The thought made John’s body convulse as tears fought past his closed eyelids and rolled down his cheeks. The floodgate he’d tried to keep closed for so long had burst right off the hinges.
Chapter 26
Oneida. Present.
John, Moss and Reese found General Brooks inside the high-school gymnasium. Ever since shattered elements of the 278th, 101st and now the 3rd Infantry Division had trudged back into Oneida from the front, the secondary school had become something of a barracks. Classrooms on the top floor were now sleeping quarters for officers. The rest housed enlisted men and support staff. Although many of the kids in town were probably dreading the day lessons would resume, John couldn’t wait. It would signal a return to normalcy, a feeling he hadn’t known for quite some time.
When he arrived, the energy in the gymnasium was frenetic. On his way he’d spotted small groups of soldiers running through town, leaving him wondering if everything was all right.
Brooks gave two soldiers a list of names and asked for them to be brought in for questioning.
“What’s going on?” John asked.
Brooks stopped, resting a hand on a crate of ammunition. “Two women fetching water from the reservoir this morning found Wilbur Powel dead, along with all of his pigeons.”
John gasped. “I thought we’d assigned a guard to him.”
“We had,” General Brooks said, pushing past John, Reese and Moss. He scooped up a clipboard from a table behind them. “But after Huan’s escape, we needed every available man to run a house-to-house search.”
“Did you find anything?”
Brooks shook his head. “We even brought Dr. Coffee and his son in for questioning, but their alibis both checked out.”
Moss crossed his arms. “Guess you didn’t think World War Three would have you playing detective, did you?”
“Speaking of detective,” Brooks said. “Where were you three between 0200 and 0600 hours?”
Reese smiled. “We’d tell you, General, but then we’d have to kill you.”
“We were conducting reconnaissance,” John answered, deflecting Reese’s well intentioned, but ill-timed joke.
“Reconnaissance?”
“Yes, it’s the reason we’ve come to talk with you. In fact, you’ll need to get General Dempsey on the radio. I know the Chinese are still struggling with their electronics, but I’d feel more comfortable if we used an encrypted signal.”
“Can it wait? I’m in the middle of something here.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” John said. “But it’s urgent. Perhaps Colonel Higgs could take over for you.”
Brooks sighed and let his clipboard fall back on the desk with a clatter. “You’re the most stubborn subordinate I’ve ever met. I just want you to know that.”
John’s chin dimpled with a grin. “Now I know you and my wife have at least one thing in common.”
•••
“All right, John,” General Dempsey said. “You’ve got the secure signal you wanted, now let’s make this quick.”
“Understood, sir. My team and I just got back from destroying a truck depot near Jonesboro, Arkansas. I’ve also got another group planting IEDs along I-40 to destroy Chinese supply columns heading east. But the real reason I’m on the line with you, sir, is about the concentration camp right outside Jonesboro.”
John spent the next few minutes outlining his plan for liberating the camp and arming the freed prisoners.
“What sort of state are these men in?” General Dempsey asked. “Will they be in any condition to mount guerrilla raids if you succeed in breaking them out?”
“I won’t lie, General. The folks we saw were dressed in rags. In the short time we were there we saw at least one prisoner beaten and dragged away. Many are American soldiers who were deployed along the Mississippi when the Chinese overran our defences. That means they haven’t been there more than a few weeks. But the longer we wait on this, the worse they’ll get. The last thing we want is to be marching sick and weakened POWs hundreds of miles to safety. By launching the raid now, we might just be able to start a chain reaction. The Chinese are overstretched. Without a doubt, conquering a country as vast as ours presents a unique set of challenges. I’m sure a conversation with Napoleon and Hitler about pushing into Russia would show you what I mean.”
“I’m very familiar with both campaigns, thank you. What do you need from us then?”
“I’ve already got a dozen men,” John replied. “And all I need is an extra fifty. Much of that will depend on how many more horses we can get our hands on.”
“What about dirt bikes?” Moss threw out. “I’m sure we’d be able to find at least a dozen of those around town.”
“We’ll also need to speak with David Newbury,” Reese added. “He showed up from the Jonesboro camp a couple days before the Chinese attacked. Was on his way south to see his family, I believe.”
“He still here?” John asked.
Moss shrugged. “Heck, he could be halfway across the state for all I know.”
“We’ll go look for him,” John told them. “He may be able to provide us with a ton of useful intel.”
“All right then, Colonel,” General Dempsey said. “Good luck and Godspeed.”
After that, Henry chopped at empty air with his hand to indicate the signal had been dropped.
General Brooks came next to John.
“I’ve doubted you before, Colonel, and each time you’ve proven me wrong.”
“I get no pleasure in it, General. Things don’t always turn out the way I’d planned.”
Brooks nodded. “Do they ever?”
Another wave came from Henry as he pressed the headphones against his ears.
“Maybe it’s General Dempsey,” Moss said, “changing his mind about the mission.”
Reese laughed, searching himself for a cancer stick.
But the troubled look on Henry’s face told a different story. “Is there anything else?” he asked whoever was on the other end before pulling off his headphones and swiveling around. “I just received a message from Brandon, leaked out of the Jonesboro concentration camp.”
John’s chest suddenly constricted.
“Well, come out with it,” Moss said.
Henry’s eyes found John and John knew his day was about to get a whole lot worse. “Gregory’s been accused of trying to escape. He’s been slated for execution.”
That image of his son, crumpled to the ground and then carted away, was playing back in John’s mind on an endless loop. He could have risked the lives of his men and charged in there to rescue the boys, could have done something to stop what was happening, but that would have been the reckless act of a selfish leader. As a commander he had passed a difficult test. As a father, he had failed miserably.
If nothing else, the message from Brandon had made the situation perfectly clear. They didn’t have weeks or even days to prepare and rehearse for an attack on the camp. They had hours—and the seconds had already begun ticking away.
Chapter 27
The following two hours were spent putting together the rest of the assault force. John opted to fill it with soldiers from what remained of the 101st. Many of them had been in the thick of battle during the Chinese attack on the town and he wanted men who had fought together. Contrary to popular perceptions, combat was just as much about knowing the man next to you as it was about proficiency with your weapon. The same was also true in professional sports. Even an all-star team could fall flat if the players didn’t gel.
John had sent Moss and a handful of other men south toward Huntsville in order to get as many more horses as they could. He would wait until they returned before revealing his plan.
With the troops taken care of, John switched his attention to gathering some last-minute intel. Devon entered the Rough Riders headquarters then, blond and baby-faced.
“Did you find—” John stopped when he saw the thin man trailing behind Devon. He had disheveled black hair and was
skinny as a rake. John wondered if he was well enough to do this.
“I was down with cholera for a while,” David Newbury said. “So in a sick kind of way, you folks are lucky. If I had my health I woulda been long gone.” He seemed to notice the sudden concern in everyone’s expression. “No need to worry, I got a clean bill of health from Dr. Coffee. All’s I gotta do now is start putting some weight back on before I head south and find my family.”
“We won’t keep you long,” John told him. “We simply have a few questions about the camp you were being held at near Jonesboro.”
The muscles in David’s face tensed. “I was hoping you weren’t gonna ask me about that. I saw a lot of good people die in the short time I was there.”
“A month, as I understand it,” John said.
David nodded. “Maybe, but I’ll tell you, it sure felt like a lot longer than that.”
John motioned for David to sit. He did the same and began tapping his index finger on the desk. “You remember how many guards were at the prison?”
Leaning back in his chair, David exhaled loudly. “Gosh, I haven’t a clue. Somewhere between one and two hundred, I suppose. Far fewer than the number of prisoners, that’s for sure. Always struck me as strange how such a small number of guards could control thousands of inmates.”
“They mess with your head,” Reese said, standing near the doorway. The imposing Barrett M82 was at his side, as though he expected John to give the order to move out at any moment. Either that or he couldn’t wait to get going.
“This is true,” David agreed. “But they also have another way. Those North Koreans find you guilty of a crime, doesn’t matter how minor, they don’t just lock you away, they imprison everyone in your family. And I’m not just talking brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. I remember meeting fifth cousins in the camps doing hard labor for relatives they didn’t even know existed. It’s insane.”
John’s finger-tapping sped up. He was trying to stay focused and not let the emotional part of him get swept away. “You mentioned you were let out to forage,” John said.
“Yeah, one group of prisoners was tasked with preparing the soil nearby for cultivation and another was sent with guards to forage the area for anything edible. This was how they were feeding us at first. I can’t say whether that practice is still going on.”
“Back to those guards. Can you remember how they were armed?”
“Sure can. They never hesitated to stick the barrel of a machine gun in my face or shove the butt into my guts.”
“Did they have extra magazines on them?”
David paused. “Don’t think so. No handguns either.” He smiled weakly. “You can probably tell I don’t know a lot about guns. Point and shoot, right?” He molded his index finger and thumb into the shape of a pistol.
“No, you’ve been a great help so far,” John said. “What about the soldiers’ barracks and officers’ quarters?” John laid down a rough sketch of the camp as he remembered it. “Do you remember where they’re located?”
David pointed. “The guards’ barracks and officers’ quarters are all in the center of camp around a central courtyard. That’s where they execute people.” The muscles in David’s emaciated face grew slack. “You folks aren’t thinking of attacking that camp, are you?”
John shook his head. “No, just collecting some information.” He paused for a moment. “Why do you ask?”
“I’ve seen how those North Koreans operate. If you’re going you gotta get everyone out. And don’t leave anyone behind because they’ll surely be killed, along with all of their relatives.”
Chapter 28
Once they were done with David Newbury’s debriefing, John and his lieutenants moved to the planning room where Colonel Higgs awaited them. They found the colonel staring out the window. “Lost in thought, Higgs?” John asked.
The man turned and shook his head. “I’m worried about this operation of yours, John.”
“It’ll be dangerous, I’m aware of that.”
“Frankly, I don’t think you’re bringing enough men.” John’s entire assault force consisted of sixty-seven men.
“I’ve thought the very same thing,” John told him. “But there’s a higher risk of being spotted if we bring in too many. Besides, I’ve got a couple tricks up my sleeve.”
“Do you?”
“First off, I plan on arming as many of the prisoners as we can. I’ve already told you about having them scatter into the countryside to begin insurgency groups of their own, but before they do, we might be able to use their help in taking on the rest of the North Korean guards while we get everyone out.”
Colonel Higgs cupped his hands behind his back. “I suppose my reservation stems from the fact that this’ll be the first operation of its kind in the war to date.”
“You’re a man who knows his history,” John said, sitting down.
“I’d like to think so.”
“The Raid at Cabanatuan. That’s what I’m using as a model for this operation.”
In January, 1945, a few hundred American and Filipino guerrillas had stormed a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp near Cabanatuan City. The raid had helped to free five hundred American POWs and was a resounding success.
John turned to Devon. “Any word from Moss?”
“Not yet, sir.”
“The only issue still to be decided is how we’ll get there. I was thinking a combination of horses and dirt bikes.”
“Far too loud,” Colonel Higgs said right away. “You don’t want anything that’ll risk giving away your position. If you have to go the bike route, then you’re better off using mountain bikes. Even in a small town like Oneida, you’re sure to find several. In fact, I see people riding them around every day.” Higgs glanced down at the crude sketch John had drawn of the concentration camp. “So what exactly is your plan, John?”
“Six squads of nine men each.” John pushed his finger down on key locations. “Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta will take up positions on the north, south, east and west entrances to the camp. Echo will set up along 1st Street to block any enemy troops coming west from Jonesboro, while Foxtrot does the same for enemy forces coming in from the east.”
Higgs was counting on his fingers. “That’s only fifty-four out of sixty-seven men. What about the rest?”
“Eight of the remaining thirteen will be tasked with bringing up the QBZ-03 assault rifles and ammunition we stripped off the dead Chinese who attacked us. Three others will stay in the forest and guard the horses. Reese and Hoffman will be with them, acting as overwatch.”
“Any intel on troop strengths in the area?” Higgs asked, studying the crude map.
“It’s sketchy, but we’ve estimated the camp doesn’t have more than a couple hundred guards with perhaps the same number headquartered in Jonesboro itself.”
Devon came to John’s side. “Moss is back.”
Chapter 29
John found him at the stables with the rest of the team who had accompanied Moss to Huntsville. Altogether, they’d managed to get twenty more horses of varying quality.
“That town’s under occupation. We had a heck of a time evading a company of Chinese infantry that wanted us bad,” Moss said. “And when all this is said and done,” Moss told them, wearing a cocky grin, “I suggest you head down to Huntsville and personally thank those kind people.”
John’s brow furrowed. “Some of these horses look like they’re on their last legs.”
“Hey, beggars can’t be choosers,” Moss replied.
“We’re still short rides for thirty-five men.” Devon was nearby and John called him over. “Put together a team on the double to procure as many mountain bikes in town as you can. We’ll need extra pumps and tires as well. Some of the stores may still have that kind of stock on their shelves.”
Devon nodded and ran off.
Billy Ray showed up a short time later.
“Henry said you wanted to see me.”
“I need
a favor from you.”
“Not Oak Ridge again.”
Growing somber as he thought about Jerry, John shook his head. “I’ll be happy if I never set foot there for the rest of my days. I need you to make another leaflet drop over Jonesboro concentration camp. Except it needs to be done tomorrow at exactly seven forty-five pm. Think you can do that?”
Billy Ray’s eyes narrowed as he folded his thick forearms over his chest. “There something you ain’t telling me?”
“I wish I could say more, but you’ll just have to trust me on this. Men’s lives will depend on you being there on time.”
“Be there or be square, right?” Billy Ray spat.
“Right,” John replied, shaking his hand. “Speak with my daughter Emma. She’ll make sure you have the leaflets you need and if she doesn’t have enough by then, you can drop blank pieces of paper.”
“Blank pieces… This is getting weirder by the minute,” Billy Ray said as he scratched the airplane grease off the tip of his nose.
John glanced at his watch. They were set to leave in two hours and there was still so much to do. Pushing the operation up would increase the challenge and the risks of pulling it off. Still, he couldn’t help wonder whether they would get there in time.
He headed to the greenhouse to find Diane before he left. She was directing workers who were installing old street lights inside the greenhouse. Seeing his wife taking charge always gave him a warm feeling inside.
“If we weren’t already married, I’d be tempted to drop down on one knee right now,” he told her.
Diane used a hanky to dab the perspiration around her neck. The dirt in her hair matched the black streaks running down the sides of her cheeks. “Lucky for me your standards keep dropping.”
Last Stand: Turning the Tide (Book 4) Page 10