The Peacekeepers. Books 1 - 3.

by Ricky Sides

  “We think we could take out several of their men in that manner yes,” Jim replied smoothly and then he added, “And every man taken out in that fashion is one less man to be around shooting at the people of this community.”

  “How about using the building on the outskirts of town, at the old abandoned drive-in movie? The place has been closed for years, and the property belongs to me so I give you my permission. The concession stand would be big enough aplenty, and there is nothing close to it that could suffer damage.”

  Looking to Pete to get his opinion, Jim noted the eager grin on his friend’s face and said, “Please lead us to the drive-in.”

  An examination of the site proved that the old drive-in was perfect. They would need to cover the windows so that the attackers wouldn’t be able to see that the building was empty but that was simple enough. Three farmers left to get buckets of paint and paintbrushes. The farmers would paint the exterior of the windows. Jim realized that being able to participate in the plan was good for the farmers who were proud men.

  Bill Young contacted the Peacekeeper with the newly acquired radio system and asked Patricia to secure as much audio as possible of the women and children talking, and then an idea occurred to him and he had her to get them to sing some of the religious hymns that they were accustomed to singing, and record that as well. Bill reported that the radio worked just fine but this wasn’t the greatest of tests as the Peacekeeper was probably less than eight miles away in a direct line, though by road the distance was greater.

  By the time that the Peacekeeper had returned, Pete and Sergeant Wilcox had most of the trap prepared. They needed Patricia for her expertise in rigging the audio bait. Two of the snipers would be stationed here. One would be responsible for arming the traps when the time came. That would be accomplished by turning on the battery-powered tape player and pressing play. When the man closed the door, the final trap would be armed. The tape was a long-playing loop with both sides recorded and the unit should play for four or five hours which should be more than enough time.

  They would use their knowledge of the radio frequency used by the Marauder’s against them. When the time was right Patricia and Tim would simulate a conversation between a farmer and his wife as he told her to hurry to the drive-in to take shelter with the rest of the women and children in the old concession stand. He’d point out that he needed to get to the smokehouse and they could not leave until she arrived with the last of the food so it could be unloaded and the vehicle taken away from the site so the raiders wouldn’t see any vehicles there and be attracted.

  Chapter 5

  The night passed uneventfully for the refugees, most of who slept in the barn loft. One of the guards remained awake at all times and stayed near the leader of the farmers who was physically incapable of climbing the ladder to reach the loft. Maggie had adamantly insisted that the man sleep on the ground floor, as the climb would undo all her work and his progress. The guards offered to rig a block and tackle and pull the man’s stretcher up to the loft, but Maggie didn’t like the odds of completing the maneuver without jostling her patient. Any such jostling could well set his healing back by days. She made it clear that she trusted the two peacekeeper guards to see to it that her patient didn’t overextend himself in her absence. She might be needed after the battle the next day and must therefore return to the small farming community with the ship.

  The younger children were treating this endeavor as a grand adventure, but the older children and the women were aware of the serious reasons behind this venture, so they could not share the children’s enthusiasm.

  The guards made sure that everyone ate well and had plenty of water. They requested that the refugees speak in soft tones and discouraged shouting and running around in the loft. They did not forbid lights in the loft, but requested that they keep the lights well away from the windows and the edge of the loft. Likewise, they cautioned the people not to stand in front of the windows where anyone observing the barn from the outside could see them.

  Sergeant Wilcox and Pete had both briefed the guards. They were to fire only if necessary and in that event, they were to fire only the rounds needed to defend the women and children. In the event that firing a weapon became necessary, they were to extinguish all light sources and to limit talking as much as possible so that the sound of their voices couldn’t lead potential enemies to their location. However, thankfully none of those precautions had been necessary. The only thing that approached the barn all night was a lone deer that was probably hoping to find some grain or hay in the old barn. As the deer approached the barn, it had scented the people and loped away from the area.

  That night was a busy one for the rest of the peacekeepers who refined their strategy until they were certain they’d covered all of the possible scenarios that they could reasonably expect. Pete reminded them that the unexpected in battle was most often what caused problems. He pointed out that, at best, battle plans give you something to work toward when it came to organizing, but the best laid plans often fall apart once the battle begins.

  Sergeant Wilcox and two of his men would dress in clothing borrowed from the farm men. For this mission, they would be wearing the black hat versions of the new communications gear. The appearance of the hats had already been altered by rubbing dirt into the exteriors, drying them in the sun, and then brushing them down lightly to remove the excess dirt. Each man also custom shaped the bills, further diverging their appearances. It would have appeared out of character to wear three identical brand new black caps that would stand in stark contrast to the headgear worn by the real farmers.

  This three-man team would mingle with the farmers. If the sergeant gave the command, then the farmers were to drop to the ground and crawl away as rapidly as possible. The peacekeeper team in their midst would do battle with the men who were a threat to the hostages. That was the plan if something went wrong. However, if the plan went well, then they were to wait until the four young ladies were free and clear of the danger zone and then they would attack the Marauders. In this best case scenario the farmers were to slip away as rapidly as possible heading for a small copse of woods not far from the smokehouse.

  The remaining four men of Sergeant Wilcox’s strike force were to conceal themselves in four different locations. This would effectively contain the Marauders in the deadly kill zone, where crossfire from the skilled marksmen was certain to occur. The remaining sniper would be located in the copse of woods near the smokehouse. His job was to take targets of opportunity once the battle commenced, but his primary responsibility was in providing covering fire for the farmers should the need arise.

  Patricia would be monitoring the radio frequency known to be in use by the Marauder band. At the first sign that the band was approaching, she and her husband would play out their radio charade in the hope of drawing most of the Marauders into the trap at the drive-in. The two snipers at the drive-in were to start the playback of the tape and set the trap, then get to their selected sniper positions. Once the Marauders arrived at their location, they were to let them approach the door and, with any luck, set off the trap. When the Marauders triggered the explosives, their job was to eliminate the survivors with an eye toward killing any man giving orders thus reducing the effectiveness of the survivors by eliminating their leaders.

  The Peacekeeper would be located just down the road from the smokehouse, which was located near the southern boundary of the community. They knew that the Marauders would approach from the north, so they would park on the road just out of sight to the south of the smokehouse.

  The plan was for the ship to come to the smokehouse the moment that the fighting started. Once they eliminated the enemy at that location, the ship would head for the drive-in to take on the remainder of the Marauders located there. Sergeant Wilcox and his men were to help any of the wounded farmers should the need arise. Once they accomplished that mission, they were to commandeer transportation to the drive-in via one of the Marauder vehi
cles, if the ploy to lure the remaining Marauders there worked. If the plan failed, then they would receive directions from the ship as the situation unfolded.

  ***

  That night the Peacekeeper was parked behind the movie screen at the old abandoned drive-in. The crew saw to last minute preparations. Weapons, already clean, were broken down and cleaned again. Tomorrow the lives of the men and women who wielded those weapons would be at risk if there were a malfunction.

  Jim and Lacey stopped by the infirmary that doubled as Maggie’s quarters. They found her sorting emergency medical kit supplies that she would issue to supplement those already carried by her and the two medics. Maggie then broached a question that had been on her mind when she asked, “Will we be treating any wounded Marauders?”

  Seeing the serious expression in Maggie’s eyes Jim replied, “We’ll take it on a case by case basis so be prepared just in case, but for the most part I am inclined to say no.”

  Maggie’s face set with a grim determined expression and she said, “You do realize that I took an oath as a physician?”

  Nodding his head Jim said, “Yes, I’m aware of the Hippocratic Oath. That’s why I will take the matter out of your hands. They won’t be your patients unless some special circumstance has thrown them among the Marauders against their will. I’ll never ask you to treat a patient whom we intend to execute, Maggie. I’ll tell you straight up that in my opinion anyone who is willing to rape and murder the weak and innocent in the absence of law and order, doesn’t deserve to be spared.”

  She didn’t like his answer, but she did understand the necessity. He could see that in her eyes. He added, “If there were criminal justice systems left to deal with them, then I’d see this differently. But we simply don’t have the resources to maintain prisoners, and we can’t just turn them loose to attack other innocents in the future,” he said with sadness. “I won’t do that again, Maggie. I tried that once. The men I let go returned to beat and attempt to rape a woman that same day.”

  Managing a half hearted grin, Maggie said, “I understand what you are saying, Jim. I really do. I even agree that you’re right. However, it goes against all my training and my moral values, so I’ll tell you now, if I raise hell with you when the time comes to finish off the wounded, it’s nothing personal. It’s just me and my own value system asserting itself.”

  Jim took her statement at face value and nodded seriously at the woman and then he said, “I’ll understand. Just don’t endanger the crewmembers by doing something foolish, and by crewmembers I mean you as well.”

  “I thank you for being honest with me. At least I know where I stand,” Maggie said politely.

  “Don’t worry, Maggie. If the Marauders have their women and children with them we wouldn’t just slaughter the non-combatants if that’s a concern. We aren’t Marauders ourselves. We are just going to end the depredations of the real bad guys in this situation,” he said seriously. He wanted to reassure her as much as possible.

  “Have you given thought to most of the worst case scenarios and worked up contingency plans?” he asked.

  “I’m glad you mentioned that. In a worst-case scenario, I may need an assistant if both medics are busy or are among the wounded. I could use an extra set of hands in that case. The person needs to be able to tolerate the sight of blood, be bright enough to remember complex instructions given in a hurry, and be able to tolerate my temperament,” she said this last with a smile.

  Lacey spoke up for the first time saying, “I have the least responsibilities on the ship at the moment. I’d be happy to assist you Maggie though I can’t speak as to how tolerant I am about blood since I’ve never seen a great deal beyond a few minor cuts and scraped knees.”

  “I was hoping you’d volunteer,” Maggie said. “Come here after breakfast in the morning. I’ll familiarize you with as much of the terminology and supplies as I can. In the time we have left, we can review techniques for dealing with an assortment of wounds.”

  “I’ll be here ready to learn all I can in the time available,” Lacey reassured the doctor.

  “If this works out, then maybe you’ll consider it as a permanent post during emergencies,” replied Maggie. “That wouldn’t require full time devotion. A few hours a week would keep you up to date on any changes in procedure or storage locations and increase your general knowledge of trauma care.”

  “If I’m good enough, and can stomach the blood,” Lacey said sounding hopeful for this was the first really useful and important thing she’d be able to do aside from galley duty. She didn’t mind being the cook, but she also craved doing something a bit more vital.

  They were just leaving the doctor’s quarters when Patricia’s voice came over the intercom, “Captain, and, Sergeant Wilcox, you’d better come to the control room,” she said with excitement in her voice.

  Sergeant Wilcox came around the bend and entered the corridor a step behind Jim and Lacey who were walking rapidly toward the control room. As they entered the room, they saw smiles on all the faces of the people present. Patricia looked up from her console and said, “Captain, you’d better hear this recording,” and then she played the message.

  There was a moment of static followed by a male voice saying, “That’s right I said head back to base. By 2:00 P.M. tomorrow, the boss wants us to be in the farmer’s settlement to take it down. If you boys aren’t back in time, you’ll get no share in the women captives and those orders are straight from the boss.” There was a moment’s pause during which there was apparently a reply to his message but that signal had been too weak for them to receive. “I don’t care if you’ll have to drive half the night. That’s your problem. The boss says get back here and you’d better not be late. If I were you, I’d stop complaining and get to driving. Otherwise you will miss the biggest rape fest yet, and believe me some of these girls are cute! So be here, or do without.”

  Maggie had entered the control room not far behind Sergeant Wilcox. She’d heard the message and a cold anger danced in her eyes. Looking at Jim she said, “You know that objection I was voicing earlier?”

  Jim nodded soberly and said, “I haven’t forgotten. I’ll keep my promise, Maggie.”

  “In this case I take back what I said. These people deserve no mercy,” she said vehemently.

  “Mercy? They’ll sure as hell get none from me,” Pete said with an air of finality. The others in the room shared his sentiments.

  “The message just came through the system?” Jim asked.

  “Yes, just moments before I called you guys,” Patricia clarified.

  “Well at least we know two things that we didn’t know before,” Pete said with a frown. “We know their expected time of arrival and their main goal which is capturing the women of the community.”

  “All right, Patricia, set the system to record any transmissions on that frequency. I’m assuming it was the same frequency the leader used the last time we intercepted his broadcast,” Jim said. When Patricia smiled and nodded, he continued, “Tomorrow morning check for messages the system recorded. Maybe we can learn more from other messages. As they get close enough to pick up your baited message, I want that sent out. Play it up as if one of you accidentally mentions the location. The other should remind the guilty party that it isn’t safe to mention the location on the radio. Record any responses, though by rights, they should change frequencies, but they may not care if you hear them or not.”

  “I can set the computer to monitor all frequencies, no problem there,” Patricia said.

  ***

  The next morning at around 9:00 A.M. Patricia was sitting at her console when she heard the first new message from the leader of the Marauders. He was giving the order for the convoy to move out. It was apparent he was receiving replies that she could not hear because he issued instructions that seemed to be replies to queries. By 1:00 P.M., one of the Marauders mentioned that they were traveling past a rock quarry some fifteen miles from the farmer’s small town. “Let
them have another fifteen minutes and then broadcast the bait,” Jim said ruefully. Turning to his brother he said, “Get us to the drive-in so we can drop off the men there and return to this spot where we will wait for the signal from Sergeant Wilcox.”

  “Aye, aye, Captain,” Tim responded with a chuckle knowing that this manner of address bugged his brother, but there was nothing that Jim could do but accept it. Tim brought the ship up to twenty feet and turned it on its axis. Soon they were speeding north from the position they had taken to monitor the radio traffic better.

  “Patricia, please send Sergeant Wilcox an update,” Jim requested knowing that the good sergeant would already have his men preparing their positions.

  “Aye, Captain,” she replied, absently mimicking her husband.

  Earlier that morning, the Peacekeeper had waited at the smokehouse until the farmers had arrived, and then Sergeant Wilcox and his team had joined the locals. At the last moment, Maggie had suggested they bring three of the oldest men among the farmers aboard the Peacekeeper during the coming battle. Jim had offered, but the men had refused to be evacuated from the danger area while their friends and neighbors faced the threat. Neither Maggie nor Jim was surprised. These farmers were proud men and stood rock solid with those they loved.

  Fifteen minutes later the two snipers had been dropped off at the drive-in. Patricia and Tim executed the planned series of radio broadcasts. Jim was impressed with their performance and smiled when Patricia accidentally let slip the location where the women and children were supposedly hiding. Tim chastised her for speaking the location on the radio. Patricia then said she was signing off because she was turning in the drive. Tim responded that he’d see her in a minute to help with the offloading, and then he had to go to the smokehouse, as they had no idea when the raiders would arrive.