by Warren Ray
“Some of our men had a shootout with them. They killed a bunch of my men, but two survived and were able to follow them to the campus.”
Bassett tried to play it cool. “That’s great news, so what are we going to do?”
“We?”
“Yes, we. I’m with Homeland Security and that’s precisely why I’m here.”
“Well, Mr. Homeland Security, you can stay here while we go round them up.”
Bassett didn’t respond. He, in fact, didn’t want to go with them. He needed to get out of there ASAP and warn Winters.
“When are you leaving?”
“First thing in the morning.”
Bassett left Cox’s office and walked down the hall where a couple of cops sat at their desks. He approached them and asked for a telephone he could use. They pointed to a desk in the corner.
Bassett sat down and looked around before picking up the receiver. He had hoped for more privacy. He dialed Green’s office. Grace, his secretary, answered and put him on hold.
“Major Green here.”
“Sir, it’s me.”
“Corporal, how goes it?”
“Got great news, sir.” He tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible since one of the cops was watching him. “The locals here found where the Shadow Patriots are holed up.”
Green got up from his chair and moved to shut his office door. “That is great news, where are they?”
“South Bend, on the campus. Apparently, they were involved in a shootout with the cops.”
“When are they going to go and get them?”
“First thing in the morning.”
“Are you joining them?”
“No. The captain in charge here doesn’t want my help.”
“What are you going to do?”
Bassett paused a moment before answering. “I’ll make myself useful to them.”
Green knew what that meant. “You report in as soon as you get more good news.”
“I will, sir.”
“You be careful out there, Corporal. We’ve got a lot riding on this.”
Chapter 28
South Bend Indiana
The next morning Winters awoke feeling more aches and pains than usual throughout his weary body. The action yesterday was taking its toll. He reached for a bottle of aspirin and swallowed three to ease the discomfort. With everything he had done in the last couple of months, the running, and fighting, he was losing his beer gut and was actually in the best shape he’d been in since he was a young man.
He had been restless all night and hadn’t slept much, if at all. The only thing he could think about was the dead girls they had tried to save but had let down. Over the course of the Shadow Patriot’s short journey, he had seen a lot of death and had become more hardened. However, he was not jaded enough to insulate what he felt when he saw those young girls dying, with blood everywhere and screaming helplessly. He would never forget their faces.
Winters made his way to the kitchen where Amber sat at a table eating a sandwich. Winters poured himself a cup of coffee and joined her. She was wearing her dark gray windbreaker over a black tank top that had blood smeared on it. She had her long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail. She wore no makeup, not that it mattered thought Winters.
“Have you been up all night?” he asked.
She nodded.
“How is everyone?”
She paused a moment before answering. “We lost one last night.”
Winters put his coffee down and stared at the table.
“She had a lot of internal bleeding and there wasn’t anything we could do.”
The news stung Winters but he didn’t want to show it. “What was her name?”
“Savannah.”
Savannah, he said to himself. “How are the rest?”
“A couple more are serious but if we can get them some proper care, they should be alright. Everyone else just needs the rest.”
“That’s good to hear.”
She looked at Winters in earnest. “You know, despite what happened, we still did a good thing.”
“I know. I just can’t help wondering if there was something different we could have done.”
She reached out and took his hand. “Don’t think that way. It wasn’t your fault, there’s nothing more you could have done.”
Winters couldn’t help but feel some comfort in her words and her touch. He hadn’t felt a woman's touch in quite a while and felt a little guilty for enjoying it. In all his twenty-five years of marriage, he’d never paid attention to other women, and here he was holding hands with one who was much younger than he was.
Scar approached them and Winters leaned back, pulling away from her grip.
“Morning, Captain, Amber.”
“Scar.”
He grabbed some coffee and sat down. “Well, we took one on the chin yesterday, but all in all, we were pretty lucky it wasn’t all of us dead in that sand pit.”
Winters looked at Amber. “Yes, it definitely could have been worse.”
She gave him a slight smile.
“What are we going to do next?” asked Scar.
“Make arrangements to get the girls to Canada.”
“We should get going on that today. Some of them need better doctoring than we can give them.”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Elliott and Murphy definitely need to go. Who should we send?”
“Why don’t we all go?” asked Scar.
“There wouldn’t be enough room for everyone, besides we need to keep looking for more of these rape houses.”
Scar nodded in agreement.
“You should go,” Winters said to Amber.
She shook her head. “No, I can be of use here. I wouldn’t feel right about leaving.”
Scar cocked his head. “You might want to think carefully about that, we’re a bunch of old men that seem to get ourselves into a lot of trouble.”
“All the more reason to have a wise woman around,” she said smiling.
Scar let out a laugh. “Well, I’ll give you that. We are lacking in that department.”
Winters waited for Scar to finish. “Let’s have Nate, Burns and a few of the others drive them.”
“What about Sadie?” asked Scar.
“Yes, her too.”
“She’s really attached to you, so I’ll leave that one to you,” said Scar.
Winters liked having her around. She was a great kid, unafraid and wise for her age. She reminded him of his own daughter, Cara. That is before she became a teenager. He had many regrets of how he had dealt with her. He blamed himself for pushing her away. Their arguments left them barely speaking and ultimately losing contact when she took off with her boyfriend. He felt guilty that Cara was not there when her mom became ill and died. He could see the pain in his wife’s eyes knowing that her daughter wasn’t around when she needed her the most. It was Ellie’s dying wish, that he find her and make amends. One way or another he would fulfill this last request.
By midmorning, the Shadow Patriots had everyone loaded up and were ready for the long drive to Canada. The convoy would travel through Minnesota and cross the same way they had reentered the US en-route to Detroit Lakes a few weeks ago. Fuel would be a problem, as always, and they would need to make at least one stop to scavenge more. For now, this was a minor inconvenience, as there were enough abandoned vehicles to siphon fuel. Winters had faith in Nate to get them to safety.
Winters walked over to Sadie to give her the news he had been dreading for so long. He asked her to come inside so they could have a little privacy. They sat down at a table, sitting next to each other.
Winters took a hold of her hands. “Sadie, you’re going to need to go with them.”
She immediately shook her head. “No…No, I want to stay here with you.”
Winters wasn’t too surprised by her reaction. “That’s not a good idea, hon.”
She pulled away. “I don’t care, I’m not leaving. I’m not goi
ng to leave without my mom.”
“We’ll keep looking for her, I promise,” said Winters not wanting to tell her that he suspected she was dead.
Tears filled her blue eyes. “Scar and Meeks promised me.”
Winters cringed at this. He wasn’t very good at dealing with a girl when she started to cry. It always made him turned into jelly. He remembered how Cara had done it on many occasions.
Winters put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s dangerous for you to stay here.”
“But you’ll keep me safe, I know you will,” she said between sobs.
Winters fell for the flattery for a moment.
“And you pinkie promised me. You can’t break a pinkie promise.”
Winters leaned back. This wasn’t going as planned. Then he thought about how he’d had never forced anyone to stay or go. He always thought that as Americans, they should be able to make up their own mind. He was now debating that philosophy. She was an American, but she was a child who wanted nothing more than to find her mother. It was a desire that resonated with him. He wished his own daughter had the same commitment. Against his better judgment, he decided to let her stay.
Upon hearing the news, she sprang toward him burying her head into his chest promising not to be in the way and be a big help. She kept crying, not out of sadness, but an overwhelming sense of joy. Winters held her, praying he had made the right decision.
Chapter 29
Washington D.C.
Green hung up the phone and sat back in his chair thinking about what Bassett told him. He worried that Bassett might be caught helping the Shadow Patriots. He knew what he was getting into when he decided to help Cole Winters. He owed him for saving his life back in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. He also owed his country, a country that had lost its way and was now in free fall. This, he couldn’t let happen and would do everything in his power to stop it.
He had decided to update his mother, and get her prepared to leave her home. It wasn’t something he looked forward to doing. He got up from his desk and walked out of the office, telling his secretary he was leaving for the day. He got in his car and headed home.
On the drive, he contemplated what he was doing and whether it was the right way to accomplish his mission. He didn’t see a problem but hadn’t seen things escalating so quickly. He thought that perhaps he’d be able to throw Reed off track by giving him false information. Winters getting spotted threw a monkey wrench into the plan. Now Bassett would be in a precarious position and put his own life in danger.
He thought about what would happen if the cops caught Bassett and the possible consequences to him and his mother. He’d need a disclaimer for Bassett actions. He’d have to claim he went rogue. It would kill his soul, but if it worked, he could keep working behind the scenes. That is if Winters escaped.
Green walked into his mother’s home and found her in the kitchen. He smelled another fine meal she prepared. How lucky he was to still have her with him. He only wished his father, an Army Colonel, was still with them. He wanted and needed his counsel. The man had finished his career in the intelligence field and would have been able to give him sound advice.
His mother turned around. “You’re home early. Wasn’t expecting you for a couple of more hours.”
“Well, I couldn’t stay away,” he said, smiling.
She stopped what she was doing. “John, when are you going to tell me what’s really happening?”
Green was taken aback for a moment but then realized her question wasn’t too surprising. She had always known when something was wrong. He sat down at the kitchen table and she joined him.
“Remember when I said I was going to help Winters anyway I could.”
She nodded.
“Well, I sent Corporal Bassett out to Michigan to snoop around, and he called me a little bit ago.”
She sat silently waiting for him to continue.
“The local cops have located them.”
“When will they go to take them down?”
“In the morning.”
“And what about Corporal Bassett?”
“He’ll go and warn them.”
“And you’re worried he might get caught.”
Green nodded.
She didn’t say anything and stared off into the distance. Then she came back around focusing on him. “So, you want me to be prepared to go?”
Green could never get used to his mother’s intuition. He grabbed her hand and nodded in silence. He felt bad for putting her in this position but knew she understood the gravity of the situation. As the wife of a career Army man, she had sacrificed a lot of stability in her life and here he was, doing the same to her as his father had done.
“You’ll need to have a bug out bag packed and be ready to go at a moment’s notice. Make sure you’ve got plenty of money in it and anything else you might be able to barter with. Keep the gas tank full and stash enough food and water for at least three days in the trunk.”
She nodded. “I’ve already done all that.”
Green slanted his head back. “Oh?”
“My dear, if there was anything your father taught me, it was to always be prepared.”
Green smiled. “Yes, I guess I should have known better. I’m glad to hear you’re prepared, and you should consider this conversation to be your heads up.”
“Everything will work out, John. Have more faith in your young corporal.”
“Yes, it’s just that I have a bad feeling.”
Chapter 30
Grosse Pointe Michigan
Mordulfah sat in a large room enjoying the sight of his new harem of young girls. He would not have had such a large selection back home in his native Saudi Arabia. There, he was a merely a minor prince and would never have been afforded such a luxury. Here, in Detroit, he had everything he could ever want, and soon he’d be Master of the whole region.
Wali entered the room and interrupted his thoughts.
“Your Excellency, you have a call.”
He looked up at Wali, expecting to be informed who was calling.
“It is Captain Cox.”
Wali handed him the phone.
“Captain Cox, to what do I owe the pleasure of your phone call?” asked Mordulfah, not meaning a word of what he said.
“Prince Mordulfah, I hope I’m not interrupting anything important.”
“Nothing so important that I can’t speak to you, Captain.”
“I have good news for you.”
Mordulfah didn’t respond and waited for the man to get on with it.
Cox felt nervous talking to the prince. He didn’t like having to deal with him, but Mordulfah’s man, Wali, had suggested they would reward him if he kept them informed. Cox knew it was a way for them to be one step ahead of Washington, a government he no longer trusted. In these times, it was every man for himself.
“I’ve found out where the Shadow Patriots are.”
Mordulfah instantly changed his mind about the phone call. “Where are they?”
“They’re in Indiana,” he responded not wanting to give up all the info.
Mordulfah didn’t respond.
“We’re going to round them up in the morning.”
“Excellent news, Captain. Have you informed your superiors yet?”
“No, not yet, and I won’t till I have them either killed or captured.”
“Captain Cox, I want you to do me a great favor.”
“What would that be?”
“I want you to bring me their leader, you can kill everyone else if you like, but I want their leader brought to me.”
“I might be able to do that,” responded Cox wanting something out of this.
Mordulfah sensed what the man wanted. “You do this service for me and I shall reward you greatly.”
Cox smiled. “It won’t be a problem, sir.”
Mordulfah pressed the end key and handed the phone to Wali. He was pleased with the call. He wanted this rebel leader’s head for taking the liv
es of his men, some of which were close to him. Before taking his head though, he’d make him suffer until the man begged for death. He would make an example out of him. This is what happens when you defy the will of Prince Mordulfah.
Mordulfah decided he needed to celebrate. He scanned the room from his chair, surveying all the girls and pointed to one. “The little blond one over there in the corner, bring her to my bed chamber.”
Wali nodded.
Chapter 31
South Bend Indiana
Winters sat in the cafeteria, eating lunch with Scar and Meeks. A few hours earlier, they had seen their friends off to Canada. Since then, all three had been taking it easy and getting some much-needed rest. After yesterday’s rescue, they needed some downtime to regain their strength. Winters would not stop worrying until those trucks came back. He hoped that both Elliott and Murphy would be in them, but it wouldn’t surprise him if both stayed behind until they recovered from their wounds. Murphy was in much worse shape than Elliott was, and the body heals slower when you’re up in age. His arm still throbbed on occasion from the wound he had received at the train station.
With Nate, Elliott, Burns and Murphy gone, he felt strangely uneasy. He always hated splitting his force, even though he knew it was necessary. He needed something to do to keep his mind off it. Perhaps a little time playing cat’s cradle with Sadie would do the trick. He was both happy and anxious at having her here. He felt like a sucker for giving in to her. Then again, he was old enough to be more like a grandfather to her and that’s what grandparents do, they spoil them.
“So, what’s up next, Captain,” asked Meeks.
“We should go back to Michigan, see if we can spot any more of these party houses.”
Scar nodded. “Yeah, except this time we should take more men.”
“Here, here,” quipped Meeks.
Winters repositioned his hat. “Yeah, that would be a good idea.”
“Even with the ones that came in today,” said Scar. We’ve only got like sixty total.”
“More should filter in the next few days,” said Meeks. “Our buddy, Bill Taylor, said more were coming in from Minnesota. Should be here either today or tomorrow.”