World War III

by Heath Jannusch

  “Of course,” said Lex, smiling. “After all, Shiloh trusted in God during the battle of Clearview and look what happened there. He single-handedly killed the leaders of the Enlightened Ones, including the giant. Heck,” added Lex, rubbing his wounded shoulder, “he never even got wounded. Despite all of the bullet holes we found in his jacket. And standing out in the open like that, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “See,” smiled Cleo, “all it takes is a little faith.”

  “I suppose you’re a believer now too?” asked Lex.

  “I’m not sure what I believe just yet,” answered Cleo. “All I know is that I’ve seen some pretty amazing and unbelievable things during the past few weeks. Things that I never thought could be possible. Whatever you decide regarding your mum just know that I’m with you, for better or worse. But remember, we’re only gonna get one bloody shot at this so we’ve got to make it count.”

  “Alright then,” said Lex, “I say we sneak in tonight, enter the prisoner barracks, find my mom and then sneak back out. With any luck we might be able to get in and out with no one the wiser.”

  “Sounds like a bloody brilliant plan,” said Cleo. Although she was anxious to rescue Lex’s mom, she was a little nervous and wondered what the older woman would think of her.

  After eating their meal, Lex and Cleo slowly began to make their way down the hillside towards the prison camp below. At the bottom of the hill they found four guard towers, one located at each of the camp’s four corners. Each tower was manned by two snipers, with two more sentries guarding the front gate. Another five guards patrolled the inside of the camp, walking in circles around the perimeter. The remaining Russian soldiers were fast asleep in their bunks.

  Lex and Cleo quietly approached the eastern fence, located opposite the main entrance. It was the least guarded and had a five minute delay between the guards walking by on patrol. Both Lex and Cleo were dressed in black from head to toe, making them nearly invisible in the cold, dark night. Lying on their stomachs in the tall grass, about twenty yards from the fence, they watched as one of the guards walked by smoking a cigarette. When he’d passed and was out of sight, they began crawling on their bellies towards the fence.

  Using wire cutters, Cleo quickly cut an opening in the fence large enough for them to both fit through. Crouched beside her with his rifle held ready, Lex kept watch. From the ground up she cut two parallel lines in the fence, about two feet high and two feet apart. She left the top alone so that no one would notice a large hole in the chain-link fence. When she was finished she pulled up the fence and held it while Lex crawled through and then quickly followed, allowing the fence to swing back down behind her. Unless someone closely inspected the fence they’d never realize it was cut open.

  Once on the inside of the camp, they quickly darted to the nearest barrack and slid beneath. From there they watched, while the guard smoking a cigarette walked by again. As he passed by the spot in the fence that had been cut, Lex and Cleo held their breath in anticipation. When he’d passed and was gone from sight, they climbed out from under the barrack and in a crouched run, headed for the barrack’s front door. They were both surprised when they found the door unlocked. The Russians didn’t appear to care much about keeping their prisoners confined.

  Once inside the dark barrack, they immediately realized why there was no need to lock the prisoners within. The American prisoners were deathly sick and far too weak to attempt an escape. The putrid smell alone was enough to make Lex gag. Using flashlights to see, Lex and Cleo quietly crept passed the rows of cots, searching for Mrs. Mancini. The barrack was dirty and overcrowded. It smelled more like a public bathroom than sleeping quarters. It wasn’t surprising that everyone was sick and dying, disease and infection thrived under such rancid conditions. Lex was about to give up the search and move on to the next barrack, when he heard the soft sound of a woman’s frail voice calling his name.

  “Alexander is that you?” Lex spun around towards the sound of the woman’s voice. He peered into the darkness, listening. “Alex?” He quickly darted in and out of cots following the sound, as the woman continued to call is name.

  “Mom?” Whispered Lex, kneeling down beside her cot. “It’s me, mom! I’m here!” Cleo rushed over and joined Lex by his mother’s side.

  “Oh Alex, I knew you’d come for me,” she said, struggling to rise.

  “Of course mom, everything’s going to be alright, just try and relax. We’re gonna get you out of here.”

  “Not just me,” whispered Beth, “everyone.”

  Cleo bent down and whispered into Lex’s ear, “There’s no bloody way we can take everyone mate. It’s gonna be hard enough getting your mum out of here without being noticed. Most of these people can’t even walk!”

  “I know,” said Lex, looking around at all of the sick and weak civilians. “Mom, we can’t take everyone or none of us will make it. Do you understand?”

  “We can’t just leave these people here Alex, they’ll surly die,” Beth pleaded.

  “Most of them are probably going to die anyway,” whispered Cleo.

  “It’s just not possible mom,” said Lex. “Only a fool would try to save everyone.”

  “Well,” smiled Beth, “I’d rather be an optimistic fool than a pessimist and be right.”

  “She’s got spunk, I’ll give her that,” said Cleo.

  “How much C-4 have we got?” asked Lex.

  “Enough to blow up five buildings,” replied Cleo. “Why do ya ask? You’re not bloody considering this are ya mate?”

  “We can’t just leave them all here to die,” said Lex.

  “Aye and we can’t bring them with us either,” argued Cleo. “Otherwise, we might as well pick out a cot and make ourselves comfortable.”

  “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” replied Lex, already formulating a plan in his head.

  “What do you suggest we do?”

  “If we plant C-4 explosives under each of the guard towers, as well as under the barracks housing the troops and then detonate them simultaneously, we’ll only have seven guards left to contend with, right?”

  “I suppose,” said Cleo. “But it won’t take very long for reinforcements to arrive.”

  “True,” agreed Lex, “but if we spring everyone all at once some are bound to get away, maybe not everyone, but at least some of them.”

  “How would they get away, most of them can’t even walk?”

  “They can use the Russian trucks,” suggested Lex. “If they head west towards the Nevada border some might make it.”

  “And those that don’t?”

  “Well, they won’t be any worse off than they already are,” replied Lex. “And at least they’d have a fighting chance.”

  “Fine,” agreed Cleo. “I hope this bloody works.”

  “Me too,” said Lex.

  “Here, give me all of the C-4,” said Cleo, reaching into Lex’s bag and withdrawing the small, clay looking blocks of explosives. “I’ll plant the explosives. You get everyone up and ready to move.”

  “What about the five guards patrolling the perimeter?”

  “No worries mate,” said Cleo, casting a wink at Lex. “It’s not like this is my first rodeo.” She bent down and kissed Lex softly on the lips, before turning and silently slipping out the door.

  “I like her,” gasped Beth, after Cleo had disappeared from sight.

  “Me too mom,” said Lex, helping his frail mother to her feet. “Okay, it’s time we get moving. Can you help me wake everyone and warn them about what’s about to happen?”

  “Of course,” said Beth, balancing her weight on her son’s shoulder. She turned to the woman lying on the cot beside her, bent down and gently shook her shoulder. “Jenae darling, it’s time to go,” she whispered. “Jenae honey, can you hear me?” The young woman laid there motionless, making no sound.

  Lex reached down and checked her pulse. “I’m sorry mom, but she’s dead. Was she a friend of yours?”r />
  “Oh no,” Beth began to cry. “She was one of my neighbors. The poor dear, they murdered her husband in front of her and then raped her in the shower room.”

  “Who did?” asked Lex. “Was it the Russians?”

  “No,” cried Beth, drying her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt. “It was Jasper and his Blackwater mercenaries. They brought us here and they were supposed to protect us. But when they found out that our troops were pulling back away from the coast they fled. Abandoning us just hours before the Russians arrived.”

  “You’re telling me that it was Americans that did this?”

  “Yes, “cried Beth.

  “Why didn’t you leave when the mercenaries abandoned the camp?”

  “They locked the gate behind them when they left,” answered Beth. “The Russians arrived shortly after.”

  Rage and hatred began to well up inside of Lex, as the names Jasper and Blackwater were forever seared into his brain. “It’s ok mom, they’re gone now and they’ll never harm you again. Do you think you have enough strength to help me wake up the rest of the prisoners?”

  “Yes, yes of course,” said Beth, wiping the tears from her eyes. With help from Lex she steadied herself and began to slowly and quietly rouse the remaining prisoners.

  When everyone was awake and dressed, Lex picked out the strongest and healthiest men and outlined the plan. He explained to them that there was going to be some loud explosions, at which time they were to load everyone into the trucks. Lex showed them a map of the surrounding area and advised them to head for the Nevada border. He then slipped in and out of the other barracks, waking up the prisoners and explaining the plan. After visiting the last barrack he returned to the first, where he’d found his mother. Cleo arrived a few minutes later.

  “How did it go?” asked Lex.

  “Brilliantly,” she answered with a grin. “The explosives are set and ready to be detonated.”

  “Good,” smiled Lex. “Any problems?”

  “Not really,” replied Cleo, shrugging her shoulders. “I ran into one of the guards patrolling the perimeter, now we only have four to contend with, along with the two at the front gate.”

  “What happened? I didn’t hear anything.”

  “Well I wouldn’t be a bloody good spook if ya did, now would I?”

  “You know what, that gives me an idea,” said Lex. “Maybe we should quietly take out the other four guards patrolling the perimeter before we blow anything up? If nothing else, it’ll at least give these people more time to escape. What do you think?”

  “I think it’s a brilliant idea,” agreed Cleo. “But what about the two guards by the front gate? They’re out in the open and there’s no way to get to them without being seen first.”

  “After we’ve eliminated the guards patrolling the camp, we’ll snipe the two guards at the gate using our rifles.”

  “Alright, but the shots might alert the other guards before we can blow the C-4,” pointed out Cleo.

  “Then we’ll have to do it all at the same time,” replied Lex. “Hey mom, do you think you could handle pushing this button to detonate the C-4 that Cleo planted, while she and I take out the guards at the front gate?”

  “I think I could manage that,” smiled Beth, trying to remain strong.

  “Good,” said Lex. “Then wait here until we return, and try to keep everyone quiet.”

  Lex and Cleo quietly slipped out of the barrack and disappeared beneath, mere seconds before a spotlight from one of the towers passed by. Lying on the ground beside them was the body of the Russian patrol guard whom Cleo had killed. The guard’s face, neck and chest were covered in blood from the slit that she’d made across his throat. Lex glanced at the knife Cleo gripped in her hand and quickly withdrew his own.

  “Ready mate?” she asked.

  “As ready as I’ll ever be,” responded Lex. “I’ll go after the two on the left and you take the two on the right.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” whispered Cleo, before rolling out from under the barrack, crossing the space between the barracks and then sliding under the next barrack over. She performed the act in one fluid motion, before Lex even realized she was gone.

  Lex immediately followed her example, rolling to his left and sliding under the next barrack over in the opposite direction. With his belly dragging along the frozen ground, he crawled towards the far end of the barrack where he waited for the next guard on patrol. Lying there with his knife drawn and ready, he covered his mouth to conceal the small puffs of air that escaped his lips with each breath.

  He didn’t have to wait long before a black pair of Russian made army boots approached from the shadows. His body immediately became tense in anticipation. The sound from the boots crunching in the hard packed snow grew louder with each step the soldier took. Lex had never killed anyone with a knife before and he was a little apprehensive as to what to expect. As the guard drew close, Lex prepared to make his move.

  The guard passed by and Lex rolled out from under the barrack, knife in hand. He jumped to his feet and was about to pounce on the guard from behind when the guard suddenly spun around to face Lex.

  Lex wasn’t sure what had given him away. Perhaps the guard had heard something or maybe seen motion from the corner of his eye. Either way, Lex now found himself standing face to face with the Russian. As the guard began to lift his machine gun, Lex suddenly felt like the fool who’d brought a knife to a gun fight.

  The space between the two men was too wide for Lex to be able to cover the distance before the soldier fired. So instead, he threw his knife at the Russian. Lex had never thrown a knife at a target before and he wasn’t even sure if it’d hit the man, but it was his only option. The handle of the knife struck the guard square in the face, causing blood to spurt from his broken nose. The Russian grunted and momentarily lowered his weapon, while reaching for his bloodied nose.

  Lex didn’t hesitate. He rushed straight at the guard and tackled him head on. Both men tumbled to the ground and began struggling for control of the gun. From the corner of his eye, Lex saw the man’s mouth open as if he were about to scream.

  Before the man could utter a warning, Lex reached down and scooped up a handful of dirt and quickly shoved it into the guard’s mouth. The Russian’s scream was muffled, as he choked on the dirt and tried to spit it out. Lex seized this opportunity to grab his knife, which was laying a couple of feet away. Before the guard could react, he quickly plunged the blade into the soldier’s sternum.

  The man struggled in vein, as Lex twisted the knife back and forth. The Russian’s eyes widened in fear, as he spewed out dirt mingled with blood. He coughed twice, before his eyes glazed over and his body went limp. Standing up, Lex withdrew his knife from the man’s chest and rolled him under the barrack. He kicked sand over the blood on the ground to conceal the struggle and then quickly climbed under the next barrack. He lay there for a moment, trying to catch his breath and slow his heart beat. Killing a man with a gun was different from killing him with a knife, up close and personal.

  Movement from the shadows suddenly caught his eye. He peered into the darkness under one of the barracks three rows over and was relieved to find Cleo’s beautiful smile grinning back at him. She was crouched down like a cat, ready to spring into action. As Lex watched, he noticed one of the guards approaching from the south. Cleo waited until the soldier was right on top of her before making her move.

  She kicked out with her feet, hitting the guard’s knees and causing him to trip and fall flat on his face. She sprang from under the barrack like a panther before the man could rise and sat down on his back, pinning his arms to his side with her legs. She knocked the guard’s helmet off his head and with her left hand grabbed a clump of his hair. She pulled his head back, exposing his throat and with her right hand slid the blade across in one fluent motion. Lex could see light reflect off of Cleo’s knife, as she made the incision.

  Without a moment of hesitation, she bent down and rolled th
e guard’s body under the barrack where she’d been hiding. The whole process had taken less than five seconds to complete. Cleo glanced back and forth, and then dove underneath another barrack. She noticed Lex still watching her and blew him a kiss, before disappearing into the shadows in search of her next victim.

  Lex was impressed and realized that he could learn from the example. He couldn’t help but admire Cleo’s graceful approach to everything, even killing. She could be loving and nurturing one minute and a lethal weapon the next. Lex never saw Cleo make her second kill because he was too preoccupied with his own.

  Seconds after she’d disappeared, Lex heard another guard approaching. He decided to try Cleo’s approach and curled up his legs, waiting until the guard’s boots were only inches away. Using all of his strength, he kicked the guard’s feet out from under him. But unlike Cleo’s guard who fell flat on his face, Lex’s guard fell on his back.

  Without hesitation, Lex reached out from under the barrack and plunged his knife deep into the guard’s throat. The Russian never knew what hit him and within seconds he was dead. Without ever leaving the protection of the barrack, Lex reached out with both hands and pulled the guard towards him. Leaving the body concealed beneath the barrack, he quickly returned to the barrack where his mom was waiting.

  “What took ya so long mate?” teased Cleo, when he entered the barrack only seconds after her.

  Lex smiled and winked at Cleo, before scooping her up into his arms and kissing her passionately. “Why, did you miss me?”

  “Every second we’re apart,” replied Cleo, returning the kiss.

  “Excuse me Alexander,” said Beth, “but aren’t you going to introduce us?”

  “Oh my bad, mom, this is Cleopatra Brown. Cleo, this is my mom, Elizabeth Mancini.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Cleo, extending her hand. “Lex has told me so much about you, I feel like I know you already.”

  “The pleasure is all mine dear, but I feel at a disadvantage. Lex has told me nothing about you,” replied Beth, accepting Cleo’s hand.