“Tucker. Tucker Turner, sir.” His teary eyes darted to Allexa and then away.
“Well, now, Tucker. How is it you came by Perkins’ uniform?”
“It wasn’t my idea, honest, it was Adam’s!” Once the boy got started he didn’t stop. “We saw them camping up a logging road. Adam waited until they were distracted eating and we snuck up on them. Adam had them take their shirts off first and then he shot them in the back of the head and then we stripped off the rest of their clothes and then took the Hummer and their weapons.” He paused for a breath.
Allexa paled. “You ambushed them and murdered them for their uniforms?” Her voice was barely a whisper. “What did you do with them, Tucker?”
He looked down at his lap, noticing for the first time he had wet himself. “We left them there, ma’am.”
Allexa straightened her shoulders, took a steadying breath, and nodded to Steve with a head tilt to the boy. Major Kopley pulled his hand gun and put it against Tucker’s forehead.
Allexa cut the ties on the boy’s hands. “Take off that shirt,” she ordered.
“You said you would go easy on me if I told you the truth!” he whined, unbuttoning the shirt and handing it to her.
“We haven’t tortured you, Tucker. This is being easy,” Kopley said, and he pulled the trigger.
***
Allexa stood on the wooden porch, her hands clasped tightly on the railing to keep them from shaking. Dan rushed out of the first room when he heard the gunshot and saw her standing there. Steve soon joined them.
“These two ambushed Jim and Perky. Killed them in cold blood and stole everything they had to make themselves look legitimate,” Kopley explained. He turned to Allexa and asked, “You have a dog?”
“Of course not.”
Allexa pushed past the two majors and entered the first room. She pulled a knife from her pants pocket and cut the fake colonel’s arms loose. He gave her a quizzical look.
“Here’s the deal, Adam. Take off Jim’s shirt so you don’t get blood on it when I execute you.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I start with your feet.” She pointed her gun toward the floor and pulled the trigger. He screamed. “I know how much your feet can hurt when injured. Your knees are next.”
Gasping for breath, he slowly unbuttoned the sleeves, then the shirt, and shrugged out of it. He dropped the uniform on the floor and gave her an evil, pain filled grimace. “Don’t you want to hear how they begged for their lives?” Venom dripped from his voice.
Allexa’s eyes turned to steel. “Colonel James Andrews, a man I knew well and loved, would never have begged.” Not hearing the two majors behind her, she pulled her Beretta, placed it six inches from his head, and pulled the trigger, obliterating his face.
“Allex, are you okay?” Kopley asked softly.
“Nope,” she said quietly, picked up the shirt, and walked out the door into the late afternoon sunshine.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Both majors followed her outside, and watched her remove the silver eagle from the collar of Jim’s shirt and slip it into her pocket.
“Colonel Smeth,” Major Dan Hogan said formally. “You are the ranking officer and therefore in command. What do you want us to do with the remaining prisoners?”
“I never wanted to be in the position of deciding who lives and who dies,” she stated simply. With pain filled eyes that were somehow also emotionless, she looked at the two men who waited for her instructions. “These men are dangerous. Execute all of them. Have Sgt. Rush bring me O’Brian.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am, I didn’t quite mean that. The brass wants prisoners,” Major Kopley clarified.
“Fine, then just get them out of my town as soon as possible. But I still want O’Brian.”
***
Eric pushed O’Brian into the room where Adam’s body still lay.
“Secure his hands behind him, Sergeant.” Allexa turned to the two majors that had followed them. “The Sergeant and I have this. It’s a personal matter.” She closed the door and the two officers reluctantly retreated.
Eric looked at her with questions in his clear blue eyes.
“Remember what I said to you earlier, O’Brian? Well, I’ve decided that a firing squad would be too good for you so you get to face us. Besides, my other officers might want you alive and I won’t accept that.” She walked around him and whispered over his shoulder, locking eyes with Eric. “Remember that pretty, dark haired thirteen year old girl you were putting the make on earlier?” She moved back in front of him and nodded toward Eric. “She’s his daughter…” Eric’s lips and chin went tight and his eyes darkened with rage. “And my granddaughter.”
The blood visibly left O’Brian’s face as he realized what that meant.
***
Major Kopley and Major Hogan stood outside the door and heard two shots ring out.
Allexa and Eric walked out. “Clean up on aisle two,” she smirked.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Allexa sat in the passenger seat of her Hummer, head back and eyes closed, listening to the activity around her.
“Allex,” Dan Hogan said, leaning down on the open window, “Steve’s crew brought in the rest of the prisoners. They’re all loaded into one transport, and are headed back to Sawyer now.”
“I hope they’re very uncomfortable,” she said, eyes still closed.
“Very. And I told the driver to hit every pothole he could find.” Dan’s comment got her to crack a weak smile. “Steve and I have decided to stay on for a day or two, if that’s alright with you.”
“Fine.”
“We sent most of the force back to guard the prisoners. There are still a dozen here, put up in the Inn, as are we,” he told her. “We need to talk.”
She opened her eyes. “Then I need a drink. I’m sure Tom still has a few bottles.” Allexa sat up straight. “You driving?”
***
At the house on the lake, Mayor Tom White set up the bar, an unopened bottle of Gray Goose in the middle, with five glasses surrounding it. Allexa cracked the seal with shaky hands and blurred vision. She swallowed hard and let Tom pour.
“To Colonel James Andrews. He was a very good man; may he rest in peace wherever he is,” Tom said, lifting his glass. Tom, Allexa, Steve, Dan, and Eric downed a shot of Gray Goose.
Allexa coughed. “How could he drink that stuff?” They all chuckled except for Eric.
“Ma’am, if you would excuse me, I need to check on Rayn and the kids,” Eric said, rubbing his still injured arm.
“Of course, and tell her and Frank I said thank you.”.
After he left, Dan looked at her in question. “Who are Rayn and Frank?”
“Both sergeants, and both snipers who had the Inn covered during operations. Rayn is also Eric’s wife,” Allexa answered, letting her guard down a bit. Tom poured her a double shot of spiced rum over ice.
“Sgt. Rush looked like his arm was hurting him,” Dan noted.
“He was shot on our way back from Sawyer.” She didn’t elaborate, cutting off any further questions.
“You have an interesting and close knit community here. I can see why you want to protect it,” Steve said, shifting the conversation.
“Yes, for the most part, these are good people, survivors,” Tom said. “They’ve made it through killing flu outbreaks, dangerous weather, food shortages, and now invasion.”
“Are they aware of Operation Boy Scout?” Steve asked.
Tom looked warily at Allexa for the answer.
“No, they’re not. They aren’t part of it–yet,” she replied after taking a sip from her chilled glass. “And I don’t want them to know either.”
“Understood,” Dan replied. “With that in mind, how are you keeping the peace and keeping them safe with only
five of you? For that matter, how did you do it with seven?”
“We had nine. Two of our local officers were murdered last summer and then the perp had the decency to commit suicide. Anyway, mostly things were kept quiet with the early winter. When Jim and Perky left, our force was basically then cut in half, though we expected them to come back.” Allexa paused for another sip. She found it sad she was quickly becoming acclimated to the fact Jim was dead. “I will admit we are stretched pretty thin now, so I appreciate your quick reinforcement. Thank you.”
“With your permission, Colonel, I’d like to leave a half dozen of my men here for a while,” Steve offered.
“Let me think about that if you don’t mind,” Allexa replied.
“We don’t know yet if this group was the only cell operating in this area,” Dan chimed in.
She gazed at him, mulling over the possibility. “With that in mind, I accept your offer. Whoever you select, though, needs to understand that this martial law works well because we have integrated into the community and work with them to keep them safe and supplied. Tom and I share the leadership here.”
“So you are head of security?”
“Yes and no. Jim was head of security. However, now I am by default. Sergeant Rush coordinates the patrols. He’s good at it and I’ve seen no reason to alter that. If there is a problem that involves non-military, he brings it to us. There are times we call for a board meeting. The board is Tom, myself, Father Constantine, Art Collins, who heads a small community north of here, and Jim. We will now have to find a replacement for Jim, and that’s going to be difficult,” Allexa concluded with a sigh.
“So your board consists of military, civilian, and religious leaders? Interesting combination and apparently well balanced,” Dan commented. “I’m hoping you can give us a tour tomorrow. This place is intriguing. On that note, we should take our leave. It’s been a very long day for all of us.”
***
After the two majors disappeared up the driveway, Tom poured Allexa another shot of spiced rum.
“Allex, I know it must have been very difficult to hear those confessions about Jim’s death. Are you okay?” Tom asked.
“I don’t know, Tom. For me it’s been a long walk on a very fine line between being ready and prepared for anything, and not giving a damn. That line just got very hazy.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
At nine o’clock in the morning, Allexa heard the refrigerator start humming as the signal the generator was back online. She took her cup of coffee made with the French press and stepped into the backyard. A chickadee flitted away from the birdbath after taking a drink. Sleep had eluded her most of the night and she hoped the caffeine would wash away the grogginess she felt.
“Mom, are you here?” Jason called out.
Allexa stepped back into the kitchen to refill her cup before facing her youngest. “You want some coffee?” she asked, alerting him to where she was.
“No thanks. I just wanted to tell you privately…” he choked. “I’m so sorry about the colonel. I know you two were very close. Eric told me about…the executions. I hope that helped ease some of the pain.”
“Killing someone, even for a good reason, will never ease the pain, Jason. Even as vile as those three were, they were still human beings.” Allexa looked out at her much smaller yard before turning back. “Yes, Jim and I were close and cared for each other, but he’s gone. I’ve lost three men in the last three years. Three men that I cared deeply about, and it’s left a big hole in me. Fortunately that hole is numb, at least for now.”
Jason gave his mother a long hug. “So what are your plans for today? You want to go fishing?”
She laughed. “That would be fun, but I promised to give Major Kopley and Major Hogan a tour of Moose Creek. I think we’ll start with Lookout Rock, then maybe Eagle Beach and the marina. Any other suggestions?”
***
“Wow, what a view!” Dan Hogan said, staring out from Lookout Rock. The town of Moose Creek lay at their feet, with Lake Meade shimmering in the late morning sunlight beyond the houses. The land bridge between the inland lake and Lake Superior was starting to shrink as the Big Lake continued to refill.
“What’s on the other side over there, Allex?” Steve Kopley asked, pointing in the direction of Eagle Beach.
“We’ll go there next. It’s our deep water port and marina, which looks like it might be useable for small craft before long if the water continues to rise at the current rate. You can see the lighthouse at the end of the strand. We’ll go there too.” She turned to face the two men and leaned against the railing, putting her back to the breathtaking view. “After that, I think we should start the interviews with who you think may be willing to stay on here.”
“They don’t have to be willing, Allex, they can be ordered to stay,” Kopley answered.
“I don’t want anyone staying under those circumstances. This could turn into a long assignment and I don’t need the unrest of resentment,” Allexa stated firmly.
***
“We had seven volunteer and have yet to eliminate any. They all seem to be viable candidates for staying on. How do we narrow it down to only six? You two know these men best, what do you suggest?” Allexa asked.
“The one that doesn’t get chosen is going to be greatly disappointed. If it’s within your scope of housing, why not take all seven?” Kopley suggested. “We’ll increase the food and gas shipments of course, along with their military supplies, like clothing and ammo.”
She looked at the two majors sitting at the round table with her at the Inn. The young soldiers had been dismissed and were waiting in the larger conference room while the officers privately made their decision.
“Sounds good to me, though I want to talk with them individually before they accept the assignment,” Allexa stated, rising from the table. “When will you two be leaving?”
“We thought in the morning,” Dan Hogan said. “The Blackhawk is still at Sawyer and can be here to pick us up within a half hour.”
***
“Gentlemen, you have all volunteered to stay on in Moose Creek for security detail. Before you concern yourselves with who may have been bumped, it’s been agreed that all of you can stay. That is if you still want to after this talk we’re about to have.” Allexa paused to take a sip of water. “The security work here is easy, and unlike what you may be accustomed to. Here we ride around on bicycles, since it’s actually quicker, definitely quieter, and more efficient. We are expected to help the residents in any way we can, be it from holding a ladder to climbing it. You will be called on to settle minor disputes, and anything you don’t feel comfortable dealing with, defer to Sgt. Rush or myself. Speaking of Sgt. Rush, he is my eyes and ears and he is in charge of you, the duty roster, and will be responsible for your behavior. You go to him first with everything, is that clear?” She waited while they all agreed. “I understand that two of you are almost of equal rank to Sgt. Rush. You are E6s, he’s an E7. If it becomes a problem I will have only one option and that would be to send you back to Sawyer. I don’t want to do that. He has been here for some time now, and knows the ropes and the people. He is in charge. Are there any questions?”
One young man raised his hand. Allexa nodded. “Ma’am, where will we be housing?”
“Good question. For now you will be assigned rooms here at the Inn. As you get familiar with the town during your tour in Moose Creek and what houses are empty, you can decide if you wish to have your housing reassigned. And as you get familiar with the people, you may decide on…alliances. Relationships are usually discouraged, but not here. At that time living arrangements will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. I want you to feel at home, and as part of the community you will serve the people better.” The men looked stunned, and a bit uncomfortable. “It will be your choice. If you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to come
to me.”
“Where do we find a bicycle?”
“At the Down Riggers store which we now call the Nuns Shoppe run by the sisters. There is a collection for you to choose from. There is no theft in this town so don’t worry about locking the bike up, just leave them parked by the back door. You will also be expected to attend the non-denominational church services. Not only is it comforting, it’s where a great deal of community news is shared, and that will assist you in your duties.” She looked at the small sea of faces and smiled. “Your first assignment will be tomorrow escorting a group into Marquette to continue provisioning. Only three of you will go while four will to stay here for security. You have the rest of the day to yourselves, so wander around and get familiar with the area.” She turned away. “Oh, if after that little speech, any of you have changed your mind, please speak with me privately. Dismissed.”
As Allexa was leaving the Inn, Marsha stopped her.
“When I was cleaning the rooms upstairs, I found a drawer full of soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and other things that looked like they came from the Nuns Shoppe,” Marsha said, “so I took them back to Sister Agnes.”
“Thank you, Marsha. I meant to mention to you those guys took several things from our supply, then things got a bit hectic rather quickly.”
***
The two majors met Allexa at her house for breakfast before departing. Fresh scrambled eggs, a bowl of sausage gravy, and a platter of fresh biscuits sat in the center of the table. She filled three coffee cups and sat, picking up a biscuit and dipping it into a pool of gravy on her plate.
“Sgt. Rush is a fine young man, Colonel. I can see why you want to keep him on as security officer, and your personal assistant,” Kopley said, pouring gravy over a broken biscuit. “He told me you once risked your life to save his.”
The Journal: Martial Law Page 19