Reclamation (Best Laid Plans Book 4)

by Nathan Jones

  “Then you won't mind us taking a few precautions for someone driving a blockhead truck!” Trev motioned with his rifle. “Get your friends out here, out of the back too if anyone's in there, and if you've got any weapons let's see you set them aside slowly and back away.”

  The passenger door opened and another man stepped out, wearing a cowboy hat with his lower face covered by his jacket riding up around his upraised arms. “We stole this truck from the blockheads!” he called, and Trev stiffened as he recognized the voice. The man continued. “Are you guys the ones we've been hearing about, the remnants of the military setting up to turn back the Gold Bloc in the mountains?”

  Trev couldn't believe it. Out of everyone he'd expected to drive up his canyon, this had to be the least likely. But it explained why the truck was so familiar. He tried to keep his tone even as he answered. “What's your purpose here?”

  “We want to join up. The enemy made us flee our homes, and we had a good life before they came. We want that life back if that's still even possible. We even brought supplies and weapons to help you out, more than we need ourselves. You can see for yourselves.” The man awkwardly motioned towards the back of the truck with his raised hands, and the motion lifted his jacket enough for Trev to see the sheriff's badge on his chest.

  Had he kept it as a memento or did he still cling to his role as an enforcer of law and justice?

  More men were emerging from the back with their hands raised, slowly setting weapons on the road before walking up to join their leader. Fourteen in all, so the numbers fit there too. The man turned back to Trev. “Look, see? We're cooperating, we just want to join the fight!”

  It certainly looked like they were cooperating, but that hardly mattered. Trev reached down and thumbed his radio. “Get ready to move in and take these guys prisoner,” he whispered into his mic.

  Then he raised his voice again.“Good to hear. But it'll be hard to join the fight when you and your men are under arrest for armed robbery, Fred Vernon.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Necessity

  The former sheriff sighed and lowered his hands slightly, so the jacket didn't cover his face anymore. He looked a bit more haggard than when Trev had seen him last; the life of an outlaw didn't seem to agree with him.

  “I was afraid you'd recognized me, Smith.” He chuckled slightly. “Of all the luck, driving up the one canyon you're set up in. I'm impressed you managed to get all the way out here on foot in such a short time.” He looked around. “But you're really with the military? You're here guarding this piss poor road for them?”

  “You'll find out soon enough.” Trev carefully stepped over the fallen tree roadblock, weapon still trained on the group of fourteen men. Although he tried not to specifically point it at anyone and he kept his finger off the trigger. “Is this everyone?” He already knew the answer since this was the number of men who'd betrayed Newtown, but the former sheriff might've picked up some friends since then.

  Vernon nodded wearily. “There's no need to keep pointing that thing at me. Remember how we didn't go around waving our weapons willy-nilly when the situations were reversed?”

  Trev grit his teeth. “Probably not smart to remind me about any of that.” He motioned with the tip of his rifle. “Line up on your knees, hands on your head. My people are coming to tie you up, but you won't be harmed.”

  The former sheriff's people reluctantly complied, and didn't cause any trouble as Trev's squad converged on the road and cautiously moved up behind the kneeling men to search and bind them. Although they were obviously pissed; most weren't stupid enough to actually say anything to the people pointing guns their way, but there were plenty of glares and more than a few muttered obscenities.

  Vernon remained calm through it all, even when Trev zip-tied his hands behind his back after patting him down to make sure he wasn't hiding any weapons. The man also kept his full attention on Trev as he stepped away a short distance, to radio in and let Davis know what had happened. He quickly explained that they were bringing in prisoners, and that the sergeant could recall the reinforcements he'd sent. Davis didn't seem overjoyed at the news, but he curtly told Trev they'd talk about it when he reached camp.

  “What happens now?” Vernon asked as Trev thumbed the transmit toggle off and made his way back over to him.

  “Now we take you to our main camp,” Trev replied, pulling the former sheriff to his feet. “Normally we'd be looking at a hike to get there, but since you were kind enough to bring back my truck we'll be there in no time.”

  “So, what, we all pack in clown car style? There was barely enough room for us in there.”

  Trev had already considered that, but it wasn't the problem Vernon seemed to think. “Just me and a few guys to keep an eye on you. My squad was assigned to guard this canyon so we can't send too many people away.”

  Vernon nodded thoughtfully. Maybe it was paranoia, but Trev didn't like something about the man's expression. He stepped a bit closer, meeting the former sheriff's eyes. “If you think during the drive would be a good time to try something, think again. We'll shoot without hesitation.”

  In response Vernon shrugged his shoulders to indicate his bound arms, as if announcing his helplessness. “You know, me and my boys did what we had to do, but we weren't as eager for violence as you seem to be,” he said quietly.

  Trev had to laugh. “You're going to try to take the moral high ground here? Don't try anything and there won't be a problem.” He tapped Vernon's shoulder to turn him around. “In the back.”

  Vernon went, although he took his time. “We came here to fight the blockheads, like I said right off the bat. You really want to lose our help over a petty grudge?”

  Petty grudge? Did he actually have the gall to try to downplay leaving Trev's family stranded in Nebraska, forced to haul over a ton of food and other possessions the rest of the way to Utah with Gold Bloc soldiers at their heels? Not to mention abandoning the people of Newtown to fend for themselves.

  “Do I need to gag you?” Trev shot back. The former sheriff shook his head, keeping quiet as he led his men up into the back of the truck.

  Trev left them to get settled in with Rob keeping an eye on them and gathered the rest of his squad. “Tom, Mason, you're with me. Leave your rifles behind and just take your 1911s. And keep a good hold on them.” He handed his M16 over to Fred Donnell.

  Tom nodded, although he looked uneasy as he also handed off his rifle. “What exactly is going on, Trev?” he asked. “Armed robbery? Who are these guys?”

  Right. He probably should've given his people a heads up about what was happening. “You heard about Newtown, right?”

  The older man nodded. “The grain silo utopia you guys passed through.” His eyes widened and he darted a glance at the vehicle. “Wait. These are the guys who stole your truck?” Trev nodded grimly. “What in the blazes are they doing here?”

  “No idea. Last I heard they planned to make for Mexico, as far from the Gold Bloc as possible.”

  Mason snorted. “Joke's on them, then. They ended up where all the blockheads are going.”

  Trev wasn't in a laughing mood. “Tom, you're driving while me and Mason ride on the back and keep them covered. Keep it slow and avoid bumps so we don't get tossed off.” He turned to Hans, taking off his radio and mic and earbuds and handing them over. “You're in charge here until I'm gone. Make sure to keep the lookouts alert; these guys were alone, but they may not be the only ones out there.”

  Hans accepted the radio and started hooking it to his belt. “Gotcha.”

  “Let's go, then.” Trev led Mason to the back and hopped onto the fender, hanging on to the side of the opening and leaning in slightly. His squad mate copied his position on the other side.

  “Looks awfully uncomfortable,” one of Vernon's men said. “What're we going to do, headbutt you and fall face first to the road? Our hands are tied.”

  Trev ignored them and signaled a few of his people to move the tre
e Rob had dropped behind the truck. While they were doing that Tom started the vehicle, and less than a minute later they were bumping their way back down the canyon to take the side road to Highway 31. The ride on the back wasn't too bad, all things considered, but they were jolted around enough that Trev had to wonder if they'd even be able to do anything if Vernon and his men tried something.

  At least they were going slow enough that if they got bounced off it wouldn't hurt too much.

  Even though he'd radioed ahead that they were coming Trev still felt his shoulders crawl as they drove up the larger canyon, past the rocky slope Davis had rigged with explosives. It was ready to create a rockslide that would completely cover the road and the rest of the canyon, on a scale that dwarfed what Graham and his demolitions specialists had set up at Cedar Creek or other locations.

  The sergeant always had at least one squad of sentries and lookouts up in emplacements along the slopes to either side, too. That included the M2 Browning they'd brought from Aspen Hill, set up in the emplacement above the rocky slope and pointed down the canyon.

  If for some reason Davis did decide they were enemies the truck could be simultaneously buried under tons of rubble, blown to smithereens by one of the two TOW missile launchers, Aspen Hill's operated by Gutierrez and the one Davis had brought with him, and punched full of holes like a cheese grater by the .50 caliber heavy machine gun and assorted small arms fire. And Trev had no doubt the sergeant had taken other measures, like mining the ground along the sides of the road leading up to the slopes where his men waited.

  Good thing they were friends. He only hoped that when their enemies came this way it would be enough to handle them.

  He'd only been to the new main camp once since being assigned to Cedar Creek Canyon. It had grown a lot since then, including a section cordoned off as a temporary stop for civilians fleeing up the highway. The truck passed the section where Matt's squad had set up their tents, but it was deserted and his friends likely on duty somewhere.

  Tom drove them right up to the command tent, where half a dozen Marines were waiting, including Williams. The corporal nodded at Trev as he and Mason jumped off the back. “We'll guard the prisoners, Smith. Sarge wants to see you.”

  “All right. Thanks.” Trev started for the tent.

  As he passed Williams the man caught his arm. “He's pissed,” he warned in a low voice.

  Trev wasn't surprised. He nodded his appreciation for the heads up as he ducked into the tent. Inside Davis stood hunched over the map table glaring down at the detailed map he'd cobbled together, but he didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular. As soon as Trev entered he lifted his head, glaring.

  “Care to explain the stunt you just pulled?”

  It took a lot to keep calm under that scrutiny, especially since Trev wasn't exactly sure what the problem was. “Stunt?”

  The sergeant reddened slightly, but he kept his tone disconcertingly polite. “What else would you call arresting US citizens?”

  Ah. “Fred Vernon, former Sheriff of Newtown, and his former deputies who aided him in committing crimes, are guilty. Just like I told you when I radioed in. I have eight witnesses who can testify to that, and that I had good reason to arrest him.”

  “You don't have the authority!” Davis snapped, finally starting to lose his cool.

  “With all due respect, you confirmed my position as leader of my squad and sent me to guard that road however I could. I assumed I had a bit of leeway when it comes to authority. Besides, even citizens have the right to arrest suspected criminals and turn them over to law enforcement.”

  “And what should we do with them? Shove them in a big cage in the middle of camp and waste time and resources guarding and feeding them when we have a war to fight?” The sergeant rubbed his forehead. “How many men does Vernon have with him?”

  Trev hesitated. “Thirteen.”

  “So that's fourteen well armed and supplied men coming to volunteer in the fight against the blockheads, assuming that part of your report was also correct. You realize that's probably not happening now?” Trev had no answer for that, and Davis sighed. “Fine. Tell me exactly what they did that you just couldn't look past.”

  Trev quickly explained obtaining the truck from the Gold Bloc internment camp and the decision to enter Newtown for supplies, as well as Fred Vernon's highly vaunted reputation. Then he described having the truck taken at gunpoint and the “payment” the sheriff tossed at them as if it made it all okay, and Vernon and his men abandoning the town in the stolen truck.

  Once he was done Davis shook his head. “Downright civilized compared to some of the atrocities I've heard about,” he growled. “You realize we're fighting a better supplied, better equipped, better trained, and numerically superior enemy force and need all the help we can get? Is his crime worth canceling out the assistance he and his men could provide?”

  “I-” Trev hesitated. “That's up to you to decide, sir.”

  Davis swore at him, then yelled for one of his Marines waiting outside. “Go grab our car thief.” The soldier saluted and left.

  After a minute of tense silence the same Marine pulled the entry flap aside to let Vernon through. Aside from his hands still being bound the former sheriff didn't look much like a prisoner, with his shoulders back and his back straight. Even his cowboy hat was on straight.

  Davis motioned to his soldier, who cut the zip ties binding the man's hands. Vernon nodded his thanks and rubbed at his wrists to restore circulation, and when Davis waved him forward he came to stand next to Trev without hesitation. Meanwhile the Marine settled into an at ease position near the entrance, eyes on the former sheriff and hand on his sidearm. So it wasn't all rolling out the red carpet.

  “Fred Vernon, right?” the sergeant asked. Vernon nodded. “Mr. Smith has told me his side of things. Now I want to hear yours.”

  The former sheriff glanced over at Trev. “I like to think I have a handle on Trevor's honesty. I'm willing to accept that he told you the truth.”

  Trev took half a step back from the man, completely shocked. He didn't know what he'd expected, but it wasn't that.

  Davis looked surprised as well. “You admit you and your men stole his family's truck and possessions at gunpoint, then robbed and abandoned the town you'd committed to protect?”

  “Yes.”

  The sergeant glanced over at Trev, then back at the former sheriff. “Smith tells me you were headed south to Mexico. How did you end up here?”

  “Only partly by choice.” Vernon looked at the ground, and his expression actually seemed a bit haunted. “We got pretty close to Mexico and what we thought was safety, only to learn that the Gold Bloc already had an army there. Tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of soldiers.”

  “BS,” Trev snapped. “We haven't heard anything about an army in Mexico.”

  Vernon glanced at Davis, who surprisingly hadn't reacted to the news. “Then you're about to have a very unpleasant surprise. The army's had the southern US in a massive cordon for weeks now, snatching up any refugees fleeing from the Gold Bloc forces coming down from the north. Those poor people are caught between hammer and anvil and from what I've heard it's beyond brutal. My men and I were lucky to get away ourselves, and we wouldn't have without the truck. We had to fight every mile of the way to break through to Utah from New Mexico.”

  Trev grit his teeth. “You know the people of Newtown are some of those “refugees” fleeing south, right? Deb, Clara, Max, even Westman and his barflies.”

  The former sheriff flinched, and his haunted expression became almost haggard. “I'd figured as much.”

  “Let's set that aside for now,” Davis abruptly said. “You and your men want to volunteer, Mr. Vernon?”

  “Yes.” Vernon finally looked up, fighting to regain his calm. “I wanted to run with my men, but it looks like that's not possible. The only option left is to fight, so that's what we're going to do.”

  “You're dead right about that.” Th
e sergeant settled back against his desk, arms folded across his chest. “We could use everyone who's willing to fight alongside us. Especially people who can handle themselves.”

  “Wait, hold on,” Trev said incredulously. “Are you seriously going to trust him? He told you himself he'd run if he could, and he's already proven it once.”

  Davis shot him a hard look. “The point is that he's here.”

  “Until he finds something better and runs off! This is the guy who abandoned the town he swore to protect as soon as he could steal a vehicle with fuel.”

  Vernon clenched his jaw. “He's not wrong,” he said grudgingly. “I don't expect you to believe that I feel guilty about that, and for more reason than just because we couldn't run south like we'd planned. But whether you believe me or not I do feel guilty. I watched a blockhead convoy massacre a group of refugees and couldn't do anything about it, and I had to accept the fact that I'd probably left my friends and neighbors to the same fate.”

  “Well in that case welcome aboard,” Trev said sarcastically.

  “Give it a rest, Smith!” Davis barked. “I'm already pissed at you, don't give me a reason to really lose my temper.”

  Trev hesitated, then nodded and stepped back. He wasn't doing his case any good antagonizing the sergeant, and anyway he was starting to sound spiteful. Justice was on his side, he'd have to be content with that.

  Davis gave him a final glare, then turned to Vernon. “Here's the deal, Sheriff. You and your men can join, and punishment for your crime is waived as long as you're with us, all the way to however this war ends. You will, however, return the truck and all remaining fuel to Mr. Smith, and anything else you took, at which point he will generously pass them on to the military until such time as we no longer need them.”

  The sergeant paused to look at both of them. Trev nodded, since he hadn't expected to get the truck or anything on it back in the first place, and Vernon nodded as well.

  Davis continued. “The other supplies you brought with you from Newtown are likely also stolen, but that's just fine because you've already generously offered to donate them to the military. You can keep your weapons and other equipment as long as you fight with us, and once this war's over they're yours to keep.”