by Finley, Zack
"Jeremy to Roger."
"Go for Roger."
"Can you handle the rest of the interrogation, I need a medic on this trip," I said.
"We have it, God speed, Jeremy. Sending people to pick up the bodies, I'm hoping that will crack a few eggs over here. We should have a list of who you are chasing in a bit. Hope that can provide a destination for you," Roger radioed.
I felt a hand on my arm and turned to look at Carmine.
"Jeremy, I'm sorry. Go get our people back. Melissa, Billy, Joe, and Aaron will be fine. We'll pray for Esther's full recovery as well. Go kill those bastards," Carmine said.
I kissed both Melissa and Billy, before grabbing Joe and my dad in man hugs. I bid them a quick ‘good-bye’ and ran up the stairs and out of my house. Tom, Mike, and Granny were already gone.
Grady intercepted me as I crawled into the Humvee.
"We can help," he said.
I made an instant decision. "Mount up then," I said, settling into the Humvee that Buzzer was driving. Grady piled into the back, and the rest of his men jumped into pickup beds and the other Humvees.
Messages zipped back and forth on the radios as we mounted up. I said a brief prayer for Granny, my mom, Jennifer, and Ellie as we raced toward US 27. It was 16:45, and we had less than two hours until full dark.
◆◆◆
Chapter 6
We were all back on the same radio channel, but strung out across much of Mecklin County. The hostage-takers still worried about pursuit, frequently stopping to check their rear. We took full advantage of the delays to catch up and consolidate. Their caution suggested they had a destination in mind. Driving hard and fast was the better choice if escape was their only goal.
Having eyes in the sky gave us a secret advantage. While Jules' piloting skill was no secret, few knew. Only a limited group heard we took a plane for a spin. Our flight over Jacksboro happened only 24 hours ago, although it felt like days.
"Justice to Convoy."
"Go for Convoy."
"Sky says Zulus are delayed north of Elgin. They are removing a roadblock on US -27 at the curve just north of Dollar General, stage at karaoke saloon. No gunfire reported. Proceed cautiously. Justice out." Jules was clearly out of range for my radio, but at least he maintained contact with Justice. He could probably communicate directly as soon as we got closer. Calling the bad guys, Zulus worked for me.
A roadblock in Elgin was a new development, appearing since last month when the Mecklin Defenders came through that area.
I hoped Justice sustained contact with the airplane, at least until we were no longer strung out across half the county. The steep hilly terrain made all radios problematic. Before the crash, dead zones existed through this region for cell phones, too. As we moved farther south, we'd lose contact with Justice as well.
"Sky reports the Zulus are through the roadblock north of Elgin. They passed TN-52 and remain southbound on US-27 toward Glenmary. Zulus are approaching a second roadblock near the railroad overcrossing south of Elgin," Justice radioed. "Do not follow in case they backtrack."
Several Mecklin County sheriff's deputies lived in the Elgin area before the crash. Faced with threatened resignations, Sheriff Lewis agreed for them to work out of their homes. I wondered if they continued to protect and serve. If so, they might be responsible for the roadblocks.
We joined a cluster of our vehicles staging in the karaoke bar parking lot, including only one ninja. The rider stood next to Zeke, pointing at a large map unfolded on the tailgate of a pickup truck. An intense crowd hovered around him.
Allie peeled off to meet me. She put her hand on my arm, saying, "We'll rescue them, Jeremy. No cowardly group stands a chance against us."
I tried to smile, but gave up and just nodded.
Three Humvees, one with a turret, three pickups, and a school bus waited in the parking lot. Zeke was already redistributing the forces. He assigned himself, Grady, and me to the third Humvee, plus Allie as the navigator and Matt as the driver. He slotted a compact truck to follow the ninjas more closely, while the rest of us held back. Craig, Buzzer, and Mike took that pickup, plus a Gamma I didn't recognize from this distance.
As our second sniper, Joel partnered with another Gamma. They rode in the other Humvee without the turret, ready to deploy as needed. Ben traveled in the same Hummer, expecting to infiltrate the enemy at the first opportunity. He asked to be in the pickup with Craig, but we wanted firepower backing up the scouts more than sneak. Ben couldn't drive, much less fire a rifle. Ben carried a suppressed assassin's pistol in one holster and a brute .45 magnum in the other. Still deadly at short distances, but he wouldn't be a long-range threat until his ribs knitted.
Zeke distributed fireteams mostly comprised of one Ranger and one Gamma, although the Humvees remained heavy with Rangers. The overflow of one Ranger, four Gammas, and Grady's squad rode in the school bus at the rear. Grady concurred with keeping his men together, they fought well as a team.
While we waited for the Zulus to clear their roadblock, several ninjas cycled back to pick up more ammo and grenades, having embarked in a hurry. The ninjas left from Justice carrying only a normal light load, we wanted everyone armed for war.
The people of Elgin did their best to keep northbound travelers from driving into their town. That roadblock was tougher than most. Two convoy scouts monitored the Zulus from the railroad trestle. Jules flew lazy circles far to the west to avoid being spotted. He would close in once the Zulus moved on. The overflight allowed the ninjas to trail at a safer distance. Once daylight faded and the plane returned to base, all of us would move up using our night vision gear (NVG). The darkness would hide our pursuit.
The Zulus finally concluded that pushing the pile of cars blocking the road was ineffective. Two of the Zulu Humvees emptied. This included Ellie and Jennifer. The girls were left to one side under guard, until two men shoved Ellie and Jennifer into the manned Humvee. That Humvee remained on guard while the others pushed and tugged to winch apart the pile blocking the road. How many Zulus remained in the Hummer with the hostages was unclear.
As much as I wanted to run in guns blazing, the situation required patience. I was thrilled Jennifer and Ellie appeared unhurt. Consolidating the hostages into the third vehicle reduced the guards pointing guns at them. It suggested my mom was fine, too.
Both my worry and anger raged full throttle. Worried, the hostiles would spot the scouts, notice the plane, or hurt the hostages. With three females in their clutches, the nightmare of rape never left me. My mom would settle the girls and bide her time, looking for a weakness, a way to gain the upper hand. She knew we followed. But those rational thoughts failed to soothe the beast within.
I shied away from using their names, better to think of them as the hostages. Not as my stalwart Jennifer, my brilliant loving mom, nor even pain-in-the-ass Ellie. The ploy didn't help much.
So far, the Zulus showed good tactical sense. If any hostage was in a Humvee with a shooter, other than the turret man, we couldn't attack. Those manning the turrets didn't worry me, not with the target on their skulls. Craig brought his .50 cal. sniper rifle to breach the Humvees. But shooting through armored glass was a do-or-die situation. Neutralizing the turrets was easy, but shooting inside the shell was chancy.
Unfortunately, the citizens of Elgin placed the current roadblock in a perfect location that didn't allow us to sneak a big enough force around them. I hated being in a reactive mode. Right now, the Zulus held the most critical cards.
"Justice, this is Jeremy."
"Go for Justice."
"We need a fuel supply. We don't know how far the Zulus intend to go. If they topped off their tanks, they could go a long distance," I radioed.
"We'll send a fuel truck and a support pickup," Justice said. "Don't expect arrival before dark."
"Roger that. If necessary, we'll leave a ninja to escort them to us," I radioed.
I didn't know how far the Zulus planned to drive, but we wou
ld keep up, now, even if they found a fuel source somewhere. I didn't think that was likely, but I underestimated this group once before. I thought we would scoop them up like fish in a barrel. Boy was I wrong.
Scouts reported the two hostages remained in the single Humvee. They estimated the total number of shooters at 15 or 16.
The sun was sinking low in the west, when Jules radioed, "Sky to Convoy." I liked hearing from him directly.
"Go for Convoy."
"Zulus left the highway, east onto a gravel road. The landmark is a small white church with a steeple left side of US-27. They are kicking up a lot of dust. No idea where the road goes."
"Lead Scout to Sky."
"Go for Sky."
"I'm at the church, but don't see a road."
"Road is narrow and hidden behind the church. You are headed straight for it," radioed Sky. "Last Zulu Hummer just crossed the railroad tracks."
"Lead Scout to Convoy, I'm following, leaving ninja here to direct traffic."
Zeke radioed, "Convoy to Sky."
"Go for Sky."
"Notify Justice about course change. The fuel truck can follow your directions. How long can you stay overhead?" Zeke asked.
"Another five- or 10-minutes max, or I won't find the runway in the dark."
"Tell Justice to send a vehicle to light up the runway with their headlights if that will help," Zeke radioed.
"We have no clue where Zulus are going. Not much out this way. Current road doesn't show on our map. We'll stay overhead as long as we can. Your ninjas can move up; the dust is so thick they should be invisible," Sky radioed.
"Scouts did you copy?" Zeke radioed.
"Roger, this is Lead Scout. Zulus slowed down quite a bit. Convoy needs to stop at each crossroad, move up only after scouts give the okay. I'm worried they will miss their turn and decide to backtrack. Not much room for a pickup to turn around, impossible for a bus. Ninjas can divert into the woods to avoid detection if needed."
The directions had merit, I just hated to be strung out this far apart. I really didn't want to lose our eyes in the sky, but many of the intangibles switched to favor us in the dark.
Allie frantically tried to determine the Zulus' destination. At least our map showed many of the old mining and logging roads.
"This new direction is a dead end," she said. "I doubt it is a random detour. A lot of these roads just stop. I think the lead scout has a good strategy, at least until dark."
Zeke looked at me and then Allie. "Convoy to Scouts."
"Go for Scouts."
"Stage and advance as you suggest. Until full dark."
The ninjas continued to follow the Zulus. Jules stayed until dusk, then flew back to the airport. The convoy staged and then advanced, over and over at each crossroad. Rinse and repeat with mind-numbing regularity.
The good news was the presence of plenty of side roads, places to duck down into if our target doubled back. The bad news was the side roads. Places to lose our prey.
"I think they are heading to Chaney Gap," said Allie, excitement in her tone. "This road leads to a wide basin tucked in a ring of mountains. The map shows a church and some buildings there. Other than old strip mines, I can't tell much more. The basin looks even better than the Valley for isolation. Only one way in. No river but creeks and streams for water. Probably coal, too." She handed me the Tennessee map, the same one we used for our dash to-and-from the Mississippi River.
If that was the Zulus goal, did the people of Chaney Gap expect company? If I lived there, blocking the only on the one road in-and-out was a given. The road under our wheels now was in much better condition than when we left the highway. The map suggested this was the main route from Sunbright east to the old coalfields. No way to tell without a GPS, but I concurred with Allie about the destination.
"Scout to Convoy. Trees down across this road. Not a serious roadblock, more like annoyances. Our lead scout has his eyes on the prize. Zulus are using the Humvee winches to clear a path through. Zulus do not appear to have NVGs. They are using headlights."
Zeke turned to me, "I bet the trees are just warnings. We can expect a roadblock when we get closer."
"We can count on it," I said. "What I want to know is, will the Zulus retreat or push through."
"I don't think they will retreat," Grady said. "What I can't guess is whether they intend to join up or take over."
"These yahoos don't strike me as the joining kind," Matt said. "I talked to Tank after you radioed. He is still pretty shaken, that is why I sent him with Jules. He didn't pay much attention to what his ex told him unless sex was involved. Most of what she said made no sense to him. Her friends thought they were the wolves, and everyone else was sheep."
"If these people had close ties to the Chaney Gap group, why not go there instead of the Valley?" Grady asked. "It is really not very far away, an easy drive after the president's announcement."
"They might have the impression that without your Humvees, you are helpless," Grady said. "They may also think that with your heavy guns, they can take over someone else's compound by just waving them around. Civilians have odd views on what makes someone dangerous. They concentrate on the weapons and fail to see the man."
"Why would they kidnap my family?" I asked, letting too much of my frustration and rage peek through.
"Stupidity," Grady answered. "I doubt they comprehend what they unleashed. I doubt these people care about anyone very much. See how cavalierly they left the last group to swing in the wind. My guess is they think keeping the hostages will neutralize the Valley. Just a weakness to be exploited."
Zeke grabbed my arm. "Jeremy, he just gave us an assessment of our enemies, not voicing his view. All of us know this is bull shit, but it does explain some things."
I closed my eyes, trying to find that tranquil place I reached for during meditation. But no calm remained inside me. The fiery rage smothered it out. I needed to dampen the fire and access the cold-blooded slayer within. That killer scared me more than the fire. I shielded Irene and my home life from that part of me for much of my life. Something I never wanted my family to see. But it lived inside me. I needed to embrace it to save my people. Accessing that aspect of my core allowed me to function without emotion. I only gave it free rein a few times in my life. After leaving the Army, I assumed it dissipated under the gentle ministrations of Dr. Kyle.
I either channeled it now or handed over command to Zeke. I could not lead this rescue if I couldn't control the rage. I knew up until now I was sleepwalking, going through the motions. Letting Zeke run the show. He was good, but I was a better tactician. But only if I brought my whole game. My family counted on it.
An icy chill filled me, driving out the rage and leaving a cold resolve behind.
"Thanks, Zeke. And, thank you, Colonel. I think you hit this one on the head. Zeke, do we have any bow saws?" I asked.
"Each of the Humvees should have them," Zeke said.
"Once the Zulus hit the roadblock, I want a new batch of trees blocking their retreat. Move Craig and Joel in a position to remove anyone in the turrets. Have Mike help. For three turrets, use three men; a stray machine gun bullet can be deadly. Send Ben with three fireteams around the roadblock and take up shooting positions on that side. I want the Zulus to think the Chaney Gap people are firing at them. Remind Ben to watch his six; for all, we know the Chaney Gap people will show up when the shooting starts. I certainly would. I want the scouts to identify which Humvee my family is in. Make sure everyone knows which one it is, so nobody shoots a hostage."
"Let me and my men watch Ben's six?" Grady said, but with enough question to make it okay.
"Fine, I hope he doesn't need it, but better be safe," I said.
"Once we take down the turret gunners, they will likely not have time to close the turret hatch. I want a team to flash it, open the can, and whisk the hostages out of the fire zone. The hostage rescue team will need to carry the hostages. In such a confined space, the flash-bang ef
fects can be bad. Then we'll hit the other two. Don't use grenades. We need those Humvees in working order when we are done. That is secondary to the hostage rescue."
Zeke rattled out orders, leaving the school bus abandoned on the side of the road and the pickup beds full of troops. Grady left our Humvee to join his squad, and Tom squeezed in to join us. I knew Tom wanted to lobby to join one of the more active assaults, but Zeke and I agreed he needed to be free to treat possible casualties.
Everyone doublechecked that their special infrared identification panels were visible, on both the backs of their helmets and chests. This was going to be a scrum, with hostages, making trigger discipline extremely important. Zeke reminded each Ranger to coach their Gamma partners due to the increased potential for blue-on-blue casualties.