Forgotten Forbidden America | Book 8 | Sin Consumed, page 6
part #8 of Forgotten Forbidden America Series
Many expected Gifford to blow up, but he just exhaled and nodded. “You’re right,” Gifford admitted.
“Are you angry with me?” Hearst asked, but all knew damn well it was a challenge.
“Psssst,” Gifford buzzed his lips. “Hell no,” he said as Bolton eased up beside Marshall and once again, whispered in his ear.
“Thank you, Major,” Marshall said, but was still glaring at Greene. “I’m taking it that you asked as an update?” he offered, and Greene nodded rapidly.
Relaxing his stance, “Yes, since the first, we’ve uncovered two more buildings the Sin Eaters have used as staging areas or headquarters, however you want to look at it,” Marshall said, then tapped his computer. “We got those from citizen sources last month, but after the fuck-up with the Wesel family, we damn sure won’t be getting any more.”
Starting to pant hard as he raised both hands, “My agents wanted to interview the family in Camelot, where you said to send them,” Greene got out in a strangled voice.
“Colonel,” Hearst called out as he made notes. “I told you I would handle that and I did. The president found out I’d missed some, but he took care of it.”
Hearing that, Marshall turned to Gifford who looked rather proud. “Eugene didn’t know the ATF had agents with the Marshall Service who wanted to debrief the family. I sent some of your troops down to the ATF building and had them haul out the top five to the parking lot. There, they doused them with fuel and burnt them alive while everyone watched,” Gifford told him.
Impressed with that, “Bolton,” Marshall said over his shoulder. “Make a note of that. We’ll use that on the next asshole that gives us problems.”
“Yes, sir,” Bolton responded. Compared to things Marshall had done to those who’d pissed him off in the past, being burnt alive seemed a step down to Bolton.
“One building the Sin Eaters used was in Savannah. At one time it was a manufacturing building, but it has been empty for the last three years. I say this because,” Marshall paused tapping his laptop. “You can see the Sin Eaters have put bales of hay along the walls and put thick insulation on the roof. They do this so the building doesn’t give off more heat than those near it. I’m telling you this because if you have agents spot a building like this, let me know,” Marshall said glancing around the room. “But you will not send this information out by computer or phone. Type up a memo, get a copy machine, and send out memos by hand.”
“Any good information on numbers?” Schmidt asked as he made notes.
Shaking his head, “From what we’ve found in those two spots, the best I can offer is around three hundred,” Marshall answered. “Sin Eaters remove and carry all their machinery. That’s why I brought this up. I need everyone to send out memos. We need people watching waterways,” Marshall said, and suddenly everyone got interested.
“Every spot we’ve found where Sin Eaters set up is near a river. We scouted around and found two spots where boats had been pulled up on the banks. From the drag marks, they were pontoon boats. That’s how the Sin Eaters move the large pieces of machinery and tools they use,” Marshall said, then turned to Schmidt. “If we can spot them moving on a waterway, we can follow them to where they set up.”
“Smart on both accounts,” Schmidt admitted, continuing to write. “I’ll get a memo out to the troops and if anything is spotted, to take no action and just report it up the chain by hand-written note only.”
“Um, Colonel?” Hubbard called out and when Marshall turned to him, Hubbard nearly said nothing. “What if we send word out to all the troops and agents that even if they see Sin Eaters moving, to not engage but to get word back by hand-written notes of location and direction? Unless they see the Sin Eaters about to attack, of course. Those above could call for aerial surveillance to track and get word to you so you can see the area for yourself?”
Somewhat shocked because Hubbard had learned to keep his mouth shut, “Damn,” Marshall mumbled, turning to Schmidt. “That’s actually a good idea. The few times troops have spotted Sin Eaters and given chase, it was only to lead them into an ambush.”
Nodding as he continued writing, “A stopped clock is right twice a day, so even an idiot can come up with a good idea,” Schmidt admitted.
“Good job, Hubbard,” Gifford sang out, and Hubbard grinned, finally glad he’d done something right, but swore to still keep his mouth shut in case his next idea was shit. “Colonel, can you skip to the engagement?”
Nodding, “Yes, sir,” Marshall said tapping his computer and a map came up on the screen. “As I reported back, Reaper is playing the game again. Using what he left, I came up with probable locations and dispatched teams. One was in Torrington, Connecticut where we have a factory making small arms ammunition. Granted, it’s a small factory, but I had the team set up to the south because tactically it was the most secure way for the Sin Eaters to advance. Well,” Marshall grumbled. “Like they do, the Sin Eaters came in from the northwest, the one area that made the least tactical sense because they had to cross a large field.”
“The captain over my unit knew when the attack started and dispersed from his ambush site, coming in with two formations in a wedge to envelope,” Marshall said, turning to Gifford who was totally lost. Not even making an attempt to explain, “We found out why the Sin Eaters came in that way. When my unit engaged, the Sin Eaters immediately broke contact. At first this worried me, but then I looked at all their other attacks. My unit was an unknown force they hadn’t prepared for, so they pulled back even though the Sin Eaters outnumbered my unit. Once he verified it was the Sin Eaters, my captain called for air and ordered the unit to attack,” Marshall said tapping his keyboard. A helmet-mounted camera recording started playing.
The room sucked in a collective breath when on the screen, the masked figure of a Sin Eater was clearly visible. The figure seemed to be no more than twenty yards away. Just as the soldier was raising his weapon to aim at the Sin Eater, the image gave a shudder and then they were looking up at stars. “Yeah, they got the sergeant before he fired,” Marshall said tapping the keyboard and another helmet video started playing.
“We know we injured at least two Sin Eaters, but there were no bodies. My unit had three KIA and eight WIA,” Marshall said as the room watched the screen. “Notice how they are pulling out? I’ve seen tier one units operating, but the Sin Eaters are top notch. They retreated under fire using bounding overwatches and kept my unit from closing the distance.”
The room watched as the soldier wearing the camera started moving to give chase across the field. Ahead, they could see small flashes and the soldier would dive to the ground rolling, then jump back up shooting from the hip as he continued charging the edge of the field. At the extreme field of vision of the camera, they could see figures reaching the trees and disappearing.
As the camera neared the trees there was a flash and then the image cut off, and everyone turned back to Marshall. “The specialist stepped on a land mine,” Marshall said.
“Hold up!” Schmidt cried out. “You mean to tell me we just watched the Sin Eaters run through a minefield to get away?”
“Yep,” Marshall answered flatly, then turned to Gifford. “Yes, sir. Engineers located eighty-two mines clearing a fifty yard wide lane so it’s going to be a very big number. Sin Eaters put the minefield there before the attack, but nobody runs through a fucking unmarked minefield at night and under fire, even if you set it up.”
Staring at the blank screen at the far end of the room, Gifford nodded numbly. “Yeah, I know that much, Colonel.”
Glad to hear that, Marshall continued. “After another soldier was killed trying to give chase, the captain ordered a halt because they didn’t have the equipment to detect or breach a minefield. Getting on the radio the captain called again for his air support, and it turns out Sin Eaters have mortars and know how to use them. They triangulated from the captain’s radio and dropped three sixty-millimeter mortar rounds damn near on top of the captain. That’s where the eight wounded came from. It’s a miracle none were killed.”
“Air never showed?” Schmidt asked.
“Two Apaches were scrambled from Goshen, but were shot out of the sky by someone with a fucking monster gun,” Marshall answered. “It was fifteen minutes later when medivacs touched down to take out the wounded and by then, the Sin Eaters were gone. I arrived before sunrise but had to wait for engineers to clear a lane through the minefield.”
“Did the Sin Eater attack succeed?” Weaver asked.
Shrugging, “They were placing charges, but only got one on a storage container full of ammo. It went off just after the medivacs left. Then sixteen charges went off in the field. As the Sin Eaters were pulling out, they just dropped their charges and all were on timers. From the number, I think they were going after the propellant storage units that feed the production lines and shipping containers near the dock. The plant lost some windows but is still operating.”
Many wanted to get up and dance. For the first time, the Sin Eaters had been stopped before they could destroy something. When he turned to Schmidt and found him smiling, Marshall gave a long sigh. “I apologize for not getting to Canada and stopping the Sin Eater attacks on those silos and oil tanks.”
“Colonel!” Bolton shouted, jumping to his feet and standing rigidly at attention. “Anything can be figured out by looking in the past!”
Tilting his head back to gaze at the ceiling, “At ease, Major,” Marshall exhaled.
“How are you figuring out Reaper’s clues?” Greene asked.
“Greene, you ask that again, and today will be the last day you draw breath on this earth,” Hearst warned. “I don’t think even Reaper knows just what he leaves behind,” Hearst said. Bolton disagreed very strongly, but didn’t say anything.
“What about Canada?” Schmidt asked, and Marshall tapped his keyboard and a picture came up as several started dry heaving. The picture looked like someone was on a building looking down at bodies that were arranged in a pattern. Most had been decapitated, but all the heads were being held by the corpses. “Am I missing something?” Schmidt asked.
“They are arranged like a maple leaf,” Marshall said. “If I had figured that out with the other clues, I would’ve predicted the Canada attack. This was the next one I was close on.”
Staring hard but not seeing a maple leaf, “Colonel, I don’t see shit and the only thing that draws my eye is the headless corpse holding his head over his groin like he’s blowing himself,” Schmidt admitted.
“I see a cannabis leaf,” Gifford threw out.
“I notice a weird pentagram,” Hearst said.
“I see the constellation Lyra,” Weaver said and everyone turned to him. “Sorry, I’m a stargazer.”
“So am I,” Marshall mumbled and then turned to Hearst, then back to Weaver and very slowly looked at Schmidt. “General, what’s your protection detail?”
“My three-man team I’ve always had,” Schmidt answered.
“Expand it, sir. Draw from our tier one teams,” Marshall said, and Schmidt just raised his eyebrows. “Sir,” Marshall said pointing at Hearst and then Weaver, “he sees a pentagram - a five pointed star. He sees Lyra - a constellation of five stars. You are the only ‘Five star’ general on either side.”
Somewhat nervous but not convinced, “I think you’re reaching, Colonel,” Schmidt said.
“Sir, Reaper’s messages nearly always have secondary meanings. I’m positive I’m correct. The Sin Eaters have taken out eight senior officers this month via sniper,” Marshall said, and Schmidt’s complexion started getting pale.
“I’ve only heard of one,” Schmidt gulped.
Nodding, “That was because Reaper wanted me to see ‘that one’. The report was wrong, that shot wasn’t taken from eleven hundred yards. That hilltop doesn’t even line up with the shot,” Marshall said. “I found where the shot was taken from. Where it hit Brigadier General Austin and the hill where the shot left from, was thirty yards shy of two miles.”
“Holy fuck,” Weaver gasped.
“Schmidt, the Sin Eaters don’t claim every attack they do. Reaper wanted me to see that one for a reason. The reason, to let me know the Sin Eaters can kill whatever they see. They can do it en masse, or from miles away taking only one,” Marshall said. “There was video at the base. One camera caught the vapor trail eighty yards away before it impacted. Major, what did our sniper team come up with?”
Standing up, “From information gathered, it was a 25mm sabot depleted uranium round fired from three thousand, four hundred, and ninety yards. Velocity from the vapor trail confirmed speed of four thousand feet per second. Sniper team calculated the round started with a velocity around six thousand feet per second. From the time of shot to impact was estimated one point eight seconds,” Bolton reported in a military manner and then sat back down.
“Schmidt,” Marshall said in a low voice, locking eyes with him. “I was at the site and found the discarded sabot. I saw the bipod impressions in the dirt and of the form of a person behind that bipod. There isn’t any report of anyone making a 25mm sniper rifle. We know it’s around seven feet long and weighs between a hundred to a hundred and thirty pounds. Even if Austin had been standing behind two inches of rolled steel, the round still would’ve punched through. That is the same monster gun that shot down those Apaches. The Sin Eaters have several 20mm rifles, but that was the first time we discovered the monster gun. Our calculations say they can hit a human-sized target close to three miles away and probably further, but line of sight would start to become a problem. A projectile moving that fast means they don’t have to guess too far about where the target will move. I’m sure you know the Lapua we use can theoretically hit out to two miles, but the round would be coming down at about seventy degrees, like someone was shooting from an airplane. At two miles, that round hit Austin at thirty degrees.”
Feeling his heart flutter that the Sin Eaters could kill with a single projectile from that kind of range, Schmidt nodded. “I’ll expand my protection detail.”
“Thank you,” Marshall said and then continued his briefing, outlining what he wanted.
When Marshall was done, Greene raised his hand. “Mr. President,” he called out and Gifford looked up. “As you directed, we have undercover agents moving around in many of the collection buildings we’ve set up to provide warmth and food. I’ve been getting reports that the population is getting restless because you haven’t talked to them. I’m sorry, but they’ve seen broadcasts of President Yassa moving among the population and troops, giving encouragement. Can you give a broadcast to lift their spirits?”
“Excellent idea,” Hearst sang out, and Gifford looked at him because he had never put out a directive for undercover agents. “I think we need to go out and get you in front of the cameras.”
After hearing what Marshall had just told Schmidt, Gifford was about to tell Hearst he was insane. “That would be good for morale,” Weaver said, and Gifford jerked his gaze at him. “If the Sin Eaters wanted you dead, I’m sorry to say, you would already be dead, Gifford.”
Thinking about it, Marshall realized Gifford hadn’t left the White House since November and he was nearly certain Gifford hadn’t even been outside the White House. “If I may, sir,” he said and Gifford turned. “I’m sure you know Calvin Morgan.” Gifford, along with everyone in the room, nodded at that. Calvin Morgan was the ruling shareholder in all defense industry companies. Hearst was the only man on the continent that could say he had more wealth. Calvin was one of the few that wasn’t in Camelot, but he had more protection than even Gifford had.
“I’d suggest you call him,” Marshall said. “Right after the collapse, he asked me to put together another two-hundred-man contractor team for him and I did. I set him up with two hundred who all served under me. They are his C group. Ask if you can borrow them, since Calvin has three more contractor teams.”
“I’ll handle that,” Hearst said nodding. “Calvin owes me for letting him buy into three European firms the EU didn’t want him to be a part of.”
“Hearst, can I ask for another favor?” Marshall asked which startled Hearst.
“Sure.”
“In that attack, I don’t know if any noticed, but the Sin Eaters weren’t wearing the cold weather gear we or the contractors are issued. It was all hunting gear, top-quality hunting gear. Can you see if you have any luck in narrowing down where I need to look?” Marshall asked.
Nodding, “Between Weaver and I, we can get what you need,” Hearst laughed. “Now, do something for me,” Hearst said because there was no ask in the statement. “Go somewhere, get cleaned up, and get some rest. The Sin Eaters will be there when you wake up.”
Standing up, “I will. That’s why I didn’t ask to be allowed to skip this meeting. The Sin Eaters have pulled back to wherever they’ve set up. I’m positive they will stand down for two days, but maybe up to four,” Marshall answered.
Hearst grinned while Bolton gave a silent grumble. He didn’t like the colonel playing along with Reaper’s game. The only true upside to him was when the game had started back up, the Sin Eaters hadn’t broken down into many small teams again. That alone was worth it Bolton guessed because that meant the Sin Eaters couldn’t hit so many targets at a time.
After Marshall and Bolton left, Hearst turned to Gifford as they stood up. “We need to find you some regular clothes to do the broadcast and to go out and meet the masses,” Hearst told him, and Gifford just nodded. All the others in the room had learned long ago who the real rulers in DC were, those that had the money. All those at the top had been bought and paid for long ago.
Chapter Five
Nice time for some fishing…
“Those two just aren’t right,” Reaper mumbled watching Odin and Thor.
Walking up beside Reaper, “You just figured that out?” Pain scoffed. Both watched the two setting up an AZP S-60. It was a 57mm Soviet anti-aircraft gun. Not one Sin Eater in the group made any mention of how ‘giddy’ the two were acting. If something shot a big projectile, it seemed Odin and Thor just fell in love, or lust if you asked Pain.
