The five company commanders trotted over to Mike and Mac.
“Gentlemen.” Mike nodded as they came up and gathered around him and Mac. “Today’s and important mission. It’ll go a long way in determining our future security and prosperity. Think about this, New England had a population of around fifteen million people. We know or estimate around one hundred thousand that we know of that have survived. That’s a scary thought how many Infected are out there. Five million, ten million. I’m figuring closer to ten million or even a little over. This mission if successful, is what I call a force multiplier. Those vehicle will help us tremendously. So go out there kick ass. If it’s Infected and moves kill it. We find any survivors we rescue them. That’s our secondary mission at all times. I’ll be right there with you. Let’s do it. Move them out.”
The five Company Commanders moved out to get their men on their feet and moving toward their assigned choppers. First the two Company’s going directly to Smith and Wesson, Moosehill Company Bravo, Dave Maddox commanding with U.S. Marine Company Alpha with Dylan Deneke commanding. Mac was impressed with him when they were clearing south Spencer center of town and after on Route 9. Those two company’s moved toward their Birds a mix of Huey and Chinooks. Mike couldn’t believe he commanded a force of over one hundred military helicopters, and was going for the mother lode of three Trains loaded with military vehicles and equipment.
Soon the Fifteen Huey’s and four Chinooks were lifting off and heading west. Mike watched them with the fifteen Huey’s in formation in front and the four Chinooks bring up the rear in the center. After a minute or so they were out of sight and hearing.
“Okay men.” Mike said over his shoulder. “Time to mount up.” He turned and watched the remaining three companies lead by Sean Thornton’s Delta Company, a Rock for a commander as far as Mike was concerned, and Paul Epps and Echo and the U.S. Marine Company led by Dong Yee who Mike thought highly of from their mission to the Kahr Arms factory on Goddard Memorial drive where they were almost over run with Infected. With Yee went there Battalion Commander Major Antonio DiCaprio who was also on the Kahr Arms mission and a good man in tight spaces. Mike and his retinue boarded what has been duped his personal Blackhawk by most. His rank and name were stenciled on the pilot’s side door. Mike took the main controls from the co-pilot, also there were two door gunners along with his four staff he boarded with.
Mike could see the three company's lifting off in twenty three Huey’s and five more Chinooks. He lifted off right behind them and plotted a course around them to gain the lead he wanted to arrive a few minutes before them to direct operation from the air after talking with Maddox who was in charge of the first wave.
Ten minutes after he left the civilians loaded up on two Blackhawk and two Chinooks and they disappeared into the night on a west bound course, following the rest.
Dave Maddox connected to the cockpit of the Huey pilots by radio was approaching the gun maker’s factory. “Let’s come in low just above the treetops, if the parking lots are mostly clear go right in for the landing, we all disembark and clear the immediate area. The less time the Helo's are in the area to be seen and heard the better so you clear out and find some country field to set down in no further than five minutes away, the less activity in the area the better, you flying away could lead them in a different direction then where we are.” Maddox said to the pilots. The lead chopper with Maddox in it cleared the treetops and the parking lot was clear except for a few cars.
“Put her down closest to the south east side of the parking lot. Alert the rest to land. The rest of the Huey's came over the trees into the parking lot. The rest of the two companies were out of the Helo’s in seconds. The pilots were getting very good Dave thought, they were already lifting even as the last Trooper was stepping off. Bravo Company knew their business. They were rushing the Smith & Wesson plant without being told what they had to do, they knew. The U.S. Marines already landed from the Chinook helicopters after the Huey's took off were spreading out around the grounds to provide security outside. The entry team hit the main door of the factory with a door knocker and blasted the doors open, they didn't even bother to check if it was unlocked and we're going for speed.
The other Troopers of Bravo Company spread out through the several buildings by squads announcing their presence and killing any Infected. They came across no survivors in the buildings. Bravo Company soon had the factory secure.
U.S. Marines of Alpha Company was assigned security to the outside of the building. Captain Deneke left one platoon in the parking lot to secure that area and led his three other platoons around to the sides of the facility where the tracks ran west, to secure an entry onto the tracks. He left one platoon in that area and brought the rest around the rear of the building where the loading docks are. Dylan’s Marines ran into several Infected near the tracks and at the back of the building they were quickly put down by his experienced Troops.
Dave Maddox in the Factory Complex was alerted by one of the squads they had a major find. Dave alerted Mike whose Blackhawk was coming in for a landing. In minutes Mike met up with Captain Dave Maddox and together they went to look at this find. Mike followed Dave through several large areas for gun production and into a back room that was locked. It looks like Detonation cord was used to open a large door with a key pad entry. Mike entered and stopped. In the room was rack after rack of gun boxes, the kind you get when purchasing a long gun. Mike walked over to a long hard box case labeled AR-15. Opening the Box Mike found a new Model M&P15T - 5.56 mm, Tactical rifle, without any optics. A fine weapon as far as Mike was concerned, semi-auto only, but that’s fine Mike thought Auto was way over rated and your finger can pull that trigger really fast if needs be.
“There has to be thousands of rifles in here. Start getting you men to bringing these out the back shipping entrance and pile them up in the parking lot, but first put the nets down, get them ready for hooking up to the helicopters. Then put the cases in groups of four hundred for the Huey’s and groups of one thousand for the Chinooks. Load the interior of the Chinooks also when they arrive back. There’s probably a room around here similar to that loaded with handguns, find that and empty it too.
“Colonel.” A MHM Trooper ran up to him and Dave.
“Sir we found a building in back loaded with pallets of ammunition of all kinds of calibers, there’s got to be millions of rounds.” He told them.
“Shit how we going to bring that with us.” Dave said.
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way my young apprentice.” Mike expressed in his best Obi-Wan Kenobi voice. Dave looked at him sideways like he was crazy or something.
“The rest of the men should be landing any minute I’ll be outside if you need me.” Mike told him.
Mike walked out the back shipping entrance. He could see Troops were around the perimeter and he headed over to the north side of the building where the train tracks ran. Coming around the corner he almost got ran over by Larry Evans and Delta Company jogging his way.
“Larry, you all set your men good to go?” Mike asked.
“Yes sir, we were heading to the tracks and going for the trains. You coming with us?” he asked.
“Absolutely, let’s go. Everybody else down?” Mike asked Larry.
“Major DiCaprio and Marine of Bravo Company should be right behind us, Paul Epps and Echo Company are waiting for the civilians who should be down any minute.
Mike didn’t acknowledge, they just jogged over the banking and onto the tracks heading south west. There was a slight curve in the track and could only see between a quarter mile to a half mile. After a minutes they could see the first train starting to come into view. No one was in sight. All the Troops were warned about noise discipline, it attracted the Infected. The three company's tasked with this part of the mission were each assigned a train. Mike stopped at the first train to wait for the other companies, Larry Evans and Delta had the far train, so they kept jogging down the track. The Marine
s of Bravo Company had the second Train and Major DiCaprio and Captain Yee both saluted as they jogged by at the front of their company.
Mike and his aide Jake, his radioman Sparks, all radio men are called Sparks, and his two security Troops, stood around the diesel engines. There were three hooked up together to haul this line of cars. Mike climbed up the ladder onto the platform that runs around the side and looked in the little window on the door. It looked all clear so he opened it and carefully moved in with his Glock 21 at the ready. Mike knew it was easier to move in a confined space with his hand gun instead of a long gun. All clear. He went back out and told his two security guys to check the Engines and be careful. That left him Jake and Sparks.
Jake became Mike’s aide early on. Whenever they’re at the range, Mike has been putting Jake through a tough shooting course and he has developed into a very good shot, and his situational awareness was also good. Case in Point, Mike noticed Jake frequently taking a walk around the front of the engine for security. He doesn’t want any Infected sneaking up on us or for that matter any rogue scum like that group at Westover. Mike was fond of Jake.
“Sparks, see what’s holding up Echo and the civilians.” He asked the radioman.
After thirty seconds. “Colonel, civilians just landed and starting this way, it’s going to take them a little because they have to haul all that equipment down here.” He said.
Mike acknowledged, nodding his head. He felt they were exposed out here waiting for Paul Epps and Echo Company. Fifteen minutes later Echo Company came into view with the civilians, Some of Echo was carrying shit for the civilians. Mike felt some relief now that they were here.
An older man probably around fifty came up to Mike and introduced himself as Ed who was in charge of the civilian techs.
“Ed, how long to get these running?” He asked Ed.
“All depends Colonel, I’ll give a rough estimate of thirty minutes a train.” He told him.
“Well, get moving unless you want to be zombie food.” Mike told him. The man moved and started yelling at his crew. Half the civilians continued down the tracks to the second train, a mile down the track and the third a mile after that. Mike was worried, his Troops were going to be spread over two and a half miles or so.
Sparks get a hold of Captain Masters and have him use a few Huey’s for scouting. We need to know if there’s any large groups of Infected near us.
“Sir, Orders sent and received, Sparks told the Colonel.”
Ten minutes later, Mike could hear a Huey out to the north of them. Then he heard the engine start up. He had a brain storm just then.
“Sparks tell Bravo Company to get the third train running first, once it’s going they can push the second train up to the Smith & Wesson factory.” He told him.
***
Mike has been so busy and worried about this venture that he never really looked at the cargo on the flat cars behind the three engines. He did now. After the last engine the flat train cars continued around the bend, he couldn’t see the end. Every flat car on the first train looked like it carried three M2 Bradley fighting vehicles, what an impressive array of strength he thought looking at them. Mikes next thought is, we need more fighting men to man this equipment. As of right now they could probably man two Battalions. We need to see about stepping up training. An hour after they reached the first train. Mike got word that the third train was powered up.
Mike gave the order to move forward at a slow speed and stop the third train at the Smith & Wesson Plant. He forgot to ask Dave Maddox about the last train.
“Actual to MHM Bravo Actual, I forgot to ask, what is in the third train?” he asked Dave.
“MHM Bravo Actual to Actual. We only looked in a few box cars and they seem to be filled with miscellaneous supply's including uniforms, ammunition for the M2 Bradley’s and the other mounted machine guns. Looks like a big haul.” Dave told Mike.
Mike was standing on the engine with the man picked to Engineer this train. After studying the controls and calling on the radio to his cohorts in the other Engines. He fiddled with some knobs and Mike could feel a slight difference in the train. Then they started to move slowly forward reaching more than walking speed. In ten minutes the first train was level with the Smith & Wesson Factory and kept moving slowly. Mike and his staff jumped off walking up the bank to see how things were going in the parking lot.
“Sir how are those fork lifts working, with everything fried.” Jake asked.
“There probably operating on Propane, and there’s no electronics on those machines, thank god.” He told Jake as the other three listened in.
They watched as four medium size fork lifts took pallet after pallet of the ammo out of the the Building it was found in. There’s one area about four train cars long that has no banking, and the fork lifts should be able to get right up and place the pallets on the car bed or through the box car doors. Moving them in the box cars away from the door is going to be a bitch he thought. Rollers was the answer.
“Jake go find whoever's going to be in charge of loading the pallets onto the box cars and if they haven’t thought of it yet tell them to find rollers to put under the pallets and move them that way once there in the box cars.” He sent Jake on his way.
“Colonel, message from Captain Masters, he’s in one of the Helo’s scouting. He says there is a mass of Infected coming east from the direction of Springfield, moving up Interstate 291 coming from the area of Interstate 91. He estimates around twenty thousand three miles out.” Sparks told Mike
Shit he thought. Bad timing, the activity and Helo’s must have attracted them.
“Okay, tell him to get a half dozen Huey's in the air and attack that swarm from the rear, maybe it’ll slow them down and turn them back toward the south, it’s worth a try. Then get on the horn with the other company commanders and let them know to push it. We are under the gun.
Mike thought what they’re going to have to do and wasn’t happy. The three trains were on a spur from the Main Rail lines, they would have to back up until the first train clears the split, manually turn the switch for they can go forward back on the Main rail line. This is going to be a bitch Mike thought.
Mike crooked finger at Sparks to come here. “Radio everyone we reverse the trains in fifteen minutes get as much cargo into the nets for the helicopters as they can, Guns and Ammo. They have that long for the fork lifts to keep loading too. Then shut everything up. You got that.” He asked Sparks.
“Yes Sir.” He started sending out messages.
Fifteen minutes was up. “That’s it.” Mike Started yelling, Lets Go.”
The Chinooks took off first and started to pick up the largest loads hung from underneath the big double bladed Helo’s. After the Chinooks came the Huey helicopters and picked up the other netted loads of supplies. Even those were able to take around five thousand pounds. The last of the Helo’s were away except for the six providing support and shooting up the rear of the swarm.
Mike took one last look around the back of the Smith & Wesson factory. He heard brakes release and the train and car start to move backwards slowly.
“Everybody on board, he heard from multiple sources. He ran and jumped on the middle train with Jake his aid, Sparks the radioman and his two security Troopers. Soon they were going backwards about as fast as a good jog.
They started to hear some shooting from the rear train in the distance. “Sir.” Sparks got his attention.
“The last trains reporting heavy contact the vanguard of that swarm was coming up the rail tracks too, not just Interstate 291.” He told Mike.
“Tell them to conserve ammunition. We still have to come to a stop and start going forward after we clear the rail split. They’re going to need that ammo then.” He told Sparks. Sparks started transmitting Mike’s message to his officers. Soon the firing tapered off with an occasional shot ringing out closer then he anticipated and then suddenly they were in the swarm. The train was going at a man’s running pace n
ow. It would be awful hard for an athlete to jump on this train now, never mind an Infected. They don’t move out of the way, the train must be killing them by the hundreds, he surmised.
What worried Mike was when the train had to slow down, stop and reverse directions. The rear of the train will be actually into Springfield and over the Connecticut River into West Springfield. He didn't take that into consideration. They would be very vulnerable during that portion of the mission. There was nothing he could do about it now, they were committed.
"Sparks get on the horn to the Huey's that are left with us. Advise there senior officer that we have to back up all the way through Springfield and over the river before we stop and reverse direction. They are to conserve ammo till we slow down to change direction. When that happens they'll be plenty of targets for them.
Dave Maddox realized about the same time as Mike they were backing up right through Springfield.
"Shit." He said out loud this is going to suck he thought. He started passing the word to climb up on the armored vehicles if possible and no shooting until they had to. Stay quiet and still. If they don't see movement or hear voices, maybe the will ignore the train, pass it along, he advised.
As the train backed up, the rear train with Dave Maddox’s company already entered the main line off the spur to Smith & Wesson they approached a road overpass the first few flatbeds entered under the bridge, Dave was in the fourth car from the rear and as they approached the bridge one, then two, then a half dozen Infected fell or threw them self’s off the bridge onto the rail cars below, or missed landing on the ground. Snapping noises is what Dave would remember about that weird episode. A few that landed on the flatbed truck tried to get up with broken bones and were just kicked over the side, not wanting to attract more attention with gunshots yet. While the bridge was till in sight Dave figured that at least thirty jumped that he saw. Multiply that by the length of the train and you come up with, well lots of jumpers anyway.
Moosehill Militia (Book 1): INFECTED Page 27
