“Stop!” The intruder shouted, and everyone looked at his direction.
“Dad! Please don’t shoot!” Tony pleaded.
Joseph and his group got captured. One intruder drove the SUV, and the rest rode at the back of the farm truck. Joseph begged if he can check Grandpa’s condition who sat at the junction of the vehicle, but the intruders stopped him. Another intruder ran the farm truck while the remaining two guarded Joseph, Tony, and Walter.
All of a sudden, the Army truck appeared behind them. They were firing at each other when one intruder pulled Tony and aimed a gun at his head.
“Don’t shoot!” Tony was shouting at the Army truck and waved his hands in the air. Abruptly, three Militia on their motorcycles quickly appeared from the counter path of the road and Finley riding his big bike was moving at maximum speed behind the Army truck. The intruders got confused with the roaring engines as they started to look around.
One of the Militia from the opposite direction was heading fast towards the SUV. He jumped on the seat while driving the motorbike, but the SUV didn’t back down.
“Let’s kill one another.” The SUV driver muttered to himself. Finley’s ride intersected with the other two motorcycles and the farm truck. The Militia on the other road dove on the air and Finley grabbed the Militia’s right arm as he locked his left leg around the backseat of the big bike. The motorcycle collided with the SUV, and an explosion happened.
The farm truck suddenly stopped as the other two Militia bikers appeared at each side. The two intruders got startled, but before they could point their guns, the militia pulled their triggers and shot the intruders’ heads. Tony closed his eyes as blood flowed on the truck. Everything happened fast, so the robber inside the farm truck looked into the small glass window to check his friends, but the Army vehicle already moved beside him. Captain Ellis steered his gun through the open window of the driver’s seat and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Walter instructed his militia friends on the farm truck to look for the handcuff keys on one of the intruders’ pocket. Joseph and Tony immediately laid down Grandpa Carmichael who was already unconscious but still breathing.
“We have to get back home! Joseph, please. I’m begging. Treat him.” Tony shouted as he tried to wake his father.
“I will, but you have to calm down, Tony. Breathe.” Joseph assured him. Walter immediately drove the farm truck back to their home then the militia riders and the Army vehicle followed.
Everyone at the house got frightened, as Joseph and Tony carefully carried Grandpa Carmichael to his room. Walter followed and assisted Joseph. He immediately injected an intravenous fluid then he decided to pull the knife off Grandpa’s stomach to examine the depth of the blade and the severity of the wound. The wound was deep and fatal, as it entered Grandpa’s diaphragm and slightly penetrated the abdominal aorta. It caused the circulatory system to temporarily breakdown that led to Grandpa Carmichael’s unconsciousness.
Joseph suspected that the tissue was cut and caused internal bleeding. He tried to put pressure on the wound because it was bleeding rapidly before doing the surgery. When the blood flow subsequently stopped, Joseph opened the wound and searched for the source of the bleed in the aorta. Time was his enemy because he had to repair the broken tissue as fast as he could before it could cause complications. After a few minutes, Joseph had successfully restored the abdominal aorta and eliminate the excess blood. However, Walter noticed that Grandpa Carmichael had stopped breathing. Joseph immediately performed a Cardiopulmonary resuscitation twice while Walter assisted the wound, but Grandpa Carmichael wasn’t responding.
“Come on, dad,” Tony uttered while tears fell from his eyes while watching Joseph do the CPR.
“No, no, no,” Joseph said to himself as he pumped Grandpa’s chest. Luckily, another complete cycle of CPR revived Grandpa, but he was still numb.
Then Joseph quickly closed and sutured the wound with the help of Walter. He assisted Grandpa’s medical needs after the surgery to give Joseph a rest while Grandma Carmichael held Grandpa’s hand on the other side of the bed.
After the operation of Grandpa Carmichael, while having their lunch, the Army thought that it was a good idea to ask for Sheriff Katcher’s help in guarding the farm. Everyone agreed, so they immediately contacted Sheriff through the radio. The Army said that the Marauders attacked their area several times to get their supplies. Sheriff Katcher mentioned that some of his farms also got attacked twice, but the difference was that had enough men to cover the place effectively compared with Carmichael’s farm. Fortunately, Sheriff and his deputies agreed to travel the farm and see what they can do to increase the security.
On their way to the farm, Sheriff Katcher along with his ten more deputies got attacked. A truck was chasing and firing gunshots. They tried to speed up, but the Marauders were catching up. The Sheriff didn’t want to take the intruders to Carmichael’s farm, so they decided to reroute into the forest and take the battle there. Fortunately, Sheriff and his group were able to beat the Marauder fighters, but some of them received minor wounds.
Sheriff Katcher saw Grandpa Carmichael’s condition and hoped for his fast recovery. Joseph and Walter helped the four injured deputies and gave them first aid treatment. Sheriff appreciated the gesture, and he promised to deliver supplies and medicines. On the other hand, the Army, Militia, Sheriff and the remaining of his group built thicker and higher rolled barb wires around the walls of the farm. They also build metal fences in the front yard the whole day.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
They finished strengthening the defense at dawn, so Sheriff Katcher and his deputies decided to wait on the farm. A truck of supplies and medical needs immediately arrived before the sun rose. Everyone at the farm woke up, except for the Militia who were taking their rest after their overnight duty. Grandpa Carmichael was still unconscious, and his wife stayed beside him all the time. Maxine, Rashida, and Victoria managed the kitchen and prepared their meal.
Sheriff Katcher held a short meeting with the whole Carmichael’s farm household while eating their dinner.
“By the way, Joseph. Has every one of you heard about the Martial Law extension?” Sheriff Katcher directly asked Joseph.
“Yes,” Joseph answered plainly, but he had a feeling where’s that talk going.
“Well, they knew about the farms in here, and they want to confiscate our supplies.” Sheriff Katcher said.
“But they’re ours?” Tony replied.
“I understand, but the Government also has the rights to confiscate the possession of its people whenever needed under Martial Law.” The sheriff tried to explain.
“That’s why you agreed to come here? You’ll confiscate everything that we have?” Tony argued. He became irascible after what happened to his father, but Rashida tried to calm him.
“No. I wouldn’t deliver new supplies to get yours. Truly, I’m also here to deliver the conversation I had with Colonel Eaton.” Sheriff Katcher replied.
“The Colonel wants all of us to help one another to bring back peace. My deputies, the Army, and the Militia will secure the whole place until we defeat the Marauders. Also, Joseph and Walter. Colonel Eaton wanted you to go back in service, and run the town hospital.” He added. Joseph got surprised and looked at Maxine. He thought that Colonel Eaton was trying to protect him, but he felt betrayed.
“Just the two of us? That’s insane! No one can run a hospital with just two staff members! You’re going to kill us.” Walter got furious.
“Don’t worry, Walter. We’ve been gathering a medical team that can help you.” Sheriff Katcher answered.