“I know, but I hate to lose this place, almost as much as I know Keith does. If we do, there goes our fuel supply too, as soon as they find it.”
“We need to move as much of the gas as we can before they get here. We can store what we can’t use aboard the trawler, or hide it in the woods somewhere, if we can find enough containers.”
Eric knew they had their work cut out for them, even leaving Dreamtime as she was. They needed to move everything on the property that they would need later if and when they could resume the task of refloating her. The Miss Anita had been serving well as a safe refuge for all of the crew not needed for the work here, but it was going to be quite inconvenient having only the trawler for a base of operations. Eric knew they would need a better solution, and that Keith would probably have some ideas. The bigger question was how they were going to respond to the inevitable arrival of invading forces. Keith had been pushing the idea of organizing a militia of willing residents still remaining in the parish, and he already had some indication from the locals he’d spoken with that it might be possible to recruit a few based on what Eric had predicted was going to happen. But before Eric’s return to Louisiana, Keith hadn’t had any luck convincing anyone to swear in as a deputy, as most of the men were focused on staying close to home, going out only to fish and hunt as necessary while trying to protect their families and their property.
But this threat Eric had warned of was different, and Keith’s notice got the attention of many, if not any firm commitments. Today, everything had changed. Now there was hard evidence of what was coming. People who saw it would understand that they either had to fight or submit to being taken away from their homes to some camp in Texas, perhaps to be prisoners or perhaps to die. Eric was willing to bet that putting together a willing militia to defend the parish was more feasible today than it would have been yesterday, but the thought of it brought back unpleasant memories that filled him with disgust. The last thing on earth he wanted to do was organize yet another undisciplined and untrained company of ill-equipped civilians to take on a far larger force of ruthless pros that seemed to have limitless resources. A lot of them would die, maybe all of them, but few people in the business had more experience and expertise in doing that job though, and Eric knew it. It was just that when he’d left Europe to come back here for Megan, he’d considered himself officially retired.
“Retirement is overrated as hell anyway!” Bart said, as Eric vented his frustration at the thought. “What would you do all day?”
Five
“WE CAN JUST LEAVE on the Miss Anita then!” Shauna said, after she and Megan and Vicky had been introduced to Diane and she absorbed Eric’s report of what had happened that day. “If it’s too dangerous to try and get Dreamtime floating and ready to go in time, then that’s what we’ll have to do. There’s no other option, Eric!”
“Going on the Miss Anita isn’t really an option, Shauna. Without sails, we’d be severely limited by the fuel she can carry, and as you know, we can’t rely on being able to get more, especially once we leave the area and head out for places where we don’t know the situation.”
“Even if we just get to the coast that’ll be better than sitting here in the path of those mercenaries! We can follow the shore east from there. We don’t have to go across the Gulf! There are remote places to anchor in north Florida too, you said so yourself. And there’s Mississippi and Alabama along the way as well. There are lots of other rivers we can go up.”
“But any of them would only be a temporary solution, Shauna. You’ve seen the size of that operation in Texas, and I got it straight from that cartel boss in Mexico that they are planning and working together. Control of the entire Gulf coast is what they want, and they’ll settle for nothing less. All we’ll accomplish by moving the trawler elsewhere in the region is to delay the inevitable. So that leaves only two viable choices: We stop their takeover of the area by fighting back now, or we give them ground and lose the schooner only to find ourselves forced to fight anyway, but in unfamiliar territory where we have no allies. Keith knows people here, Shauna. Diane is one, and she was a witness to what happened today. She’ll help him talk to others and get them on board, and so will her husband, when he returns and sees the bruises on her face.”
“Even so, you can’t raise an army from the few scattered families that haven’t already left here, Eric, and if what we’re facing is that big, that’s what it’s going to take to stand up to them! These folks aren’t special forces veterans like you, Eric. Most of them have probably never served in the military at all, much less seen combat.”
“Maybe not, but they’ve been living in a war zone for months now anyway, so they’ve seen a lot lately, and they know they’ll be fighting for their homes and their way of life. They’re backed against the wall, and most of them understand that the choices are to stand and fight or give up everything and die. People can surprise you when they’re driven to that point, Shauna, but you already know that as well as anyone. You’ve been there yourself just recently, and you found out what you’re capable of. Look, working alongside indigenous populations to train and prepare them for guerrilla warfare is a huge part of what I’ve been doing for years—both in the service and as a private contractor. The only real differences were the pay checks and the rules of engagement.”
“And you also said you were done with all that when you came back here. Now you’re talking about doing it again, and for no pay at all! What in the hell is it going to take to get you to realize it isn’t worth it anymore, Eric?”
“You know it’s not about the money, Shauna, not now! I know why you don’t want me involved, but I also know you understand why I have to be. Keith isn’t going to leave here even if we do. And now, I’m pretty sure Dad won’t either. I know I’m not responsible for my brother or my father, and that you and Megan are my priority, but like every other decision I’ve had to make since I got here, this one is guided by that priority too. Running to avoid a fight might help us in the short term, but we’ve got to think about what we’re going to do beyond that. The only way to carry on with our longer-term plan is to disrupt C.R.I.’s operation here. Yesterday, I thought differently, but today, that’s the way I see it.”
Shauna was listening, but Eric could tell her mind was racing, trying to come up with something else to convince him otherwise. When he was done with his argument, she made her suggestion.
“There is another option, Eric. What about those soldiers upriver at that post where the Atchafalaya joins the Mississippi? What was the name of that place?”
“Simmesport?”
“Yes, that’s it! That sergeant you talked to there. The one who arranged to get us a ride on the C.J. Vaughn.”
“Sergeant Patterson.”
“Yes. You could go there and report all this to him. It’s not really that far. He can get word to Lieutenant Holton. With the kind of intel you can provide, who knows? Maybe they’ll send enough soldiers here to stop this before it even begins. You know things are under control of the Army in many parts of the Midwest, because you saw some of the same bases Jonathan and I saw. They’re probably already working to reestablish control farther south along the Mississippi. If so, they will want to stop those C.R.I. and cartel thugs from moving in here. Besides, we left the Gulf Traveler there. You and Keith can go there in his boat and bring it back. It’ll be a better option than the Miss Anita; you said so yourself when we took it upriver. It’s a long-range cruiser that uses very little fuel. It could be another way to leave if we can’t raise Dreamtime!”
“Keith won’t leave to go that far off upriver like that in a time like this, Shauna. I already know that.”
“Then take Jonathan with you. Or your dad. Or both of them! Keith can do without the boat for a couple of days. If he can’t, he will find someone else with a boat you can borrow.”
“Getting up there isn’t the problem, Shauna. You’re right about that. But whether it’s worth the trip, I have my doubts
. Sergeant Patterson wasn’t the most helpful fellow we met on our journey, and you should remember that.”
“But he did release us after the interrogation, and he did arrange our ride upriver. It wasn’t really his fault he couldn’t let us take our own boat through the locks. He was just following orders.”
“I know. But I also know that his assignment at the time was to guard those locks. If he and his men are still there, and they may or may not be, he doesn’t have the manpower to send any troops down here, and I doubt Lieutenant Holton does either. Hell, Lieutenant Holton couldn’t even do anything about the small group of insurgents that seized control of the Tenn-Tom Waterway just a few hundred miles from his base. That’s why he sent me in there. I don’t know if there is enough military manpower in the entire region to retake control of the Gulf states. If there was, you’d think they would have already done it by now. But as long as Keith has been dealing with all this, he hasn’t seen any federal troops around here at all. He also said there hasn’t been any barge traffic since the first week after we left on the Gulf Traveler. It’s not hard to imagine why. For one thing, there are the attacks like the one we survived on the river. For another, we now know what’s going on in Texas. It’s likely that the C.R.I. or the cartel are in control of the refineries and have prohibited any more movement of fuel away from the coast.”
“You may be right, Eric, but isn’t it worth the trip to find out? Surely it would be better to let the Army handle this if there’s any chance they would. If you can just get your information to the right people in the chain of command, it seems almost certain they would make it a priority. Losing access to the Gulf is a huge deal. It’s bad enough that the region was cut off for so long because of the hurricane.”
“I’m not sure what the priority is anymore, Shauna. Yeah, access to the Gulf is important, but the federal government—what’s left of it anyway—has so many other problems on their hands it may be way down the list or written off completely for the time being. Maybe you’re right that it’s worth a try though. But I’m a bit surprised that you’d suggest that I go anywhere after all the flak you gave me before about splitting up the group.”
“I’d prefer that we all stay together, but I see this as the lesser of two evils,” Shauna said. “If it means there’s a chance to get someone else to fight those battles you say are coming, then I’m all for it.”
Even though Shauna thought it was her idea alone, Eric had already mulled over the possibility of contacting the post at Simmesport before today’s events. He had considered it before Daniel sabotaged their plans, because even then Keith had said repeatedly that he intended to remain in the parish because he was so badly needed there. Eric doubted the sergeant at Simmesport could offer any help, but he would have asked if it came down to leaving his brother behind. If the Army did send in troops to occupy the jurisdiction, maybe Keith wouldn’t feel so obligated to stay. But after today his brother’s resolve to remain was stronger than ever, and whether or not Eric went to Simmesport wasn’t going to change that. Keith was ready to begin assembling his resistance force starting tomorrow, and Eric wouldn’t try to convince him otherwise. It would take a little time for him to make the necessary visits to potential recruits though, and while he was doing that, maybe Eric could make the trip to Simmesport.
Eric and Shauna were discussing this down below deck in the little forward cabin she shared with Megan and Vicky. Accommodations were tight aboard the Miss Anita and would be more so now that all of them were here and they’d just added Diane to their number for a few days. Privacy was an impossibility with so many people aboard, but while everyone else was on deck having dinner in the last few minutes of fading daylight, Eric and Shauna took advantage of the opportunity to have this conversation. He wanted her to know what he was thinking and to answer her objections, but when it came down to it, Eric was the one who would make the final decisions on tactical matters involving his family and crew. They kissed briefly after concluding their discussion and returned to the deck to join the others. Eric wanted to run Shauna’s proposal by Keith, and they had a lot to talk about regarding the recruitment and training that needed to start in the morning.
“I suppose it couldn’t hurt to go see,” Keith said, after hearing him out. “But I have my doubts anything will come of it. You already told him about our situation when you met the sergeant the first time. If he had any interest in the goings on down here, you would think he would have sent that gunboat crew to pay us a visit.”
“Not necessarily,” Eric said. “His assets were limited and in place for one reason only—to control vessel traffic through those locks. He didn’t have the authorization to send a boat way down here, and he still doesn’t. The best outcome I can expect from talking to him again is that he’ll at least hear me out, and then get word up the chain of command to someone who does have that authority—and is interested enough to care.”
“You’re going to need a fast boat, so you don’t waste a lot of time going up there and back. You may as well take mine.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, really, because you’re going to need it the entire time I’m gone. You already promised Diane you’d run downriver and try and get close enough to reach her husband by radio. And I’m sure a lot of the other folks you want to talk to about getting together to join this fight would be easier to reach by boat than in the Jeep, not to mention the fact that someone is going to come looking for those guys we killed today. You know it’s not a good time to be out on the roads. There’s bound to be someone with a fast bass boat or skiff of some kind that we can rent or borrow. Maybe one like that Henri fellow was in this morning?”
“We could ask Henri, but like everyone else out here, he’s depending on his boat for subsistence fishing, and is probably unwilling to part with it. It may be best to ask someone else, maybe someone who’ll be willing to join up with us and will help me recruit others while you’re away up there.”
“Joe’s friend, Ronnie, would certainly lend you his if you asked,” Diane volunteered. “He’s out there fishing with Joe right now, but I can talk to his wife if you like.”
“What kind of boat does he have?” Eric asked.
“It’s a 20-foot, heavy duty welded aluminum John boat. He had it custom built by a guy in Lake Charles. It can handle shallow water and it’s pretty fast too. I think he’s got a 90-horsepower Yamaha on it, if I’m not mistaken.”
“I know the boat,” Keith said. “If we could get it, it would certainly do the job.”
“Becca will be fine with it, I’m sure, Keith. I know Ronnie is going to be on board with helping you, just as much as Joe will. Anything they have, they’ll be glad to provide if it’ll help us keep those criminals from forcing us out of our homes. We can go down there anytime you like and talk to her. If she knows it’s your brother that will be using it, she won’t have a problem with it.”
“Excellent! Eric said. “We’ll go in the morning if that’s okay with you and Keith. The sooner I can go to Simmesport, the sooner I can get back here and get to what has to be done. At least if I do that first, I’ll get an idea of whether we can hope to have any help or not.”
“Speaking of help, you don’t need to go up that river alone,” Bart said. “I’ll go with you.”
“I was thinking of taking Jonathan, Dad. Only because Keith could use your help while I’m gone. Both of you have real combat experience and military training, so you two can get to work on organizing these folks even if I’m delayed, and you know there’s always the chance I will be, considering how things are out there right now. Are you cool with that, Jonathan?”
“Hell yeah, dude! You know I’m up for anything!”
The expression on Vicky’s face told Eric she wasn’t cool with it though, but like Shauna had been forced to do so many times, Jonathan’s girl would have to deal with it.
“Don’t worry, Vicky. I’ll look out for your man. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to my number one
deckhand!”
“What he really means is that he needs me to cover his ass, like I always do!” Jonathan said. “He didn’t believe it at first, but Eric found out I’m a quick learner. He’s just lucky I didn’t take him out that first night we met, before I figured out he was one of the good guys!”
Eric grinned and shoved Jonathan into Vicky’s arms. “Then it’s settled! You can go with us in the morning to meet Diane’s friend, and if we get a green light on the boat, we’ll bring it back here and sort out the supplies we need and leave ASAP. There’s no time to spare, because for all we know, those C.R.I. contractors are already mobilizing to begin their sweep.”
“What if you can’t get help from that Army post?” Megan asked. “What’s the plan to stop them? I mean, even if Keith could get hundreds of volunteers, it wouldn’t be enough, from what we saw coming across Texas!”
“Hundreds? Are you kidding, Megan? It won’t be anywhere near that many,” Keith said. “Not unless we can get folks from Lafayette too. So many people have left already, it’s slim pickings around here.”
“There’s more to this than sheer numbers, Megan, as Keith and your grandpa will agree. You know this is my specialty, even if you don’t know a lot of details about the work I did. With good planning, fierce determination and more than a little luck, a small unit can wreak serious havoc. And it doesn’t have to be a Special Forces unit either. I’ve seen enough of how some of these folks live and hunt and fish in the backwoods and swamps to know that they’ll be good at it. All they need is the right leadership to give them direction and formulate a plan. We may not be able to beat the enemy in an all-out battle, but nobody fights like that anyway. All we need to do is put them on the defensive and keep them guessing. If we can do that, they may decide they don’t need to be here as bad as they thought they did.”
Feral Nation - Defiance (Feral Nation Series Book 8) Page 5
