by Tara Ellis
“You don’t want to do this,” James said loudly, ignoring Tom’s outburst and addressing the group of soldiers. “Your orders aren’t as clear as you all believe them to be. You might outnumber us, but I’ll guarantee my men will be cleaning you off their boots at the end of the day if this goes sideways.”
Dillinger’s smile faltered under the validity of James’s statement, and he eyed the rifle that was pointed in his direction. Before he could come up with a response, the unexpected sound of a distant helicopter began to echo through the valley.
“I’m good,” Tom muttered, shrugging off Bishop and the sheriff. “But we need to end this.”
As some of the soldiers became distracted and began to look around for the source, Tom heard another unusual sound coming down the street from the direction of Mercy. Not wanting to turn away from the ongoing stand-off, he was startled when Danny called out from close by.
“We’ve got some more people that have something to say about all of this,” she announced.
Dillinger was the first to react, his smile turning to a scowl. He began yelling as an orange flash of lightning from the looming thunderstorm punctuated his words. “This doesn’t change your orders! Do not stand down. Mercy will surrender to us!”
Confused, Tom turned enough to look behind him and was startled to see Danny and Sam leading a group of at least fifty men and women. They all held a variety of weapons ranging from pistols and rifles, to shovels and picks. Adding to the baffling scene was the party attire some of them wore. Their red-white-and-blue shirts and hats made the assembly look like they were marching in a parade, rather than into battle.
Sam pointed his shovel at Dillinger and then waved it over his head. “You’re going to have to go through all of us first!”
Chapter 23
JAMES
Master Sergeant, US Marines, 1st Force Reconnaissance
South gate, Mercy, Montana
James didn’t like the odds, but his team was used to being outnumbered and with their backs against the wall. If it weren’t for the civilians in harm’s way, he would’ve already opened fire. He appreciated what the townspeople were doing, though the reality was that they were likely only making the situation more convoluted and with the same outcome in the end. Dillinger wasn’t there to negotiate. He was out for blood, and James was more than willing to give him what he wanted.
Dillinger was on the verge of reaching for his own weapon when the Huey came into view. The corporal’s demeanor instantly changed, and it was obvious he knew who was making the insane landing on the narrow road. Furious, Dillinger grabbed at his horse to keep it from running away as dirt and debris flew around them.
James exchanged a knowing look with his father as they all lowered their weapons to the ready position. There weren’t many running helicopters, and one of them was sitting abandoned over thirty miles to the north of them. He could only think of one man who would have the reach to pull off such a stunt.
“Montgomery,” Bishop snarled as The Man in the Mountain himself emerged from the bird, trailing several more armed soldiers behind him.
While most of the troops were still on horseback, they nonetheless attempted to come to attention and salute the general as he made his way toward Dillinger. The corporal, on the other hand, was clearly annoyed and wasn’t trying to hide it.
“General!” Corporal Dillinger barked, finally throwing him a disingenuous salute. “I wasn’t expecting you to oversee this operation in person. I was going to notify you later today of our successful reconnaissance in Mercy.”
The general raised an eyebrow at Dillinger, and James saw a glimmer of hope. Recon? The corporal might be even further outside his scope of command than they’d suspected if he was only supposed to observe and report.
“The same success you had at the Duke Ranch?” Montgomery shot back. The Huey was winding down, making it possible to talk without shouting, though the general’s voice was more than loud enough for everyone to hear. “Or how about the Pony Express station? Because we just came from there, and I have to say your idea of a successful command is perhaps different than mine.”
Dillinger’s face burned red and he had the common sense to accept the general’s words without any argument. Instead, he gestured to Tom and James and the people standing behind them. “Sir, as you can see the quarantine clearly isn’t valid. We’re ready to take control of the town and establish FEMA Shelter M4 and Command Three.”
Montgomery stepped around the barrier and stopped mere feet from James, tugging once at his jacket before focusing his steely gaze on him. “Master Sergeant Campbell, this is going to go one of two ways for you. I’ll even give you a few minutes to think about it. Colonel Campbell,” he continued, pivoting toward Bishop.
As Montgomery spoke his father’s name, Colonel Walsh’s head jerked up and he stared wide-eyed at Bishop. James squinted at the man, trying to measure his reaction. He had to know about the seed vault, and therefore the value of finding his dad alive. As far as Montgomery and his henchmen knew, his dad could be the only person left on the planet capable of opening the vaults and that made him very, very valuable.
“General,” Bishop answered with a brisk nod of his head. “I think we have some things to talk about, and I’d rather not do it this way.”
“Make no mistake,” Montgomery said smoothly, glancing at each of the men in front of him, including Tom. “I might not agree with some of the colonel’s tactics, but he’s a means to an end that must and will come to pass. I see the rumors of your outbreak have been greatly exaggerated, Mr. Miller.”
James willed Tom to keep his cool as he did his best to evaluate the six new soldiers that arrived with Montgomery. Just as he feared, they weren’t random grunts like Dillinger’s troops, and were likely special ops. In view of the gear they sported, he suspected they were SEALs. Not good.
“We’re managing,” Tom answered evenly. “I was just informing your messenger boy that we’re doing fine on our own. If you’d like to discuss a possible collaboration with Mercy, I’d be happy to set up a meeting to go over some options.”
General Montgomery chuckled. “I think you might be confused, though Corporal Dillinger advised me that you’re a rather intelligent man. Maybe you just aren’t well-versed on how martial law works. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or patience to explain it to you. However, I will give you the option of having your men move this barricade aside so we can still do this peacefully. None of us want any bloodshed,” he continued, focusing on Bishop.
James sensed they were at a pivotal moment. He briefly considered putting a bullet in both Montgomery and Dillinger’s heads. He’d likely get the shots off before someone was able to take him out. His hand twitched on the butt of his weapon as he clenched his teeth together and fought against the desire to carry it out.
While eliminating them might stop the immediate threat against Mercy, James had no idea who else was involved in the general’s plans. It would only serve to fuel the argument being made for the existence of the FEMA shelters and continued martial law. The resulting gunfire would likely get most of them killed, destroying the ability for anyone to access the seed vaults, and silencing the strongest proponent for the civilian government.
James’s internal debate helped make some things clear to him. It was only a split-second of introspection, but it was enough. There were bigger things at play worthy of a worldwide stage, and his goal shifted to the prevention of anyone dying that day.
The general must have noticed the slight shift in his body language, or perhaps the way James lowered his rifle a couple more inches. He was a master at reading people and it was partly how he’d come to be a four-star general. “Sergeant,” he said, his voice sharp and demanding. “I trust the senator is well?”
“I’m actually quite exceptional,” Senator Jenson called out from somewhere in the crowd of people who filled the street behind them. James managed to keep his expression neutral and resisted the urge
to turn around. He saw Tom stiffen when Danny and the senator walked up to join them, but he agreed with the ploy. Moving against a US senator added another layer to an already messy scenario. Based on Walsh’s reaction, it was exactly what they needed. The man was looking increasingly apprehensive.
“I heard you were looking for me,” Senator Jenson said pleasantly. “The sergeant here and his men were kind enough to make sure I stayed safe.”
The first trace of irritation flickered across General Montgomery’s face as the woman’s obstinance rattled his resolve. James knew the general was being forced into an unexpected crossroads. He’d have to choose between maintaining his façade of civility and try to manipulate his way into controlling the seed vault, or else take it all by force and declare open war against the civilian government. Either way, as far as Montgomery was concerned, everyone there was expendable except for Bishop. He knew he’d have to take him alive in order to control the vaults and the seat of power he’d been carefully creating.
James couldn’t let him do that.
In one fluid movement, he reached out and swept his father behind him while yelling to his men. “On me!”
Nothing else needed to be said as all five Alpha units and Hicks formed a protective barrier around Bishop. His dad was smart enough to understand what James was doing and didn’t try to resist. So long as they had Bishop, they still maintained some control. Slowly, James began to back away.
“Think carefully right now, Sergeant,” General Montgomery shouted, motioning for the six SEALs to advance. “You took an oath. If you hand over the senator and your father, we can avoid an unnecessary and rather pointless conflict. Otherwise, I will have you and your men arrested for treason.”
A hand rested on James’s shoulder and he was reassured that Jay was there and had his back. “We’re with you, Sarge.”
“Always have been,” Lucas added.
James stopped and raised a closed fist, a sudden gust of wind swirling dry leaves and pine needles around them. Meeting Tom’s gaze he recognized the same feral instinct he felt, to do whatever was necessary to protect the people he loved. James wasn’t just fighting for his father, but also his wife and little girl, who he’d left alone and vulnerable hundreds of miles away. If he allowed Montgomery to succeed, he might as well be putting them into a camp, too, without any guarantee of food or protection. It had to stop there, in Mercy. It was time to make a stand.
“I’m the bargaining chip,” his dad whispered from close behind him. “You’re the ace up our sleeve they don’t know about. Let’s use that. I’ll go with them for now to buy us some time. You’re the one who has to live, James. You can control the vault.”
He didn’t want to listen to his dad, but as a soldier, James knew he was right. Bishop pushed his way around him to stand next to Tom, directly across from Montgomery. Standing tall, he raised his chin and spoke with a clarity that left no doubt as to whether he was bluffing. “The only way you’ll ever find and get into the vault is by working with me, General. Pull back your troops and I’ll go with you. If you truly serve the people, then you’ll stop this madness and work with us.”
James was vaguely aware of more horses coming around the helicopter as he leveled his rifle at Montgomery. He heard his men mirror his actions, which caused the SEALs to raise their weapons in response. One by one, the rest of the people in the road followed suit; some of them out of fear, duty, or the simple desire to be free.
James was okay with dying that day, especially since he was surrounded by people he respected, including his father. But he was counting on the fact that the general couldn’t risk losing Bishop and that the man hadn’t completely lost his mind, after all. Taking a steady breath, he delivered what might be his last words. “Order your men to stand down…sir.”
Chapter 24
CHLOE
Natural Spring, Mercy, Montana
The water was finally topped off, after stopping for what Chloe would have sworn was more than a dozen times. “You’d think,” she said to Ethan with heavy sarcasm, “that as smart as Bishop and Sam are, they’d be able to fix something so simple.”
Ethan pointed at the water that was constantly flowing from the natural spring and down through the man-made filtering contraption. “Sam said it would require a pressure system to regulate the flow enough.”
“Yeah, I know,” Chloe quipped, waving a hand. “It’s all basic physics involving PSI and flow rate and the fact we have no electricity or working electronics.”
Ethan stopped following her back to the horses and crossed his arms over his chest, frowning. “If you already know all of that, then why complain?”
Chloe turned back to face him with a look of amusement. “It wasn’t so much a complaint as an observation. And the fact that I’m sick of literally watching water move. Come on!” she added with some urgency, reaching out to punch his arm before running away. “Cave time!”
When Ethan didn’t follow right away, she skidded to a stop and squinted at him. He was grimacing and rubbing his arm, and Chloe could tell he was trying to think of something witty to say in order to change her mind. “Why don’t you want to go?”
Ethan shrugged. “It’s just a cave.”
Her eyes narrowing further, Chloe jutted her chin out. “You’ve been going on and on about how cool Henry’s Hollow is for the past three days. I wanna see the old stuff in there before it gets cleaned out and turned into a field.”
Glancing first at the clouds that were continuing to build, and then at Grace, who had moved her focus beyond the horses and was sniffing around the entrance to the mine, Ethan finally reached out and took her hand. “My dad will kill me if he finds out.”
“So, he doesn’t find out.” Chloe didn’t understand his sudden lack of adventure.
“Somehow, he always knows when I do things.” Ethan pulled his hand back and jammed both of them into his back pockets, making him look much closer to his real age. “Trying to lie to him is pointless.”
Chloe laughed. “I didn’t realize you were so…good.”
“I’m not,” Ethan scoffed. “I just have a very strong sense of self-preservation.”
“Fine.” Chloe looped an arm through Ethan’s and tugged to get him walking again. “We won’t go all the way in. Just to the entrance of it, okay? It’s only a couple hundred feet inside the mine, isn’t it? That way, if your dad asks, we can honestly say we didn’t go into the cave.”
While Ethan didn’t look completely swayed by her argument, he allowed Chloe to pull him along and was smiling again by the time they reached Grace. He had mentioned how weird she was acting, and Chloe had to agree. The retriever sat with her haunches shaking when they approached her, making an unusual whining sound.
“I don’t think she should go with us,” Ethan said, petting her on the head. “What if she tries to fetch a stick of dynamite or something?”
Chloe was thinking the same thing. “Yeah, let’s have her stay with the horses.”
A gust of wind swirled through the glade, carrying with it the unmistakable smell of coming rain. Chloe wouldn’t have ever believed it was possible to say she could smell the rain, but after being in the mountains for a month, she understood the saying and knew it was totally true. Grace jumped up and sniffed furiously at the wind before whining again, convincing Chloe that they were in for one doozy of a storm. “We’ll make it quick,” she said to Ethan. “Promise.”
Ethan had to take Grace back and tell her to stay three times before she listened, and Chloe was about to give up on the cave exploration idea when he finally succeeded. She wasn’t sure why seeing Henry’s Hollow was so important to her. It was just that she’d been thinking about it for several days, and was afraid once the work started, they’d never get a chance to be there alone again. Hearing Ethan describe it to her had built it up in her mind so that it was like fulfilling a dare, more than anything. There was something about traipsing inside a mine they’d been told to stay out of that was so
…normal that Chloe couldn’t pass it up.
The early afternoon light was already fading, thanks to the clouds, when Ethan led the way inside the mine opening. The two-by-fours that were previously secured in place had already been removed, so there wasn’t anything barring their way. Chloe instantly wished she’d thought ahead and brought a light with them, though they could still see well enough to enable them to follow the tunnel wall.
“Ever been in a cave?” Ethan asked, glancing back at her. She must have looked scared, because he took her hand and gave her a crooked grin. “You’re the one who wanted to do this.”
Doing her best to ignore the roughly contoured rock ceiling that was way too close to her head, Chloe tossed the loose flap of her scarf over her shoulder and kept moving. “Having a natural fear of small spaces doesn’t mean I don’t want to see this magical cave.”
Ethan winced and wiped at his nose. “Um, yeah. About that. I might have built it up slightly more than is justified.”
Raising her eyebrows, Chloe dropped his hand and pushed at Ethan’s back to propel him further into the tunnel. “Now I really have to see it. How much farther?”
“See that light up there?” he asked, pointing down a side tunnel they’d just come even with. “That’s it.”
Chloe found herself wavering at stepping into the smaller natural tunnel that led to Henry’s Hollow. While it was wider than the one they were standing in, it was markedly lower, so that even she would have to duck to get through it. “Name me one movie where doing anything in a cave ends well,” she muttered.
Ethan was already several steps in and twisted around to smile back at her, his face hard to see in the dim light so that it was mostly his teeth that stood out. “You’re being dramatic.”
“Am I?” she pushed, stepping in after him. “Name one, then.” As he began their trek forward again, Chloe found that the farther they got, the more she agreed with his original assessment that it might not be a good idea. However, her stubborn streak prevented her from conceding and admitting he was right.