Homeland Defense (Sundown Apocalypse Book 3)

by Leo Nix

  And the private did look, at her breasts which bounced up and down as she moved. Blondie had deliberately changed into a light blouse that was almost see-through, she moved in such a way that the private couldn't help but notice her pert nipples. He tried not to look but failed miserably.

  “Private Brinley! You're not looking at my tits are you?” she asked icily, the friendliness disappearing from her face.

  “No, Tajna Služba, madam, I mean…” he gulped, “No, sir!” She knew she had him completely in her power now.

  “I need you to take me to Iggy, the aircraft mechanic, in two hours. Go and get some sleep and I'll call you when I'm ready.” The private headed off to the spare bedroom, exhausted and as nervous as hell. Private Brinley didn't think he could fall asleep in that state, but he did.

  Blondie lay back in her four thousand dollar lounge chair and sipped on a fresh pineapple juice, waiting for the sun to rise. She knew she was cutting it fine. The church would come down on her and Fat Boy for revenge if they knew they were there. But she needed time to unwind and think.

  Just as the sun touched the eastern horizon, Blondie woke Brinley. He dressed and went to splash his face. By the time he was ready Blondie had made him breakfast. She changed back into fatigues, but despite her attempt to blend in and look unattractive, her beauty simply radiated from her.

  “Private. You've an important mission to perform for me and the Tajna Služba. Today you'll either make it or you won't. Fail me and you'll be cast into the pits of damnation. Succeed and you'll be promoted and invited to join us, the Tajna Služba. What is it to be?” She was dead serious, he realised.

  “Tajna Služba!” His face beamed. “Madam, sir! I'm with you. I'll do whatever you want me to do,” he said, overawed with the promise of joining the dreaded Revelationist secret service.

  “OK, finished? We'll go to the mechanic's workshop and wake Iggy. I do believe Iggy still lives in his workshop at the airport?” Blondie lifted one eyebrow.

  Brinley ogled at her sensual body once more, he couldn't stop himself, she was so invitingly pretty, “Madam, yes he does. I mean, yes, sir.”

  Fat Boy snored loudly in the back seat while Private Brinley parked his car, right next to the aerodrome shed.

  “Private, go and wake up Iggy, I'll follow you inside in a moment.” Blondie then leaned over and checked her brother. He stirred and told her to 'bugger off'. Yes, she thought, he's fine.

  But the problem was how to get back to Birdsville. Fat Boy was out of it for the next twenty four hours. There was no way she could ride his Harley-Davidson, with him unconscious, behind her. She knew that the only way home was in this car, she saw no other options. Blondie looked up when she noticed Iggy at the door, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

  Not wanting Iggy to say anything to arouse suspicion, she called Brinley over, “Private, get this car filled with fuel, check the oil. You're to come with us on our rendezvous with the Tajna Služba team. Get moving, we only have a few minutes.”

  Blondie walked over to her old friend, Iggy. She quickly pushed him inside and told him what she needed as she passed Bill's hand-written note to him.

  “What the hell, Blondie? You're crazy coming back here.” He reached across his messy desk for his glasses then glanced at the note. “OK, I've got all these parts. I'll be as fast as I can. Give me a minute.” He wandered off into his workshop where Blondie could hear noises of movement as he collected the vital aircraft parts.

  She looked outside and saw Private Brinley filling the car from the aerodrome's fuel tank. She wished everyone would move faster. It was nearly an hour since sunrise and the border guard was due to be relieved. She was afraid she that might have to fight her way out and she was hopeless with an automatic assault rifle.

  “Here you are, luv,” called Iggy, as he sauntered in with a duffel bag containing the plane parts. “Got them all, some are new and the rest are reconditioned.” He looked at the boy beside the car, he was now replacing the nozzle in the tank. “Good luck darling. Sorry I can't help you out more.”

  Blondie reached up and kissed him. “You've always been a darling, Iggy. Look after yourself and your grand kids. Maybe one day this madness will be over and we can pay you back for this.” They stood for a moment and embraced, Blondie didn't want to let go, fearing what was ahead of her.

  There came the sound of Brinley's car crunching on the gravel outside Iggy's shed, Blondie stepped back.

  “Until next time, Iggy.” She ran out of the shed and jumped into the driver's seat.

  “Private Brinley, this is your day to prove if you're one of us, or one of them. I'll drive, you just get us through the road block by charm, persuasion or by force.” She looked deeply into his eyes as she spoke.

  Brinley no longer saw a beautiful woman. Instead, he saw a determined secret service agent, who had braved the horror of war and was in need of his help. An image of the Revelationist Crusader icon, a knight in full armour, sword drawn, protecting a semi-naked woman, flashed into his mind. His heart beat faster.

  “Madam, Tajna Služba, I won't fail you. If I need to kill my own kind I will.” The private cocked his assault rifle, checked its firing mechanism, pulled three spare magazines from his webbing belt, and nodded.

  “I'm with you, Tajna Služba.” His face was aglow in adulation, a state of spiritual bliss, he was her saviour, her Knight Crusader.

  Blondie put her foot down on the accelerator in a desperate bid to beat the change of the guard.

  Chapter 6 - Blood Brothers

  The commando waved as the ASLAV armoured vehicle led the two Bushmasters towards Mount Isa. The spectators then turned away and walked back into the cool of the hotel. Although it was winter the temperatures still fluctuated. Some mornings were freezing and some were stinking hot, Sundown never got used to it. He wandered into the kitchen and made himself a cup of Mel's bush coffee and a cup of tea for Pedro. He carried them into the first aid room.

  “Hi Jenny, you missed saying goodbye to the boys,” he said as he watched her finish her cup of tea.

  “Nah, there's not much joy for me in fighting, Sundown. I've got little Lenny breaking his neck to join up, and then it'll be Liam. A mother's curse is having sons, only to watch them go off to war to die,” she mused, almost to herself.

  “You's right you know,” said Pedro, sitting propped up with his pillows. “War is hell, and watching kids die is sometimes worse than dying yerself,” he said matter-of-factly.

  “Maudlin lot we are this morning then,” said Sundown, as he passed Pedro his cup of tea and sat beside Jenny.

  “I miss Shamus, you know,” said Jenny, as she leaned forward resting her hands on her waist to ease her aching back. “Pedro and Shamus would come into our shop and chat the whole day away. Then we'd all go to the Marree pub and have a meal and chat some more. Shamus sure had a lot of stories. He'd travelled the world and done a lot of things, and not once did he think he was better than anyone else.”

  “Yeah, I miss him too. His manners were impeccable ya know, Sundown. And he never let an opportunity pass when he could help someone. Hey, Jenny, remember when little Lenny got his toe stuck in the old bathtub at the house outside Marree? I think it was yer old pa's house,” said Pedro, starting to pick up again.

  “Yeah, I do, poor little fella. We had to chop the tub up from around his foot. He must have been five or six then,” replied Jenny, remembering the pain, as mother's do.

  “Remember what Shamus done?” Pedro asked her.

  “Yes, I do, Pedro, he picked him up and you two drove all the way to Alice Springs, a thousand kilometres, with his bleeding foot wrapped in a rag.” She looked at Sundown and explained.

  “It was too dark for the Flying Doctor to fly in, so he just grabbed Lenny and told Pedro to get the truck. They drove all the way in one go. I'll never forget it and neither will Lenny. I was pregnant with Liam and had to stay home with Danielle. Poor Harry was away with the mustering, that was before he had hi
s accident.” Jenny looked at Pedro again. “You blokes were there at the right time and place, you always were.”

  Turning back to Sundown she continued with the story. “Those two blokes wouldn't leave Lenny there by himself, oh no. Those lousy hospital people told the boys to leave Lenny by himself in the room, alone. The poor kid must have been terrified. Shamus and Pedro stood up to them bully's. There was no way they would leave Lenny by himself among strangers.”

  Sundown nodded, “You know what I miss about Shamus? His mind, he knew everything about everything. Just about every question I asked, he had an answer for, and when he didn't, he helped me find the answer,” added Sundown. They continued chatting away like this until Tricia came in to look in on Pedro.

  “How are you feeling, Pedro? Did that beer taste good?” she smiled.

  Pedro, was about to say something then stopped. “What? Damn! What bastard told you. I bet it was that boofhead, McFly! Bloody boofheaded, whiskey drinking, silver-tail!”

  “Well, actually, between you and me, it wasn't McFly. It was Billie.” Tricia giggled.

  “What?! That bastard! After me pinching that rum flask for him and all. I'll kick his butt with me tin legs when I gets them back on,” said Pedro half heartedly.

  “No, he didn't tell me, I guessed. I saw the guilty look on your face and knew someone had done something naughty.” She giggled again then bent over to check his vitals. “Have you moved your bowels today?” she asked as she read his pulse.

  “Moved me damn bowels?” he gasped, “I've moved me entire intestines inside out!” cried Pedro with emotion. “Every time I fart I shed tears and they ain't tears of joy neither. I've drunk so much damn water I've flooded the bed and backed up the toilets!”

  The three of them nearly gagged with laughter. Tricia giggled some more then said seriously, “OK, you're colour is good, your eyes are clear and your nose is wet, all good vital signs for a cattle dog. All we need do now is find some cattle for you to chase.” Tricia had so few opportunities these days to stop and have fun she was actually enjoying herself.

  “Harrumph,” said Pedro. “I'm glad those water-bucket twins of Cambra's went on patrol to Mount Isa with him, the damn boofheads.” He stopped, looked quizzically at Tricia. “Can girlies be boofheads, do ya know?” he asked. Tricia stared blankly at him and shrugged her shoulders. “Doesn't matter. Those damn boofhead girlies haven't stopped pouring water down me gullet all week. But now I see Lorraine has set Donna, Mel and Jenny to take their place. What is it with nurses and water?”

  “Ah, it's our trade secret. If I tell you, then I'll have to kill you,” said Tricia with a wink.

  Sharp as ever Pedro came back. “Kill me? Isn't that what you're doing with the water? I'll be the first person who ever died out here in the damned desert from drinking too much water.”

  “I've got to get back to work,” said Sundown getting up off his seat. “Pedro behave yourself, I'll drop in and see you later. Tricia when you've got time after lunch, can you organise a meeting with Wiram and Assassin, in Andy's office? We've got to talk supplies and hygiene before summer hits. If we don't shift out of Birdsville before then we need to do something to keep the oldies and injured out of the heat. I need to get things started before I head off to Alice Springs.”

  Six hundred kilometres is a long way on a dirt road even when you're vehicle is a first-class Bushmaster 'six wheel drive light armoured protection vehicle'.

  Bushmaster One One Bravo, commanded by Sergeant Ahmet, carried the extra fuel for the other two and stopped at the three hundred kilometre point. There they would set up an ambush with land mines and Javelin in case the two assault vehicles, the ASLAV commanded by Major Thompson, and the second Bushmaster, commanded by Captain Lewis, were pursued.

  Sergeant Ahmet and his three crew members took Lulu and Danni under their wings and made them feel part of the team. While the ASLAV and the other Bushmaster refuelled and headed off to protect Fat Boy and Blondie at Mount Isa, Ahmet's crew made their ambush site as inconspicuous as possible. The men and girls dug fire pits for their single FN Mag machine gun and Javelin, then positioned their Bushmaster with it's mounted machine gun to cover the road.

  Everyone pitched in and by mid afternoon they knocked-off to set up their bivouac and sleep arrangements. The boys did the cooking and the girls sat back and soaked up the attention. The boys made them feel like royalty, they loved having them around. It wasn't every day the armoured cavalry had two pretty teenagers sharing a meal with them on patrol.

  While Bushmaster One One Bravo was setting up their ambush site, Major Thompson's ASLAV and Captain Lewis' Bushmaster were just preparing to move into position, two kilometres out from the Mount Isa roadblock. As Captain Lewis prepared their ambush, Major Thompson discussed strategy with Cambra, Halo and Corporal Hassam.

  “Boys, quite simply we don't know what to expect. Corporal Hassam knows this area well, so I'll send you three as a forward post, to reconnoitre the road block,” said the major.

  Corporal Hassam nodded, “Sir, it might be best if we engage the road block before the Fat Boy escapes. It might confuse and disrupt the enemy, sir.”

  “Yes and no corporal. What if Fat Boy and Blondie never escape? The captain and I have been planning for this and that's why you three will go and reconnoitre. One Zero Bravo and One One Alpha will move forward the moment there is activity, and take out the road block and any enemy in sight. Our intelligence says they only have the single mounted machine gun, and there is generally a small guard, sometimes two sometimes four, in a stockade style post.”

  The major looked at his two commandos. “What say you two boys? Can you and the corporal head out at midnight and stay on the radio? We'll bring the two armoured vehicles to about one hundred metres from you, just around the bend here.” He pointed to his map. “Just before dawn.”

  Cambra and Halo smiled, they were going to have ringside seats to the fire-fight. “You bet major, we'll be there,” said Halo.

  They set out at midnight and took it in turns to keep watch. An hour before dawn Corporal Hassam woke the two commandos as arranged. A half hour later the corporal jumped on the radio to inform the major of peculiar activities at the road block. Now all three looked through their binoculars as several loaded cars pulled in, the armed terrorist numbers swelled, something was up.

  Blondie was only a few hundred metres from the roadblock when she realised things were not going to be easy. She noticed a number of cars and Ravens Claw troops gathered at the stockade. The Tajna Služba was distracted by a groan from the back seat. In her rear-vision mirror she saw Fat Boy lift his head.

  “Uh, where are we? Who's that bloke? What's going on, Blondie?” he grunted.

  “Get your head down Fat Boy. We're approaching the road block, then we're heading out to rendezvous with our Tajna Služba. Private Brinley here is going to provide support to make sure we get through.” She turned and looked at the frightened young man. “That's right isn't it private? You are one of us now, aren't you?”

  “Yes, sir!” he said a little too loudly for Fat Boy's headache. “I'm with you. I'm ready to defend you, madam, Tajna Služba. Tell me what you need me to do.” He puffed up his chest to strengthen his conviction, he was clearly afraid now.

  Blondie slowed down as she approached the road block. There were about a dozen armed terrorists milling around the stockade and they turned to look at the car as she approached.

  “Private, you know what you need to do if they try to prevent us don't you.” It was a statement that he well understood. As she spoke she pulled her 9mm Heckler and Koch pistol from inside her blouse and cocked it. She held it loosely in her right hand steering with her left. She was now almost level with the first few terrorists who were talking among themselves.

  “Private. If the officer approaching us now tries to stop us, I will take him out. You will then open fire, and engage the closest terrorists, then you will take out the machine gunner. Do you have that?”
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  She saw the look of horror on his face as he mouthed some words, but nothing came out. Blondie leaned across and slapped his face, hard. The private pulled his head back and looked at her in shock. It now dawned on him that he might die.

  “I need you to focus! Are you with me or not!” she said forcefully. Brinley focused on her beautiful face, he was both excited and terrified.

  “I'm with you, Tajna Služba!” he said with quiet conviction. The teenager cocked his weapon again to check it was loaded and ready, safety off. He leaned it on the open window sill as the officer walked across to the vehicle on Blondie's side.

  “Good morning, missus. What do we have here then?” the lieutenant said, then visibly baulked. “Private what are you doing in this vehicle?” He hadn't noticed the weapon resting against the door yet.

  “Lieutenant, look at me please,” said Blondie, firmly. “I am on a mission for the Tajna Služba.” She stopped and let it sink in. “I ordered this young man to attend me on secret service business last night. I now have what I need and I will be on my way. I will be taking the private to assist me and then return him. Now step away from the vehicle or you will have to answer to the Tajna Služba, personally. I can assure you they will not be happy with you interfering with secret service business.”

  The lieutenant looked carefully at Blondie and then noticed the weapon in the private's hands. “I see a woman, a naked fat man and one of my men. I have no information of any Tajna Služba dropping by. Stay there while I radio through to Casa Grande headquarters to confirm your story.” He stood up and said forcefully. “Do not move from here.”