Golden State Partisans Read online

  “I’d rather find a ridge with some cover,” Kaylee said.

  “You might get your wish. Look up ahead. About four hundred yards. You can see a ridge climbing.”

  “You’ve got good night vision,” Kaylee said. “That might work. Looks like a good-sized ridge with a full view of the area.”

  They drove for another few minutes, the ridge rising to their left. After a few hundred yards, they could see the back side.

  “Look at that!” Trevor said. “Perfect. I’ll text your uncle and spread the word to park behind this.”

  “Okay,” Kaylee said. “I’ll pull in right past that little mound and check it out.”

  “Go slow. I’ll unhitch the off roader if we need to.”

  “Okay, sweetie,” she said. When she cleared the mound she turned left, the loose dirt of the ground making the Jeep lurch. “Should we stop?”

  “No, just slow down a little,” Trevor said as he finished the text. “There, it’s sent. Pull way up to the end. We’ll need plenty of room for all our vehicles.”

  “Okay,” Kaylee said, glancing at him for a second. “Scared?”

  “Not as scared as I was before the first battle,” Trevor said. They got out and rushed to the tailgate to grab their weapons as the other vehicles rolled up.

  “Gonna get us some more, eh?” Angel said, rushing over with Megan by his side. They both had their guns.

  “Who want to help with mortars?” Ji-Ho asked.

  “I will,” Trevor said.

  “No, you too good with rifle. Somebody else.”

  “I got you covered,” James said. “Won’t be needing my crossbow this time.”

  “Good,” Ji-Ho said.

  “We’ll help too,” Tyler said, walking up with Zac and Ryan.

  “That good enough,” Ji-Ho said. “Let’s set up good welcome.”

  “We’ll spot for you,” Seth said. “Keep your phone handy.”

  “Good,” Ji-Ho said. He led the others to where the mortars and rounds were. They picked them up and headed towards the low part of the ridge. The rest of the force went up onto the higher part of the ridge, carrying their long guns.

  “Good thing we got tipped off,” Kaitlyn said to Seth as they climbed the hill.

  “Seriously,” he said. “Could have been really bad. The hardest part will be keeping them from escaping.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yeah, honey,” he said. “Shoot, sorry.”

  “I told you I like that,” she said softly.

  Clem walked over to Ji-Ho. “You got any more of those RPGs?”

  “Yes, in Jeep Unlimited there,” he said. “You want?”

  “Well, I can fire those from the road. I’m too old to be climbing up the side of mountains.”

  “That good, we could use. Light them up while we sight in these mortars.”

  “Wish we could take a practice shot or two,” James said.

  “They’d just turn around if we did that,” Tyler said.

  “I know. At least if we screw up from here we won’t hit our own folks. That made me nervous last time.”

  “I good with these,” Ji-Ho said as he stopped on a flat spot near the top of the ridge. “This nice place.”

  They started to set up.

  Trevor and Kaylee laid down on the ridge, surrounded by Barona warriors, watching quietly.

  “They’re coming with their lights off, I suspect,” Trevor said. He saw Seth and Kaitlyn about sixty yards to the right of them. Angel and Megan were past them, another twenty yards away. “There’s our friends.”

  “Those women are sticking to Seth and Angel like glue,” Kaylee said. One of the young warriors snickered.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Those guys are in more danger from them than the enemy.”

  “Shut up, man,” another one said. “That’s not nice.”

  “I notice you aren’t with one of them.”

  “I think they’re lovely,” Kaylee said.

  “They are that,” the first warrior said. “I’m Bradley.”

  “Kaylee, and this is Trevor.”

  “I’m Kenny,” the other warrior said. “Good to meet you guys.”

  “Likewise,” Trevor said, smiling at them as he loaded his Winchester.

  “You’re gonna use that old lever gun?” Kenny asked.

  “For backup,” he said. “I’ve got one of the M60s for my main gun, but it’s harder to load.”

  “Harder than the tubular magazine on one of those relics?” Bradley asked.

  “You can top these up,” Trevor said. “No belt to watch out for, either. Better if you’re running around.”

  “You know, that’s a good point,” Bradley said.

  “Hey, think that’s them?” Kaylee asked, squinting through the darkness.

  “Yeah, that’s them,” Trevor said, getting out his phone. He broadcast a text.

  “I see four Jeeps and two of those Humvee-looking things,” Bradley said. “Those have good armor?”

  “Better than a civilian Jeep,” Trevor said. “A mortar round will splatter it. So will an RPG.”

  “Who’s manning those RPGs?” Kenny asked. “Maybe we should’ve brought them up here.”

  “Some old guy that Ji-Ho was with,” Bradley said. “He’s down on the road.”

  “Hope he doesn’t get shot,” Trevor said.

  “I hope none of us get shot,” Kaylee said.

  “Look, they’re stopping at the fork in the road,” Trevor said.

  “One of them has a flashlight,” Kaylee whispered, watching it shine around both sides of the fork.

  “Oh, God, I hope they come this way,” Trevor said. “Maybe we should’ve gotten to camp and set up there.”

  “Dammit,” Kaylee said. “Look. Two of the Jeeps and one of those military things are going towards camp.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Trevor said. “We got anybody armed back at camp?”

  “Yeah, we never leave the elders unprotected,” Bradley said. “Texting them right now. I’ll tell them to put out Claymore mines and be ready to fight.”

  Suddenly there was a pop, and a mortar round fell behind the approaching vehicles, making a bright flash that lit the whole area. Everybody on the ridge opened up, the vehicles stopping in a panic.

  Trevor laughed. “Ji-Ho saw what happened at the fork. Let’s see if those other vehicles keep going.”

  The Gaz Tigr fired its top-mounted machine gun, sending rock chips over the snipers, causing them to move back for a second.

  Another mortar round popped, flying over the vehicles, blowing up behind them as they continued again, looking for cover.

  “Dammit, they’re hard to hit when they can move that fast,” Trevor said.

  Then there was a big explosion, the Gaz Tigr blowing up with a loud rumble.

  “It’s the old guy with the RPG!” Bradley shouted. “Yes!”

  One of the Jeeps was stopped by machine gun fire, it’s tires flattened. Several men piled out, hit by rifle shots before they got more than a few yards. The other Jeep took fire through the windows, killing the driver.

  “Those other vehicles didn’t come back,” Trevor said.

  “We’d better watch out,” Kaylee said. “They might be able to make a right turn past those rocks back there and get behind us.”

  “Shit, you’re right.” Trevor pulled out his phone and texted frantically as the others turned around, looking behind them.

  Chapter 2 – Life Support

  Trevor sent out the text to everybody, warning them to take cover for a possible attack from the back of their position. Then he hit Ji-Ho’s contact and put the phone to his ear.

  “Trevor, got your text,” Ji-Ho said.

  “Turn those mortars around,” Trevor said.

  “Already working that,” Ji-Ho said. “Sent James and Tyler down to make sure all of first group dead.”

  “Smart, we don’t need those guys firing at us. Talk to you soon. I’ll let you k
now if the enemy comes this way.”

  “What about camp?” Ji-Ho asked.

  “Kenny and Bradley texted the elders,” Trevor said.

  “Who Kenny and Bradley?”

  “Two of the Barona warriors. Good guys.”

  “Okay, we talk soon. Watch self. Protect Kaylee.”

  “Always,” he said.

  “My uncle is moving the mortars?” Kaylee asked.

  “Yep, he was already working on it when I got him on the line.”

  They scrambled up the ridge and went to the other side, the rest of the group doing the same thing.

  “How do we know the men in those first set of vehicles are dead?” Kaylee asked.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Kenny said. “I saw James and Tyler down there checking.”

  “What if they don’t come that way?” Kaylee asked. “What if they double back and come this way again?”

  “Then we scramble for cover, and hope the old man with the RPG can take out the Gaz Tigr before it can hit us,” Trevor said.

  “Comforting thought,” Bradley said.

  “See anything?” Kaylee asked,

  “No,” Trevor said. “This is worrying me.”

  Suddenly there was a pop and a whistle, a mortar round flying over their heads and blowing up near the ruined vehicles below them.

  “Shit!” Kenny shouted. “See where that came from?”

  There was a pop near them, and then a bright flash from the willie pete.

  “Ji-Ho is a genius,” Trevor shouted. “See them? Fire!”

  Everybody on the ridge opened up, firing at the mortar team first. They ran off in a panic, and then Ji-Ho dropped another mortar round. It blew up in the midst of their vehicles.

  “Bullseye!” Trevor shouted. “Hit them again!”

  Ji-Ho’s laughter could be heard above the gunfire as he dropped in another willie pete round, the target area exploding in flames. Several men were on fire, running in a panic.

  “Whoa!” Kenny shouted. “That’s no fun.”

  Bradley fired his AK-47, killing the running men as the others continued to spew lead at the vehicles and the mortar position.

  “I think they’re all dead,” Bradley shouted.

  “Look, there goes James and Tyler again,” Kenny said, pointing as they ran towards the flames. A gunshot rang out, forcing them to the dirt.

  “Let them have it, but don’t hit our guys!” Trevor shouted, pointing his M60 at the enemy.

  James threw something towards the hulk of one vehicle and it blew up, setting off the gasoline. Another burning man tried to flee, falling in the dirt.

  “Geez,” Kaylee said, watching him burn, rolling in agony until Kenny shot him.

  “Hopefully that was it,” Trevor said.

  “It probably was,” Bradley said.

  The group came off the ridge slowly, looking around, guns at the ready. They met near the vehicles.

  “We got problem,” Ji-Ho said. “We kill these guys. More come. Follow tracks to camp.”

  “I know, I was thinking the same thing,” Seth said. “What do we do?”

  “Need to talk,” Ji-Ho said. “In meantime, we use mines.”

  “Claymore mines?” Trevor asked. “I thought we had to be nearby to use those.”

  “No, vehicle mines,” Ji-Ho said. “Had few. Brought. Good thing.”

  “Think we can hear those all the way back at camp?” Clem asked. “If not, they’ll just give us a false sense of security.”

  “That is a problem,” Kenny said. “Sound doesn’t travel well through this terrain.”

  “Better than nothing,” Ji-Ho said.

  “Wait a minute, let’s use our heads here,” Trevor said. “I say we use the mines, but not at the fork. We put them much closer to camp. Close enough that we’ll hear them go off.”

  “That good idea,” Ji-Ho said.

  “What about tracks?” Seth asked. “Maybe we should go down this road a ways and then crank back over to the original road.”

  “Well, we know there’s a way,” Angel said. “The enemy used it.”

  “Yep,” Clem said. “Won’t buy us much, but it may be worth it.”

  “We aren’t staying at camp long anyway, are we?” Kaylee asked.

  “Where would we go?” Megan asked.

  “Yeah, the reservation was destroyed.” Kaitlyn said.

  “Not all of it,” James said. “But it’s probably not safe to go there now.”

  “We need to think about,” Ji-Ho said. “Talk to elders. Talk to Sam too.”

  “Okay, then I say we head back to camp right now,” Trevor said.

  “I agree,” James said.

  Others nodded, some saying yes.

  “Okay, let’s go, but keep your eyes open all the time,” Tyler said.

  ***

  John sat on a waiting room couch, Sarah asleep against him. Sid and Yvonne were both wide awake.

  “It’s been too long,” Yvonne said softly. “Way too long.”

  “Don’t get frightened yet, sweetie,” Sid said.

  “Wonder what’s going on with the others?” John asked. “Wonder if they took out those enemy fighters we saw?”

  “Hope so,” Sid said. “I think 3:00 AM is too late to call.”

  “Yeah, it’s not like we can offer any help from here,” Yvonne said.

  “Hell, John here probably saved our whole group,” Sid said.

  The emergency room door opened, the nurse coming out. Her expression was grim.

  “Oh no,” Yvonne said, her hand going to her mouth. “She’s gone, isn’t she?”

  “Connie’s still alive, but she’s on life support,” the nurse said.

  “Is she going to come out of it?” John asked. Sarah woke up, looking at the nurse, and then John.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “Connie’s on life support, honey,” John said gently.

  “Oh God,” she said, crying.

  “What happens now?” Sid asked, fighting back tears.

  “We wait until her husband wakes up,” she said. “He’ll have to give the okay to stop life support, if that’s what he decides.”

  “There’s no hope?” Sarah asked.

  “I’m sorry,” the nurse said. “She’s brain dead.”

  “Oh no,” Sid said, breaking down into sobs next to Yvonne, reaching for her.

  The emergency room door opened again. A small mousy girl looked out. “Nurse Grace, you’d better get in here. The husband just woke up.”

  “Is he lucid?”

  “I don’t know,” the young woman said.

  “Okay, coming,” Nurse Grace said. She looked at the others. “I’m so sorry.”

  She disappeared through the door.

  “What’s Sam gonna do?” Sid asked, rocking on the couch, sobs still coming.

  Yvonne stopped crying, but had a numb expression. “I need some air.” She got up and walked to the door, Sid getting up and following her.

  “John, what are we gonna do?” Sarah asked. “This is just going to kill him.”

  “He’s stronger than you think,” John said.

  ***

  Robbie and Morgan were on the floor in the Volvo dealership, leaned up against the wall next to Justin and Katie.

  “Those were good tacos,” Robbie said. “Never been to this place before.”

  “You’ve never been to Tito’s?” Morgan asked. “It’s the bomb. One of my old boyfriends loved to go there.”

  “Well, he had good taste in more ways than one, then, I guess,” Robbie said.

  “Not really,” she said. “He dumped me, and not in a nice way. I was so devastated at the time. Now that seems like nothing to me.” Her eyes teared up.

  “I’m so sorry,” Robbie said, pulling her close. Katie watched, crying too. Justin shot Robbie a helpless glance.

  “Hey, Robbie, got minute?” Jules asked from down the hall.

  “Just a sec,” he said.

  “No, go ahead,” M
organ said. “I’m gonna get like this for a while. It’s okay.”

  “All right,” Robbie said. He got up and went down the hall. Jules ushered him into the office. Tex, Sparky, and Ted were in there.

  “Take seat, kid,” Jules said.

  Robbie nodded and sat in the empty chair.

  “How’s Morgan?” Sparky asked.

  “She’s an emotional wreck,” Robbie said. “I’m worried about her.”

  “She’s strong, but you’ll need to give her time,” Sparky said. “You’ll need patience. This is gonna make your relationship difficult for a while, if you get my drift.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Robbie said. “I’ll support her. I really love her.”

  “I can tell,” Sparky said.

  “You say you have other friends,” Jules said.

  “Yeah, Gil and Steve, but only Gil is around. Steve’s the one who left. He went to Mountain High.”

  “Oh, yes, forgot, much sorry,” Jules said. “How about Gil? You think he interested?”

  “I can call him,” Robbie said.

  “Do now,” Jules said.

  “Sure.” Robbie pulled out his phone and hit Gil’s contact. It rang several times, and then Gil picked up.

  “Robbie, where are you? I’ve been scared to death that they got you.”

  “Hi, Gil,” Robbie said. “I’m at a safe house. Where are you? What’s been going on?”

  “I’ve been hiding out at my grandparent’s house in Lomita,” he said.

  “What happened to your job?”

  “Two UN thugs showed up. Killed my boss. I was in the yard out back at the time, and hid when I heard the gunshots.”

  “Oh shit. They see you?” Robbie asked.

  “No. I waited till they split. My buddy was inside. They left him in charge. He said they took the boss’s daughter with them.”

  “What about your parents?”

  “When all the ruckus at Torrance City Hall happened, they headed down south. I’m hoping they made it into San Diego County. We’ve got family there.”

  “Why didn’t you go?” Robbie asked.

  “I’m dangerous to be around. They know where I worked,” Gil said. “They’re already looking for me, because I know they took the girl.”

  Robbie laughed. “Think that matters? They’ve been doing this all the time. They took Morgan too.”

  “Oh no. Do they still have her?” Gil asked.

  “No, I was able to get her out, with a lot of help.”