by Warren Ray
Burns checked his weapon. “I’ll take the other side. Let the first two buses pass through.”
Bassett nodded as Burns scooted across to the other side. Bassett leaned against the concrete barrier and peeked over to see the massive convoy getting closer. This was it. This is what they had been expecting all week, and it was finally here. He had been warning all the guard posts to stay alert. He just hoped they had paid attention and would do what they were supposed to do.
Bassett figured the convoy was full of soldiers from the Middle East. Soldier was a bit of a misnomer when it came to fighters from that part of the world. He’d seen them before when he had fought in the Middle East. Most weren’t the best fighters, but some of them were quite good having filtered in from the many different armies. There was no reason to think Mordulfah would import more incompetent fighters like the ones he’d been using. He’d spend the money and bring in the best.
The noise from the engines grew louder as they closed in on the overpass. Bassett rose his head up as the first bus drove under the bridge and then the second.
“Here they come,” he yelled.
The third bus was closing in when Bassett stood up brandishing his Colt M4. The driver’s eyes zeroed in on him, and his face betrayed a split second of surprise. Bassett gritted his teeth and squeezed the trigger.
The staccato gunfire echoed in the crisp morning air. The big windshield on the bus spider-webbed with cracks splitting off in a hundred directions as the rounds blew holes through it. Blood splattered on the glass as the bus swerved toward the median picking up speed. It crashed into the guardrail shooting sparks into the air as it plowed through the metal barrier. Bassett lost sight but heard it crash into the pylon.
Bassett lit up the next bus, but it had slowed down giving him more time to kill the driver and anyone else sitting in the first few rows. He slammed in a fresh magazine and sprayed the top of the bus peppering it with holes. He wanted to do as much damage as he could before they organized and returned fire.
The convoy came to a stop as men began to pour out the back of the buses and took up positions. Bassett watched their movements as he popped in his third magazine. These guys weren’t panicking and were methodical with their positioning. These guys were the real deal.
On the other side of the bridge, Burns lit up the first two buses with an initial salvo. He then began moving down the overpass to get a better angle on them, as they continued on the interstate. He sprayed the sides of both buses ripping bullets into them, but unsure of how many he was hitting. His goal was to make as many holes in the bus as possible before it got out of range.
Down below a Jiji carrying an M320 Grenade Launcher ran from the relative safety of the bridge to get an angle on the men above. The launcher was a single-shot 40mm and had an effective range of 150 meters. It could do significant damage if used correctly. Holding the launcher at his waist, he stopped and pointed it up at the overpass. Burns recognized the weapon and dropped to his knees as he yelled at Bassett to get down. The grenade flew up and over the bridge dropping down to the interstate on the other side. The explosion took out everyone who had climbed out of the crashed bus. It was an ill-advised desperate move as the grenade took out the wrong people.
Burns jumped up to see the man reloading the weapon. He raised his own and shot him dead. He cautiously looked down to see men bleeding out on the ground.
Bassett continued firing as Burns hunched over to join him.
“Some have already peeled off into the woods,” said Bassett. “We got maybe another thirty seconds before they’ve flanked us.”
Bullets began hitting the bridge throwing rock chips up in the air. They both kept their heads down as the rounds continued pounding the bridge. Burns motioned to the car, and Bassett nodded. They were crawling toward it when they heard the distinctive firing sound of an RPG. This would be aimed better and much deadlier than the previous grenade. They hurried to the cruiser and reached it as the round hit their last position. The thunderous explosion shook the bridge as debris shot out in different directions raining down on them.
They climbed into the car and Bassett started the engine. He looked in the rearview mirror and didn’t like what he saw. There was too much debris scattered across the road, and he didn’t want to risk a blown tire. Not here. Not now. So, he threw the car into drive and stomped on the pedal. The car zoomed across the overpass to the north.
Going this way was putting them further out of radio range and away from Jackson. Bassett knew the area and the route he had in mind was longer but safer.
“Bastards have stepped up their game,” said Burns
“Yeah, they have, and these guys are professionals. They moved into position in quick order and didn’t panic.”
“Except for the one dumbass that tried to lob up a grenade. It took out half a dozen of his own guys.”
“That was stupid.”
“I’m sure I took out close to half of them in those two buses.”
“We slowed the bastards down,” said Bassett.
“Where’re we headed?”
“Up and around the town of Chelsea. This beast needs big roads so we’ll stay on the main ones and then come down Lansing Road where Eddie is.”
Bassett didn’t want to take chances on any of the smaller roads, many of which were dirt with rocks, which could penetrate a tire especially at the speed he was pushing the cruiser. The route he was taking was out of the way, but the speedometer was topping a hundred, which would make up for the longer distance. They would still be behind enemy lines, but that could be a tactical advantage, at least he hoped it would be.
Chapter 49
Colonel Khan looked up at the smoldering overpass and saw a car pull away. His nostrils flared at the thought of those cowardly infidels leaving without giving his men a chance to fight them. Like vermin, they struck while hiding behind a concrete barrier. They didn’t dare come face to face with his men.
He looked around at the carnage. Men were bleeding and sobbing for help. Dead bodies lay near the crashed bus. He stepped toward the back of the second bus and looked inside to see more of his men lying dead.
He began cursing himself and pleading to Allah to help him in this desperate hour. This was a devastating setback, but he needed to keep moving. His advance team should be well on their way to taking out the enemy guard posts. Those infidels who just attacked would warn the town of an imminent attack.
He needed to hurry.
His radio came alive from the first two buses reporting they had lost half their men during the attack. They were either dead or wounded. Khan ordered them to keep going. He put his radio away, yelled for one of his captains, and commanded what remained of the convoy to get moving. There was not a minute to lose. He instructed his medics to stay behind do what they could before proceeding to Jackson.
He hopped on the next bus and looked at his men. He swept his arm around. “Those cowardly infidels will soon pay the price for attacking us. We will release our vengeance on them, and it will be a glorious battle for Allah.”
The men shouted back and cheered as the bus began to pull away. Khan looked through the window as he passed by more mangled bodies. He didn’t have a count of the dead or wounded but figured at least a hundred were not going to join them. It was a severe blow but not enough to stay the attack. He kept standing for the remainder of their journey wanting to show his men strength.
It took only fifteen minutes before they got to Manchester Road. Once they arrived, Mordulfah’s men on the interstate piled into vehicles and started to line up behind them readying for the quick strike.
Khan reached for his radio and called to his advanced team.
“Achmed, have you completed your mission?”
“Yes, Colonel, we have taken out the two guard posts with ease. We are now proceeding to the hospital. We’ll be in position in about ten minutes.”
“Have they been alerted?”
“No sir, they have not.�
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Khan nodded while glancing up to thank Allah for the help. They still had the element of surprise. He pressed the button again. “Wait for my command.”
“Yes, sir.”
Khan climbed on top of the bus to get a better view of his men. With his chest out and shoulders back in perfect posture, he looked taller than his five-foot-eight frame. The sun was just above the horizon, and he put his hand to his forehead to shade his eyes. His men stared up at him as he turned around to inspect them. He nodded and allowed himself a slight grin. Things were looking better. Close to a hundred vehicles full of men, were now parked on Manchester Road ready to go.
He climbed down and ordered the driver to proceed.
The buses pulled out and the long convoy of vehicles fell in behind them. It was fifteen miles to the hospital, which would take approximately twenty minutes. The men on the bus readied their AK-47’s.
Khan and his men hadn’t seen a battle in three months since taking over a small territory in Afghanistan. It had taken several weeks to defeat that enemy and it had cost him dearly. He’d lost close a hundred men, but the victory was worth it as it was a strategic piece of land.
He left the Middle East at the behest of his longtime benefactor Prince Faisal whom he had known since childhood. Khan’s father served in the kingdom as a leading general and was often invited to gatherings where he would bring his sons.
Khan studied with Faisal in Great Britain before joining the military. He had never visited America but had longed to come and help with the take over of the country. He had heard about the plans to bring down America a year before implementation and offered his services to Prince Faisal.
It was a month ago Faisal had flown him and his men to America. Faisal had been waiting patiently for Mordulfah to finally come and seek his help. The man had lost five hundred men in Minnesota a couple of months ago and knew the time he would need help was fast approaching. Mordulfah may be a sharp businessman, but he was no general.
The buses made the final turn and Khan looked at all the abandoned buildings as they came down East Michigan Avenue. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the hospital on the right. He grabbed his radio and ordered his advance strike team to move in through the emergency room. He tapped the driver on the shoulder to take the next right. This would lead them to a parking lot.
As they passed the hospital, Khan saw his advance strike team storm through the emergency room. The battle had begun, and he praised Allah.
Chapter 50
Jackson Michigan
Sandy the nurse who had taken care of Reese had just gotten to the hospital and carried a thermos from home filled with her own private stash of coffee. It had become a commodity around town, and she needed it to get through her day of seeing patients.
However, as of late, she saw less, and less of them as the town’s population dwindled. She reached the nursing station in the emergency room and saw an older couple waiting to be seen by Doctor Lunsford who hadn’t arrived yet. She smiled at the couple and told them it wouldn’t be too long.
She sat down, took the cap off the thermos and poured a cup. She took a sip and looked up to see ten gun-toting men burst through the doors. She didn’t recognize them but realized she was in danger and froze from fear.
Khan’s advanced team shot her before turning on the elderly couple, as they embraced each other before the bullets ripped through them.
Scar sat with Meeks in the cafeteria drinking coffee. He hadn’t gotten much sleep and had seen Bassett and Burns off earlier. He had decided to go back out to the borders to see what he could do to tighten up their perimeter. Meeks had offered to go out with him and told him Amber wanted to join them as well. They had been waiting for her for about ten minutes when she came through the doors ready to go.
“Was about to give up on you,” smiled Meeks.
“Were you really?” said Amber grabbing a cup of coffee.
“Yep. Thought maybe you were going to sleep in.”
Amber sat down across from him. “Are you saying I need more beauty sleep?”
“Oh no. Perish the thought, my dear. Why, much more of that and I won’t be able to control myself around ya.”
Amber shook her head before taking a sip coffee.
“Nice one, buddy,” laughed Scar.
“Well, I mean, look at her.”
“Okay, down boy,” said Amber.
They stopped talking as gunfire echoed through the upstairs.
They stared at each other in disbelief for a split second before jumping out of their seats. They swung their Colt M4’s chest level and charged toward the stairs. Meeks was the first to hit the steps followed by Amber.
Scar keyed his radio and yelled, “We’re under attack. I repeat the hospital is under attack.”
Meeks hit the top of the stairs first and rushed toward the emergency room. He saw Jijis marching down the hall toward them. He pointed his weapon and laid down a hail of bullets.
The wide empty hallway reverberated into an earsplitting tone of gunfire. Two bad guys fell backward from the rounds punching through them. The enemy returned fire as Meeks led the team around the corner to another hallway.
“Eddie do you read me?” yelled Scar into the radio.
“I read you Scar. They just started attacking up here.”
Scar lowered the radio. He had been right that something was off with the borders. They were going to attack all at once. Somehow, they got past their border guards and came in unseen.
He raised his radio again. “I say again, we’re under attack. The whole town is under attack. You know what to do, now do your duty.”
A chorus of “Roger that” began flooding the radio as men began springing into action.
Winters with the help of Nordell and Bassett had laid out a solid plan on where they should maintain defensive positions and had assigned one to all the personnel. It wasn’t helping that a large portion of the men was still upstairs sleeping. With the exchange of gunfire, that problem would remedy itself.
Meeks came around the corner and fired again to stop them from advancing. He turned to Scar. “What’s our play, boss?”
“This is a small contingent. The bigger one will be in the parking lot. C’mon.”
Scar ran down the hall with Amber on his tail. Meeks fired off a three-shot burst before falling in behind them. They reached the side door to the lot and saw buses coming in.
“Let’s go before they can get off,” ordered Scar. “Meeks keep our six clear.”
Meeks nodded and stayed at the door while Scar and Amber headed outside.
Scar and Amber split up and aimed at different buses.
Both emptied their magazines within seconds. The rounds hit the bus forcing it to keep driving to get away from the gunfire.
Scar ran further into the parking lot to see vehicle after vehicle trying to enter. He made a quick decision and yelled for Amber to join him. They had to strike before these bastards got organized.
Amber ran to him, and they started firing at the street that was gridlocked with vehicles. So far, the Jijis hadn’t been able to return fire. That didn’t last long as they began emptying their rides and firing wildly at Scar’s position.
“We don’t want to get trapped here,” yelled Amber.
Scar surveyed the situation. She was right. They needed to get back to Meeks.
As he turned, he saw the convoy of vehicles go around the jammed up intersection and turn on Waterloo Street. This road gave them access to the rest of the parking lots out back. This was where he’d strike next.
Meeks opened the door as Scar and Amber dove through, taking cover as lead began pelting the entrance.
“We need to get over to the other lot,” said Scar.
By now, more Jijis had entered the emergency room, and the sound of non-stop gunfire bounced off the walls. More and more M4’s were joining in the cacophony of battle sounds as the Shadow Patriots began to fight back.
Meeks led them do
wn the hall and over to the exit where they parked most of their vehicles. It was a big lot capable of handling all the vehicles that were pouring in. Scar stopped at the entrance to answer a radio call. Meeks pushed the door open and ran down the sidewalk keeping to the back of an out building with Amber behind him. He came around the corner and saw a Jiji pointing a grenade launcher. Meeks turned and jumped onto Amber taking her to the ground as the grenade flew over their heads.
Chapter 51
Landing hard on Amber, Meeks stayed on top of her as the explosion shook the ground. The thunderous blast blew out the rear entrance to the main building three hundred feet away. Meeks thanked God he decided to take the side entrance. An outcropping from the building kept most of the concussion away from them but still, the blast dazed them.
He pushed up on his hands and looked down at Amber. Her eyes were blinking fast, and she started mouthing something to him. Their ears were ringing from the blast, and neither could hear the other.
Scar came running toward them and was yelling at them. He took a quick look at them and then zipped around the corner to fire on the approaching Jijis killing the one who launched the grenade. He turned back and yelled again.
Meeks rolled off Amber and sat up. The ringing in his ear started to subside, and he turned to Amber who stopped blinking rapidly. She hit her head with the palm of her hand a few times trying to regain her senses.
Meeks got off the ground and held his hand out to her. He pulled her up, but hesitated to let go as she fought to regain her balance.
Scar continued to fire at the approaching Jijis. He wanted that grenade launcher. It was what he needed to be able to kill more Jijis, who were growing in numbers.
He turned his head. “You two okay?”
Meeks joined him and started firing. “Damn blast knocked out my hearing a bit.”
Scar motioned to the dead Jiji still holding the launcher. “I want that launcher.”