The group cheered.
Major Logan walked to the front of the formation and faced the soldiers. He stood tall and called out, “Attention.”
Everyone snapped to attention. Then he said, “Group, fall out.”
The soldiers dispersed and went to their respective locker rooms to gear up.
Collin followed some of the soldiers. He trained each and every Eagle in the CAW.
“Hey boss,” one man said. Collin nodded at him.
“You going with us?” asked a young man.
“Unfortunately not. I got stuck babysitting the town,” Collin said.
A hand landed on his shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. Collin fought the urge to grab the hand and crush it, before throwing the wielder into the lockers. Collin turned to see who the hand belonged to. He was surprised to find it was an older guy named Joe.
“There’s no shame in protecting our families,” Joe said.
“Thanks,” Collin said.
“Koby, what are you doing here?” Joe asked him.
“Pastor made me Collin’s number two.” Koby scoffed. “You believe that shit?”
“Hey, it could be worse,” Joe said with a hearty laugh. “Don’t worry, man. If you’re learning from Collin, you’ll be good to go.”
Koby didn’t look reassured, which made Collin smile.
Several soldiers were sitting on wood benches loading magazines. The air smelled of gun oil and ammunition.
As each round clicked into the magazines, Collin started to recall another memory.
He was standing on a rifle range next to his battle buddy, a fellow trainee, while the two of them were being chewed out by the drill instructor for some minor infraction. Collin knew he did well on the range, but his battle buddy was going up for the third and final time to try to qualify on his weapon. If he failed, he’d be discharged. Of course, Collin remembered the drill instructor using different words to describe what would happen.
An Eagle bumped Collin. “Excuse me, sir,” the soldier said with a nod.
Collin was pulled out of the memory, and realized he was standing in the way, as the Eagles prepared for their mission. Eagles were checking their rifles, sorting through their rucksacks, putting on their field gear, lacing up their boots, and painting their faces with camouflage.
“No worries soldier. I’m the one in the way here,” Collin said. He caught Koby’s attention and motioned for him to follow, then turned and walked out of the room.
Collin made his way back toward the planning room. He wanted to look over some of the maps he’d seen hanging on the walls. One in particular caught his attention. It showed Goshen and the surrounding area. He needed to know the lay of the land because he had his own operation to plan. With the remaining Eagles, he would have to defend the town against any potential attacks.
He removed the small plastic thumbtacks holding up the map and carried it over to a table. Collin laid it out flat and examined the area, starting in the center of town and working his way out in a spiral pattern.
Footsteps in the hallway vaguely registered as he studied the contour lines and land features.
“There you are,” Koby said leaning against the door frame and letting out a heavy sigh. “I was looking all over for you. You just took off, man.”
Collin grunted but didn’t look up from the map.
“What’s up?” Koby said.
“Nothing.” Collin could feel Koby staring at him, but he found something curious. He traced his finger over a road he was told was overgrown and essentially ceased to exist. Likely the same road he spotted from the top of the dam.
“You were distracted in there.”
Collin sighed and turned to face his friend. “Yeah, I was. The sounds and smells triggered a memory.”
“That’s good, right?” Koby looked hopeful.
“It was fine. At some point I must have served in the military, probably the Marine Corps.” Collin shrugged.
Koby grunted. “That explains your moves at the hospital that night. From what I heard, you did quite a number on those Vipers.” Koby lowered his voice and grinned. “Not to mention the ass-whooping you served up to Logan.”
Collin smiled to himself and returned to the map.
“Come look at this,” he said waving his friend over. “If you had to infiltrate Goshen, how would you do it?”
“I wouldn’t. Not if I only had a bow.”
“I’m being serious. It’s up to us to defend the town while Logan and the CAW are on their mission,” Collin said. “That puts us at a major disadvantage as far as personnel. If the Vipers are observing the town, which I assume they do full-time now, especially since Anna is out there with them. They’ll see the CAW leave and know that we’re down twenty Eagles and Major Logan.”
Koby walked over and stood next to Collin. He folded his arms over his chest and leaned toward the map.
The noise outside the office picked up. Collin glanced back but couldn’t see anything. He walked over to the door and looked down the hallway. He saw about half of the Eagles had finished prepping their gear. Almost everything was laid it out in formation.
Collin was just about to turn away when the gym door creaked open and Pastor Pendell entered the gym.
“Pendell is here,” Collin said, looking over at Koby.
One of the Eagles saw the pastor and ran off.
Probably to fetch Major Logan, Collin thought.
The hum of conversation quickly subsided and everyone turned to face Pastor Pendell.
Pastor Pendell saw Collin and Koby and raised his hand in a brief wave. Collin waved back but didn’t walk out to meet him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Major Logan striding out to the middle of the gym where Pastor Pendell stood with soldiers around him on one knee.
Within a minute, all twenty of the Combat Action Wing soldiers knelt around Pastor Pendell in a semi-circle.
He raised his hands out, as if he was channeling the power of the Lord into the room, and asked them all to bow their heads in prayer.
Beside Collin, Koby clasped his hands at his waist and bowed his head. Collin simply watched as the holy man commanded the attention of everyone in the room.
“Our brave Eagles, our protectors, and our family. May you find the honor in your mission for it is undertaken for a just cause. May your leaders have clear vision to meet victory head on. May you have the bravery to carry out the mission to the best of your ability. May you find the courage to face your enemy and defeat them. Crush your foes with no mercy in your mind, but with love in your heart, for only the Lord has the wisdom to sort the wheat from the chaff,” Pastor Pendell said. His deep voice was rich and resonated well in the gym. “Go forth with pure hearts, strong minds, and the blessing of the Lord upon you. May you be triumphant. May you earn us a lasting peace, for without the enemy, we may worship and live in peace. Should you be injured, may your wounds fully heal. Should you perish in the struggle, may God embrace you and find a place for you in His kingdom. Amen.”
As one, the Eagles said, “Amen.”
Then they stood up and looked to their leaders for direction.
Major Logan rose from kneeling and said, “SSGT Raiford, form them up at the bridge and we’ll move out from there. I’ll be a few minutes.”
The Eagles began picking up their gear and filing out of the gym. Major Logan walked toward Collin.
“Do you need anything before we head out?” Major Logan said.
Collin shook his head. “We’re golden, Major. Good luck downrange. Keep your head on a swivel.”
“Copy that. You too.” Major Logan nodded at Collin and Koby.
Pastor Pendell walked up and tapped the major on the shoulder. “Can I have a word?”
“Of course.”
The two men turned and walked away. Collin overheard Pastor Pendell say, “Remember, you have two goals — get the BT76 and kill Vipers. All of them. I’m sick of them harassing us.”
Major Logan glanced over
his shoulder at Collin. He nodded at the pastor and said something, but at that point, they were too far for Collin to hear anything else.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Major Logan watched as his soldiers began to filter water to top off their water supply from a stream coming down off the side of the mountain.
New leaves adorning the aspen trees along the banks of the stream rustled in a light breeze. The air smelled of fresh wild grass and damp earth.
“Get your fill,” Major Logan said. “This may be the only time we can stop for water.”
They left Goshen with one water filter for every two Eagles. Major Logan had his own. More than half of them consisted of a variety of pump water filters, so one Eagle would pump while the other would fill their canteens or hydration pack, depending on what they had. The others had squeeze-style water filters, which took a bit longer. What they lacked in speed, they made up in simplicity and durability. The water itself was cool, clear, and refreshing.
While the Eagles refilled, he laid out his map and used his compass to double check their location. He compared the terrain on his topographic map to what he saw around him and was satisfied. He knew where they were. The Eagles were making great progress.
Logan knew that many of the Eagles had never left the safety of Goshen’s fields since the fever outbreak. Some of the younger members of the CAW had never left Goshen at all. This was their first foray out into the wider world.
Earlier on their trek, he’d seen the wonder light up their faces when they’d crested a ridge and could look back on Goshen from a distance. That’s when the vast scale of the valley and their relatively small place in it, hit them.
Major Logan had a hard time imagining what it must feel like to leave the only safe and familiar place known to you. He’d been out in the forest before. Many times, in fact.
Where he knelt along the stream’s bank, leaning on a large rock, deep in the valley south of Goshen, the forest looked so peaceful and normal that it was hard to tell that any problems existed.
They had a couple more miles until they reached the Devil’s Meadow, a place that Major Logan knew would put them at a tactical disadvantage. According to Koby it was approximately where the crate had dropped, so it was where they had to go.
SSGT Raiford approached Major Logan and said, “Everyone’s good to go, sir.”
“Good. Form ‘em up.”
“Yes, sir.” SSGT Raiford walked far enough away that there would be room for the formation and called for everyone to fall in.
Major Logan stood up, folded his map and held it in the same hand as the compass. He walked to the front of the formation. “We are close to our target. Just a couple of miles separate us from our BT76 shipment.”
A few eyebrows twitched, eyes blinked, but no one said anything. Their discipline was good for now, but Major Logan wondered how they would hold up under fire.
Who will survive? He wondered.
“Keep your eyes and ears open. The Vipers are sure to know about the case, if they don’t have it already. This means we can expect an ambush at some point. We can only deny them the privilege of an ambush by staying away of our surroundings. So be mindful,” Major Logan said. “I am confident we will recover the crate. Don’t kid yourself though. We will not recover it without a fight. You get me?”
“We get you, sir,” they chanted.
“We are Eagles and we hunt Vipers. Remember that,” Major Logan said. He looked at Raiford and said, “Sergeant, they’re all yours.”
Major Logan returned SSGT Raiford’s salute, did an about face, and walked away from the formation.
Refilled and rested, the Eagles continued their journey through the mountain valley toward the Devil’s Meadow. A short distance from the stream the ground began to slope down. In the valley, to their left, was a river glistening like a trail of precious gems in the morning sunlight. The river stretched into the distance until it had wound its way out of view behind the mountains.
Major Logan noticed the ground was soft and uneven so he glanced over his shoulder at the Eagle behind him, a woman named Maryann, and said, “Watch your step. Pass it along.”
Maryann turned to the soldier behind her and passed along the major’s message. Before long, everyone would know to be careful. The last thing they needed to deal with was a sprained ankle or broken leg if someone fell.
Behind Logan to his left, SSGT Raiford breathed out a sigh of contentment. “At least now I can say I’ve seen more than one river in my lifetime.”
Shocked, Major Logan turned to look at Raiford. “Seriously?”
Raiford smiled wide, showing off his bright white teeth, and nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble then, sergeant,” Major Logan said with a smirk. “That is the same river that runs through Goshen.”
“Are you sure, sir?” SSGT Raiford said.
Major Logan shot him a look.
“Sorry, sir. This river just looks so much different than ours.”
“Ours looks darker because of the silt churned up by the dam’s waterfall,” Major Logan said.
SSGT Raiford grunted. “That’s too bad.”
Trees grew thicker as they descended the mountainside along the edge of a deep draw. A tiny creek trickled down from the stream above to the river below. Major Logan began to weave the formation in a series of slow switchbacks. This made the descent easier on their knees and reduced the chance of someone tumbling downhill.
“This slope is going to be a bitch on the way home,” Maryann said.
It was true, when they retrieved the medicine and began the journey home, it would prove quite challenging with the heavy crate. Major Logan was fully aware of the challenges. Every obstacle they came to would compound in difficulty and their progress would slow dramatically.
Major Logan raised his hand in a fist to call a silent halt. Everyone stopped walking and waited for the next command.
Turning to the larger than average SSGT Raiford, Major Logan waved him over. He didn’t want to shout out commands this close to the enemy.
“Move the CAW into a file formation,” Major Logan said quietly when Raiford reached him. They would need the flanking elements for security, since visibility in this part of the forest was even more limited.
“We’re headed in the right direction, sir?” SSGT Raiford asked.
Major Logan stepped close, stared hard at Raiford and said, “Yes, I’ve been here before.”
The two men just looked at each other for a couple of awkward seconds before Major Logan chuckled.
SSGT Raiford chuckled nervously, unsure why the major reacted that way.
“File formation, sergeant. Make it happen.”
“Yes, sir.”
While the Eagles repositioned themselves, Major Logan took a knee and double checked his map.
We’re on target, he thought.
Major Logan stood up and looked around. The forest was thicker than he remembered. There was more underbrush and it smelled differently but that could be due to the season. The leaves and pine needles overhead in the trees rustled in a breeze that Major Logan couldn’t feel down on the forest floor. He took a big breath in and savored the fresh air. He didn’t know how everything would work out, but he was confident that no matter what, he would succeed.
“We good, sergeant?” he asked SSGT Raiford.
“Yes, sir.”
“Okay, move out.”
Two flanking security teams, made up of four soldiers, peeled off and took up their positions on either side of the formation. The point security team moved out at a steady pace, staying about ten meters ahead of the remainder of the platoon. Every one of the Eagles lined up and spaced out five meters apart behind the point team.
Not even ten meters had passed before the right flank team hit the deck after hearing a screaming sound and causing the rest of the formation to come to a halt. After a minute and no enemy contact, Major Logan rushed out to the flank team to see what was happ
ening. He ran hunched over, in short bursts. He hid behind trees and changed directions every couple of seconds. It took him about eight seconds to cross the space between them.
When Major Logan arrived, the team leader apologized. They spotted the source of the noise.
“It was a red squirrel, sir,” the team leader, Sergeant Benson said. He stared at the ground, frowning, waiting to be berated by his commander.
Major Logan smirked. “Better safe than sorry, right? But let’s dial back the caution just a bit, eh?”
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir,” SGT Benson said.
“Everybody up, let’s move out,” Major Logan said. “We’re almost there.”
Then, he jogged back to his position at the head of the formation, just behind the point security team and motioned for everyone to move out. The Eagles stood, weapons at the ready, and continued their journey. Devil’s Meadow was no more than five hundred meters away.
The Combat Action Wing made it fifty meters before several more squirrels began screaming like maniacs, exposing the platoon’s presence to the whole forest. Major Logan thought it odd though, because the squirrels didn’t sound like they were moving. Usually they would alert the area and run away, scampering up a tree or jumping across branches to move deeper into the forest.
Major Logan raised his hand in a fist, indicating the platoon halt. He scanned the trees for the squirrels. They still hadn’t moved. He couldn’t see them through the foliage either. It wasn’t until he walked up to a tree with a screaming squirrel that he saw something disturbing.
The squirrel was in a cage made out of bent wire and sticks.
“Damn it,” he said, looking around quickly, scanning the trees. The squirrels were being used as an early warning system; an alarm provided by nature and they had just lost the element of surprise.
In a normal voice, not shouting, he said, “Let’s go. We have to double-time it. The damn squirrels are an alarm system.”
He heard a few shocked whispers of surprise, which he ignored. There was no time to answer questions; they had to move.
“Corporal Wicks, bring the flank teams to within ten meters and tell them we have to double time it,” Major Logan said, pointing at Wicks. The young man nodded nervously and ran off to relay the order. Then he pointed at Private Jones, she was young but tough and motivated. “Private Jones, tell the point team to be on high alert. The Vipers know we’re here.” She ran forward to relay that order. Both were back in formation before the platoon was ready to carry on.
Praying for War: The Collin War Chronicles Page 22
