We made it to the cave a little over three hours later and I was tired, hungry, and sleepy. Once past the guard, who Top had informed of our expected arrival, I made my way inside and received a loving welcome from Sandra and Dolly. After being kissed by both, I made my way to Top, who stood grinning by a table talking with Willy.
". . . and a Habin Z-9 flew cover. The same type of aircraft wounded Vickie, and I suspect it's based at the facility I sketched. What bothered me the most, Top, was the patrol looking for us had NVG's."
"Damn, not good. Are you sure they had NVG's?"
"I heard them bitchin' about the poor batteries they were using and how the power would start to go after less than thirty minutes."
Top thought for a moment and then said, "I don't think the NVG's are a serious threat then, because it sounds like the Chinese are issuing obsolete batteries, which makes them less than dependable. The damned chopper is serious business though, and I'll notify intelligence of all of this."
"Top?" I asked, and when he met my eyes I said, "We lost Ralph and couldn't bring his body back."
"Son, I understand, and I know Ralph doesn't care. This isn't like the old days, when we could call a chopper and remove our wounded and dead when we left an area. I only expect our wounded to be brought out and not even then if we suspect they'll die anyway. Since we have to pack our injured out, it only makes sense to save those that will heal to fight another day. By the same token, I want no wounded left behind either, if you get my drift. I find no fault in your thinking. Now, Willy, see your team is fed and allowed some sleep."
By Top's last comment I knew the conversation was over, so I picked up an MRE and moved to the sleeping area. I sat down and Willy joined me a few minutes later. I took a few bites of my entree and then asked, "You doin' okay with Ralph's death?"
"It's rough on me, but I'll be okay in a few days."
"If it means anything, I'm sorry. One thing for sure, he never felt the bullet that hit him."
Tears rolled down Willy's ebony cheeks and his voice quivered slightly as he replied, "He was one of he finest men I've ever known. He once had a loving family and nice home, but the fall ended all of that. He'd started working with me after things went to shit, and when we returned to his place one evening, his family was gone."
"Gone? Where'd they go?"
"We took one of my dogs, a big mix breed named Wolf, and found 'em dead about a half a mile from the house. His wife had once been beautiful, but her face had been completely destroyed by a knife blade, and she'd been raped a number of times. They'd cut her throat when they'd tired of her."
"That's a damned shame."
"They shot the boy and girl, but only after they'd raped the 'em both. She was only six and the boy four, but it'd made no difference to those animals. We found the prints of four men and the dog was kept close to me as we tracked 'em."
"Were you ever able to locate them?"
Willy gave a loud sigh and replied, "Yep, we found 'em about three hours later, and they were drunk as skunks. Ralph and I took them prisoners."
"Good," I replied and then fed my face a few minutes before I realized we had no place to keep prisoners. "Did he kill 'em?"
"No, he didn't, but I would have and never batted an eye either. He brought them before Top and the commander. All four were found guilty in what passes for a courts martial. Hell, they all fessed up to doing it, and were sentenced to death. Top thought the punishment should equal the crime, so each man was impaled on a red hot spike. I guess I don't need to tell you where the spike entered, huh?"
I chewed my food for a minute and then said, "Willy, to rape anyone, but especially kids and one a boy to boot, they deserved what they received. I hope the sumbitches suffered a lot before they died."
Willy leaned back on his blanket, closed his eyes and said, "Oh, believe me, those men suffered. Lawdy, did they suffer."
I stopped talking as I finished my meal, because I suspected Willy had told me enough, and I knew he was tired. With the fall and lack of police, scumbags ran around the countryside taking what they wanted. Families were murdered, rapes were common, and stealing turned into a way to survive each day for them. It was the old adage that only the strong survive. Now that we'd gathered into groups we had some defense from criminals, but the survivors, those that had survived to this point, had reverted back to a time before cavemen. The only real way of dealing with them was to kill them.
I must have fallen asleep, because I awoke later with Dolly and Sandra beside me. I sat up and watched men and women as they reported to Top or one of the other senior sergeant's. I felt movement at my side and when I looked, Sandra smiled.
"Are you doing okay?" I asked, and returned her smile.
"Tired is all. The Russian died the day you left, and Top had some men remove his body." She sat up beside me.
"Lack of blood?"
"I think that's what caused his death, but we didn't do an autopsy to determine the actual cause of death. Hell, it's not likely we'd have found much anyway, because we're not equipped to do much. We're just a step or two above basic first aid."
I dreaded the answer, but asked, "How's Alisa?"
"She grows stronger each day and is conscious most of the time now, but I still have to give her pain pills. She's a strong woman, and a real asset to us."
"Any sign of infection?"
"No, and I don't expect any. She's still on antibiotics and will be for another two weeks. At some point this week we'll remove the drain tubes from her stump."
I put my arm around her, pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "Sandra, I love you, and want you to always remember that."
"Well, I love you too, so don't forget."
I raised her chin with my thumb and index finger and when her eyes gazed into mine, I leaned over and kissed her deeply. I felt my desire kindle and then flash into a strong flame.
A loud explosion rocked the cave and the air filled with dust and smoke. Men and women screamed, but I heard Top yell, "They're attempting to breech the door!"
CHAPTER 19
"Willy, get your team and Johnson's team out the back way! Go! Jameson, Wilson, and Prentice, your group is to follow the first teams out the back next. Turner, you and your group stay with me. Take weapons and your packs only! Move, People!" Top yelled, and I saw him move toward the booby traps that lined the entrance.
Willy stood, quickly cast his blanket aside and yelled, "Team 7, form on me!"
Sandra ran to the medical supplies, picked up two bags and slipped them over her shoulder. When she joined me, she had her shotgun in her hand.
"John, take point and if possible, when we exit, head due east!"
"Willy, we'll follow your group!" Johnston shouted.
"Yo!" I screamed as bullets began to strike the steel door on the entrance. I turned my flashlight on and move deeper into the cave. Dolly walked calmly at my side.
It wasn't until I neared a rope ladder, that I realized I was at the exit. Top had not mentioned disarming any booby traps, but I would make sure before I stuck my head up. I figured any traps would be near the entrance and not on the ladder. I waited until Willy and the team neared.
"Willy, hold the ladder as I go up. Once at the top, I'll scan for booby traps and if it's clear, I'll let you know."
"Go." Willy took hold of the rope.
The distance to the top was about thirty feet, but I wasn't worried about falling. It was when I reached the top that I discovered the exit was covered with a woven mat, which felt like it was covered with dirt. I pushed hard and the mat fell to the side, sending dirt to my face and rocks to those below. I wiped my eyes as clear as I could using one hand, and went up one more rung on the ladder. I slowly raised my head, but saw nothing except trees. Very slowly, I exited the hole and then began to search for explosives or trip wires, but found nothing. I leaned over the hole and using my right arm, which was extended into the cave, I motioned for them to come up. I pulled Dolly up using a ro
pe and while she didn't like it, she didn't resist once in the air.
One at a time I helped the others from the hole, until Johnson's first man exited and I told him, "It's all yours now."
Willy said, "I'll take point, but John, I want you at our rear. Stay back about a hundred feet."
As we moved, I could hear gunfire and yells from the front of the cave, but it sounded to me as if they'd not been able to enter yet. I noticed Vickie, Sandra, Tom and Willy moving in front of me and wondered how far Vickie would be able to walk. She'd taken a light head wound and graze to her thigh, so she still had to have some pain.
Once, as we walked, we went to ground when a Chinese chopper flew high over our position, but for the rest of the day we saw no one. Tonight, as Sandra shared two MRE's she'd brought with us, Tom whispered, "In the morning we'll tag up with another group, if they haven't been attacked, and rest a bit."
"Who are they?" Tom asked.
"Our intelligence folks, or G2, so I suspect they'll want to know what is going on with Top. Each group was sent to different base camps so we could inform them of the attack on the cave."
"Do you think Top is okay?" Vickie asked.
Tom gazed into her eyes, then broke away and said, "No, I don't. I think they've all been killed."
Vickie lowered her head and said, "That's why I came along with you. I suspected the others in the cave would die." Then turning to Sandra, she asked, "Do you have anything for pain?"
"I can't give you much, because if I give you something strong and we have to run, you'll never make it." She reached into her medical bag, took out a pill bottle and let one white pill fall into her palm. "Take this, it's a light painkiller."
"Enough chatter." Willy ordered. "Guard will be Vickie, Sandra, Tom, John and then me. One hour shifts, then we start all over again. We'll start moving an hour before daylight. I want total silence the rest of the night."
I remembered how, before the fall, American's were soft and loud. Can you imagine a group of five sitting in the dark and not speaking for over ten hours in those days? It's hard, and even harder not to move much. Movement is usually spotted before a person is, so most of us stretched out to catch some sleep. I slept well, until I felt a touch to my shoulder and saw Tom in the moonlight. I moved to a position to watch over the others and got as uncomfortable as possible.
I was still sleepy and knew sitting on pebbles and sticks would annoy me just enough to keep me awake. Additionally, I didn't lean against a tree trunk or even try to get comfortable. I had to watch over my friends closely, or all of us could very well end up dead. Besides, they trusted me to keep them safe, and I'd damn sure do whatever it took to not let them down. Dolly, who was at my side, lowered her head to her paws as I scratched her ears slowly.
I was about to wake up Willy when I heard a slight noise and the night sounds disappeared. I slipped the safety switch on my shotgun to off and listened again. Leaning slightly to my left, I touched Willy on the ankle, and I saw his eyes open. In the moonlight, I cupped my hand behind my ear and saw him nod. He understood the night sounds were gone.
We sat in silence for well over an hour, before he whispered, "Wake the others. When they're awake, I'm going out there."
I nodded, knowing he could see the movement, and moved to each person, touching their leg. At the sounds of safeties switching to off positions, Willy said, "Don' shoot my ass comin' back in."
Fifteen minutes passed, and I leaned to Tom and whispered, "I'm going out "
"Tom, I'm at your 1400 position. Come to me now." I heard Willy say in slightly lower than normal tone.
When I met Tom's eyes, he shrugged and moved toward Willy.
A few minutes later I saw Willy nearing, and he was helping a man to our position. Behind him came Tom assisting another man and finally, a man I didn't know walking under his own power.
Willy and his group moved to us and he said, "It's Top, Smith and Skinner. The cave fell to the attackers and those inside went out the back, and had to escape and evade. These guys were moving to G2 when they collapsed."
"Where's Alisa?" Vicki asked, and I could hear the fear in her voice.
"She's dead, and so are many of the others. When the door blew open, it struck her and she died instantly. The survivors went out the back and fled to the four winds."
I heard Vickie crying softly. I suspected Top or one of the men inside killed her to prevent her capture. If captured, she'd have been used repeatedly and then killed. Of course, I knew Top would never tell anyone what really happened, because he was too professional to do that. I also knew it'd bother him for some time to come.
"Which of you is the most seriously wounded?" Sandra asked from my side.
"Smith took a round to his left lung, and I patched 'em up with part of a zip lock bag. Don't laugh when you see it, because all I had at the moment was duct tape and the bag, but I managed to seal the would airtight, so he could breathe again." Top said.
"And, Skinner?"
"I'm not hurt at all, but I carried Smith most of the way and I'm worn out. I ran out of fuel right in front of y'all."
Sandra was digging in her bag as she asked, "And, how about you, Top?"
"I took a knife blade in the upper left shoulder and have a concussion for sure, but the head hurts the most."
"Of a rating of 1 to 10, with ten being the worst, rate your pain."
"Fifteen."
Handing something to Top, Sandra ordered, "Take this and it'll help the pain a little. I can't give you anything stronger without it putting you to sleep. Now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I have to cover myself with a poncho and check Smith."
Suddenly a bright light appeared from the general direction of the cave, followed long seconds later by a muffled blast. Top laughed lightly and said, "Someone opened a case of special grenades, I fear."
From the size of the light, I knew most of the ammo had gone up along with other supplies, including gasoline or other flammables stored. The blast would have killed anyone in the cave at the time.
Sandra pulled he poncho off and said, "This man is dead."
"Internal hemorrhage?" Top asked.
"Most likely, but we'll never know for sure."
"Well, Top, let me start with you and give you both the once over."
Willy suddenly ordered, "Tom and John, move out a ways and guard this place."
"Yo!" Tom said and as I stood, I heard Top say, "They couldn't have followed us, because they were too busy looting the cave."
"I want guards out anyway."
I glanced at Dolly and said, "Come."
Near daylight, just as a false dawn was on us, we returned to camp. Willy said just above a whisper, "We've got to move, and quickly. At some point today both Top and Skinner will come down with a fever. Once that happens, we'll go no place."
I gulped part of an MRE Top threw to me and was glad to have it. I was tired, but knew if we could get to G2, I'd get some much needed rest. A few minutes after I'd placed the empty MRE in my pack, I heard Willy say, "Saddle up, we're movin'."
As we moved just slightly faster than a walk, I thought, What kind of future does our country have now? In the past it was always Third World countries who suffered from internal strife and wars, but we've gone from a world superpower to third world nation in less than two years. Hell, the last I heard, we didn't even have anyone making a move to pull us together or take over as a leader. How can this continue, or will it be as Top predicts, someone will eventually take control?
Near noon, as we took a short break, Willy pulled out a map and went over it with Top as they squatted near a large oak. A few minutes later, as he folded the map, Willy said just barely audible, "We should be there in less than an hour. They know we're coming, because Top radioed them before he left the cave."
Tom asked, "How do we know they got the message?"
Whispering, Top added, "They replied, so they're expecting us."
Sandra neared and asked, "How's the head, Top?"
"Headache, but I'll live, but the shoulder is throbbing now." He looked feverish to me.
"Once we reach a safe house, I'll fix you up good as new." She said, and then handed him another pill.
"Let's move, people," Willy commanded, and our break was over.
A little over an hour later, as I walked point with Dolly, she suddenly stopped and gave a low warning growl. I'd been expecting to run into a guard or someone, but I saw nothing.
I whispered, "What is it, girl?"
She continued to growl and jerk on her leash, so keeping the leash firmly in hand, I moved with her, allowing her to make her way toward the threat.
"That's close enough!" Came a loud command from a female. I suspect the voice wasn't much over a normal tone, except we'd been whispering so much it sounded like a shout to me.
I stopped and said, "Sit, Dolly."
"Who are ya and what do ya want?" The same voice asked.
"I'm looking for intelligence or G2 as the army calls it. I'm with Top and pulling point." I hoped telling her that much wouldn't get me killed, but we were long overdue at the safe house.
"Where did Top send his last radio message from?"
"I suspect the cave, since we don't have any other radios that could transmit the distance to y'all here. Only to be honest, I don't really know. Look, I'm tired, hungry, sore and not in the best of moods, so either shoot my ass or wait for the main group. Right now, I don't really give a shit which you do, either."
A strikingly beautiful woman stepped from the trees, and I've seen more cloth on a babies diaper than she had on. She was well proportioned, with deep blue eyes, long red hair and just a tad over five feet tall. Of all things, she was wearing a camouflage bikini, and it reminded me of the guns and ammo ads I used to see in magazines before the fall. The publishers obviously were using sex to sell their products and it'd worked too, except the buyers were usually men. Well, this woman would have sold a mountain of guns.
I must have been staring intently or drooling because she laughed and said, "Ya look like ya ain't seen a woman before. Hell, how long ya been livin' at the cave?"
The Fall of America: Premonition of Death Page 17