Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Under Siege

There are a lot of them. They keep on coming, one after another, never seeming to stop.

If not for the fact that we are the ones who have the defensive position, I think all of us would have been killed by now. As it is, almost all of us have taken injuries to one degree or another. Bullet grazes are a minor number, knife wounds and the bruises and broken bones that come with hand to hand fighting the vast majority. Most of the intense combat is taking place at the base of the compound, which is actually a blessing. There, the wall of cars slows down and breaks up their advancement, making it easier for us to take out the looters one by one as they get in between the houses. I am staying here, in the heaviest action, while Pat, David, and a few others are driving around looking for other places they might have tried to come through.

Word so far is encouraging. Not too many of them have attempted it, and all of the ones who have entered through the other parts of the compound have ceased to be threats.

There is a lull in the assault at present, one we desperately need. I don't know how many they are, but we have seen no sign that their numbers are lessening. I was hoping that one of us could sneak out and try our zombie luring tactic, but we had to disregard that idea, as the looters are too mobile to be done much damage by a large herd. It might give us a break as they would have to hop into vehicles to stay safe, but it would force us to retreat to fortified shelters, and that would be disastrous.

Mom just called me on the walkie, she says that Elizabeth, Darlene, and Courtney are gone. She has no idea where they were heading off to, only that the three of them left a note saying they had an idea, and would be back soon. They left running east through the rich subdivision just on the other side of us. I hope the looters aren't staging over there, and if they are, I pray that they can't see very well this early in the day.

I hope they succeed, because my arms are getting tired of the constant recoil from my pistol, the shock of my knife hitting flesh and bone, and the weight of my Iaito across my waist. Yeah, I know, why the hell am I carrying around a sword. Call it preparedness. I don't have infinite bullets, and my knife is a weapon made for very close fighting. I need something with me that is familiar and easy for me to use, should the need arise.

The sky is being swept with actual rays of light now, not just the gray fog of pre-dawn. As I type this I keep glancing up and out the window, watching for more looters to come at us.

A warning is coming in over the radios, attack heavily concentrated at the closed off second entrance to the compound, two hundred feet down the way. No guns, they attempted to sneak in and kill the sentries at a time they thought we would be at our least observant, but I guess they timed it wrong, and underestimated our people. Women who have suffered what the captives we rescued have suffered tend to be a forward lot with weapons, and stay on their toes. I am so proud of them.

I wish I could run down there, but a few of us have to remain where we are, at this entrance, just in case they attack here too. I need to go, they could be here any second, and I need to keep ready.

Wish us luck.

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