by Marcus Sloss
“On day three, every Gpad was blocked and panic started to set in. The radio stopped being answered when our relief rotation never arrived. My first thought was we were hosed and I was not wrong. I loaded up all our supplies and went to drive to Camp Dja. Get this, none of the up-armored vehicles started. The digital brains were locked out because they were the property of the Saudi government now. The truly dire nature of the situation dawned on me. Not only had we been abandoned. We were left behind on purpose and meant to fail. My mind kept coming back to the fact that President Hansen had stopped sending aid. This had to be connected somehow. Without the means to talk to anyone or travel, I had to do something besides sit in the FOB and rot.
“We improvised and stripped tires off the vehicles. After a few rolling carts were created, we loaded up our water and food. When the daylight heat shifted into a cool night, we marched for Camp Dja. By morning, we saw the base overrun by angry Saudis. So… I probably should have turned around. At least I tell myself that most nights. My unit was furious and, to be fair, our base we needed to get home was being overrun. Rules of Engagement said we could open fire if our property was being stolen. We flexed into combat ready positioning to reclaim vital goods we would need to survive. A few stragglers accidentally ran into us while carrying food. Food both sides desperately needed. The Saudis were literally starving, I have their frozen faces of joy at finally being able to eat stuck in my mind. They were able to feed their fourteen children at home with the box of MREs they held. Still, it was our food and I ordered them to stop. I told them in Arabic that they were under arrest. Jevon said I butchered the translation, but it still got the point across.
“They were willing to die for the food they held. They were so desperate that they opened fire on our troops, who were behind cover. We weathered the initial fire while crouched behind road barriers and boulders meant to prevent car bombings. After the fiasco with using too much ammo on the earlier engagement, we only had our best snipers return fire. Four shots resulted in four dead enemies. Our problem was the mass of people looting - well, they heard the exchange. Most fled, which I can be grateful for. We hunkered behind cover and out they poured from the Sushi gate. Sushi was code for the southern gate. Since they ran to the fight with hostile intent after we had to defend ourselves…
“Four hours of slaughter. I lost two men to a rocket-propelled grenade. Sergeant Mills bled out while the medics tried their best. I…” I paused, taking a deep breath, and continued. “Mills and Jensen exchanged their lives for thousands of dead Saudis on the other side. I think it is important to note these were not soldiers. Maybe a few were deserters mingled with the majority of civilians angry at the Zionist allies. When it was over, we found a few things. There were a dozen trucks with matching keys in pockets left behind. Stacks of water and food piled near the south gate in a random fashion. We rationalized they were depositing their stolen goods before fighting us. Between FOB Lister and Camp Dja, we could last for a few months without support.
“A working Isquare was found on one of the victims. I created a new Gtuber channel, showcasing the state of Camp Dja and the pile of bodies outside of the base. I wore an eye patch from a dead man and we cut some hair off Corporal Perkins that became my twirled mustache. The video was an instant success. I linked it to a Gbook personal page and waited for someone important to contact the Isquare directly. I was not surprised when my Colonel messaged me. I figured someone would be monitoring for videos released in this area. When we went to video chat, I was shocked. Colonel Wheat ordered me to surrender less than an hour after we reclaimed Camp Dja. I expected him to be in the states not surrounded by Saudi military personnel. Also, like hell would we surrender. So, I made my statement very clear. I said to give me those orders in person. He said he already surrendered. I replied his statement was made under duress and I was leaving the country. More would die if we were confronted and to stay clear of my forces.”
“As you can imagine, this enraged his captors and they executed him on the spot for failing to get me to come in nicely. So much for surrendering. At this point, I concluded President Hansen had made some backdoor dealings. A colonel was probably part of the offer for compromise to appease the Saudi’s hearts. My best guess at this point was the President constructed a deal to stick around while the regime recovered from lack of money combined with the losing war. Hansen could not keep his promise. We had too much money getting diverted to social programs at home to prop up the Saudi regime. American forces were evacuated with equipment abandoned after shipments stopped arriving. Relying on ex-convicts like my unit was the cover reason the relationship soured. The reality was probably money. Everything came down to money. While I played the what-if and probable scenario game, there was an absolutely clear thing: there would be no help coming for an ex-con unit stuck in a hostile desert.
“I made the hardest decision of my life. I removed my uniform. The others followed without orders. I was abandoning my post. My goal to those men was simple, yet incredibly complex. Make it home alive. We had plenty of dead bodies to strip of clothing to change out our gear with. We smashed our Gpads, torched our gear minus the armor under our baggy clothes, and convoyed out of Camp Dja in stolen gas-guzzling trucks. I expected hellfire missiles or tomahawks to blow us to bits at the start of our escape. There was no way Uncle Sam did not know we had survived, and yet, they stood idle. Maybe some general was watching over us. Or the satellites were blocked. While I waited to die from friendly fire, I made a thousand things up to pass the time. When I realized we were going to be allowed to try to escape without interference, I sighed. And the best part was my first Captain Moostache video was not taken down. I came around to the fact that there was someone cheering for us behind the scenes.”
The whirling sound of helicopter blades pulled me from my story. A flight of three chinooks crested the horizon carrying cargo nets full of supplies underneath them. The back two contained hesco barriers folded flat for travel while the front helicopters net was crammed with boxes. They soared in, touched the supplies down, a pop sounded, and then they were gone. Those pilots were professionals in their craft. Less than a three-minute turnaround time before they were returning south. Their sound died down to nothing when they dipped below the horizon for lower altitudes.
“What is in the boxes?” I asked Perci, continuing to shuffle MREs into the barn.
“Explosives and heavy armament. Should be a thousand pounds of C4, a fifty cal with a few thousand rounds, and a few Tow Missiles. Best I could-”
“Stop moving this food that will survive a nuclear explosion. Perci, fantastic job. Alright, we move these munitions into the barn. The hescos we will deal with when Jevon arrives with the big machine,” I ordered and we swapped over to the latest delivery. The netting was removed and most of the boxes were multi person carry. We started the trips as a team. “I guess we should just expect the stuff to arrive when it does.”
“The three RVs and a dozen plus ATVs are on the way and should be here any minute. Same with extra solar panels, but we don’t need that here,” Perci said, and I looked at her in confusion.
“Is there some secret nuclear plant up here?”
“They set up some fancy hydro turbines in the river downstream,” Perci said, pointing down to the river where the power lines came from. My curiosity to visit the spot increased greatly now. “It feeds more than enough power unless we add a few thousand people. Speaking of spare room, you should send out the invite in case we lose Gpad access soon.”
Becca grunted for attention. “Who are you wanting to invite here? I went inside and that mansion is vast. I mean, there are more bathrooms than I have ever seen. Needing to find a place to pee will not be an issue. Maybe two to three hundred before it is jammed packed. I guess what I am saying is, what is the plan for how many we are taking in and why might we lose Gpad access? I thought they were fool-proof, even to satellite attacks?”
Perci snickered and said, “Sorry Becca. All o
ur satellites are pointed away from that ship. Those that watch it tend to combust shortly thereafter. The prevailing theory is when the alien arrives, it will zap ‘ALL’ our satellites causing-”
“Ah, no satellites, no Gpad. Got it. Who do you want to invite?”
“Don’t despair, if the satellites go down the network might stay up. Cap had a plan, one he hasn’t been able to share yet. I executed all of it minus one thing,” Perci said with a raised brow as she and Willow set down a heavy box of C4. “Telling the rest of Roving Recon survivors. He planned to send an encoded message with his call sign of Captain Moostache and the coordinates here. They had a special tap code for words they used on their stolen Isquares when they fled Saudi Arabia. At this point, you could just do a face video. Hansen will not report anything about the aliens because he is dead.”
I almost stumbled while carrying the front end of the long Tow Missile. Becca and I placed it down in a separate stall. That information was a lot to process. Part of my isolation from the world once I became a citizen again was due to the fact the villain in the story had escaped unscathed. I wanted justice, burned for my vengeance. Except, now he is dead.
“Before you think it is a mistaken case of death like Dr. Gepstein, know that he was called into mother’s office as we fought over if I was going underground with her or into the mountain peaks with you. She ordered him to send helicopters to help me as we bickered. He refused and ate a bullet to the brain. It was so sudden, one moment mom was angrily yelling at me, the next she reached into her underwear, whipped out a pistol and fired. The fat ass shit himself in death,” Perci said in disgust while waving a pretend stench away from her nose. “Ugh, I still smell it.”
“Wait, your mom killed the President!?” Willow exclaimed and I stifled my laughter at her naivety. “Wouldn’t his protection detail have saved him?”
“Willow, Gcorp contracted the secret service out in 2031. He has been her pawn for a year,” Perci said and Becca interjected. “Before you start saying anything, this information is beyond top secret. My mother will kill you if you say anything to anyone. Officially, the President killed himself with a self-inflicted gun wound. That will be put out soon.”
“Lips sealed,” Becca said while running her fingers over her lips. “So, if she was in charge...was your mom the reason Cap was abandoned?”
“That deal was struck before her rise to power. Even before she was CEO. When she did have Hansen by the balls, she forced the closure of the deal and told him to get it done. To be honest, I think Mom knew she was condemning men and women to death when she canceled the agreement Hansen had made,” Perci said while stuffing her hands in her pockets. She guiltily looked down while kicking the dirt. “The reality was it was stop giving aid or our economy might crumble. If the US financial system imploded due to Saudi mismanagement, then far more would have died. An American economy would have been different than before. The government itself would have defaulted. Hundreds of millions who live off government money would have been suddenly without everything.”
I cleared my throat for attention.
“When she tried to rescue me, she said it was her fault indirectly. She never complained about evacuating those she could or spoke out against us publicly. But you are right. I wonder how much past guilt applied to this mountain getaway plan happening? Or how much she wanted her Persephone to be safe? I guess the cause and effect of the past needs to be let go of. If Hansen is dead, good fucking riddance,” I said and spat on the ground in disgust. “I for one am grateful Gcorp is running the country now. They certainly will run a dictatorship. In a time of crisis, a single competent person can make miracles happen. I am getting sidetracked. Do you have a prepared message?”
“Of course, Cap. Just needs your—”
“Do it.”
“Done.”
“Thanks, how many are still alive?” I asked, ashamed of not knowing.
“All of them, scarred, bruised, and broken. Not a single one committed suicide since coming home. Confirmation coming quickly, returned by seventy-two of the one hundred and fourteen. Please continue with your story,” Perci said, but Willow interrupted.
“Mom got back to me. Kentucky to Denver is a straight shot west. Even with the increased speed limits from auto control, the total trip time was fifteen hours. She left three hours ago. So, before sunrise,” Willow said, and I gave a relieved sigh. “I know, I was worried too. I said to hurry because there was important news. That led to a lot of unwanted questions. Should be fun when she gets here. Hopefully the surprise! ‘There are aliens’ news will be popped by others by then.”
“Wait, we can bring family? I have siblings, parents, and well, this tough exterior is not alone,” Becca said in a bit of a ramble. “You never answered my capacity question.”
“Originally, I had no idea what we were going to move into. This spot on Gmaps was fields with surrounding jagged mountaintops creating this valley. I figured we would find some cool caves up here and, if not, I had us living in confined RV’s and cars. So yes, tell your family, but tell them to bring supplies to survive off of. Tents, blankets, and more. Becca, I think the government overlords censoring our words are not our problem. It will be neighbors, cousins, aunts, and everyone trying to find salvation that can only support so many. With that being said, I doubt those besides close family will believe what you say. Also, the aliens could be here to just watch us and never do anything unless provoked.”
“You do not believe that, do you?” Perci asked hesitantly. She fidgeted while pacing. “I mean, I spent influence and half my bank account. If this is an ‘aliens sit in the sky to study humanity,’ I am screwed.”
“Heavens no. They are here for a reason. Studying us can be done from a distance. Let me text Jevon. I have not talked to him since early this morning.”
‘How far?’
‘Denver ETA 5 hours’ - Jevon
‘Shift to this location. Touch to download coordinates’
The phone rang and I tapped the answer button. Jevon’s face materialized on my Gpad with the driver’s seat behind him. I could see the trailer with the CarlCat heavy machine in the background. Jevon looked ready for combat in a black turtleneck and sensor glasses on. Which reminded me that sensor glasses were on the list.
“Reason for location change?” the hologram version of my friend asked.
“Emergency evac out of Denver. We are in our newest FOB, FOB Mansion,” I said and showed him the area by twisting my wrist. Everyone waved as they flashed on the return screen.
“Roger, new ETA is six and a half hours. Tell your army wife I say hi. Jevon out.”
Perci rolled her eyes and Willow gave an awkward chuckle.
“Back to my story, while we continue to shuffle this gear away. We left Camp Dja without a clear plan. The morning sun was rising and I knew I did not want to run a daylong battle in the looted shell of a base. You might think I was crazy but we went back to FOB Lister. There were a few brave souls picking over our remaining gear when we arrived. We killed them.”
“Just like that?” Becca said in astonishment. “No letting them flee or -”
“We abandoned our post and were rouge at this point. You need to understand something, and maybe you will never get my rationale. We were no longer peacekeepers. We were convicts sentenced to die. Our only chance of escape would be by eliminating those who would report us or get in our way. From this point on, the people of Saudi Arabia were no longer there to be protected. They were there to exploit to ensure we made it home. We added a new truck, five more rifles, and preserved three packs of bottled water. The blood over the water bottles washed off just fine. If we let them leave, we would have been without those supplies.”
“Savage,” Becca said while pausing to contemplate what I had told her.
“Yeah, I ball up from PTSD almost every night. The dead who haunt me have little remorse when it comes to letting me sleep in peace,” I said and that shut her up. I get it. The spin the
news did when we arrived home was crazy. We went through hell and back with the enemy being evil every step of the way. There were a lot of demons and stories buried behind NDAs signed upon our return that I was uncovering. “You want me to keep going. There is a reason Torrez is in there and not out here helping.”
“No Cap, when you put it that way, I get it. You were never… You always… There was… Awe shucks, Cap. I am a stern woman never at a loss for words. Sorry I judged you,” Becca said sincerely.
“Trust me, it is okay. I judge myself too. FOB Lister was indefensible for the long term. We knew that on the trip back. We also know it was a good place to stop to figure out how to hide who we were. Planning where to go next hit a few snags. The east coast of the country was still engulfed in war because of territory disputes. Qatar was claiming its borders should include more land inside Saudi Arabia. Even the UAE and Kuwait were doing the same, just without armies inside the country fighting though. The whole west coast was wide open, but further to reach. We talked about pirating a plane. That was our ultimate answer. Steal a plane and fly to Israel. The problem was well…
“There were lots of issues that we could never solve. The idea was just so one-dimensional. Smash the gates of an airport, guns blazing, or even go in all ninja-like. Take off and then hope we never got shot down. That was the biggest issue. Even though Israel smashed the Saudi air force, that did not mean they had no air force left. Every scenario we played out ended up with us dead on the ground in a fiery crash or bombed from above before we ever took off as the extremely limited military was defending a vital airport.
