Varga continued their conversation where it left off in the previous chapter. “Peter, I am sorry to interfere with your family, but I have to advise you not to go to the cemetery for the burials. The cemetery is an ideal location for an ambush. I have just been there, and I must say that if I was planning on making a hit, I couldn’t pick a better location. It is isolated and offers plenty of cover for the shooters.
Peter looked at Varga and replied, “First off, I have made a few chances myself, I have changed my name to Devon Howard, and I no longer live in the United States. I have made these changes after I finished taking care of the people who were responsible for my sister Yua’s kidnapping and ultimate death. I have never run from a fight, and I won’t start now. I came to bury my family members and bury them I will. On all else will I take your counsel, but I can not follow your advice on this matter. You will just have to make sure I don’t get killed. I am taking your presence as an affirmation that we are fighting on the same side?”
Varga replied, “Yes, Devon, you have assumed correctly. We are on the same side. While I don’t agree with your decision to go to the cemetery, I respect it. I owe you my life because without your testimony at my trial, I would most likely have spent the rest of my life in prison, and that’s even with me turning states evidence. I give you my word that I will lay my life down to save yours. My soul purpose in life is to remove Popovic and his evil followers from the face of the earth, no matter how long it takes.” And he smiled as this last statement, ” And no matter how much of your money we have to spend.”
The last part got a chuckle out of Devon. “Thanks, buddy.” He further queried. “So, what is your plan to save my life?”
“Well, Devon,” Varga began. “One of the first things I did once I got here in the US is to buy two Franchi Spas-15 combat shotguns. I don’t know if you are familiar with this gun. It is a dual-mode 12 gauge combat shotgun manufactured by the Italian company Luigi Franchi S.P.A. In semi-automatic mode, a gas piston drives a bolt carrier and rotating bolt. In pump-action mode, the same components are driven by sliding the fore-end backward. Pump-action mode is required to reliably fire low-pressure (less lethal) ammunition such as tear gas rounds or less-lethal bean bags. Amongst Italian troops, the weapon is known by the nickname “La Chiave dell’Incursore” (the key of the commando) because it is used to blast the locks of closed doors.” Varga further added, “It has a hell of a kick, I call it the great equalizer. When you start firing this gun, the bad guy usually heads for the hills.”
All Devon could do was to whistle softly, and say, “Damn!”
Varga half apologized, “This is all I really had time to get in such short notice. If we are going to get into a prolonged fire fight in the US, we can get other guns, including picking up the guns off the Black Dawn members we kill. This is actually our most efficient way of arming ourselves. Bullets are easier to buy than guns in this country. So even if their weapon’s ammunition is depleted, we can easily get a new supply for them.” Varga continued, “Now that we have the weapon’s side taken care of, let’s us talk briefly talk about our strategy a little. While you are taking care of business at the cemetery, I will be providing roving cover for you. Oh, I almost forgot,” Varga added, smiling.”I also purchased two Level IV body armor kits, just to give us a little extra protection. But, let’s face it once the lead starts flying, the whole burial ceremony will grind to a halt.” He further added, “Nobody in their right mind is going to hang around under these circumstances. The only thing we can hope for is that there is colateral damage to the innocents that are there at the cemetery. That is one of the reasons I wanted you to opt out of going to the cemetery, I just can’t guarantee the safety of the rest of the people that are going to be there.”
This last statement of Varga’s made Devon take pause on his decision to go to the cemetary. Was he just being selfish, and was he causing the rest of the people there to be exposed to undue danger? After a lengthy pause as the wheels in His head turned, “We just can’t let them win, I know it is going to be dangerous, but these guys rely on their terror tactics to get what they want. We , as people in the US, are made of stronger stuff than that, and therefore are not as easily cowed as many other people from disparate countries are. Our population as a whole is better armed than any other people in the world. We actually have more guns circulating in this country than there are people living here. The number of bullets, shells, and rounds is in the trillions. It is absolutely insane. That is one of the reasons we have a free society. It is because our government is actually somewhat afraid of its citizens. We, therefore, less likely to get bullied by the bureaucracy.”
Varga nodded his head in agreement, “I think you are right, I saw what happened in other countries during the COVID-19 pandemic with countries that do not have a second amendment protecting it’s citizens the right to caryy guns.”
Devon finished, “As a country, it is one of our most cherished rights with the exception of freedom of speech. The guns we owned as a people during our formative years helped us to defeat the British and to become an independent nation. Entitled people of today tend to forget this fact.”
Devon had one question, “Won’t the rest of the people at the cemetery question the fact that I am wearing body armor?”
Varga smiled, “I thought of that. I knew that you weren’t going to listen to reason and would insist and finish what you started. We are in luck because it is cold out, and nobody is going to question bulky clothing. The bullet-proof vest does provide some level of warm, so I just purchased two oversized windbreakers to wear over the vests. Nobody will question our bulky jackets.”
“It looks like you have covered all the bases, Varga,” As Peter concluded, he looked around the viewing room. “It appears that we are getting ready to move the bodies of my family members to the cemetery.”
It looks like things are going to start heating up for Devon and Varga as they leave the Funeral Home. We will pick up their further adventures in the next chapter.