Carter Bridge and the Mesa Twins

Carter Bridge

And the Mesa Twins

Michael O’Gara

Copyright © 2015 Michael O’Gara

All rights reserved.

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This is a fictional work coming from the author’s imagination. Any similarity to actual persons, events, places, organizations and companies, is purely coincidental.

Published by Heartland Indie Publishing LLC

This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 1

Jake thought it was bad enough to be here in the middle of a heated battle, but to have the runs was adding insult to injury. He had to go, but with the enemy shooting at him, he couldn’t stop to crap. He had to keep running. It got so bad he couldn’t hold it and it came out as he ran. He knew he had soiled himself and he felt the liquid running from his behind down his leg.

At the time, Jake did not know the diarrhea would save his life. As he ran, he could smell it. It was a stronger odor than the smell of gunpowder and the dead bodies around him. He ran about another twenty feet when it happened.

His sergeant and another man were on his right. Their bodies absorbed most of the explosion and Jake could feel himself flying. It seemed to him he was soaring like a bird and the sounds of battle had gone quiet. Jake’s world went black and he fell into a depression with several enemy bodies.

Jake lay unconscious on his stomach covered in the blood and guts of the two men he’d been with. He stunk something awful and his backside was covered in his own excrement. It was the combination of the horrible sight of him, the smell he was giving off, and the bodies around him that saved his life. As the enemy overran the position, they ignored Jake for it was obvious he was just another corpse littering the battlefield but he wasn’t.

The enemy passed by Jake and one man said, That dead blue-belly sure stinks bad.

The other rebel soldier said, We shore done a job on that one.

The two men moved on.

Jake woke some time later to quiet and a splitting headache. His eyes flickered open and the light caused searing pain in his head. Jake stayed still for a moment before he raised his head carefully and peeked around. He did not see a living soul, but he did see that there were bodies everywhere. Jake managed to get up on his knees. He realized he was covered in shit and smelled. He grabbed a nearby rifle stock that had been separated from the barrel and used it to get to his feet. He staggered ahead until he found a body with a clean uniform. The man had been shot in the chest but his uniform pants were in good condition.

Jake took off his boots, worn socks and soiled pants and underwear. He found a nearby enemy flag and used it to clean himself as best he could. He took the dead man’s pants and underclothes and put them on. The dead man’s socks and leather boots were almost new and of the right size so Jake took them. The man was an officer and had a pistol in a holster. Jake took it and put it on.

Jake’s head was pounding and he did not think to look for a cleaner shirt. He stumbled ahead and along the way found two more pistols but no working rifle. He did however come across a nice cavalry hat and put it on his head.

Jake was hungry and knew food would be in short supply. He looked at the dead horses and made a decision. He found a broken sword and used it to cut off a huge piece of horse meat. He decided the sword might be useful and took it as well as the sheath it had been carried in. Jake walked in a straight line toward the nearest wooded area.

Once he’d made sure there was no one around, Jake made a small fire in a clearing and cooked the meat. He ate his fill and set out. He came across a small stream and it seemed clear, but he’d been fooled before. He didn’t have a choice and drank. He didn’t get much further and collapsed.

Jake woke to birds singing. He rose and started walking. The pain in his head was excruciating. Jake debated taking one of the pistols and shooting himself in the head to make the pain stop. The only thing that stopped him was that he knew he’d be damned to hell for certain if he did. Jake wondered where that thought had come from.

It was just one of those things. Jake walked from the brush to find himself standing behind four rebel soldiers standing guard over about a dozen Union prisoners. Jake almost had a death wish anyway, so he just drew two of the pistols and walked up and shot two of the rebs in the back at close range then shot the other two as they tried to turn on him.

The prisoners were looking at Jake. Jake drew the broken sword from the sheath on his belt.

Jake said, You’d better get out of those ropes and grab the weapons from those rebs. You go to a reb prison and you’ll be starved, beaten, and tortured. Better to die fighting.

One of the men, a sergeant, jumped up and came to Jake and turned around and Jake cut the bindings from his hand. He handed the man the blade, Get the others free and hurry.

Jake stood guard and said, As you get free, get those weapons and anything those fellows have that will be useful.

As soon as the men were free and four of them were armed, Jake said, Let’s go, and headed into the bush. The group walked in silence for hours. It seemed to those with him that Jake knew where he was going. The truth was that Jake was operating on instinct. Jake was just concentrating on going forward and he was nearing the end of his endurance when the little group heard the sounds of troops.

The sounds barely forced their way into Jake’s consciousness but they did. Jake held up his hand and those with him stopped. Without thinking, he pointed at the sergeant who in turn motioned for a man to go forward to look. The man slipped away and came back a couple of minutes later.

They’s ours.

Jake led the men from hiding and into an opening where troops had set up camp. Jake saw the officer coming. His vision was blurry, then his knees buckled, and he collapsed. Everything went black.

Two minutes later, Sergeant Martin came to attention as his colonel rode up and dismounted.

Martin said, Sir.

Colonel Stevens said, Martin, I thought you were captured or worse. I’m glad to see you are alright. The colonel offered his hand which Martin shook.

Martin said, Me and some others was captured, sir.

How did you manage to escape?

Martin said, We was all tied up when this officer, and Martin pointed at Jake, stepped from the woods and as cool as he was headin’ for his favorite fishing hole, walks up behind the four rebs guarding us and pulls out two pistols and shoots two in the back and the other two as they turns on him. He takes his broken sword and cuts me loose and gives us a talkin to and then orders us what to do. He led us back here by dead reckoning. When we got here, he just keeled over.

Stevens went to where Jake was and said, This man is badly wounded. Someone go fetch the surgeon.

A soldier rushed off.

Colonel Stevens looked at the wounded man. His pants were in good shape but his shirt and jacket were in shreds and covered in blood and flesh. His hat was soaked in blood and his head was bleeding. The man had three pistols, one in a holster and two others stuck under his belt.

Stevens said, Sergeant Martin, how did you know this man was an officer? There’s not enough of his upper clothes left for there to be any rank insignia.

Martin said, Sir, he had the way about him. He gived orders expectin’ us to obey and he speaks like a schooled man.

Colonel Stevens nodded. Sergeant Martin had served with Stevens a long time and Stevens knew Martin was very intelligent if unschooled. A few minutes later, the surgeon showed up with stretcher bearers.

The surgeon said, Sir, to the colonel and went directly to Jake. The surgeon turned him over and took Jake’s hat off before saying, He’s a mess. Wonder he’s alive.

The surgeon gave orders and Jake was put on a stretcher and taken to a field hospital.

Jake woke to a splitting headache and pains all over his body. He blinked several times and looked around. It took so much effort and it hurt too much to keep his eyes open so he closed them. Then blackness engulfed him.

When the surgeon gave his report, the colonel listened intently. The doctor said, The patient is still unconscious. The head wound was bad, but it didn’t seem to break his skull. His upper torso had a number of shrapnel wounds and a bullet was lodged in the fleshy part of his abdomen near his naval. It came in from the side so it did not damage any organs and lodged itself in quite shallow. He’s lost a lot of blood. I’d say he was near when an artillery shell landed and in the midst of rifle fire.

Stevens asked, Will he live?

Yes, sir.

Do we know who he is?

The surgeon said, No, sir.

Stevens said, Well from what Martin told me, this officer could be of use. Get him well.

Yes, sir.

Jake woke and the pain was gone. An orderly was standing near and Jake croaked, Water.

Jake was brought water and Jake propped himself up on one elbow. The orderly helped him sip the water. Jake had just finished when the surgeon came up. It was Jake’s response that would determine his future. Jake recognized the man’s rank. Most surgeons were contracted civilians but this