Reclamation (Best Laid Plans Book 4)

by Nathan Jones

  The scrawny soldier made an impatient gesture. “Not out of Denver. Our people in Colorado are pulling out entirely, abandoning the eastern arm of the Rockies and coming to join us in Utah. The only ones staying behind are a few Special Operations Forces teams, who are going to destroy every road and block every pass they can, then operate out of the high mountains doing as much damage as possible to blockheads moving through the area.”

  Matt tried to digest that news. “I thought the entire point of locating here was to hold both arms of the Rockies.”

  A solder down the table who Matt didn't recognize snorted. “Maybe they figured we don't have enough people to hold that much territory. Or maybe the blockheads won a victory no one's telling us about. Either way the higher ups are leaving Colorado to the Gold Bloc, which means we'll be seeing action a lot sooner than any of us expected.”

  No kidding. Without the buffer in the Colorado Rockies the Gold Bloc could push right through to the Utah Rockies and attack them from this side. Which meant the enemy would probably try to come up Highway 31, Cedar Creek Canyon not too far north, Aspen Hill Canyon back home, Highway 6, and every single other road leading up into the mountains from the eastern side.

  Matt had expected that he and the other volunteers to be well away from the action, with most of the fighting over on the west side of the mountains or in the Colorado Rockies hundreds of miles away. Sure, he'd accepted that eventually they'd probably see some fighting here, too, but not any time soon and only if things went wrong somewhere else.

  Only now Erikson was leaving the door wide open and letting the blockheads waltz right to them. They were about to be at the front in a war zone.

  Then a frightening thought struck him. If these mountains were going to be the only place the military defended, holding the line between I-70 and I-80, that meant that all the towns east of here were no longer safe. Including Aspen Hill.

  “Have the towns between here and Denver been warned?” he asked.

  The soldier down the table shrugged disinterestedly. “Probably. If they haven't they're hosed.”

  Abrams shot his squad mate a dirty look. “Come on, man. The guy's got family out there.” The other man had the grace to look embarrassed.

  Matt clapped the scrawny soldier on the shoulder as he stood, picking up his tray. “Thanks. I should go let my people know.”

  A few of the soldiers offered goodbyes as he walked away. “Keep your gun close!” Abrams called. “You'll probably be using it before too much longer.”

  When Matt got to his table he learned that his squad mates there had already heard about Erikson abandoning the Colorado Rockies, and were in the middle of discussing the ramifications. Since he was still reeling from the news himself he used his food as an excuse to withdraw from the conversation and sink into his own thoughts.

  Erikson had spent over a month preparing those defenses around Denver, and had already fought several bitter skirmishes to hold them. From everything Matt had heard those skirmishes had overwhelmingly favored the US forces, and the blockheads were nowhere close to dislodging them from those mountains.

  So why had the General abandoned his position all of the sudden? There had to be a reason, and Matt seriously doubted it involved good news.

  “We need to get word to Aspen Hill and the other towns in the area,” he abruptly said, interrupting the conversation his squad had been having, which had turned to a recent skirmish near Cheyenne along I-80, and its possible relation to Erikson's decision to pull out.

  His friends looked at each other. “I'm sure the military's thought of warning everyone,” Rick said.

  Matt shrugged. “Probably. We should still do it ourselves, just in case. If nothing else we can send along details they might not get otherwise, and it'll be a good chance to relay some personal messages to family too.”

  Before anyone could answer a commotion outside drew the attention of everyone in the mess tent: the sound of an approaching truck engine, which was finally loud enough to pierce the din of dozens of people eating and talking, as well as yelled greetings from the sentries on duty. Soon afterwards the truck began honking.

  Most of the fighters around him abandoned their meals to go see what was going on, and Matt left his half-empty plate behind as well to join them. When he followed the crowd outside he saw a military truck pulling into camp, still honking. As soon as it screeched to a halt the soldiers in the cab hopped out, and Matt was startled to recognize Corporal Williams as the man who'd been in the passenger seat.

  Williams immediately made a beeline for the command tent, where Davis was waiting for him. The two pushed inside, leaving the rest of the soldiers who'd arrived in the truck to be mobbed by the curious denizens of the camp. The Marines returned the friendly greeting, and didn't seem to mind sharing what their visit was about.

  A demolitions specialist team had finally been sent their way, along with enough high explosives to fill the truck. Williams was in charge of the squad escorting them, and once they finished planting their charges on all the roads from here to Aspen Hill Canyon the corporal had orders to remain behind under Davis's command, to help hold the roads on the eastern side of the mountains.

  The reinforcements also sent along word that more volunteers would be heading their way as soon as they could hike the distance from one of Lassiter's camps to the north. Matt liked the thought of extra help, considering that they'd soon be facing hundreds of thousands of blockheads pouring in from the east, but from the sounds of it the General was only sending another few dozen people their way.

  That really didn't feel like enough, whatever Davis's assurances of a squad being able to hold one of these canyons against an army.

  After about fifteen minutes of waiting around chatting with the newly arrived Marines Davis burst out of the command tent, Williams on his heels. “All right, people!” he shouted. “Time to stop slacking and really get to work!”

  Matt bit back a groan. Nobody would call what they'd been doing “slacking” by any stretch of the imagination. Truthfully though he wasn't too inclined to complain, since it was a bit of a relief to see the sergeant looking confident and full of purpose in spite of the situation.

  In short order the volunteers had been split up and assigned to make new camps along every canyon road between here and Aspen Hill, with Trev's squad posted in Cedar Creek Canyon just above the spot Matt's team had greenlighted for the demolitions team that morning.

  All aside from Matt's squad, that was. They were going to be posted along Highway 31 with the two squads of Marines, in a new camp farther up the road that was well above the rocky slope Davis had decided was the best spot for taking out the road. At least that they were going to find that close to the canyon mouth. Matt had mixed feelings about the assignment, since it meant his people were going to be at the most dangerous location. But on the plus side they'd also be working with the trained soldiers.

  Within ten minutes the camp was a whirlwind of activity as all the tents were taken down and people began packing up to relocate to their assigned spots. Since the trucks would need to move anyway Matt's squad was given permission to load their things into one, along with the bulk of the camp's supplies. It would save a bit of time and effort, which was nice.

  Matt was in the middle of supervising the loading when Williams walked up. “Our demolitions guys' first stop is Aspen Hill,” he said without preamble. “Your town agreed to hold that canyon, but we still need to help them rig the road to be destroyed if necessary.”

  “We'd appreciate the help,” Matt agreed. “Want me to ride along? I'd like to alert the town to what's going on with Erikson's withdrawal. The sooner they start evacuating the better.”

  The corporal shrugged. “Probably a good idea. We'll be leaving soon.”

  “Right.” Matt turned to Rick. “Get our people set up in the new camp and going on whatever work Davis has in mind for us.”

  His friend nodded, clapping him on the shoulder. “Got it. Gi
ve my family my love.”

  Matt nodded. “I'll make sure all our families know we're doing all right and have things under control. Stay safe.”

  He trotted over to where Williams and his people were already waiting in their truck. The engine roared to life as he hopped in the back, and seconds later they were off.

  * * * * *

  After being away for weeks, missing his home and his family and Sam most of all, it felt almost surreal to cover what had felt like an insurmountable distance in a half hour. In no time at all Williams's truck was driving up Main Street, with the town looking the same as when Matt had left.

  Although that wouldn't be the case for long, once the news reached them that they needed to evacuate.

  Matt had radioed ahead to let everyone know they were on their way. Catherine didn't bother to send one of the town's trucks and some defenders to escort the Marines this time, and aside from a few townspeople waving there wasn't much ceremony as they parked in front of town hall. Matt and Williams hopped down to talk to the Mayor, leaving the other soldiers in the vehicle for the moment.

  Catherine met them on the front steps and shook the corporal's hand, then after a bit of chitchat the two headed inside to discuss the need for evacuation, as well as coordination between the military and the town moving forward. Matt was left waiting outside, but he wasn't bored because within minutes he was swarmed by curious neighbors wanting to know what was going on.

  Deciding it would be better if he left it to Catherine to break the news of the approaching blockheads to the town, Matt omitted those details as he described the general situation with the war, and in more detail what the volunteers were doing down near Huntington. He also sent along the requested messages to the family and friends of his absent squad mates.

  All the while, though, he found himself looking over people's heads searching for the familiar petite dark-haired woman he most wanted to see. When Terry came out from the clinic to greet him Matt was disappointed to learn that his wife wasn't volunteering that day, and neither was April. And although it was good to see his brother-in-law, Matt was tempted to make his way out the shelter and leave Williams and his people to do their thing.

  Before he could decide one way or another the corporal came back outside, after less than five minutes talking with the Mayor. As he started towards the truck he passed where Matt and Terry were chatting, and paused to pull Matt aside. “We're headed up the canyon to set the charges.”

  Matt wasn't surprised the man was in a hurry. There was a lot to do before the Gold Bloc reached them, and who knew when that would be. “All right. I can think of a few good spots to check out.”

  “No need. The Mayor and I got in touch with your buddy Halsson. It looks like over the last couple weeks he's thoroughly searched the canyon getting ready for us, and he'll be meeting us at the bottom to guide us to the spots he's picked out and see which works best for our needs.”

  Matt felt a surge of hope, although he tried to keep his expectations realistic. “Should I come along too?”

  The corporal gave him a slight smile. “We should be a few hours, and I doubt we'll need you. If you want to take the opportunity to visit loved ones now's the time.”

  He didn't have to be told twice. In fact, he was about to bolt down the street towards the shelter right that moment when Terry called him back. “I've been using your bike,” he said, somewhat sheepishly. “Or Sam has when she takes a shift.” He pointed to the rack off to one side, where sure enough Matt's bike stood waiting.

  Matt pulled his brother-in-law into a hug, just in case he didn't get another chance to talk to him before it was time to head back south again, then ran to his bike and hurriedly unlocked it with the familiar combination. Williams was just starting the truck to head out the the canyon when Matt zipped past headed north, pedaling for all he was worth.

  He reached the pair of hills the shelter was situated between in record time, and felt his heart soar when he rounded the taller hill and found Sam doing laundry in the little space they'd set up for washing clothes beside the underground structure.

  His wife was pinning up a shirt on the clothesline when he caught his first sight of her. Even through the fairly loose shirt she wore he could see the swell of her belly and their child growing within, and his breath caught in surprise; she'd barely been showing when he left, and even after less than three weeks it seemed much more noticeable.

  Matt slowed to a stop and hopped off the bike, feeling a surge of relief and longing. Relief that she seemed all right, longing for how long he'd been away from her and how little time he had to see her now.

  Before he could start forward again Sam paused to stretch and turned Matt's way slightly, hands on the small of her back. As soon as she saw him standing there she stopped dead, eyes widening with shock. Then joy spread across her face and she gave a happy shout and bolted towards him.

  Matt barely had time to drop his bike and open his arms before she threw herself into them, nearly bowling him over in the process. He had to lift her slight weight so she could get at his face to rain kisses on him, doing his best to hold her tight while treating her like porcelain as he returned her kisses and tried to get a word in edgewise. “Are you all right? You and the baby?”

  “We're fine. We're great,” she mumbled, breaking off her kisses to bury her face in his neck and hold him tight. “We've just missed you so much.”

  Tears stung at his eyes as he held her a bit tighter. “Me too. Every day.”

  She spoke into his shoulder, sounding almost hesitant. “How are you here? C-can you stay long?”

  “Just for a few hours. I came with some demolition specialists from the military.”

  His wife mumbled something inaudible, not seeming curious about what they'd come for, and held him even tighter. They stayed like that for almost a minute, as Matt let himself enjoy just being with the woman he loved, the familiar presence he'd dearly missed while he'd been gone.

  Finally Sam pulled away slightly to beam up at him, eyes shining with her own tears. “There's so much to say.”

  Matt nodded. “How have you been? Is everything going all right?”

  She shrugged. “Okay, aside from missing you. Things have been happening, but nothing too interesting compared to what you've probably been doing.”

  He leaned down to kiss her again, longer this time. “I'm super interested. Tell me all about it.”

  “Deal, as long as you return the favor. I want to know what it's been like for you since you volunteered.” His wife abruptly looked away and bit her lower lip, blushing slightly. “But first there's something important I need your help with.”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  Dark eyes looked up at him solemnly, although humor danced in them as well. “I've been missing my husband for almost three weeks. Take a wild guess.”

  * * * * *

  Lewis met the soldiers at the mouth of the canyon, loading up his bike in back before hopping in the front to sit next to Williams. “Good to see you again, Corporal,” he said.

  Williams nodded. “The Mayor says you're in charge of the town's defenses now that Larson's with us.”

  “That's right.”

  “Good. Then while we're taking care of planting these charges I can fill you in on what's going on with the war.”

  “I'd definitely appreciate it,” Lewis replied, meaning every word. Chauncey did his best with the radio, but a lot of what they got was secondhand. Most of that was because the military was fairly closemouthed, aside from sending out calls for volunteers and contradictory messages indicating a bright future for the country if everyone did their part, and conversely just how difficult the fight against the Gold Bloc was going to be and the need for all the help they could get.

  The corporal gave him an impatient look. “This isn't gossip, Halsson, it seriously affects your town. General Erikson is pulling out of Colorado and joining our forces here in the Utah Rockies.”

  Lewis saw the rami
fications immediately, and fought the urge to curse. “So just like that Aspen Hill is outside the protected area.”

  Williams nodded curtly. “You'll need to evacuate up to the top of the canyon, at least. Probably even farther, although I expect your town to keep their promise about defending this area against any Gold Bloc attacks.”

  “You don't need to worry about us.” Lewis took a deep breath. “So what's the exact situation?”

  Over the next few minutes Lewis listened in silence as the corporal laid out what was going on with the war, particularly to the east where the fighting was already fierce. Lewis listened intently, but it was an effort to ignore the sinking in his gut.

  This meant he'd have to abandon his shelter. Again. And not just the shelter but the gardens. Maybe even the bees, too, unless he could think of a safe way to transport them and find a safe place for their new home. Then there was the hassle of relocating all their animals, and how that would disrupt their usual routine. And they'd have to transport all the wheat from Newtown, and somehow find a place to store it.

  And his family had really been getting settled in. They'd just finished building the second house, which his aunt and uncle and cousins had moved into only a few days ago, and everything was more comfortable for everyone.

  And the town! Organizing the evacuation was his responsibility, and he'd been preparing for it as best he could since just after the Retaliation. Thanks to that he knew just how overwhelming the task was going to be, and it was anyone's guess how much time they'd have. They would need to get started right away.

  Williams finished with his terse breakdown of the situation and leaned forward to peer at the road ahead. “Where are these spots you scouted out?”

  “We're almost there,” Lewis replied, shaking out of his grim thoughts. He was leading them first to the most ideal spot he'd picked out, which meant they'd already passed a few less suitable ones.

  This one was halfway up the canyon, where a crumbling cliff overlooked the road in a narrow spot. A few rocks had already broken away from it, littering the ground beside the road, and the rest of the cliffside looked as if it wouldn't take much to join them.