and opened the sling, hanging it over Jacob’s back.
“Come on, man; what am I, a mule?” Jacob whispered, protesting.
“Just until we get inside; then I’ll show you how to put the gear on,” Murphy said.
After one more sweep of the trunk, Stephens slowly lowered the lid and pressed until he heard the latch click. The soldier reached up and dropped his NODs over his eyes, then gave Murphy a thumbs up. Murphy looked at Jacob. “Just follow us in and press your back against the wall.”
Jacob nodded back to the man as Murphy pulled down his own goggles and followed Stephens to the front door of the business.
Stephens moved to the right of the door with Murphy standing just behind him. He reached out an arm and felt the handle move in his hand. The door pushed in easily and glided open, staying that way. Stephens sidestepped to the lip of the door, lowered the barrel of his rifle, tapped it twice against the doorjamb, and then pulled back. The three of them silently stood, holding their breath and listening for any sound of movement.
After several agonizing minutes, Stephens stepped into the doorway and dropped into the room with Murphy close behind him. Jacob moved in quickly after and, as instructed, pushed his back to the wall and waited. Murphy reached back and closed the door, the room quickly falling pitch black. Jacob couldn’t see a hand in front of his face; he pressed against the wall and began sweating while holding the heavy gear in his trembling arms.
He could hear the soldiers’ footsteps as they moved deeper into the space. Their sounds of movement reflected off walls and played tricks on Jacob’s mind as he tried to imagine the layout of the room. The soldiers’ steps continued to move away; then, suddenly, the room flashed in bright light.
