by J. G. Martin
A massive project had been launched to clear any and all available land around Des Moines for the creation of the massive farms. Farm equipment had been requisitioned and sent to the new farms. Tens of thousands of workers had been sent to operate the machinery and process the grain. Giant grain silos were built that dominated the southern edge of the city near the newly enlarged train depot built to handle the increased volume of grain. The trains ran day and night transporting food to the processing centers in the major cities.
The U.S.T.G. had built or expanded the rail system in the territory they controlled and used it as the main method of transportation. High speed rail lines connected the largest cities for passenger travel. Following the Collapse, U.S.T.G. operatives had roamed the country collecting railroad cars and engines. It really was the most efficient way to move people if they only had a limited number of places to go. The same was true for cargo. And the trains always ran on time.
Flights might be limited;, but they could catch one of the trains and be in Joliet, just outside of Chicago, at the main military headquarters in less than six hours. Then Tom could relax once he had handed the prisoner over. Until then he had Storm, the Prince, and whatever that metal man was to worry about. Any or all of the three could be pursuing them right now.
“What was that thing?” Roberts finally asked, breaking the silence.
Surprisingly, the hacker was the one that answered even though he hadn’t spoken thus far. “That my dear, was an android.” He said cheerfully.
“That’s pure science fiction.” Tom snapped.
“Obviously not.” The hacker pointed out. “There is no other explanation for what we saw.”
“It was a man in a metal suit.” Tom argued.
“Have you ever seen a metal suit like that?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean the Collective didn’t build one.” Tom continued to argue.
The hacker chuckled. “You Red Berets really are blindly loyal and doggedly stupid aren’t you?”
That earned the hacker a backhand from Tom, effectively shutting him up. The hacker’s face changed briefly from congenial to an icy hate filled demeanor. For a moment Tom thought the man might actually attack him. But then the hacker resumed the deferential and easy going attitude he had had previously.
“How long?” Tom demanded from Valderra.
“Last road sign said sixty five miles, so less than an hour.” Valderra called back.
Tom grunted and sat back. He still hurt all over from the beating the Prince’s men had given him. And he was still traumatized from seeing Storm kill even more of his men. Templeton’s performance had been a surprise. If he hadn’t gotten careless he could have killed Storm. It was very likely Templeton had been some sort of plant, sent to kill Storm. He had been much more impressive a warrior than his file or physical appearance would have indicated.
His musings were cut short as they were all startled by bullets bouncing off the rear of the technical. They looked back to see two people on armored bikes chasing them. A man and a woman were on the other side of the median closing fast. Storm and his pesky girl. Somehow they had escaped and found transportation. That man was infuriatingly resourceful and lucky.
“Shoot them!” He roared and the other Red Berets snapped into action.
Saad climbed onto the middle row as Tom shoved the hacker into the back seat. He popped up through the roof hatch and steadied the 30-06 hunting rifle he had taken from one of the Prince’s gunmen. Saad methodically fired at the pursuers as Tom shoved the AK-74 he had scavenged out the firing port on the driver side window and returned fire also. Sasha fired her captured M4A1 carbine through the rear firing port on full auto. They had been forced to leave their gear behind as they fled and were only armed with the guns they had been able to scavenge.
The gunfire from the SUV forced the pursuing bikers to drop back for a minute but they regrouped and came again. Storm was firing what looked like an M-14 and the girl had an MP-5 submachine gun. They were behind the arc of the SUVs mounted weapon and the median was protecting most of their bodies and the bike from being hit by the Red Beret’s fire. The two concentrated their fire on Saad and he was forced to duck back into the vehicle. The rounds ricocheting off of the SUV’s armor coming perilously close to hitting him.
“Can’t you go any faster?” Tom yelled at Valderra.
“This thing is heavy, I have my foot all the way down.” He yelled back.
The combatants continued to exchange fire as they raced down the highway, Derek and Rora firing repeatedly into the SUV and the Red Berets returning fire with their captured weapons. The exchanges went on for at least a dozen miles with no effect. Bullets sparked of the SUV’s armor and metal grating but couldn’t penetrate. But the vehicle was taking a pounding and it was only a matter of time before a few rounds got through.
Without their normally issued and vastly superior weapons, the Red Berets didn’t have much of an advantage. They also didn’t have the protection of their armor and it was making the others tentative. They ducked whenever their pursuers fired on them, even though the armored SUV provided great protection. They returned fire when they could, but all they were doing was blasting holes in the concrete median. Storm and the girl would merely duck down to provide very small targets, which were incredibly difficult to hit while moving at this speed and with such poorly maintained weapons.
Tom snarled in frustration. Derek and Rora probably couldn’t stop them before they reached the border, but he wasn’t one hundred percent convinced they wouldn’t get a lucky shot. It was only a matter of time before the Red Berets ran out of ammo for their scavenged weapons. Then they would be helpless against their nemeses.
“Hold your fire!” He ordered. “Stop wasting ammo. Only fire when you have a good shot.”
“We must have hit them!” Sasha suddenly announced. “Look!”
They all watched as the two bikes went down an exit ramp and disappeared from view. “They’re coming back.” Tom responded harshly. “There’s no way Storm gives up that easily. Keep watching and be ready.”
Sure enough, a minute later, the girl reappeared up a ramp and resumed firing. Sasha and Tom returned fire and she dropped back. But they were caught off guard when Storm suddenly appeared on their side of the road. He flew up a ramp and soared onto the highway. Taking careful aim, he fired his entire clip into the passenger side at close range. The heavy rounds from the M-14 slammed through the metal grating covering the window and into Saad. The last remaining original member of Tom’s squad was flung across the vehicle as the bullets tore into him.
“NOOO!!!” Tom screamed as his soldier’s body landed on him in a bloody and lifeless heap.
Roberts and Sasha frantically returned fire, but Storm had already dropped back off via another ramp. A metallic orb dropped through the firing port and into Tom’s lap, startling him. He quickly glanced to his left and saw the girl racing away. She had taken advantage of the distraction of Saad’s death to cross over and throw a grenade into the SUV. Tom flicked the grenade away from him and callously threw Saad’s body on top of it. He would serve even in death.
The grenade exploded with a muffled thump. Saad’s body absorbed most of the blast, but some was redirected downward and blew a hole in the floor. The SUV shimmied and swerved before Valderra regained control. Then it started to shake and shiver.
“What’s wrong?” Roberts asked Valderra.
“The blast must have damaged the shocks or suspension system somehow.” He replied through gritted teeth. “I have control, but it’s fighting me.”
“We’re close!” Tom yelled. “Keep going!”
Derek and Rora continued to pursue them and kept a steady stream of fire on the SUV. Tom, Sasha, and Roberts fired back; but they were getting low on ammo. The two pursuers switched their focus and began shooting at the rear tires. They were solid rubber, but enough damage would cause them to come apart. The SUV began to swerve wildly as pieces of the tire began to
join the trail of fluid leaking behind the vehicle. Tom began to genuinely worry that they weren’t going to make it.
But just as he was about to order something desperate the border checkpoint slowly came into view. It was a large concrete fortification built across the interstate. Big bunkers housing heavy machine guns and soldiers with anti-tank weapons sat on either side of the road and heavy steel gates blocked the roadway itself. Razor wire topped fences stretched out from the checkpoint as far as the eye could see. Tom knew several armored vehicles sat on the other side of the gate, ready to respond if someone manage to breach the gate.
“Wave something white out the window!” Tom ordered Roberts. “We don’t want them to shoot us.”
She rummaged around and found a dirty rag that had once been white. It wasn’t exactly white, but it would have to do. Roberts stuck it out the window and waved it wildly as they approached the checkpoint. Patrols and other missions left through the checkpoint and went into the Uncontrolled Zone occasionally, but he knew that an armored technical approaching would be considered a threat.
Despite the “white flag” being waved, the gunners in the bunker fired a warning burst at the SUV. Valderra slammed on the brakes and they slid to a halt. He turned as they slid and came to a rest with the driver side of the vehicle facing the checkpoint. Tom grabbed the hacker and scrambled out, and the others followed. He threw his weapon away and held his hands up the air. The others quickly followed suit.
Soldiers swarmed out of the checkpoint with guns at the ready and surrounded them. The soldiers forced them down onto the ground and cuffed all of them. Tom wasn’t going to fight them; it could all be sorted out once they were secure behind the checkpoint. From his vantage point on the ground he could see Derek and Rora stopped in the distance, watching from their bikes as the Red Berets were led inside the checkpoint. He smiled; another victory won over Storm. Maybe his luck was changing.
Chapter 27
September 7, 2029
U.S.T.G. Border Checkpoint on I-80 West of Des Moines, Iowa
Derek watched the Red Berets and the hacker escape into the safety of the U.S.T.G. with disgust and frustration. Now that they were inside the U.S.T.G. and protected by legions of troops, there was no way to get them out. The border was almost impossible to cross and by the time they found a way in or someone to smuggle them in, the hacker would be in the hands of the Government Intelligence Agency and they would be prying loose any secrets from his head. Their mission had failed. This was a new feeling for Derek; he hadn’t failed at anything since the Chinese mission.
“Well that’s it then.” He said defeatedly.
“What? Why?” Rora asked in surprise. “I’ve never heard you give up on anything before.”
“There is no way we can get across that border in time to catch them now.” He informed her sadly.
“What do you mean?”
“That checkpoint is impregnable to us; it is designed to defend against a sustained raider attack. The troops have heavy weapons and the reinforced concrete bunkers are designed to withstand cannon fire. And if that wasn’t enough, there are armored vehicles behind that gate to back them up. If someone still managed to breach all that, they have attack helicopters on standby they can call up.” Derek explained.
“Why don’t we just go around?” Rora asked.
“They have two layers of eight foot high chain link fences topped with razor wire that extend for the entire border.”
“We can’t cut our way through?”
“They have remote cameras that monitor every inch of the fences. All obstacles within a hundred yards of the fences have been removed so there is no cover to crawl up to them. And even if we got to the fence without being spotted they have sensor wires running through the fence that would alert them if we cut it.” Derek informed her.
“Maybe the Voice could disable the cameras and the sensors?” She asked.
“Unfortunately, I cannot.” The Voice chimed in on speakerphone. “The cameras and sensors are hardwired into a system that is not connected to a network. It is specifically designed to avoid such a thing.”
“Is it a giant circuit or sequential circuits?” Rora asked thoughtfully.
“What do you mean?” Derek asked.
“Which kind of Christmas light string is it like?” Rora asked with a laugh. “If one light goes out do they all go out or only the few around that one?”
“What do you know about Christmas lights?” Derek asked laughing back.
“We had Christmas in the lab.” She said fondly. “My father used to string lights all around the main room. We even had a fake tree.”
“That sounds like fun.” Derek agreed. “I can’t remember the last time I celebrated Christmas.”
“So about the circuit?” Rora asked after a moment of silent reminiscing.
“It’s a giant loop. If anywhere in the loop is broken they send a patrol.” Derek replied.
“So if we broke the loop near the checkpoint they wouldn’t know if we cut through further up?” Rora asked him.
“Not until they fixed the first break.” Derek replied nodding his head thoughtfully. “That might work. We just need to find a way to break the loop without cutting it.”
“How about crashing a plane next to the checkpoint?” The Voice asked suddenly.
“That would probably work, but we seem to be planeless at the moment.” Derek quipped.
“Not exactly.” The Voice replied. “I still have remote control of the plane we flew into Omaha.”
“Hang on a second?” Rora interjected. “You can do that?”
“Yes.” The Voice replied simply.
“Why haven’t you mentioned that before?” She pressed.
“It never came up.”
“Why don’t we just fly over then?” She snapped.
“Their air defenses would shoot us down before we got over the border.” Derek explained. “But if he flies it low enough it might be able to hit the fences before they can shoot it down. Or even if they manage to shoot it down.”
“Let’s do that then.” Rora agreed. “We can wait further up until he crashes the plane, then cut our way through, and be long gone before they repair it.”
“Very well.” The Voice agreed. “I am warming up the plane. It will take off and be here in fifteen minutes. You need to be in position by then.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Derek muttered.
Derek then simply turned and sped away, and Rora was forced to follow him. They were in position ten miles north of the checkpoint when they saw the first signs of the plane’s approach. They took turns watching through a pair of binoculars Derek had scavenged when a trio of missiles launched from near the checkpoint. The plane came roaring into view shortly. It was flying less than a hundred feet above the ground and it was firing flares and chaff like crazy. One engine was on fire and trailing flame and the tail was damaged. But it was still flying towards its target.
Tracer fire from the armored vehicles at the checkpoint began to lance out as the plane drew closer. They could see people scrambling about inside the checkpoint as the wild approach of the plane caused a panic. The plane got close to the checkpoint before the tracer fire began to take a toll and chewed off one of the wings. The plane suddenly dove down towards that side and hit the ground hard. It cartwheeled across the hard packed ground and ripped through the fence north of the bunkers. Razor wire and fencing tore free and entangled the plane as it passed through. It came to a sliding stop and then exploded in a giant fireball.
Derek was moving before the plane blew. “Let’s go!” He yelled to Rora.
They gunned their engines and raced towards the first fence. They skidded to a halt and Derek began cutting the fence. The cameras were frozen into place, which Rora considered a good sign. She watched the checkpoint through the binoculars as Derek cut the hole. All of the troops were engaged in sealing the breach made by the plane and examining the plane itself. The area swarmed with so many me
n, it looked like someone had kicked over an anthill.
The soldiers were oblivious as Derek cut through the fences and they moved the bikes through. They were through and heading away from the fence before the flaming wreckage was even put out. By the time the soldiers had contained the crash site, they were ten miles away on the edge of Des Moines. Derek turned south and skirted the edge of the city. The fields of green that surrounded the city stood in stark contrast to the dead brown of the wasteland.
The city itself wasn’t that large any more, consisting mainly of the large office buildings that clustered around downtown. The suburbs that had surrounded the city no longer existed. They had been replaced by plain pre-fabricated concrete apartment buildings for the workers to live in. They were simple buildings with no decoration and tiny apartments built for a family of four. They had minimal amenities and simple steel furniture. Row after row of these squat unattractive buildings sprawled out to the west of the city.
Clusters of service buildings for the workers appeared at regular intervals. A general store, a large dining hall, a media center, and the government clinic provided all of the needs the government believed needed to be filled. Large electronic billboards dominated the skyline, flashing propaganda and Party messages all day and night.
Closed circuit television cameras monitored every inch of the streets, hallways, common areas, and alleys. Nothing moved without the FedPol knowing about it. The sections of the city that all these buildings sat in were segregated from the rest by barbed wire fences. Ostensibly for the protection of the workers, but it only served to contain them.
What was left of the suburbs was a walled and gated section that ran north of the city along the river. The Party members and their families lived there. They provided the administrative and managerial functions for the massive harvest and processing operations. A fenced corridor provided them safe access to the city. They had a shopping mall, restaurants, and other amenities. Apparently the needs of the Party were greater than that of average citizens.