Insurrection

By Ron Wolfwalker

Scientist, Inventor, Business Tycoon, Writer, Widow, Hermit, all of these describe Lane Walking Bear and if asked, he would tell you he liked the last most of all. That is until the jarring noise of a cellphone, he had been talked into keeping, woke him up early one morning. On the other end, his sister in law in a panic as her son, his brothers only child, was being hunted by religious fanatics near his hidden retreat.

As Lane mounts a rescue he discovers a hidden plot to eradicate all Gay people as the Government is on the verge of collapse.

Dealing with issues and a national crisis that all he wants to do is wash his hands of the whole mess after getting his people to safety, his sister in law convinces him to step in and help avert the impending destruction of all she holds dear.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ron Wolfwalker
• Release date: Aug 31, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463131428

Book preview

Insurrection

By Ron Wolfwalker

Published by Ron Wolfwalker at Smashwords

Copyright 2018 Ron Wolfwalker

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Chapter 1

Hearing the ring of the cell phone he had been talked into keeping and even being plugged in at all times so the battery would not run out as an excuse, Lane growled as he rolled over in bed and squinted at the sun starting to rise over the mountains. Sighing in relief when the phone went silent, most likely rolling over to the frank and terse message, where he told callers to fuck off and not bother leaving a message, he growled out when it started to ring again. Grabbing the phone as he sat up, blankets falling to his lap he looked at the caller ID and accepted the call with a growled out, When I agreed to this whole cell phone thing it was with the understanding that if the Earth was not about to end you would leave me the FUCK ALONE, he shouted the last as he glared at the clock and saw he could have gotten an extra forty minutes of sleep.

Truly not awake, he left his warm, if empty bed, and walked to the bathroom. Might as well get ready for the day Lane thought, as scenes for his current novel flashed in his mind. Fingers twitching to type madly until hunger forced him to leave the computer.

All thoughts of spending the day typing out his next fantasy novel left his mind as his sister-in-law told him why she called.

Lane, Ellie said in desperation, Roddy and his boyfriend Matt have been targeted for a hit. The local city police are at our house setting up their equipment. They explained that they are sure a group of holy rollers have infiltrated their scout group and plan to see that they have a fatal accident while on their week-long hike.

Feeling a cold hand grip his heart, Lane sat down suddenly on the toilet and wanted to shake his head and pinch himself, to wake from the dream turned nightmare. Hearing the desperation and fear in his sister-in-law's voice he said, Even if I left right now, I am six hours to the airport and eleven hours, if I am unlucky not to get a direct flight, which you know it is almost impossible to find a direct flight from here. I moved to the boonies for a reason Ellie. It is going to take me most of the day to get to you.

Roddy is in the mountains near you, Ellie told him quickly as she heard footsteps from the speaker. Hearing the steps stop, she told her brother's widower, The troop voted to go to Mount Idaho to hike and watch the Eclipse.

Roddy and Matt belong to an all gay scout troop, Lane said slowly as he finished walking to the closet and started to pull out his search and rescue gear. An alternative to the regular scouts, so why are they in danger again? He asked as his mind started going over trails that would be the fastest route over the mountain. And what the hell is a Texas troop doing in the wilds of Idaho?

Secretly, Ellie told him as her panic started to ease. If anyone could find and keep her son safe it was Brian's husband, I think Roddy and Matt were hoping once the trip was over they could call you and spend some time with you. Roddy wants you to meet Matt, they booked their return flight for eight days after the rest of the troop leaves.

Hearing a pounding at his front door, Lane grabbed his boots and shirt and stomped down the two flights of steps, taking them two at a time. Seeing a ranger patrol truck out front, lights flashing, he threw open the door to see Natale holding up both of her hands in front of her as she backed up. Ellie, where is the troop supposed to be setting up camp? He asked as he waved Nat in and walked through the kitchen into the ready room that he manned when Search and Rescue needed help when hikers were lost in his section of the mountains. Staring at the map as Ellie told him, The southwest basin. Finger trailing along the Basin Ridge, Lane frowned as he asked, How many of the troop went?

All of them, Ellie replied as she waved the detective over. Taking the paper from him she said, The police found out about the threat when they were called to Stuart's house to investigate a shots fired complaint. They found Stuart's family shot to death, looking at the detective she added when he nodded, execution style.

Handing the phone to Natale he told her, Put that thing on speaker phone will you, Nat. Looking over his shoulder when she took the phone he asked, Are you here for a different reason or what Ellie called me about? The Dallas scout troop being in danger.

The same, Nat told him as she gave him a look that said he was stupid, as all get out as all she had to do was touch the bottom of the screen that said speaker. I sent several of my rangers to the trailhead leading to the southern basin, but we did not find any of the rental vans that we were told the troop rented.

Burt to Nat on Rescue One, Burt's voice came over the speaker of her radio. I found the vans near the stream in quadrant fourteen section two. There is a note on the windshield stating they are heading to the Ledges. It is signed by a Roderick Walking Bear. I didn't know Lane had a kid.

That is on my side of the mountain, Lane said as he removed his finger from the topographic map and turned to look out of the wall of glass at the mountains. Looking back at Nat he told her, That is almost seven hundred topographical miles, if not more, from where they said they were going to be. What the hell is going on?

Putting his shirt on, Lane tucked it into his pants and without thinking about it, he grabbed his harness off the peg near the vault door and strapped it on. Ellie, is the officer still there, can you put him on the phone?

Mr. Walking Bear, this is Detective Donavon from Dallas PD, what do you need to know? Thom asked as he took the house phone from Mrs. Walking Bear. She had told him she would be calling her brother-in-law who led the search and rescue teams for that region of mountains.

The identity of the threat and who you believe the infiltrators are, Lane told him as he moved to the computer and logged in and activated the electronic suite.

Once the computers came to life and the large television screens lit up to show scenes from around the mountain from the hidden camera's Lane had installed, Nat placed the cell phone in the cradle and pushed down hard until the speakers around the room crackled to life. Pulling her radio off her belt she said after pushing the button, SAR Central is now active. All rangers switch to frequency delta. Moving over to the station that controlled the camera feeds she started to switch through them to see if she could find the trail left behind from the endangered scouts.

We believe, Thom said as he looked at his notebook and flipped through his notes, that a splinter group of Evangelists, calling themselves the Kingdom of God's Followers is behind the attack. As far as we can piece together, the teen infiltrators are one Charlie Nuremberg and his partner Samuel Dalton. The papers we found that outline the plot, call for the group to be guided in by one Kevin Steele. Who, according from the notes we found at the headquarters of this right-wing group of wacko's, will lead the scouts to an ambush point somewhere on the mountain so that they can be taken out during the eclipse.

There are not many places along the trail that an ambush can be set up at, Lane, Nat called out as she sent an image of the trail to the big screen above the work area. Using a mouse pen, she circled the areas along the trail that she was talking about.

Glancing up, Lane told her, You forgot one, pointing at the map he said, the fire tower.

But that is under our control, Nat said as she trailed off with a frown. Switching to that camera, she stared uncomprehendingly at the snow on the screen, the camera had been taken offline. Richards, the new guy is stationed there.

We are about to get busy here, Ellie. I or one of the rangers will call you back when we find something out, Lane said as he moved over to one of the stations and placed his hand on the scanner, activating the secondary systems.

For someone who is as high tech as they come, why you don't know how to use a cell phone is beyond me, Nat complained out loud as a new set of camera options popped up on her screen. Looking at Lane she scowled as she said in a careful tone, Don't you trust us Lane. To have camera's hidden and spying on us...

You I trust, Lane told her as he called up the camera showing the tower had been taken down. If I didn't trust you, I would not have re-purposed the defense system several years ago when you came to me to help with a search and rescue of a missing kid. Placing his fingers on the touch pad near the hand scanner, he exaggerated the motion of separating his fingers and the camera zoomed in.

That, Nat hissed out as she spotted the dead body, matches the picture Dallas PD emailed over of the troop leader, Stuart Hobbs. The question is, where is the troop?

Activating the data feeds of the seismic sensors, Lane pointed at the map that showed two groups of signals, the one larger than the other. If group one was being led by Roddy, then he was heading straight for his lodge. The only issue was, the gorge, then the lake between the edge of the forest and his lodge. Catching a glimpse of Nat lifting her radio he shouted, DON'T! Looking into her shocked face he asked, How many new guys that are seasonal have one of those radios?

Too many, Nat sighed in frustration. But the full timers are solid. Hell, Burt has been trying to get you in his bed for the past three years, she pleaded with Lane to see reason, you can't keep being a paranoid son of a bitch forever Lane.

I am not always a writer, Lane told her as he watched the seismic echoes long enough to know they were headed towards the lake, Brian, before the assassin killed him, was not only a doctor. Standing up and stepping away from the console he told her, You I am sure of, the other seven I am pretty sure of, though Burt annoys the hell out of me with his flirting. The sixty some seasonal workers that flock to the mountains every spring, they are a security risk I am not willing to take, not with Roddy's life at stake. Taking a headset out of a drawer that he had to input a seven-digit code into the keypad to open, he secured it to his head and said, Call Ellie.

Lane, Ellie whispered hungrily into the phone as she snatched it up off the coffee table.

Ellie, Lane said as he entered another code into the armory, he had told Nat when she asked that it was the server room. I need you to go to Roddy's room and tell me what equipment he removed from the briefcase I gave him years ago.

Right, Ellie said as she dashed out of the living room and up the stairs, leaving behind some confused detectives who were setting up in case this turned into a hostage situation, though they knew it probably wouldn't. Going down the hall, she threw open her son's room and stared for a moment at the neatly organized mess before rushing to the walk-in closet and pulling the shelf bottom down that hid the briefcase. Opening it up she ran her eyes over the contents nestled into the foam padding and said, The headset is here, as is the beacon. The phone is missing and there is a space for something square in the lower left corner. That spot is empty too.

I guess it was too much to hope that Roddy would have taken the beacon, Lane said with a frown as he started to hang armaments to his harness. Taking out a nine-millimeter Smith & Wesson he slid it into the hidden holster built into his hiking pants. Grabbing several spare webs of clips, he attached them to his harness and told Ellie, Seismic sensors have picked up a large footprint headed my way. I am pretty sure it is Roddy's scout troop. You can tell the detective that we spotted by camera, Stuart, and the way he is laying, I'm pretty sure he is dead.

LANE, Ellie screamed in fright as she gripped the phone tightly and her knuckles turned white.

Ellie, Lane said sternly as he walked out of the armory and closed the door which locked itself. Roddy grew up hiking and playing hide and seek on my side of the mountain and that is where he is. Right now, he is headed for the lake. So I want you to calm the hell down. I'll call you back once I reach him, I'm pretty sure I know where he is going and I can be there long before he gets close to the lake. From there it is a short trip through the woods to where I will be landing the hovercraft. Relax Sis, I have this covered, I plan to release the bears of wrath on the fuckers hunting him though. Tapping his ear he said, Call ended.

What the Holy FUCK, Lane, Nat shouted as she spotted Lane come out of the server room looking like a special forces SEAL team all wrapped up in one person.

Stay here, Nat, Lane said as he tapped his ear again and said, Link Up. Seeing his icon appear and start to blink on the big screen, he told her, The blinking dot is me. If either of those seismic footprints change direction, let me know via the microphone over here, he said as he unlocked the computer nearest the radio and picked up the microphone stand and set it down in front of the computer. If any of the core group shows up, you can let them in. As long as they are alone that is, he added before slipping into his boots and zipping them closed. Heading for the stairs down to the garage he said, If you leave, the sensors will pick it up and put the lodge into lock down until I'm back. I'll be back with the kids shortly.

Chapter 2

Spotting the faintest glimpse of the tower in the distance, Kevin reached in his pocket and hit speed dial on the second burner phone he carried that was ready to dial the first burner phone. Pulling the first phone out of his pocket after it started ringing he faked taking a call. This is Kevin, he said as the kids stopped when he did and looked at him. I can be there in an hour, he said as he put an expression of concern on his face and closed the phone. Looking at the troop leader he told him, Stuart, about four miles along this path, is the fire tower. Camp there for the night and I will be back as soon as I can. The rangers are calling in all the guides for a search and rescue mission down by the lake.

Pulling his boyfriend Matt to the side, and stepping off the path so he would not be overheard, Roddy hissed in a whisper as he put his mouth near Matt's ear, Something is very wrong. The lake is on Uncle Lane's property. He would not need to call anyone else in for search and rescue because he doesn't allow trespassers. And if someone was there, they would not get lost because he would be with them.

Charlie and Sam have been acting strangely. Almost like they had a fight and hate each other's guts, Matt whispered, without moving his mouth as little as possible as he watched the guide head back down the trail.

Bringing up the rear when Mr. Stuart told them to stay together and head out, Roddy stared at Charlie who moved away from Sam and toward the middle of the group. He caught a brief flash of hate directed towards everyone in front of him. But he could be mistaken, it could be that Charlie was not glaring at everyone, if he and Sam were having a fight, it might be directed at Sam. Now that I think on it, he said as he spotted the marker near the side of the trail, they were less than two miles from the tower, but, he stopped and looked at the marker, the guide said they were over four, I don't think I have ever caught the two of them doing more than holding hands. Except on the way here, where we all caught them kissing. Seeing the woods start to thin and the light get brighter he told Matt, I thought we were closer to the tower than the guide said. Raising his voice, he called out, Mr. Stuart hold on. Something is not right...

BANG

BANG

Seeing a surprised look show up on Mr. Stuart's face before he went slack and toppled over, Matt yelled out, DOWN!

Son of A BITCH, Roddy shouted as Charlie took off into the woods towards the tower as he put some colored headband on. We've been set up, he growled out in anger as another shot hit the branch above his head. Tossing his pack on the ground he dug through it for the phone Uncle Lane gave him and pulled it out, only it wasn't actually a phone.

Spotting Roddy crawling towards the clearing, Matt hissed out in fright, Roddy, get back here.

Crawling behind a tree, Roddy caught sight of the tower and powered up the phone, when it beeped he entered the number on the side of the tower and hit send.

Boom

Boom

BOOM

Standing up after the tower blew up, Roddy frowned as he spotted the bodies, one of which was in a ranger uniform. Walking back to his pack, he powered down the phone-shaped radio detonator and slid it into the outside pocket of his pack. Pulling out the first-aid kit he tossed it towards Don, and told him, Patch Sam up real quick. Pulling a topographic map out of his pack before slinging it around onto his back, he snapped the buckles closed before unrolling the map. Glancing at it and looking down the trail, he scowled as they were not that close to his uncle's lodge, not if they had to go cross-country.

What are we going to do? Patrick whispered as he rushed over to Roddy who was calm and collected and acting like he knew what to do.

Glancing back and seeing Don jerk Sam to his feet, and ignoring the pained yelp, Roddy looked at Matt, We've been set up. The guide was in on it. Looking around he told the guys, Gather around. Eyes falling on Sam who looked shocked, he told him as he stabbed a finger in his direction, If I find out you were part of this, I'll leave you behind to deal with the terrorists that killed Mr. Stuart. You can take your chances with the assassins and Charlie. Seeing Sam would not meet his eyes, he let out a growl of frustration. The way I see it. If we head back like they probably expect, the guide will be waiting for us. He and his friends will probably try to finish the job their friends in the tower started. Our only chance is to make it to the fence line of my uncle's property, here, he said as he tapped a location on the map.

Looking at Matt, Roddy told him, My uncle's lodge is built like Fort Knox. Once we get there, we'll be safe, more importantly he has the means to deal with this.

How far? Todd asked as he held onto Patrick for dear life, To your uncle's lodge?

We are going to have to go cross-country, Roddy said slowly as he ran the distance in his head. It's going to take most of a day to get to the lake. From there it is going to take another day to walk around to the other side of the lack and reach the lodge.

Wait, Patrick said as he perked up and pointed at Roddy's pack, you have a phone. You just slipped a phone into your pack when Mr. Stuart made everyone else leave theirs behind. You can use that to call you uncle.

Folding the map up and putting it in his shirt pocket, Roddy shook his head no. Looking at Patrick and around the group he said, Where did Sam go? moving around the group he looked everywhere he could and cursed when he did not find any trace of Sam. Fuck, he was in on it with Charlie. Unclipping the compass off