by Ricky Sides
The lieutenant signaled the point man to move deeper into the cave. But he was uneasy because the enemy had to have heard the gunfire, and they would be waiting. Speaking quietly to his point man he ordered him to stop the moment that he reached a spot where the corridor widened sufficiently for a man to pass him.
The man signaled that he’d heard with a hand signal and then he concentrated on what his flashlight was revealing to him. He reported that the corridor opened into another chamber about twenty yards ahead. He was about to say more when a black form came hurtling into view running full speed at the sergeant. Before he had time to react, the sergeant felt the weight of the animal slam into him. The point man fell flat on his back, struggling desperately to keep the Doberman’s snapping jaws away from his face.
The lieutenant saw the man go down and scrambled to get to the dog that was attacking his man. “Not again!” he screamed as he slammed the butt of his rifle stock into the center of the dog’s back. The dog yelped in pain and the point man managed to throw it off him. “Stay down,” the lieutenant ordered as he shot the dog twice. He helped the point man to his feet and asked, “Are you alright?”
“Thanks to you, yes I am,” the man stated but the lieutenant could see that he was shaken by the experience. He knew that anyone would be shaken if they’d experienced what had just happened to the sergeant.
The corridor was wide enough now for him to slide past the man. He did so and stopped. “You cover our rear. Let the others pass you before you follow.”
“Sir, I can do my part,” the man said.
“That was an order, Sergeant,” the lieutenant said. Then in a softer tone of voice he added, “You have done your part. Now it is time for someone else to take point.”
One by one the other men moved past the point man and followed the lieutenant. Lieutenant Wilcox tried to report the incident to the captain, but apparently he couldn’t hear him. They were so deep below the surface that the radio system was failing. He’d expected that at some point. Shrugging he moved on deeper into the cavern system.
Outside the cave, Jim tried again to reach the lieutenant and received no response. Namid had located another entrance to the northwest approximately a mile away. She was hovering there just out of sight of the entrance waiting to see if the strike force team “flushed a rabbit,” as she had put it. Jim, Pete, and their seven men were double-timing it to Namid’s position. The remaining drone would wait at the original entrance.
Lieutenant Wilcox moved carefully toward the chamber that they were approaching. By now, the corridor had opened up to five feet wide and seven feet tall. There was nowhere inside the corridor for anyone to hide, but the next threat might come from the chamber ahead. A dim light was coming from the chamber. The lieutenant motioned for his men to kill their lights and he did the same.
The lieutenant moved closer to the entrance. He thought that he heard a sound ahead and paused. Then he had an inspiration, and he stepped back to speak to one of the men. “John, let me borrow your little mirror you use for shaving in the field,” he whispered.
“You want to shave at a time like this?” John whispered back but he dug the mirror out of a pocket.
Nodding his thanks, the lieutenant motioned for the men to get low and he went to the prone position himself. He crawled to a position near the entry to the next chamber. Holding the mirror in his left hand and his pistol in his right fist he prepared himself mentally for what he was about to do. Reaching out slowly with his left hand just above the floor he held the mirror face down toward the floor of the passageway. There was a clearly defined area of shadow followed by the area illuminated by the light emanating from the chamber. What he had to do was get his hand in position so that he could use the mirror to see inside the chamber, but avoid the lighted area in the process. It was also critical that he move very slowly because rapid movement, even in the darker shadow, would stand out. When he had the mirror positioned where he wanted it, he rotated his wrist and used the mirror to study the interior of the chamber. He saw a man pointing a rifle at the entrance and other armed men standing nearby. He did not see any of the Dobermans. Moving slowly he rotated his wrist until the mirror was facing the ground and then he drew his left arm back away from the opening.
Moving as quietly as possible, he moved back to his men and explained what he had learned. Then he explained what they would do. One of his men handed him the grenade that he requested. He double-checked that it was just a stun grenade, and not one of the powerful high explosive or fragmentation grenades. Those types would be a serious threat to everyone’s safety in the confines of a cave. Assured that he had the correct ordinance, Lieutenant Wilcox moved back into position. Frowning, the lieutenant wondered if he’d ever actually get to use his right hand when tossing grenades at the enemy. He hoped that this turned out as well as the El Morro mission in Cuba where he’d last had to use his off hand to deliver a grenade.
Pulling the pin on the grenade he glanced back at his men. They were on their feet and ready. Sweeping his arm around, he threw the grenade inside the chamber. A moment later, there was a thudding explosion and a blinding flash of bright light. His men rushed past him firing as they entered the chamber. Lieutenant Wilcox darted to his feet and rushed in behind his men. There was a brief firefight, as the enemy inside the chamber fought back. Out of the corner of his eye, the lieutenant saw several men dart into another corridor and run away.
The moment that the last enemy in the chamber went down, Lieutenant Wilcox entered the corridor where he’d seen the rest of the adversaries flee the battle. This corridor was a winding path that snaked first left and then right before straightening out for about one hundred feet. The lieutenant came around the curve into that one hundred foot straight area and saw a muzzle flash ahead. Something slammed into his chest and slammed him against the wall. One of his men darted past and sprayed the corridor with automatic weapons fire as another man grabbed the lieutenant and pulled him back beyond the line of sight of the straightaway. The medic looked at the lieutenant and asked, “Did it penetrate your armor, sir?”
“No, I’m alright. It just took my breath there for a moment. That’s like getting hit with a baseball.” The lieutenant darted back around the corner and followed the men who had advanced beyond him. Their lieutenant had done his part. They wouldn’t let him walk point anymore this mission.
Outside the cavern, Jim, Pete and their men arrived at what they hoped was the other entrance to the cavern that the strike team was traversing. Standing near the entrance, Pete said, “Listen!” He heard the sound of automatic weapons fire coming from the cave. Smiling he said, “Oh yeah, this is it.” Without another word, he pulled his pistol and entered the cavern with Jim hot on his heels.
The strike force team moved rapidly down the one hundred foot straight section of the passageway. They came to a left bend in the passage and the point man dropped to his knees. Edging carefully toward the curve of the corridor he laid his rifle down on the ground gently. Drawing his pistol, he cupped his hand around the top of the slide to minimize the sound as he flicked off the safety. Throwing his body forward he twisted in midair and landed on his side with his arm extended. He fired one shot and his head whipped back violently. Seeing that, one of the other men grabbed his legs and dragged him back out of the line of fire.
“I think I got him,” the man said, and then he shook his head. “I think I’m getting a headache,” he quipped.
Lieutenant Wilcox looked at the man’s half helmet. A bullet had struck the helm a glancing blow. If the man hadn’t been wearing that helmet, the odds were that he’d have been killed. “This is your lucky day friend,” the lieutenant said as he helped the man to his feet.
Another man took point, and at the nod from the lieutenant he darted around the corner with his weapon at the ready. He fired four shots and then charged out of sight down the corridor. The rest of the team moved out to follow him. They ran past a dead man and a dead Doberman. They
stopped at another bend in the passageway. This one turned slightly to the right and seemed to angle upward. This time the point man dove for the floor beyond the bend. As his body fell he twisted around and fired his rifle three times up the corridor.
The man got to his feet and proceeded slowly up the corridor, toward yet another cavern chamber. He paused to switch magazines, replacing the partially spent magazine with a full one that he shoved into place in his M16. Moving cautiously now, the man sensed that there was a large group of the enemy nearby. He made his way silently to the end of the corridor and paused. Inside the large cavern he could see no enemy in evidence, but his senses were screaming at him that they were there. He could see that the chamber was large, though it seemed that the left section was shallow. He darted into the room with his weapon at the ready facing the right deeper side of the chamber. The Doberman that attacked him sprang from the left as pistol fire from the right impacted the man’s left shoulder. The dog savaged the back of the man’s leg, and then it died when another team member shot the animal four times.
Other men rushed past the wounded man, and the medic grabbed him, and pulled the wounded man to the comparative safety of the corridor. The pistol round hadn’t penetrated the bullet resistant fabric but the shoulder would be bruised and sore. The leg was another matter. The medic slit open the man’s pant leg and placed a pressure bandage on the wound, taping it in place. In moments, the man was on his feet again.
Rounding the corner the two men saw that the fighting had moved into another corridor and then they heard heavy firing from further down the cavern system.
Lieutenant Wilcox saw the men that they were fighting disappear around a corner, and then he heard automatic weapons fire coming from further down the passages. The men he’d just seen running from his team, ran back into view firing in his direction as they ran. His men opened fire and moments later, the battle in the cavern system was over.
“Lieutenant Wilcox?” they heard Pete shout, and the men of the strike force team relaxed for the first time in what seemed like hours.
Chapter 6
The Constitution had spent the night hovering over Washington. They hadn’t remained at the Washington monument for the night. Bill had been too concerned about accidentally damaging one of the historic sites. Instead, they had parked above a large residential section. The night had passed uneventfully for the crew.
Today Bill had a slightly different plan. He planned to send all ten drones out over the city in addition to his fighters. He was already all but certain that the city was abandoned, but he wanted to be thorough in his investigation for the council. When the investigation of Washington was over, he’d move on to investigate New York.
As the morning progressed, Bill received reports from the fighter pilots and the drones. So far every neighborhood gave every appearance of having been deserted and every grocery store appeared to have been emptied of all its contents.
As the morning passed, and the afternoon began, Bill ordered the fighters to several different locations to check out electronic and computer stores. Many of those had been looted, but a few seemed to be intact. He had Holly print out several copies of a list of components from a file in the Constitution’s databanks. He then took those lists to Sergeant Carter and said, “Sergeant, we are going to approach to within a block of the location on the letterhead of this list. When we arrive, we’ll land. I want you and your men to make your way to the store. See if the items on the list are present. If they are inside the shop, you and your men are to retrieve the entire inventory of those items. If you encounter any personnel in the area, break off the mission and return to the ship. If the store is occupied by the owners take nothing. Take the items, only if you are certain that the store has been abandoned.”
“Understood, sir,” Sergeant Carter replied. “May I ask what these items are for, sir?”
“Most are laser components that are becoming increasingly hard to locate. The rest are for some special project that Pol is being secretive about, so I have no idea,” Bill said grinning.
Turning serious Bill said, “I’ll be sending a pair of drones with you to watch your back, Sergeant. These items are important to the peacekeepers, but not as important as you and your men. If you obtain them, but have to run for any reason then you are to drop the items and get the men to safety. The men come first and always will when it comes to scavenging.”
“Thank you, sir. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” the sergeant said looking relieved.
“Take all your men. I’ll have six drones to land and the six operators will man guard duty in your absence. Two of the drones will assist the guards just outside the bay,” Bill clarified and then he turned to walk away.
Sergeant Carter yelled, “Alright, you guys get into your battle gear. We have a mission.
Bill paused and turned to face the men. Spotting Private Evan Jones, he walked over to the man and asked, “Are your hands completely healed now?”
“Yes, sir, they are. Thank you for asking,” the private said and grinned ruefully. “I’m sorry about that, Captain. I just wanted to help win the fight that day,” he explained.
“You did do that, Private, but I don’t expect you to sacrifice your hands to save a few minutes on a reload turnaround,” Bill said.
“No, sir, you wouldn’t. That’s why we work so hard to do right by you, sir. You do the same for us,” the private said smiling.
Bill felt a surge of emotion that he’d never before experienced. For the first time he began to get a clearer picture of why Jim had sometimes said some of the things he’d said, and done some of the things he’d done. Putting his hand on the private’s shoulder, he thanked him and walked back to the control room.
Thirty minutes later, all of the preparations were ready. The six drone operators had landed their drones and reported for duty in the cargo bay in full gear. The ship landed gently and the cargo bay door opened. The sergeant moved out with his men and they made their way one block over to the electronics store. The entry team made quick work of the lock and soon they were inside the store. The electronics store was large and not very well illuminated. Since the city had no power, the only light entering the shop was sunlight. It took the team almost half an hour to locate all of the items on the list but they did manage to locate them. Systematically the strike force team carried those items aboard the ship, stowing them in their cargo bay. Two of the six guards were put to work securing the packages for flight. An hour after the first load was brought aboard, the team had accomplished their mission.
Next Bill went to the sergeant with another list for another location. This time it was a top end computer store. “These items will help Patricia to build the next generation main computer for the peacekeepers,” Bill explained. “They will also greatly improve our communications systems. But the same rules apply, Sergeant,” Bill stated solemnly.
“Understood, sir,” the sergeant replied.
“Good. We’ll be landing shortly. You men watch your backs,” the captain said and returned to the control room. He passed the cook and his assistants as they rushed down the hall with a cart laden with sandwiches and coffee for the men.
It took two hours to gather the items from the computer store and load them into the cargo bay. Special care had to be taken with these components to ensure that they were not damaged. Some were very fragile.
When this process was completed, Bill took the final list to the sergeant. “This time it is body armor that we seek. The peacekeepers have grown to the point that we are all but out of hard armor and many of the latest recruits have to share armor. This shop catered to elite police units, and Special Forces. It is one of the biggest shops in the northeast. We’ll begin today, but may have to finish the loading tomorrow,” Bill explained.
Inside that shop, they found a modest display room where a few sets of hard body armor were exhibited. Beyond that room was the warehouse that contained the stock of this body armor. The sergeant sent
the captain a message when he entered that room. He said, “Sir, I think this will take a few days. There must be thousands of sets here.”
It took the crew the rest of that day and a portion of the next to move all of the body armor into the Constitution. By the time that they had it all loaded, portions of the armor had been stored in every crew cabin.
The trip to New York would have to wait. The ship was not really overloaded when it came to weight. The new acquisitions weren’t that much heavier than an additional two hundred men and the supplies required for them. But they were very bulky. It was going to be a miracle if they got all of the gear back to the base without a mishap.
***
Lieutenant Wilcox and his strike force team walked tiredly up the boarding ramp into the cargo bay of the Peacekeeper battleship module. He ordered the door guards inside and secured the bay door.
It had taken them a good four hours to thoroughly search every nook and cranny of the cavern system in an attempt to ferret out who those people were and why they had attacked the peacekeepers. It had been hard work but the lieutenant was fairly certain that he now had an answer to the mystery for the council.
Lieutenant Wilcox walked to the small mess hall of the Peacekeeper where the council was waiting to be briefed on what he had learned. Stepping inside the room the lieutenant noted that Pol, Namid, Patricia, Maggie, and Lacey were also present. He set a small black canvas bag on the table, and sat down tiredly. Lacey poured him a cup of coffee from the thermos pot the cook had brought for the occupants and placed a large club sandwich before him.
“Eat, Lieutenant. You can make your report after you’ve eaten,” Jim said
“I hope the cook fixed a little something for the boys. They’ll be as hungry as I am,” the lieutenant said thinking of his men.