by Robert Boren
A smile rose through her tears. “I’ll be with him for the rest of my life. We’re on the same page about that.”
Ji-Ho smiled, shaking his head yes.
“What can I do to help you?”
“Have patience,” Ji-Ho said. “I already better now. Be fine for days, then this again. Maybe should have somebody with me when driving battle wagon. Clem and Sarah. I talk to them.”
“Yes, you do that. Do you want something to eat? I’ll fix you something.”
“No, you not nurse, I do fine. Please?”
“Okay, Uncle, but if there’s ever any help that you need, please ask.”
There was a knock at the door. “Ji-Ho, you know where Kaylee is?”
She got up and went to the door, opening it for him, pulling him into her arms.
“You’ve been crying,” he said, looking into her red swollen eyes.
“I’ve got a lot to tell you about,” she whispered.
“Hi, Trevor,” Ji-Ho said, walking slowly out of the bedroom.
“You don’t look so good,” Trevor said.
“I’m getting better. Kaylee tell you what going on. We have meeting, I bet.”
“Half an hour,” Trevor said.
“Good, then let me get ready. I see you in while.”
Kaylee looked at Trevor, and nodded at the door. They went back to their coach.
***
Saladin sat in the cave, going over battle plans with his top lieutenants. The location was getting to him. Capitol Reef had its charms, but it was dusty and hot, with all manner of disgusting insects and rodents making themselves known at the worst of times. His phone rang. He looked at the screen. “I must take this. Leadership. Carry on.” He walked out with it to his ear, into the mid-day Utah heat.
“Liking the desert?” Daan asked.
“What do you want?”
“Sorry, couldn’t resist. I’m not liking where I am all that much either, by the way.”
“And that is?”
“The great southwest,” Daan said.
“That doesn’t narrow things down much. I’m in the great southwest myself. Not sure what’s so great about it.”
Daan chuckled. “The rest of your men make it to Utah okay?”
“They’re all here. We’re planning a surprise attack on the Kansas base, which my sources tell me isn’t much of a base at all.”
“Never underestimate this enemy,” Daan said.
“What’s on your mind? I’m busy.”
“The UN and the EU got their differences ironed out,” Daan said. “They’re sending more troops to California, and that’s not all.”
“The US Navy is still out there,” Saladin said. “And don’t forget those pesky citizens.”
“Ivan’s moved everything he has into the south. He thinks that’s his main problem. We took out his social media team last night.”
“Ben Dover’s team? Is he dead?”
“We don’t know for sure yet,” Daan said. “Probably. When our commandos attacked and tried to take possession of their computer equipment, it all blew up. We don’t control the Sacramento authorities right now, so we’re waiting for official information on the bodies. I’ve heard it’s hard to tell the remains of one person from another. Probably a DNA job.”
“He’s still alive. He detonated the bomb.”
“We’re thinking more like booby trap, but we’ll see. It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter, because Ben Dover will start a new team quickly,” Saladin said. “I’ve seen reports on the movement of citizens down to the border. They’ve got an impressive number there already.”
“And you know the troops headed north aren’t your best,” Daan said. “Even with significantly larger numbers, they’ll have a hard time winning.”
“That’s why I wanted to take the two hundred thousand down there.”
“You stay on General Hogan,” Daan said. “We’ve got another plan in the works right now.”
“Are you going to tell me what it is? I’m not seeing the point of this conversation.”
“We’re moving the good troops up into central Mexico to crush the US Army and their Mexican allies,” Daan said.
“On whose authority? We need those troops to finish our conquest of Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, and all of those stupid Central American countries that I can’t remember the names of.”
“They’ll be back down there soon enough, and we aren’t moving all of them. Just the best ones.”
“You’ve been watching the reports from down there, right?” Saladin asked. “The locals are starting to organize better. They’ve been watching Ivan the Butcher and some of the other nationalist scum who are still active.”
“Minor problem,” Daan said.
“It wasn’t so minor up here.”
“Yes, but down there the citizenry isn’t armed, and they’re used to taking orders from whoever is in charge. Add to that the fact that there’s nobody running guns to them, and that makes the resistance insignificant.”
“Remember the Viet Cong?” Saladin asked. “You damn Europeans learn nothing from history.”
“Says the man who thinks we’ll all eventually bend the knee to Allah,” Daan cracked. “Whatever. We need you to work strategy with the forces down there. They need some perspective, and when you aren’t doing something stupid, you have a good handle on things.”
“I’m going to hang up now.”
“No, you’re not,” Daan said. “Right now your reputation is crap, but it won’t be if you cooperate with us on this. I’m giving you a life line. I wish I could move you there. Your chances of survival would be better.”
“Why?”
“George Franklin and General Hogan,” Daan said. “Forget about them already?”
Saladin was silent for a moment.
“I can tell that you haven’t,” Daan said. “Healthy.”
“I’m angry, not scared,” he spat.
“Then you aren’t as smart as I thought you were.”
“Have you forgotten about the US Army in Mexico?” Saladin asked.
“Have you forgotten that the leadership running the Mexican campaign is part of the coalition, which is on our side? We’ll turn on the nationalists in the Mexican government. We’ll root them all out and take over. Then we can renew attacks on the US mainland from over the border, as we were doing so successfully before.”
“That coalition is falling apart, and the US Government, regardless of what they say, aren’t helping,” Saladin said. “They’re dragging their feet every step of the way.”
“The US Government feels the urgency of moving more quickly,” Daan said. “We put the fear of God into them.”
“You’re thinking that the attack on southern California is a diversion,” Saladin said. “That’s too many men to waste on such a risky venture, even if they aren’t our best men.”
“It’s only partly a diversion. We’ll still overrun the border and re-take major parts of eastern San Diego County. Then we’ll stage for an assault on western San Diego County, but we’ll have to time it with the arrival of more troops. We’ll probably lose a lot of that force, but no matter. A victory here and there will lull our enemy.”
“You guys are delusional,” Saladin said. One of his people scurried over to him with a note. He looked at it and laughed. “If I were you I’d abandon this stupid plan and pull the South American troops back where they can hold some ground.”
“Why?”
“The US Marines are shelling our troops. You guys put them someplace where they have no cover. It’s gonna be a bloodbath before they even get close to the damn border.”
Daan was silent for a moment.
“You there?” Saladin asked.
“I need to make a few calls.”
{14}
The Livery Stable
J ules woke up from a long sleep, the feeling of panic hitting him as he reached for Shelley on her empty side of the bed. He picked up his phon
e. It was already 10:00. The sound of women laughing approached, and then he could hear Shelley, Dana, and Karen chatting happily. The door of the coach opened, Shelley walking to the bedroom.
“Meeting coming up, honey. Time to get up.”
“Yes, I know,” he said, getting out of bed and stretching. “Walking the grounds?”
“This place is a full-on riot. It’s like a movie set, except it’s all real.”
“I like. The saloon was fun.”
She watched as he got dressed. “Want a cup of coffee to take along?”
“Sure, in paper cup if we still have,” he said, sitting on the bed to tie his shoes.
“We still do.” She turned on the generator, then went into the kitchen as he finished.
“Who’s running meeting?” Jules asked, taking the warm paper cup from Shelley’s hands.
“Our host and somebody named Sam. They’re holding it in a barn at the end of main street.”
“Good,” Jules said, sipping the coffee. “Get enough sleep?”
“I did. You?”
“Yes. Glad I didn’t hang around the saloon too late last night.”
They headed for the door, Jules shutting down the generator before they left.
“We gonna get hookups?” Shelly asked.
“Not ask yet,” Jules said. “We talk about later. Might not happen until after battle. Coach fuel tank full, so generator is good fall back.”
They left the large pasture, rows of battle wagons on either side. Their friends were coming out, all heading for the main street, a block away to the north.
“I love this place,” Tex said, walking next to them with Karen, Sparky, and Dana.
Karen snickered. “He’s home.”
“Well, it’s not Texas, but it does have a certain charm,” he said.
“Most of the off-roaders got here early this morning,” Sparky said. “Woke me up. I need a little more sleep.”
“Anxious to see upgrades,” Jules said. “Did you look?”
“Not yet. What were they gonna do to them?” Sparky asked.
“Armor around driver and passenger, and new main gun.”
“New main gun?” Tex asked. “Those grenade launchers aren’t enough?”
“Ever hear of XM214 microgun?” Jules asked.
“I remember those,” Sparky said.
“My mind’s drawing a blank on that one, partner,” Tex said.
“They cancelled that program,” Sparky said.
“Is somebody gonna tell me what it is?” Tex asked. Karen laughed, rolling her eyes.
Jules chuckled. “Mini gun that fire .223 ammo.”
“Holy crap,” Tex said. “Seriously?”
“Yes, plans from GE’s original program. Ivan set up shop. Use 3-D printers for parts and mount. Attach to existing M19 grenade launcher.”
“I’m interested,” Tex said. “Suppose we get hand-held versions of those? Probably kick less than an M60 or a BAR. The rate of fire would make up for the lower-power round.”
“I request,” Jules said. “Ivan say no. Unit weigh 35 pounds. Also need power source. Too much to carry, no?”
Sparky laughed. “I’m not up to that. I’ll stick with my trusty M60. That’s heavy enough.”
They rounded the corner, getting onto the wooden sidewalk of the main street.
“I smell food,” Shelley said.
“Have more appetite now, huh?” Karen asked. Shelley shot her a sharp glare. Nobody else seemed to notice.
“I see barn,” Jules said. “Sign say Livery Stable. Where O.K. Corral?”
Tex chuckled. “Look, horses.” He nodded to several which were tied up in front of the saloon.
“Where are Ji-Ho’s battle wagons?” Sparky asked.
“We saw some on the far end of town,” Shelley said, “where we walked this morning. They’ve got hookups over there, but it doesn’t look like there’s room for more coaches.”
“How many were there?” Tex asked.
“About twenty,” Karen said. “Some of them looked brand new.”
“Yes, Ivan send more,” Jules said.
“Listen,” Sparky said, slowing. “That sounds like a chopper.”
“Oh, crap, maybe we should have our guns with us,” Karen said.
“Probably Ivan,” Jules said. He whipped out his phone and sent a text. It dinged with a reply in seconds. “Yes, Ivan and Ben. Came from local airport.”
They watched as the chopper came down in the field behind the streets.
“You want to go meet them, honey?” Shelley asked.
“No, we see in barn.”
They walked past the rest of the street, getting onto a dirt path between the end of the wooden sidewalk and the barn. Sam was outside with Garrett, Clem, and Sid, welcoming the crowd as they came in.
“Good morning,” Jules said.
Sam smiled. “Great to see you guys. There’s food on the long tables just inside the door.”
“Thanks, partner,” Tex said.
They entered, got some food, and carried their paper plates to benches set up in front, the first row already occupied. Robbie and Morgan were there, sitting next to Justin and Katie.
Karen sat next to Shelley and made eye contact, then moved close to whisper. “Sorry.”
Shelley shrugged, whispering back. “Nobody noticed.”
Seth and Kaitlyn came in and sat behind them, Angel and Megan joining. Trevor and Kaylee showed up a moment later, Megan freezing when she saw Kaylee’s puffy eyes.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“I’ll tell you after this,” Kaylee said. Trevor glanced at Megan, hurt in his eyes, then put his arm around Kaylee’s shoulders and pulled her close.
Ed came in with Ryan and Tyler. Erica followed, but moved towards the front to be next to Sam instead of sitting with them. Anna showed up a moment later, going to Garrett.
The barn filled quickly, and then there was commotion at the door. Jules turned, his face breaking into a broad smile as he saw Ivan and Ben walking up the center isle with Garrett, Sam, and Ji-Ho. Ivan had on his usual pin-striped suit with fedora, looking well pressed.
The crowd hushed as Garrett got on the small platform, taking the podium. He tapped the microphone, which sounded throughout the large space. “Sounds like it’s on. Welcome, everybody. Glad you could make it. There’s plenty of food, so don’t be shy.”
“Thanks!” said somebody from the back. Others muttered in agreement. The crowd got silent again.
“I’d like to introduce two of our friends. I know all of you have heard of them, maybe seen them on video too, but this is the first time most of you have seen them in person. Ivan and Ben. Come on up here, guys!”
Ivan came up, tipping his hat to the audience as the crowd roared, Ben following him, looking embarrassed at the attention.
“You all should be proud of yourselves,” Ivan began. “You’ve been the driving force in the victories we’ve had over the Islamists and the UN. Thanks to you, our state is well on the way to stamping out their operations completely. Together we’ll work to finish the job as quickly as possible, so we can all go back to our normal lives.”
The people cheered, Ivan waiting, looking at the crowd, then over at Garrett and the others. He spoke again when they were quiet.
“We have a great battle starting as we speak, to the south. We are facing some terrible odds, but we have more help than we had in the past. The US Navy and the Marines are joining us this time. Most of you know that there are three-quarters of a million enemy troops walking towards the border. Marine artillery is pounding them right now. They won’t have those numbers for long. That doesn’t mean the battle is won, though. Not by a long shot. Many of these invaders will get through, and many people on both sides will be killed or wounded.”
He looked out over the quiet crowd for a moment.
“I believe we will win this battle, and win it big. The enemy will not get their new supply of troops to rescue those trapped here af
ter their numerous defeats. We will halt the advance of the invaders, and then root out the remaining enemy fighters from all over the state.”
“Are we going down there to join the battle?” asked Cody, from the middle of the crowd.
“That remains to be seen,” Ivan said. “We’re well dug in along the border, and very well armed. Along with the artillery we’re using there, the area between Old Highway 80 and the border is rigged with claymore mines, and we have hundreds of mortars set up. Trains have brought boxcar after boxcar of Marines into the area, as the multitude of citizens continue to arrive. Our biggest problem right now is that the major roads into the area are clogged with incoming recruits.”
“What are we gonna do?” Angel asked. “If the roads are clogged, we won’t be able to get our battle wagons down there.”
“We’ll be doing cleanup of any enemy fighters who get through, and we’ll be a staging ground for the citizen recruits who are continuing to arrive. We’ll also be handling re-supply of ammo and weapons as long as the battle rages.”
“What’s the Navy going to do to help?” asked Tyler.
“Two main things,” Ivan said. “First, they’ll insure that no EU ships land additional troops in this area. We know for a fact that the EU Navy is sending ships full of UN Peacekeepers, to re-take the parts of California they’ve lost. We’ll destroy them before they get close.”
“Who’s minding the store up north now that you’ve moved down here?” Ed asked.
“I didn’t bring my entire team down here,” Ivan said, “and we’ve still got the citizenry who did most of the heavy lifting. We’ll coordinate with them whenever we get news of a possible attack.”
“What’s the other thing the Navy is doing?” Trevor asked.
“Air support,” Ivan said. “Their jets and helicopters will pound the enemy once they’ve gotten across the border, assuming some of them will.”
The room broke into murmurs.
“Won’t they hit some of our people if they wait until the enemy crosses the border?” Susanne asked, standing next to Elmer and Willard in the back.
“Special care will be taken to prevent losses due to friendly fire,” Ivan said.
“They should’ve hit them south of the border,” Willard said.