Several hours later, I awoke to a noise that clashed with the monotonous chirping and singing of insects. Light from a three-quarter moon reflected off the calm, dark water in the lake. Four loud shots in quick succession and one of a smaller caliber blasted through the calm stillness. They came from close by, damn close. More shots rang out from near the lodge where Morgan's crew lived.
Shane and Ira jumped from their beds and were getting into their clothes as I finished tying my boots. I slipped out the door shirtless and went to the corner of our trailer. I stared at the narrow metal door to Angela's quarters. It was open; the body of one man in camouflage lay unmoving collapsed in the doorway. Another body lay on the ground under the dim moon light. That man moaned in pain.
Andrea called softly as Shane and Ira crept up behind me. Close by, several high-powered rifles laid down a barrage of fire. Gunfire flashes streaked through the night between the woods and the lodge. I guessed there were at least eight to twelve people firing at the cabin from the cover of trees. Andrea climbed over the body and raced across a short stretch of open ground to join us. "Did you shoot those men?"
She nodded. "They forced their way into my trailer."
In a hushed voice, I said, "Let's go behind the small trailer, and then we'll work our way up toward the road. Swing wide to get in position down from the attackers and somewhat behind them. We don't want to be shooting in line with the main cabin or we'll hit our friends. Find cover, and then we'll take them on. Stay at least six feet apart. Let's go and give ‘em hell but be careful. Wait here until I finish the one that's moaning." I pulled my combat knife, then used it.
We scurried across the twenty-foot open space between the trailers stooped low. We used the same stance as we left the cover of the metal boxes and spread out. Sporadic shooting continued as we cautiously advanced up the rocky ground toward the attackers. Moonlight filtered through the leafless trees to cast eerie shadows that aided our stealthy approach. Fifty feet from the attackers we could make out their forms hidden in the shadows cast by dense tree limbs. Gunfire and the attacker's concentration covered the sounds of our approach. The four of us took cover behind trees or on the ground behind rocks or logs. In a three second span, all four of us fired multiple rounds at dark targets we'd sighted on. Screams of pain bellowed out as the attackers were hit. Some turned to return fire at us. Unfortunately for them, their movements revealed their positions to us and the defenders in the main cabin. Bodies fell as screams permeated the night. A torrent of footsteps indicated a trail the remaining attackers ran over through tree branches and over rough, rock strewn terrain.
Morgan's deep bass voice cut through the still night. "Tom, Shane, is that you boys?"
Shane hollered, "Yeah Morgan, it's us. Come on out and bring flashlights so we can see what we caught."
I told our people, "Take cover behind trees, then turn your flashlights on the people we shot. Some of them might only be wounded and may shoot at your lights."
Nine bodies were on the ground. As we cautiously approached, one man whipped his arm around toward us with a pistol in it. Shane and I shot him in unison, and he flopped over onto his back after firing two shots wildly into the trees. That made seven dead and two seriously wounded.
Morgan and his two sons, Morgan Jr. and Zeb reached us. By standing on our captive’s wounds to inflict the maximum pain, we learned their group came from thirty miles away and had attacked Morgan's camp previously. They both claimed the three or four that had escaped were their only members left. Morgan's boys shot both attackers and dragged them deeper into the undergrowth in the woods.
Ira asked, "What do you think they were after?"
"They want our site." Morgan laughed heartily. "If they'd waited a day or two we would have been gone and they could have walked in without a fight. People, ain't we something?"
Verlie hustled out of the house and stood by Morgan. "Jesse got hit, in the side. I'm sure the bullet hit a rib."
"I'll take a look at him," Ira said, "let me get my bag."
Verlie said, "I'll assist. I have O. R. nursing experience."
Morgan said, "We heard shots that sounded like they might have come from down by the lake."
Shane and I turned to Andrea. She stepped forward. "That was me. Our truck was parked outside my unit. I guess that's why they hit there first. A noise woke me as they worked to get the door open; my flashlight and pistol laid beside the bed. I held the light out to my left side when I turned it on. Two men in camo who I didn't recognize as your people stood inside the room. One carried a rifle and the other held a pistol in his hand. It was pointed in my direction, so I shot both of them. The guy with the pistol got one shot off, but he missed me."
Morgan roared with laughter and slapped his palm on his thigh. "I like you lady. You're like my Verlie. You two are going to get along like beans and cornbread."
Dawn would be lighting the sky soon, so we
