The Resolution Read Free

jug in the brush on the riverbank. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
    Holding the jug underwater while the air bubbles were forced out the top by the incoming water, the gulp , gulp , gulp sound almost mesmerized him into not noticing the sound of approaching vehicles. Crap! he thought as he quickly pulled the jug from the water and placed it in the bushes. He crept up to the edge of the tracks, remaining exposed in the brush; to his horror, he saw three military vehicles approaching. As they neared the bridge, he could see an MRAP in the lead with two Humvees following closely behind. Appearing to have once been U.S. military equipment, they now wore the letters UN on the sides.
    Jason watched in horror from above, not knowing Evan’s exact proximity to the traffic. Clutching his AK-74M, he felt helpless, as the traffic was at the edge of the minuscule 5.45x39’s effective range. This would make any sort of fire from his position a spray-and-pray evolution rather than being any sort of precise shooting. Providing a distraction to allow Evan an opportunity to fight back or escape was the most he could hope to accomplish with what he had.
    Evan remained perfectly still as the three-vehicle convoy rolled on by, pausing just before the bridge for one of the soldiers to make a cursory inspection before proceeding. Once the threat was out of sight, Evan grabbed his jug of water and slipped back across the road and up the hillside to Jason’s position.
    When he arrived back at camp, Jason said, “Holy shit, man. That was close.”
    “You’re telling me! I’ve had enough of those guys lately. That’s the last thing I wanted to see heading in the direction of home.”
    “With only three vehicles, it’s obviously just a patrol of some sort, but still… that’s not good,” Jason replied, beginning to pace back and forth with frustration.
    “With them out on the roads, traveling in broad daylight is definitely out of the question,” Evan added. “And to that same point, I think Highway 70 is out of the question as well. Those railroad tracks lead all the way into Del Rio, right?”
    Pulling a map given to him by the militia from his pocket, Jason said, “Yep, it’s off the beaten path in some places, but follows right alongside Fugate Road a large part of the way.”
    “That’s still a less-traveled route than Highway 70. Let’s take the tracks to Fugate Road, and then just take Fugate Road from there.”
    “Roger Roger!” replied Jason sharply. “Now get your old ass some sleep. I have a feeling once we get going again, things could get rather busy in a hurry. We’ll head out again at sunset. I’ll wake you when it’s your turn to stand watch.”

Chapter Four: Friend or Foe
     
     
    Shoved violently into a small ten-foot by twenty-foot room, Ed and Nate fell to the floor with the door slamming behind them. Ed looked around to see a few old GSA (Government Services Administration) workplace posters as well as a poster produced by the state of Georgia with information on workers’ rights, the minimum wage, and equal opportunity. There were marks left on the tile floor from what appeared to be vending machines directly in front of a series of power outlets.
    “I can’t believe those bastards took my leg!” Nate shouted as soon as their captors were outside of the room. Then he and Ed helped each other back to their feet.
    “I guess they figure you’re easier to deal with this way,” Ed replied as he visually scanned the walls. “Looks like an old break room.”
    “I guess we’re on break, then,” replied Nate with sarcasm in his voice.
    Ed continued, “Based on the amount of time we were airborne, the average speed of a turbine-powered helicopter such as a Hind, the general direction we seemed to be heading, and the sounds we heard outside, I’ll betcha we’re in Atlanta—on the airport grounds somewhere.”
    “That makes a lot of sense, considering all of the reports we’ve heard