by Dirk Patton
A plane roared overhead, taking off, followed closely by two more. Colonel Pointere was on his feet, the female Airman taking his place on the machine gun.
“Pull back now!” He shouted. “All personnel, evac now!”
Bending over he slapped the Airman on top of her Kevlar helmet, telling her to get her ass in gear.
“Don’t know what you did, Major, but I owe you a beer.” He said. “Now we’ve gotta move. One plane left on the ground and they’re holding it for us.”
“Let’s go,” Crawford said, starting to turn towards the flight line.
“Sir, what were you saying about Sergeant Scott?” I stopped him, sparing a glance at the infected who were already pushing back towards us.
“He went out to find you with the two Russians,” he said. “He got Rachel and a virologists onto a flight. I thought he had you with him.”
“No, sir.” I said, glancing up as Spooky started another orbit to buy the defenders time to get on a plane. “Never saw him.”
“He’s still out there, then.” Crawford said, sadness on his face. “Find your wife?”
“Yes, sir. I did. And I owe you.” I said.
“Bullshit,” he said. “Who’s in that flying antique?”
“Captain Martinez and my wife.”
“Got room for another?” He asked, casting a glance over his shoulder at the defenders running for the last flight out. “Don’t feel much like sitting under a palm tree in the Bahamas while I’ve still got people out there.”
63
Tech Sergeant Zach Scott monitored the flow of diesel fuel into the Bradley’s tank as Igor fired an occasional burst from the machine gun. Infected in the area weren’t exactly thick, but there were enough of them that it was necessary to keep them pushed back while Scott was outside the vehicle. Igor was happily doing so, and while he wouldn’t admit it, he was itching for another target to take out with one of the TOW missiles.
They were at a small truck stop in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Rachel and Joe had departed the previous day and they had set out in search of the Major, stopping to replenish the thirsty vehicle’s tank. The power was off in the small town, but the Bradley had a pump powered by its engine, specifically designed for the siphoning of fuel from underground tanks. A one inch hose ran from an access port that was normally protected by an armored plate into the truck stop’s storage tank.
“Radio is flashing,” Irina shouted.
Scott looked up at where she had popped open the hatch over the driver’s seat and stuck her head out of the protection of the vehicle. He waved to let her know he’d heard her and shut down the pump. The tank was full and he’d been carefully topping it off with as much diesel as he could squeeze on board.
Siphon hose coiled and back in place, he buttoned up the outside of the vehicle and headed for the rear door set into the ramp. Once back inside he made sure the opening was tightly secured before heading for the commander’s seat.
A red light was blinking, alerting him that someone wanted to communicate over the FSOC system. Engaging the unit, he waited for the laser to lock onto the orbiting satellite and the comm status indicator on his display to turn green. When it did he recognized Blanchard’s voice.
“Copy, sir.” He said.
“What’s your status, Tech Sergeant?” Blanchard asked.
“We’re re-fueling and preparing to continue our search for the Major. Hope you’re calling with good news that he’s been spotted.”
“Negative,” Blanchard said. “Just the opposite, in fact. I just got off the phone with Pearl Harbor. A Russian patrol intercepted the flight carrying Mr. Revard and Rachel. His pilot successfully evaded, but Rachel’s plane took damage and she and the pilot had to punch out over Idaho.”
ALSO BY DIRK PATTON
Unleashed: V Plague Book One
Crucifixion: V Plague Book Two
Rolling Thunder: V Plague Book Three
Red Hammer: V Plague Book Four
Transmission: V Plague Book Five
Days Of Perdition: V Plague Book Six
Rules Of Engagement: A John Chase Short Story
Afterword
First, I would like to recognize Air Force SSgt Z for earning his way into a very elite brotherhood. For what it’s worth, you have my respect and admiration. Congratulations!
My thanks to many, but I have to single out Matt “Gunny” Zemeck, even if he did break my rifle, and “Colonel” James Pointere for being a good sport and letting me make him an officer. Suck it up, Marine!
Also, a special thanks to SH for his valuable and insightful suggestions.
It should be noted that the 20th Marine Expeditionary Unit used in this book is fictitious, (not MEU, just the 20th which doesn’t exist), though there is absolutely nothing imaginary about a real MEU. Don’t believe me? Ask a few thousand bad guys around the world!
The 5th Ranger Battalion noted in this book is not a currently active Army unit. It was last active in World War II, participating in the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
The 5th Ranger Battalion was activated on 1 September 1943 at Camp Forrest, Tennessee. During the Battle of Normandy, the battalion landed on Omaha Beach along with companies A, B and C of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, where elements of the 116th Regiment of the 29th Infantry Division were pinned down by murderous machine gun fire and mortars from the heights above. The situation was so dire that General Omar Bradley (the namesake of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle used in this book) was seriously considering abandoning the beachhead instead of sending more men to die. It was then that General Norman Cota, Assistant Division Commander of the 29th Infantry Division, gave the now famous order that has become the motto of the 75th Ranger Regiment: "Rangers, Lead The Way!"
The 5th Battalion Rangers broke across the sea wall and barbed wire entanglements, and up the pillbox-rimmed heights under intense enemy machine gun and mortar fire, and with A and B Companies of the 2nd Battalion and some elements of the 116th Infantry Regiment, advanced four miles (6 km) to the key town of Vierville-sur-Mer, thus opening the breach for supporting troops to follow-up and expand the beachhead. Meanwhile, C Company of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, due to rough seas, landed west of the Vierville draw and suffered 50 percent casualties during the landing, but still scaled a 90-foot (27 m) cliff, using ropes and bayonets, to knock out a formidable enemy position that was sweeping the beach with deadly fire.
The 5th Ranger Battalion was deactivated 22 October 1945 at Camp Myles Standish, Massachusetts.
In Chapter 44, in his speech to his Marines, Colonel Pointere mentions Fox Company and Khe Sanh. Both of these battles, the former in Korea and the latter in Vietnam, pitted Marines against staggering odds in conditions worse than I can manage to put in writing. If you’re in the mood to learn about some of the toughest men the Marine Corps has ever fielded, Google these two battles and read up on them.
I try to balance my writing to not lean too far to the “Military and War” genre. I get a LOT of emails encouraging me to put more detail in, but I never intended for this series to be about the military and don’t want to weigh it down more than I already have when it’s necessary to describe a weapon or ammunition.
The series is about surviving everything that can be thrown at you. Overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds by never accepting defeat. Beginning with book one, I’ve approached each chapter with two thoughts. What could possibly go wrong, and what would I do? The heavy presence of the military has evolved as I’ve kept writing, but that’s because without them this journey would have ended before it really got started.
You can always correspond with me via email at [email protected] Visit my website at www.voodooplague.com and if you’re on Facebook, please like my page at www.facebook.com/FearThePlague
I enjoy interacting with my fans and I answer all of my email… eventually.
Thanks again for reading!
Dirk Patton
2015
nbsp; Dirk Patton, Indestructible: V Plague Book 7