The Peacekeepers. Books 7 - 9 (The Peacekeepers Boxset Book 3)

by Ricky Sides

  Jack observed as his officers did their jobs. He didn’t try to micromanage the battles. His people had all been accepted based on their experience and skill. He generally issued the orders that brought them into combat, but once the shooting started, he let the pilot and gunner do what they did best, unless there was a specific reason he needed to do otherwise.

  As Namid executed the slip maneuver, the nose of the Arizona lined up with the ship that Lieutenant Rockwell had attacked with the laser on the initial pass. The gunner fired at that ship again, striking it in the wheelhouse. The red pulses caused their anticipated secondary explosions, and then Namid was once more making an attack run.

  “Gunny, I’m going to drop down behind the big battleship. Think you can hit the screw area and kill their engine?” Namid asked.

  “You just get me there, pilot. I’ll kill that engine,” the gunner said with a wicked grin.

  The Arizona ran the gauntlet once more. The peacekeeper ship returned fire at the lead warship, which was hammering incessantly at their hull with the anti-aircraft deck gun. Following Namid’s plan, they stopped and dropped to a hover twenty feet above the surface of the ocean, aft of the battleship. "Targeting the waterline, sir," the gunner said.

  The gunner had just discharged the forward laser when the pilot shouted, "Incoming vessel!" That was all the time she had for communication. Falling back on her fighter pilot experience, Namid put the Arizona into a hard climb to avoid a collision with the small frigate, which was doing its best to ram the peacekeeper ship. The Arizona just barely avoided the collision, but the maneuver had an unexpected result. As the frigate passed beneath the Arizona, the drive field slammed into the stern of the vessel. The two g acceleration straight up that the crew of the Arizona experienced was nothing compared to the tons of pressure applied to the stern of the frigate. The stern dipped beneath the surface of the sea, and the ocean rushed into the gaping holes that had been drilled by the drones earlier as they attempted to sink the tenacious frigate. By the time Namid had the Arizona stabilized, the frigate was sinking.

  "Well I'll be damned," the captain said. "I didn't know we could sink ships with our drive?"

  "It wouldn't work on the larger ships, sir," replied the engineer, Abe Garner. "But it worked well on the frigate," he added with a smile.

  “Captain, the enemy is running for the fog,” Namid reported as she turned the Arizona to pursue them.

  “Did our laser do significant damage to the battleship, Lieutenant Rockwell?” Jack asked.

  “No, Captain. There wasn’t time,” the gunner responded.

  Jack observed the battleship as it was disappearing inside the oncoming fogbank. The gunner fired, but the laser had barely touched the surface of the stern before fog enveloped the ship. The lieutenant continued to fire, but Abe said, “David, cease fire. You’re just wasting energy now. The fog will protect the ship. It disperses and diffracts the beam.”

  The gunner stopped firing the laser. He would have switched to his conventional minigun, but that would have had little affect on the armored body of the vessel.

  “Are those fuel drums on the deck of the freighter just entering the fog?” Namid asked.

  “I’ll tell you in a sec,” David stated as he targeted one of the drums. Soon flaming fuel was spreading all over the deck. “Yep, that was fuel alright. Thanks for the assist,” the gunner said as the ship disappeared into the fogbank.

  “You’re welcome, Gunny,” Namid said and winked. For a few moments, the fires raging on the deck were reflected and refracted inside the fog. Seen from their vantage point, the scene took on a hellish aspect. But as the ship sailed deeper into the fog, the image faded from their view.

  By now, all of the ships had made it to the safety of the fogbank. “Shall we pursue them, Captain?” Namid asked.

  “No. We know that the fog is extensive, and that it cripples our primary weapon. We also have orders to get to Base 1 for resupply and repairs, if needed. The Admiral will have orders for us soon. Set a course for Base 1. Low g acceleration please, Namid,” Jack ordered.

  “Aye, Captain. Course is now set and we are en route,” Namid responded efficiently.

  Keying the intercom microphone, Jack said, “All hands, this is the captain speaking. We have broken off the attack on the enemy, and are returning to Base 1 for resupply and repairs. I want to thank you all for the splendid performance of the crew on this mission. Lieutenant Farns, please have your men inspect the ship for signs of damage that could prove to be a threat to the safety of the crew. Once your inspection has been completed, your men can stand down, grab some food, and get some sleep. I need the relief flight crew to report for duty in six hours, so make sure they get some rest.”

  A few seconds after Jack issued his instructions, Lieutenant Farns reported to the control room. “I’ll get right on the inspection, Captain. My guys are all good. They’ve had nothing to do for hours, so they’ve been sleeping a lot. The control room relief team has a request that they asked me to pass along, sir.”

  “What is it, Lieutenant?” asked Jack, but he thought he already knew.

  “Sir, since the fight is over for the moment, they’d like permission to relieve the flight crew now, so they can log more hours in the positions,” the lieutenant explained.

  Jack took one look at the hopeful expressions on the faces of the flight crew and made his decision. They had been on duty for sixteen hours and were exhausted. “Alright, Lieutenant. As soon as you complete your safety inspection, come back with the relief team. And, Lieutenant, you’ll be sitting in this chair. You can wake me if you spot an enemy.”

  “Yes, sir!” Lieutenant Farns said. He had never had the captain’s chair when they were in flight and was looking forward to the experience. The lieutenant turned and went toward the hallway that led back into the rest of the ship.

  “Lieutenant,” Jack said.

  “Yes, Captain?” the Lieutenant stopped, turned, and asked.

  “On second thought, only wake me if you are outnumbered,” the captain said, which was tantamount to giving Lieutenant Farns permission to take the Arizona into battle against a single enemy ship.

  “I won’t let you down, sir,” the officer said sincerely.

  “That thought never entered my mind, Lieutenant,” Jack said.

  ***

  Late in the day at Base 1, the drill instructors entered the barracks where the recruits were housed. One hundred men and thirty-two women were currently housed in the barracks complex, which was segregated for the two genders by partition panels. The recruits were ordered outside for an unscheduled formation.

  Once they were outside and in formation, they saw a captain that most recognized. Tim Wilison stepped toward the recruits and eyed them thoughtfully for a moment. When he spoke, he spoke loudly enough that the recruits could all hear him as he said, “Recruits, you have all completed your basic training, and are transitioning to your advanced training. Unfortunately, we are dealing with a national emergency and we council members feel we must come to you to ask for volunteers who are willing to enter service immediately, without their advanced training. You’ll still have to take that training at a later date, but if you volunteer, you’ll enter active service immediately.”

  Among the formation, recruits began to raise their hands and voice their willingness to volunteer, but Tim gestured for silence. “Put your hands down until you hear me out,” Tim ordered.

  When the recruits complied with his order, Tim continued, “I want you to understand the seriousness of your decision. If you volunteer, you’ll be going to Washington D.C. There, you’ll serve in the rear as guards, thus freeing up the better trained peacekeepers to man the front lines against the invaders, but there is no guarantee that you won’t see action. Make no mistake about it, if our air power can’t prevent the pirates from establishing a beachhead you will be in considerable danger.”

  Looking the recruits in the eyes, Tim said, “There will be no record kep
t of any recruit who wishes to remain at the base. You people aren’t ready for combat yet. There is no shame in staying here.” Pausing for emphasis, Tim let four long seconds elapse, and then he said, “Now, those of you wishing to go to Washington, please go to the armory and draw your weapon, along with a standard supply of magazines and ammunition. Do not load the weapons. God help the foul up who does! Those of you who wish to remain can return to the barracks now, and I’d better not hear of anyone giving those remaining at the base any grief because of their decision.”

  “Dismissed,” said Tim. He turned to the drill instructors and quietly ordered them to make certain no overzealous recruit loaded a weapon. He further instructed them to get the recruit volunteers fed and ready for the transport ship that would fly them to D.C. While he was talking to the drill instructors, Tim noticed that they were watching the recruits leave the formation. “Most of them going?” he finally asked.

  “All of them are going, Captain,” one of the drill instructors said with a touch of pride. Then frowning, he said, “Even Michael Drain and he’s got a couple of broken toes.”

  “Let him go, if he’s willing. God knows we need him there,” Tim said.

  “Things are gonna be that tough?” the D.I. asked.

  “I’m afraid so,” Tim responded. “The Potomac was enlarged by the disasters. There’s no way in hell we can prevent a landing somewhere along that river. Not even if we had the entire fleet in Washington, and most of the fleet will be in the gulf, protecting the oil supply.”

  The man nodded his head. “If, you’ll excuse me, sir, I’m going to kiss the wife goodbye and go get my weapon. I’m going with them. Someone needs to keep those clowns safe.”

  The other three drill instructors followed suit.

  Chapter 9

  “Mom, what’s wrong?” Lisa asked Maggie. She had found her mother hastily wiping her eyes when she entered her office adjacent to the infirmary at the citadel. In all the years she had known her mother, she had never seen her cry without a very good reason. Usually that meant someone’s death.

  For a moment, it appeared as though Maggie wouldn’t answer her, but then she patted a chair beside her and asked Lisa to sit down. When her daughter was seated, Maggie said, “Your father doesn’t want anyone to know, sweetheart, which is why I haven’t already told you about his condition.”

  “Condition? Something’s wrong with dad?” Lisa said with an emotion-choked voice as she leapt to her feet.

  “Sit down, dear, and hear me out,” Maggie said.

  Lisa sat down again, and Maggie explained, “Your father has a heart condition. That’s one of the reasons I supported his decision to leave the Peacekeeper and take the job as base commander here at the citadel. I was hoping to keep him out of combat situations. I’m afraid the stress could trigger a heart attack.”

  “Dad’s still in Washington, isn’t he?” Lisa asked.

  “Yes, he is honey, and based on intercepted radio communications, they expect the pirates to launch an attack in another few days,” Maggie said.

  “Mom, let’s go to Washington. I’ll talk to dad. He’ll listen to me. He always listens,” said Lisa.

  However, Maggie was shaking her head. “I can’t, sweetheart. The citadel has been designated as an emergency medical treatment center for the Gulf of Mexico war zone. If I leave now, people could die because of my absence.”

  “Then I’ll hitch a ride with one of the APCs. They’re all going to Washington. I heard the pilots talking about it. They are leaving in a few hours,” Lisa explained.

  “And have you both in danger? No, Lisa. You’ll do no such thing. I only told you because I wanted you to understand the situation.” Maggie’s lower lip quivered slightly. Her eyes misted with tears despite her best effort to control her emotions as she added, “I wanted you to have the chance to talk to him again before the battle, so that you could say things that you might not otherwise say to him, if you didn’t know about the danger.”

  Maggie broke down and cried at that point. Lisa stood and hugged her mother as Maggie cried her heart out. “He’ll be ok, Mom. Dad’s tough.”

  Sniffing and wiping her nose on a rag, Maggie said, “Yes, Pete’s tough. You’re probably right, dear. I don’t know what’s come over me. I’m normally not this emotional.”

  “You love dad. Don’t apologize for that. I’ll never apologize for loving Evan. But I am going to Washington,” Lisa said with determination.

  “No, Lisa. Don’t do that to me. If I lost you both…”

  ”You won’t lose us both. I know what to do. I’d really like your permission, Mom, but I’m going, with or without your permission. I have to go. If I didn’t, and something happened to dad, I’d never forgive myself. I’ll be safe.”

  “Use the radio instead. You can talk to him on the radio and make your case. I can’t approve of a trip into a war zone for you.”

  “I’ve been around battles ever since we met,” Lisa correctly point out.

  “Not like this one, you haven’t. This will be on a much larger scale. Every battle you’ve ever seen the peacekeepers fight was small scale. On a scale of one to ten, you’ve seen ones, twos, and threes. This will be a ten. Honey, peacekeepers will die in this one. If we’re not really lucky, a lot of peacekeepers could die.”

  “But, Mom…”

  Maggie slammed her palm down on the tabletop near her. “Damnit, Lisa, I said no! It’s too dangerous!” Maggie said in a loud voice.

  Instantly regretting her angry outburst, she reached out a trembling hand to her daughter’s face and caressed her cheek as she had when Lisa had been a child. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to yell at you.”

  “I know, Mom. I don’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry I made you angry,” Lisa said and then she kissed Maggie on the cheek. “I’m going to the control room to use the radio. I might need you to talk to the duty staff to get me permission. I hear only priority communications are going out at the moment.”

  Hugging her daughter tightly, Maggie said, “That’s better, dear. I’m glad you finally see reason. I’ll call ahead and smooth the way with the communications people. And, Lisa, tell your father I love him.”

  “I will, Mom. Will I see you in the mess hall tonight?” asked Lisa.

  Breathing a tired sigh, Maggie shook her head in the negative. “I’ve got a million preparations I need to make prior to the battles. Proper preparation can and does save lives during the medical emergencies that are almost certain to arise. I’ll have food delivered here.”

  “Will you at least stop long enough to eat the food they bring you?” Lisa asked suspiciously.

  For the first time since Lisa’s visit in the infirmary, Maggie laughed. “You have your father’s way of anticipating my lapses. Yes, dear. I promise to stop to eat. I assume you’ll eat with Evan, so you two won’t be all alone.”

  “Actually, if you’re going to be busy, Evan and I will probably eat with Ralph and Harvey. Boys are odd. Ever since the fight, those three have become fast friends.”

  “It doesn’t always work out that way, honey. But in this case, the two young men weren’t really bad people. They were just bored. Evan is good for them. He’s also good for you. You just mind your manners young lady. There’ll be time aplenty for a more personal relationship with Evan when you two get a bit older,” Maggie said.

  “Geez, Mom. How many times are you going to give me that lecture?” Lisa asked and rolled her eyes.

  “Oh I can tell you precisely when you’ll hear it for the last time, dear,” Maggie said with a smile.

  “Now that’s something I’d like to hear,” Lisa remarked.

  “The day before your wedding,” Maggie said, smiling sweetly.

  “I hope the day before my wedding you’ll have better advice for me than that,” Lisa said.

  On impulse, Maggie said, “I’ll give you that now. Love your man more than yourself. Try to do a bit more for him than he does for you on a daily basis. During the
bad times, and you’ll see some; always remember the way you feel about him on your wedding day. Nurture that love the way you’d nurture a plant. Fertilize it with unselfishness, devotion, and respect. Do those things, Lisa, and you’ll make your marriage a success, provided your spouse reciprocates.”

  “That’s really good, Mom. Thank you for that advice. I’ll remember it and always try to follow that advice,” Lisa said.

  “Now you run along and make your call. I’ll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast. I’ll be working late here tonight,” explained Maggie.

  Heading for the door, Lisa called out over her shoulder, “Don’t forget to contact the communications officer.”

  “I won’t,” Maggie promised. “Call me and tell me how the conversation goes.”

  Lisa nodded, indicating that she would call, and then she left the infirmary.

  Fifteen minutes later, Lisa was waiting for the radio operator to connect her to the Valiant. In just a few moments, she learned that Pete was out in the city with Jim doing an inspection of the capital. Lisa called her mom and reported that Pete wasn’t available to speak with her. She promised to try again later, but she wouldn’t call again until there was something to tell her.

  Lisa left the control room and headed directly to her quarters. She was packing a bag when someone knocked at her door. “Who is it?” she asked in a loud enough tone of voice to carry through the door.

  “It’s me, Evan,” a muffled voice responded.

  Lisa hesitated for just a minute. She knew Evan wasn’t going to like her leaving the citadel to go to Washington, but they’d always been honest with each other, and she didn’t want to lie. With a sigh, Lisa turned from her packing and opened the door.

  Entering the room, Evan’s eyes fell on the canvas bag that Lisa had been packing. “Are you going somewhere?” he asked curiously.

  “I have to go to Washington. I am going to hitch a ride with one of the APCs. They are all leaving for the city in a few hours,” Lisa explained.