Copyright © 2018 – 2021 – This is an original work by Zeb Carter and is protected under copyright by U.S. copyright law. It is only submitted at Literotica.Com and any submission to any other site has not been authorized by the Author.
Author’s Note: There is no sex in this story. I started this story in 2018 as a series I was going to call future history. This is or could be a snippet from my other future histories story, Downfall. It has taken me a while to finish this to my liking. In the beginning I didn’t have an ending, then on day after reading what I had, I did. Enjoy.
Chicom Invasion
Chapter 1
Running. They were running through the snow. In the dark. The terrain, lit by only moonlight. The stark contrast of dark against white made for a beautiful landscape, but the bullets flying through the air held the four runners’ attention. They made it to the tree line. The large trunks hiding them as they stopped and turned toward their pursuers.
“Three of them coming from the east, two more from the north,” Kelly said, her voice hoarse with exertion.
“I got the two from the north,” Allen replied raising his rifle to his shoulder.
“Kelly, you and me will take the other three,” Bobby said sighting down the barrel of his rifle.
“Right,” Kelly said. “Becky, you stay behind that tree.”
“Oh, I will,” Becky said as wood splinters spit past her as bullets hit the tree bole she was behind. “Crap!”
The three with rifles held their fire as long as they could. All of them fired at the same time. All three of the first targets dropped to the ground, blood spurting from their wounds. The second volley of shots hit home. The valley was quiet except for the harsh breathing of the four kids as they watch the valley floor for any more movement.
“All right, let’s move,” ordered Kelly.
She was fourteen, the oldest of the group. They had been out hunting when they ran into the Chicom patrol. The five-man patrol had tried to stop them, but the kids had run. The Chicom patrol followed. That was their last mistake. Their first was assuming the children were scared of them. They were not. They were scared of getting caught. They were somewhat scared of dying. But they were not afraid of Chicom soldiers.
The four kids quickly disappeared farther back into the woods and headed for their camp. A shadow of a figure rose out of the snow in the valley. Dressed in white the figure was almost invisible against the snowy background. It moved silently, the crunch of the snow underfoot the only sound it made. The figure followed the four children as best as it could, trying to keep at least one of them in sight as it went.
Kelly halted the group just outside the ravine entrance in which the freedom fighters had a cave where they lived. She held up her hand for the other three to be quiet. Looking around, Kelly searched for the first lookout. Spotting him, she waved, moving her hand in such a way as to signal that lookout they were friendlies. The lookout waved back, then waved them forward. At the same time, he moved to a new position. The lookout watched the path to the cave intently as the four kids disappeared around a bend in the ravine that led to the cave. Movement caught his eye. He watched intently as the white figure move swiftly up the ravine trying to catch up with the four kids.
John Denim was also watching intently as the lookout waved a hand in the air. John had also seen the white figure move up the ravine. John was waiting for him at the bend around which the children had disappeared. When the head of the figure came into view, John smashed his rifle butt against the man’s head. The man dropped to the ground like a felled tree. The three kids were back with their rifles pointed at the man on the ground. John grunted.
“I knew there had to be someone behind us. Does anyone know who he is?” asked Kelly.
“Nope, no one I know and he’s not Chinese either,” replied John.
The rest of the kids shook their heads at Kelly’s question. John reached down and pulled the man onto his back. His eyes started to flutter as he came to. Opening his eyes, he gasped as he looked up at four rifles pointed at his head.
“Who are you and who do you work for?” John growled.
“Ah…”
“Wrong answer,” said Kelly pressing the barrel to his head.
“Wait. Wait, I can explain…”
“Hold up Kel. Okay explain,” said John harshly.
“Um…”
The crack of John’s rifle echoed through the ravine.
“Wrong answer,” he said softly.
Leaning down, John grabbed the collar of the man’s coat and dragged him up the ravine to a small nook in the side. He pulled the man in there and dropped him. The kids didn’t follow him. Instead, they went to the cave entrance. Becky the youngest of the group ran to the side of the ravine and vomited. It wasn’t the first dead man she had ever seen, but it was the first up-close dead man she had seen. The rest of the kids stopped and waited for her. They had all been through this before. This was only the second time Becky had joined them on a patrol and hunting expedition.
“Sorry,” Becky said softly.
“No, need, Bek,” replied Kelly.
Becky nodded and the kids turned toward the cave entrance up the ravine. Inside, Kelly broke off and walked over to a man, sitting at a desk to the side of the entrance. She stood there until he looked up at her.
“Well, Kelly, empty-handed I see,” he said without malice.
“We ran into a Chicom patrol.”
“Where?” the man asked pulling a map over in front of him.
Bending down Kelly looked at the map. When she found where they had the shoot-out with the Chicom, she pointed, placing her finger on the map.
“There. There were five we could see and one collaborator we couldn’t.”
“John took care of him I assume?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Kelly, just because I’m your father you don’t have to ‘sir’ me, okay, dear?”
“Yes, dad,” replied Kelly.
“Go. Go get something to eat and warm up. Your mother is over by the fire,” the man behind the desk said.
“I will,” said Kelly turning and walking away slowly.
At the fire, Kelly was gathered into a slender woman’s arms. She wrapped her arms around the woman.
“I love you, Kelly,” the woman said.
“I love you, too, mom,” replied Kelly.
“Here, let me get you something to eat. The rest of the children are over there,” Kelly’s mom said pointing as she grabbed a bowl from the stack by the fire.
Chapter 2
The next morning Kelly was up early, ready to go back out hunting game. Her father stopped her.
“Kelly, no one is going out of the cave system until we know if that guy was working with the Chicoms, okay?”
“Okay, dad,” she said sitting down next to him. She looked at what he was doing. “What are you doing dad?”
“I’m trying to find the other entrance out of here. So far we haven’t needed it, but with the Chicoms in the valley to the North, we might.”
“Oh. Do we even know if there is another entrance?” asked Kelly.
“Well, the map that was given to us by those who explored this cave system for us said there is and even had it indicated on their map,” Kelly’s dad said moving a hand-drawn map on top of the map of the area.
Kelly took it from him and searched the map. She was surprised the cave system was so big. She could see the entrance they use to get in and out. She followed the inside wall of the cave to the first branch, which she had been down. It ended in a large gallery. Coming back she followed the wall until she was back in the main part of the cavern. She continued until she found a side tunnel she hadn’t yet explored.
“Dad, this tunnel, isn’t really there,” she said.
“What?”
“This tunnel here,” Kelly said pointing to the place on the map. “I have never been down this tunnel, there is a flat wall from this tunnel to this one down here,” she said.
“Are you sure?” her dad asked.
“Yep. I have been down every tunnel in this place, except this one, because it isn’t there.”
“Baker One, we have intruders coming to the ravine. Chicom.” The radio in front of her dad blared.
“Shit!” her dad said. “Close the entrance!” he shouted.
Kelly looked surprised. She didn’t know they could do that. There was a soft rumbling over at the entrance. It stopped quickly.
“Baker One, Echo Two, Chicom have found their man’s body. It looks like he was wired somehow.”
“I knew it,” her dad shouted. “Son of a bitch.”
Kelly didn’t even flinch at his outburst. She did pick up her rifle and make sure it was loaded. He looked at her as he answered the radio.
“Echo Two, are they headed our way?”
“No. They searched him and are now headed out of the ravine.”
“Thank god,” Kelly’s dad said softly. “Baker One, roger. Keep an eye on them.”
“Roger, Baker One,” came from the radio.
“I really wish we had a bug detector,” Kelly’s dad said.
“A what?” asked Kelly.
“Here,” her dad said rummaging around on his desk. “Ah, here it is. One of these,” he finished pulling a piece of paper with a picture on it.
Kelly looked at it as her dad when back to the map of the cave system.
“I have seen some of these,” said Kelly softly. “Now if I could only remember where.”
“You have? Think girl, think.”
“I am, dad. Ah, yes, up in the gallery buy the exit to the top of the hill we are in.”
“Go, go bring me one. No, make that two,” Kelly’s dad said loudly as she quickly walked away.
Jacob Samson leaned back in his chair as he watched his daughter hurry away. Smiling, he got up, holding the hand-drawn map. It was now time to find that back entrance.
Chapter 3
When Kelly got to the upper grotto, she found Bobby there. Smiling she came up behind him and gently placed her hands on his shoulders. Bobby jumped spinning around in his chair.
“What the hell?” he shouted. “Oh, Kelly. God, you scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry. What are you doing up here?” asked Kelly.
“My dad works up here. I thought, seeing as how we are in lockdown that I’d spend the day with him.”
“Cool. I just came from spending time with my dad. He sent me up here for a couple of detectors I saw last time I was up here. Which was a long time ago,” said Kelly looking around the large place they were in.
“What do they look like? Some things have been moved around because nobody knew what they were.”
“They looked like this,” said Kelly pulling the picture her dad gave her.
“Oh, yeah. Those were moved way in the back, over there,” said Bobby pointing to a deep dark part of the grotto with many, many, shelves.
“Oh. Okay, I’ll have a look around.”
“What do they do?” asked Bobby.
“Supposedly, if you wave it over someone, it can detect if they have a tracker on or in them.”
“Yikes! That guy yesterday?”
“Yep. The Chicom followed him right to where his body is. They left him there. I guess he wasn’t any good to them dead. Wanna help me?” Kelly asked winking at Bobby.
Bobby chuckled as he stood and walked with Kelly back into the shelving area. They looked and looked and looked. It was on the last shelves in the back of all the others that they found what they were looking for. Kelly looked at Bobby and kissed him on the cheek. Bobby chuckled as she did. She grabbed two of the devices off the shelf and headed out of the dimly lit place. As they stepped out into the light, a buzzer sounded. Feet pounded from the other side of the grotto as five men came running to the ladder that went up through the hole in the ceiling.
“What?” asked Kelly.
“Oh! Yeah. Chopper coming in. My dad was expecting one this morning.”
“Oh, okay. I have to go. I think my dad will need help finding the second exit.”
“We have one right here,” said Bobby, waving his arm to the ceiling.
“No, this one is down a hidden tunnel.”
“Oh! Can I come with?” asked Bobby.
“Sure, why not.”
Kelly turned heading for the way out of the grotto, Bobby fell in step with her.
~ ~ ~ ~
When Kelly and Bobby got back to the desk upfront, they found Old Man Jenkins sit there.
“Where’s my dad Mister Jenkins,” asked Kelly.
“Oh, he went off exploring,” Jenkins replied not even lifting his eyes from the magazine he was looking at.
“Thank you,” said Kelly.
“No problem, dear.”
Kelly set the two devices down on the table.
“What are those?” Jenkins asked.
“Something my dad wants to look at.”
“Right. Okay, see you, kids, later,” he said looking back at his magazine.
“Well, let’s go looking for my dad, I want to see if he found the way out yet,” said Kelly walking toward the far wall of the cavern.
“Okay,” said Bobby walking beside her.
When they reached the wall, Kelly looked down the surface with her cheek against the cool surface. Pulling her cheek from the wall, she proceeded to walk along, her hand brushing the hard stone. She could see her dad up ahead doing the same thing. Kelly nodded as she just walked. Her dad stopped up ahead looking at his map and shaking his head. Kelly and Bobby caught up with him quickly.
“Hey, dad,” said Kelly.
“Hey, Kelly,” her dad replied without looking up.
“What’s going on?” asked Kelly.
“Nothing. That’s the problem I can see the tunnel is right here on the map, yet it’s not here at all.”
Chapter 4
Kelly looked at the wall before them. She reached out and gave the stone a knock with her fist. It was solid. Looking up, she saw darkness. Pulling her flashlight from her pocket she shined it up at the ceiling. It was higher here than everywhere else. She spun around and the ceiling dropped to its standard eight feet from the floor. Yet the ceiling by the wall was a good fifteen feet higher.
“Dad,” Kelly said shining her light up at the ceiling.
“Uh,” Jacob replied.
“Look. Up.”
Jacob looked up and grunted.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” he said softly.
“Now what?” asked Kelly.
“Now, we see what is on the other side of this wall. We’ll need ropes, grappling hooks, maybe some ladders,” Jacob said walking away.
Bobby looked up and to the side.
“Hey, there are some handholds over here,” he said walking to his left.
“I’ll be damned,” said Kelly. She giggled as she did.
“That first step is up there, give me a boost,” said Bobby.
“Hey, I’m lighter than you, you give me a boost,” replied Kelly.
“Right. Girls,” said Bobby shaking his head as he cupped his hands.
Kelly slapped the back of his head as she put her foot in his cupped hands. At the same time, they both grunted and pushed up. Kelly caught the first notch in the wall. It was smooth and covered in dust but she could keep her grip on the rounded edge. She pulled herself up, hand over hand until her feet could gain purchase in what turned into a set of stairs. Once at the top, Kelly was surprised to see an actual staircase down the other side. She stood at the top looking down at Bobby.
“What’s up there?” Bobby shouted.
“More stairs, but down off the wall.”
Kelly stood there wondering why there were no stairs on their side of the wall. Then her father was there with a ladder and he and two other men were climbing up.
“What are you doing?” Jacob asked.
“I just wanted to see what was on the other side. Unfortunately, it’s too dark down there,” replied Kelly.
Jacob nodded, pulling a flashlight from his pocket. The other two men did too. The flashlights were bright enough to make the darkness vanish, replacing it with almost day brilliance.
“What the…” Jacob croaked.
Kelly was shocked at what she saw.
“Well, it looks like we need to explore this cavern. But, I think we will need some men with arms,” Jacob said softly.
Kelly raised her rifle so he could see she was armed.
“Okay, okay, you can go, but only after John Denim and a few of his guys get here. Bobby, go get John for me. Tell him to bring six of his guys with him.”
Bobby waved as he turned and ran toward the entrance of the cave system.
Chapter 5
Bobby, rifle in hand, was back in minutes. John Denim and six of his guys were right behind him. Bobby pointed up the cave wall, where Jacob waited. Nodding, John climbed the ladder followed by his six guys and Bobby bringing up the rear. John looking back over his shoulder, he just chuckled. At the top of the small flight of stairs at the top, John saw that Jacob and Kelly had proceeded down another set of stairs on the other side of the wall. He was surprised, to say the least.
“What do we have her Jacob?” John asked at the bottom of the stairs.
“Another way out of the cave system and much, much more.” Jacob turned his flashlight toward the cavern in which they now stood.
“Holy shit,” whispered John. “Ouch!”
“Kelly. Stop that.”
“He swore in front of me!” said Kelly.
“Sorry, dear,” said John still looking into the cavern. “How?”
“Don’t know. We do have to see where that other entrance is now that the Chicom know about the ravine. They may have people watching.”
“They don’t. At least no close. The chopper made a pass around the entire valley. Only heat signatures were those of game animals and smaller. No, humans.”
Jacob moved his flashlight so it shone on the wall that separated the two caverns from each other. Other flashlights started to come on lighting up the entire cavern in which they found themselves.
“Kelly, look for a seam, they might not hide it so good on this side,” said Jacob as Kelly turned her flashlight on.
Kelly and her dad scoured the inside wall and found nothing. Bobby on the other hand was looking at the floor and wondered what the two foot pedals on a metal plate did.
“Mr. Sampson?” he asked.
Jacob and Kelly were next to him so quickly he felt the breeze they pushed in front of them.
“Interesting,” said Jacob. “One marked ‘O’ the other ‘C’. Could it be that simple?”
John was suddenly beside them.
“Wait! Let me have a look at this,” he almost ordered.
Jacob backed away, as did Kelly and Bobby. All things military were John’s domain. He examined the switch plate. He examined around the switch plate. He found the wires leading away from the switch plate to the wall where they disappeared. He shook his head.
“Why don’t we leave this until we have a look around in here first,” said John.
“Okay, John. Kelly, Bobby, go look around but don’t touch anything. Clear,” ordered Jacob.
“Clear, dad,” replied Kelly for both her and Bobby.
~ ~ ~ ~
The pair of teens turned and walked away toward all the wondrous things they could see in the gloom ahead of them.
“Over here Kelly,” whispered Bobby pointing at what looked like a big box of some sort.
“You don’t have to whisper, Bobby,” said Kelly turning to follow.
They both stopped as the top of the box lifted out of the body to show a screen of some sort. They gasped as it lit up with a picture that moved. Then they heard sounds coming from the box. They both froze.
“What did you two do?” Jacob said.
“Nothing dad, it came on all by itself, honest,” replied Kelly.
Bobby just nodded as he watched the video in front of him.
“What language, please?” the box asked.
“English,” Bobby said.
“Bobby!” Kelly shouted.
“English confirmed. It was approximately fifty years ago that the United States of America came apart at the seams. China sent its Peoples Liberation Army here, supposedly, to help the American people regain their government. Since that time the PLA has systematically, destroyed every form of government we have tried to establish. Hence, the war we now find ourselves in and I’m sorry to say, losing. I must assume that you are American Citizens as you requested English. So, what you will find here are arms and ammo to help you fight the PLA. I wish you good luck, as I will most likely be dead by the time you find this place. End of Message.”
The screen went blank. Then lit up with words. It looked like a list of functions that the box could perform.
“Well, like we needed to hear that again,” Kelly’s dad said.
“I never heard that,” replied Kelly.
“Sorry. Your mother didn’t want to tell you until you were a little bit older,” said Jacob.
“Okay, dad. That’s fine. Let’s see what this place has for us,” said Kelly going closer to the box.
Chapter 6
Kelly stepped up close to the box and read the words on the screen. Bobby was right beside her. He started to reach out, but Kelly swatted his hand away.
“Dad?” Kelly shouted.
“What is it, dear?” Jacob replied.
“Do you want the lights on?”
“What… wait? I’ll be right there.”
“Okay,” said Kelly.
Jacob was standing there beside Kelly looking over the text on the screen.
“Hmm… maybe we better wait until we have checked this place out. No. Don’t touch anything,” said Jacob still looking at the screen.
“Come on, Bobby,” Kelly said pulling on his arm.
“Okay, okay,” replied Bobby.
The two went off into the darkness, flashlights lighting their way. There were a lot of desks and most of them had computer terminals on them. That Kelly and Bobby knew what they were, was a testament to the education their parents gave them. The desks stopped just a short distance from the box. They came to a section that had partitions separating the open area into small, medium, and large bedrooms, with beds. Oh to be able to sleep in a bed instead of on the hard ground. Shortly, after the partition started they ended.
The space before Kelly and Bobby was wide open, yet sectioned off into separate spaces. From the looked of it, those spaces were for exercising. The cavern ended soon after those spaces. Although, lockers lined the walls to the exit which was closed. When Kelly and Bobby got there, John Denim was looking up a flight of stairs. He and two of his men went up the stairs. Kelly looked up. There was a metal ceiling here. She wondered why. Her dad walked up beside her as she pointed her flashlight up.
“Yes, someone went to some trouble here, didn’t they?”
“Sure did. Can I have a bedroom of my own?” asked Kelly.
“We’ll see. Just now though, we need to find out where this comes out.”
“We can get up top and have a look,” said Bobby.
“We can,” replied Jacob.
“Who will you send?” asked Kelly, eager to go out up top.
“Okay, you to go, but keep in touch and don’t fall off the edge,” Jacob said smiling at his daughter.
“Come on,” Kelly said.
They both went running off to the stair out of the place. It only took them a short time to get to the hole in the roof room. It currently had its camo-cover on. You could still get out, but the hole wouldn’t show to those above. If the Chicoms had aircraft, they would never see the hole. Kelly thought they might have satellites up there, but no aircraft here in the states as the Americans shot them down whenever they flew. As they started up the ladder, Bobby’s dad appeared.
“Where you guys going?” he asked.
His radio crackled.
“Jimmy, I’ve sent my daughter and your son to take a look topside to see where this new entrance comes out,” Jacob said.
“10-4,” Jimmy replied. “Okay, up you go. Be careful up there. I don’t want to find you too at the bottom of some cliff.” Jimmy waved at them as he turned to go back to his desk.
Bobby started to climb with Kelly right behind him. They both kept unde4 the camo-cover until they had a look around. The only time the cover was taken down is when a helicopter was expected. The sun was shining brightly and the two children could see right through the trees that surrounded the clear where the hole was. Once sure that there was no one else out there, they proceed to walk toward the second entrance. Kelly had an eidetic memory for directions. She could follow the passages that were underneath her, right to the edge of the top of the mountain they were living under.
“Well, it looks like it’s right down there just past that narrow ravine,” said Kelly.
Bobby was looking elsewhere. The valley was all laid out before them, like rolling hills. No cliff faces here. Everything was wide open. Bobby nudged Kelly as he pointed in the near distance. Kelly just shook her head. It looked like the Chicoms had set up a small base just about a mile from their backdoor.
“Shit,” said Kelly. “Come on, we have to get back and tell my dad.”
Bobby nodded as he turned back to the hole in the top of the mountain. Kelly and Bobby hurried down the ladder and started back to the tunnel.
“Hey, what did you find?” Bobby’s dad asked.
“Chicoms,” said Kelly.
“No shit?”
“No shit!” said Kelly as she turned and ran off to tell her dad.
Chapter 7
The two kids hurried back down the tunnel where they found Kelly’s dad. They stopped just short of him and John as they were talking.
“What did you find, Kelly,” Jacob asked turning to look at his daughter.
“Chicoms.”
“What? Where? How far?” Jacob shot back at her.
“About a mile from the entrance. They have set up some kind of base there.”
“How many?”
“I couldn’t see that well. But they did have artillery pieces. Three of them. 120s I would guess.”
“You can tell the size of artillery pieces but not the number of men?” asked Jacob.
“Sorry, I was focused on the guns.”
“I would say about two companies, sir,” Bobby volunteered.
“Oh. Shit.”
“That’s what I said,” replied Kelly.
“No swearing,” Jacob said chuckling. “Well, John, what do you think?”
“I don’t know. We could take them out. We would have to call for help we have done that before. We have helped a lot of other cells around these parts before, too. We could take them out with two other cells. And what we found in those lockers would make the work a lot easier.”
“Okay, but how do we get to them?”
“We repel down the cliff face opposite from where they are set up.”
“And meet the other cells?”
“Same spot as we repel down. They should avoid the ravine out front and the camp to their… our… east?” he asked looking at Kelly.
“East. This entrance faces east,” she replied.
“Then we have it. I guess we can turn the lights on in here.”
“I wouldn’t, no telling what else comes on with them. Let’s wait until we have cleared our flanks.”
“Ah, yes, the Chicoms out front?” asked Jacob.
“Yes. But I think they are probably part of that installation to our east. The patrol Kelly ran into was probably from there,” said John.
“Makes sense,” replied Jacob. “Well, go make the call.”
John nodded and trotted off into the darkness. His flashlight came on as he did.
“You two, back in the main part of the cavern.”
“But Dad,” whined Kelly.
“You can pick a bed out later,” said Jacob smiling at her.
Nodding, Kelly and Bobby went the same way John Denim had.
~ ~ ~ ~
An hour and a half later, Jacob found his daughter helping her mother with dinner. He smiled at them both as he sat at the community table. Kelly brought him a glass of water and a plate of the stew they were cooking on the open fire.
“Get yourself a plate and a drink, I’m going to need you to come with me when we’re done,” Jacob said.
Nodding, Kelly went and got herself a plate and a drink. She sat beside her dad. Soon the table was crowded with all the soldiers of the cell. All eating quietly. Kelly looked around the table, she found herself in the company that amazed her. Half an hour later, everyone got up.
“Let’s go, Kelly, I have a job for you,” Jacob said. “Go kiss your mom and catch up.”
Wide-eyed, Kelly hurried to her mom and kissed her cheek while her mom hugged her tightly.
“You be careful out there,” she said giving Kelly a push toward her father.
Eyes still wide, Kelly hurried to catch up with her dad. They were headed to the topside exit. Bobby was waiting for them alone with John Denim.
“Kelly, I hear you’re a pretty good shot,” John said.
“I don’t know about that, but I can usually hit what I aim at,” replied Kelly blushing.
“Good. But now you will be able to hit everything you aim at with this rifle and scope combination we found in the locker in the new wing of the cave,” said John handing Kelly an awesome-looking rifle. “This is something they developed back before the invasion. This rifle will shoot a 338 bullet over two miles and it will never miss as long as the scope is working. It is working now. Aim at what you want to shoot. Press the button on the right side of the scope and within seconds, it will have the solution. Then all you have to do is put the crosshairs on the target and squeeze the trigger. Do you think you can do that?”
“Sure, if I can see what to shoot at?”
“Anyone on that base who isn’t one of us. We will all be wearing a yellow armband. The scope will let you see if your target is wearing one. Everyone and thing on the base will be up close in the scope. Bobby will be using a spotter scope to help you out. It’s almost as good as the sight.”
“Okay,” Kelly said shaking. She wasn’t afraid of what she had to do, she was a little worried about shooting one of her own people.
“Take your time. Slow and easy. What you will be doing is causing chaos on that base. Shoot targets as far apart as you can find. Don’t worry about clearing our path, we have someone closer that will do that. You just shoot any of the enemy you can see. I know this is a lot to ask of someone so young…”
“I don’t have a problem kill our enemy. I just don’t want to mistake one of you for them,” Kelly said interrupting John.,
“Okay, okay. Keep your eye on the scope and spread the shots out all over the base. Clear?”
“Yes. Crystal clear, Mister Denim,” replied Kelly.
“Kelly…” her dad started.
“I know what I have to do, dad. I can do it. You have taught me well. I am proud to be your daughter and I’m proud to be chosen for this part in getting our enemy out of our country.” Kelly was almost crying.
Jacob pulled his daughter into his arms, hugging her tightly. Kelly hugged him back as best she could while holding the rifle. As gently as he could, John took the rifle from her. Kelly wrapped both arms around her father. Jacob, let go of Kelly, she let go of him. She then took the rifle back from John. Kelly wiped her eyes not wanting to let them see she was almost crying.
“Let’s go, Bobby,” she said heading for the ladder to the rooftop opening.
Chapter 8
“How do you think she will do?” asked John.
“She will do better than we are expecting. She is a proud young lady.”
“She’s still a child,” said John.
“She is a woman and she will do just fine,” growled Jacob.
John raised his hand in apology as the two started to climb the ladder. Up top, there were about forty men waiting in the trees.
~ ~ ~ ~
Kelly and Bobby were off toward the back entrance again, to get a clear view of the base. Kelly was still trying to keep herself from crying. Bobby was walking beside her muttering under his breath.
“Spit it out, Bobby,” Kelly finally said.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
They had arrived at the back entrance, well as far as they could go without climbing down the steep hillside. Kelly stood looking around, then headed off to her right to two boulders. Kneeling, she looked through the space between the boulders.
“Give me the scope for a minute, Bobby,” said Kelly.
Bobby handed her the scope and Kelly put it to her eye. She jerked back a little as she saw the base up close and personal. She could almost see the rank insignia on the collars of the men there. Yep, this place will do. She handed the scope back to Bobby. She unfolded the bipod on the rifle and set it down on the ground. Looking around she found some scrub bushes. She pulled them up and put them in around the rifle making sure not to block the scope. Any part of the scope. She lay down and looked through the scope.
“Hmmm…,” she said softly looking at the side of the scope.
She saw the red button with the word “ON” pressed into it. Pressing the button she looked through the scope again. She nodded as she could see the base even better, once she got the rifle pointed down at the base. She pulled a small rock over and set it under the buttstock of the rifle. Then while looking through the scope she adjusted the stock height adjustment until she wasn’t having to hold the stock up to see the base.
“Good,” she said pressed the on button again.
The scope went dark, then was just a plain 25 power scope. Looking at Bobby, he was sitting beside her with spotter scope on a tripod. Where he got that she didn’t know and didn’t ask.
“What? John gave it to me while you were hugging your dad,” said Bobby defensively.
“No problem, Bobby. Did he happen to tell you when we should start shooting?”
“Yeah. When they are almost at the base. I have a radio and he will sing out ‘Go’ when we should start shooting.”
“Good.”
Now they waited. Kelly took her canteen and took a healthy swallow. Bobby did the same. Then they both relax. Bobby sat just beside Kelly, just peeking over the small boulder in front of him. He watched as John and his men made their way to the base. They had to repel down the cliff face and now they were creeping toward the Chicom base. Kelly lay there watching the base as she thought about what she was being asked to do. Sure she had killed Chicom before, yet they had been much closer and shooting at her. Now she would be killing them from far, far away. Over a mile away. It would kind of be like god was striking them dead. Not that Kelly thought she was god. She knew better.
~ ~ ~ ~
It took John Denim and his men a half hour to get close enough to the base to be able to see what was in front of them. Both Jacob and John were looking through binoculars at the base.
“Well, what do you think?” Jacob asked.
“I haven’t the faintest idea. Nobody is moving.”
“Setup?”
“Sure looks like it,” John said.
“How about we have Kelly hit one of the gate guards?”
“Sure, what’s to lose,” said John pulling his radio off his belt. “Bobby, have Kelly shoot the gate guards if you will.”
“Roger.” Bobby’s voice came from the radio.
Chapter 9
Kelly placed the crosshairs on the closest guard by the gate to the Chicom base. She pressed the on button and waited. The crosshairs moved so she had to move them to be on the target. When a green light lit in the top of the sight picture she squeezed the trigger as gently as she could. The report from the rifle surprised her as did the recoil. She moved the sight picture and saw the bullet strike the target. The guy just fell over backward.
“Bobby, have any of the men down there moved lately?” asked Kelly.
“No, not really. There are some in the motor pool that look like they move but, no, they are just moving back and forth.”
“Tell them it’s a trap,” Kelly said moving her sight picture toward her dad and John’s position. She caught movement about three hundred yards to their west. “Chicoms to their west. I’ll cover for them,” Kelly shouted.
With her sight lined up on one of the Chicoms, she waited until the green light blinked. She squeezed the trigger and watched the man fall forward blood squirting from his head. She lined up the next man and squeezed the trigger when the light blinked. She did this over and over until the magazine was empty. Pulling the empty out she shoved a full one in and continued to shoot at Chicoms. Just as she pulled the trigger for about the twentieth time she heard the order to ceasefire.
“Holy shit!” said Bobby looking at Kelly in awe.
“What?” she replied.
“You killed them all. You went through every magazine you have. Never even missed once. Holy shit!” said Bobby.
Kelly looked around her. She could see there were no more magazines on her right side. Looking behind her she saw them all lying on the ground empty. She shook her head, as she didn’t even remember changing the magazines, except the first time. Kelly lay there, eyes closed listening to herself breathe. After a few minutes, she started to shake. Bobby was beside her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. She relaxed a little from his companionship. He was a good friend. He was a good soldier even if he was really too young to be one.
Kelly lay there with Bobby just touching her shoulder for the next half hour that it took her dad and John to get back up on top of the mountain. Then her dad was sitting beside her.
“You okay, Kelly?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“Then what’s the matter, dear?”
“I don’t remember shooting them all, the first six or so. The rest no.”
“Oh. Okay, why don’t we get back down and you and your mom can have a talk. Okay?”
“Sure. Has she killed 45 people before?” Kelly asked.
“No, but she as talked to others that have.”
“Okay, okay,” said Kelly grabbing the rifle.
“You can leave that, John will get it for you,” Jacob said.
“This rifle is mine, now. No one other than me will shoot it until I die or get too old to be out here, okay?” she replied softly but forcefully.
Her dad just nodded at her as he gathered the empty magazines putting them in her backpack. John looked at Kelly, then at Jacob, and nodded. Jacob knew Kelly’s mom wouldn’t like it, but it was time. Kelly was a soldier now.
### The End ###