Stryker said nothing, still trying to process what had just happened. He glanced down again at Erin, remaining mute, and looked around. His vision seemed clearer, his eyes roamed around their surroundings automatically, assessing and evaluating everything that surrounded them.
The cold calculating side of his nature that had somehow disappeared seemed to return.
He looked around again, and was amazed at the clarity of everything he saw. The colors were vibrant, his eyes recorded the movement of leaves on trees that shifted with the wind, and he smelled everything that carried a scent in the air with an amazing acuity.
He glanced down at Erin again. “Everything is going to be fine.” His voice was quietly confident, but his eyes never stopped moving as he surveyed their surroundings.
“I think you’re right,” Erin replied.
“I am.” He gave her that lopsided grin that was just this side of cocky.
Erin frowned “What was that all about?”
“I’m not really sure. But it doesn’t really matter. I feel like I’m in the game again, and thank God for that. I was in nowhere land for a while.”
“Were you hallucinating?”
“In a good way,” he replied.
“That’s kind of scary.”
“Not from my perspective. Let’s just get on with this show and go see what the future holds for us.”
Stryker brought his M-4 off his arm without a thought and carried it at the low ready, walked through the house, and waited outside for the group to join him.
“What the hell was that?” Erin muttered, and then she followed him into the house.
CHAPER TWENTY-SIX
Stryker and Edwards stood in front of the gate to the base. The twin Ma Deuces were aimed at them and they stared back at the gunners, wondering if they would open fire.
They had left the women in their Humvees, parked around the corner and out of sight. If the men didn’t return within an hour, they were to leave the second Humvee behind and return to the house. Stryker and Edwards would escape when they could, retrieve the vehicle, when they went to meet the women back at the house.
“Who are you guys?” one of the gunners asked in a mild shout.
“We’re the guys who called in the air strike on ISIS,” Edwards replied. “Get your XO and tell him to get out here.”
“Hold one.”
They waited for a few minutes, and then a short man appeared and strode up to them with his pistol upholstered and pointed at the ground in front of them. Two men, armed with M-16’s, flanked the man on either side and assumed positions that excluded him from their line of fire.
“Not bad for the Navy,” Stryker said.
“Yeah, pretty good.” Edwards nodded.
They remained silent until the small man walked through the gate, and stopped in front of them. He was dressed in BDUs and seemed to be baffled by the situation, his face covered with a confused expression.
“You’re Edwards?” he asked Stryker.
Stryker shook his head. “No, he is.”
“The captain wants to see you.” The XO looked at Edwards. “I was on the bridge when you called. It’s good to finally put a face to the voice.”
“The big guy has to come along,” Edwards said.
“Why?”
“Because he’s the guy who led the fight and the captain wants to talk about that, or at least that’s what I’m guessing.”
“I thought you commanded the group?”
“I never said that,” Edwards replied. “We were a little short of time for any long explanation.”
The man looked up at Stryker with open doubt. Stryker shrugged back at him with an expression of disinterest.
He didn’t offer his hand to either Stryker or Edwards, but turned on his heel and walked back toward the gate. Stryker shrugged again and they followed the XO. Both guards fell in behind them, and the group proceeded to an office building on the side of the maintenance area. After passing through the doorway, they turned to the right and entered an office.
The enlisted men stayed at the office door, and the XO offered his hand to each of them.
“Commander Craig,” he said with a faint smile.
“I’m Stryker.” He shook the man’s hand.
“The CO will be right in. Take a seat.” Craig gestured to a sofa flanked by two easy chairs. Stryker examined the man more closely. Despite his short stature, he looked wiry and in good condition. He was dressed immaculately, with creases in his pants, and his shirt tucked in neatly.
The men stood as the CO opened the door to from an inner office and strode briskly into the room.
“On my left is Edwards,” the XO said. “The larger one is named Stryker.”
“I’m Captain Thomas.” He shook Stryker’s hand and looked up at him with a faint smile. He moved around the coffee table and when Edwards extended his hand, the captain pulled him close and clapped him on the shoulder, then drew back. “That was one hell of a job you did. Well done.”
“I was just explaining to the CO that Stryker actually led the mission.”
“Doesn’t matter.” The CO replied turned his fiercely intelligent blue eyes to Stryker, and nodded his thanks. “All I care about is that we got all the bastards.”
“We did,” Stryker replied. “We both did a battle damage assessment and nobody walked away from it.”
The CO was a stereotypical posterchild of a naval captain. He was tall, reed-slender, with jet black hair going grey at the temples. The two men examined each other carefully, like two boxers before the bell, and Stryker’s impression of the CO was positive.
“I don’t suppose you’re here because you found another group of terrorists?”
Stryker grew more positive about the man. He seemed to be all business and the question was posed carefully and with some humor, but it also cut to the chase. What he really asked was why Stryker and Edwards were here.
“We know that you’re going to attempt to rebuild here, and we’ve come to see if we want to be a part of it, and if so, if you want us to be here.”
The CO took a seat and looked carefully at Stryker, and then at Edwards.
“You’re both military? Right?”
“Yes,” Stryker replied.
“I’m guessing from the BDUs, you’re marines?”
“Correct. Both former,” Stryker answered.
“The fact is that we’re desperately short of people and skills. We can use anyone who is willing to work, obey the law, and not make trouble. But two more people are not really going to move the needle. We need more like two thousand and we need them now.”
“How many crew members are staying here?” Stryker asked.
“We’re down to around eight hundred.”
“Why do you need the people so quickly?” Edwards asked.
“Several things,” the CO replied. “We have rations for two years stored, but we need to get farming and ranching started, we need to find a vet, and we’re short of skilled tradesmen, engineers, and medical staff. We also need people to go find things we need to get power fully restored and water to the rest of the base.”
“How much power and water do you have going now?” Stryker asked.
“The housing area, the maintenance area, and this office building so far, but were running out of parts. Once we get our transformers fully operational, we start sending teams out to other bases and see what we can find.”
“Have you sent anyone out yet?” Edwards asked.
“We just made sure the area around us was secure and left it at that,” the CO replied. “You were in Texas, so you must have seen a fair bit of the country on your way here. Can you brief me about what you’ve seen?”
“Now?” Stryker asked.
“Why not?”
“Well, it will take hours,” Stryker replied. “Would you mind if we asked a few questions first?”
“Not at all.”
“If we join your group, would we be subject to a chain of comman
d?”
The CO chuckled. “I’ve been skating along that cliff for two years. The short version is, no. That’s impossible in this situation. I will say that I strongly encourage people to remain loyal to their oath and country, but if you’re concerned that if you check into the Bates’ Hotel, you can never check out, that’s not the case. If anyone wants to leave, they can. I do try to discourage it, but I won’t outright ban it either.”
“Why did we see two men sneaking out through the fence last night?” Stryker asked.
“You surveilled us?”
“Of course, I’m not an idiot.”
“They were two pilots that didn’t want to tell fellow airmen they were going to leave. The fact is I only have eighteen left and I do everything I can do to hold on to them, but pilots are a different breed – they are tremendously proud and some of them find it hard to tell other pilots that their commitment is less than total.”
“Have you lost your CAG yet?” Stryker was referring to the commander of the carrier air group.
“Yes, he was off the ship before the end of the first year.”
Stryker paused. “Just one more question, and we can give you the briefing you want.”
“Fire away.”
“Have you had any problem with sexual assaults? I saw you have a mixed crew, but there seemed to be a lot fewer women than men.”
“I’m a boat driver, not a priest. So, I’m guessing we have had some of that – boys and girls will play – but nothing that was brought to my attention.” He paused for a moment. “We have roughly 150 females and 550 males in the crew that remain. The women left at a much lower rate than the men. I guess they tended to be single and younger than the men. It wasn’t that long ago that we had no females on naval vessels and that may explain it.”
“We have three very young and very attractive women with us. Two of them are in relationships with Edwards and I, and one is single. I need your assurance that they’ll be safe here.”
“I can’t give you that,” Thomas replied. “I can only promise to do my best to see that nothing happens.”
“Then you need to make me and my group a part of your force protection so we can keep our weapons and, if need be, defend our women.”
“You’re wearing a pistol. What more do you need?”
“Our M-4s. We’re willing to stand watch and do whatever else you need, but not without our weapons.”
“That could be a deal breaker,” Thomas said. His eyes narrowed and Stryker sensed the beginning of a negotiation.
“What is it you want me to do?” Stryker asked.
“Is it that obvious?”
“Yes,” Stryker replied.
“I sent you two planes and two pilots. I got one plane and one pilot back.”
“What happened to the second one?”
“He went down somewhere in Arizona. We think it was a turbine failure.” Thomas paused, staring at Stryker with a frank look of assessment.
“I need more. It’s not a small area.”
“Get the last coordinates and bring them in,” Thomas said to Craig, who returned with a map and stabbed a finger at an area that was somewhere between Yuma and Gila Bend, Arizona.
“Stryker studied the map. “Did he try to get a vehicle started and drive back?”
“That was the plan. We spoke to him twice by radio before he went dark,” the XO replied.
“That had to be around a week ago,” Stryker replied.
“It was.”
Stryker turned to Thomas. “We need to go get the women and bring them in.”
“Have Edwards do it,” he replied. “We have some more to talk about.”
Stryker nodded at Edwards.
“Craig, go with him so there are no problems at the front gate.” Thomas fell silent as the men left the room, and then fixed Stryker with a steely look.
“Don’t bother,” Stryker said. “Nothing is going to intimidate me so just say what’s on your mind.”
“I need that pilot back.”
“Why is he so important?”
“He’s my son-in-law, and I’m low on the only battle assets I have.”
“Well, I guess I’m going to have to find him then.” Stryker shrugged. “If he’s alive, I’ll bring him back. All you have to do is keep my people safe while I’m gone.”
“I can’t guarantee that.”
“I can’t guarantee I won’t have to kill you if anything happens to them either,” Stryker replied. “Understand the consequences before you agree with the deal. And, I would work really hard at holding up my end of the bargain if I were you.”
Thomas stared back at him, seemed to accept the terms, and then said, “That’s pretty ballsy.”
“It’s the truth, unvarnished.” Both men sat back in their chairs and stared at each other.
“I’ll make sure they’re safe,” Thomas finally said. “I’ll berth them on the ship with female guards outside their rooms.”
“You guys still have the four bunk quarters for junior officers under the flight deck?”
“We do.”
“Put them in one of those, and Edwards can stay with them,”
“He’s not going with you?”
“Why?” Stryker replied. “I’m just going to pick up a pilot.”
“The women are going to be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”
“And, I’ll get your flyboy back,” Stryker replied. “We have a deal.”
“You want a cup of coffee?” Thomas asked.
“Bring me two and keep them coming,” Stryker replied.
Thomas disappeared for a moment, and then returned, followed by an enlisted man who carried a tray with coffee cups and an urn. He poured two cups, left the urn on the table, and disappeared.
“Okay, now tell me about what it’s like out there?” Thomas asked.
“Well, the most important thing is that you shouldn’t send females out by themselves. Women are apparently the new currency and I ran into at least two cases of sex trafficking in the last few years.” Stryker paused, lost in thought for a moment. “When your guys start going out there, I would tell them that they are going to think things are fine, but they really aren’t. You really can’t let your guard down as there are still a lot of bad guys that survived, and they seem to have a way of finding you when you least expect it.”
Craig walked back in, flanked by Edwards and the women. He did the introductions with the CO, and they all shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. Stryker noticed they all carried their M-4s and nodded his approval.
“Does the ship have working showers?” Stryker asked.
“Yes.”
“Would you mind if we cleaned up before we finish this conversation?
“Not at all.”
“Great, we’ll see you in the morning.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
The following morning, the ladies and Edwards toured the base with the XO as Stryker continued his brief with the CO.
“Give it to me from the top.” Thomas opened a notebook and plucked a pen from his pocket. The men were seated on either side of his desk, and Stryker had decided to be honest, so he gave Thomas the whole story, starting with the die-off and ending when they arrived at the base. He omitted nothing and, after around an hour, with Thomas not uttering a single word, he finished.
Thomas looked down at the notebook. “How many people do you think are out there?”
“Well, the last reports I heard was that only three percent of the population had survived the die-off. Since then, between natural deaths and violent ones, we may be down to two percent,” Stryker replied.
“I can’t say I find that very encouraging.”
“Well, there are pockets of people out there. Our trading post, before it dissolved, had around fifty people that showed up every Saturday.”
“Is there any way of finding them?”
“Probably. In the case of our market, the organizer put up posters all over the county and I know of at least t
wo others. One is in San Antonio, and the other is in southern Utah. If they exist there, they probably exist all over the country.”
“Would you be willing to organize a search to try to bring them in?” Thomas asked.
“Sure, but I’m going to need a lot of men and a lot of vehicles to do it. My guess is that most cars and trucks won’t run right now, and if we’re going to bring them in, we’ll have to provide transportation.”
Thomas added another note while Stryker waited for him to look up. When he did, he asked, “What about air-dropping flyers giving out our location?”
“That might work, but only if you don’t care who shows up. If we’re going to target occupations, we may not want to let everyone know what we’re doing. We’re going to have to feed and house people, so I guess I would say you need to take that into consideration.”
Thomas made another note, and then his eyes skimmed down the page. Finally, he said, “Can you estimate how much freeze-dried food you found in the warehouse?”
“I’m guessing at least a few semi-trailers full,” Stryker replied. “Probably somewhere around 20,000 meals.”
“We need to figure out how to get that food back here. That’s a nice variation for our diet, and an added insurance policy against a future failed harvest or setback.”
“Well, I don’t think there’s any hurry. It’s not going anywhere.”
“Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself,” Thomas said. “You need to get my pilot back, and I need to finish getting the base ready.”
“True. I’ll leave tomorrow. I will need to keep the sat phone so I can check in with you, but I don’t see any reason to delay the search.”
“Fine,” Thomas replied. “If you need anything, let the XO know and he’ll take care of it for you.”
Stryker stood and left the building, then set out in search of Edwards and the women. He found them in the maintenance building, where Craig was explaining the odd looking piece of equipment that sat in the center of the building. Men and women bustled about the building, looking purposeful and clearly well organized.
Stryker joined the group, draping a long arm over Erin’s shoulder and listened to the XO.
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