Both tubs landed along the edge of the field to minimize crop damage, placing the tubs near the tree line.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting that,” said Collin, who thought there was going to be an attack. He watched the helicopters until they disappeared from view.
Collin looked over at the tubs in the field and caught Major Logan’s eye.
Major Logan said in an annoyed tone, “Well, Mr. War, in case you were wondering when the message on this note would come into play, the time has come.”
Chapter Nine
Major Logan strode down the road, heading toward a building called The Eagle’s Bar. Prior to the outbreak of the fever, the private club served drinks and fellowship for its members, but had since been re-purposed as the central precinct for Logan’s Goshen Eagles.
Collin volunteered to tag along with Major Logan and offer any assistance he could, since anything was better than babysitting civilians. Even if Logan was a dick.
The town was bustling with activity as citizens prepared for an assault that everyone knew instinctively was incoming. Collin understood the stakes; the medicine was vital according to Dr. Horner, but would the Vipers really attempt to destroy the entire town?
Not likely, he thought.
They pounded up the steps to the bar and a soldier opened the door for them. The basement was still dedicated to entertainment, while the ground floor was strictly business. All four walls were lined with lockers, shutters covered windows like they did in all the buildings, and benches gave soldiers a place to sit and tie their boots. Each soldier kept their weapon with them at all times, eliminating the need for a weapons locker.
Most of the men were geared up and awaiting orders.
“Eagles, attention!” shouted one soldier. Everyone snapped to attention as Major Logan and Collin entered the room.
As Major Logan began talking to his men, Collin experienced another flashback.
He saw himself standing at attention in Boot Camp, listening to a tough looking leatherneck Drill Instructor chewing them out. Then he flashed to weapons training. He was lying prone on the rifle range, clearing his jammed rifle while the DI yelled at him for moving like a pile of shit in a snowstorm.
When Collin’s experience ended, Major Logan was already tasking squads with orders.
“Wilson, Turnbull, you guys are up on the dam. Wilson, your team’s on the farm side watching the mountains. Turnbull, your team’s in the middle of the dam. Copy?” said Major Logan.
“Copy, sir,” Wilson, Turnbull, and their spotters said. They were the Eagle’s best sniper teams and each was assigned a Barrett 82A1 .50 caliber rifle. Beast rifles.
Awesome bullet slingers, but overkill versus people armed with arrows and knives, Collin thought.
All the other sniper teams were dispatched to the Eagle’s Nests. The rest of the soldiers were distributed among other key locations. Collin learned they had prepared fighting positions near the river, the bridge, and the near side of the fields.
“Remember Eagles, we are strong and prepared, but do not get overconfident nor underestimate our foe, for these are the seeds of doom. We are seventy-five against roughly three hundred Vipers. What they lack in firepower, they can make up for in cunning and sheer numbers. We will not go the way of General Custer,” Major Logan said. “Keep your head on a swivel and stay alert.”
He looked at each of the soldiers - men, women, young and old.
“We aren’t just fighting for medicine. BT76 is vital, but we are also fighting for all of Goshen. Our town. Our homes. Our families,” Major Logan said raising his voice. “The ruthless murders at the hospital the other night are but a small reminder of what these heathens will do if they prevail.”
He let that sink in for a moment.
“Will we allow the Vipers to rape and pillage Goshen?”
“No, sir!”
Collin shot a questioning look at Major Logan.
“We have the training. We have the firepower. We have the good Lord on our side.” Major Logan straightened up and shouted, “Stay alert!”
“Stay alive!” Everyone shouted in unison.
Collin felt goose bumps. He wanted to grab a rifle and defend Goshen too.
“Fly, Eagles,” Major Logan said.
“Fly!” shouted the soldiers.
So corny, Collin thought.
Major Logan turned to Collin and motioned for him to follow.
They walked past the soldiers as they hustled out of the building to their positions. In the back corner was a door that led to a small room.
In the middle of the room was a large rectangle table containing a map of the town and surrounding area. A roster list hung on the front wall. The roster listed each Eagle’s name, age, gender, and a box listing two and three letter codes.
“What are these codes?” Collin said.
“They represent various skill qualifications the soldier has passed,” said Major Logan. “We have three broad categories of Eagles - assault, defense, and special skills. Special skills are snipers, demolitions, comms, et cetera.”
Collin nodded his approval.
“Come look at this.” Major Logan motioned for Collin to join him in looking over the map.
“I’m surprised you’re showing me this,” Collin admitted.
“Pastor Pendell wanted me to show you how we pull this off,” Major Logan said. “I follow orders.”
“Fair enough.”
Everything was laid out on the map - the town, the river, the dam, the fields - and some detail in the surrounding forest. Major Logan pulled open a drawer under the table and started placing chess pieces on the map to indicate his soldiers’ disposition.
“These here are our snipers on top of the dam. Of course, we have other sniper teams in the nests that ring the fields. Here we have Alpha Team.” He pointed near the town-side of the bridge. “Along our side of the river is Bravo Team to provide covering fire. Bravo can also move out with Alpha if needed. These two positions here are our heavy weapons bunkers. Here and here we have mortars, although we rarely use them because ammo is running low.”
“Impressive firepower.”
“Indeed. Now then, a flare will be the signal for Alpha Team to move out and secure the supply crates with grappling hooks. We have horses positioned on our side to pull the crates to safety, while Alpha Team covers the extraction. Once the crates reach the bridge, Bravo team will secure them in this position by the bridge, open the crate, and manually transport the packaged medication to the hospital.”
“You guys have done this before?”
“Many times. Why?”
“If the Vipers are out there, then they’ve seen this before,” Collin said. “It’s predictable, which makes us vulnerable.”
“They’d be fools to try anything.” He waited for any other questions. “If there’s nothing else then let’s head outside. We will watch the extraction from the church.”
“I’ll follow you, Major,” said Collin.
The Eagle’s Bar was only a block away from the church, which made their trip brief. Soldiers were buzzing about all over. Collin spotted Dr. Horner walking toward the bridge, presumably to observe the handling of the crates. Up ahead, on the stairs of the church, stood Kobyashi. He gave them a short wave as a greeting.
“Hey, Koby,” Collin said. “You joining us?”
“If you don’t mind, Major?” Koby said.
“If you must.” Major Logan pushed past him and into the church.
Koby rolled his eyes. “He’s still mad that I spend so much time with his mom,” He whispered to Collin. “But I’m cool. I told him he doesn’t need to call me daddy or anything.”
Collin smiled.
They went back to the staircase that led to Pastor Pendell’s office, but instead of stopping at the second floor they followed Major Logan up the spiraling staircase.
Pastor Pendell must have noticed them passing by because he called out for Koby. Collin looked back at his friend.
Koby rolled his eyes and said, “Damn. See ya later.”
“See ya.” Collin continued upstairs.
Major Logan was waiting for him at the top of the staircase, holding open a faded green door that led to an attic space in the bell tower.
“Where’s Koby?” asked Major Logan.
“Pastor Pendell called him into his office.”
Major Logan shrugged. “This way.”
A wooden walkway crossed over rafters stuffed with insulation. There was another door and more stairs. These stairs were dusty and obviously rarely used. Each step creaked out a unique tune, bowing ever so slightly under their weight. Major Logan pushed open a hatch and climbed out into the open space above.
“Here we are,” said Major Logan.
In the center of the square tower was a massive bell hanging from the pointed roof above them. A short railing kept people from wandering into the path of the swinging bell, even though they would have to be well over six feet tall to get hit. A walking space about four feet wide surrounding the bell took up the rest of the floor space. A waist high wall ran around the perimeter with a gap between the wall and the roof open to the outside world so people could hear the ringing bell.
The view was fantastic. From this height, they could see most of the town and nearly all of the farmland. They could see across to the dam where they saw the snipers, moving along the top to man their position. From this distance, they were little more than dark spots against the gray concrete but Collin could imagine their rifle barrels protruding over the edge; even though it’d be against sniping doctrine under normal circumstances. The Eagles had no fear of return fire since the Vipers only used primitive weapons.
“Why don’t you position snipers here? This is a great location,” said Collin.
“Pastor Pendell won’t allow it. He doesn’t want to make the church a target of retribution, plus he says the Lord’s house shouldn’t be used to take lives, even Vipers’ lives.” Major Logan lifted a pair of binoculars to his eyes and looked across to the medical supply crates.
“How does it look?” Collin asked.
“It’s quiet, but my guess is Vipers are already out there watching our movements. We need to get those tubs secured,” said Major Logan. He pointed under the railing on the far wall, where a set a hand-held flags hung. “Wave the green flag in the direction of the dam.”
Collin stepped over and pulled the flag from its hook. He leaned over the short wall and waved the flag back and forth.
“That’s good,” said Major Logan.
They stood for a while just watching the fields waiting for the snipers on the dam to give the signal.
“So what’s your story?” said Collin. He leaned against the wall enjoying the afternoon breeze that came down off the mountains.
Major Logan looked at him for a moment.
“My father served in the Air Force, so I grew up on air bases around the world. Went to university in Washington, D.C. I like the color green and have a German Shepherd named Chewy.”
“That’s sweet.” Collin chuckled. “And how did you come to lead the Eagles? What are your qualifications?”
Major Logan’s eyes narrowed briefly. Then he tilted his head and said, “I was a U.S. Army Ranger with the 2nd Ranger Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State, with two tours in Iraq. Later, I served in the 7th Special Forces Group out of Eglin Air Force Base in Florida although I spent much of my time in Afghanistan.”
Major Logan turned back to survey the fields.
“Nice. What was your MOS?” Collin knew that some guys would boast to civilians about their military career and this simple question about their Military Occupational Specialty — or job — was a simple way to weed out most fakers.
Major Logan cocked his eyebrow at Collin. He looked surprised. “My last primary MOS was 18-Alpha, detachment commander. But I was 13-Foxtrot when I was enlisted with the Rangers before going to Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia.”
Collin nodded. “What about the Eagles? Any vets among them?”
It was Major Logan’s turn to chuckle. “Many of them are experienced. They’re a mix of military and law enforcement. It’s work they already know and enjoy doing. Of course, the town recognizes their hardships so we reward them with the recreation room in the basement of the Eagle’s Bar and a special selection of fine liquors. Eagles also receive special hunting permits that civilians don’t, as well as a higher fishing limit. They can keep what they kill without having to share, although most of them do.”
“Sounds fair.”
Major Logan turned to look at Collin. “What about you? What’s your real story?”
Collin should have expected the question considering he asked first. He opened his mouth but stopped. He shrugged.
“It’s frustrating. I feel like I should know my own life story but I don’t remember that much,” he said. “Just a few bits and pieces and a vague sense that I’ve been to places like Washington, D.C., but nothing that connects them. They’re just random blobs in my mind.”
“That’s it, huh? You don’t know who you are, or why they kept you alive so long?”
“That’s all I remember. Insignificant flashes of the past.”
Major Logan grunted.
Still no signal from the snipers. Collin wondered what was taking so long but Major Logan didn’t look concerned so he relaxed.
“You handled those Vipers at the hospital with impressive skill, according to Anna. Plus, what I saw with my own eyes in the alley,” Major Logan said. “That tells us something.”
“I guess. It all just flowed without thinking. It was like instinct. I’m kind of nervous to find out who I was before the fever. Maybe I was a bad person?” Collin said.
“You’re kidding, right?” Major Logan said.
“I don’t feel regret for killing those guys.”
“They were murderers, why would you?”
Collin shrugged.
“C’mon, seriously. You really don’t know who you were?” said Major Logan with a laugh.
“No. I don’t know.” Collin frowned. “Do you?”
“You have no clue why you’re important?” Major Logan laughed again. “Why do you think they kept your sleepy ass alive?”
“Dr. Horner seems to think she can use my blood to help the people of Goshen fight the fever without BT76.”
“Hmm, so I’ve heard. I wouldn’t put too much stock in that,” Major Logan said. “I would be surprised if we had the equipment needed to analyze and synthesize a vaccine. But she seems confident.”
“Do you know who I was? Why they kept me alive?”
A bright red flare shot through the air from the dam and drifted down through the air on a parachute, glowing brightly even in the daylight.
“Ah, here we go. Showtime,” said Major Logan. “We’ll have to save the soul searching for later, sir.”
Sir? Collin thought the formality sounded odd, considering the source.
Alpha team rushed over the bridge in two staggered columns. The last man in each column held the grappling hooks. Ropes trailed behind to a pair of draft horses that stood ready to pull the supply crates to safety.
The columns of soldiers leap-frogged across the fields, their guns trained toward the tree line. It only took a minute or two before they were halfway across the fields.
Three shrill tweets from atop the dam broke the silence.
Alpha team stopped advancing and knelt in the tilled soil.
“What’s that?” said Collin.
“Vipers have been spotted.”
“Why are those snipers revealing their position?”
“They’re far out of the Viper’s range, and they’re in the best position to see the enemy and alert everyone else. Unconventional for sure, but it works.”
Nothing happened. No attack. No movement.
Alpha team leader stood and motioned for his men to follow. They were on the move again.
C
ollin felt more nervous watching these soldiers risk themselves, than he felt that night in the hospital.
More whistle blasts from atop the dam.
“What’s that one mean?”
“No idea,” said Major Logan. He raised his binoculars and looked up at the dam then swung them across to the tree line.
Suddenly, a buzzing filled the air. Collin saw what could only be a massive cloud of arrows buzzing in a large arc toward Alpha team. Without thinking, he leaned over the wall and screamed, “Take cover.”
If Alpha team heard him, they didn’t react in time. They couldn’t have anyway. Hundreds of arrows rained down all around them. All over them. No cover in the fields and plenty of cover in the tree line. Bodies full of arrows slumped to the ground. Legs kicked, arms twitched, and a few cries could be heard.
“Christ,” whispered Major Logan.
Classic tactic, thought Collin. He shook his head, saddened by the team’s loss.
Booming shots rang out from atop the dam. Then shots cracked from the Eagle’s Nests too. A steady, methodical rhythm as the snipers picked away at the Viper’s numbers.
Bravo team rallied on the bridge. One squad fanned out and took a knee while the other squad rushed out to help Alpha team. It was futile but understandable.
Another volley of arrows whistled through the air. This round was less effective because most of the remaining squad wasn’t in range.
To the left of the bridge, on the farm side of the river, a heavy weapons position opened fire with a machine gun.
“Pound ‘em,” Collin said to himself.
The right side heavy weapons position also opened fire. Their fields of fire would criss-cross each other, converging at different angles on the Vipers shooting position. Sniper fire continued at random intervals.
Praying for War: The Collin War Chronicles Page 9
