Bunker took a moment to sift through what he’d learned during his stint in the military. He knew the Mayor’s idea about division assignment had merit, but it didn’t seem to fit what his gut was telling him about the last digit in the string of numbers. He didn’t want to be rude, so he decided to spin his answer softly.
“Since we didn’t hear the entire broadcast, anything is possible at this point. Could be about detonation or destination. But either way, before someone puts boots on the ground, they’d want to take out the enemy’s ability to communicate. Then focus on their transportation systems so they can’t resupply. I can’t think of a better way to accomplish those two objectives. It’s brilliant, actually, using a combination of cyber attacks and EMPs.”
“Maybe all these years of cyber attacks were just tests to get everything set up. You know, to study our weaknesses,” Daisy said, looking at Bunker. “Then plant those sleeper programs you mentioned to wake up and take out our networks.”
“Christ, we’re sitting ducks,” the man in the back said, his tone depressed and angry.
Bunker shook his head. “I doubt small cities like this will be of much interest. If they’re planning a ground action, they’ll most likely start with the major cities first.”
“Good luck with that in Texas and Arizona. Everyone’s got guns down there,” a woman’s voice from the back said. “And plenty of ammo. You should see the stockpile my cousin Rocket and his neighbors, Dennis and Kathy, have in Northern Arizona. They could start World War III. All three former Marines, if I remember right.”
The Dogs of War, Bunker thought to himself, studying the looks on everyone’s faces. Panic was imminent. “That’s exactly why I think they’ll stay out of the rural areas and focus on the larger cities. It’s easier to occupy and control a population when it’s densely packed together.”
“He’s right,” the man in the back shouted.
Bunker continued. “That way, you know where everyone is and can deploy your limited resources more effectively. In the rural areas, your enemy is spread out and hiding in the mountains and the deserts. That’s one of the reasons Russia had such a hard time when they invaded Afghanistan back in late ‘79.”
“Not to mention the fanatical religious aspect,” Apollo added.
“But why Pensacola and Virginia Beach? Or Huntsville, Alabama, for Christ’s sake? Those aren’t exactly big cities,” the same man in the back asked.
“Yeah, if Bunker’s right, who in their right mind would invade small towns like that?” Daisy asked, looking up at the Mayor.
“Maybe I was wrong,” Buckley said, sounding disappointed in himself. “If those coordinates weren’t for destinations, then they were just detonation points. To get this whole thing started.”
Daisy shook her head. “But still, why target those specific towns? Why not New York, Phoenix, or LA? Not Pensacola and the others. EMPs would do a lot more damage.”
An idea broke loose in Bunker’s thoughts. “Military bases. Those cities all have strategic value. Think about it: NORAD in Colorado Springs, the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, and the list goes on. Daisy’s right. They wanted to blind us so we couldn’t react. What better way to do that than to target our most important installations first?”
“To get this whole thing started,” the Mayor said again, sounding as though he was pandering for approval.
Daisy nodded. “Take out the bases first, then move to the big cities.”
A frantic woman’s voice from the back spoke next. “Come on, guys, we can’t just sit here and do nothing. The invasion could be happening right now. The borders along Mexico and Canada aren’t exactly secure. Wouldn’t take much to march across right now, while we’re all trying to figure out what’s going on.”
“Yeah, we have to get prepared! Immediately!” the man in the back snapped.
“Easy now, folks,” the Mayor said, glancing around the room. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is all just conjecture. All we have so far is part of a cryptic message.”
“Come on, Mayor. You heard the evidence. We’re fucked!” the man snarled. “We gotta do something, right now!”
The Sheriff held out his arms and faced the citizens as well. “The Mayor’s right. Everyone stay calm. We really don’t know anything at this point.”
Bunker stood up to face the group, taking position next to the Sheriff. “I’d suggest we send out small reconnaissance teams to gather intel. One team in each direction. Let’s see what’s going on out there and what we might be up against.”
“Excellent idea, Mr. Bunker,” the Mayor said, patting him on the back.
“We’re gonna need more horses then,” Daisy added. “I’m pretty sure Franklin is still at the clinic with his daughter. When we’re done here, I’ll go have a talk with him. Need to see how Megan’s doing, too.”
“I have some old dirt bikes you can use,” the man in the back said. “I’m sure they still work. No electronics in them bad boys.”
“No, we stick to horses and bicycles for now. Motorcycles will only put a drain on the town’s fuel supply and we can’t afford that. Not when we don’t know if we’ll ever see another tanker truck. No, we need to start conserving everything. And I mean everything,” the Mayor said with conviction.
Bunker didn’t agree entirely. “With all due respect, Mr. Mayor, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure those rides are still in working order, just in case we need them down the road.”
“Good point,” Buckley answered after a short pause. “Until our teams report back, we should make contingency plans for everything.”
The Sheriff flipped the atlas pages showing the state of Colorado. “If we are being invaded, then they’ll have a lot of troops and equipment to move. I’m guessing they’ll want to stick to the interstates.”
Bunker was surprised the Sheriff came up with the idea so quickly. “Yes, interstates would offer the most efficient travel and the best sightlines. Whoever we’re up against won’t want to get bogged down on back roads or in mountain passes. Too much chance of an ambush.”
Apollo’s index finger traveled up the paper and found Clearwater, tracing across the roads as he spoke. “We should send the North Team up Interstate 25, toward Denver.”
“What about possible radiation?” Daisy asked.
“If Mr. Bunker is correct, there won’t be any.”
“That’s a pretty big if,” she said, locking eyes with Bunker. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Bunker answered before Apollo spoke next.
“It’s a risk our teams are gonna have to take. We only have one Geiger counter, and the town needs it.”
“Agreed,” the Mayor said. “This is strictly a volunteer mission. We make sure everyone knows the risks and what’s at stake before we let them accept any assignment. What about the other directions?”
Apollo changed the location of his finger on the map. “The West Team should take highway 50 up to I-70. South Team will take I-25 to Santa Fe and if needed, head down to Albuquerque. East Team should take 50 east to 385 and then up to I-70. That’ll give us eyes on all the major roadways in the area. If there’s an invasion rolling in, we’ll know about it soon enough.”
“How are the teams going to report back? The radios aren’t working,” Daisy asked.
“Other than smoke signals, I’m open to suggestions,” Apollo answered.
Daisy let out a short laugh before her face turned serious again. “Earlier, when I was out at Frank Tuttle’s place to borrow the Geiger, I noticed he had Faraday cages around all kinds of stuff—even his pigeon house and chicken coop. Though I’m not sure why.”
“Because he’s nuts,” the woman in the back snapped. “You can’t trust anything that man says. He’s insane.”
“You were saying?” the Mayor asked Daisy after rolling his eyes.
The deputy let out a thin smile. “His pole barn was crammed full of all kinds of supplies and gear, so I gotta believe he has some communications gear
hidden away somewhere. If he does, then it’s probably stored inside one of the cages—”
“—and still working,” Apollo said, completing her sentence.
“Then you need to go back out there,” the Mayor said. “ASAP.”
“I figured as much,” she answered. “But he’s not going to let it go for nothing.”
“What do you mean?” the Mayor asked.
“I had to pay him three bucks for the Geiger.”
“He wants money?”
“Yeah. Otherwise, he’s not going to part with any of it. He’s been stockpiling for years and thinks the end of the world is coming. That’s why he got off the grid in the first place.”
“But this is a town emergency. Didn’t you explain it to him?”
“Yes, I did, sir. But he doesn’t care about us. Only himself. Besides, legally, we can’t just make him give up his possessions, right?”
“The hell we can’t,” the Mayor snapped, before shooting a sharp look at the Sheriff.
Apollo shook his head. “Legally, I don’t think so. He’s done nothing wrong, sir. Word has it he’s dug in deep and well-armed. I don’t think showing up in force and making demands will go over well.”
Daisy nodded. “He’s wound pretty tight after living out there all alone. Without Helen around to keep him balanced, I’m afraid he’s a ticking time bomb. Speaking of which, he might even have the place wired with explosives. Wouldn’t put it past him.”
“She’s right,” Apollo said. “It’s best if we keep the channels open with diplomacy.”
“You mean pay him. With money we can’t afford,” the Mayor said.
“And put up with his idiosyncrasies,” Apollo added.
Mayor Buckley threw up his hands and huffed, then paced the room a few times before speaking again. “Fine. We buy what we need from the man. I’ll authorize a cash withdrawal from the town treasury. But let me be perfectly clear about one thing. If he resists, then we take what we need. We’re not going to play games with this man.”
“I think that’ll work,” Apollo said.
The Mayor put a hand on Bunker’s back. “Since you seem to have the most tactical training around here, I’d like you to head out to Tuttle’s place with Daisy.”
“As backup?” she asked the Mayor.
“For a full assessment. Grab whatever you think we can use. Just don’t overpay.”
“You got it, sir,” she said.
“Can the town count on your help, Mr. Bunker?” the Mayor asked.
“Sure, whatever you need,” Bunker said, wondering if he should use the chance to disappear. He’d have his own horse and it wouldn’t take much to give the deputy the slip.
Daisy’s eyes lit up. “I only saw a small portion of his inventory, but it looked like he has a little bit of everything. There’s no telling what we’ll find once we start digging around.”
Bunker appreciated the Mayor’s trust in him, but he didn’t want to head out with Daisy until after he got something important off his chest. He wasn’t sure how’d they react, but he needed to come clean about it.
He caught Apollo’s attention with his eyes, then whispered, “Before I go, Sheriff, can I speak to you and the Mayor somewhere in private? There’s one more thing we need to discuss.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Bunker waited until Buckley and Apollo were inside the Sheriff’s private office before he shut the door. The rest of the group was still outside in the work area, huddled around the hand-crank radio, chatting away.
“Okay, what is it?” the Mayor asked. “We’re a little pressed for time here, Mr. Bunker.”
“Well, sir, there’s something I think the two of you should know. But before I tell you what it is, let me say that I’m pretty sure you’re not going to like what I have to say. In fact, it’ll probably change your view of me completely. So I ask that you please don’t judge until you hear me out.”
“Come on, man. Out with it.”
Bunker took a deep breath and swallowed hard. Every fiber in his being was screaming at him to keep his mouth shut, but something else was pushing him forward. He had to get the words out while he had the chance.
“After the jet barely missed us, I went to the front of the train to see what was going on. I ran into the Amtrak conductor and his engineer, who were standing out front. We started talking about the plane crash and trying to figure out what happened, when one of them said he used to work at Area 51—”
“Seriously? Area 51? That’s what this is about?” the Mayor snapped, throwing his hands up in disgust.
“No wonder you didn’t want to say anything in front of the others,” the Sheriff said, looking frustrated. “Dreamland?”
“Yeah, I know it’s a little out there, but I still think you need to hear what these men had to say. I didn’t want to bring this up with the civilians around, because I know they’d start to question their leadership if they heard the words Area 51. And that wouldn’t do anyone any good. May I continue, sir?”
“Fine. You got two minutes. Make it quick,” Buckley said. “But so help me God, if this has anything to do with Little Green Men—”
“No sir, it doesn’t. It has to do with the secret airline that Area 51 uses for staff and equipment. It’s called Janet Airlines. Have you heard of it?”
Apollo nodded. “Yeah, everyone around here knows about it. Groom Lake is due west from here. They fly into Colorado Springs all the time.”
“To meet with the brass at NORAD,” Bunker said, wanting to show he was on the same page as the two leaders of Clearwater.
“That’s the rumor. But what does Janet Airlines have to do what’s happening outside?” the Sheriff asked, pointing at the office door.
“The commercial plane that crashed was all white and had no markings on it.”
“All white?”
“Yes, even the windows were painted white. Apparently it was from Area 51.”
Buckley looked stunned. So did Apollo. Neither of them said anything.
“The Amtrak engineer wondered if the EMP was targeting the Area 51 flight specifically, possibly to stop top secret technology from being delivered to NORAD. Now, I know what you’re thinking. I thought the same thing at first. But after the Morse code message and the coordinates we’ve just decoded, I’m not so sure. Maybe the engineer wasn’t some conspiracy theory nut after all. Maybe he was on to something.”
Buckley nodded, but still didn’t answer.
Bunker looked at Apollo, wanting to gauge the Sheriff’s interest as he laid out the rest of his argument. “At this point, you have to ask yourself, what are the odds of a top secret flight being overhead and on its way to NORAD at the exact same time an EMP hits? And then there’s the apparent cyber attack that blinded our defense systems so our military couldn’t track the inbound missile and stop it. Assuming, of course, that’s what delivered the EMP.”
“I see your point,” the Sheriff said. “It does all seem a little suspicious.”
The Mayor paced to the far wall and back, running his hands through his hair several times. “So let me extrapolate a bit here . . . what you’re suggesting is that top secret technology was being delivered to various bases around the country when the EMP strike was launched. Apparently, to stop the Area 51 deliveries before they could be deployed.”
“Yes sir. It does seem to support the facts we know so far,” Bunker answered.
“To what end?”
“I have no idea, Mr. Mayor. But if the engineer was right, whatever tech was being delivered to NORAD was important enough for a foreign adversary to stop. And, by doing so, expose their new technology.”
The room was quiet for a full minute before the Mayor spoke to Bunker. “What’s your gut tell you about the engineer’s claim that he used to work at Area 51?”
“Seemed credible. He knew a lot of details about the base and the type of aircraft they usually fly. In fact, he mentioned that the downed plane was a much newer model. Apparently, Groom
Lake upgraded its fleet recently.”
Buckley sighed. “Then we could be caught in the middle of something much bigger than any of us realizes.”
“Which is why I wanted to speak to you in private. I know this is all just a guess, but we can’t ignore everything we’ve learned so far. But it sure seems connected somehow. Almost like Clearwater is near ground zero.”
“If so, then this is not simply a prelude to an invasion by Russia or China,” Apollo said. “This is part of some master plan.”
“Okay then, let’s assume some of these theories are correct,” the Mayor said, raising his eyebrows. “What does it mean for us? Does it change what we have to do to defend ourselves and ride this out?”
Bunker shook his head, taking a moment to choose his words carefully. “No sir. It doesn’t. At least not yet. But the two of you need to factor in the possibility of Area 51’s involvement. It may change what you have to do, depending on what you learn after the reconnaissance teams are sent out.”
“Agreed,” Buckley said, looking focused and determined. “One thing we know for sure, whoever is behind this has the burning desire to see our country fall.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“I’ll catch up to you in a minute,” Bunker told Deputy Daisy, turning and walking across the town square to talk with Stephanie King.
“What’s going on with the radio signal? Is everything okay?” Stephanie asked when he arrived.
“That’s what I want to talk to you about. Something’s come up.”
Jeffrey stood silently next to her, his tiny hands wrapped around the top of Bunker’s duffle bag. The kid was smiling and nodding with pride, making Bunker think Stephanie had put him in charge of the oversized pack.
Stephanie leaned to the left and looked past Bunker, her eyes thinning into a long stare. “Let me guess: it’s got something to do with her, doesn’t it?”
Bunker turned and followed Stephanie’s gaze, finding it trained on Daisy, who was looking back at him.
Bunker: Boxed Set (Books 1, 2, and 3) Page 16
