by Phil Maxey
He was going to ask her how much time do they have, but he didn’t need too from her expression. “What’s the soonest he can travel?”
She looked thoughtful. “Maybe an hour for his temperature to come down.”
“In an hour we’ll be back on the road, get ready.”
She went to move away, when he realized she had just got out of being held by the gang at the base, and lightly touched her arm. “Are you okay?”
For a moment her lower lip quivered. “Oh, you know me, I’ll be fine! Nothing a good nights rest when we get back can’t fix!” She then moved away.
Corporal Bell walked up to Zach. “Perimeter secure Major.”
“Good work Corporal. Get your people ready to move out in an hour.”
The soldier saluted and walked away. Zach wanted to tell the young man not to salute but was too tired to do so.
He walked up to one of the aisles, grabbed a packet of peanuts and started eating them. He then sunk down to the ground and sat on the rough carpet, with his back up against the shelves.
His breathing grew heavy, as his mind fought to stay awake, trying to make plans as to how to find the woman he loved, but eventually he slumped further back and fell asleep.
* * * * *
The communication from core operations at the camp came sooner than planned.
A tired looking Zach returned from the back of the tank and approached Fiona at the back of the pharmacy. “They’re sending out a helicopter. We need to drive west for about four hours, then they will meet us, and take Bass and any other injured back to the camp.”
“Beats an eight hour drive back! I’ll be glad to get a hot bath.”
Zach looked hesitant. “Actually they have asked us to stay out, and to find the other base that Geneva went too.”
Fiona looked down trying to not make the shake of her head too obvious. “I don’t know Zach. Each time we come out here and get to go back, I feel we have dodged a bullet, this time literally. Our lucks only going to hold so long.”
Zach walked past her. “If you and Cal want to return, I understand. We move out in ten.”
Cal and Michael sat on the ground, with their backs up against the shelves in the area that was once home to hundreds of bottles and packets of pills.
Cal munched on some chips. “So you rode a bicycle all the way back from Atlanta?”
“Sure did brother.”
Cal shook his head and started laughing. “That’s some way to pedal!”
“And in the dark!”
“You didn’t come across any E.L.F’s?”
“Man, I peddled as fast as I could, any noises I just peddled faster!”
They both laughed. Fiona appeared looking pensive.
“What is it?” said Cal getting to his feet.
“We move out in ten. We need to talk.” Michael went to get up, she motioned for him to stay where he was. “Stay there.” Fiona and Cal then walked away to the warehouse out back.
“What?” said Cal.
“They’re sending out a twin rotor to meet up with us about four hours west and take Base back.”
“That’s great.”
Fiona sighed. “They also want us to stay out here and try to find the other Hell Fire gang’s base.”
Now it was Cal’s turn to sigh. “Right. Well we also might be able to find Abbey.”
Fiona turned in frustration. “I know! But Cal, your abilities don’t help against an M4. The plan was to find and kill Geneva, then we get out of all of this. Once and for all.”
Cal stayed silent and walked forward and held her close to him. “I know and that will happen. But we need to find this other base. Maybe you should go back.”
She pulled away and looked hurt by his suggestion. “I’m not leaving you.”
CHAPTER 13
It was still the dead of night when the convoy of the Humvee, tank and truck set off, heading back out onto the westbound highway from Jackson.
Zach blinked as the sky grew big around them, and the dark forms of trees drifted further and further back from the highway. As before, Cal was on the big gun. Fiona was to his right, and Michael and Wyatt were sat in back. The teen assured Zach that Abbey’s pet Mo was under his control and the E.L.F circled above them, landing on the back of the Humvee and truck from time to time.
“So have you decided what you’re going to do?” said Zach to Fiona. He could hear her sigh.
“You know I want you to find Abbey, and I want Geneva dead as much as anyone, but me and Cal want a chance of a normal life. You as much as the rest of us know how much that means.”
Zach sensed Cal shifting his weight as he stood at the big gun behind him.
“No ones going to hold anything against you, if you want to return to the camp, but Abbey stands a better chance of coming out of this alive, if you’re out here with us trying to find her,” he briefly looked across to her.
“I’m in,” said Michael behind them.
Fiona breathed heavily. “We find this camp, we get Abbey, and then me and Cal are done, agreed?”
“Agreed,” said Zach.
Towns large and small rolled past as did the hours until they were driving through the town where they left the downed drone a week before. Zach’s radio came to life with a male voice with a southern accent.
“This is Captain Bower for Atlanta rescue squad one. We are on route from Camp Bravo and are about an hour out from the rendezvous point. Over.”
Zach held his radio up. “This is a Major Felton. Hear you loud and clear Captain. We are also about an hour out. Any issues with E.L.F’s? Over.”
“We got that covered Major. See you in an hour. Over.”
Zach lowered his radio.
“Do you know the Captain?” said Fiona.
“Not personally, but I know he heads up rescue squad two,” said Zach.
“I heard some things, seems a bit of a hard ass.”
“When’s that ever a bad thing?” Zach looked at Fiona and smiled.
It wasn’t long before the Captains voice came through Zach’s radio again. “Major, we have just landed south of the town of Justice, near…exit five-eight three. Over.”
“We are ten minutes out Captain. You should see us along the highway soon. Over.”
As Zach predicted within a few minutes, he could see lights up ahead. The convoy stopped a few yards short of the large helicopters swirling rotors and next to a man in full combat fatigues, and night vision goggles on his head.
Zach leaned back and looked at Wyatt. “You should get on the chopper and you should find a way to send Mo away.”
The young man looked shocked. “I can’t do that. Even if I wanted to, he’s not mine to send away, he’s…”
“Yeah, I know but Abbey would want Mo to be safe. You know how to look after him?”
Wyatt head shook as if he was talking to himself. “I think I’m going to stay, if that’s alright with you. I want to help find Abbey.”
Zach went to reply, when he could feel the presence of the man just outside the Humvee waiting for him to get out. “I got no time to argue kid, but if you stay, he’s your responsibility.”
Zach then got out, offering his hand to the man nearby. “Captain Bower?” he shouted trying to be heard over the thunder of the rotor blades.
Bower gave a quick salute and briefly shook Zach's hand. “That’s me, Major. How was the journey?”
Zach forced a smile. “We made it. Are we secure here?”
“Diaz tells me there’s no E.L.F’s within a few miles. My squad has the perimeter. We need to get your people onboard, the pilot wants to be back in the air a.s.a.p.”
Zach nodded, and waved everyone out and towards the helicopter. Bass had to be carried by two soldiers but was still conscious. He smiled at Zach as he passed him on the way to the choppers passenger cabin.
Chapman ran up to Zach and grabbed his hand with both of hers. “Good luck,” she then turned and followed Bass.
“How man
y we got staying?” said Bower.
Zach looked around trying to count who had left and who had stayed. Cal was still on the Humvee’s big gun, Fiona was sitting in the passengers seat, with Michael in the back with Wyatt.
Sam and Isaiah emerged from behind the tank and walked up to him. "Is there a new mission or are we all off back to the camp," said Sam.
Zach smiled and put his hand on Sam's shoulder. "You're both off back to the camp."
Isaiah frowned. "If there's work to be done, then we want to be part of it."
Emotion started to fill up inside Zach.
He looked back at the helicopter, one of its crew was gesturing they wanted to leave.
He turned back to Sam and Isaiah. Both men were obviously drained. "I'm going to need you both back at the camp leading the security forces in your area."
Isaiah shook his head, but Sam nodded. "Okay then, sir." Sam saluted, followed by Isaiah reluctantly doing the same, and they both walked off to the helicopter.
Zach sighed. He could have done with both of them on this mission, but they were obviously hiding their injuries.
Zach turned back to the truck. Gregg’s was leaning up against it. “Including myself, my squads got six, then there’s four in the tank,” he said to Bower.
“There’s a town just north of here, what you say we find a place to hold up for some hours?”
Zach nodded and the helicopters engine increased in noise and the large flying machine slowly rose upwards. Bower waved to it.
“There’s room for you and your squad in the back of the truck.”
Bower ordered his squad to do as suggested, and he jumped up into the passengers seat next to Gregg’s.
Soon they were moving through a small town, with single story wooden homes. Turning off a junction, a large building with a spire stood out against the light gray night sky.
“Look’s like a church,” shouted Cal from above them.
“We’ll check it out,” said Zach driving into a large parking lot, and then driving over the grass to be near the entrance of the two-story building with small windows and a large warehouse style roof.
The headlights of the Humvee illuminated glass doors at the entrance, and chains holding them closed.
Bower came through everyone’s radio. “Harper’s going to get the church doors open. Freeman and Diaz will sweep the perimeter. Over.”
* * * * *
The sun had been up a few hours, when Zach sat up from his position on one of the church pews. The smell of coffee wafted past him along with some voices. Turning he looked to the front of the high ceilinged building near the lobby where they came in hours earlier, and saw an open side door, together with some people just visible inside.
His dreams had been the kind that take more than a while to dislodge and featured Abbey. He swept his hand through his hair, and got to his feet. He then walked towards the voices. Soon a room with chairs, tables and a section that was a kitchen came into view.
Fiona and Cal were standing near the kitchen counter with Michael, while Bower was sitting with some of his people at the tables.
The Captain got to his feet. “Ah, hope you got some good rest Major, we have a lot to discuss.”
Laid out in front of him on the table was a large map of most of the southern states, together with rings around various locations.
Zach walked to the kitchen counter, then poured himself some of the coffee that was boiling, into a mug. “How you all feeling?” he said to Cal, Fiona and Michael.
“Better, but this coffee’s terrible,” said Michael. Cal and Fiona just smiled.
“Join me,” said Zach to them as he walked over to Bower and the map. Cal, Fiona and Michael looked at each other then followed.
“This map shows all of the major military bases within south west states,” said Bower.
"We know there's a lot of bases, how's that help us?" Said Fiona.
“We used to have contact with an outpost near Columbus, which I'm sure you all know is home to a large army base.”
“Used?” said Zach.
“About two months back it went dark. It was the first of our outposts that did the same. From the time I left Bravo yesterday, we only had contact with three other outposts and most of those are in the northern states.”
“Geneva,” said Fiona with gritted teeth.
“Yup, that's what it seems,” said Bower. “By taking out our outposts, he knew he would be able to roam free, doing what the hell he pleases, and we wouldn't be able to stop him.”
“Because we would have no idea where he was,” said Zach.
“Exactly. We also now know he was working with Tinley, which means—”
“That they might have been involved with the fall of the Portland camp,” said Fiona.
Bower looked at her. “I would say definitely involved.”
The scale of destruction that Geneva and his gang had wrought across the country they still loved started to dawn on each of them.
Bower continued. “It's now the priority of the camp's military forces to find and destroy this piece of crap. The job for my squad and yours is to find him and his forces and report back. Then a larger force will be sent in to take him out.”
“Drawing our forces out of the camp, is probably exactly what he wants. I’m sure he still has spies at Bravo,” said Zach.
“That's a risk the council has decided to take and I agree with them. Just staying within those walls is allowing him to grow. At some point he’s going to be too powerful for us to deal with.”
“So where we starting to look?” said Cal.
“We start with the first outpost we lost, Columbus. If I still had any old dollars left I would bet them on him being there. It’s a straight nine hour drive, back the direction you came from here to there,” he pointed at a large red circle in Georgia.
Bower looked at the young jet-black haired woman, standing with them. “This here is my Cascader, Corina Diaz,” he patted her on her shoulder. “She’s saved my ass more times than I can remember.”
The young woman looked a little embarrassed.
He then looked at Cal. “Maybe you two should consult or something.”
Fiona couldn’t help but laugh.
“Yeah, we’ll get right on that, sir.” Cal said sarcastically.
“I’m just saying, make sure you are both on the same page as to what we have to deal with out here,” said Bower.
“Yes, sir,” said Cal with a more serious tone.
Bower than turned to a shaved headed man that had been sitting with his feet on a nearby table, drinking his coffee and reading a water damaged magazine, seemingly ignoring the groups conversation. “This guy, who’s pretending to read that magazine is sergeant Will Freeman.”
The sergeant frowned, took a sip of his coffee and turned over a page of what he was reading.
“Next to him, is our medic, private Joe Hayes,” said Bower indicating to the smiling blonde haired man, in his late twenties. “That just leaves Harper, who’s hard to miss. She’s outside.”
“Got it,” said Zach, who then went on to introduce those around the table.
Bower shook each of their hands in turn. “You people are the reason the camp still exists.”
“A lot of that might have been luck,” said Fiona, smiling awkwardly.
“You make your own luck,” responded Bower, he then looked back down to the map. “We need to move out of here within the hour. That should get us half way to Columbus by sunset,” he traced his finger along their route. “Which is exactly what we want. We know he’s got airpower, so if Columbus is his second base, they will have patrols in the air. Hopefully the cover of night will keep us hidden,” everyone around the map nodded.
“Sounds like a good plan Captain.” Zach then turned to everyone else. “Get your things ready. We leave in ten.”
Those in the room got up and filtered away. Zach went to do the same.
“Can I have a word Major?” said Bower.
Zach nodded.
The Captain waited until they were alone. “I know your woman is being held by the gang. I just want you to know we’ll do what we can to find her and bring her back, but—”
“But?”
“—But, the council have informed me that reporting on Geneva’s whereabouts and the strength of his forces is our priority.”
Zach forced a smile. “Everyone will do their job Captain.”
Bower nodded and left the room.
Zach finished his coffee and looked down at Columbus on the map. Are you there Abbey?
CHAPTER 14
Geneva looked out over one of the many infantry proving grounds at the army base in Columbus. His room was once the living quarters of a general and was adjourned with photos of a smart gray haired man shaking hands with important dignitaries.
The shouts of people being trained to use firearms rang around the large concrete area and just about penetrated the glass window in front of him.
Two nights previously he had just about made it out before ‘they’ almost got him. He wasn’t sure who it was that shot Clovis and freed the other prisoners on the top floor of the bases headquarters, but he had an idea it was his remaining prisoners partner.
He sipped on a glass of water, and sneered at the thought of the destruction the creatures had brought down on ‘his’ planes and helicopters. The fact that the monsters would focus on doing what they did, taught him something he had suspected, that the Cascaders could control the E.L.F’s to do their bidding. It meant he wasn’t just up against those behind the walls, but also their pets.
Two helicopters roared overhead and he smiled. He then turned to his lieutenants that were sitting behind at the table, waiting for their orders.
“What are our numbers?”