West Border Mayhem

by Robert Boren

  Jason’s phone buzzed. He looked at it, brow furrowed. “Don. He’s got guard duty.” Jason accepted the call.

  “Jason?”

  “Hey, Don. Something wrong?”

  “That guy from the Mescalero Tribe is here. He wants to talk.”

  “Which one?”

  “Stanton Hunt,” Don said. “He’s alone.”

  “Okay, where does he want to meet?”

  Don was quiet for a moment. “How about where you are?”

  “Sure,” Jason said. “Send him over.” Jason set down his phone. “We’re about to get a visit.”

  “From the tribe?”

  “Yep,” Jason said. “The reasonable guy. Stanton Hunt.”

  “Okay,” Carrie said. “I’ll go get dressed.” She got out of the dinette, grabbed her coffee, and went into the bedroom, sliding the door shut. Jason stood up and got down another coffee cup. After a couple minutes there was a soft rap at the door. Jason opened it. Stanton came up when Jason ushered him in.

  “Coffee?” Jason asked.

  “Sure,” he said. Carrie came out, startling him.

  “Sorry,” Carrie said.

  “This is Carrie, my wife,” Jason said.

  “It’s a pleasure,” Stanton said, shaking hands.

  “Cream and sugar?” Jason asked.

  “Nah, black is good,” Stanton said. Jason gave him his coffee, then grabbed his cup, and they sat at the dinette.

  “What’s on your mind?” Jason asked.

  “We got an interesting phone call from the Islamists this morning. Somebody blew up their ammo and fire arms storage facilities.”

  “Uh oh,” Jason said, trying to hide his smirk.

  “Look, I know you guys did it. I’d even go so far as to say nice job,” Stanton said.

  “There’s a but coming,” Jason said.

  “We’re getting a visit at our reservation to discuss this,” Stanton said. “They’re coming at noon.”

  “And they’ll be checking out this area,” Jason said.

  “I’d expect that.” Stanton took a sip of his coffee and continued. “They always check out their surroundings. Seems they’ve been ambushed quite a few times by angry citizens.” A sly grin washed over his face.

  “So this is a warning,” Jason said. “We need to get the hell out of here, and fast.”

  “I would if I were you,” Stanton said. “I tried to talk the tribe into making a stand with you guys, but White Eagle scared the elders enough to win out.”

  “Did he suggest rounding us up and giving us to the Islamists?” Jason asked.

  “He started to go in that direction, but the elders and many of the other warriors shut him down on that right away. And by the way, we won’t be taking any crap from them. We might even end up fighting them, but I think it’s too risky for you guys to count on that.”

  “Okay,” Jason said. “Watch your back with those folks. I’ve seen them shoot first and ask questions later a lot of times. It’s their usual modus operandi.”

  “Yes, you and I both know them for the scum that they are,” Stanton said. “I’d like the option to join you guys with some of our warriors, after we get past this little crisis.”

  “You think the elders would stand for that?”

  “They won’t like it, but they don’t always get their way. I want to get my family away from here. I think it’s safer to be with you guys than on our own.”

  “We’ll be actively fighting,” Jason said. “It won’t be boring, at least.”

  Carrie chuckled. “Well, there’s one way to portray it.”

  Stanton laughed. “You and my wife would get along famously. How can I get ahold of you?”

  “What’s your phone number?” Jason took out his phone and typed it into his keypad as Stanton read it off. His phone rang, and Stanton captured the number. “There you go.”

  “Good,” Stanton said. “Thanks.”

  “You don’t want to know where we’re going?” Jason asked.

  “No,” Stanton said. “Just in case.”

  “In case of what?” Carrie asked.

  “In case they take us over and torture us,” he said. “I can’t tell them what I don’t know.”

  “Geez,” Carrie said. “Sorry I asked.”

  Jason and Stanton smiled at each other. “Good luck with your tribe, Stanton.”

  “And good luck on your travels,” Stanton said. “I’ll take off. You’ll want to be taking off soon. Try to make the place look like it’s been deserted for a while. I don’t think they know you’ve been here.”

  “Thanks,” Jason said. He walked Stanton to the door, then closed it afterwards.

  “What now?” Carrie asked.

  “I’m sending a broadcast text to get everybody moving,” Jason said.

  “What about the recon team?”

  “I’ll call them. Tell them to meet us on Highway 380. We’ll have to drive their rigs.”

  “I think Dirk’s trailer is going to need a tow.”

  “We’ve got some extra vehicles,” Jason said as he typed the text. “Let’s get ready to go. I want to be out of here by about nine am.”

  Carrie nodded and got up to wake Chelsea.

  Jason called Eric.

  “Hey, Jason, didn’t expect to hear from you so fast.”

  “You guys making good time?” Jason asked.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Don’t come back here. We’ll be gone by nine. Meet us on highway 380.”

  “Oh, we’re going the northern route, huh?” Eric asked.

  “Yeah,” Jason said. “Just talked to Stanton Hunt. The Islamists aren’t happy about your handiwork. They want a meeting with them, at their reservation. Noon today.”

  “Yep, it’s time to be moving on, all right,” Eric said. “I’ll pass the word. We’ll stay on the boundary of the White Sands area and stop in sight of Highway 380.”

  “Perfect,” Jason said. “See you in a few hours.” He ended the call, his phone dinging with returns from the text several times. He checked the messages.

  “Sounds like people got the message,” Carrie said.

  “People are already breaking down camp,” Jason said.

  “You’re giving us three hours to spare,” Carrie said.

  “Damn straight. I’d get going earlier if I thought we could. I’ll go out and make sure everybody’s moving. Dingo needs walking anyway.” He picked up the leash and headed to the door, the dog following him.

  “Okay, honey,” Carrie said, walking to the bunk that Chelsea was in.

  Chapter 20 – Fatigue

  Ramsey walked into the living room, putting his phone back into his pocket.

  “What’s happening?” Nelson asked from his recliner.

  “The Fort Stockton group is on the move,” Ramsey said. “They’re pulling out now, taking that northern route we discussed.”

  “Are they being chased out of Ruidoso?” Hendrix asked.

  “Basically,” Ramsey said. “The recon team blew much of the enemy’s munitions and a lot of their fuel sky high. The Islamists aren’t happy. They’re going to meet with the Mescalero tribe at noon today. Stanton Hunt tipped Jason off, and suggested they leave the area.”

  “Who’s Stanton Hunt?” Nelson asked.

  “Friend of General Hogan’s,” Ramsey said. “Chief of Security for the Mescalero Tribe.”

  “How much damage did the enemy base take?” Hendrix asked.

  “Enough damage to hurt their mission badly,” Ramsey said.

  “We lose anybody?” Nelson asked.

  “Not yet,” Ramsey said.

  “It’s still going on?” Nelson asked.

  “No,” Ramsey said, “but the recon team hasn’t linked back up with the main force yet. They’ll meet at Highway 380.”

  “How much chance is there that those 4,000 Mescalero warriors team with the Islamists?” Hendrix asked.

  “Not much, according to Stanton Hunt,” Ramsey said. “Jason said he as
ked if he could join them, after they get past the meeting with the Islamists.”

  “He didn’t tell this person where they were going, I hope,” Hendrix said.

  “No,” Ramsey said. “He told Jason he didn’t want to know. Jason trusts him. Probably would’ve told him.”

  Nelson sat quietly for a moment. “I’m glad Jason didn’t say anything, but if you look at the map, it’s not that hard to figure out.”

  The console beeped.

  “I’ll get it,” Maria said, getting up and going into the console room.

  “Gallagher and Wallis, I suspect,” Hendrix said. “They’ve got that drone in the air. I’ll bet they have a pretty good idea how badly the base was hit.”

  “Probably,” Nelson said, getting up. He walked into the console room, the others following.

  “We’re on,” Maria said. The others gathered around. Wallis and Gallagher were on the screen.

  “What’s up?” Nelson asked.

  “We’ve looked at the drone video of the attack on Holloman Air Force base,” Wallis said. “My God.”

  “Is that a good My God or a bad My God?” Hendrix asked.

  “Both,” Wallis said. “That little team did a tremendous amount of damage. That’s the good part.”

  “What’s the bad part?” Nelson asked.

  “We might have underestimated how well the enemy is supplied in New Mexico. The explosions were beyond what we expected. Far beyond.”

  “How sure are we that they got all of it?” Hendrix asked.

  “Not very,” Gallagher said. “That’s what worries me. Just a sec, let me put the picture on the screen.”

  The screen went dark for a moment, and came back up with a grainy black and white picture of the base.

  “We see it,” Nelson said. “That’s a lot of damage.”

  “Yeah, parts of it were still burning when this picture was taken,” Gallagher said. “You can see all the smoke. Luckily, it’s moving to the west, so it didn’t mess with the image of the base.”

  “Looks like most buildings on the left side of the base were destroyed,” Nelson said.

  “Yep,” Wallis said, “but look at the rows of buildings on the east side of the main runway. They’re the same types of buildings. They might be chock-full of armaments too, and there’s no good way to hit them other than from the air.”

  “What about the US Air Force?” Hendrix asked.

  “We’re working that, but it’s much more difficult now that General Hogan is out of action,” Wallis said.

  “Okay,” Nelson said. “So what now?”

  “We go forward with our plans to bust up I-25,” Gallagher said. “It will make it very difficult to re-supply what we blew up, and it’ll stop troop movements north for at least a while.”

  “What’s that road going south, just to the east of the base?” Hendrix asked.

  “That’s Highway 54,” Wallis said. “I know what you’re thinking. We’ve got assets going that way now.”

  “The folks who helped us in Fort Stockton and I-40,” Nelson said.

  “You got it,” Wallis said. “Some of them made a side trip to Austin, but most are already on their way to El Paso. They’ll button up that route. The enemy won’t be able to re-supply from there.”

  “Is that how they got the supplies there in the first place?” Hendrix asked.

  “We don’t think so,” Gallagher said. “We think they skirted El Paso to the west and took I-25.”

  “If I-25 gets shut down they’ll move to that road,” Hendrix said.

  “Yep,” Gallagher said. “Should be easy for the large civilian force to shut it down, though.”

  “Maybe we ought to have the Fort Stockton group hit Highway 54 too,” Maria said.

  “That’s a thought,” Wallis said. “I’m not as worried about that road as I am about I-25. There’s several routes to get to the section of I-10 that connects into I-25. I doubt that the enemy is getting there via I-10 through the middle of El Paso. Look at Route 2 in Mexico. They can take that up into New Mexico via 136 and then connect to 28. We don’t have anybody near those roads. The enemy has a huge presence in that area.”

  “Did we plan to go there with the Fort Stockton team?” Nelson asked.

  “No,” Gallagher said. “Not since General Hogan’s kid showed us the app for that area. It’s better to blow sections of I-25 just north of Las Cruces.”

  “Are there enemy forces in Las Cruces?” Nelson asked.

  “They own the town, according to Hogan’s son,” Gallagher said. “Glad we found out before sending the Fort Stockton group down Highway 70.”

  “The enemy is using Highway 70 to get to their supply depot,” Nelson said. “Should we undo that?”

  “Hitting that air force base was probably the best we can do there for now,” Gallagher said. “Later, after we shut off the main supply road, we should hit it.”

  Nelson sighed, then plopped down on a chair and rolled it closer to the monitor.

  “You okay, boss?” Ramsey asked.

  “Yeah, just tired and worried,” Nelson said. “We’re sending our force into an area full of enemy fighters, and there’s not much we can do to help them out if they get into trouble.”

  “It’s not as bad as it could be,” Wallis said. “They have the apps.”

  “Wish we could get the Mescalero tribe on their side,” Hendrix said.

  “Yeah, 4,000 warriors would be helpful,” Wallis said, “but we can’t wait around for that. We need to move on I-25 as quickly as possible. Everything depends on it.”

  “Okay, I think we’ve beaten this one to death,” Nelson said. “We’re on the best path we can take. Now we wait.”

  “How bad were our casualties at the Capitol building?” Ramsey asked.

  “We’ve only got preliminary info so far,” Gallagher said. “Only two men on the capitol detail survived. They’re both in pretty bad shape, but expected to live.”

  “Did the enemy breach the bunker?” Nelson asked.

  “Nope,” Gallagher said. “There was a skeleton crew down there, ready to blow the place if needed. Twenty men. They’re still there.”

  “What happened to Sutton and Holly?” Hendrix asked.

  “Still there, un-touched,” Wallis said. “Getting a little cranky. What are we gonna do with them?”

  “I was wondering that too,” Hendrix said. “They didn’t do anything wrong, from what I can see.”

  “Did we ever get to their families?” Nelson asked.

  “No, they disappeared,” Ramsey said. “I don’t think the enemy got them. I think they’re in hiding.”

  “Geez. I hope so,” Hendrix said.

  “Don’t stop looking,” Nelson said. “We can’t let them out just yet. We need to tread carefully.”

  “The enemy still thinks we’re in the bunker,” Ramsey said.

  “Probably,” Nelson said. “They might be watching for us. They have satellite resources.”

  “Maybe we should dummy up a convoy,” Hendrix said. “Make it look like we’re going someplace else.”

  “Like where?” Nelson asked.

  “How about Dallas?” Gallagher asked. “It’s far enough away to get them off our trail for a while.”

  Nelson thought for a moment. “Draw up a plan, and let’s discuss it. Anything else going on?”

  “We’re watching the situation in Brownsville,” Wallis said. “The US Air Force helped us out a lot there, but Matamoros is still a hive of enemy forces. The action last night might be just what we needed, though.”

  “How so?” Nelson asked.

  “It’ll be safer to get our patrol boats launched and operating,” Wallis said.

  “Okay, keep me informed on that,” Nelson said. “Anything else?”

  “Not that I can think of at the moment,” Wallis said.

  “No word on General Hogan’s rescue?” Ramsey asked.

  “Not that his team is willing to share,” Gallagher said. “That’s my bi
ggest worry right now. If we lose Hogan, this war will be a lot harder to win.”

  “I know,” Nelson said. “Okay, gentleman, let’s break for now. Talk to you later.”

  The console went dark.

  “You aren’t feeling well, are you?” Hendrix asked, eyeing Nelson.

  “I’m tired. Think I’ll lay down for a while,” Hendrix said.

  “I’m gonna send Schultz in to check you out,” Ramsey said.

  “Okay,” Nelson said. “Don’t worry, though. I’m all right. Just tired.”

  He walked out of the console room and headed into the bedroom hallway.

  “This is worrisome,” Hendrix said.

  “It is,” Ramsey said. “Let’s go talk to the doc.”

  Chapter 21 – Black Banks

  Richardson woke to his phone alarm. He felt for Lita. She was already out of bed, and the shower was running. He went to the window and looked out at the gray morning. There was still smoke drifting into the air from several spots in Matamoros.

  The shower stopped while Richardson was getting dressed. Lita came in after a moment, towel wrapped around her body and her hair.

  “Good morning,” she said.

  “Been up long?” Richardson asked.

  “Half an hour,” she said. “The hair dryer here sucks.”

  “Hopefully we only have to be here for a few days,” Richardson said. “Too bad we have to start working right away. No time to look for someplace to settle.”

  “I’ve been searching for apartments on my phone,” Lita said as she got dressed. “There’s a lot available. I wonder if people have been moving away from the border towns.”

  “Wouldn’t surprise me. Want me to fire up this little coffee pot?”

  “No, those things make lousy coffee,” she said. “We’re grabbing a bite on the way out, right?”

  “That was the plan,” Richardson said. “I’d better send a text to the others, to make sure everybody is up.”

  “Yeah,” Lita said. “Hope Gerald and Hector don’t have a hangover.”

  “Gerald texted me when they left the bar,” Richardson said. “They didn’t drink much.”

  “Good,” Lita said.

  Richardson sent the text. After a moment his phone dinged several times.

  “We’re set,” he said. “They all replied.”

  “I’m ready any time,” Lita said.