Plague Wars Trilogy, page 49
Within an hour Silas found them at the HDL recruiting station, two boys in a long line of the same. He walked up to his two nervous sons, placing his hands on them. “Come here for a second.”
Anson pulled away. “We’re doing this, Pa. No sense in trying to stop us.”
“I know,” said Silas sadly. “That’s not why I’m here.”
“Why then?” asked Kevin.
“Come here,” Silas said, putting his strong arms around each of their shoulders. “Bow your heads, sons.” He was then quiet for several seconds. When he next spoke his voice was calm and filled with unusual power.
“Almighty God,” Silas prayed, “may Your blessing be upon Anson and Kevin. Watch over them and protect them and fill them with Your Spirit. Place Your angels as a hedge of protection around them. Keep them from evil and temptation and close to You. And Lord, if it be Your will, let this family come together again safe. And if this is not Your will, please receive their immortal souls into Your presence. In Your name we pray, amen.”
Silas then took Kevin into his arms, kissing him on each cheek, and then did the same with Anson.
The boys were stunned to see their father crying.
“I love you both,” Silas told them. “Watch out for each other and trust God. Find us when this is all over, however it turns out. I’d come with you, but your mother and sisters need me.” Then he turned and walked away from the two speechless brothers.
Chapter 15
Skull, the Unionist Advisor Evans and six deputized civilians rode southwest in a cargo panel van on secondary roads. None of them wore uniforms, but they carried them packed in their bags. Although Evans was officially in charge, the men all looked to Skull for direction.
“Take the next left,” he told the driver while looking at a map.
“Go straight,” Evans ordered.
Skull simply stared at the driver until he turned left.
“You men should know this will all be in my report when this is over.” Evans stated making a note in his small book.
Reaching out lightning-quick, Skull snatched the notebook from the man’s hand and tossed it out the open window.
“How dare you?” Evans said, shocked.
“Can’t afford to take something like that into enemy territory,” Skull explained. “Would be a security risk if captured.”
“Enemy territory?” Evans asked. “Who says we’re going into the contested areas?”
Skull ignored him and looked at the map again. Within minutes, they approached a loyalist National Guard checkpoint with Humvees and soldiers. Skull got out and Evans followed.
“Who is in charge here?” Skull asked the first soldier he saw.
“Master Sergeant Tomasu,” the soldier answered. “That’s him walking our way now.”
Skull looked up to see a man with the skin tone and features of a Pacific Islander.
“Road’s closed, folks,” Tomasu said. “I need you to turn around and head the other direction.”
Evans stepped up in front of him, his chin up. “I am an official of the Federal Government. You will not hinder me in my mission.”
Tomasu looked at Skull questioningly and Skull just shrugged.
“Do you have any documentation, sir?” Tomasu asked.
“I do,” answered Evans, “if my word is not sufficient for you I will show it. First I must get your name so I...” he reached for his small notebook but realized it was gone.
Skull and Tomasu stared at the man expectantly. Evans pulled out a folded sheet of paper from an inside jacket pocket and handed it to Tomasu.
The Master Sergeant read the document carefully, and then handed it back, satisfied. “Very good, sir. What can I do for you?”
Evans seemed uncertain about what he wanted now that he had won the argument. Eventually he said, “We need to pass through your lines. To observe the situation.”
“How far are we from the contested area?” Skull asked.
Tomasu pointed at the road they had been traveling on. “Technically it starts about a couple hundred meters down that road where they’ve set up a checkpoint.”
“Are they armed?” Skull asked.
Tomasu nodded. “National Guard troops from Fort Smith. Guy in charge is Lieutenant Nelson. I played football against his older brother in high school.”
“Very fascinating,” said Evans, clearly not interested. “Why have you allowed him to set up a roadblock?”
Tomasu stared at the man coldly. “My orders are to man this checkpoint and only fire in defense, not to attack the rebels. I’m not going to start a civil war.”
“I order you to clear that enemy checkpoint and remove all resistance so that we might proceed down the road.”
“You’re going to have to talk to my commanding officer about that, Mister Evans,” Tomasu explained patiently.
“Do you know who I am?” Evans asked.
“Sure I do,” the man answered. “You’re an official civilian advisor, sir. I’ll only conduct operations at the orders of my chain of command. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“And just who is your commanding officer and where can I find him?” Evans stammered angrily.
Skull stepped between the men and gently but firmly guided him back toward the van. “Where in the hell did you learn to talk to people?”
“You should know,” retorted Evans, “that I have a graduate degree from Harvard in organizational communications. I am one of the country’s foremost experts in negotiation and how to effectively communicate with people.”
“Uh huh,” said Skull. “Well, I don’t think the good master sergeant is going to attack that checkpoint and neither would I. Even if he wanted to, he doesn’t have the authority to act on his own. Which leads us back to our mission. What are we going to do?”
“We’re here to render a firsthand report—“
“Yeah, I know what your orders say,” Skull said cutting him off. “Enough of the what, it’s time for the how.”
Evans peered at him blankly.
Skull sighed and shook his head. “The way I see it, there are two options. One, we go in officially. Say we are here to talk to the resistance and render a report to Washington.”
“Just walk in there?” Evans asked, shocked. “Are you mad? They could lock us up somewhere.”
“They might,” answered Skull, “although we don’t know yet.”
“What’s the other option?” asked one of the men in the back of the van.
“Glad you asked,” said Skull. “We sneak in and pretend to be with them. If caught and questioned, we say we’re fleeing from the northeast and trying to get to Texas.”
“Pretend to be rebel sympathizers?” Evans asked in evident disbelief.
“No,” answered Skull. “We pretend to be rebels ourselves. Cross over into their lines without being detected and just blend in. I doubt there is very much bureaucracy in place yet and they would take our word for it.”
“I don’t like it,” said Evans.
Skull turned to the man. “Whether you know it or not, you have been given an intelligence reconnaissance mission where you must go in behind enemy lines in order to render a report. I don’t know why some idiot in Washington gave you this mission, since you are so obviously unsuited for it, but they did. I, unlike you, have extensive experience in working behind enemy lines, intelligence operations, and reconnaissance. You need to listen to me and do it my way.”
“Or what?” Evans asked.
“Or the men and I leave you here. We’ll do it ourselves and report back to you later.” In fact, Skull hoped the man would take his suggestion.
Evans’ face seemed to elongate even more into something resembling a rodent’s. “You’ll have to answer for this.”
“So will you,” Skull said. “You’ll have to explain to your superiors in Washington how you completely failed at such a simple mission. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes.”
Evans stared angrily at Skull before speaking. “Fine. But I’m still in charge.”
“Of course you are,” answered Skull with a grin.
“So, how are we supposed to get in there?” asked another man.
“Just leave that to me,” said Skull.
Chapter 16
After hiding their uniforms, badges and much of their gear in a collapsed, abandoned shed, they traded a farmer the expensive panel van for a johnboat with a trolling motor.
“The Sheriff ain’t going to be happy about us givin’ away his van,” said one of the men as he climbed into the boat.
“He’ll be fine,” Skull answered. “Besides, I’m sure the government will reimburse him. Mister Evans here has pull and resources that we have not yet begun to comprehend.”
The advisor opened his mouth to say something, and then shut it, clambering into the boat to take a seat.
“Maybe we should go back and check in,” one of the men suggested as they floated down the river in the darkness.
“Do as you please,” Skull said. He’d quickly discovered that all the men who’d volunteered had done so looking for thrills, but now the excitement had worn off. None of them had even been out of the county where they were born more than a few times and were now desperately homesick.
“Really?” asked the man.
“Sure,” answered Skull. “Just make sure you tell the sheriff he’s supposed to put you in jail for me until I get back.”
With that, the men got quiet and the flat-bottomed boat drifted slowly down the idle river, pulled along by a silent trolling motor. Skull occasionally used a banked flashlight to get their bearings, but for the most part they were able to see enough to navigate the river.
Spotting a bridge ahead, Skull pulled out a tarp and covered himself to block out any light. Once he’d consulted the map, he said, “That bridge should mark Route 16, which leads west to the town of Garland. Reports indicate it’s one of the resistance hubs.”
“How are we supposed to get there?” one of the men asked.
“We walk,” Skull answered. “It’s not more than four or five miles.”
“What about the boat?” Evans asked.
Skull looked around and saw a rock bank that hung out over the water. “We sink it undamaged there in the water where no one is likely to find it. We’ll pull the motor and battery off and hide them in the underbrush.”
“What if we need it to get out of here?” asked another of the men.
“Then we pull it up out of the water and bail it out,” Skull explained patiently. “That’s one of the good things about a johnboat. It’s just a metal form.”
They heard a vehicle approaching and dropped down low in the boat. A Humvee drove over the bridge without slowing.
“What if they catch us coming in?” a volunteer asked.
“I’m counting on it,” said Skull.
“What?” asked Evans in alarm.
“Listen, people,” Skull explained. “We’re here to do a mission and that’s to find out what is going on. The best way to do that is pretend to be one of them. Remember your story - you hate what the federal government is doing and want no part in it. You’re not an Eden, and have no strong feelings one way or the other in that regard. You’re mainly concerned about the government stepping all over your rights and want to live somewhere that respects those rights. Some of you have family you plan to send for when you can. That is your story; everything else can be the truth. They ask where you went to high school? Tell them. They ask the name of your dog? Tell them. Tell them the truth about everything except why you’re here, got it?”
They mumbled their agreement and understanding.
“Okay,” said Skull, “Let’s unload and sink the USS Skull.”
“The what?” asked Evans.
“Never mind,” answered Skull handing their gear to a few of the men now on the bank. Once the boat was emptied, he unhooked the trolling motor and battery and handed them ashore. Then he pushed the boat near the rock overhang and, while holding onto the rock surface, stood and walked to the front of the boat. Skull pushed down, using the rock surface as an anchor for his upper body until the edge of the boat was under the river’s surface and began to fill with water. It was slow at first, but picked up speed. After several minutes the boat rested on the river’s bottom and Skull stood atop it in waist-deep water. When he tried to step off, the boat started to rise again.
“There’s air in the seams,” he explained. “Damn fine boat. Pass me some good-sized rocks.”
They did and he laid them around the edges of the boat until it no longer threatened to rise, and then added a few more for good measure. Then he climbed out of the water and retrieved his gear.
“Let’s go,” he said simply and started walking west.
After about an hour they began to see lights. A few minutes later they came to the edge of a town and moved toward the courthouse in the distance, highlighted by the rising sun.
People were already going about their business. Skull and the group kept expecting to be challenged, but no one seemed to notice they didn’t belong. Many even nodded or said good morning.
“Pitiful security,” Skull said disapprovingly. He turned to Evans. “You can note that in your report. If someone wanted to they could infiltrate a full company of commandos before anyone noticed.”
They continued to walk down the street. Skull saw a large tent with the smell of breakfast emanating on the gentle breeze. “Come on,” he told them and then got in line.
They received a simple breakfast of eggs and toast with coffee and milk. Skull led them to an unoccupied table and they sat down, dropping their packs to the floor around them. Within seconds they began digging into their food.
“Not bad,” said one of the men around a mouthful.
Skull nodded in agreement and looked at Evans pointedly. “They’re not hurting for food. Either in quality or quantity. Maybe in variety. No bacon, no ham, no sausage.” They all ate quietly, looking around at the tent filled with men and women of all ages.
“What the hell does a man have to do around here to get accosted?” Skull wondered out loud. Then he spotted what he was looking for: a sergeant major in uniform.
Skull waved at him and put on his biggest smile.
The man made a beeline for their table.
“How’s it going, Smaj?” Skull asked. “Did you get some of them eggs? Those were delicious.”
“When was the last time you men shaved?” the hard-bitten senior NCO asked. “And where are your uniforms?” His nametag read Landers.
“Don’t have any yet, Smaj,” Skull answered taking a bite of buttered toast.
“Who’s your platoon sergeant?” Landers asked sternly.
“Don’t have one yet, Smaj,” Skull answered, still eating. “We just got here. Walked in on Route 16 and thought we would eat some breakfast. Damn glad we did too. We’re hungry.”
The sergeant major got pale, and then turned red. He started quivering, spun, and then took a step away from them before reversing course and coming back to their table.
“Do you mean to tell me you men just walked in from outside of our lines, sat down to eat breakfast, and no one stopped you?”
“Yeah, Smaj,” replied Skull. “Pathetic, huh?”
Landers looked at them in amazement. “You men wait here. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”
“Think he would mind if I got seconds?” asked one of the men.
“Not at all,” Skull said. “You men eat all you want.”
All of them except Skull and Evans went back for more.
“You sure you know what you’re doing?” Evans asked.
“Not in the least,” Skull smiled. “There’s a very strong chance we’re all going to die a slow and painful death. Especially if you decide to open your mouth and speak.”
Evans started to respond, but by then the men were returning with plates piled high.
A few minutes later, Landers approached with a lieutenant colonel and two captains in tow. “Here they are, sir. Just like I said.”
Skull stood and took note of the nametag of the man in charge. “Lieutenant Colonel Deets. I’m Jonathan Winslow and these are my friends. We came here all the way from Calhoun County after hearing what you’re doing here. We’d like to join up.”
Evans choked on milk beside Skull, so he slapped the small man in the back helpfully.
“You men want to enlist in the Homeland Defense League?” Deets asked.
“Yes, sir,” said Skull with a smile.
“And you’re committed to helping the Arkansas Free State?”
“You bet.”
“Maybe we should learn a little more about these men and how they got here, sir,” said the sergeant major.
“Yes, yes,” Deets answered, “but we’re short men and got to take what we can get.”
“We’re your men,” said Skull.
“What do you think?” Deets asked the two captains behind him.
“Sir,” said one. “They’ll need to go through our initial training unless they have military experience already.”
“Any of you have that?” Deets asked.
“None but myself,” Skull answered for them. “I’m retired Marine Corps. Force Recon.”
The four men all raised their eyebrows.
“Very impressive,” said Deets. “We might use you to help with training the new recruits.”
“It would be my pleasure, sir.”
“All right then,” he answered with a smile. “My exec and ops officers here will get you boys assigned to a platoon and inprocessed. Welcome to the Free State.”
“Thank you, sir,” Skull answered for them.
Deets walked away with the sergeant major. One of the two captains turned to them. “Go ahead and finish your breakfast, and then report to that building over there,” he pointed to a small grey structure to the left of the courthouse. “We’ll get you settled in there.”
“Roger that, sir,” answered Skull as the two captains walked away.
