on. Do you fully understand me?"
"Yes, I understand. B... but please, no more cuttin'."
A puddle of urine began to form under the man and I knew he was one scared puppy, and now he'd tell me all I needed to know.
"Tell me everything you know about Patton, you sonofabitch! I want to know exactly where he's at, how many men he has, what kinds of arms they have, and his routine for the guards. You answer me truthfully and I'll let you live, I give you my word. You lie to me and I'll kill you eventually." I pushed my knife blade forward just a bit and knew he could feel the tip of the knife against his genitals.
In less than 10 minutes I had all I needed to know about Patton and his men. The problem now was, Hanks just wouldn't shut up. I let him ramble as I moved to our medical supplies and returned with what I needed to treat his injuries. I gave him no pain medication, but did wrap his ears and nose with gauze.
Finally, I raised his right foot and removed the boot. His once white sock was brown from constant wear. Removing the sock, I placed it in his lap and pulled my knife once again. Holding the foot tightly in my left hand, I severed his Achilles tendon, knowing he'd not be able to move fast ever again. He screamed and after a few minutes I picked up the gauze and wrapped his new injury as well as I could.
I rolled him over and cut the rope binding his wrists together. I then said, "Hanks, I'm going to help you about a 100 yards from this barn. Only before I do that, there is something I want you to fully understand. You attacked our women and by rights I should kill you for that, except I'm a man of my word. If I ever see you again, I'll kill you on sight. Do you understand me?"
"With my tendon cut like this how do you expect me to move?"
I pulled the pistol he'd once owned, pulled the hammer back with a loud click, and said, "Oh, you'll move, or I'll kill you where you lay. Now, which is it?"
Lowering his head he mumbled, "Help me up."
It took me a long time to escort the man a 100 yards, but I wanted him out of our hair and yet not able to warn Patton we were coming for him. The gauze on his head, shoulder and tendon was blood soaked, only I didn't honestly care if the man lived or died. I only promised him I'd not kill him. If he bled to death, well, that wasn't my problem was it?
*****
When I returned, everyone was in the barn and Sue was mopping blood up from the floor. While no one said anything, I could feel a tenseness hanging heavy in the air.
"Did you dump the body?" Sandra asked.
"There wasn't a body, because I didn't kill the man."
"But, we heard him screaming."
"I cut him up a bit, but he'll live."
Sue gazed into my eyes and said, "Cut him up a bit? I found his nose and ears on the floor. You're a damned animal, do you know that? A real coldblooded sonofabitch."
"I never said he was pretty. Look, he was tough, so I had to turn mean to get what I needed from him, alright? As for being an animal, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure we all survive!"
"You scarred that man for life!" Sue shot back.
Feeling my anger growing, I said bluntly, "He's an animal and to be honest, I should have just killed the bastard, because that's what he'd do after raping you or Sandra! The only reason I didn't was he provided me the information I wanted."
Tom raised his hand with the palm open toward his wife and while she was about to speak, she didn't say anything.
"What'd you learn?" Tom asked.
"We can take the place, but it won't be easy." I felt my blood pressure drop knowing Tom had his wife's big progressive mouth under control.
Tom shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I didn't expect it to be easy."
I paused a few seconds to gather my thoughts and then said, "Gather around, my children, and I will tell you a tale of the wicked man named Patton."
*****
It was late, near two in the morning, as we watched the house that Patton used for his headquarters. He ran a large group of men, well over a
"Yes, I understand. B... but please, no more cuttin'."
A puddle of urine began to form under the man and I knew he was one scared puppy, and now he'd tell me all I needed to know.
"Tell me everything you know about Patton, you sonofabitch! I want to know exactly where he's at, how many men he has, what kinds of arms they have, and his routine for the guards. You answer me truthfully and I'll let you live, I give you my word. You lie to me and I'll kill you eventually." I pushed my knife blade forward just a bit and knew he could feel the tip of the knife against his genitals.
In less than 10 minutes I had all I needed to know about Patton and his men. The problem now was, Hanks just wouldn't shut up. I let him ramble as I moved to our medical supplies and returned with what I needed to treat his injuries. I gave him no pain medication, but did wrap his ears and nose with gauze.
Finally, I raised his right foot and removed the boot. His once white sock was brown from constant wear. Removing the sock, I placed it in his lap and pulled my knife once again. Holding the foot tightly in my left hand, I severed his Achilles tendon, knowing he'd not be able to move fast ever again. He screamed and after a few minutes I picked up the gauze and wrapped his new injury as well as I could.
I rolled him over and cut the rope binding his wrists together. I then said, "Hanks, I'm going to help you about a 100 yards from this barn. Only before I do that, there is something I want you to fully understand. You attacked our women and by rights I should kill you for that, except I'm a man of my word. If I ever see you again, I'll kill you on sight. Do you understand me?"
"With my tendon cut like this how do you expect me to move?"
I pulled the pistol he'd once owned, pulled the hammer back with a loud click, and said, "Oh, you'll move, or I'll kill you where you lay. Now, which is it?"
Lowering his head he mumbled, "Help me up."
It took me a long time to escort the man a 100 yards, but I wanted him out of our hair and yet not able to warn Patton we were coming for him. The gauze on his head, shoulder and tendon was blood soaked, only I didn't honestly care if the man lived or died. I only promised him I'd not kill him. If he bled to death, well, that wasn't my problem was it?
*****
When I returned, everyone was in the barn and Sue was mopping blood up from the floor. While no one said anything, I could feel a tenseness hanging heavy in the air.
"Did you dump the body?" Sandra asked.
"There wasn't a body, because I didn't kill the man."
"But, we heard him screaming."
"I cut him up a bit, but he'll live."
Sue gazed into my eyes and said, "Cut him up a bit? I found his nose and ears on the floor. You're a damned animal, do you know that? A real coldblooded sonofabitch."
"I never said he was pretty. Look, he was tough, so I had to turn mean to get what I needed from him, alright? As for being an animal, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure we all survive!"
"You scarred that man for life!" Sue shot back.
Feeling my anger growing, I said bluntly, "He's an animal and to be honest, I should have just killed the bastard, because that's what he'd do after raping you or Sandra! The only reason I didn't was he provided me the information I wanted."
Tom raised his hand with the palm open toward his wife and while she was about to speak, she didn't say anything.
"What'd you learn?" Tom asked.
"We can take the place, but it won't be easy." I felt my blood pressure drop knowing Tom had his wife's big progressive mouth under control.
Tom shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I didn't expect it to be easy."
I paused a few seconds to gather my thoughts and then said, "Gather around, my children, and I will tell you a tale of the wicked man named Patton."
*****
It was late, near two in the morning, as we watched the house that Patton used for his headquarters. He ran a large group of men, well over a
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