by Robert Boren
“I know, honey,” Lita said.
Juan Carlos got in, tossing his uniform into the bag.
“Oh geez,” Madison said as she looked at the shirt. It had a heavy-lidded cartoon dog wearing a sombrero, on the beach under an umbrella, holding a big margarita with human females in bikinis sitting on either side of him. The caption said Margaritaville, USA. Below that it said Riviera Beach, Tx.
Juan Carlos laughed. “Hey, that’s racist.”
“The dog?” Lita asked.
“Yeah, and the margarita,” he said.
Madison giggled. “Who picked this out?”
“Probably Brendan,” Juan Carlos said.
“His is even worse than yours,” Richardson said, shaking his head.
“Yours doesn’t have a picture on it,” Madison said.
“Yeah, I picked it out,” Lita said.
They pulled into the parking lot of The Baffin, heading for the back. Richardson parked. “Your place is on the right.”
“Nice and secluded, at least,” Juan Carlos said.
The door to the building on the left cracked open, then opened wide, Brendan coming out with a rifle in his hand. Hannah raced past him, getting to the SUV just as Juan Carlos was opening Madison’s door.
“Thank God,” Hannah said, smiling at Madison. “What’s wrong?”
“The hospital got attacked while we were there,” Lita said softly. “The nurse who was working with Madison got killed.”
“Oh no,” Hannah said. “I’m so sorry.”
“I’m okay,” Madison said. Juan Carlos helped her out and gave her the crutches. “How are you holding up?”
“I’d be a basket case if not for Brendan,” she said. “Sorry we didn’t come to pick you up.”
“I’m glad you didn’t,” Juan Carlos said. “Lots of people got killed at that hospital. We were lucky.”
“Yes, we were,” Richardson said, helping Lita out of the car. “Now it’s time for some rest and relaxation.”
“Let’s go,” Madison said, looking at Juan Carlos as she rested on her crutches.
“You got it,” he said, helping her along.
“She’s pretty shook up,” Hannah said to Lita as they walked towards the buildings.
“I’m pretty shook up,” Lita said. “What happened at the hospital was really bad. I’m surprised she’s as together as she is at this point.”
“Let’s go inside,” Richardson said. “I need a nap. Couldn’t get to sleep before we left.”
“Me neither,” Lita said. They walked into their unit hand in hand.
“Well?” Brendan asked.
“Yeah, let’s go inside,” Hannah said. “Let’s take advantage of the peace as long as we can.”
Chapter 17 - Containers
Curt woke up to a banging on his door. He looked at his phone. Only eleven o’clock. He’d just barely drifted off. “Just a minute.”
Amanda was standing outside in a long t-shirt, terror in her eyes. “Hear that?”
Curt came out in his shorts and bare feet. Then his eyes got wide. “Son of a bitch, that sounds like choppers. Headed this way.”
“That’s what I thought. We’d better sound the alarm.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right,” he said.
“My bobtail has a loud horn,” she said, running towards it. She climbed into the truck and laid on the horn.
The noise of the choppers was getting closer as lights around the park started turning on.
“What’s going on?” Kyle shouted out his window.
“Choppers coming this way,” Curt yelled.
“Oh, crap,” Jason said, bursting out the door of his coach.
“I don’t think they’re coming here,” Curt said. “I think they’re heading for those containers.”
“Maybe they think we didn’t empty them yet,” Kyle said, rushing out with Kate by his side.
“Mommy! I’m scared,” said Chelsea.
“Bring her in the back of the toy hauler,” Curt shouted. “It’s got Kevlar, remember?”
“Will it stop mini-gun fire?” Carrie asked as she came out.
“Not completely, but it’s better than nothing,” Jason said. “Get in there.”
“Yeah, honey, you go in there too,” Kyle said to Kate. She nodded and followed Carrie and Chelsea into Curt’s rig.
“You go too,” Curt said to Amanda.
“You don’t need to protect me,” she said.
“Stop arguing and get in there,” Curt said.
She nodded and rushed into his rig as the chopper noise got closer.
“Thanks, Curt,” Jason said.
“Yeah, thanks,” Kyle said. “Look, they’re still heading for the containers.”
“Yep,” Curt said. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light streaming towards the first container. “They’re firing mini-guns at them.”
“They’ll come here afterwards,” Jason said. “We’d better get ready.”
“I’m not so sure,” Kyle said. “Look to the east.”
“Damn, those are fighter jets,” Curt said. “Check out the trails.”
“Hope they’re ours,” Jason said.
Missiles flashed out of a jet, hitting two choppers at almost the same instance, lighting the area over the park with the massive fireball.
“Yes!” Kyle shouted, jumping in the air with his fist held high.
“Still two more,” Curt said, watching. By the time the others looked, they had blown up, their fireballs lighting the sky around them again. Pieces of the choppers rained down on the field below. The jets made a low altitude pass over the park, rocking their wings, and then banked a big turn and flew east.
“Texas Air National Guard,” Curt said. “That was incredible.”
Jason looked at him and Kyle, worry on his face.
“What, brother?” Kyle asked.
“They knew about the drop, and exactly where it was done,” Jason said. “Doesn’t that bother you?”
Kelly and Junior ran over with Brenda and Rachel.
“That was crazy,” Junior said.
“You ain’t kidding,” Kyle said.
“What do you look so glum about?” Kelly asked Jason.
“He brought up a good point,” Kyle said. “They knew exactly where the drop was.”
“Yeah, they had the coordinates,” Jason said. “It wasn’t just the boxes themselves. They probably couldn’t even see the boxes in the dark until they were almost on top of them.”
“Crap, he’s right,” Junior said. “There’s still moles in the Air National Guard.”
“So it would appear,” Curt said, “but don’t get your panties in a bunch. The good guys figured it out and splashed them. They might have figured out who the mole was as a result.”
“I hope so,” Kyle said.
“Where’s Carrie and Kate?” Brenda asked
“In the back of Curt’s toy hauler,” Jason said. “I guess we can let them out.”
“Yeah,” Curt said, walking to his rig. He stuck his head in the door. “It’s over. The good guys blew the choppers away.”
“Thank God,” Carrie said, coming out with Chelsea, who ran ahead to Jason. He picked her up.
Kate ran over to Kyle. “That was scary,” she said.
“Seriously,” Kyle said.
Amanda came out last and went straight to Curt, trembling.
“You okay?” he asked, looking at her. “Shoot, you aren’t.” He pulled her into his arms and she cried hard.
“I was so scared,” she said.
“I know,” Curt said. “It’s okay. The good guys won. I’m sorry I forced you in there.”
“I won’t be doing that again,” she said.
“Too scary when you can’t see what’s going on?” he asked.
“No, you don’t get it. I was afraid you’d be shot to pieces. I’m not leaving you again. Helpless waiting isn’t my style.”
“I was worried about you,” Curt said softly.
&
nbsp; “We’ll have to work this out,” she said. “We’re going to be partners. You aren’t going to be my protector. Understand?”
“I don’t think…”
“No, you don’t,” she said. “I’m a strong woman unless I feel helpless, so I’m not going to feel helpless again. At least not when I have any other choice.”
He pulled back from her. She smiled back at him, tears still on her cheeks, but bold determination on her face. “Sorry,” he said. “I won’t do it again. Or at least I’ll try not to.”
“Not your choice,” Amanda said. “And another thing. I’m not wasting time anymore.”
“Wasting time?” Curt asked.
“Hey, we’re going back to bed,” Kelly said. “See you folks in the morning.”
“Us too,” Kyle said.
Jason nodded and followed Carrie back into their coach, still holding Chelsea.
“I guess we’re alone,” Amanda said.
“I guess,” Curt said. “We were having a personal conversation. They heard most of it.”
“I don’t care,” Amanda said.
“You’re something. What were you saying again, before everybody said good night?”
“I’m not wasting time anymore,” she said. “We could get killed before morning. We might not have much time left. I want you and I know you want me. That’s the end of it. I’m moving my stuff into your rig.”
Curt chuckled. “I don’t have any say in the matter?”
“No, not really,” she said. “If you want to get rid of me, you’re gonna have to push me away really hard. I won’t make it easy.”
“When did I say that I wanted to get rid of you?” Curt asked.
“Exactly what I wanted to hear,” she said. “I’ll go get my stuff.”
“I didn’t agree to anything,” he said, watching her hips sway in the slinky t-shirt. “You’re doing that on purpose.” She turned back at him and grinned, but said nothing.
Chapter 18 – Late Night Call
Jason sat in the dinette, looking at his phone.
“You coming to bed, honey?” Carrie asked. “I got Chelsea down. She’s sawing logs.”
“I don’t think I can sleep yet,” he said.
She came out and sat next to him. “That was scary.”
“Yes, it was,” Jason said. “I want to call Ramsey about it.”
“Then why don’t you?” she asked.
“It’s almost midnight,” he said.
“He’s your boss.”
“Exactly, he’s my boss,” Jason said.
She shook her head. “This is important, and we’re in a war, remember? Call him, then come to bed. Don’t just sit out here looking at your phone, or you’ll be up all night. He won’t mind. Really.” She got up and walked towards the bedroom. “I’ll be waiting.”
Jason thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and called Ramsey.
“Jason,” Ramsey said, answering after the first ring.
“Good, you’re still up,” he said.
“Yeah, been watching YouTube videos from California,” he said. “Good Lord.”
“Really?” Jason asked. “Not much coming out of California.”
“Well, you didn’t call me about that,” he said. “What’s on your mind?”
“Choppers showed up about an hour ago. They hit the empty containers out in the field where the drop was earlier tonight.”
There was silence on the line for a moment. “Tell me nobody got hurt.”
“We’re all okay, and they didn’t get any of our equipment either. Just the empty boxes. Some fighter jets showed up and shot down all four choppers.”
“Thank God for that,” Ramsey said. “You’re worried about something in particular. I can hear it in your voice.”
“The choppers knew exactly where the drop happened. Somebody had to have given them the coordinates.”
“Oh,” Ramsey said. “We told you that Landry was a traitor.”
“You also told us that he’d been neutralized,” Jason said.
“Just a moment.”
Ramsey put the phone on hold. After about two minutes, he came back on.
“Hear me?” Ramsey asked.
“Yeah,” Jason said.
“Hi, Jason,” Nelson said.
“Governor,” Jason said, sitting up straighter. “Sorry, I didn’t mean for them to wake you up.”
“I wasn’t asleep yet, and it wouldn’t have mattered anyway,” Nelson said.
“So you heard about the attack tonight,” Jason said.
“Yep, and I’ve got some news for you. Same thing happened down on the Gulf Coast. Four choppers. They attacked a hospital there, after a big attack on the base in Riviera Beach. Our jets took them all out.”
“So we’ve still got problems in the Air National Guard,” Jason said. “How worried should we be? Maybe the jets won’t get here so fast next time.”
“We’re working it, but we believe we’ll figure out where the problem is soon,” Nelson said.
“How?”
“Landry is locked in the situation room, in the bunker under the State Capitol building,” Ramsey said.
“He was there before the attacks happened, though, wasn’t he?”
“Yes,” Nelson said, “but he has the ability to call out with his cell phone, using a cell amplifier that we’re monitoring. We’ll probably know by morning if he’s talked to anybody.”
“Okay,” Jason said. “If you guys are sure we’re safe, I’ll try to relax.”
“Neither of us can make a guarantee, and you shouldn’t relax,” Nelson said. “We’re at war. A full-fledged world war, from what I can see. We need you guys always thinking, always staying sharp.”
“Yes sir,” Jason said. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be, son,” Nelson said. “You guys are valuable, both for your capabilities in battle and your insights. I’m glad you called. It puts more urgency on finding this mole in the Air National Guard, and we will pursue that hard.”
“Good enough, Jason?” Ramsey asked.
“Good enough,” Jason said. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” Ramsey said. “Now get to bed.”
“Will do,” Jason said. “Thanks.”
“Ramsey, stay on, will you?” Nelson asked. “We need to chat.”
“Will do, boss,” Ramsey said. “Talk to you soon, Jason.”
Jason got off and sat for a moment, looking at his phone on the table in front of him.
“Jason, come to bed,” Carrie said. “I heard you get off.”
“Coming,” he said, standing up. He shut off the lights, petted Dingo, and went into the bedroom.
“I’m surprised that poor dog isn’t a complete wreck,” Jason said as he quietly pulled the bedroom door shut.
“Everything okay?” Carrie asked, sitting up in bed.
“You’ve got your good nightgown on,” Jason said, looking at her in the dim light of her reading lamp.
“You need something to take your mind off of this,” she said. “We don’t have to talk about it tonight. We are going to live through tonight, right?”
Jason chuckled as he slid into bed next to her. “Yes, we should survive the night. It’s not bad, really. Nelson is good at refocusing his troops when they get scared and discouraged.”
She moved to him, snaking her arms around him and pulling him tight against her. “Hope you don’t mind the baby bump too much.”
“Have I ever?” he asked, kissing her passionately.
Chapter 19 – Follow Up
“Still hear me?” Ramsey asked.
“Yeah,” Nelson said. “He sounded pretty worried.”
“I don’t blame him,” Ramsey said. “They watched those choppers attack empty boxes. They probably thought they were going to be next. We’ve let them down on air support before.”
“I know,” Nelson said.
“What happened in the gulf?”
“Same kind of thing, except about forty people go
t blown away. We almost lost two important assets down there.”
“Wallis’s folks?”
“Yeah, DPS patrol boaters,” Nelson said. “We’re changing our strategy with them.”
“What are you going to do?”
“We won’t spread them thin anymore. We will park boats in front of likely targets and leave them there. They’ll be on guard duty instead of patrol.”
“Would that have made a difference in Corpus Christi?” Ramsey asked.
“Yes,” Nelson said.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” Ramsey asked.
“Two things,” Nelson said. “First, when you get with Wallis tomorrow, tell him I want all choppers grounded. All of the enemy attacks have been with choppers. None have been fixed-wing. Not a one.”
“Okay, we can do that,” Ramsey said. “What do we do with the pilots?”
“Call them into a meeting, and take them into custody,” Nelson said. “Start interrogations. Tough interrogations. We have to nip this in the bud fast, before we lose anybody else.”
“Okay,” Ramsey said. “That ought to start a shit-storm.”
“I hope so. Some of them will crack,” Nelson said.
“What’s the other thing?”
“Simon Orr,” Nelson said. “He attempted to contact Saladin.”
“What?” Ramsey asked, heart pounding.
“You heard me,” Nelson said. “Our rednecks were right about him. We found some other things out, too.”
“You’re about to tell me something bad,” Ramsey said. “I can hear it in your voice.”
“Yep. Talked to Walker and Hogan about half an hour ago.”
“You’ve had a busy night,” Ramsey said.
Nelson chuckled. “Yeah, I have. Anyway, here’s the scoop. There’s a big secessionist militia movement building in the southwest. Arizona, Utah, and Colorado are the main places. Simon Orr is part of that, and he’s been trying to get it started in Texas and Louisiana too.”
“He having any success this far east?”
“Not that we know of,” Nelson said, “beyond the eighty men he already has, that is.”
“Why’s he talking to Saladin?”
“General Walker’s people think there’s been an alliance made between the Islamists and the militias.”