The Occupation: A Thriller by W.J. Lundy

Author:W.J. Lundy [Lundy, W.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Phalanx Press
Published: 2021-02-27T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

The lot was busy with activity, the gravel road filled with vehicles going into the distance. Lights flashed over ambulances. Bill walked to the lot, where men earlier had been gathered and receiving briefings. The group of people were now gone, replaced by a pickup truck with the tailgate down. In the back were two body bags. Sheriff Ransom walked to the truck and put his hands on the rails. He looked down at the dead and shook his head.

He’d been given a break but found it impossible to sleep. Instead, he found a park bench near a radio truck and put his head back. He’d heard reports coming in, mostly from the ambush site. Recovery teams had moved in and failed. The men were still holding the approach road. He watched as men reported and loaded weapons from the trunks of their cars. They formed up for briefings and organized into teams. The men were eager to get out and hunt. Bill frowned at the eagerness of each conversation, knowing they had no idea what they were getting into. He investigated the truck. If they keep this up, it’ll be full by morning.

“This is on you, ya know?” Dawson said.

Bill jumped, startled, and looked at the agent behind him. She was holding a coffee in a Styrofoam cup. She reached out, and he took it from her, nodding. Holding it close to his nose, he inhaled the steam. “How is this on me?” he said.

“This all started with you. Yesterday was completely your failure and your inability to see what would happen. Today is also your failure. This is your town; those are your people. How did you not see this?”

Bill pointed down the road. “See this? How the hell was I supposed to know this would happen?”

“I already told you; it’s your town,” she said. “You should have known about these dangerous men and warned us. Where did these people get these weapons? Explosives, machine guns, all in your city.”

Bill’s jaw dropped. He eyed her hard, trying to determine if she was serious. “I didn’t know anything about any of this.”

“Exactly. That’s why it’s your failure—you didn’t know.” Dawson reached into her pocket and removed her notepad. “I spoke with Manager Nohrs. You held back on me.”

“What are you talking about? I’ve been nothing but cooperative with you,” Bill said.

She scowled at him and flipped open the notepad. “I called Manager Nohrs to ask for background on the suspects, things you should have already told me about them.”

“I already gave you that. I gave you their sheets. They had no arrest record. The FBI also had nothing in the database. They were both clean. You spoke with their neighbors; they were fine until yesterday.”

“They are killers,” Dawson said.

“Allegedly,” Bill spat back, not knowing what else to say. “But how was I supposed to know that?”

“They were killers before,” Dawson added. “Manager Nohrs gave me a detailed brief on both of the men’s military records. They had copies of their discharge papers on file at the county clerk’s office.

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