by Cliff Deane
28 September 2215
Convoy Helipad
The Road
Sergeant Eric Penn checked each man’s gear and ordered them to mount up on Dust Off One for the ride to their drop off point.
Lt. Levins had the Rapid Reaction duty, as she and Lt. Simms sat in Daddy’s Girl, ready to take off in an instant.
When Levi discovered that Kevin was her Gunner, he wasn’t sure he liked that idea, so he walked out to the Helipad and up to Kate’s Snake without being seen.
What he observed was Kate reviewing Kevin on an autorotation landing if she was incapacitated and the bird was going down. Levi listened for a few minutes, then turned back to the TOC; his chest might have been stuck out just a bit more than usual. Damn, but he was proud of both of them, but especially Kate, of course; damn, but he felt good.
As the Reaction Force, Kate’s Cobra would be fired up every twenty minutes for five minutes to keep the engine warm, and the bird ready for a rapid takeoff.
Dust Off One lifted off at 2230 with Sergeant Penn and the patrol.
The Huey 1J dropped the patrol off while still two feet off the ground, then quickly departed for the Helipad.
Speaking in a whisper, the Radio Operator called the TOC.
“Rover, Dog 2, commo check, over.”
“Dog 2, Rover 4, hear you 5 by 5, over.”
“Dog 2, Roger, out.”
In low tones, the Radio Operator told Sergeant Penn, “Commo’s good, Sarge.”
“Okay, Burns, take the point, Douglas, bring up the rear with the SAW; we all know the drill, single file, ten-foot intervals, traps shut. All right, let’s do this,” and with that, the patrol set out to the roadblock. Sergeant Penn took the number three position.
The patrol made it to within one hundred yards of the LAVs unnoticed.
“Okay, Burns and Allen, get close enough to find out what’s up.”
“Roger, Sarge, on the way.”
The two scouts made their way to within twenty feet of the barrel drum fire and listened to the chatter of the guards as they passed around a bottle of Wild Turkey. One man was talking about the brunette bitch he had chained up back in the village. What he said was not what the scouts had hoped to hear.
They slowly made their way back to the patrol and briefed Sergeant Penn.
“Rover, Dog 6, over.”
“Roger Dog, go ahead.”
Sergeant Penn told Gus what the patrol had found.
“Dog 6, wait, out.”
It took five minutes for Levi to call the patrol.
“Dog 6, Rover 6, is it possible for you to take out the guards and capture the LAVs? Over.”
“Rover 6, we were unable to find out if the LAVs were actively manned, over.”
“Roger Dog, maintain a safe distance; we’re sending an aerial surprise to that roadblock. After the strike check to see if there are any survivors, I would like a prisoner.”
“Rover 6, Dog 6, Roger, Wilco, over.”
“Roger, out.”
Six minutes later a Cobra flew in fast and lit up the LAVs with their 30 mm mini-gun. The LAVs were burning wrecks when the patrol arrived on scene to check for survivors.
Off to the right, a man shouted, “DON’T SHOOT, I SURRENDER! I’M UNARMED!” He had been taking a dump about forty yards behind the barricade, and jumped into the drainage ditch when he heard the chopper; he wanted no part of any fight with these guys.
“Well, well, well,” said Corporal Burns, “if it’s not the slug who has a brunette chained up in town. Come on over here, son, so we can have a little chat while we wait for our ride home.”
The man was terrified and answered every question the Corporal asked.
“Dusty 1, Dog 6, come pick us up at crossroads; we have one prisoner.”
“Roger, on the way.”
Penn then called Rover and told them the good news.
Disgrace
29 September 0600
TOC
The Road
The Prisoner, former PFC Woodrow Wilkes, had been awakened every twenty minutes throughout the night and kept awake for thirty minutes before allowing him to sleep. Yep, it was a long night for this former United States Cavalryman, turned criminal.
Wilkes was brought before General Levins, Colonel Murtaugh, and Sergeant Major Cobb.
Wilkes had been ordered to report to the General in a military manner but was told not to offer a salute. The Prisoner was dead tired from the lack of REM sleep and offered no resistance as he was led into the tent which served as the Military Court.
Wilkes stopped eighteen inches from the desk of General Levins and said, “Sir, Woodrow Wilkes reporting as directed.”
Wilkes was neither offered a chair nor told to stand at ease. He was left at the position of attention.
“Wilkes,” said Levi, “you are a disgrace to the military service. Your conduct following your dismissal from the Army has denigrated and demeaned every soldier who has ever worn the uniform. Do you have anything to say on your behalf?”
“Well, yeah, I guess I do.”
The Sergeant Major stood and placed himself on the right side of Wilkes and shouting in his ear, said, “This is General Levins; you will show him the proper respect, or I will personally see to it that you will forever regret your disrespect! Do I make myself clear?”
This action caused a subconscious reversion back to his military training and he said, “Yes, Sergeant Major. General, I meant no disrespect, sir.”
Bradley Cobb sat back down, allowing Wilkes to continue.
“What I intended to say, sir is that yes, I do have something to say in my defense.”
Levi’s smile was chilling in the extreme as he told Wilkes to continue.
“Well, sir, I mean, like, there ain’t no more government, no law, it’s now ever man for himself, ain’t it?”
“No, Wilkes that is not how it is; this is how it is, you are a criminal, and you will be executed in one of three ways. The upside here is that the choice of execution depends on how you respond to our questions.
The three possible executions are; one, hanged by the neck by a rope, which is a sudden ending of your disgraceful existence. Option two; hanged slowly by the neck using thin steel wire; a slow and agonizing death. Your third option is a bullet to the back of your head.”
“What? No, wait, you can’t kill me just for trying to get by.”
“Question one; how many are in your party?” demanded Levi.
Wilkes began to whimper, saying, “They was twelve of us afore you shot up the LAVs, that leaves six more in Sayer’s Crossing. They’re probly gone, after seeing the attack last night.”
“Question two; how many slaves are held by your group?”
“Hell, I ain’t sure, sir, maybe another twelve, young girls, you know to give comfort in this new world. They take care of us, and we protect them, you know?”
Levi looked at the Sergeant Major and directed him to send a Platoon to surround their encampment. If this animal’s companions are still there; end their miserable lives. Hopefully, the slaves have not been permanently scarred by the protection of these animals.
All right, Wilkes, choose your means of execution.”
In tears now, Wilkes began to beg, saying, “Please, General, I freely cooperated with you. Please don’t kill me; just let me go, and I’ll never do nuthin’ like this agin, I swear to God.”
“Wilkes,” said an angry General Levins, “I can only wonder at the pity you demonstrated to those who you oppressed, murdered, raped and enslaved. I am, however, fully aware that you were correct in your assessment that you will never commit such heinous acts in the future.”
Wilkes took heart and said, “Then you’re gonna’ let me go?”
Levi’s eyes were a steel gray as he said, “Oh, no, Wilkes, you may, however, make your case to God. Now, you have ten seconds to decide your style of execution, or I will make that decision for you.”
Wilkes began sobbing and dropped to his knees, begging for L
evi to change his mind. Ten seconds passed, and Levi said, “Wilkes, your ten seconds are up,” and turning to the other two members of the Court asked for their recommendation, as Wilkes continued to cry and beg for his life.
The Sergeant Major asked to speak first and said, “Sir, I would prefer that you leave the means of execution to me. I recommend that this blubbering piece of filth receive a bullet to the back of the head, and although I am not thrilled about the prospect of this task, I will do it myself. May I take the prisoner now, sir?”
Colonel Murtaugh asked the Sergeant Major if he was sure, and upon receiving Cobb’s affirmative response, recommended to the General that it be recorded that the Sergeant Major was tasked to carry out the finding of the Court.
Levi reluctantly agreed and ordered the guards to take the prisoner to the designated place of execution.
“Please, oh please, don’t kill me; I don’t want to die,” sobbed Wilkes as the guards dragged him from the Court Room.” Two minutes later, a single gunshot was heard.
Sayer’s Corners
28 September 0730
Sayer’s Corners
The Rifle Platoon surrounded the encampment and found that only the slaves were left behind when the bandits left for parts unknown.
The eight captives were all young girls, aged thirteen to eighteen. Several of the civilian women of the ROA volunteered to take the girls under their wings.
None of the girls knew where they were; they only knew that their tormentors had murdered their families. When asked if they would like to remain with the ROA, they eagerly accepted.
Lt. Katherine Levins volunteered to talk with the girls at the next campsite to give them the reassurance that they were now safe, and no more harm would come to them.
Once the girls were bathed in hot water, courtesy of the Mess Section with their water heaters, they were warmly dressed and fed. It was difficult for them to believe that there were still good people in this world who made them feel welcome; the ROA grew by another eight citizens on that day.
The oldest of the eight girls assumed the position of spokesperson and told Lt. Kate Levins of the travails the girls had suffered over the last two months since their parents had been murdered by the same animals that now lay dead.
Kate also told them some of her experiences at the hands of evil men, until her new Dad had saved her from being raped, once again, by three meth dealers.
Common experiences brought all the girls closer together, and each one became determined to be tough and courageous, just like Lt. Katherine Levins.
Later that day, one of the Cobras came upon two pickup trucks moving away from Sayer’s Corners. One of the riders in the truck bed foolishly fired a squad machine gun at the Snake; the return fire from the Snake’s mini-gun appeared as a solid flaming rope, reaching downward for the two trucks. The rope made contact for one second on each vehicle; that one second placed one-hundred 7.62 X 51 NATO rounds into each truck. There were no survivors.
Trooper
7 October
I-10 West
The storm continued to rage to the north, reaching its frozen tendrils deep into Virginia, where it seemed to have stalled in its southernmost expansion.
The convoy now plowed through a cold, wet sleet, which froze during the night and made travel slow and dangerous.
Charlotte, North Carolina had become a battlefield as the races clashed over the bitter dregs of food, water, and other supplies. The once beautiful city was now a certified ghost town. The housing areas were burned to the ground, as fires started, with no Fire Department to put them out, the flames jumped from home to home and caused gas explosions that razed the suburbs for miles around. The downtown did not escape the ravages of the fires, which reduced many steel structures to burned-out shells.
The downtown also displayed the unmistakable scars of combat, as many of the buildings showed the signs of bullets striking their walls. Emaciated bodies and skeletal remains lay scattered throughout the area. Withered bodies and countless bones, spread about by foraging animals lay before sandbagged firing positions; many other positions appeared to have been hit with some type of explosive; probably dynamite.
The only victors were the usual suspects, rats and cockroaches.
On 4 October, the convoy reached the outskirts of Atlanta which was a mirror image of Charlotte, but on a much grander scale.
The convoy reached the I-10 on 8 October, and in those four days, the convoy had been unable even to make visual contact with another living soul.
Unfortunately, the Interstate Highway was, as expected, clogged with dead autos. The convoy continued to follow the path made by the Mercenary Armored Battalion, along the secondary roads.
Two weeks earlier Levi decided to take one of the puppies; a beautiful Yellow Lab he named Trooper. He spent time with Trooper each day to become acquainted with the rapidly growing pup. On 2 October Levi and Trooper were in training, which frustrated Levi, and thrilled the dog.
Levi knew it was time to take Trooper with him when, after the training session, he sat down, and Trooper sat calmly beside Levi with his head on Levi’s left leg. From that moment forward, Levi and Trooper were inseparable, at least during the day. The dog quickly learned to heel, and soon was off the leash and obeying Levi’s commands, mostly.
***
Chapter 4
Colonel Rolf Steiner, Mercenary
2 October
I-10 West
“Verdammt!” said Colonel Steiner, to his XO, Major Helmut Schmitt “We have lost three LAVs (Light Armored Vehicles) in the last two hundred miles.”
“Yes sir,” said his XO, “spare parts are not the problem, it’s mechanics; we simply don’t have the mechanical expertise to keep them in top shape.”
Steiner had been venting, but his XO’s comments struck him as condescending; he turned toward Schmitt and, in a threateningly low tone said, “Really, and do you think I am an idiot; that I am too stupid to know what the problem actually is?”
The XO quickly tried to apologize, but was stopped in his tracks by a “talk to the hand” gesture from Steiner.
“Wait, stop, Helmut, I apologize. I know you did not mean to insult me. I was just letting off steam, and you happened to be the nearest recipient of my frustration; again, I apologize.”
Schmitt, who liked his Commander, was much relieved to learn that he was not in deep shit. “Thank you, sir, and I understand your frustration. We are, as you know, constantly on the lookout for wrench turners capable of working on these fighting machines; with no luck to date.”
“Yes, I know, and I consider it a blessing that we have been able to find replacements. Major Schmitt, get a detail out to Fort Polk to replenish our supplies; and let us take some of our Infantry personnel to drive a few spares. Instead of replacing just the two LAVs, let’s add another ten to supplement future losses. Oh, wait, if you can find any Army semi’s that run, gather some lowboy trailers for them and load the additional LAVs on them. Sometimes I think that perhaps I am an idiot; we should have thought of that back in the Carolinas.”
“Yes sir, I’ll see to it.”
After the XO departed to find the replacements at Fort Polk, Steiner wondered aloud; why is it so cold?
Sergeant Major Karl Kempovic overheard the question as he approached Steiner from behind. He said, “I have no idea, sir, but it is way too cold for October, especially in Louisiana. This weather is more like my homeland of Slovenia.”
“Yes, Karl, you are right; it is just way too cold. I think we must continue to push our way west; perhaps Southern Texas will be a bit more to our liking.”
“Yes sir, here’s to a warmer climate,” said Kemp as he offered Steiner a cup of steaming coffee.
Steiner became even more somber as he looked at Karl and said, “Sergeant Major, I cannot shake the feeling that we are being followed. Do you think that mechanized force that defeated our people in West Virginia could also be on our trail?”
“It
is certainly possible, sir, but I hope not; still I feel that same unease.”
“I cannot help but wonder about their commander;” said Steiner, “I am only sure that he is ruthless. The last transmission we had from the Bunker under the Greenbrier Hotel was chilling. Those poor souls realized they were entombed, with no way out. Why, if they can avoid becoming insane, they have the resources to live, even comfortably, for several years. I must say, Karl, that I find that prospect to be bitter in the extreme.
Just imagine, being able to get the blast door open by only a few inches; to see the outside world, with no chance to escape, yet knowing the opening needed just a few additional inches to allow freedom.”
“Yes sir, we were fortunate to have been away from the Bunker when the siege began.”
The Road West
2 October
I-10 West
The winds from the north were now constant; an ill wind which blew no good. The trees were nearly bare as they shed their leaves before entering their long winter’s nap.
Sadly, the southern, warm weather trees would never awaken; Species like the Aspen, Pacific Silver Fir, Maple, Rocky Mountains Subalpine Fir, along with other winter hardy varieties would eventually replace the Magnolia and Chinaberry, along with the other less cold resistant, beautifully elegant southern trees.
The sky was a vibrant blue, yet cold in both appearance, and fact. The next wet weather system to pass over the convoy would bring snow.
The colder weather had caused survivors to use their fireplaces, and the Command Staff of the ROA could now see occasional wisps of smoke from chimneys, curling into the air. Gus sent out details to check on people and inform them of what was happening. In many cases, an offer to join the ROA was extended, though there were few takers.
