Fiction – Ruth’s Story Part 6

Just a microsecond before the fire axe poll slams into the top of his head, Williams’ eyes flash open. In that fraction of a second, his eyes once an appealing dark blue are now pale, and rheumy; one of the indicators of Kazakh-Central Asian Plague (KCAP also known as k-cap). With a sickening wet crunch the poll sinks into Williams’ head.

Just to make sure that Williams is really dead (and now that I am a little freaked out!), I repeat with a slightly harder swing. Twisting the axe handle violently this time after the poll sinks into his head. I leave the axe buried in Williams’ head. I hate to mutilate his corpse; it’s no way to treat the dead. I have no choice though, and I hope Williams would understand if he was in my shoes.

Leaning against the counter, I wrap my arms around myself, trying to stop shaking. I would think that after my years of service in the Mossad and Maglan to be followed with several years of “free lance work” in the intelligence community, that I would be what is the American term, a “cool cucumber?” I am shaking like a leaf in a gale force wind. I cannot believe how close I came to having another zombie to deal with. I was totally unprepared for that!

Now that I am sure that Williams is not going to reanimate on me when I least expect it (which he did, fucker!), I begin searching his body. I take the Surefire flashlight out of my mouth. God I am tired of it being there! Placing the flashlight on the floor pointing at Williams gives me some light to work with. The flashlight, still on low power gives me just enough light to work. Sheltered between the counter and the luggage racks, I doubt anything can see the little bit of light I am using.

I start by searching Williams’ two chest shirt pockets. I find a worthless American five dollar bill in his left shirt pocket. Beside the useless money is a sealed chocolate and peanut butter Power Bar. I am starved; the thought of that hard rubbery Power Bar makes me salivate! Beside the Power Bar in the pocket is a half pack of Marlboro Red 100s. Oh thank God in heaven! Now which am I, hungrier or do I crave nicotine more?

I manage to pull a cigarette out of the hard pack and put it in my mouth with shaking fingers. My nerves still have not settled after the near miss with Williams. A few flicks of my Zippo and ah! Sweet nicotine! Immediately my headache begins to dull and I stop shaking. The taste of the cigarette is better than the taste of the flashlight. I take another drag of the cigarette letting the smoke trickle out my nose leisurely.

I notice out of habit I am cupping the cigarette in my right hand maintaining light discipline as I learned years ago in the Israeli army. After another long, gorgeously-satisfying drag on the cigarette I leave it in the right corner of my mouth. As I slowly trickle smoke out my nose, I toss the half pack of cigarettes on top of the counter.

Williams’ right pocket is empty except for his TSA identification card. As a legal resident alien, I used my Israeli pass port for ID along with my Maryland driver’s license. Does not matter now; I do not know why I thought of that right now. I place his ID back in his right pocket and continue searching down his body patting it as I go.

Williams’s left hand has a wide plain gold wedding band on the ring finger. I briefly consider taking his wedding ring; but then reconsider. Sure I might be able to trade the ring for something but that assumes there would be a market trade that values gold. Right now gold is utterly worthless as you cannot eat it. I leave his wedding ring with him as I have no use for it and I do not want to take something so personal. I wonder what happened to Mrs. Williams; does she know her husband is dead?

On Williams’ duty belt on the left side I find a Surefire Millennium Devastator M4-CB flashlight. Next to the flashlight also hanging on his duty belt is a black nylon Maxpedition small battery case. Opening the Maxpedition battery case reveals an opaque, hard plastic sleeve. I pull the plastic sleeve out revealing eight, (I assume fresh) CR123A second-generation lithium-ion batteries. I put the battery sleeve back in the case. His cuffs are missing from his belt as is his keys.

I test the Devastator flashlight, ben zonah that is bright! I have little white spots dancing in front of my eyes that slowly fade. I pull the Maxpedition battery case off Williams’ duty belt by loosening the TacTies. Much better than the metal All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE) clips, and able to integrate with MOLLE and PALS, the velcro and fabric buckled TacTies are one of the best accessory straps for hanging attachments on military web gear. Load Bearing Vest (LBV), ruck sacks, and the like all have strapped points for attachment of gear.

ALICE clips are one of the oldest systems, adopted sometime in the early 1970s by the Americans if my memory serves. ALICE clips always had a bad habit of releasing when you least expect it dumping your gear. ALICE clips also had a tendency to rattle another detriment on the battlefield. Once I learned about TacTies, I replaced all the ALICE clips in my web gear. Hard to believe the Israeli army was still using them, but only for training and support units. Front line combat units and Special Forces all used TacTies made by either Tactical Tailor or Blackhawk.

I toss the Maxpedition battery case on top of the counter. Beside the battery case on the counter I lay the Devastator flashlight. I’ll start putting what I am going to keep on the counter. I need to take inventory to see what I have.

Holstered on Williams’ right side I find his duty weapon. I snap the black nylon cover open and pull the pistol out revealing an ancient but serviceable, blue Beretta 92FS. I eject the clip, discovering it is full of 9mm Parabellum Federal Hydra-Shok jacketed hollow point ammo. In front of his holster is a front-facing, black nylon horizontal, double belt pouch. Opening the magazine pouch, I find another two full Beretta magazines of identical Hydra-Shok ammunition.

I release the TacTies holding the horizontal double magazine pouch on Williams’ belt and pull it off. Replacing the two full magazines in the pouch I toss it on the counter beside the monster flashlight, cigarettes and battery case. I put the magazine back in the Beretta pistol and rack the slide chambering a round putting the pistol in condition one (or “cocked and locked” as the Americans say). Putting the safety on, I lay the Beretta pistol beside the huge flashlight on the counter.

Searching Williams’ pants, while enjoying my cigarette, I find a large folding pocket knife and a red plastic, disposable butane lighter that is about half full in his right front pants pocket. I place the butane lighter on the counter next to the cigarettes, pistol, flashlight, magazine pouch, and battery pouch.

His back right pocket contains a black leather bi-fold wallet. I empty his wallet, finding his new Washington Federal REAL ID’d driver’s license, some useless credit cards, and a picture of him and a beautiful black woman I assume is his wife. Williams’ back left pants pocket is empty. I replace everything and put his wallet back; maybe somebody will find his body and be able to tell his family, if any of them are alive.

Opening the pocket knife I discover it is a razor sharp SOG Pentagon Elite II. Hmm, nice knife. I slip the knife into my right front pants pocket, clipping it on the outside of my pocket. I continue my search of Williams working my way down.

I check the top of Williams’ boots and socks. I find a black nylon ankle holster on Williams’ left leg. Checking the ankle holster I discover it holds an old Ruger LC9 9mm pistol. I pull the small Ruger pistol and discover that it wears a Crimson Trace Laser Guard. I test the laser and am very pleased that it works perfectly. I assume that it is sighted in.

I eject the magazine from the Ruger LC9 and see that it is also full of Federal Hydra-Shok ammo. I reinsert the magazine and pull the slide checking the chamber of the LC9. I rack a round into the chamber of the LC9 putting it in condition one as well. I place the LC9 on the ground next to Williams’ body. I take the ankle holster off Williams’ body and pulling up my own left pant leg, strap the ankle holster on the inside of my left leg. I put my LC9 in my new ankle holster and pull my pant leg down covering it.

Another quick pat down of Williams’ body reveals nothing else of value. I wish there was a second magazine for the LC9. I wonder where Williams’ lost his protective vest? I could have used it although it might have been too big on me.

Standing and checking the safety again I slide the Beretta into my waist band in the center of my back with the butt of the pistol to the right and flip my shirt over it. I finish my cigarette and crush it out on the floor. I consider having another cigarette, but decide to save my cigarettes.

I cannot get to the other side of the room without jumping the counter. Must be a TSA attempt to ensure that a thief cannot easily steal something. I jump the counter and make sure to land as quietly as I can without scattering my loot. I go to the beige horizontal mini blinds and peek through them again being careful not to silhouette myself.

I take a quick look around the terminal and notice that it is almost completely dark now. For the end of May it is damned cold and gets dark fast. Looking outside from my hidden vantage point I notice that I can hardly see in the baggage claim area anymore. As disgusting as it is I decide to drag Williams’ body out of this little room.