some smoke.”
“Maybe we should all go up there to continue our meeting, so Charlie can be involved, and so we can see what’s going on,” Frank said.
Hilda nodded.
“Charlie, we’re coming up.”
“Great, see you in a few minutes.”
Another pop pop pop, and two more loud explosions. Then more pop pop pop. It was starting to go faster now….too fast to count.
“That’s more than just six guys shooting at a couple of militia nuts,” Jerry said.
“Yeah, there’s a fire fight going on down there,” Frank said. “I hope the Major and his men didn’t get ambushed.”
“Me too,” the Sheriff said. As they were walking towards the store, Earl and Jackson joined them.
“You guys are obviously hearing this,” Earl said.
“C’mon, we’re going up on the roof of the store to have a meeting,” Frank said. He looked over at Jerry for approval, and he nodded. When they were almost to the door, Jane rushed over and got beside Frank. She looked up at him, and he put his arm around her shoulders. They walked into the store, and over to the back room door.
“Alright, everybody watch your step,” Hilda said. They went into the dark storeroom, and Hilda turned on the lights. There was a rough wooden staircase in the back of the room, leading to a trap door. Hilda climbed up and pushed the trap door open. All of them walked up onto the roof…..Hilda followed by Frank and Jane, Jerry, the Sheriff, Earl, and Jackson. Jane carried Lucy up. Charlie was over at the edge of the flat roof, behind a façade that was about chest high. He was sitting on a short stool with a rifle in his hands.
“I know it’s a little dirty, but you folks probably should sit down,” Charlie said. “If you stand up and there are bad guys out there, they could hit you with a sniper rifle.”
“Good point,” Jerry said. He sat down Indian-style, and the others joined him.
“OK, so here’s the situation as we know it right now,” Frank said. “Major Hobbs took his troops and headed down the back highway, looking for the missing vehicle. Sheriff, is that billow of smoke over there in the direction that the highway leads?”
“Sure is,” the Sheriff said.
“I figured. Sounds like whatever went on there is over, because it’s been a couple of minutes since we’ve heard anything.”
“That smoke looks like a vehicle fire to me,” Jerry said.
“Just what I was thinking,” Charlie said, looking back at the group. Then he turned back out to overlook the front of the park. Hilda went over and sat next to him.
“We also think we know who killed Arthur. It appears to have been Cynthia, and when she took off, she stole Arthur’s short wave radio from Jerry’s coach.”
“Cynthia, huh?” asked Jackson. “Shoot. I should have seen that coming.”
“What?” asked Jerry.
“Cynthia was very close to the leader of the militia,” Jackson said.
“Close, hell, they were lovers,” Earl said. “They had a big fight right before we left the militia, and she decided to go with us. Phony baloney. She fooled us good.”
“Who’s the leader of the militia?”
“Some nutcase named Franklin J. Hornady. And don’t leave out the J or call him Frank. He don’t like that.” Earl looked over at Jackson, and they both laughed sarcastically. “That cretin is a legend in his own mind.”
“Is he the brains of the operation?” asked Frank.
“No, that was Hank and Lewis,” Jackson said. “Franklin J. Hornady is a charismatic character, though. He’s probably the main thing holding that band of rednecks together now.”
“Apparently he’s made some kind of alliance with the Islamists. Half of the folks that we killed this morning were Islamists, the other half were militia men.”
Earl and Jackson both laughed sarcastically again.
“Yeah, that sounds like Franklin,” Earl said. “He never thinks things through past the first move. Hank and Lewis would have vetoed that for sure. As soon as the Islamists
“Maybe we should all go up there to continue our meeting, so Charlie can be involved, and so we can see what’s going on,” Frank said.
Hilda nodded.
“Charlie, we’re coming up.”
“Great, see you in a few minutes.”
Another pop pop pop, and two more loud explosions. Then more pop pop pop. It was starting to go faster now….too fast to count.
“That’s more than just six guys shooting at a couple of militia nuts,” Jerry said.
“Yeah, there’s a fire fight going on down there,” Frank said. “I hope the Major and his men didn’t get ambushed.”
“Me too,” the Sheriff said. As they were walking towards the store, Earl and Jackson joined them.
“You guys are obviously hearing this,” Earl said.
“C’mon, we’re going up on the roof of the store to have a meeting,” Frank said. He looked over at Jerry for approval, and he nodded. When they were almost to the door, Jane rushed over and got beside Frank. She looked up at him, and he put his arm around her shoulders. They walked into the store, and over to the back room door.
“Alright, everybody watch your step,” Hilda said. They went into the dark storeroom, and Hilda turned on the lights. There was a rough wooden staircase in the back of the room, leading to a trap door. Hilda climbed up and pushed the trap door open. All of them walked up onto the roof…..Hilda followed by Frank and Jane, Jerry, the Sheriff, Earl, and Jackson. Jane carried Lucy up. Charlie was over at the edge of the flat roof, behind a façade that was about chest high. He was sitting on a short stool with a rifle in his hands.
“I know it’s a little dirty, but you folks probably should sit down,” Charlie said. “If you stand up and there are bad guys out there, they could hit you with a sniper rifle.”
“Good point,” Jerry said. He sat down Indian-style, and the others joined him.
“OK, so here’s the situation as we know it right now,” Frank said. “Major Hobbs took his troops and headed down the back highway, looking for the missing vehicle. Sheriff, is that billow of smoke over there in the direction that the highway leads?”
“Sure is,” the Sheriff said.
“I figured. Sounds like whatever went on there is over, because it’s been a couple of minutes since we’ve heard anything.”
“That smoke looks like a vehicle fire to me,” Jerry said.
“Just what I was thinking,” Charlie said, looking back at the group. Then he turned back out to overlook the front of the park. Hilda went over and sat next to him.
“We also think we know who killed Arthur. It appears to have been Cynthia, and when she took off, she stole Arthur’s short wave radio from Jerry’s coach.”
“Cynthia, huh?” asked Jackson. “Shoot. I should have seen that coming.”
“What?” asked Jerry.
“Cynthia was very close to the leader of the militia,” Jackson said.
“Close, hell, they were lovers,” Earl said. “They had a big fight right before we left the militia, and she decided to go with us. Phony baloney. She fooled us good.”
“Who’s the leader of the militia?”
“Some nutcase named Franklin J. Hornady. And don’t leave out the J or call him Frank. He don’t like that.” Earl looked over at Jackson, and they both laughed sarcastically. “That cretin is a legend in his own mind.”
“Is he the brains of the operation?” asked Frank.
“No, that was Hank and Lewis,” Jackson said. “Franklin J. Hornady is a charismatic character, though. He’s probably the main thing holding that band of rednecks together now.”
“Apparently he’s made some kind of alliance with the Islamists. Half of the folks that we killed this morning were Islamists, the other half were militia men.”
Earl and Jackson both laughed sarcastically again.
“Yeah, that sounds like Franklin,” Earl said. “He never thinks things through past the first move. Hank and Lewis would have vetoed that for sure. As soon as the Islamists
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