by Robert Boren
“Yeah, they’re just south of Carrizozo, waiting for us.”
“Afraid to make a Mad Max run through town, eh?” Kyle said.
“Funny,” Carrie said.
“We’ll keep an eye on them,” Jason said. “All of us have the apps. They can’t sneak up on us.”
“The Islamists can’t sneak up on us,” Kyle said. “The Indians can.”
“If they’re on the side of the Islamists,” Carrie said. “Jason warned Stanton.”
“I know,” Kyle said. “We’ve beat this to death. Just wanted to make sure you were aware.”
“Thanks, man,” Jason said. “Talk to you soon.” Carrie ended the call.
“Okay, now I’ve got the willies,” Carrie said.
“Try to fight them,” Jason said. “We’ll be okay.”
“I hope so,” she said.
“How long will it take to get to Carrizozo?”
Carrie looked at her phone, moving her fingers on the screen. “From Angus it says twenty-nine minutes,” she said. “We might be going a little slower.”
“But we’re also past Angus now.”
“True,” Carrie said.
Jason’s phone rang again.
“What now?” Jason asked as Carrie looked at it.
“It’s Stanton Hunt.”
Chapter 23 – Bloody River
“Something doesn’t feel right,” Richardson said, sitting at the Starboard gun, scanning the Mexican bank of the Rio Grande.
Gerald took off his railroad cap and wiped sweat off his forehead. “It’s hot out here. These suckers need a shade canopy.”
“I’d rather have the big gun up there,” Richardson said.
Gerald laughed. “Okay, you’ve got a point.”
“It is hot, though, isn’t it,” Lita said. “We need to remember sunscreen tomorrow.”
“Yeah, my neck and shoulders are burned already,” Richardson said.
“This is why I wear long-sleeved shirts,” Gerald said. “My arms and neck already look like a mummy, though, so not sure why I bother.”
Richardson jerked as his phone buzzed.
“Heads up, enemy fighters nearby,” Richardson said, sending off a quick text to the other two boats.
“Not again,” Lita said. “Maybe this isn’t a fun job after all.”
“Stay sharp,” Richardson said.
“Juan Carlos’s boat got the message,” Gerald said. “They’re at their guns, and the skinny gal has the little bazooka in her hands.”
“Hannah,” Lita said.
“Sorry, Hannah,” Gerald said.
There were explosions up ahead, and automatic weapons fire.
“Shit, they’re attacking the base,” Richardson said. “Let’s high-tail it back there.” He sent another text, then manned his gun again, scanning the bank for enemy fighters.
“Whoa, look at that massive fireball up there,” Lita shouted.
“They probably had the damn gas tanker there for the other two boats,” Richardson said.
“Juan Carlos just kicked the speed up,” Gerald said.
“Keep up with him, but watch yourself,” Richardson said.
Gerald pushed the throttle forward, the engines roaring as the boat jumped up on a plane. The gunfire was closer, and there were more explosions.
Richardson saw Juan Carlos aiming his big gun as they whipped around the last bend before the base, opening fire. The machine guns started up too.
“Get ready,” Richardson said, hands on his gun. Lita caught his eye and nodded, ready for action. They went around the bend and opened fire on enemy positions firing at the base from the Mexican bank.
“Geez, there’s a lot of enemy fighters over there,” Gerald shouted, putting his eyes to the gun sight and aiming. He fired a volley of grenades, hitting a machine gun nest right off their bow. Juan Carlos was hitting a nest a little past the base, and Kris drove her boat up too, all of the guns blazing.
“They’re retreating,” Gerald shouted.
The dogs in the last boat were barking like crazy as Hector and Roberto continued to pour fire on the bank. Then their boat blew up, pieces of boat and flesh falling back onto the river like rain.
“Oh God!” Lita cried.
“Gaz Tigr on the bank,” Richardson said. “Gerald, hit it with the big gun.”
Gerald was in shock, looking at the remains of his friends behind them.
“Gerald!” Richardson shouted. He looked at Richardson, and his head exploded before them. He slumped over the wheel. Juan Carlos saw what happened and hit the Gaz Tigr as he and the others poured fire at it, Hannah dealing the final blow with the SMAW, the big vehicle bursting into flames, men trying to scramble out.
Richardson got to the pilot chair and yanked Gerald’s body out of the way, then drove towards Juan Carlos as another Gaz Tigr slipped through the bushes and started firing on them. Richardson hit it right away with the big gun, turning the boat to face the bank. Lita continued firing, Juan Carlos’s boat joining in again. Yet another Gaz Tigr moved up.
“Dammit, we’re gonna run out of ammo if this keeps up,” Richardson said.
“I just ran out of grenades on this gun,” Lita said. “Going to the other one.”
“Don’t waste those grenades on the Gaz Tigrs,” Richardson said has he fired the big gun again, damaging the big vehicle but not taking it out. Suddenly there was a thunderous racket coming from the roof of the US Customs Building, and the Gaz Tigr exploded into many pieces. The gunfire continued, hitting another Gaz Tigr further back in the bushes.
“Holy crap, what’s that thing?” Lita yelled.
“That’s a frigging mini gun,” Richardson yelled.
“Yes, dude!” Juan Carlos yelled. “Save your grenades. Hit the men trying to escape. See them, up there?” He turned the boat towards the fleeing men as the others opened fire.
Richardson continued to fire onto the banks with Lita. His phone rang. He answered it.
“Jefferson?” Lita asked.
He shook his head yes.
“Richardson, take your boats south. Fast as you can. There’s a napalm run coming in a couple of minutes.”
“Here?”
“Yeah,” Jefferson said. “This was a diversion to clear an area. They’re trying to run about a thousand men over the river right now. Move it.”
Richardson sent a text to Juan Carlos and then both boats took off at full speed. They could hear gunfire ramping up behind them.
“My God,” Lita said. “I can’t believe what just happened.”
“Load the guns back up,” Richardson said. “We’re not out of this yet. You know how, remember?”
“Yes,” she said, getting to work. Richardson could see Brendan and Madison doing the same as Hannah kept watch with the SMAW. They cut through the water on planes, not slowing down for several miles.
Richardson texted Brendan for them to slow down, then refreshed the short-range app. No icons on the screen. He turned on the long-range app and focused on the area north of the base. A sea of icons showed up. Then there was thunder and a brilliant flash, as a B-1 bomber came out of nowhere, climbing over them, still a small amount of flame coming out of it’s belly. The river to the north was on fire, burning high into the air, the gasoline smell drifting towards them.
“Shit, it’s not going to burn us up, is it?” Lita cried.
“No,” Richardson said. “Here it comes for the second pass.”
They watched as the B-1 came in low and fast, out of their sight when the main payload was dropped. The smell came back with a vengeance.
“What now?” Lita asked.
“Let’s go to the southern boundary and contact Jefferson for instructions. It’s only a few miles away.”
“Okay, but keep an eye on those apps,” Lita said.
“Sucks not having a driver,” Richardson said as he texted Juan Carlos. The two boats took off, heading for the bridge.
“Look, sandy beach over there,” Lita said. “May
be we ought to stop.”
“I don’t see anybody around,” Richardson said.
“Do you think the app will see people even if they’re in one of those armored vehicles?”
“I think so.” He paused for a moment. “Hell, I don’t know. Maybe not. At least we have some rear armor now. That’ll protect the boat and us from the other bank. I’m pulling over. He drove onto the sand. Juan Carlos got the message and pulled up next to him.
“Dude,” Juan Carlos said, eyes tearing up. “Roberto and Kris.”
Madison and Hannah were both in tears.
“Where’s Gerald?” Hannah asked.
“Dead on the deck,” Richardson said. “Head shot.”
“Oh, God,” Hannah said.
“Stay sharp,” Richardson shouted. “We’re still in action. I’m going to take a quick look at the short range and long range apps. Then I’ll call Jefferson. Keep on those guns, and keep your eyes open. Understand?”
“Yes sir,” Brendan said, a look of resolve on his face.
Richardson focused on his phone as Lita watched. “Nobody close,” Richardson said. “About half those icons north of the base are gone.”
“You see any further inland?” Lita asked.
“No,” Richardson said. “Looks like they stopped them with that mini gun, the napalm, and whatever other forces they had there. I’m calling Jefferson now.”
He hit the contact and put the phone on speaker. It rang five times and went to voicemail.
“He’s not picking up, is he?”
Richardson looked at Lita and shook his head no. He looked at the phone again, and hit another contact.
“Who are you calling now?”
“Wallis,” Richardson said. It rang three times and picked up.
“Richardson?” Wallis asked.
“Hi, Director Wallis. Sorry to bother you. Do you know what just happened?”
“We thought you guys were dead,” Wallis said. “Our intel said all of the boats were out of action.”
“We have two, armed and ready to go, but I can’t raise Jefferson.”
There was a pause on the line.
“Oh, crap, what happened?”
“Sorry son. Jefferson got killed at the base.”
“Oh, dammit,” Richardson said. “How?”
“We don’t know yet,” Wallis said. “Where are you?”
“At our northern boundary. The bridge at Veterans International Boulevard.”
“Got enough fuel to go south?” Wallis asked.
“Yeah, we’ve got plenty. We’ve just been slow-speed cruising.”
“Get to South Padre Island. Just take the river out into the gulf. The new base is just about set up. They’ll lead you in when you get close.”
“Okay, roger that,” Richardson said.
“Good luck, son,” Wallis said.
“Thanks, you too,” Richardson said. The call ended.
“What are we doing?” Lita asked.
“Yeah, dude, where are we going?” Juan Carlos asked.
“We’re going south, all the way to the gulf, then around to South Padre Island.”
“What about Jefferson?” Brendan asked.
“Jefferson is dead,” Richardson said, trying to hold back the tears.
“Bastards,” Juan Carlos said.
“Let’s go,” Lita said.
Richardson nodded. “I’m gonna put Gerald on the bank.”
“Wait, we’ll come help,” Brendan said. He and Juan Carlos got out of their boat and ran over. The three men lifted Gerald’s body out of the boat and laid it gently on the bank.
“I don’t have the words,” Juan Carlos said.
“Rest in peace,” Richardson said. “Come on, let’s get out of here before we get attacked.”
“Show me how to work the apps,” Lita said. “Before we take off.”
Richardson took a few minutes to do that as Juan Carlos and Brendan ran back to their boat. Then they were off, heading south on the river in the stifling heat of mid-day.
Chapter 24 – Scott Springs
Eric sat next to Kim in the Bronco, waiting for the main group to show up.
“You look scared to death,” Kim said, watching Eric look at his phone screen. “They move yet?”
“Nope,” Eric said. “They’re all in the center of the Mescalero reservation. Wish I could see the tribe too.”
“As long as they aren’t coming this way, we’re okay, though, right?”
“It wouldn’t take that long for them to catch us,” Eric said, “and we don’t have a horde of Texans to come to the rescue here.”
“Are they moving at all?”
“Not really,” Eric said. “It’s like they’re sitting in one area, about fifty yards square. They might be holding guns on the tribe.”
“Or they might be dead,” Kim said.
Eric looked at her. “Yes, that’s true.”
“We have no way of knowing, I guess,” Kim said, brushing her red locks out of her eyes.
“If they were dead, I’d expect some sign of more Islamists coming towards the area.”
“Unless they don’t know.” Kim said.
“They can see their people,” Eric said. “They put those chips into their forces to keep track of them. They’ve got some kind of application like we have.”
“Oh, shit, you’re right,” Kim said.
Curt, Junior, and Rachel walked over.
“Hey,” Eric said. “How are you guys doing?”
“Worried,” Rachel said.
“You’ve been watching the apps, I assume,” Curt said.
“We were just talking about it,” Kim said.
“Heard anything from Jason lately?” Junior asked.
“Yeah, they’re on the road,” Eric said. “They ought to be here within the next half hour.”
“Good,” Junior said. “The sooner we get on our way, the better.”
“You guys notice the icons haven’t been moving?” Curt asked.
“Yeah,” Eric said. “They could be dead.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Curt said.
“That would be a little too tidy,” Junior said. “What if the injuns are on their way here right now? We can’t see them.”
“We’ve still got two drones in the air,” Eric said. “Remember that. A movement of 4,000 warriors should be easy to see.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Curt said. “Didn’t Jason say that we saw the enemy via the drones?”
“Yeah,” Eric said. “What are you getting at?”
“Maybe they’re keeping that in mind if they decide to come after us.”
Junior chuckled. “How can you hide from drones? It’s not like they can take a subway here.”
“Shut up, pencil neck. They could do other things, you know.”
“Like what?” Eric asked.
“Like send small groups that don’t raise as much attention, for instance,” Curt said.
“I could see that if they were sending a hundred men or less,” Junior said. “Hell, the way we’re equipped, we could probably take on a hundred men.”
“Maybe,” Curt said. “We have no idea what they have.”
“Think they have a mad genius like us, do you?” Junior asked.
“Shut up, pen…”
“Okay, stop it, you guys,” Kim said. “We can’t tell if we need to worry or not. I say we just try to stay calm until we hear from Jason and the others.”
“She’s right,” Rachel said. “All of our guns are loaded. Dirk and Chance are parked on that hill about eighty yards from here. They’ll see anybody coming, chips or not.”
“Fair enough,” Curt said. “Sorry.”
“Our women, keeping us from going off the rails as usual,” Junior said, giving Rachel a hug. “Love you, sweetie.”
“Likewise,” she said.
“So, what’s up with you two?” Kim asked. “You really preggers?”
“Yeah,” Rachel said. “Had morning sickness a
couple times already, too.”
“Oh, geez,” Curt said. “A little Junior? That’s all we need.”
He looked at Eric and Junior, and they all cracked up.
“Hey, what if it’s a little Rachel?” Kim asked.
“I’m good with that,” Junior said.
“Where’s Clancy?”
“With Dirk and Chance,” Curt said.
“Wish Jason would call,” Kim said.
“It’ll be soon,” Eric said, “assuming they don’t run into trouble.”
“Uh oh,” Kim said, looking at her phone. “Islamists moving out of that air force base.”
“Shit,” Curt said, pulling his phone out. “How many?”
“Not that many,” Kim said. “Maybe twenty. They’re streaming on the road. Might be more coming than are on the road right this second.”
“Should we call Jason?” Rachel asked.
“Maybe so,” Eric said, hitting the contact on his phone. He put it on speaker.
“Eric, something wrong?” Jason asked.
“We’re starting to see some enemy fighters coming up Highway 70, and all of the ones we were seeing at the reservation are frozen in place.”
Jason chuckled. “I just got off the phone with Stanton Hunt. They ambushed the Islamists. The ones they didn’t kill are tied up.”
“No shit,” Curt said.
“No shit,” Jason said. “They’re going to join us.”
“How’d they convince that one idiot?” Eric asked.
“That spokes-hole White Eagle?” Jason asked.
“Yeah,” Eric said.
“He changed his mind when the twelve Islamists that were supposed to show up turned into 400 heavily armed fighters.”
“Guess that would do it,” Curt said. “So, they’re on our side now?”
“That’s what Stanton said. They’re going to join us on I-25, as soon as they’re done at the reservation.”
“Done?” Kim asked.
“They know about the others coming their way. They’ll wait for them, kill or capture them all, and then most of their warriors will be leaving to join us.”
“Most?” Curt asked.
“They’re keeping about a thousand warriors at the reservation to fend off any attacks by the Islamists.”
“How far away are you guys?” Eric asked.
“We’ll be in Carrizozo in about ten minutes,” Jason said.
