by Jeff Ping
Chapter 18
The next morning an unshaven and haggard looking Ralph walked into the cafeteria for a cup of coffee and spotted me, Sheriff Tom, and a man Ralph didn't recognize enjoying a hearty breakfast. Ralph walked over to our table and smiled weakly at the group. I just looked at him and shook my head.
Ralph, holding his cup of coffee firmly in both hands gave me a sheepish grin. Then turning toward the man he didn't recognize he said, "You must be the engineer that Rob sent."
"Kirk Campbell, Mr. Mason. I'm the technology professor from Jennyville. You found me in Meece, Oregon eleven months ago. I see you've had a hard night. Hard fighting, hard living, and hard playing, right?" said the stranger smiling good naturedly
"I sure did, but it was for a good cause," said Ralph grinning back.
"Yeah, that's Ralph, always willing to take one for the team, especially if alcohol is involved," laughed Tom.
"No, no... Seriously, I was working. Bill's idea of joining Jack and Sgt. Keller was time well invested. And I don't just mean for the copious amount of alcohol we consumed.
Sgt. Keller told us that as senior NCO he has his own password to contact Hill AFB. The good Sgt. agreed to call Hill AFB and then turn the phone over to Tom. At least last night he thought it was a good idea," Ralph said.
"I had a couple of people keeping an eye on you and Jack, just in case Sgt. Keller planned to get you both drunk and try to escape. There was a guard posted outside Jacks quarters and he overheard that conversation and included it in his report," I said while smiling at Ralph.
"Tom, did his report include the conversation about Hill AFB Zombie fighting techniques? Or the conversation about Hill expending most of their aircraft fuel, small arms ammunition and their cluster munitions stores?" asked Ralph.
"He only generalized on the majority of those conversations, but I expect that your and Jacks reports will fill in any missing details. All in all, the picture he painted was pretty bleak.
It sounds as though Hill AFB is in pretty bad shape. They seem to be experiencing shortages of everything, from food to fuel. It seems that they have experienced riots due to food shortage.
They lost at least half their troops fighting the Zombies when they finally had to surface. A lot of people that got infected were lost as well.
Sgt Keller said the majority of enlisted personnel suspect a lot of the infected they lost was just the General ridding himself of trouble makers and potential rivals." said Tom.
"Tom and I will be in my office going over our plan with Kirk. Ralph, Rob said that you were authorized to represent all of the north state communities. So, I will expect to see you at our planning meeting in forty five minutes. You can join us when you finish your breakfast," I said shaking my head and laughing.
Half an hour later, after finishing his coffee, Ralph walked toward my office.
When he reached the door to my office, Ralph knocked then opened the door. Inside the office he saw Tom, Kirk Campbell, Elizabeth Doyle and I sitting around a large table.
I saw Ralph give a quick wink to Elizabeth. He then asked,
"What are the plans guys? Or is there a plan? I would fly over Hill AFB and push these guys out the door at five thousand feet. Hell, I volunteer to do the pushing. But whatever we decide to do. I will fill Rob in on the events so far and..." said Ralph.
"There have been further developments since breakfast," I interrupted.
"Kirk looked over the APC's and has repaired the antenna used to make their satellite link. Sgt. Keller has agreed to make the call to Hill AFB command in exchange for immunity for himself and several of his troopers. Now, we just have to decide on what we'll say when we establish contact." I said.
"What can we expect the response to be? Will they attack this facility or any others towns or compounds in... What are we calling ourselves now?" asked Ralph.
"The Federated City State of California" I volunteered.
"Right, well anyway, do you think they will attack us? Can they launch missiles at us? You know how those old line military types are," asked Ralph."
"I certainly hope not, if the information that Sgt Keller has supplied us is truthful, the missiles at Hill were decommissioned and there might not be technological expertise there to get them launch ready. We just might be able to work out a deal with Hill AFB command. We have adequate supplies of food and fuel to warrant their wanting to negotiate." I said.
"OK, I can see that we might have things they desire. What can Hill AFB give us that would be of any interest to us," asked Ralph.
"Well for one thing we could liberate the women they have imprisoned and turned into baby machines. For another, they have access to satellite information that might tell us if there plague was world wide or if we're going to have to face the possibility of Chinese or Russian troops landing and liberating us from the Zombies.
We've been in the dark as far as to what's happening elsewhere in the country. Let alone the rest of the world."
"Oh hell Liz, don't tell Jenny I forgot about the women." said Ralph.
"I will do this favor for you. But some day I may come to you and ask for a favor in return," said Elizabeth, and then she started laughing at the pained expression on Ralph's face.
There was a knock at my office door. The door opened and Jack stuck his head inside and asked, "Are you ready for us now?" Jack noticed Ralph and nodded his head in his direction smiling.
Ralph returned his smile and said, "How's it going Jack? Are you feeling OK this morning?"
Jack gave him a cheery smile and said, "Sure, I'm fine how about you?"
Ralph mumbled something about, "Damn young kids" and just shook his head.
Jack and Sgt. Keller entered the room and sat down.
Tom looked across the table at the Sgt and said, "Why are you being so cooperative Sgt.? Doesn't it go contrary to your military training and loyalty? How do I know you aren't setting us up?"
Sgt. Keller stood up and said, "From what I've seen here and from what Jack tells me, you were able to survive and aid in the survival of other civilians not just saving your own lives.
In fact you have done a far superior job at it than the General was able to accomplish. And the General started with far more resources at his disposal. But you chose to fight back and the General was satisfied with hiding underground until that became impossible.
Given the choice, I would prefer to live like a man than cower underground. My duty and allegiance was to the people of the United States first, not to the General and his officers.
I've given it a lot of thought, and I've talked it over with some of my men. I would like to alter my offer to aid you in contacting Hill AFB for immunity for myself and others. Instead I would like to propose that we aid you in the seizure of the Hill AFB facility.
I think you would utilize the facilities and resources far better than the General. There are technical resources available there that could aid you in your continued fight for survival and possibly be of benefit to you in finding others that need your assistance and help. Once the complex has been taken we will support your command of the site."
I was the first to respond, "OK gentlemen, I'll call a voice vote. Yes or no in support of this proposal?"
After a voice vote, all four representatives voted yes and agreed to attempt a capture of the Hill facility. It was decided that Ralph would return to Jennyville in the morning and inform Rob and the other settlement leaders of the vote of the council. And those one hundred and twenty militiamen would be needed from from the north state settlements of Jennyville, Haven, and Appleton.
These citizen soldiers would be flown to Edwards for transportation to Hill AFB to aid in the armed coup of Hill AFB.
Mayor Elizabeth said that she would return to Wasco and recruit twenty to thirty fighters to aid in the conflict.
When Ralph and Elizabeth had left for the trip to their respective settlements to gather the required forces, Sgt. Keller, Tom, and I went over th
e attack plan in detail.
Sgt Keller said he would call Hill and tell them that Colonel Thompson had been killed in the takeover of Edwards AFB. The resistance at Edwards AFB had been neutralized and that the base is currently now under their control. He would also tell them that they secured the reserves of aircraft fuel.
"I will inform them that we will be returning to Hill in a commandeered aircraft. I'll tell command that the commanders of the forces occupying Edwards AFB recognized the full authority of the US military contingent I have assigned to Edwards AFB.
Once I return to Hill command, I will recruit as many of the personnel as I can to aid you, or to impede the defense of the facility, or at least to stay neutral during your attempted seizure of Hill AFB. Regardless, once inside, a force of 150 to 180 armed attackers should be able to capture the facility.
As I have told you, there just aren't that many troops available to command. If I can under mine their loyalty you may only be dealing with the senior Officers and the few troops who will remain loyal to the General.
Three nights' later, two unlighted transport aircrafts, loaded with Ralph and I, plus 177 volunteers gathered from all of the Federation of cities flew south. In an attempt to avoid satellite detection at Hill, we flew at low altitude one hundred miles south of Edwards AFB before the aircraft set a course for Hill AFB.
The plan was to land on an old runway at the southern edge of the base after dark. We would make our way on foot to the underground bunker entrance that Sgt. Keller had identified on a map. Sgt. Keller also pointed out the surveillance cameras we needed to avoid. The bunker door would be opened for us at 1200 hours.
Eight hours after the aircraft had left Edwards Sgt Keller placed his satellite phone call to Hill.
Picking up the microphone in the command APC, Sgt Keller keyed the mic and sent the following message, "Command, Command, Cobra7, mission green, home coming in twelve hours ".
