Read Renewal 8 - War Council for Free Online

bunkhouse was lit up with electric light from a heavy diesel generator running in a shed, three hundred feet behind the main house.
    As John watched through the binoculars, he saw Seth rise up like a giant cobra and  take out the first man on patrol. Single man patrols were stupid, as the big man just proved. John trusted Seth to take out the man on the far side. He turned to Terry and said, “Ok, let’s move in. Just do what I do.”
    Terry was expecting something elaborate and difficult, but apparently that was unnecessary. John simply walked out into the open with his rifle in a ready position, and took cautious steps across the grass. Terry was wondering if he perhaps a bit overconfident. By the time they reached the front door, he changed his mind. John knew exactly what he was doing.
    The ostentatious white front door was unlocked, losing the Jenkinses a few more points on the security scoreboard. Terry and John were bathed in light, standing on the front porch in plain view when John turned the knob and stepped right in. Terry was feeling all kinds of insane. It felt like a good way to get shot. John slung his assault rifle and switched to an automatic pistol, identical to the one Terry carried. Terry, having no idea what he was doing, simply copied his leader and closed the door behind him. They advanced down the main hallway, ignoring the grandiose staircase for the moment. Terry thought he could hear noise from upstairs, but he followed John down the hallway, attempting to be silent on the hardwood floor. The kitchen was bustling with activity. Terry had a crawling notion that they would encounter someone at any moment, but they passed several large rooms with no one in sight.
    When they reached the kitchen, John paused and listened carefully for a few moments. He holstered his gun and ducked his head into the room for a quick look. He pointed at Terry and motioned for him to put his gun away. Then, John stepped into the brightly lit kitchen, holding his finger to his lips. The entire kitchen staff fell silent. The entire kitchen staff consisted of tiny brown skinned Hispanics. And, the entire kitchen staff had no interest in fighting.
    John spoke quietly, “Is your boss here?”
    A few heads shook in response.
    “Anyone downstairs?”
    Heads shaking back and forth.
    “People upstairs?”
    Nods.
    “Ok, thanks. You’ll all want to leave now. Go to the square and ask for Jack Baer. He’ll help you.”
    Without a word, the staff filed out past John and Terry, back down the hall, and out into the night. The door hung wide open after they departed. Terry was astounded.
    John spoke in his ear. “They didn’t want to be here. This is the Jenkins house.”
    Terry nodded. John pulled his weapon again. They retraced their steps down the hall and mounted the staircase, walking up the curving steps against the wall. At the top landing, they faced an absurdly long hallway with doors on each side. Most of the doors were closed. John pointed at Terry’s holster, reminding him that a gun would be a good idea. Terry drew his weapons and waited as John approached the first door.
    Jessica Jenkins had a loud reputation in town. She was known for literally beating men into submission. John should not have been surprised when he opened her bedroom door. He saw her expression of shock in the vanity mirror facing the door, and then she saw his shock when she came out of her seat with a knife in her hand. In an instant, John made the assessment. He had no idea how many people were in this hallway, but he knew that a premature gunshot would result in a hundred men pouring into the house, trapping him on the upper floor, and likely taking their time to kill him.
    Her knife flashed in a high arc, much faster than John expected. He blocked it with the top of his handgun and levered the blade to the outside. He punched her with his other hand, but only caught the edge of her jaw. She reversed the knife the instant John slid it off the