“Like I said, someone chained them shut,” Tiny said. Fury glowed in his eyes. He threw the handles to the ground in disgust.
Collin looked at Brady, then over to Tiny. “Please organize three additional teams of four to search for Mac and his associates. Let’s get pictures from Mac’s house to each group so they know who they’re looking for. I want this ended now.”
A devilish grin spread across Tiny’s face. “Roger that.”
“We’ll have to avoid large gatherings so this kind of disaster isn’t repeated. And I want constant patrols around town. Mixed units of Eagles and Vipers for accountability.” Collin sighed. He’d already sent teams after Mac, following the raid on his house, but it was like they were searching for a ghost.
“What about Missoula?” Brady asked.
Collin pursed his lips. “I’ve been considering that, too. Despite the theater attack, we can’t put it off.”
“Good. I don’t want to put it off. We need to get supplies and find out whatever we can. It’s even more critical now,” Brady said.
“Do you hear that?” Tiny asked. He cupped a hand behind his ear and tilted his head.
They fell silent and strained to hear anything unusual. It took a moment, but Collin picked up the steady thumping sound as well.
“Helicopters,” Brady hissed.
“Let’s move out. Tiny, you organize the search parties. Brady you’re with me,” Collin said, striding toward the bridge. “I can’t believe HAGS is back again. They must have seen the smoke last night.”
The mourners heard the sound too and fled back toward their homes. Collin took a small measure of comfort in the fact that most people wouldn’t be exposed to the sonic weapon HAGS used during their last visit.
Collin and Brady began to jog toward the bridge. Through the breaks in the treetops they could see the helicopters drop down over the edge of the mountains in a familiar path like they always did. All three choppers dove down into the valley, racing along barely above the treetops.
The choppers began to descend into the field just after they reached the bridge. As they caught their breath, the three helicopters landed. No sonic blast assaulted them, for which Collin was grateful.
Brady rested his hand on the grip of his pistol, but didn’t pull it from the holster. Collin patted the air to caution him against action. Without any time to prepare, and far fewer fighters thanks to the theater attack, they were vulnerable. Collin had his pistol in his thigh holster, but neither of them had rifles and the choppers held enough firepower to level Goshen.
“Dr. Denard,” Collin muttered when the man emerged from the Blackhawk. He stood out from the other HAGS men who climbed out thanks to his sharply tailored three-piece suit. Collin smirked at the man. His neon green tie was loud enough to zap mosquitoes at night.
Unlike Denard’s first visit, a man dressed in all black fatigues accompanied him. The two men were quite a sight to behold. In any other situation, Collin might have chuckled.
Collin and Brady stood on the bridge, watching the two HAGS men approach. Collin wouldn’t give them the honor of meeting them halfway. It was more satisfying to watch them trudge down the dirt path. The man beside Denard had a patch on his shoulder. It was similar to the HAGS logo, with a more tactical look and feel to it. Collin narrowed his eyes at him.
When they were close enough, Denard raised his hand in greeting as if they were old friends. “Ahh, Mr. War. What a pleasure to see you again.”
Collin grunted and clasped his hands behind his back. “The pleasure is all yours, I assure you.”
Denard looked slightly taken aback. He cleared his throat and said, “Well then, this is my associate General Mitchell Hopper. He has a rather long title –”
“Security and Enforcement Consultant,” General Hopper said, staring evenly at Collin.
The two men looked at each other. Collin could tell by his posture and demeanor that the man had a substantial amount of military experience. Although the man’s name didn’t ring a bell, Collin couldn’t help but wonder when the man had his last promotion. As Secretary of Defense, he would have had to recommend his promotion to the president.
Tiny walked up quietly behind them. Collin glanced over his shoulder and nodded at his friend. General Hopper eyed the big man suspiciously.
“Why are you here?” Brady asked Denard, breaking the silence.
Denard waved his hand in the direction of the theater.
“How did you guys know about that?” Brady asked.
Denard ignored the question. “You have suffered a major tragedy.”
“Yes, we have,” Collin said softly. He also wondered how they had found out about it, but figured they saw the smoke and he also knew they would never tell.
“We observed the fire. I’m here to offer any assistance that we can.” Denard gave Collin a look that was supposed to be mournful, but came off as condescending.
“Assistance? This terrorist attack was done by one of your men.” Brady scowled at the two men across from him. “And it cost me nearly all of my Vipers.”
“Nearly?” General Hopper asked, fixing Brady with his stern gaze for the first time.
“Yes, nearly,” Brady said.
Collin was glad he wasn’t too specific with the numbers. If HAGS new how weak they were, it might cause them to intervene in their affairs. They needed time to prepare for a battle.
“Well, then,” Denard said sarcastically. “Seems to me that as the PCS for this grid I have some thinking to do now, don’t I?”
“Don’t hurt yourself,” Brady said.
Collin bit back a smirk. “Thinking about what, exactly?”
Denard reached into his suit jacket and pulled out folded papers. He unfolded them and handed them to Collin.
On each paper was a picture. One was of Hannah and the other was of Ketan. Collin kept his face impassive. He looked up at Denard with a questioning look.
“These two are escaped detainees. You should keep an eye out for them because they are known to be violent. Unfortunately, their last known location was near Goshen,” Denard said. “Given their violent tendencies, you’ll understand why we have a vested interest in capturing them.”
“So you’re asking for our help to capture a couple kids that you lost?” Collin asked. Turning to Brady, he handed over the papers so he could take a look.
“We would be doing you a favor by removing them. They are demented and dangerous,” Denard said.
Tiny stepped forward and handed the papers back to Denard. General Hopper stiffened when Tiny got too close. The big man smiled down at him and stepped back, standing beside Collin.
“That will be unnecessary. They did show up and were accepted into the community. When we held the meeting in the theater yesterday, they were among the audience and did not make it out.” Collin shook his head sadly. It was only half a lie, but he sold it.
“That’s unfortunate. We had questions for them. Well, I had questions for them,” Denard said, waving the papers in the air with a flourish. He looked at the pictures before folding up the papers and placing them back into the pocket inside his jacket. Denard fumbled for a few seconds, glanced inside his jacket, and then pulled out another paper.
“What exactly do you do? I don’t know much about HAGS and no one here seems to know what your job is,” Collin said.
Denard smiled at him. “My abbreviated title is PCS, or Population Control Specialist. I am tasked with keeping up to date on the population and the numerous variables that affect our numbers. You see, Hathaway Agricultural Genetic Sciences is rebuilding the world. For that to happen, we need to keep people alive.” He gestured toward the theater. “Things like this are a problem for me.”
“Things like this are a problem for everyone,” Tiny said.
Denard ignored him and handed the new paper to Collin. “Here we have a list of people HAGS believes are essential members of the larger community we’re building. Therefore, we will be returning in seven day
s’ time to escort those people to one of our facilities where they will live in safety for a three-year term. At the end of the three years, they will be allowed to return to Goshen.”
“But ...”
“Pardon me?” Denard asked.
“It sounds like there’s a condition attached to this idea of yours,” Collin said.
“Perceptive,” Denard said with a grin. “They can return if Goshen has become stable under your leadership and they want to return.”
Brady scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Collin wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard a growl rumbling in Tiny’s chest as well. The proposal sounded absurd to Collin, too. He skimmed the list of names. There were easily more than a hundred names on the list; a huge portion of Goshen’s diminished population. Collin realized something about the names, but it was Tiny who spoke up first.
“They’re all women,” Tiny said, glowering at the two men from HAGS.
“Indeed,” Denard said with a sharp nod. “All of them are between the ages of thirteen and thirty. They are not as vital to your survival as you may think. From what we’ve gathered, the women on the list do not hunt, fish, or farm. You won’t miss them much. And let’s not forget, it will only be three short years they are with us.”
General Hopper shifted his stance, his face etched with a frown.
“That is unacceptable,” Collin said. “What makes you think we’ll allow you to tear apart our families and destroy our community?”
“What makes you think you have a choice?” Denard asked, looking genuinely curious.
Collin looked between Denard and Hopper. Were they serious? He couldn’t be more surprised by these two. The fact they thought they could do this was outrageous.
“And if they refuse to go?” Collin asked evenly.
“Then we take them,” General Hopper said.
“What if we refuse to let you take them?” Brady asked, taking a step forward with his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
“They didn’t hire me to stand around and look official,” General Hopper said. “If you refuse to cooperate then you will die and we still take them. It behooves you to remain peaceful, but either way, we get what we want.”
“Easy, easy,” Denard said, stepping forward cautiously, eying everyone around him. “Gentlemen, might I remind you we are all on the same team here.”
Tiny snorted. Collin frowned, but continued to listen.
“HAGS understands you’re in a precarious position right now.” Denard motioned toward the theater again. He kept his hand in the air and snapped his fingers. “So, General Hopper here has been so kind as to solve that problem for you.”
A pair of men ducked into the Blackhawk and pulled out a large black bag. Collin squinted and quickly realized it was a body bag. The pair carried the bag to the group on the bridge. Grunting with effort, they dropped it unceremoniously on the bridge in between Collin and Dr. Denard.
“Please, a token of our good will,” Denard said. He gestured for Collin to open the bag.
Collin grimaced at what he might find inside. Kneeling down beside the offering, he reached for the zipper.
“Remember, they are free after three years. This is bigger than Goshen; this is for the good of the entire world. We are doing this for the human race. If we don’t, we’re all doomed,” Denard said. “We will leave it up to you to decide their fate. Either way, they will be transported to our facility in seven days.”
Without waiting for Collin to open the bag, Denard and General Hopper turned and strode back to their helicopter. Collin watched them leave with a sinking feeling in his gut.
Brady knelt down beside Collin and looked at him. “Open it,” he said quietly.
Collin reached forward and slowly unzipped the plastic bag. The helicopters began to lift off, kicking up wind that made the edges of the bag flap. He caught a glimpse of a face, but couldn’t tell who it was.
Brady grabbed the edges and held them open. “Well, that’s a surprise.”
Inside the bag was the body of Calvin McIntosh. Brady nodded and glanced at Collin. He gave his son a quick smile. Mac was no longer a threat.
“That saves us some trouble,” Tiny said, “but it doesn’t set things right with that list.”
Collin stood up and rubbed his chin as he watched the helicopters fly down the valley. This was an unexpected development.
“No, it doesn’t,” Collin said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
The defensive assault plans for HAGS return were already drawn up after the first visit from Denard. Copies were made and passed to a select few leaders for implementation, and Collin recalled the search parties hunting Mac so they could help. Goshen was buzzing with activity as everyone prepared for the inevitable return of HAGS.
Collin could see in his people what the fire and the threat of their population being kidnapped had instilled in them – hate. Collin knew for the first time since his awakening one hundred percent of Goshen was now on his side and resolute in their resistance to HAGS.
The world had ended outside of Goshen, and in the coming war, Goshen may join the rest of the world. However gaining their independence both medically and politically would not happen without a fight. Goshen would be ready for that fight. They would make it a fight HAGS would regret and never see coming. Like Washington leading his men across the Potomac, President Collin War was ready to lead his across the Goshen River.
Collin hefted his saddle onto the horse he would be riding to Missoula. He didn’t want to leave, but he knew this trip was step one to his victory plan.
“Need a hand with that?” Brady asked.
Collin tightened the last strap on the saddle and turned to his son. “Nope, I’m all set. Is everyone ready?”
“Pretty much. They’re finishing hooking up the cart right now.” Brady inspected Collin’s saddle. “Have you done this before? It looks like you did a great job.”
“Thanks. It’s been a very long time. I thought I’d have to ask for help, but then it all just came to me. My hands seemed to know what my brain didn’t,” Collin said.
“We didn’t use our horses for much other than trips up to the lake and some farming. They’re tough, though. It shouldn’t take us long to reach Missoula.” Brady ran his hand along the curve of the horses jaw. Its big brown eye watched him with passive interest.
“How long did you say it’ll take?”
“Once we break out of the valley, it’ll be quick. We can take the highway all the way into town. We can reach it late tomorrow or early the following day,” Brady said.
Julie walked between the horses toward them. She ran a hand over the flank of Collin’s horse. It turned its big head to look at her.
“The quicker we can get back with the equipment, the quicker I can get to work on the serum,” Julie said.
“Is the wagon ready?” Brady asked.
“All strapped in and ready to roll. Do we have anything else to do before we leave?” Julie asked.
Collin looked around at their team. It was a larger group than he would prefer, but it seemed necessary given the threat from HAGS. Especially after the comment Denard made about their scouts seeing the theater fire. The idea they had someone here feeding them information, or worse, had people monitoring them in secret, was unsettling.
“No, I think we’re as ready as we can be. We have food, water, and feed for the horses. All of us are armed and ready. Let’s saddle up,” Collin said.
Sergeant Gibbs joined their little circle and saluted Collin. “Sir.”
“Sergeant, what’s up?” Collin said, returning the salute.
Gibbs pulled out a few pieces of paper, and Brady groaned. Gibbs glanced at him, but handed the papers to Collin.
“These are from Koby. He wanted me to show them to you before you left,” Sergeant Gibbs said.
Collin looked at Brady, understanding his groan after the impromptu meeting with Denard and Hopper. One drawing was a hastily scribbled note from K
oby, and the other was a detailed drawing of some kind of booby trap.
Collin read the note as a smile spread across his face. He folded up the papers and handed them back to Gibbs. “Tell him I think this is genius. Let’s make sure he has everything he needs to make it work.”
“Yes, sir,” Sergeant Gibbs said.
“And Sergeant, I trust you will take good care of Goshen while I am away. There is a lot to do before we return. We have one less problem to worry about now that Mac is out of commission.”
“Yes, sir. I will make sure we’re on schedule, sir,” Gibbs said.
“Very well. We will see you in a few days. Keep your eyes to the sky in case they try to surprise you while we’re gone.” Collin climbed up onto his horse.
“They won’t be taking anyone from us, sir. You have my word,” Sergeant Gibbs said.
Collin wasn’t sure that was technically true. If it came to a battle, plenty would be taken away from them. As far as stealing the women for three years, well, that was out of the question. Sergeant Gibbs had a wife and daughter, both of whom were on the list. The fight was personal for him. Collin trusted Gibbs would do a great job while he traveled to Missoula.
“Carry on, Sergeant,” Collin said.
“Yes, sir!” Gibbs replied.
Collin returned his salute and then turned his horse to face the group. “We have one week until HAGS returns to tear our community apart. Our mission is critical. We have to leave for a while, but we will return with the gear we need to gain independence. Grab your guns and mount up!”
A small cheer went up and then everyone quickly finished what they were doing and climbed onto their horses. Julie jogged back to the cart and climbed aboard.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
General Hopper strode down the brightly lit hallway to the conference room where the boss waited for him. Hathaway Agricultural Genetic Science’s CEO Sonja Ingram called a meeting upon his return with Doctor Denard. Sonja’s presence at the Farm was unusual. The woman hardly ever left the comfort of the national headquarters building in Michigan.
Living for War: The Collin War Chronicles Page 15
