Dale whipped his pistol out so fast it was a blur and fired once. A hole appeared in the center of Chris’s forehead and the mercenary’s knees buckled and he pitched forward, dead before he hit the stone floor. Dale calmly replaced the gun back in its holster and smiled at Chris’s corpse.
“Your resignation is accepted,” he said, and looked around at the others. “Anyone else feel like quitting or questioning me? I’m Crew – you all know that. If I say you’ll get gold, you will. One more ounce for every man here. Now, anyone else who doesn’t want to see this through, say the word, and we can discuss your severance package.”
The men exchanged glances and averted their eyes. Dale smirked. “That’s what I thought. So as I was saying before what’s-his-name here decided to chime in, we’ll go after them at dawn and see if we can pick up a trail. Until then, get some rest. It’s likely to be a long day tomorrow.”
Dale walked from the hotel, leaving the men to stare at Chris’s body, and made for the inn across the road. Come morning, the shooting would be ancient history; but for now, he’d sleep better behind a locked door than in their midst.
Chapter 37
Elliot frowned at the sight of another horse who’d fallen on the shoulder of the road, struggling to make it up the steep embankment under a full load. One of its legs was badly hurt, and six men were trying to help it to no avail. The poor animal wouldn’t be able to continue after the tumble and would have to be put down – heartbreaking for Elliot, who loved animals with a singular passion. This made the fourth animal they’d lost on what he had hoped would be a short trek, but that had turned into nearly five days of hard slog over rocky mountainous trails and switchbacks. The group was taking special care to avoid leaving tracks and traveling the most circuitous route possible, a following team of four men brushing away any traces of their passage with branches.
Now that they were close to their new home, the loss of another horse was especially frustrating, and the disposal of its carcass following putting it down would further delay their arrival at the hot springs. Elliot signaled to a pair of men and they came at a slow walk, everyone tired from the trip and ready for it to end.
“You know what to do. We’ll transfer its cargo to the rest.”
“Pretty much all of them are overloaded,” one of the men observed.
“I know. But we don’t have too much farther to go. Maybe a half day’s ride or so.”
“What a shame to lose another one like this. It’s not like we can pick up new horses easily.”
“We’ll make ends meet. Just do the best you can. Remember – no trace.”
The men murmured assent and moved off to their chore.
Duke walked over to Elliot, his gait stiff from so many days in the saddle, and looked out over the column with a haggard expression. “They’re about at the end of their ropes,” he said.
“I know. But we had to do this. There was no other way.”
Duke nodded. “Right. You given any more thought to Luis and me?”
“I have. I think once we get settled, it makes sense for you to set up another trading post several days away. The same idea as the last – recruitment and early warning.”
“You pick out any promising spots on that map of yours?”
“A few. But it’s not a priority just yet. I’m sure we’ll have our hands full preparing the new location. I’ll need every able-bodied man to pitch in until we’ve got something habitable. Your help will be much appreciated.”
“I don’t mind an honest day’s work,” Duke allowed. “Can’t speak for Luis and John, though.”
“I’ll have a word with them later.”
“A personal appeal might go a long way,” Duke pointed out.
“I’ll bear that in mind.”
Duke returned to where Louis and John were standing by their horses and grimaced. “I feel like a bunch of monkeys beat on me with a club.”
“It’s been a tough one,” Luis agreed. “Are we almost there?”
“Elliot says so.”
“You believe him?”
“Hasn’t lied to us yet, has he?”
Duke looked down the line of animals and caught sight of Sierra tending to Eve, who was coughing and sneezing. He walked over to them and offered Sierra a smile. “Is she getting any better?”
Sierra shook her head. “It’s just a really bad cold. She’ll live. I’m just glad Tim hasn’t caught it.”
“Let me know if you need any help. Lucas would want me to lend a hand.”
“That’s sweet of you.” She paused. “I wonder how he’s doing. It feels like he’s a million miles away right now. I wish he was with us.”
“You know Lucas. Slaying dragons. But I bet he wishes he was here too.”
Sierra looked away. “You think we’ll be okay?”
“Of course. It was time for a move anyway. Probably a bad idea to stay in the first place you landed, what with half the world looking for you.”
“You’d think they’d have stopped by now, what with the vaccine…”
“Yeah. Well, apparently they’re persistent, if nothing else.” He shifted from foot to foot. “Let me know if you need anything, Sierra. I’ll be sticking around for a while before we take off again.”
“That’s good to know. I appreciate it.”
Duke lowered himself stiffly to one knee and regarded Eve. “Are you going to make it?”
She nodded. “It’s hard to breathe.”
“Believe me, it gets harder with age,” Duke said, and rose with a rueful grin. “Take care of yourself.”
Sierra returned the smile. “I will. And I’ll let you know if I run into a bind.”
“Do.”
Elliot’s shout from the front of the procession drifted down the column, and Duke hurried toward his horse, anxious to get under way again if it meant reaching the springs before dark. He wasn’t expecting much, but the idea of shelter from the bitter mountain cold was appealing after so many days on the trail, and if Elliot was right, there would be enough buildings to house them all while they built cabins. How long he and his men would stay was another matter – Luis had no real reason to do so now that he was a rich man, and he could sense impatience in him growing with each day in the saddle. He couldn’t blame the former cartel thug, nor would he try to stop him when he’d had enough of the altruism gig – they were traders, not homemakers, and their place was not with the rest of these people. He was comfortable with that idea, as well as with Luis, who seemed to share Duke’s loner temperament and his enthusiasm for the deal.
Duke climbed onto his stallion’s back, his spine radiating pain, and winced in the sunlight as he adjusted his hat. They’d better get there soon, or they’d be carrying Duke on a stretcher, every muscle in his body protesting even another yard, much less another mile, of trek.
Chapter 38
Astoria, Oregon
Ray and Lucas tied the last of the explosives to the makeshift harness they’d fashioned, and Lucas called up the shaft to the others.
“That’s the final load. Haul it up, and we’ll be right behind.”
They’d been relieved to find the entrance to the underground base untouched and the weapons cache in the same state as Lucas and Hayden had left it. They’d selected a mix of grenades, mortars, mines, and demolition gear that would be sufficient to blow half the town sky-high – or at least a strategic part of it, along with one Chinese mother ship that would soon be at the bottom of the sea if they were successful.
When the cargo was safely aboveground, Lucas and Ray ascended the vertical shaft and exited to find Sam and Art sorting through the explosives and exclaiming in approval.
“This should do the trick. Digital timers, and the batteries are still working. We stuff these packs with explosives and you get them into the magazines, and look out below,” Sam said, holding up a black box the size of a pack of cigarettes, a glowing red digital readout blinking in the darkness.
They had arrived at the ten
t city at the end of the afternoon and had skirted the perimeter for fear of being spotted by the Chinese. Lucas had led them to the entrance of the base in the hills to the south of town, where they’d made camp in preparation for the assault on the invaders that night. They’d decided to follow the program they’d used successfully in Salem and hit the Chinese in the early hours of the morning, when they were likeliest to be asleep and would be the most disoriented by multiple explosions inside the town’s walls. The idea was for Art and Sam to lead a frontal assault on the gates immediately after the diversionary explosions went off, using the mortars to pummel the Chinese positions and create maximum havoc. While that was under way, Ray, Jeb, Lucas, and two of the volunteers would sneak to the jail and take out any guards, and then lead the women to safety, leaving the Chinese chasing shadows.
In the meantime, the three other volunteers who had placed the initial explosives would make their way to the waterfront, where Lucas and Ray would have planted the charges they would take to the ship on a rowboat. Once aboard the Chinese war vessel, they would place the charges in the main magazine, set the timers, and slip away in time to get far enough away to be unharmed when the boat blew to pieces.
It was an audacious plan but a workable one, assuming even half of their tactics were effective. The hope was that the Chinese, after having encountered no resistance since landing, would be taken completely unawares and would be disorganized in responding to multiple threats hitting them from different directions.
Sneaking aboard the ship would be the hardest part, but the men Sam had chosen for the job were all seasoned ex-military and were confident they could execute no matter what happened on shore. The only unknown was the extent to which the ship was guarded, but Art and Sam were of the opinion that the last thing the Chinese would be expecting was a sabotage squad attempting to take out the boat. The entire plan relied on the element of surprise, and everyone understood that there would be no second chances – they would have to perform the first time, no exceptions or excuses, or pay the ultimate price.
“How long will it take for you to make something we can use?” Lucas asked.
“Less than an hour. This stuff is all in good shape. If we use a few of the mines in conjunction with the charges, that should seal the deal, depending on how many shells they have aboard. At the very least, it’ll make for a hell of a fireworks show.”
“We have to either sink it or incapacitate it to the point it can’t act as a command center any more.”
Sam nodded as he worked. “I got that. Now let me concentrate so we don’t wind up a smoking hole in the ground.”
Lucas checked the time and grunted. “Take as long as you need. We won’t be moving out for a while.”
“Roger that, boss man.”
Lucas left Sam to his project and gathered Art, Ray, and the three fighters in charge of taking the ship. They went over the detail of the plan for the fourth time, and then Lucas grilled Ray on his part in the scheme. “You’re sure we can find a boat?”
“Yeah. I mean, unless the Chinese sank all the rowboats over at the old commercial pier. There were a half dozen last time I went by there. Fiberglass, and none of them pretty, but they float.” He studied the ocean in the distance. “You’re lucky it’s a calm night. I hope the breeze stays light.”
“Me too. Tell me about the entry point you use to get into town again.”
Ray took a breath. “Like I said, it’s a hole in the border wall, but it’s covered up with a couple of pallets and an old tarp. I’ve been using it for years. If the townspeople never figured it out, I doubt the Chinese have.”
“Where is it, exactly?”
“Along the east side of the wall, about fifty yards from shore.”
“And you’re the only one who knows about it?”
“I’ve never seen anyone else use it. There might be a couple of guys who know, but if they do, they keep quiet, just like I have.”
“First I’ve heard of it, and I’ve heard just about everything, running a bar,” Art said.
“Okay,” Lucas said. “So we’ll head over there an hour before the attack starts and find a boat.” He looked to the men who were chartered with taking out the ship. “Derek, you, Gary, and Ted will plant the charges in town. We’ll leave the boat tied somewhere obvious at the commercial pier, and head to the jail once your bombs go off. Then you’re on your own. Don’t wait to head out to the ship. That’s the priority once the town’s in play.”
Gary looked up at the partially overcast sky. “Be nice if more clouds moved in. Light is not our friend.”
“It is what it is,” said Lucas matter-of-factly. “Nobody will be watching the water with all the shooting from Astoria.” He glanced at Art. “We have enough mortars?”
Art grinned. “Should be plenty. I’ll show all the lads how to use them since we’ve still got some time. Just in case I get hit.”
“Stay far enough back and you should be fine,” Lucas said, not envying the old warrior his role in the assault. He would be in the most precarious position, drawing all the fire from the Chinese once the initial shock wore off and they realized that the main gate was under attack.
“I’ll keep my head down. You do the same, and we should be golden.”
“We all in agreement on the rendezvous point?” Lucas had suggested the beached Chinese sailboats by the river.
The men nodded in unison. They all knew that by the time the night was over, some – or most – of them would have not made it. A buzz of anxious energy shivered in the air, the atmosphere one peculiar to soldiers preparing to go into battle, an odd combination of adrenaline, fear, and anticipation familiar to them all.
Lucas rose and met their gazes before finally stopping at Art. “Hope this goes off the way we want.”
Art smiled again, his demeanor oddly relaxed given the circumstances. “We’ll manage, no matter what.”
“It should work,” Ray said, a slight tremor to his voice.
Art shrugged. “Should, but there’s no telling. If something changes, don’t be afraid to improvise.”
“Hopefully we won’t have to,” Jeb said.
Art looked at the big man, his face unreadable. “A boxer named Mike Tyson said it best: ‘Everyone’s got a plan till they get punched in the face.’”
Lucas gave a slight smile. “Words to live by.”
“Damn right.”
Chapter 39
The night was still as Ray escorted Lucas, Jeb, and the volunteers along a tree line that paralleled the bank of the Columbia River. Tents rose from the open area between the brush and the water like boils, only a few people still awake among the sleeping squatters. The sky had darkened further as the clouds overhead thickened and blotted out the moon, and a light drizzle had started when they’d traveled halfway from the base, making the going miserable but providing welcome cover, visibility now reduced to a dozen yards.
Ray veered from the trees and cut across the expanse toward the water, turning just before he reached the rocky slope and jogging along the rise. The men followed him in a ragged line, packs strapped to their backs and satchels hanging from their shoulders. Lucas stuck right behind him, with Jeb mirroring his moves, and their boots crunched with steady persistence as they made their way toward the perimeter wall.
When they were close, Ray slowed and pointed to a dark area to their right. “See that bush? The opening’s just on the other side of it. Covers it from the outside.”
Lucas nodded in silence, and Ray continued to the spot. He brushed some of the branches aside and froze, and then turned to Lucas with an alarmed expression.
“It’s…they’ve sealed it off.”
“What?” Jeb said, too loudly. Lucas twisted toward him and gave him a warning glare, and then turned back to Ray.
“Is there any other way in?”
Ray pounded the wall in frustration. “Yeah, but it’s seriously gross. Or it was the times I tried it before I found the hole.”
&nbs
p; “We can handle gross. Where is it?”
“There’s a sewage outlet down by the water. It lets out on a street a few blocks inside of town.”
Lucas adjusted his pack. “Let’s do it.”
Ray darted toward the water and hesitated by a concrete bunker, its edges rounded by the elements. He looked around and then scrambled onto the top of it before moving to the far side and whispering to the others.
“We have to go in from up here. There’s a manhole cover. The water side’s an iron grid that’s locked in place.”
Lucas climbed up behind Ray, followed by the rest. Ray wrestled with the heavy iron disk till one edge was ajar. Lucas joined in the effort and they were able to shift the cover to one side. Ray peered into the darkness and grimaced. “There were rats, too.”
“Doesn’t smell too bad,” Lucas observed.
“There’s no running water, so it hasn’t really been used much. But it’s still sick.”
Lucas looked down into the hole. “No time like the present. I’m right behind you.”
Ray shook his head. “Maybe you should go first with the scope. There are rungs on this side.”
Lucas agreed and lowered himself into the opening. His feet found the rungs and he dropped further into the gap and, after a short descent, was standing on concrete. He switched on his NV scope and swept the shaft, which was ten feet wide with a channel down the middle. Ray clambered down the rungs and landed beside him. Jeb was next, and then they were all inside, tailing Lucas as he made his way slowly along the tunnel, using the scope as his guide.
A hundred yards from the bunker, the shaft branched off, one passage to the left, the other straight. Lucas twisted to Ray and whispered, “Which way?”
The Day After Never - Perdition (Book 6) Page 20