by Robert Boren
Sparky laughed, but then shut up when nobody else did.
“Go ahead, please,” Ivan said.
“We ran the history report late this morning because of the meeting,” Robbie said. “We noticed that roughly seven hundred icons disappeared.”
“Uh oh,” Ted said. “When?”
“Early this morning.”
“From where?”
“Julian,” Seth said.
“You think they’re being moved in shielded vehicles?” Ted asked.
“Don’t know what else to think,” Seth said.
“What if they all took out their chips and burned them?” Erica asked.
“No way,” Kaitlyn said. “They disappeared in a window of about ten minutes.”
“I’m still not getting how they’d have the capacity to hide that many fighters,” Sparky said.
“That’s what we thought at first,” Robbie said, “but we did some research and found out how many people could be stuffed into semi-trailers. A two-trailer semi rig could hold about five-hundred.”
“Where’d you get that info?” Sparky asked.
“In an article on smuggling illegal immigrants,” Kaitlyn said.
“Oh,” Ivan said. “Makes sense. You’re saying all they’d need is two semis to get them down here.”
“That’s still a lot of lead shielding,” Sparky said. “Where’d they get it?”
“That’s a question for another day,” Ivan said. “We have to assume they solved the lead problem, and that they’re coming here.”
“It’s likely that they’re already here, partner,” Tex said. “Getting pretty close to noon.”
“Let’s get Sam on line,” Ji-Ho said.
“Yeah, I think you right,” Jules said. “I patch into this call.” He fumbled with his phone for a moment, then set it back down. “You on, Sam?”
“Yeah,” Sam said. “Was just going to call you guys.”
“Robbie, still on?” Jules asked.
“Yes,” Robbie said.
“Uh oh, what’s going on?” Sid asked.
Ji-Ho got closer to the phone. “History program show seven hundred enemy fighters disappear from Julian early this morning.”
“Son of a bitch,” Garrett said. “We’re about to get hit.”
“Very possible,” Ivan said. “What were you guys going to tell us?”
“We’re on this stagecoach road,” Sid said. “All of a sudden we start seeing grayish white pebbles.”
“That route the van come on?” Jules asked.
“Yes,” Sid said. “There’s a gravel road back here someplace.”
“They probably used it to get over that dry creek bed off Honey Springs Road,” Willard said. “I knew it as soon as that road got brought up.”
“Who brought it up?” Garrett asked.
Willard smiled. “I did, when Erica mentioned the old stagecoach road.”
“Okay, let’s focus on next steps,” Ivan said. “Time isn’t on our side.”
“I agree,” Ted said. “We need to cover the back door and the front door. We know they’ve got at least two semis on the way.”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Sparky said.
“Yeah, but we have to assume it,” Ted said.
Jules nodded. “Ted right.”
“I’m texting my guys,” Garrett said. “We’ll get the cannons manned and loaded. They’re all pointing at the entrance roads on that side of the property. I’ll get the cavalry on alert as well.”
“We send off-roaders to where you are,” Jules said.
“All of them?” Ted asked.
“Yes,” Jules said, “off-roaders there, battle wagons here with infantry. We have many now. Enemy won’t win.”
“What kind of cannon do you guys have?” Ivan asked.
Seth chuckled. “Don’t ask.”
“Hey, don’t knock them,” Willard said. “They’ll split a semi wide open with one shot.”
Ivan’s eyes were still questioning. Willard laughed. “We’ve got civil war cannons, sir. With plenty of powder and cannon balls. Knocked the crap out of the enemy with those suckers more than once.”
“Okay, we’ll chat about that later,” Garrett said. “My men just got my text, and they’re getting into position. Let’s get those off-roaders coming this direction.”
“What weapons do you guys have with you out there?” Erica asked.
“Not enough,” Ed said. “Four M60s and half a dozen M4s.”
“I got a crate of grenades and a mortar in the back,” Sam said. “Wish we had more.”
“The off-roaders will be there in hurry,” Jules said. “Don’t get killed. Run for it if need to. That order.”
“Heard you loud and clear,” Sam said. “We’re in a Jeep, and we’re all experienced fighters. Don’t worry about us. Just get those off-roaders out here.”
“Okay, we’re getting off the line,” Ivan said. “Good luck, all.”
Jules ended the call. “To battle wagons.”
“Get the women and children into the mine,” Ted said.
“Well, some of the women, anyway,” Erica said. “Some of us know how to fight.”
“You’re right about that,” Tex said.
“They hit front side first,” Ji-Ho said. “Try to ambush us with back people. We nail them.”
“Yes, that’s what I expect,” Ivan said.
The group hurried out of the saloon.
***
“Mommy, where are we going?” Mia asked, as Erica rushed her to the mine, Anna following with other women and children.
“You’ll take care of her?” Erica asked.
“Of course, but I wish you’d stay down here with us. We’ve got plenty of fighters.”
“I’m one of the best,” Erica said. “You know that.”
Anna sighed. “I know. You’ve got too much of your father in you.”
“Thank God for that,” Erica said. They entered the dark tunnel, rushing down to one of the larger caverns, where a number of women and children were already gathered.
Kaitlyn came out when she heard them. “Are you fighting?” she asked Erica.
“Yes, but you’re not,” she said.
“I’m as good as you are,” Kaitlyn said.
“You’re better,” Erica said, “only because you’re younger, but that doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t write VB code. We need you down here. If not for that program you and Seth cooked up, we wouldn’t have a chance.”
“She’s right,” Seth said, head poked out of the door. “Get back in here. We’ve got work to do. There’s plenty of people out there to fight, believe me.”
Kaitlyn shrugged and shook her head. “He just doesn’t want me to get hurt.”
“You’re damn straight,” Seth said, “but the facts are the facts. We’re important. We’ve found our niche. Our place is with the data, so come back here.”
She went back into the room, turning back to Erica. “You’d better not get hurt.”
“I’ll do my best,” she said. “At least I don’t have to be in one of those tin can battle wagons.”
“Mommy, I don’t want you to go,” Mia said, eyes brimming with tears.
“Don’t worry, honey, I’ll be fine,” Erica said, squatting down next to her. “You stay with Auntie Anna, understand?”
“Yes, mommy,” she said, looking down. “I don’t want you or daddy to die.”
“Don’t worry,” Erica said. “Neither daddy or I will die. I promise.”
Anna took her hand. “Come on, Mia, let’s go help the others, okay? You can be a big girl, can’t you?”
She looked at Erica again, longing in her eyes, then turned to Anna and nodded yes. They disappeared into the big room, Erica looking at the empty opening for a moment, before turning and rushing outside. Her phone rang. She answered it.
“Erica?”
“Ed, what’s going on. See the enemy yet?”
“
No,” he said. “Anna and Mia are someplace safe, right?”
“They’re in the mine,” she said. “I’m just leaving there now.”
“Gather up some of the warriors and guard the mine,” Ed said. “That’s the most important thing you can do.”
“I should be on the front lines,” Erica said.
“I figured you’d argue. Sam, your turn.”
“Hey,” Sam said. “Guard Mia. Please?”
She sighed. “You two are ganging up on me.”
“You’re damn straight,” Sam said. “It’s the best place you can be. Do like Ed suggested. Lead the warriors. Protect the women and children. What could be more important than that?”
“Okay, okay, I’ll do it,” she said. “I’ll go gather the warriors.”
Sam paused for a moment. “Ed already sent them texts. They’re on their way now.”
Erica looked up, and saw thirty warriors rushing over, armed with M60s, RPGs, and M4s. “They’re here. Talk to you later. Don’t get killed.”
“I won’t, honey,” Sam said. The call ended.
“Around the opening?” asked the first warrior.
Erica backed away from the mine, looking at the terrain and the buildings nearby. “Some on the rocks above. Some down the side street to the east. Some in that building across the road. Some in the mill on the west. Sound good?”
“Perfect,” the warrior said. The men moved into position, Erica taking a place just inside the opening of the mine, where she could see the street in both directions. She checked her AK-47, then settled in to watch.
***
“Sounds like they’re ready,” Sid said, eyes peeled out the front of the Jeep as they rolled along the stagecoach road.
“Where’s Yvonne?” Ed asked.
“She’s in the battle wagon with Clem and Sarah,” he said.
“Get off the road,” Garrett said sharply.
Sam reacted, turning off into the weeds, on the low side of one of the hills. “What?”
“I hear a vehicle coming,” he whispered as they parked.
“I hear it too,” Sid said. “Quiet everybody.”
“Think that’s the semi?” Ryan asked.
“No, that sounds like something else,” Ed said.
“The road ahead won’t take a semi without some work,” Garrett whispered. “There’s another creek bed down at the bottom of the next valley, just over this little hill.”
“We need to sneak up there and look,” Sid said. “Maybe you ought to stay here and let me sneak up there. I’m good at that.”
“So am I,” Tyler said, “I’ll join you.”
“Okay, but no more,” Sam said. “Don’t take anything shiny up there.”
Sid and Tyler both nodded, leaving the others, climbing the gentle slope of the hill, slowing when they neared the top, getting onto their bellies in the weeds.
“Glad the grass is high,” Tyler whispered. Sid nodded in agreement as they inched up further.
Sid peeked over the top. “I knew it.”
Tyler joined him, then both backed down.
Sam was coming up the hill to meet them on the way down. “What was it?”
“Gravel truck, filling in that creek bed,” Tyler whispered.
“There isn’t anywhere else that a semi can’t go, until they get real close to town,” Sid whispered. “We ought to wait here for them, and blast them in the valley.”
“No,” Sam said. “Let’s backup, find some cover.”
“Why?” Sid asked.
Ed chuckled. “I know why. If we take out the rig back here before their front team is in place, they’ll take off, and live to fight another day with their shielded vehicle intact. We should wait until they’re both committed and destroy them.”
{17}
Colt Dragoon
T he Jeep Unlimited drove the rutted trail in the Dodge City outback.
“We’re back on my land,” Garrett said. “There is a stand of trees to hide in, right where the semi will have to stop.”
“How far?” Sam asked from behind the wheel.
“Couple miles,” Garrett said. “There’s some of my cavalry, up on that far ridge. See them?”
“Yeah,” Sid said. “Surprised they didn’t see the gravel.”
“They don’t go that far off our land,” Garrett said. “We’ve got so much to patrol inside our own borders.”
They rolled on the dusty trail, the heat of the day still rising, not enough breeze to cool them down.
Tyler took a swig from his water bottle, then wiped sweat off his brow. “We got enough coverage for the town with all the off-roaders coming here?”
“Should,” Sam said. “We’ve got all those battle wagons.”
“Hell of a lot of infantry now, too,” Garrett said. “I’d be a lot more worried if it was just our original group.”
“Seriously,” Ed said. “Wish I was gonna be there for the cannon fire.”
Garrett chuckled. “Yeah, those old cannon do get your blood up.”
“Wait till you hear the microguns on the off-roaders,” Ryan said. “Looked up some video. They’re so fast they hardly sound like guns.”
“Why did they kill that program?” Sid asked.
“Yeah, good question,” Ed said.
Sam smiled. “I never saw the official reason, but I can guess.”
“Let’s have it,” Garrett said.
“They’re too heavy to carry, so they’ve got to be mounted on a vehicle. The difference in weight and ammo storage space from the next size up doesn’t make enough difference to the army. They’d rather have twenty extra pounds and the higher power of the larger rounds.”
“Ah, but we’ve got an application that can take advantage, where the size and weight does make a difference,” Tyler said.
“Yep, the army didn’t have off-roaders,” Sam said. “Seems like a pretty good fit to me.”
“Is that the stand of trees you’re talking about?” Sid asked, pointing ahead.
“Yep,” Garrett said. “The semi can’t get through the rocky pass that’s right beyond there.”
“Yeah, I remember that,” Sid said. “The enemy van could get by, but just barely.”
The Jeep sped up on the flat section of road heading to the small tree-covered ridge.
“This is perfect,” Sam said. “There’s more of your mounted guys, Garrett.”
“They’re all over the place, and we’ll need them,” Garrett said. “When we break open that semi there’ll be a lot of enemy fighters on foot.”
“Unless we can land a mortar round on them before they get out,” Sid said.
“I don’t think we can count on that much luck,” Ed said. “If these microguns can get through the sides, that might do a lot of damage.”
“Wonder how they’ll do getting through lead lining?” Tyler asked.
“Probably not good enough,” Sam said. “We’ll need our men with M60s to punch through.”
Garrett chuckled. “Lots of my cavalry guys have .50 caliber plains rifles. They don’t have a high rate of fire, but when you’ve got over a hundred men with them, they can turn things into swiss cheese in a hurry.”
The Jeep pulled past the stand of trees, parking back far enough to be out of sight.
“Here we are,” Garrett said. “Let’s fan out wide.”
“Think they know how far in they can get?” Ryan asked.
“I’m sure they do,” Sam said. “They knew enough to drop gravel in specific locations. They know how far their semi-trucks can go too. Their van team saw it. I’m sure they were in constant contact with the base.”
“We have to assume that,” Ed said.
The men got out with their weapons, Sam going to the back to get the mortar and grenades.
“Want some help with that?” Ed asked.
“Sure,” Sam said. “Don’t know how much good this mortar will be, but it’s worth trying.”
“Listen,” Ryan said. “I hear off-roaders.”
>
“Here they come,” Tyler said. “Those things are so bitchen.” The small vehicles came forward from the rocky pass, fanning out in the stand of trees.
“I want one,” Ryan said.
Sam left Ed to the mortar and rushed over to talk to the lead rider, while Sid and Garrett picked out spots for sniping at the enemy.
Sam trotted over to them.
“What’d you tell them?” Garrett asked.
“I told them to stay out of sight until we start shooting,” Sam said, “and for them to concentrate fire with the grenades first, then move to the microguns after the sides of the semi-trailers have been breached, and the fighters are getting out.”
“Who’s sending us the word from town?” Sid asked.
Sam chuckled. “Everybody and their brother.”
“Won’t even matter,” Ed said, walking over. “We’ll know the other attack is happening when they open the semi-trailers. We’ll all get buzzed when the chips are exposed.”
“You’re right,” Sid said. “Hell, we’ll probably hear the gunfire.”
“Time to wait,” Garrett said, pulling his phone out. He sent a text to his forces, in the outback and in town.
***
Trevor and Kaylee drove their battle wagon into position, behind an old barn situated on the road into town.
“Good, I can see my uncle from here,” Kaylee said. “Glad he upgraded from the prototype. These new rigs can take a lot more damage.”
“Yeah,” Trevor said, “and they’ve got more firepower, too, with the grenade launcher. Who’s with him?”
“Clem, Sarah, and Yvonne. Wish they had somebody younger with them, though.”
“Hope they don’t have Ivan in one of these things,” Trevor said. “There’s Angel and Megan’s rig, see it? Just past the mill.”
“Glad Kaitlyn and Seth are staying in the mine,” Kaylee said.
“Does Kaitlyn mind? I know she’s one of the best. She prides herself on that.”
“Megan said she argued a little, but Erica helped convince her.”
Trevor smiled. “I suspect Seth had something to do with that as well.”
Kaylee laughed. “Look at Willard, over there with that row of cannons. Is that a civil war cap he’s got on?”
Trevor looked at him and cracked up. “Yep. At least it’s a Union cap.”