“And, one more thing,” Dranko said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
“What now?”
“After it’s dark, drive your truck around the block and leave it at the far side, in between here and the barricade. If anyone does come looking for you, maybe they will think you’ve flown the coop.”
Cooper scratched his chin, “Not a bad idea. My car is already on the south barricade, so moving the truck makes sense.”
Trying to lighten the tension, Dranko made a display of making a deep bow, “Glad you recognize my genius, kind sir!”
Cooper welcomed the overture and chortled, “Brother, there’s a long way from an idea that isn’t moronic to genius status. Just be happy that today you’re a couple steps above idiot.”
Dranko smirked, “See?”
“See what?” Cooper asked, confused.
“Once in my life, I try to be optimistic and see things just a tad better than they are and you just go and shoot those dreams all to hell.” As Dranko finished, he mocked a wounded tone.
Cooper didn’t miss a beat, “Hey, I’ll encourage you to be optimistic every day of the week. But, when it comes to your mental prowess, it’s a wide gap between optimism and just plain losing touch with reality!”
Dranko’s hands clutched to his chest and his face pantomimed pain, “You wound me!”
“Well, I’ll see you tonight if you do not succumb to your grievous wounds!” Cooper turned on his heels and left, chuckling to himself.
“Wake up!” Dranko’s breath was hot and urgent as he whispered into his ear.
Cooper, instantly alert, sat up in bed and began reaching for his boots, his eyes pleading for an explanation.
“Your house. It has company. I saw four men, maybe more. In civilian clothes, but they move like they are military.”
“Damn!” Cooper cursed.
His boots laced, Cooper rousted Jake who lay sleeping next to him in Dranko’s guest room. Jake’s eyes fluttered open as Cooper motioned for him to remain quiet. “I need you to get dressed quickly and then wait here for me.” Jake nodded and went into motion.
Cooper followed Dranko to his living room where they could get a good view of the front of Cooper’s house. He saw multiple figures moving around his home, securing the perimeter. Like Dranko, he counted eight men, likely an equal number deployed around the back, where he could not see. Movement caught his eye from the shadows across the street.
As it registered, his hands balled into fists and a fierce scowl slashed onto his face. Venom dripped, “Gus.”
In the shadows, he could see the unmistakable portly figure of Gus Varela standing next to another man, dressed in dark clothing, pointing towards Cooper’s home. Moments later, Cooper almost ducked when Gus’ finger shifted and pointed towards Dranko’s house.
Next to him, Dranko exhaled, “Bastard.”
Cooper’s vision returned to the activity in front of his house. “They are planning to breach,” he whispered to Dranko.
“Yup,” his friend agreed.
Cooper wasted no time and returned to where Jake was waiting.
“Son, gather your stuff. From Dranko’s back yard, I want you to make your way to the third backyard up the street, away from our house. Then, go over that fence to the backyard behind that one. There are no dogs between here and there, so you shouldn’t be noticed. Then, huddle in your sleeping bag and wait for me or Dranko. Got it?”
Jake stared at him with wide eyes and nodded. Only his father noticed they weren’t nearly as wide as they were just a few weeks back. He’s getting used to this chaos. Cooper’s insides protested against the necessity of it.
“Don’t come out ‘til morning if I or Dranko don’t come for you. And, you will hear gunfire. But, you wait. You hear me?”
Jake nodded, more firmly this time, “Just one thing.”
Cooper eyes grew quizzical, “What?”
“Don’t die. Please,” The innocent sincerity in Jake’s eyes stunned Cooper and his knees nearly buckled. He grasped his son’s shoulders as Jake’s eyes filled with tears.
“I’m not planning on it, son.” It was the best he could offer his son in the way of comfort and still tell the truth. “I don’t want to, but I gotta go. And, you need to get moving!” Cooper swatted his son to spur him into action. He threw his bulletproof vest on, grabbed his rifle and a bandoleer full of ammunition and ran out. He felt as if he’d left his heart on the floor for abandoning his son.
Angela and Dranko met him at front door, Dranko apparently having awoken her. When they abandoned Cooper’s home for the night, Angela had joined them. They were kitted up and ready to follow him into battle.
Cooper saw them and emphatically shook his head, “You wait here.”
Both Dranko and Angela shot him furious looks.
“After they find out I’m not home, one of three things happens. They leave. We get into a firefight. Or, they come here looking for me. If it’s a fight, join in. If they come here looking for me, you can tell them I hightailed it out of town after the attack today. Got it?”
Angela and Dranko nodded.
“What are you going to do?”
“Watch. But, if it’s a fight, there are two people that won’t survive it.”
“Who?” Angela asked.
“Their commander and that traitor lawyer, Gus Varela.” He spat the man’s name as his lips curled into a baneful snarl.
Cooper closed Dranko’s back door quietly just as a furious banging came from his home a few doors down. They’ll make a racket up front, but breech from the back. He’d learned enough of breeching tactics to guess that.
He circled behind Dranko’s house, so that he could exit from the far side and minimize his chances of being seen by the commander or Gus. From the backyard, he saw Jake’s backside slipping over the fence into the neighbor’s yard and then out of view. When he reached the opposite side of Dranko’s house, he heard the battering ram smashing his back door. He imagined the team moving into his deserted home, clearing each room. It would only be a minute before they had swept the house and learned he was not there.
Cooper went prone and crawled forward, until he was at the front of Dranko’s porch. He inched his rifle out, sighting in on the commander, still standing out in the open next to Gus. He was relieved to see the man did not appear to have any night vision equipment with him. He silently chambered a round.
Moments later, the commander put a finger to his ear and listened intently. Cooper expected he was getting word that the house was empty and his men were asking for instructions. The commander conferred with Gus, who quickly pointed toward Dranko’s house. Although his cover was good, Cooper couldn’t help sliding even lower behind the porch and plants.
The commander was mid-sentence when the first shots rang out from behind Cooper’s house. The shotgun blast followed by a single rifle shot told him it was the people from their neighborhood patrol who were firing first.
He quickly eased out half a breath and fired at the commander’s groin; hoping to avoid his body armor. When he crumpled to the ground, he knew he’d hit him somewhere good.
Cooper shifted his aim and rushed a shot where Gus had been standing. To his surprise, Gus had reacted quickly and disappeared from view. Moved fast for a big man.
The cavalcade of gunfire from the rear of Cooper’s house told him all he needed to know. He only heard the sharp pops of 5.56mm rounds being fired. The absence of a booming retort of a shotgun or the deep roar of a hunting rifle’s round made it likely the pair on patrol lay dead or, at best, wounded. Then, silence, filled the night.
Cooper kept scanning for any sign of movement from the commander or of Gus Varela. To his left, he heard Dranko’s back door open and close. Seconds later, he saw Angela and Dranko take positions on opposite sides of the driveway and then crouch down. The seconds drifting past felt like an eternity. Cooper practiced breathing deeply and scanning the street in front of him from left to right. He saw Dranko make some hand motions to Angela and then she moved toward the back of his house once more. Dranko must be guarding against them coming across the backyards towards us.