by Ryan King
*******
Joshua led the team across the water by cover of night. They placed their boots and clothes in their rucksacks, inflating the waterproof bags inside into makeshift one person rafts just as Sergeant Major Carter had taught them. Joshua led everyone down to Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee side of the border.
After their weapons and ammunition were strapped safely on top of their floating rucksacks, Joshua whispered, "Wade out carefully. No noise. The last thing we need is to take fire midstream from enemy or friendly."
They swam directly out into the lake in a file for perhaps a hundred yards and then turned north. It was slow and clumsy going with one arm dragging the raft for the next half hour. Joshua noticed that the lake seemed much shallower than normal with a stronger current to the north. They were all winded by the time Joshua swung them toward shore.
His hand signal stopped them. Aware of their danger, they searched the dark wood line. No signs of life were detectable. They climbed out of the water and redressed before heading in toward the Trace. Joshua thought it would be the safest way to approach the tense JP soldiers at night.
Finding a path in the under growth where briars tugged at their clothing with every step was difficult. Finally, they came across an old cleared firebreak and turned west, making much better time. They jogged and walked about an hour, hit the Trace and turned southward on the road till they saw lights and heard voice.
Joshua stopped them in their tracks. He was wrong earlier. This was the most dangerous part of their journey. He could very easily get killed by friendly troops after surviving weeks in the heart of enemy territory.
Joshua left his men in the tree line giving them his weapons much as his father had so often before. He approached as near to the edge of the friendly perimeter as he dared. Then standing in the center of the road, he took the flashlight off his belt, raised his arms, and shined the light downward so that it illuminated him from the head down.
“Hello, friends!” yelled Joshua. The sound of his voice even spooked him, coming out much louder than he intended and cutting through the night.
He heard men scrambling, equipment dropping, and then cursing before a bright light was shone on him. “Who goes there!” yelled an obviously frightened voice.
This isn’t good, thought Joshua. His father had taught him that frightened people were the most dangerous and unpredictable.
“Take it easy there,” he said in what he hoped was a soothing tone. “I’m Lieutenant Joshua Taylor. Colonel Nathan Taylor is my father. I’ve just returned from a patrol and need to speak to your commander.”
“A patrol?” asked a voice, “from where?”
“I’m really not at liberty to discuss that right now,” said Joshua apologetically. “But I’ll tell everything to your commander if you would just take me to him.”
“Why are you coming from this direction if you were on patrol?” asked the voice again.
Joshua tensed. The man seemed to be getting more edgy instead of less. He was afraid if he told him the truth, it might occur to him that the enemy could do what they had done just as easily. He didn’t want that thought to occur, and he had never been good at lying. “Again, I’m sorry, but that is a discussion that I need to have with your commander.”
There was silence for a time and then whispering while the light stayed in his face preventing him from seeing anything.
“Maybe we should just shoot you to be safe,” said the voice with calculated bravado.
“That would be safe if I were lying about who I am, but I’m not,” said Joshua. “You shoot me and I guarantee my father will have you killed…or worse. He’s very protective.”
“I’ve heard that,” said another voice.
“Shut up!” said the first voice again. More silence. Evidently he was thinking…slowly. Finally he made up his mind. “Stay there and don’t move! I’m going to get the commander. One wrong move and you’re a dead man!”
Joshua could tell the man still stood there after saying this, expecting an answer of some sort, but when he finally figured he wasn’t going to get one, he ran off.
All was quiet for a few minutes before Joshua heard the second voice say, “Lieutenant Taylor?”
“Yes?” said Joshua.
“We’re real sorry about all this, sir. Everyone’s pretty tense after the attacks to the north and with what happened to President Phillips. Hope you don’t hold it against us,” said the man apologetically.
Joshua frowned. He knew about the attack north, but what had happened to Reggie Phillips? Probably best not to get into it now. “I certainly don’t, you’re just doing your job, but do you mind if I lower my arms? They’re pretty tired.”
“No problem, sir,” answered the man. “Just please raise them back up again when you hear Jimmy come back. He’s keyed up and we don’t want him to get any more riled than he already is.”
“We certainly don't,” said Joshua as he lowered his arms. He stood there for perhaps ten minutes before he heard men approaching and raised his arms up again. The light was back in his eyes and before he knew it a man actually walked right up to him.
“You can put your arms down, lieutenant,” said Captain Green in a low voice. “I apologize for the inconvenience. These are my newer troops and they get a little spooked. I have my active guys on the border.”
“I understand, sir,” said Joshua. “They were only doing their job, and doing it quite well I might add.” Joshua said this part loudly for the benefit of the soldiers nearby. He saw Captain Green smile knowingly. “Sir, I need to talk to you and my father about what I saw out there. Do you have any way to contact him?”
“As a matter of fact I do,” said Green. “And I would be interested in whatever you have seen. Your father put out the word to be on the lookout for you. He’s been mighty worried and will be glad to hear you’re okay.”
Joshua smiled and started to ask about bringing his men in but the Captain grabbed his arm and drew him close. “I also wanted to say that was a damn fine job holding up those Tennessee men while sending your guys to spread the word. Probably saved a lot of lives and maybe even kept us from losing everything. Good work, lieutenant.”
Joshua thanked him and asked to bring in his men. He suddenly noticed that he was dead exhausted with relief. It was good to be back.
