On the Road Again Read online

  Much easier and it solved that damn daylight savings time crap. Which I never understood, musta just been another “Control” thing to keep the sheeple in line and used to getting ordered around.

  All in all this area here and in general the whole state of Texas/Oklahoma is pretty well adjusted to the whole way of life and things are really going good, with few vehicles the fuel supplies will hold a while longer and folks with the know how are working at getting small refinery’s going although it will be a while.

  The lawless types are pretty much worm food and other then dipshits like the former parson and his sneaky gunman nothing much goes on that can’t be solved the way “Wyatt” solved their hash.

  I thought the Wyatt thing was a good way to get her goat but seems she’s liking the attention.

  Some of the rougher types around the place have taken to calling her Miz Wyatt.

  Her head gets any bigger she’s gonna need a bigger hat. But she did save my old white ass and for that I’m very grateful!

  And it’s gonna be a long cold day in hell before any sombitch gets off on me that way again! I was very lucky this time. That and the fact she bullied me into working with her on that draw from the holster.

  And she worked at it damn hard and it showed! Not that I saw it since I was busy bleeding and chewing my pie.

  And the only two witnesses died fast of slow and stupid.

  Anyway I’m spending all the time with Mom I can cause there is a big chance she won’t be here when we get back….IF we get back.

  Hell she may be here long after we become worm food in some wash someplace.

  Miz Sheri is sad to see us go and I’ll miss her so very much. Maybe next time around our karma or little blinking light whatever will find each other sooner. Love ain’t blind and it is in fact forever, several forever’s, contrary to the religious types ideas on the subject.

  We had a meeting with Rick, Sheri and the other folks in some form of leadership but those two run the place. The security really ain’t an issue, the guard force is made up of people who went to New Mexico and have good skills.

  As for outsiders being an issue…They won’t be. In fact if it becomes necessary to drag out the hardware we brought home there is nothing or nobody in this corner of Texas that can even be in the fight.

  One of the folks I don’t know brought up the issue concerning the local law and the towns people who might decide to come after Sandy. I just smiled my best meat eaters smile and said they won’t.

  Being a persistent cuss he said “ Won’t what? “live” said I and Sandy laughed at his expression. He still rattled on with “ Well you can not fight the Law and the will of the people!”

  I was getting tired of this guy so I said “Whose laws? What will of what people? It was kind of funny watching him grow more confused and that damn Rick was enjoying the show. Then it dawned on me this dipshit was a thorn in Rick’s side and I was having to pull it!

  Nice going Rick.. paybacks a medivac.

  Before I could say a word Miz Wyatt popped up and said “ What’s your main problem asshole ?( Crap this is how the shooting in town started) I reached over and put my hand on the bulge in her jacket and not the soft one. She glared and the fool was shushed by Rick and Sheri. To hot to did a grave I guess.

  Moving on, after the meeting I had a talk with miz fire brand who was taking the Wyatt thing a bit far. She just smiled and said did you see his eyes when you put your hand over my gun butt?

  I said nope he thought I grabbed your boob! That got her laughing and I gave up, with the warning that if she didn’t stop it I was gonna make her start wearing two low slung guns tied down so’s the pilgrims would know she was a fairly dangerous hombre.

  She got a look on her face and I said NO!! No damn way!! Then she laughed and said gotcha! She’s like dancing with snakes. Not sure what that means but it fits!

  We spent the next few days going thru all the stuff we were taking and at this rate we might have to get more mules or just hunt trouble from the truck.

  We were ok for food, over weight in weapons and ammo and a few other surprises from the arsenal in NM. We would worry about it when we got someplace where we needed to worry about it.

  Poor old Molly wanted to go on this trip but she wouldn’t last long but then Sandy said damn it John, let her come.

  She will be riding in the truck as long as we are and at least she can go out being the guardian of her family and if she makes to where Will Bean and Joe Frazier set up then she will be able to teach the pup what he will need to know.

  I had forgotten we were getting a pup from Joe and that settled it, Molly was gonna go with us for as long as she can and if she gets tired she can ride on one of the mules like she’s done before. I was happy and so was Wyatt.

  After five days there was still nothing coming out of town so we said to hell with it and got the animals loaded and checked the check list twice, checked the main tank and the bulk tank and the extra drums we had loaded with diesel and gas for the Honda generator and it looked like we was stalling so we hugged the huggers, shook the shakers and kissed the kissers.

  We headed for the gate where we found two trucks with several of the guards waiting. The guard boss smiled and said we thought we would take a ride along with yawl just to see the sights ya kno.

  I laughed and said thanks Tom it does relieve my mind knowing I’ll get Wyatt out of town without wasting ammo.

  I can breath just fine with my ribs caved in so she stopped hitting me and scooted over and put her arm around me. Then asked me if she had told me she loved me today, I said I don’t think so, she said good! Laugh a minute.

  We hit town and rolling right thru when Fred walked out into the street and when I stopped he came to the window and stuck out his hand and as we shook he said John, Miz Sandy I want to apologize for not doing my job and leaving it up to you two.

  My raised eyebrows pulled the story out of him, He had heard about the way the sumbitch was treating women but hadn’t had anybody willing to sign a complaint and all the while knew he should just go out to the old place they stayed and just shoot the bastard but didn’t.

  Sandy said hey Fred no problem, he was gonna get shot sooner or later by somebody and I enjoyed it so it’s all good. He just shook his head as he does every time he has any dealings with her.

  Then he smiled and stuck his hand thru the window and when she grabbed it he said “ Good job Wyatt!” And with no warning she jerked him closer and shot across me and kissed him smack on the mouth and said Be safe Fred!! Poor ol Fred had not been kissed by a woman other then his wife in 30 years and he was scarlet !

  We left him standing in the street shaking his head. She is a cracker jack and a pistol for sure. Then she smiled real big and hit a button on the radio and out came Will singing “ On the road again!!” she thinks of ever thing ..

  Texas / New Mexico State line.

  We burned the road all day as fast as we could go and rolled up to the State line and saw the place had been greatly improved. Real bunkers and small house trailers for barracks.

  And a real guard house. And standing there with big grins was Bear Jackson and Guard Commander Harry Jackson. We rolled to a stop and got out stretching and groaning.

  Both the gents shook hands with me and took their hats off for Sandy. She looked at them like “Ok what you two up to“. But they was just being polite.

  Bear then looked at Sandy and very gently shook her hand while she smiled at him, then he said “ Proud to meet ya Wyatt”! and roared out laughing, And we all joined in, Sandy finally was able to ask if every smart ass up the road knew the story.

  Harry said well I can’t speak for folks in maybe Oregon or Washington but yea everybody else pretty well knows between here and there.

  I just shook my head and said how? Harry said the radio comm had greatly improved in a lot of areas and the short wave radio folks were passing news and the old cop channels were kind of working so Fred was able to pass the word along.

  It was too good of a story to not pass on. Then both looked at my ear and Bear laughed loudly and said “ Shit! You call that getting shot?? I cut myself worse then that shaving! Says the man with a foot long beard.

  Harry said John that’s to damn close!

  Bear, not being one to stop kicking the rattler leaned over and said in a booming whisper “ Did you really forget to reload?” She just said

  “ Shut up you over grown excuse for a fat bear” which really got him going.

  I was glad she liked him coz I’m not sure nine 45 slugs would drop him and I wouldn’t wanna piss him off.

  We went inside for a cup of coffee and Bear said he would have the rig moved over to the corrals and the stock unloaded since we was staying here tonight.

  We agreed and had dinner with the troops manning the outpost in the chow hall set up in a former double wide prefab. We spent the evening talking with everybody that stopped by.

  Most wanted to meet Wyatt who was I think starting to rethink being known as a super pistollero.

  But whatever, she had the reputation now and the word was heading ahead of us faster then we could drive. I could only hope we ran out of places with them damn radios.

  We spent the night in our trailer and slept like baby’s and Molly never twitched all night even when the guards walked past the rig.

  Come morning we headed to the chow hall and enjoyed a good breakfast of ham and eggs and fried spuds with a bit of onion chopped up and fried with them.

  We were just having a last cup of coffee when an old gent in a beat up old Stetson came in and looked around and spotted us and headed our way.

  Surprising me Harry and Bear both stood up so I did too. Harry said Good morning General and shook the mans hand and
Harry introduced him to us as a General Officer of the Marines, Retired.

  I wanted to salute but Marines never wear covers inside unless under arms meaning on duty and Marines never salute uncovered.

  General Will Flint had fought in the tail end of the Island war in the Pacific, Wounded on Okinawa and then stayed in and lead troops in Korea and served in Viet Nam in the early days when a bout of malaria ended his long career.

  He returned to his native Texas and settled down to raising beautiful Quarter Horses. We sat and talked for a long time and he was a delightful man. And he seemed to really enjoy Sandy’s company and surprisingly she was a perfect lady.

  He didn’t enquire into the shooting but he knew about it. And before we ended the visit he said he would be right back. When he returned be had a bag in hand and after sitting down he was quiet for a moment or two and then kind of shook his head a bit and smiled at her and said I spent my whole life in the Corps,

  I never married because the Corps was my wife and the men whose care was my responsibility were my children.

  He seemed to go away for a moment then took a deep breath and sighed and smiled and said I want you to have this because I can think of nobody I’d rather think of having it, it served me my entire life and I want to know it’s got a new home and somebody who will understand.

  He took a zipper case from the bag and unzipping it with a bit of a tremble in his hand he drew out a very well used but very well kept and very old Colt 45.

  He held it out to her and said I want you to have this and I hope if ever you are in need of a back up to the one under the jacket there that you will use this with all your skills and bring justice to whatever the situation may be.

  I looked from the gun to Sandy who with tears running down her cheeks jumped up and came around the table and hugged the old man for a long time then kissed his cheek and said “Thank you so much, And I’ll care for her as long as I live“.

  He looked at her a bit and said why did you say “Her” ? Sandy’s reply was so positive. She said I could tell the way you held her that someplace long ago there was somebody you loved and you for some reason couldn’t have and I think you named this close friend after her…right?

  The old General smiled a sad smile and said yes your right, Her name was Ellie. When the causalities report was released it showed me as KIA not WIA. Thinking I was killed in Okinawa she later married my best friend who couldn’t serve due to partial vision loss in his right eye.

  He said when he found out she was married he just stayed in the Corps and never went back until he heard she and her husband had moved away. Shit I think I got a knat in my eye.

  He walked with us to the truck and was again assaulted by Sandy who said Ellie should have waited! He smiled and said well if I was 10 years younger I’d wrestle John for you! Another hug and kiss and she got in the truck and we rolled away.

  She gentle cried for 20 miles then sat up and said what a truly wonderful man. He gave the country his life in service for a lost love. How sadly beautiful.

  Then she opened the zipper case and took a good look at the old 1911.

  It had a lot of dings and showed the battle scars of three wars but was still in very good shape.

  If we had access to a book on my shelf in the cabin we could have checked the number and found the date it was made, it was also not an issue gun, it must have been his from day one, I wish we had gotten more information but he seemed to want to keep it private.

  Sandy said she would have to find a way to carry Ellie so she can carry on the good fight. I suggested that after she had a chance to shoot her maybe she could just carry her instead of the gold cup.

  She liked that idea and agreed that come evening she was going to try her out.

  It’s so much fun to talk guns with a woman who truly likes them and enjoys owning and shooting her own. Even if she’s rough on dipshits and fake preachers….thank God!!

  I often wonder if I would still be alive if I had not found her when I did. Of course she wouldn’t be alive either so it was our lucky day.

  She is a Warrior, a bit reckless at times but never in doubt. I would storm the gates of hell with her at my side. Of course we would get our asses trashed but they would know we were there.

  I know if she keeps picking up weapons at this rate she will need her own truck just to haul them. She has my former AK, the MP5/40 her m-16, 2 1911 45’s . Also I’m not sure what all she packed away from the Armory in NM.

  Hell I can’t keep up but I know they weigh more then she does. I guess it could be worse, She might collect cats!

  I do have a good recipe for cat but you need fresh bamboo sprouts and rice. Mmm good.

  We were making very good time but I was very aware that things outside Texas were not settled except in the towns and small cities that survived.

  We had taken the time at home to set up the interior of the Dodge so the back seat area was our rolling gun safe with everything we might want in it’s own rack standing upright with a loaded mag and a round in the chamber safety on. Some will have something to say about the loaded chamber but they ain’t here and they ain’t seen what we have.

  I will take any shortcut there is if it gains us even a second in shooting time. I’ll get back to ya if it don’t work out. Don’t turn blue holding ye breath.

  I have very few rules for gun fighting. Never give them a break. If ya need to do it get it done, Talk later. But the most important is this. Never shoot till you think he’s dead, shoot him till he thinks he’s dead.

  A very wise old Border Patrolman always said “ There ain’t no second place winner in a gun fight. Bill Jordan would know, he won more then most people who had names as big guns. Retired Marine Lcol. Retired Border Patrol Agent. A real gun fighter.

  Sandy and I talk about this kind of stuff as we drive or ride along. I just talk about what I’ve heard, seen and done. What I would have done different ( like shooting instead of eating pie ) dying is easy, staying alive is a bitch and a 24/7 job.

  Whenever we can we shoot every day even if it’s just popping rocks with the rifles. Hitting head size rocks out in the 200 plus range is damn good practice.

  One of the things she’s learned that just blows her mind is how with practice she can hit or at least be real close to a target or rock at long pistol range like 100+ yards.

  Fools will call BS but it ain’t hard if you work at it enough to know your gun and the load.

  She’s like most women when it comes to shooting, they listen and learn better then men. I think because men even though they never shot a gun in their life seem to think they have to try to show they don’t need instruction because …well because they are men and guys just know shit.. Women don’t have that testosterone fueled ego problem.

  I think it’s a good thing women in the old west didn’t wear pants and guns or it may have been Doc Holly Day in Tombstone.

  By close to dark we started looking for a place to stop for the night. We could have made it further but we both have had enough of people so we turned off on an untraveled road into the countryside and found a place where we could turn off into some boulders.

  While Sandy was getting things ready to eat I took my rifle and did a foot patrol around the area and saw no sigh of human activity. I laid in shadows and watched for dust or anything that might indicate people were around.