Holding Their Own: The Salt War Part 5

"s.h.i.t!" Bishop snapped, his frustration coming to the surface. "How far away is the ranch?"

Rocco stuck out his arm, placing a gentle hand on Bishops shoulder. "It is but a few miles, my friend. But even if you could find your way there, the Salineros would shoot you on sight. Even now, we are getting ready to retreat to the safety of our village. My scouts indicate the Culpepper militia is heading this way with almost 100 men."

"So?" Bishop offered, "Ive got no quarrel with them."

Shaking his head, Rocco tried to explain. "That wont matter. Consider the situation from their perspective, Senor. They are no doubt enraged by how badly we Tejanos injured their forces last night. They dont know you. Even if you are very lucky, and they dont shoot you on sight, they will ask many difficult questions of you. How will you explain avoiding capture? How will you describe surviving the night? They are not likely to believe you accomplished these feats without our help. In their minds, you are guilty by a.s.sociation."

Again, Bishop had to admit the man had a point. It was easy to visualize the gathering army of angry cowhands, howling for revenge over friends lost in last nights conflict. They wouldnt be a friendly bunch, which typically resulted in few questions and quick trigger fingers.

"Come back to the village with me, Senor. Theres nothing you can do for your wife and child at the moment. While I cannot say for sure how the Salineros will treat her, I doubt Mr. Culpepper will view a woman as a credible threat. For now, I cant see where you have any choice but to return with us. To approach the ranch without a plan would be certain suicide. Where would your little family be then?"

Bishop stared toward the direction of the ranch, his heart resistant to the cruel reality of Roccos words. A swirling storm of thoughts flooded his consciousness, pitting logic against pure emotion. How can I even consider walking away from my soul mate and my son? He replayed the encounter with the two cowboys of the previous evening, some rea.s.surance coming from the fact that hed been ready to take Terri and Hunter to Culpeppers ranch at that time. Now, they were there, albeit under completely different circ.u.mstances. Was that really such a bad thing?

Yet, he was out of water, dead tired and had next to zero food. The sun would be at its zenith soon, the day promising to be a scorcher. He truely didnt have any options.

"Okay," he answered, turning to Rocco. "Lead the way."

Nick hit the trail at a dead run, his ears struggling to separate the pounding of his own boots from any possible pursuit. They were back there; he just didnt know how far.

Hed been after water, kneeling beside a small stream to fill his "dirty" canteen. Later, when time and location allowed, hed boil the liquid and refill his Camelbak for drinking. Evidently, the watering hole had been a popular destination, several men appearing along the opposite bank less than a stones throw away from his position.

Tucking his carbine in the crook of his elbow, the big man lowered his chin and focused every fiber of his being on pumping his legs. Distance was life.

For a man with a pack, weapon, load vest, armor, and boots, his first hundred yards would have impressed a professional football scout. It's amazing how the fear of capture and torture will motivate a man, he mused.

Rea.s.sured by the absence of bullets zipping past his fleeing body, he slowed the pace. This was going to be a marathon, not a sprint he needed to conserve.

The foliage of the surrounding pine forest grew denser, low branches and the occasional bush prompting him to duck, cut, and leap. Nick didnt mind; the concealment was more of an ally to the pursued than the pursuers. He knew where he was going; the men chasing him did not.

Settling into a fast jog, the big man kept his pace measured and steady. The fact that he was running away from the only source of water in the area meant little at the moment he just needed distance. If he survived the next 20 minutes, there would be time enough to stop, regroup, and make a plan.

Of all the times for Bishop to decide he needs a vacation, he thought. He would have handled this contact differently. He wouldnt be running for his life right now.

For the third time he adjusted his angle of regress. His training from so many years ago kicked in, hammered into the brain of a younger, less-experienced soldier by hard-core instructors at Fort Bragg when being pursued, never travel at 90-degree angles.

The time and distance pa.s.sed, Nicks knees now sending a message, the level of pain from those joints competing with his lungs unhappiness from a lack of oxygen. He started looking for a hide.

It was almost two minutes before suitable terrain came into view. There was a cl.u.s.ter of trees ahead; four or five good-sized pines huddled together at the top of a slight ridge. Hed have cover, concealment, and the high ground. Another quick glance over his shoulder told the ex-Green Beret that no one was right on his heels.

His body celebrated the end of the run, tingling zips of recovery expanding through his limbs as he dove p.r.o.ne into a nest of trunks, pine needs, and low vegetation.

His M4 was equipped with a magnifying optic. He quickly dialed in the highest zoom level and began scanning for pursuit. He didnt have to wait long.

A flush of disappointment blew through the big mans mind, a tinge of embarra.s.sment that the three men emerging from the forest didnt seem to be struggling to keep up with his pace. "Im spending too much time in a chair," he thought, noting that his antagonists werent even breathing hard.

As the trio approached, Nick experienced a minor ego boost they were young. The oldest of the trio was probably 20 years old... tops. Old age sucks, he thought. Just my luck Id run into the local track team.

And they werent unskilled.

Nick watched as the three entered a less-dense section of the forest, either instinct, training, or leadership making them spread apart and maintain a respectable amount of s.p.a.cing. The lead man held his rifle high and ready, the following duo moving off to sh.o.r.e-up his flank. This isnt going to be easy, he considered.

Their body language indicated they were listening, standing stock-still with heads tilted, probing the woods for audible sign of their preys scurrying footfalls. "Im not running anymore," Nick grinned, watching his pursuers exchange puzzled glances. "Where did I go?"

Acknowledging that he wasnt going to outrun the three sets of younger legs left only one option. Hed have to discourage their pursuit.

There was a checklist engrained in Nicks mind a sequence of steps to be executed before engaging any foe. He scanned the circle of his perimeter, verifying he wasnt being cut off or flanked. Next, he plotted his egress, making sure he knew exactly where to run. When he opened up with the carbine, it was going to send a loud, definite invitation to anyone in the area, and he didnt want to hang around to see how many showed up for the party.

For a moment, he pined for a noise-canceled weapon. Hed used what most people called a "silencer" on multiple continents, but the application of such technology was limited. Canned rifles required sub-sonic ammunition to optimize the sound reduction, and that meant far less range and stopping power a great option for close quarters black ops, but not the best for fighting on open ground.

Next came the most critical decision, a choice he wanted to finalize now, rather than trying to make up his mind when the lead was flying. How long would he engage before breaking contact and heading off?

The list of prerequisites was processed in mere moments, a lifetime of training, discipline, and experience allowing cool calculations and mechanical execution. His a.n.a.lysis became robotic.

Distance to target? 210 meters.

Wind? Calm.

Bullet drop? Two inches.

First target? The leader, of course.

He centered the red circle of his optic on the mans thigh, applied a fingernails worth of digit to the trigger... and gently increased the pressure.

The 5.56 NATO carbine barked, a gentle, familiar shove against Nicks shoulder. He knew the rifles muzzle would be pushed high and right by the recoil naturally moving into the next target.

As antic.i.p.ated, the men on his tail hesitated for just a second, the human startle reflex overriding conscious mental thought. It didnt last long, but it was enough.

Nicks second shot was on the way just as his foes began to recover from the surprise. The mans head started to turn, but his body hadnt moved. The 64-grain bullet slammed into his leg at over 3,000 feet per second.

Striking bone, the soft-nosed projectile fragmented into a dozen pieces, each tearing flesh and sinew as it tore through the victims limb. Two of the larger hunks of burning lead headed higher, shredding tissue before exiting the b.u.t.tock.

The third target reacted quickly, diving for the ground as he watched both of his comrades fall. Luck was with the young hunter, a clump of gra.s.s and dead wood blocking Nicks line of sight. By the time the lone survivor had recovered enough of his wits to check on his friends, Nick was moving.

He could have easily killed with the first two shots, but sending dead young men back to their mothers wasnt what the Alliance was all about. That aside, Nicks mercy wasnt primarily due to the trackers youth. While he judged them to be only 17-20ish, that was obviously old enough to carry a rifle and hunt men. Ive had much younger combatants try to kill me on battlefields all over the planet, he thought.

No, Nick intentionally sought merely to disable for tactical reasons. A wounded man drained resources from the enemy. Injuries required a.s.sets for care and transportation, and ultimately, they result in almost as much discord and grief as a death. For weeks, healthcare would have to be administrated, including feeding, bathing, changing bandages, and checking for infection. Over time, the adversary would pay a much higher price for a hospital bed than a grave.

Most men would have broken contact and moved off, content with removing two out of three complications from their lives. Not Nick. Not today. Not on this mission.

While his friends withered and moaned in pain, the unharmed pursuer belly crawled toward his leader, calling out his friends name. The downed body of a comrade was within reach just as Nicks charging bulk enveloped the kids line of sight.

Already near panic, the young mans eyes opened wide with terror as he realized the hunter was now the hunted. His brain was firing commands for his arm to raise his weapon, but the limb was frozen stiff with fear. When he spotted the muzzle of Nicks carbine center near his nose, the hapless fellow squinted shut his eyes and lowered his head to accept certain death.

But the bullet never came.

Instead, the slightly built, young man felt a vice-like grip clutch his hair. The force that jerked him from the ground was more powerful than any sensation he ever experienced from contact with another human being. He struggled to gather his legs, desperately scampering to take his weight off the screaming follicles in his scalp and put it on his feet where it belonged. When he finally managed to stand, he was staring into Nicks glaring eyes. He was reminded of a great wolf hed once seen in a zoo.

"How many are chasing me?" growled the huge man.

"I... I... I dont know," came the choking, high-pitched response.

Nick, still holding a handful of the kids locks, lifted his victim off the ground and shook him like he was trying to shake crumbs out of a napkin.

After a whimpering, tear-filled session of sniffling had pa.s.sed, Nick asked again. "How many are chasing me?"

"Seriously, I dont know. A lot... theyre calling everybody in... more than a hundred, I guess."

Nick realized the kid probably didnt know much more than that. "Look at me!" he ordered.

The prisoner did as he was told, raising his bowed head to make eye contact. Nicks fist snapped the young fellows head back, the blow lifting his heels completely off the ground. He was out cold before his body bounced across the soil. "Sorry, kid, but that beats getting shot like your buddies."

Nick took their weapons, slinging two hunting rifles and an AR15 across his already burdened shoulders. Hed find a good spot to stash them later.

One of the wounded men reached for a pistol, the effort rewarded with a broken wrist as Nicks boot crunched the bone before it launched the sidearm nearly 20 yards away.

He patted them down, taking anything of value. The now unconscious leader had prepared for the mission, carrying AR ammo, some homemade bread, and a two-way radio. "Plunder," Nick remarked, stuffing his pockets with the bounty.

Pivoting to disappear into the woods, he stared down at the first man hed dropped. The guy was bleeding out, probably due to the bullet striking a main artery. "f.u.c.k," he grunted, scanning the surrounding underbrush for any threat.

In less than a minute, he pulled off the injured hunters belt and applied a tourniquet.

Then like a ghost, he melted away into the forest.

Terri relaxed somewhat, relieved no one had tried to take away her firearms. The sleepless night, combined with the stress of worrying about Bishop, had fouled her mood. But she couldnt show it, Hunter at an age where he mirrored his parents moods.

On the ride to the Culpepper ranch, Terri learned that one of the men with her was the second in command. After they had ridden down into the flatlands, her two escorts loosened up and began talking.

"I was in Meraton over a year ago," announced the one named Whitey. "I was pa.s.sing through, trying to make my way down here to the ranch. Mr. Culpepper was a friend of my fathers, and I thought hed take me in. I was living in Amarillo at the time, and the entire town went nuts when everything fell apart. I didnt have any place else to go."

"A lot of people found themselves in a similar spot," Terri replied. "Bishop and I lived in Houston back then. I lost count of the number of times we were almost killed while traveling across Texas. Those were bad times, for sure."

"I remember people talking about your husband when I was in town. As I recall, hed shot it out with a bunch of bank robbers."

Terri grunted, the rush of memories transporting her back to a time when life was so uncertain... the future so unknown. "Yup," she replied. "Thats my Bishop. Winning friends and influencing people wherever he goes."

The next question from the cowboy took her completely by surprise. "Have things gotten any better... back in the world?"

They have no idea about the Alliance, she realized. They dont know who I am, or that people have regrouped.

Terri thought to bring her co-riders up to speed with current events, but then stopped. She was a woman alone with a child, keeping company with people she didnt know and right in the middle of a war zone. She decided to keep her mouth shut for the time being. "Maybe a little," she replied with a neutral tone. "Bishop and I have spent quite a bit of time at his small ranch. Its very isolated, kind of like this area around here."

Her answer seemed to satisfy the two men. Before long, they were approaching a group of structures the Culpepper ranch.

There was a main house, a single-story affair that wouldnt have been anything special in most big city neighborhoods. Two dominant pole barns, several corrals, a handful of outbuildings, and a long row of house trailers met her eye. It was obviously a less prosperous outfit than Mr. Beltrans ma.s.sive operation, but an impressive spread nonetheless.

After signaling the lookouts, Whitey had ordered Reed to escort Terri to the main house. The foreman had ridden off, obviously in dread of delivering his boss the bad news about the ambush. As far as the two men knew, they were the only survivors.

Reed escorted Terri around to the back door where an older Latino woman was hanging clothes on a line to dry. "Chita," Reed greeted, tipping his hat. "This is Terri and Hunter. They are Mr. Culpeppers guests."

The woman nodded, smiling sweetly as she moved to hold Hunter while his mother dismounted. Unaccustomed to spending much time in the saddle, Terris legs and b.u.t.t were stiff from the rocky ride.

A series of stretches and bends followed, Terri mumbling, "How do they do that all day long? They should do a 'Buns of Steel infomercial." Finally getting comfortable with the concept of using her limbs, her next priorities were related to having spent the night in the desert without facilities. Hunter was fussing, no doubt wondering where his breakfast was.

Chita appeared friendly enough, inviting Terri into the ranch house and showing her to a spare bedroom. The lingering aroma of scented candles permeated the structure, several half-burned examples grouped here and there. The home was neat and tidy. There was running water, courtesy of a windmill driven pump she had noticed on the ride in.

"Beats the heck out of sleeping on a rock," Terri announced to her son, running a sink full of water with the intent of rinsing the desert grit off both their bodies.

A few moments later, a naked Hunter was enjoying a rather enthusiastic splashing session in the basin. A knock on the door signaled Chita was back, the womans arms full of clothing, including a cute, little outfit for the baby. Terri thanked her with a smile, happy at the prospect of clean duds.

"Are you hungry?" Chita asked in heavily accented English. "Does your son need food as well?"

"Yes, if its not too much trouble," Terri responded. "That and sleep. Neither of us has slept much lately."

"Mr. Culpepper wishes to speak with you after youve freshened up and had a chance to eat. Im sure youll have an opportunity to rest after that. Ill bring you both some food."

Terri eyed the bathrooms shower, but was unsure of what to do with the currently occupied and thoroughly delighted Hunter. As nice as the accommodations were, the ranch was not equipped with a playpen for the wriggling infant. She decided to take him into the water with her. There was even soap.

Twenty minutes later, Terri was escorted outside to the front porch where a man rested on a lawn chair, observing a long line of riders exit the main compound. Complete with western plaid shirt and faded blue jeans, his dress was that of a man who spent most of his life in the saddle. Only the snakeskin boots set the man apart as a gentleman of means. A timeworn Stetson shaded a face lined with worry and fatigue, but Terri was most uneasy about the melancholy look in his eyes.

Upon sensing Terris presence, the leather-skinned man stood and removed his hat. "My name is Sam Culpepper," he began. "Im the ramrod of this outfit. Have been for 46 years."

"Im Terri," came the reply, "and this is my son, Hunter."

Indicating Terri should sit in a nearby chair, Mr. Culpepper returned to his own perch. Chita appeared with a tray, conspicuously empty but for two gla.s.ses of water.

"Im sorry I cant offer you anything else," the old man stated. "Times are difficult, to say the least."

"I want to thank you for the kindness youve shown my son and me already, Mr. Culpepper. Youve been a most gracious host."

He nodded, his eyes never leaving the seemingly endless line of riders now stretching toward the horizon.

"Where are they going, if I may ask?" Terri ventured.

"Theyre going back to Windy Ridge and the valley beyond. I hope they find your husband alive and well, but Im not optimistic about that. According to my men... at least the ones who made it out alive... the Tejanos had many rifles in that valley last night." He returned to the seat, folded his arms, and sighed heavily while considering his next words. "This war is escalating. I guess were going to have to fight at night now. I should have seen that coming."

Terri let his statement settle, hoping he would continue without her prompting or prying. He didnt.

"Can you tell me about this conflict?" she asked gently. "My husband and I seem to have become involved somehow."

He grunted, nodding his head. "Yes, you have. Theres not much to tell really. On the north side of my property lies a large salt bed. It is quite the anomaly out here in the desert. Some years ago, a geologist from A&M was out this way and asked to take a look at it. We rode out there, and he told me how it was formed. He explained that a prehistoric lake had existed below the surface, and as the salt.w.a.ter evaporated, it pushed the mineral to the surface. The salt is nearly pure and finely granulated a rare occurrence in nature."

"I think Ive seen it," Terri responded, remembering an escape from Fort Bliss and a stolen ATV. "My husband was raised around here, and he pointed it out to me a long time ago."

"It was really an eyesore for years," Sam continued. "Over a thousand acres of basically useless land. Nothing grows there, and cattle dont require all that much salt. Back during normal times, n.o.body paid much attention to it. It was cheaper and easier to go to the grocery store or have a truck deliver packaged salt."

"We found out the hard way how important salt is," Terri said. "After we got here from Houston, it seemed like we were always short on salt."

"Back in the Old West, that salt bed was an important resource," Sam noted. "Silver was minded in this area for years, and the miners would haul off the salt by the wagon load and use it for the refining process. The settlers also used it to preserve meat, filter water, and make everything from soap to laundry detergent. The war were fighting now isnt the first scuffle over that d.a.m.ned mineral. About 150 years ago, there was another conflict people called the 'El Paso Salt War. A lot of men died then, too."