Survivors

by Rich Goldhaber

  I quickly realized this simple ceremony brought outward everyone’s recollection of friends and relatives who had been lost in the pandemic. Jessie was smiling from ear to ear, and when she arrived I whispered, “You look beautiful.” That’s when she began to cry. It was one big cry-fest.

  Paul then announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, Jim and Jessie will now participate in the sacred Rite of the Seven Steps ceremony. They will stop seven times while walking around the ceremonial fire and at each stop exchange a gift and a vow to help them as husband and wife.”

  Hunter continued to beat on the drum while Jasmine followed us as we began walking around the fire. At the first stop Jasmine handed me a sprig of rosemary. I handed it to Jessie and said, “This herb is the symbol of fertility, may you be so blessed.”

  We continued on, and at the next stop Jessie handed me a small rock and said, “This rock is a symbol of power, may you be so blessed.”

  At the third stop I handed her a flower and said, “This flower symbolizes beauty, may you be so blessed.”

  At the fourth stop Jessie gave me the feather of an eagle and she said, “This eagle feather is a symbol of bravery, may you be so blessed.”

  At the fifth stop I gave Jessie a feather from an owl and said, “This feather from an owl is a symbol of wisdom, may you be so blessed.”

  At the sixth stop I placed Jessie’s wedding ring on her finger and said, “This ring is a symbol of my never-ending love, may you be so blessed.”

  At the last stop, Jessie placed a ring on my finger and said, “This ring is a symbol of my neverending love, may you be so blessed.”

  Hunter then stopped beating the drum and the four of us stood on the podium in front of Paul. He smiled at the crowd and said, “As is our custom, I have an official Certificate of Marriage issued by Patty, our community clerk. The couple standing before you has already signed the document just prior to the ceremony. They insisted on a simple ceremony following the beautiful sacred fire ritual. I will follow their wishes, but I also want to say a few words about these two wonderful people.”

  I rolled my eyes at Paul who just ignored me. “Of course all of you know Jessie and Jim, some more so than others, but I’m certain each of them has at least introduced themselves to each of you. Now you may think they’re just acting like politicians, you know pressing the flesh and all those sorts of things; but for those of us who know them well, we all have a special place in our hearts for both of them.

  “Look around this community my friends. The good life we all now share didn’t happen by accident. These two individuals, who are getting married here today, more so than any of the rest of us, made this all possible.

  “Yes, it’s true we all helped make it happen, but we couldn’t have done it without the two of them guiding us along the way. Collectively we owe them much. Hunter and Jasmine did a wonderful job helping to plan this service, and I will always remember the sacred fire ceremony. It was beautiful and full of meaning.

  “And so by the power vested in me, and with all my prayers and good wishes, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Jim, you may kiss the bride.”

  It was finally over. I kissed Jessie to the cheers of the crowd and our little wedding party walked back to our apartment. In the privacy of our apartment Jessie and I hugged the kids and told them how proud we were of what they had done. They both seemed really happy with the way things worked out.

  Beth and Paul left us alone after we both thanked them for their help, and the four of us shared some champagne to celebrate. It was the first time the kids had any alcohol, and they both liked the bubbly taste. I kissed Jessie and the kids both laughed. We waited a half hour and then walked out to the dining area where our community was waiting to honor us. The four of us formed a receiving line and it took over an hour for everyone to pass by and give the bride a kiss and congratulate the kids and me. Everyone seemed to love the fire ceremony, and I could tell the kids were proud to share their heritage with our community.

  Beth and her people had outdone themselves. There were a half dozen carving stations and several kiosks were set up with a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables. I served myself a little bit of everything. There were countless toasts but the best was from Margaret who was sitting at our table. She was a crowd favorite, and when she ended the toast with l’ chaim, everyone repeated the toast and then cheered.

  Beth arrived with the wedding cake. It was fabulous. It was replica of the campus, down to the last detail. Even the tent housing our dining area was there. Jessie and I kissed Beth, and then Jessie, Hunter, Jasmine, and I cut the cake.

  The band began playing and Jessie and I had the first dance. Then I danced with Jasmine and Jessie danced with Hunter. Next I danced with Beth and Manny took Jessie for a twirl. It was after midnight by the time the celebration was over. At the end of the evening, Captain Sanchez sat down at our table and thanked us for everything. His words were quite simple. “It feels good to be with nice people again. I thought a lot about my wife and two children tonight. It was sad and good all at the same time if you know what I mean.”

  I knew how he felt, because I felt exactly the same way.

  Chapter 60

  We arose early and those of us in Team Alpha, that was the name of our assault team, drove a school bus up to MacDill. It took us just over three hours. A dozen jeeps had been modified to include fifty caliber machine guns mounted where the back seats used to be located. The gunner needed to kneel down in the front seat facing the back, but the design modification would probably work just fine.

  Arnie met us on the tarmac. “I think it’s going to happen tonight. The satellite images show all of their equipment is prepped and there’re no more people arriving. I think the head guy is wearing a black cowboy hat. The whole thing reminds me of that Vietnam War movie Apocalypse Now and the character played by Robert Duvall. What was his famous line? There’s nothing like the smell of Napalm in the morning.”

  “When do you think they’ll move out?” “They’ve probably got a twelve hour drive, so I think they’ll move out late in the afternoon; that is if they want to strike just before dawn. Let’s plan on getting all of the groups assembled tonight after dinner. We’ll know by then if they’re on the move.”

  Lieutenant Monroe arrived, and he explained each jeep would carry a gunner and driver, and we should follow him to the shooting range where we would practice using our machine guns. Vince explained how to load the high-tech machine guns and we then took turns shooting off multiple rounds at targets 500 yards down range.

  Vince had one Predator hand-held tank killer in his hand, and he was going to demonstrate the finer points of shooting off one of these beasts. He picked out a shack about a quarter mile away on the edge of the woods and pulled the trigger. There was a loud whooshing sound as the missile burst out of its protective shroud, rose into the air, and intercepted the shack. After the explosion, the shack had disappeared.

  “That shot was at the maximum range of the missile. Once we’re in position waiting to attack the enemy, I’ll give our team final instructions on our rules of engagement. Each jeep will carry four Predators, so we need to use them judiciously. Each system is equipped with its own night vision optical system, so you’ll have no problems engaging the enemy at night. Just remember, we will have the element of surprise, and that alone will more than compensate for their superior numbers.”

  With no further questions, Vince issued each of us short range communications systems, and we drove in a single-file convoy back to the campus.

  We parked our jeeps in the main parking lot. Lieutenant Monroe’s soldiers were busy instructing new recruits in the use of their newly issued M16 combat rifles. Thirty trucks had been collected to transport our people and they were also lined up in the parking lot. Our Alpha team met in the dining area and began reviewing aerial views of Bayshore Road. Vince had identified over twenty defensive positions we would use as we fell back toward Big Hickory Island. Each offered prote
ction and good visibility.

  Jessie asked, “What can they do to take away our advantage?” Vince laughed, “I can always count on you to ask the key question. If they move their M2s to lead their attack against us, they won’t be restricted to the use of the roads because they have tracks, not wheels. They could spread out and move across open fields. Our jeeps may not be able to be as effective off road. That move will decrease our advantage, but they’ll only do it if they have good leadership, someone who understands tank warfare. Let’s hope they don’t have such a person leading them.”

  Jessie asked, “If they spread out, then what’s our response?” “We’ll also spread out, and then we retreat, staying just out of range of their M2 guns. That’s what we’ll do; strike and retreat, strike and retreat. We have to make them think we have a much larger force than we actually have, but remember, it will be dark and there will be the fog of battle, there always is. We’ll be okay if we stick to our plan.”

  I think Lieutenant Monroe was used to commanding young soldiers who actually might believe we had the upper hand in this battle, but as I looked around the room the average age of my cohorts was at least fifty, and we had heard many military leaders talk about the easy battle ahead. This was not going to be an easy fight, and I expected many would die as we defended our community and way of life.

  Major Connors showed up about two o’clock. There had been a sudden increase in activity at Fort Gordon, and he was certain they were getting ready to pull out. I rang the bell alerting everyone to an important meeting and Major Connors addressed everyone and asked everyone to report to their muster areas at 1900 hours.

  Arnie handed Captain Sanchez a listing of key GPS coordinates on Big Hickory Island. Ed immediately called his men together, and they left for their submarine. He was going to move his ship about forty miles west of Big Hickory Island, and he was planning on being in position just after midnight.

  Doctor Fleming stayed behind and would be assisting Mary, Paul, and Phyllis in our makeshift hospital. Jessie and I looked in on Jasmine and Hunter, and we all decided to have an early dinner. Many of the residents had similar thoughts because the place was packed. Some of our closer friends came over to our table and congratulated us and commented on how beautiful our service was. Both kids were very happy, and their smiles were contagious.

  Arnie arrived and sat down. “Private Duncan just called. A convoy of troops left Fort Gordon twenty minutes ago, and they’re headed this way. He’ll have another report in thirty-eight minutes when the next satellite flies overhead. We’ll be launching drones from here about two hours before they arrive at the bridge. That will give us plenty of time to assess their strength and get a feel for how they will attack.”

  Lieutenant Monroe walked up to the microphone in the dining area and announced that the Alpha Team should meet up at the jeeps in twenty minutes. Jessie and I kissed the kids goodbye. They were both trying not to cry and it didn’t make for an easy departure.

  As soon as the team was fully assembled, we left the campus and headed up Interstate 75 to our assault position just north of the Caloosahatchee River Bridge.

  Chapter 61

  We crossed the Caloosahatchee River Bridge where some of Major Connor’s soldiers were setting charges to blow up the bridge. They saluted us as we crossed the river.

  We arrived at the Bayshore Road Exit on Interstate 75 at dusk. As expected, the place was deserted. We took up positions in a wooded area just west of the interchange. Vince rearranged some of the jeeps to ensure we were hidden from the approaching convoy. Then we dressed in our combat gear and checked out our communications system. We would all be using Channel 1, and everything seemed to be working fine.

  Vince Monroe gathered us all around his jeep. We reviewed our strategy over and over, and nobody complained about the repetitious planning. We all knew our lives would depend on precise execution. We checked out our weapons, and Vince and Sergeant Gomez checked all of our systems personally. They were leaving nothing to chance.

  And then it was just sit and wait time. Vince was getting constant updates from Private Duncan and Major Connors, who now had his entire team positioned just south of Big Hickory Island. He confirmed his soldiers had finished rigging all of the bridges with explosives, and small teams were now located at each of the bridges to ensure the explosives went off as planned.

  I had a thought. What if our jeep was destroyed? Both Jessie and I might be killed, and then what about the kids? Who would take care of them? I explained my concern to Jessie, and we decided to split up and ride separate jeeps into the battle. Bruce Crenshaw was my new driver. He was about thirty and looked scared to death. He looked at me almost ashamed, “I was in the last battle. I wasn’t scared until the shooting started. Now, I’m battle hardened and I know what to expect. We’re going to be in deep shit, aren’t we?”

  I looked at his moonlit face and said, “Bruce, this isn’t going to be a walk in the park, but everyone is counting on us; we’ve got to be successful. Vince called us over for a final pep talk. “I just got an update from Major Connors; the USS Jimmy Carter is in position, and Captain Sanchez says they’re ready to launch. Ami, Blaine, and Sammy are waiting at the end of the main runway at MacDill and will launch in a few minutes. Everyone’s good to go.

  “The drone has been launched from the campus and is now tracking the convoy. It is just south of Tampa and should arrive just after 0300 hours.”

  Vince showed us a real-time infrared video of the convoy downlinked from the drone. I could see twelve Bradley M2 Fighting Vehicles leading the two-mile long procession, followed by a mixture of troop-carrying trucks and the trucks with the machine guns mounted in the rear.

  Vince said, “I’m guessing the convoy will stop as soon as the bridge is blown. We’re close enough to the highway so the end of the convoy should stop just to our east. If they do, then we will fire our machine guns from here and try to eliminate the trucks within range. Taking out their machine guns is our highest initial priority. There’ll be confusion initially, and then if we’re lucky, they’ll move their M2s to engage us. We will not fire any Predators until we fall back to our first defensive position behind the wall at the Walgreens parking lot.”

  Our final lecture was over, and we returned to our jeeps and waited for the battle to begin. An hour passed, and then Lieutenant Monroe yelled that the convoy was ten minutes out from our position, and our air force had taken off from MacDill. We started our engines, and I did a final check of my machine gun, and then I heard the distant rumbling of the approaching enemy. The noise of the M2 tracks against the cement pavement made a high pitched rattling sound unlike anything I had ever heard before.

  With my night vision equipment, I could see the convoy roll past our position. They were moving at a steady thirty-five miles per hour. A few minutes later the night sky turned a brilliant yellow-white as the bridge over the Caloosahatchee River was blown up. As Vince predicted, the convoy stopped, and I could hear the distant shouting of men trying to get feedback from their commanders who were probably at the front of the column.

  Vince told us the convoy had stopped with one fourth of the column still north of the Bayshore Road Exit. “You will all begin to fire on my command. As soon as I say cease fire, we will leave this position and move west along Bayshore Road.”

  Seconds seemed like minutes and then Vince ordered, “Fire at will.” Kneeling on the front seat and facing the rear of the jeep, I picked out the nearest machine gun truck and began firing. Tracer rounds from our guns lit up the night sky. It seemed we were all firing at the same truck, and it immediately burst into flames. I saw a soldier on fire as he jumped off the truck and fell to the ground.

  I picked out another truck carrying troops near the front of our position and emptied my entire round of bullets into the vehicle. It burst into flames as the gasoline tank exploded and once again men on fire jumped out of the deadly flames. I loaded another magazine and picked out another truck with a ma
chine gun. It was firing in our direction, but our defensive position in the woods made for difficult targets. I emptied another hundred rounds into the rear of the truck and the gunfire ceased.

  Suddenly, Vince ordered cease fire. Bruce steered us out of the woods and onto Bayshore Road along with the other jeeps. As we sped off toward the west, I could see chaos within the column of vehicles. Vince’s jeep was the last to leave and he continued firing at the convoy. The enemy definitely knew the direction we were headed.

  Vince said, “Good job everyone. There were no casualties and we inflicted a lot of damage. As soon as we get into position at the Walgreens parking lot, I’ll monitor their response.”

  We parked our jeeps behind the protection of a four-foot high concrete wall and waited to see the enemy’s response. Vince was looking at his computer and said, “Okay guys, we’re in good shape. They’re moving their M2s back to Bayshore Road.”

  I thought about what their commander might be thinking. The main road leading to the campus was just destroyed. He would look at his navigation system and see there were two alternative approaches. The first was to move east toward Lake Okeechobee, but the next bridge to cross the river was a good thirty miles away. The second was to move west along the river and cross at a number of other bridges closer to Fort Myers.

  Our attack clearly sent the message that a significant force was located west of Interstate 75, and like many commanders he would probably want to engage the enemy. Vince interrupted my thinking, “Okay, they’re taking the bait. We’ve got six M2s headed this way. They’re moving three abreast with machine gun trucks following close behind.

  “On my command use your machine guns and try to hit the trucks. I will fire one Predator at the lead M2. I don’t want them to think we have overwhelming force just enough firepower so they commit their full force.”

  We all heard the M2s approaching. They were moving at ten miles per hour with the machine gun trucks immediately behind. Vince ordered, “Fire at will.”