by Mark Goodwin
When they reached the side of the building, Kevin peeked in through the window. “Good news. No footprints in the soot.”
“And single pane windows.”
“That’s a blessing and a curse. Easier to get in through, but they make more noise when they break.” Kevin turned away from the glass as he struck it with the carbide tip on the butt of his knife. The glass shattered, and the fragments dropped noisily to the ground.
Everett gritted his teeth as he stood motionless for a moment, listening for any indication that the Global Republic peacekeepers had heard the window being smashed.
“Way too loud.” Kevin winced. “Let’s get inside.”
Everett followed Kevin through the window. The two of them worked their way to the east side of the building so they could get a view of the tower.
Everett lifted his binoculars to his eyes. “These windows are really smoky.”
“I know, but don’t wipe the soot. It’d be as good as hanging a neon sign that says we’re here!”
Everett took the lanyard from around his neck and passed the field glasses to Kevin. “I don’t see any movement or signs that anyone is over there.”
“Hmm.” Kevin gazed at the building across from them. “Nothing. That’s too good be true. The tower looks straight down on their compound. No one would be stupid enough to leave it undefended.”
Everett stared through the soot-stained glass. “The weak have one weapon, the error of those who think they are strong.”
Kevin nodded. “Bidault?”
“Yeah. A lot of the Agency’s core doctrine was developed by the OSS, the CIA’s predecessor, when they were working with the French Resistance.”
“And that’s a good principle to remember.” Kevin handed the binoculars back to Everett.
Everett stowed the field glasses in his pack. “Of course, you can’t underestimate human complacency.”
“Nor her ugly sister, human laziness.” Kevin chuckled. “I guess our next step is to go back to the ORP and organize an entry team.”
“To take the tower?”
“Yep.”
“What if hostiles are in there, and we just didn’t see them? Wouldn’t it be better to wait for the riots to start? We can position snipers so they can’t send reinforcements.”
“That’s one possible course of action. But my theory is that the riots could be the catalyst which kicks them in the butt and makes them realize that they need that tower. We can still set up snipers. We’ll put Elijah, Preacher, and Stewart in the courtyard between the dorms. If anyone tries to leave the GR compound, going toward the tower, they’ll have a clear shot. Even if they miss a peacekeeper leaving the compound, they’ll have a second chance to take him out when he tries to get from Henkel Hall to the Life Sciences Building.”
They returned to the broken window and Everett followed Kevin back out and toward the objective rally point. “Elijah’s weapon of choice was a shotgun before you trained him with the AR. I don’t know if he’s really cut out to be a sniper.”
“He’s pretty good. I’m not going to put them that far out anyway.” Kevin turned to look back toward the tower. “That building is the library. It has windows facing the courtyard. We’ll put them in there. They’ll have visual and physical cover but they’ll be close enough to have an easy shot.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
The two men spotted no activity on their return trip to the ORP.
CHAPTER 6
When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
Deuteronomy 20:1
Everett listened as Kevin laid out the overview of the plan to gain control of the tower.
Preacher examined the map which Everett sketched from the sign across the street. Everett labeled each building with a letter rather than the actual name of the building. This tactic provided an additional layer of operational security as only their team would know which building they were referring to if they said building B or building C.
Preacher pointed to one of the boxes on Everett’s map. “We’ve been watching building A, and we haven’t seen any activity. The only reason we could think that they wouldn’t have tried to hold it is that the dorms where they are holed up, buildings K, L, and M, sit higher on the hill. K and L are only two-story buildings, but being up on that slope still gives them a good vantage point.”
Stewart pointed to the map. “Plus, they’re on the corner of the campus. The south and east sides have no visual obstructions. It’s wide open now that the foliage of the trees has been incinerated. The peacekeepers only have to worry about somebody sneaking up on them from the north or the west. I don’t think it is such a bad position. Trying to hold the tower building in addition to the other three would have spread them out pretty thin.”
“That’s true. If you add another lookout post that requires three men, you’ll need nine to fill all three shifts.” Kevin rubbed his beard. “Even so, if it were my post, and I had eighty or ninety men under me, I would have assigned watchmen on that tower.”
Preacher looked at Courtney and Sarah. “Me and Stewart wouldn’t mind being on the entry team and having you girls hold the sniper positions.” He turned to Everett. “If it were my wife, I hope a man would volunteer to take her place so she wouldn’t have to kick in doors.”
Everett smiled. “We appreciate the offer, but the four of us have trained together quite a bit. We’ve learned how the other members of the team move, and how each of us reacts.”
“Then you can count on us to stop anyone from crossing over to your building. I’ve taken my fair share of deer over the years. And all of them weren’t standing still.” Stewart patted Everett on the shoulder.
“Okay then. Everyone, do a final weapon check, and let's move out,” Kevin said. “We’ll escort the sniper team to the library, get inside and assign your positions. The entry team will take the tower. If it’s unoccupied, we’ll put the snipers in the tower, and the rest of us will return to meet up with Tommy when he arrives with the other men.”
Sarah followed Kevin out the doors, with Everett behind her, and Courtney on Everett’s six. The sniper team followed from ten yards back.
Kevin moved to the corner of the nearest building. He put his fist in the air as a sign to halt. He dropped to one knee and motioned for Everett to come next to him. He whispered, “Can you hand me those binoculars?”
Everett retrieved the field glasses from his pack and handed them to him. Kevin looked through the binoculars then handed them to Everett, pointing along the creek.
Everett saw a team of six men collecting water in buckets. He scanned the area with the binoculars, but could not see a security team. “Easy pickin’s.”
“I know, it’s tempting. But we can’t tip our hand yet.” Kevin motioned for everyone to stay low and out of sight until the men were finished retrieving water from the creek.
By the time the men completed their task, the drizzling rain had returned. “Let’s give them ten more minutes. I want to make sure they aren’t coming back for another load of water before we move.”
The time passed slowly standing in the rain. The precipitation wasn’t heavy enough to warrant breaking the ponchos back out. Ponchos would encumber their movement in the event that they were to engage in a firefight. Finally, Kevin looked at his watch and gave a nod. The team proceeded quietly along the back side of the buildings.
Preacher waved for the team to stop as they reached the last building before the library. He walked up to Everett’s position. “From this corner to the next corner, we’re completely exposed to the men on watch at the compound.”
Kevin turned and nodded. He retrieved a small mirror from the top pocket of his tactical vest. He leaned his rifle against the wall and lay prone on the ground, extending the mirror just far enough around the corner to get a view of the com
pound. After several seconds of inspecting the scene, Kevin stood up. He whispered to Everett. “Two guys on the roof, not paying much attention. They look like they just want to get out of the rain. We can time it out and make a run for it when their backs are turned. I can’t tell if anyone is looking out the windows. It’s too dark inside.”
“We don’t have a choice, right?”
Kevin answered, “None that I can think of. The entry team will go first. We’ll pause to make sure the guards are still turned around then we’ll have the sniper team follow.”
Everett nodded and relayed the information to everyone else.
Kevin held the mirror out for one more quick glance then led the entry team as they sprinted across the exposed area.
Everett fought the urge to look at the men on the roof as he ran. Sarah and Courtney stayed close to the men as they quickly reached the other side.
Everett took a deep breath and watched as Kevin took a peek from the corner of the library. Kevin motioned for the sniper team to cross. Elijah, Preacher, and Stewart moved briskly and quietly to the corner of the library.
Kevin took one last look to make sure they had not been spotted. “I think we’re clear.”
Everett exhaled deeply as a sign of his relief. He looked inside the row of windows as they passed, checking for footprints in the soot which covered the floors. “No sign of activity in the library.”
“Then let’s get this show on the road.” Kevin motioned for Sarah and Everett to get on each side of him. “I’m going to try to crack the glass without smashing it. I want you guys to catch the large pieces before they fall to the ground and alert the guards on the roof. Do you both have your gloves on?”
“Check.” Sarah held her gloves up.
Everett did likewise, but said nothing.
Kevin firmly pushed the carbide tip on the butt of his knife against the corner of the window. The glass popped and cracks radiated through the pane. “I’ll try to dig a piece out with my knife. Each of you keep a hand on either side. If it collapses, I want it to fall inside, not out.”
Everett nodded and placed his gloves over the two largest fragments of the window as Kevin attempted to pry a medium-sized sliver of glass with the blade of his knife.
Kevin’s piece came out and immediately, the rest of the window fell from its own weight, crashing on the floor inside the library.
Everett grimaced at the loud noise.
Kevin brushed off his gloves and retrieved his mirror to peer around the corner at the men on the roof.
“Did they hear us?” Sarah asked.
Kevin was silent for a moment. Finally, he replied. “I don’t think so.”
The team climbed in and made their way to the second floor, and then to the southeast corner. Everett walked toward the grimy window. “You guys have a good view of the watchmen on the roof as well as the pathway below from here. If you have to take a shot, you’ll have to take out those guys on the roof first. You’ll have to hit them through the window. Otherwise, you’ll give away your position.”
Elijah held his rifle up and looked through the sights. “Yes. It won’t be a problem. Just call us on the radio if you need our support.”
“Thanks, Elijah.” Courtney put her hand on the old prophet’s arm then turned to follow the rest of the entry team.
Everett, Kevin, Courtney, and Sarah were down the stairs and back outside in a matter of minutes. The team had one more short sprint where they could potentially be spotted by the men on the roof. Kevin checked his mirror. “They’re not even in view. But still, let’s move quickly to be safe.”
Kevin led, and the rest of the team followed. They checked for signs of activity before entering. Finding none, they broke out a window and went inside. Within minutes, the team had located the tower.
A large stained glass window allowed light into the tower room which was little more than a hollow brick structure. Everett guessed the inside of a clock tower must look similar. He looked through one of the small pieces of clear glass on the periphery of the stained glass crest of the university. “It’s a pretty good view of the compound. If we can get snipers up here, we can pin them down.”
Kevin looked out the portals on the other sides of the tower. “This goes right out onto the roof. The ledge provides excellent cover. I say we knock this glass out so our guys will have roof access.”
Courtney looked out the window which Kevin was proposing to break out. “What harm would come of waiting until the fireworks start to knock it out?”
Sarah looked over Courtney’s shoulder. “Good point. There’s no reason to make more noise than we have to right now. If the rioters come, the glass breaking will blend in with the rest of the racket.”
Kevin agreed to take Sarah’s advice. “Let’s get our snipers up here and get back to the ORP.”
The next couple of hours passed slowly at the ORP as the anticipation of the mission grew. Everett looked at his watch, just as he’d done every three to four minutes for the past hour. “Four-thirty.”
Sarah stood up from her chair. “I hear a vehicle.”
“I hope it's Tommy. He’s a half hour late.” Everett walked to the office window of the ORP to look out.
“That’s him.” Courtney pointed at Lloyd’s van.
Everett grabbed one of the copies of the map they’d made of the campus and headed toward the fire doors. “I’ll send the men in and take the drivers over to the fallback position.”
As Everett walked out, he saw Tommy’s truck pull in behind Lloyd’s. Two other vehicles were following close behind. Most of Tommy’s men unloaded from the vehicles and went inside the ORP. Everett jumped into the truck with Tommy. “Have the other vehicles follow you. I’ll show you where to park.”
As they drove to the fallback position, Everett explained the map with the letters on each building and filled Tommy in on what they had come up with so far. “Did you guys have any success finding rabble-rousers?”
Tommy laughed. “Some men are poets; others are artists, still others musicians and craftsmen. Me? The good Lord gave me the gift of finding rabble-rousers. And for better or worse, they always seem to take my suggestions.”
“So you believe in the good Lord now?” Everett smiled.
Tommy held his hand up. “I’ve always believed. We may not always see eye to eye, but I believe.”
Everett chuckled. “You know, the book of James says that even the devils believe. It says they even tremble in fear of God. The problem is they don’t submit to God.”
“I can relate to that.” Tommy nodded with a big smile. “But you don’t have to take on the impossible task of bringing me to Jesus. Preacher has been trying to get me to find religion since before this whole mess got started. Heck, evidently he hadn’t even found it himself at the time.”
“I was just making an observation.” Everett put his hands in the air as if he were backing off. He remembered how much he hated it when John Jones, Ken, or Lisa would try to convince him that following Christ was the rational thing to do. “But you do believe in the Bible, right? All the events that Preacher has told you about, they’re coming true, one at a time. You can’t deny that.”
Tommy sighed. “Yep. They are.”
“And you know we’ve only got a few more years before the whole thing comes to a close. So either way, your sinning days will soon be over.”
Tommy swallowed hard. “How about we talk about this some other time? I’ve got a lot goin’ on in my head right now.”
“Sure thing.” Everett honored Tommy’s wish. He remembered how many times he had put off thinking about such things. He’d put it off until he could no longer avoid the subject. And his procrastination had landed him dead smack in the middle of the Apocalypse.
Tommy pulled around to the back of the row of burned-out brick houses. “Lloyd has a selection of various accoutrements in his van. When things start getting hairy, we’ll come back here to gear up for the fight. I’m going to keep two men here
with the vehicles to make sure they don’t roll away with all our supplies. Not to mention, we’ll need ‘em to get back home.”
“You and Lloyd are going to be mixed in among the rioters?”
Tommy nodded. “Yep. Like I said, I’m a natural born instigator. It’d be a shame to let such a gift go unused on a day like today. Lloyd is coming with me. Devin and five more of my guys will be mixing in the crowd with us. We’ll stay until the peacekeepers take action. Once everyone starts to scatter, we’ll start tapping anyone from the crowd who looks like they’re ready to take it to the next level. I’ll bring them back here, organize a direct attack, and hit their compound from the west. I assume your team will be coming in from the north.”
“Yeah, that’s right. You thought that up on the way here?”
“Figured it out while we were handing out the flyers. People are angry. Might as well help them channel that energy. All the men we dropped off over at the ORP are instructed to work with you. You tell them what needs doin’, and they’ll get it done. They’re all good men.”
“Okay then, you’ve got a good radio, right?”
“Yep.” Tommy got out of the truck.
Everett opened the door of the truck and exited the vehicle. “When we’re ready to move in on the compound, we’ll say something like minus fifteen. That would mean T minus fifteen seconds. Whatever number I say is how long until we launch our assault. Let me know how many men you’ve picked up from the riots. Just give me the number. I’ll know what you’re talking about, but hopefully, any peacekeepers monitoring a scanner won’t have enough information to figure it out.”
Tommy shook Everett’s hand. “Sounds like a plan.”
Everett walked by himself back toward the ORP. As he crossed Pleasant Valley Road, he noticed a gathering of men. He estimated that there were about twelve in the group. Some had ball bats; others carried pry bars. “I bet some of them have pistols, but I doubt they’d take a chance trying to open carry with the Global Republic’s standing shoot-on-sight order for anyone in possession of a firearm.”
