by Robert Boren
“Yes, thank you sir,” Wallis said. General Hogan’s face left the screen, and it went back to a single pane. Gallagher came back.
“The CO has the apps, and he’s providing them to his staff right now,” Gallagher said.
“Has the enemy arrived at the hotel yet?” Wallis asked.
“No, but they’re close,” Gallagher said, looking at his phone. “The size of the enemy force has grown. It’s close to seventy men now. They’ve been summoning together a lot of the stragglers that Richardson has been telling us about.”
“Sleepers,” Hendrix said.
“Yep,” Wallis said. “This is great. We can take out the enemy when they get to the hotel, and then go right to their base and clean that up.”
“Where’s their base?” Nelson asked.
“There’s a big cluster in Cibolo, just east of San Antonio,” Gallagher said. “About three thousand men there, from what I can tell. Nowhere near the worst spot, but it’s a start. They’re going to wonder how the hell they’ve been found.”
“Good,” Nelson said. “Maria, can you load that detail view program onto the main PC and display it on the screen?”
“I think so, sir,” Maria said. She rolled her chair over to the keyboard of the main computer and worked on it.
Hendrix browsed on his new apps after reading the brief instructions. “Whoa, this is going to be a large cleanup effort.”
“You got that right,” Ramsey said, looking at his screen, brow furrowed. “Looks like Austin is in pretty good shape, though. Maybe we can get out of this cave sooner rather than later. Nothing helps command more than physical presence.”
“Don’t get too anxious just yet,” Gallagher said. “We’re going to be forcing the cretins to fight for their lives. They’ll go a little nuts. Things will likely get worse before they get better.”
“He’s right,” Wallis said. “The enemy is about fifteen minutes away from the hotel.”
“How far out are the guardsmen?” Hendrix asked.
“Half an hour, but remember that the residents have left the hotel,” Wallis said. “They’ll be searching the joint when the guard gets there. They won’t escape.”
“They’re liable to get on 306 north to chase our people,” Ramsey said.
“I wish they would,” Gallagher said. “Our forces are going south on 306 as we speak.”
Nelson chuckled. “This is gonna be fun. Wish we could monitor our own forces as well as we can see the enemy now.”
“Yeah, I can see why the enemy did this,” Gallagher said.
“No way in hell would I like that,” Hendrix said. “It’d be hackable.”
“He’s right,” Wallis said. “General Hogan’s proving that right now.”
“I think I have it running,” Maria said, rolling away from the PC display. “You can move around with the mouse and zoom in just like you can with map programs.”
“Excellent,” Nelson said, rolling his chair over.
“I’m gonna sign off and get ourselves set up,” Wallis said. “We’ll be talking to you.”
“Yeah, go for it,” Nelson said. “We’ll get back together after we see what’s what.”
“Yep,” Gallagher said. “Happy hunting.”
The console went dark, everybody now gathered around the PC screen.
“My God,” Hendrix said. “Dallas. Why haven’t they attacked yet? I know they’ve been around for a while.”
“That’s what I’m wondering,” Nelson said.
“I can see why Wallis is so scared about the Rio Grande,” Ramsey said. “Geez, that’s going to be a challenge to weed out.”
“We’re starting from almost a dead stop in the DPS patrol boat ranks, too,” Nelson said. “I’m glad their remaining folks got away from that hotel. We need them to rebuild. How about the gulf?”
Maria moved the view to that area. “Still quite a few boats,” she said. “Some hits on South Padre Island. Lot of hits in Corpus Christi, too.”
“Yeah, but they’re mostly dead,” Nelson said. “The people won that battle.”
“What’s going on there?” Ramsey said, pointing at the screen. “The Louisiana border. Don’t remember hearing that area was a problem.”
“We need the Fort Stockton people back here, and we need to clone them many times over,” Nelson said.
“Why not just expand the National Guard?” Ramsey asked.
“Think about it,” Hendrix said. “The population we’d be pulling from would have to leave their families behind to join up. I think it’s a lot easier to recruit them as civilians, like the Fort Stockton group has been doing.”
“It’s still fighting,” Ramsey said. “It’s still dangerous.”
“It is, but it’s fighting on their own terms with family and friends at their side, often being active participants,” Nelson said. “We need to expand the hell out of the social media operation.”
“What will the enemy do when they realize that we can see all of them?” Maria asked.
“They might try to remove their chips,” Ramsey said.
Dr. Schultz chuckled. “The chips are buried deep to discourage desertion. Removing them is not a quick job that can be done in the field on a massive scale.”
The console beeped.
“Wallis is getting back on,” Maria said, rolling her chair back over to the console.
“Uh oh,” Nelson said.
Wallis’s face showed up on the screen. “Sorry to bother you again so soon. We’ve got a drone over the hotel now. I’m sending you guys a URL to capture the feed. Thought you might be interested.”
Nelson chuckled. “Sounds good. Maybe we should make some popcorn.”
Wallis snickered. “They won’t know what hit them.”
“Thanks,” Ramsey said.
“Have fun, guys,” Wallis said. “I’m out.”
The screen went black. Maria rolled back to the PC and checked, finding the URL in an encrypted message. “Here it is. I’ll load it.”
She typed for a few seconds on the keyboard, and video showed on the screen.
“Wow,” Ramsey said. “Video quality on these has gotten a lot better.”
“Seriously,” Hendrix said, moving closer.
“There’s the hotel,” Nelson said. “I’ve been there before. Very nice resort.”
“It’s the only hotel open on Canyon Lake at this point,” Ramsey said.
They watched the video as the drone circled.
“The enemy won’t see this drone, I hope?” Maria asked.
“Nah, it’s way up there,” Hendrix said.
They watched silently for a few minutes, then Hendrix got up. “Coffee?”
“Sure,” Nelson said.
“Yeah, that sounds great, honey,” Maria said.
Hendrix rushed into the kitchen, turning on the TV with the remote, then switching to the channel that picked up the video feed from their main PC. He watched the screen as he made the pot of coffee. There were whoops and hollers from the console room. He looked up and saw trucks pulling into the hotel parking lot, in the back, near the loading dock and service entrance.
“It’s brewing,” Hendrix said as he walked back into the console room. “I turned the TV on in there. That’s a lot of trucks. These folks think they’re free to go wherever they want.”
“Haven’t seen an open movement like this in a while,” Ramsey said. “Wonder if they’re planning a large offensive soon?”
“They’ll get a nasty surprise if they are,” Nelson said. “We need to watch Dallas like a hawk.”
“I was just thinking that,” Hendrix said. “Did we send the civilians from the Fort Stockton campaigns up there yet?”
“That’s in progress,” Ramsey said, “but I don’t know the latest status. Wallis and Gallagher have been running that operation.”
“We need that Fort Stockton group back here in a hurry,” Hendrix said. “Their leadership is essential.”
“I agree,” Nelson said. “They�
��re almost done with their mission in New Mexico, though, and the group they recruited in Arizona is having their way with the enemy along the border.”
“Look at all those Islamists,” Maria said, watching them running from the trucks into the lobby of the hotel, groups of them also congregating by all the exit gates in the parking lot.
“There’s a lot of buildings on that complex,” Ramsey said. “Might be difficult to root them out without casualties.”
“Our forces can see where they’re hiding,” Hendrix said.
“Looks like some of the civilians stayed behind,” Maria said, a look of horror on her face, watching Islamists dragging people out of the hotel lobby.
“They’re going to shoot them,” Hendrix said, looking away.
“They aren’t shooting the women,” Ramsey said.
Nelson watched with a grim look on his face, as the last of the men in the small group of civilians was shot in the head. “They’re dragging the women into the back of that truck, see?”
“Pigs,” Maria said under her breath. “How soon do the troops get there?”
“Ought to be any minute,” Ramsey said.
“Look, at the west entrance,” Nelson said. A flood of troop transport trucks rolled up the driveway. The enemy fighters guarding the gate took cover as the first truck roared forward.
“Shit, the Islamists took out the cab of that first truck,” Maria said.
The troops came out of the back, circling around to the front of the truck and opening fire, the Islamists falling or running. The second truck pushed the first one out of the way and drove into the parking lot. Islamists rushed out of the hotel lobby, firing at it, hitting several men who jumped out, but then running when men from the next several trucks rushed at them with guns blazing.
“Look, those cretins just jumped out of the truck they took the women into,” Hendrix said. Troops took them out before they could reach cover, one of the guardsmen rushing to the back of the truck, helping the women out, their clothes torn, hanging off them.
“That’s gonna get the troops’ dander up,” Nelson said, standing now, too excited to sit as the action went on.
“The troops have the main building surrounded now,” Hendrix said.
“Yep,” Ramsey said. “And more transport trucks just drove onto the parking lot.”
“Those ours?” Maria asked.
“Yep, look at the men coming out,” Hendrix said, standing himself now. The coffee pot sputtered. “Who wants a cup?”
“Me,” Nelson said.
“Yeah, me too,” Ramsey said. “Thanks. It’s gonna be a long evening. I think we need to be coordinating as many attacks as we can muster tonight.”
“Yep,” Nelson said.
“I’ll help you carry,” Maria said, getting up. She followed Hendrix into the kitchen and watched as he poured cups. “Good, the TV is on in here still.”
“Yeah, this is quite a show,” Hendrix said.
“It’s getting my blood up,” Maria said. She picked up two cups, Hendrix taking another three, rushing back into the console room.
“Ramsey, can you get to the civilians in Dallas?” Hendrix asked as he handed out coffee.
“Yeah, I got contacts,” he said.
“Send them the apps,” Hendrix said.
“Now there’s a damn good idea,” Nelson said.
Ramsey nodded and got to work on that, walking away with the phone to his ear.
“This is gonna be over quick,” Dr. Schultz said. “I hope somebody is tending to those poor women.”
“Me too,” Maria said.
“Think the National Guard troops in Big Bend have the apps yet?” Nelson asked.
“I suspect that Wallis and Gallagher are on that,” Hendrix said.
“I’ll send them a text to make sure,” Nelson said, whipping out his phone.
“They’re done,” Hendrix said, watching the troops flood out of the hotel, a group of Islamists ahead of them with their hands on the backs of their heads.
“They should shoot them all,” Ramsey said.
“That would make us as barbaric as they are,” Hendrix said.
“No, it will strike fear into their hearts,” Nelson said. “Something we should be doing at this point, as nasty as it sounds.”
“I agree,” Ramsey said.
“Looks like they’re not doing that this time,” Maria said. “They’re putting them into that truck, see? Not many of them survived.”
The truck with the Islamists inside took off, going back towards the northbound 306. The rest of the trucks headed south.
“Good, they’re going to the base,” Ramsey said. “Lots more enemy fighters there.”
“We need to send more troops,” Hendrix said.
“There’s another group on the way to that base who weren’t at the hotel,” Nelson said. “Gallagher passed that along when I texted him a moment ago.”
“Wonder if the Islamists at that base will start leaving?” Ramsey asked.
“They can run, but they can no longer hide,” Hendrix said.
Chapter 31 – Bowie Knife
Junior and Kelly sat in the dark with their guns, among the others who had come to engage the militia on Highway 60.
“This waiting is driving me nuts,” Kelly said. “I’m worried about Brenda, too. Wish she was here.”
“She and Rachel will be fine,” Junior said. “They’re not going to stop there, and if they do, they’ll run right into hundreds of Stanton Hunt’s warriors along with the rest of our folks. There’s only thirty of them, and our folks can watch their every move with the apps.”
“I know,” Kelly said. “Guess I’m just nervous.”
Curt walked over with Amanda. “You guys ready to go?”
“Ready as we’ll ever be,” Kelly said. “You?”
“Can’t wait to nail those bastards,” Curt said. “Jason wants to take at least one of them alive.”
“Why?” Junior asked.
“Pump him for intelligence, I reckon,” Kelly said.
“That’s right,” Jason said, walking up with Kyle. “They’ll be here in less than ten minutes, so get ready.”
“Wonder if Phil will be with them?” Junior asked.
“I doubt it, but you never know,” Jason said. His phone dinged. He looked at the text, then smiled. “That flatbed driver fixed the fluid leak.”
“Good,” Kyle said. “That makes things simpler.”
“It does,” Curt said. “Hope those drivers are keeping a good watch.”
“Me too,” Jason said. “I wish Carrie and Kate weren’t out there.”
“You and me both,” Kyle said. “I don’t trust anything that Jasper says.”
“Yeah, let’s get this over quick and get them to base,” Kyle said.
“Hey, they’re almost here,” Junior said, looking at his phone. I think they sped up.
“To the vehicles,” Curt said.
Everybody got into their armed vehicles, engines starting in the darkness. Curt and Amanda took the lead, Curt running the grenade launcher, Amanda holding a BAR. They flew east on Highway 60, followed by the others who got along side and behind, taking up both lanes, the off-roaders taking the shoulders.
“Hope Stanton’s careful in that Barracuda,” Curt said as they flew forward, the lights of the militia vehicles just coming into view.
“They see us,” Amanda said.
Curt fired several rounds from the grenade launcher, blowing up the first vehicle and hitting the second. The rest of the militia vehicles slowed to a stop, and rifle fire came at them. Eric roared forward in the Bronco, his .50 cal machine gun firing, hitting the vehicles who were trying to flee as Curt, Jason, and Stanton fired grenade after grenade, stopping the vehicles, men fleeing to the sides of the road.
“Look, there’s a Jeep trying to go onto the dirt,” Curt said. “He’s a little too far for a clean shot.”
“Don’t worry, look,” Amanda said, watching Eric fly by in his Bronc
o, getting off the road, guns blazing. He nailed the Jeep. A survivor started to run, Kim wasting him with her M60.
“All of the vehicles are disabled,” Junior said, looking over at Kelly.
“Yep,” he said, still moving forward. Junior aimed out the side and fired his M60, and then hands went into the air, and two men stepped out from behind some wreckage.
“Watch it,” Kelly said as they rolled closer.
A shot rang out from behind a ruined vehicle, hitting the roof of Kelly’s cab. Jason shot a grenade into it, killing the two men with their hands up and blowing up the car, which lifted and came down on the third man. Then there was silence.
“We might not have kept anybody alive,” Junior said.
“Oh well,” Kelly said. “Watch yourself. There might be more survivors hiding in the wreckage.”
“Roger that,” Junior said. They pulled over and got out, Junior with the M60, Kelly grabbing a shotgun from behind the seat. Jason and Kyle showed up next. Then Stanton rolled up in the Barracuda and joined them as they fanned out around the mangled vehicles. Machine gun fire erupted, startling all of them.
“It’s Eric,” Jason said, watching him take out some fleeing militia men on the desert floor.
“Cover us,” Jason said. He and Kyle rushed into the mess, looking for survivors, checking bodies. They came back after a few minutes.
“All dead,” Kyle shouted.
“Let’s get this mess pushed out of the way so we can roll the flatbeds through here,” Jason shouted.
“We’ll handle that,” Kelly said. “You go get your women and the tanks. It’ll be clear by the time you get here.”
“Thanks, man,” Jason said.
Junior and Kelly started checking out bodies, dragging them over to the side of the road, piling their weapons into the bed of their pickup truck.
“Hey,” Junior said. “This guy’s an Islamist.”
“We heard rumors about that, remember?” Curt asked, coming over with Amanda to help.
“Why would they get together?” Amanda asked. “They’ll just end up killing each other.”
“Here’s another one,” Junior said. “I agree that they’ll just kill each other eventually.”
“They would, if they won,” Curt said. “They won’t win.”