by Ricky Sides
Jim ordered them withdrawn briefly and sent the Peacekeeper on a strafing run against the house. Pete hammered the house from end to end with the minigun.
“Kill ten slaves!” shouted Bill’s angry voice, but the men in the trenches hesitated. As they saw it, the slaves were the only thing keeping them from being targeted by the big ship. The small ships were bad, but the big ship had a weapon the likes of which they had never seen. “I said kill ten slaves!” Wild Bill said again in a menacing tone of voice and a man raised a pistol to the back of a slave’s head and pulled the trigger. As the slave fell a sniper shot that slaver between the eyes. “Nine more!” shouted Bill. However, having seen what happened to the man who’d executed the first slave, no one moved to shoot another.
“Lay down your weapons and surrender,” Jim’s voice said on the external speaker of the Peacekeeper. Three men tried to comply but riflemen from the house shot them.
“Your leader doesn’t care if you live or die. You fight for such a man?” asked Jim attempting to sew dissension among their ranks. “Release the slaves. Let them go and lay your weapons down. Lay down in the trench where your leader cannot kill you. Release them now!” Jim insisted and a few men sat down in the trenches and pulled the stakes out of the earthen wall of the trench that held one end of the slaves' chains thus freeing them.
In the house, Wild Bill saw this happening and ordered the men to shoot the freed slaves as they tried to get out of the line of fire. However, a withering attack from the minigun of the big ship and the hundreds of rounds fired at them by the ground forces made it necessary for the men in the front of the house to seek cover.
“Release all of the slaves or we will attack the trench,” Jim insisted causing more of the slavers to release their prisoners. A fight broke out in the trench when some men loyal to Bill refused to permit men to free the rest of the slaves. But they were outnumbered by those wanting to release the slaves, if it meant keeping the big ship from attacking with that gun. The fight ended soon and they released the rest of the slaves. As they were making their way toward safety, a large group of slavers stood up in the trench and opened fire on the slaves. A group of peacekeepers on the ground stood up advancing on the slavers firing their rifles at the men to draw their fire away from the slaves. Jim saw several of the peacekeepers fall as the men in the trenches shot them. Three of the slaves were also shot as they tried to get out of the danger zone. Other slaves helped two of those men by dragging them away from the danger but the third man had been killed.
When the slaves were all clear of the danger zone, Jim ordered Tim to fly over the trench and Pete strafed the trench from one end to the other. It was a grim duty but there was no way that they could release the men after what they’d done. There were no prisons to incarcerate them, nor authorities to turn them over to for prosecution. Still it was grim business and none of the crew derived any satisfaction from what they had to do.
Wild Bill seeing this knew that he was facing a foe that he could not beat. He knew then that the voice on the radio had advised him wisely, but now it was too late. The farmhouse was beginning to burn and most of the men who’d fought from that house were now dead or dying. Bill loaded his pistol and his rifle and then he walked out of the house to take as many peacekeepers with him as he could before they got him.
As he stepped out onto the porch, Bill snapped his rifle to his shoulder and fired at a group of peacekeepers heading toward the house. He fired nine rounds at the group knowing that he had to be hitting them as he raked the group at chest level from left to right. There was no way that he could miss the enemy, but something was wrong. The men should have been falling, and indeed two did fall, but the rest returned fire where they stood. Too late, it occurred to Bill that the men must have been wearing body armor. As he was shifting his aim for headshots, a multitude of bullets perforated his body and the man who had sought to found a slave kingdom fell dead on the porch.
The Peacekeeper made one more strafing run on the house, which expended the rest of the ammunition of the minigun, and then they employed the lasers to burn it to the ground. Everyone had to back off a considerable distance for a while as the ammunition contained in the farmhouse cooked off and exploded.
The peacekeepers evacuated the slaves to Eastland while teams of medics treated the wounded slaves and peacekeepers. Maggie seemed to be everywhere at once; always seeking those with the worst injuries to attend to while the medics handled the rest. They had seven seriously wounded peacekeepers and twenty-three who had suffered less serious wounds.
Sadly, five of their number had paid the ultimate price toward the end of the fighting when the group of slavers still wanting to do their leader’s bidding had jumped up in the trench to shoot the fleeing slaves. A team of peacekeepers close to that section of the trench had stood up and advanced on the slavers firing from the hip to draw their fire away from the defenseless slaves, saving many of them from certain death. In a withering exchange of gunfire, all of the slavers were killed and five peacekeepers had been shot in areas not protected by their body armor and died because of their wounds.
Jim, Pete, and Tim found Clem standing beside the bodies of five of his Louisiana peacekeepers. “They fought bravely,” Jim noted sadly.
“I’ve known some of them for years,” Clem said with an emotion-choked voice. “I’ll tell their families how they died. They died heroes in my eyes,” Clem said simply.
“We agree with that sentiment,” Pete said acting as spokesman for the council. “Where are the men who stood and advanced with them?” Pete asked.
“They were all my boys. They went behind that truck,” Clem said pointing to a large troop transport truck. “They wanted to be alone a few minutes with their grief.”
“Inform them that we grieve with them if you please Clem,” Jim said.
“I’ll do that,” Clem responded.
Pete turned to face the main body of peacekeepers present. He shouted, “Peacekeepers! Attention!”
All around the area peacekeepers stopped what they were doing and came to stand a respectful distance from their dead. The remaining Louisiana men came to stand beside Clem.
Acting as spokesman for the council Jim said, “Today we won a great victory ladies and gentlemen but that victory comes at a high cost. The men before us died doing what they could to save defenseless men who’d been enslaved. Without regard for their own personal safety, the Louisiana element of our forces stood and advanced on the men in the trenches who were shooting at the slaves. Seldom have I seen such courage in the face of danger. Such unselfish valor in the face of danger is noteworthy when it is displayed by one man, but when an entire unit displays that sort of courage it commands the attention and respect of us all.”
Turning to Clem, Jim said, “On behalf of the council of the peacekeepers, let me say that we wish to posthumously award the slain members of your unit the Peacekeeper Medal of Valor.”
Pete stepped forward and handed Clem five boxes, each of which contained one of the medals and then he stepped back beside Jim. The assembled peacekeepers maintained a respectful silence.
Clem’s eyes filled with tears, but to his credit, he maintained his composure as he responded, “I thank you for the recognition of what my boys did. I’ll see that their families get the medals.”
“Thank you and please extend our condolences,” Jim said knowing that the Louisiana peacekeepers would see to the needs of any of the men, women, and children.
“We also wish to acknowledge the courage of the rest of the unit who advanced in the face of that deadly fire with the men we lost today,” Jim continued. “For your exceptional valor in the face of enemy fire, the council wishes to award the six surviving men of the Louisiana element the Peacekeeper Medal of Valor.”
The peacekeepers began to applaud as the medals were placed around the necks of the six surviving members of the unit. Normally each council member kept one of the medals for field use but on this mission, Pete h
ad brought a score. Pete quietly asked Clem if the men had desired burial at home or at Base 1, as all peacekeepers were entitled. He learned that one had indeed wished to be buried at the base in the base cemetery, but the other four wanted to be buried in their hometowns. The one exception chose burial at the base since he didn’t have any family. “He will be buried with his medal,” Clem stated sadly and he turned to kneel beside the body to place the medal around his neck. The rest of the Louisiana unit knelt to show their respect. Spontaneously, the other peacekeepers present knelt as well.
***
The peacekeepers stayed at the farm for several hours burying the dead slavers. No markers were placed upon the mass grave of the slavers whose bodies were gathered and dumped in the trench.
The dead slaves were buried in separate graves with markers being fashioned to give their names and the date of their death.
The Louisiana peacekeepers pulled out late in the day with the four dead who would be buried in their hometown. The man who’d opted to be buried at the base was carried in one of the other transports that would be returning to the base the next day.
The peacekeepers now turned their attention to the former slaves and what needed to be done to help them return to their homes. They quickly discovered that the slaves had been taken captive in Eastland or within a forty-mile radius of the city. It took the peacekeepers three days to see all of the people back to their homes but they were determined not to leave anyone stranded, alone and in poor physical condition.
As they returned the former slaves to their communities, people always asked who they were and what was happening. In some cases, Texans professed an interest in joining the peacekeepers. They were sick and tired of lawless elements running roughshod over people and they wanted to do something about that situation. The peacekeepers were actively combating this lawless element. In all of those cases the peacekeepers patiently explained exactly what becoming a peacekeeper would entail. Word spread that the peacekeepers would accept recruits who showed up at Eastland prior to their departure. On the day that they were to leave, it took three buses to transport the Texas volunteers who would undergo the training and then return to Texas to establish several peacekeeper outposts in that state.
One of the former slaves also joined that group of recruits. Namid was determined to acquire the skills necessary to avoid being taken into slavery a second time. She also wanted to help others in trouble during these trying times. As she saw it, life as a peacekeeper would present her with an opportunity to help others in the future.
Chapter 17
The months following the slave war were a period of rapid growth for the peacekeepers. When they’d arrived back at Base 1, the crew learned that the defenders of Hannibal, Missouri had arrived in their absence and had entered the training process. The Texans also entered the training system, and the day after their return to the base, a group of ten more volunteers from Louisiana arrived to undergo the training. Two of the new people were the siblings of two of the Cajuns recently killed in Texas.
The peacekeepers also sent a large patrol to South Carolina to warn the people of that state that there was apparently an outfit in California with plans to invade their territory for reasons unknown to the peacekeepers. Unfortunately, the patrol had little luck in actually finding anyone in charge that the peacekeepers could give a report, but they did manage to inform a great many people that trouble might be heading their way in the near future.
In Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama communities had come together to reopen the oil refineries once the oil producers resumed pumping. Granted both the oil production and the refinery production were substantially lower than in the past. Complex bartering arrangements were made and the peacekeepers found themselves with a source from which the fuel that they needed could be obtained. Refineries in other states also reopened but the peacekeepers dealt exclusively with the aforementioned states.
As time went by and no further word concerning rogue military units reached the peacekeepers they began to hope that if such units had existed, then they had disbanded. However, late in the spring the word came that a military unit had passed through Texas on the way east and they had confiscated several fuel tankers from one of the refineries. Later that same day, a message was transmitted explaining that the leader of the military column headed east desired to speak with the leaders of the peacekeepers and would be available on that radio frequency at a set time the next morning. This message transmitted every hour on the hour until the designated time.
Jim, Pete, and Tim sat in the control room of the Peacekeeper as the time for the conversation drew near. They had agreed that Jim was to engage the man in conversation to see exactly what he wanted. The other two men would be available for comments should the need arise.
At the appointed time, a man’s voice spoke on the designated frequency. They had heard this same man speaking with Wild Bill in radio messages they had intercepted months before. He said, “This is General Tom Whitmore of the combined forces of the United States military. I am waiting peacekeepers.”
Without hesitation, Jim keyed the microphone and said, “This is Jim Wilison. I am the Captain of the Peacekeeper and one of the three council leaders of the peacekeepers. The other two are here as well. We are listening.”
“Good afternoon gentlemen,” said the soft cultured voice of the self proclaimed General. “I wanted to speak to you concerning my plans for the future of America.”
“Okay, Tom we are listening,” Jim stated.
If the lack of the use of his military title bothered Tom, his next words gave no indication that this was the case as he said, “Gentlemen, order and a government must be restored to our country. I mean to restore both. I have heard great things about your organization and my purpose in contacting you is to see if you might be interested in forming an alliance with us to that end.”
“What sort of government?” Jim asked the question without hesitation.
“Since any sort of real national election would be impossible at the moment, I suppose that it would by necessity be a military government,” the man said sounding quite reasonable.
“Since you are the general, you would become the military dictator?” asked Jim cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
“That isn’t the term that I would use to describe the position,” Tom said, sounding disappointed. “I had heard that you people were fair and agreed to hear a man out before judging him. Was I misinformed?” he asked.
“You made your point. I’ll listen,” Jim said.
“Twice already the peacekeepers have dealt with large groups that we intended to deal with before we had the opportunity to do so. We considered the groups to be a threat to the security of the nation, and were making plans to put a stop to their predations on their fellow citizens. In order to accomplish this we posed as rogue military units who had deserted just prior to the big quakes, but in both cases the peacekeepers dealt with the problem groups. This really impressed us. Therefore, when we move to South Carolina where we will establish the new capital, we will welcome an alliance with the peacekeepers and give you rank in our own military second only to my own. You will still command the peacekeeper elements of the military, along with some of my advisors of course who will represent my interests. In exchange, we will see to it that your organization receives the best of everything the new and struggling nation has to offer. All you have to do is swear allegiance to the new government. Your people are popular. Perhaps more popular than you yourselves realize. I will be named the President of the transitional government until such a time as we can arrange a legitimate national election,” the man said and paused waiting for a reply.
“How long do you think arranging the national election would take?” Jim asked.
“Five years tops. Perhaps as little as two, but realistically I think that’s a pipe dream. It might take as much as a year just to get an adequate census accomplished. Then there is voter registration, and a l
itany of other things which would need to be accomplished to ensure a free and democratic election.”
“One moment please, while I consult with the other council members,” Jim said.
“Of course and please take your time. This is an important decision,” Tom replied smoothly.
“Your thoughts?” asked Jim.
“I don’t believe his story about the bikers and the slavers,” Pete said at once. “I think he wanted to link up with them to use them as strong arm men for his plan.”
Nodding his head in agreement, Tim said, “I think he’s a despot dictator or will be if he gets the opportunity.”
“So tell him no, or do you want to be coy and maybe arrange a meeting?” Jim asked.
“Ask him how many men he has,” Pete said smiling.
Laughing Jim said, “I seriously doubt we could trust his numbers, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“Tom, my associates are curious. We know what we are bringing to the table, however we know very little about you and your people. Would you care to give us a bit of information regarding your troops?” Jim asked.
“Oh come now, Jim, surely you have the reports by now about our column size and the composition of our rather large convoy, but to answer your question, we are still small. There are barely three thousand of us, but all are able bodied fighting men of considerable skill.”
“That’s impossible. The convoy is in no way big enough for that many men unless all of our reports are terribly inaccurate,” Pete pointed out.
Nodding his head in recognition of Pete’s opinion, Jim keyed the microphone and said, “Tom, our reports indicate a considerably smaller column heading our way. We also have a report that your men stole several tankers of fuel in Texas.”