The Bonner Incident: Joshua's War by Thomas A Watson, Michael L Rider Page A

startle as Leary found a trap they had walked past. “Nobody told me Mr. Anderson was a sniper, and you have any idea how hard it is to hit a target from that far away?”
    “Sorry,” Tony mumbled.
    “Guys, make sure you’re only crawling where I crawled. I’ve seen the chains to over twenty traps on both sides of this animal trail,” Leary said and everyone crawled in single file behind him till each man’s face was in the boots of the man in front of him.
    When Leary reached Glen, he fought not to puke. Glen had been shot low in the back just above the pelvis on the left side. Leary didn’t know what size gun Mr. Anderson was using, but knew it was big just to travel that far. But seeing the exit wound on Glen, Leary wondered if it was a cannon.
    “Glen’s guts are hanging out!” Reggie shouted.
    “I can see that,” Leary said and crawled past Glen. “We need to crawl to those trees down there where that stream comes down that slope. From there, we can head up to the ridge and call for a chopper.”
    “A chopper can’t land up there, so how is it supposed to pick us up?” Reggie asked.
    Not stopping as he crawled, probing the ground in front of him, “Okay, we’ll get to the trees and look for a clearing and call for the chopper.”
    “How about you go up to the ridge and call the chopper to pick us up down here?”
    Leary stopped and rolled on his side looking at Reggie who was right behind him. “What? So Anderson can shoot my ass? The two who left the last group died that way.”
    “Oh,” Reggie said and jerked his head back toward the bodies. “We just going to leave them here?”
    “I don’t know what kind of gun he’s using, but it looks big enough to hurt the choppers,” Tony said behind them. “They aren’t going to land where they can get shot at. We have to move away from here.”
    “I don’t like it either, but you and I are the only ones not wounded and we’re going to have to help the three that are, so they can get to a hospital. They have those SWAT teams at the command area that can come and get the bodies,” Leary said rolling back on his stomach. “This is not what I signed up for, having to crawl away just so we can call in a chopper to pick up wounded,” he said as he started crawling.
    “I can agree with that,” Tony grunted in pain as he bumped the screw still sticking out of his right shin.
    ***
    From three-quarters of a mile away, Joshua took his eye away from the spotting scope, watching the men crawl through the ferns. He knew two were alive and not wounded, but it didn’t do any good to kill everyone. Some had to live to tell the others, so they would know to be afraid.
    Picking up the spotting scope and putting it back in the case, Joshua turned to look at King and Jack. “Did you see that?” he grinned, grabbing his Sharps. “The old Sharps hit two with one shot.”
    Standing up, he saw King and Jack just looking at him. “Well, I’m proud of that shot,” he mumbled and gathered up the rest of his gear. “Don’t have long, so let’s get moving. I hope they like the trouble I’m going through to impress them.”
    ***
    It was seven hours later when Griffey looked at Moore in shock. “You want to repeat that?”
    “One of the men who stepped in one of the traps is dead,” Moore repeated. “The doctors told me one of the others will be dead soon, and the third will be lucky if he sees sunrise.”
    “From a trap?” Griffey shouted slapping the table.
    Winters looked up from her notes. “No, from whatever Mr. Anderson put on those screws,” she said looking Griffey in the eye. “Sir, no sooner than Park Ranger Leary Pinon and BATF agent…” she paused glancing at her notes, “Reggie Vincent gave their reports, they ran to the tents where the other search teams are and started talking. I’m not being mendacious when I say the others are getting scared.”
    “Stop them now!” Griffey shouted.
    “And just how do you suggest we do that?”