“Colonel Adkins has managed for a call to be sent out to all Oath Keepers. They are converging here and at other rally points she has designated. We have an army starting to rally around us. What you were worried about, not being able to take the next step. These men are just a small part in taking that next step. We are moving forward hon. We have to move forward.”
Chapter 48, Occupied
Letterkenny Depot
10/20
The special ops XO, and her two advanced scouts sit on the large hill opposite the main gate to the massive arms depot. They cannot comprehend what they are seeing There are rows and rows of armaments. Hundreds of old M113 troops carriers, row after row of the original Hummers, artillery pieces lined up in close formation that number in the hundreds. There are acres of jeeps, not used in over thirty years. The rows of warehouses stretch for over a half mile. In the distance they can see the telltale signs of munitions bunkers. The roads lead back into the mountains indicating that there is way more equipment and arms stockpiled that they can’t see.
The two scouts cryptically state what they see while the XO writes down all they report. This goes on for several minutes. One of the scouts, after trying to count all the jeeps stops. “Just put down a crap load, Lieutenant. I can’t count them all.” He starts to laugh. “I didn’t believe what that gimp legged dude was saying, but holy shit, this is enough hardware to equip an entire army corps. And he says we are going to take this?”
“Don’t be an ass,” the XO replies. “General Mays has the right idea. The equipment we need is here. What about defenses?”
“There is none to speak of. You would think a cache of equipment and weapons this big would have a whole division watching it. I see no more than a couple dozen people. This place is occupied, but barely. They have no more than a skeleton crew down there.”
“There has to be more defenses than what we are seeing,” the XO responds, “this is a gold mine. I don’t know how we’ll defend it, but we can take it. Reynolds, the major should be in McConnellsburg by now with the rest of the team. You boot back there quick on the dirt bike. Here’s my quick report. Emphasize to him how massive the site is. General Mays will need a plan to hold this place. I know he has a couple of hundred soldiers geared up, but he will need at least a thousand men to hold this place. We need to take it, but we need to hold it too. Go now, be quick.”
Reynolds backs off the mountain top and heads for their stash of equipment, quickly unloading the small bike and heading out. His head is spinning, but he keeps focused on his mission. What he knows has to be reported to the major.
The executive officer and her sergeant stay where they are, watching the depot. “XO, look at the flag pole,” her sergeant states. “It’s in front of the large brown building at the sharp curve.”
She finds the spot and eyes it over. “I’ll be damned!” she exclaims. “What do you think of that, sergeant?”
“An upside down flag is the universal sign of a facility in distress,” he replies.
“But what kind of distress? They are asking for help. But help from who? The regular army? We have chosen sides, sergeant. The regular army, if they are imposing martial law, are our enemies.”
“And if they are defying those orders, they are probably Oath Keepers,” the sergeant replies.
“These guys are Oath Keepers. They are looking for help. Regular army wouldn’t fly a flag upside down. Regular army would just expect help to arrive. I think we need to make contact.”
“There are only two of us, XO. You going to walk in there unescorted?”
Shelia Mathews, the young Captain, ponders that question. She is one of only a handful of women to make it through ranger school and special ops school. She is tough, and she knows her skills well. She has been in Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan on short tours with specific missions. She executed her missions on all assignments, earning a bronze star among other medals. She is a rare breed, and she know it.
“I’m going down there,” She states. She taps the fifty caliber sniper rifle. “You got my back sergeant?” He nods. She heads down the hillside to traverse the half mile between their position and the main entrance to the arms depot. Just as she drops out of site, a distant but massive explosion is heard, rumbling up the valley like rolling thunder. But it is a clear blue sky day.
Chapter 49, Converging
Sideling Hill/McConnellsburg
10/20
Colonel Adkins has settled the confrontation between Captain Warfield and Major Jeffers. That brings a brings a whole new light on the activity that Major Jeffers sees, as his small, but well equipped convoy helps fortify the remote outpost.
“This is quite an impressive turnout you have here, colonel. What magic button did you press?” The major states, surveying the well-disciplined people around him.
“Oath Keepers, major. If you weren’t one before, you are now,” Colonel Adkins states definitively. “Your executive officer and her crew came through here this morning. As far as we know, they have eyes on the target right now. They are out of communications range, but we are securing a mountaintop that should allow line of sight communications. General Mays has left Central City for Sidling Hill. He should be in position within the hour. What news do you bring?”
A bit hesitant, the major looks around at the steep hillsides with its many small valleys, ridges and knolls. The entire landscape is heavy with gold and red foliage, interrupted by large limestone outcroppings and massive boulder fields. He sees three red tail hawks rising on a thermal created by the limestone cliffs. All terrain has its advantages and difficulties. The locals seem undeterred by the steep hillsides and treacherous boulder fields. They are ready for the challenge.
He returns his gaze to the colonel. “We’re ready to move on command. The hills are active Colonel, we saw it and I can feel it. Something big is about to happen. What can you tell me about this arms depot? Is it all the general says it is?”
Colonel Adkins explains to the major about her former position as a G3 staff member in the Pennsylvania National Guard. She confirms that the arms depot is bigger than he can imagine. “What would you stock pile in case the Soviets managed to get a beach head in New Jersey and Virginia? Think of that, major. That is what is stock piled at the Letterkenny Depot.”
The major whistles lowly. “Enough arms and ammunition to equip thousands. And our government never shuts anything down. So, even though the Soviet Union died years ago, this facility has been funded and active. All that equipment has probably been regularly maintained. And whoever grabs it becomes king of the hill. Does our Godly man want to become a king, colonel? Is that why we are here?”
“Good question, major. What do you think?”
The major has a sharp eye and a keen mind. He recalls all he has seen and heard over the past few days. He recalls the mayhem in the Ligonier valley and the relative peace in the lands controlled by the General’s militia. He remembers hearing a conversation about consulting the local commissioners before moving ahead. And then there is the brain squad that is starting to rebuild an infrastructure.
“General Mays is a quirky man,” the major responds. “I don’t think he wants to be a king. I think he wants peace and stability. Look at what he has managed to do in six weeks. I think he is a man I can trust.”
The colonel watches the major for a moment before responding. “I agree major. I know what will happen if this depot falls into the wrong hands, anarchy followed by martial law. Freedom will be a relic of the past. The general’s men, including his son, helped us liberate our community from martial law. Is he a Godly man? Or a wanna be king? I don’t know, but it would be a righteous sacrifice to fight for this man and his people, our people now. It would be folly to let this arms depot fall into the wrong hands.”
The colonel takes the major to her Tactical Operations Center, TOC, and shows him what she, along with Captain Warfield, have put in motion. Oath Keeper units are converging on the depot. Some are moving i
nto position to stop anyone who may attack it. Even more are staging to help protect it. Some units are hours away. Some will take several days to be in a position to help.
A communications runner comes up to the two senior officers. “Colonel, General Mays is in position and requests a personal update from you.” They step over to the CB station where in they can talk with General Mays.
* * *
“I got a platoon of Oath Keepers with me, to supplement my own security element. What kind of uprising have you started Colonel?” I say into my relic of a CB mic.
“Just part of the plan we put in motion, general,” is the static filled response I get. “No sense in taking the depot if we can’t keep it. There are more units converging on you and other designated rally points around the target. We just need a final plan on taking the depot,” Colonel Adkins responds in her melodic soprano voice
“Have you heard from Major Jeffers, or his advanced team yet?”
“The major is here with me, but no word from the advance team.”
The advanced team should have been able to do a preliminary recon and return by now. But this is a chaotic world. “Could they have run into trouble?” I ask. “Should we send out another team? What do you think major?”
“No worries here, general. I am expecting my people to report back any minute,” the major responds.
“Two more hours is the most we should give them. Then we need to suspect we have trouble. Major, are you ready to move with the rest of your team?”
“Affirmative general, ready to move now,” the major replies.
“Move forward now, major. We need definitive reports on that depot. Keep your comms open. Colonel, I am moving forward to your location. We got a lot going on, I want to be there.”
“Roger, General. That should take you no more than one hour. See you soon.”
The colonel looks at the major. “What do you make of that?”
“General Mays ain’t sittin in an armchair while we fight the battle. I like the man.”
“The general lost his leg in a knife fight with a drug lord kingpin just a month ago. He is a frontline kind of guy. If you don’t put a lasso on him, he may beat your people to the depot!” the colonel chuckles. “As soon as we get that next communications point open, we’ll have line of sight all the way to the depot.”
“What do you want me to do when I get there Colonel? Should I take it if I think I can do it?”
“The general is moving fast, has been so from the get go. Report back before you mount any assault, but be ready to assault as soon as possible. I have support moving in. You’ll have several hundred soldiers to support you by nightfall. Three times that many tomorrow. Armor up major. But don’t assault until we have comms in place.”
The major looks around before heading off. He sees two more trucks full of men pull in, followed by a well-equipped medical truck and several supply trucks.
Chapter 50,Engaging
Letterkenny Depot
10/20
A half mile away from the front gate of the arms depot, Lieutenant Mathews picks her way down the steep hillside. A large and reverberating explosion echoes through the mountain valleys. She stops to evaluate the situation. The explosion came from the east. That was not her people. She has to move forward.
Avoiding a large boulder field forces her into an area thick with mountain laurel and rhododendron. She tries to move silently, but cannot help but make noise as she forces her way down the mountainside. She has been tested in tough terrain, but the thick and intertwined branches and vines slows her progress to a snail’s pace. She looks through the thick snarl of branches and vines. She can hear the fast moving stream at the bottom of the valley that will need to be crossed to reach the main road.
Her next movement spooks two doe that were laying tight, only fifteen yards away. She watches as the doe follow a tight game trail down to the stream. She bends down low and follows their path as best she can, at times on hands and knees to make it through the thick brush.
She emerges from the thick entanglement of laurel on a steep embankment above a broad and fast moving stream. Thirty yards away is the good two lane paved highway and then the twelve foot high brick wall that runs for a half mile along the exposed front of the depot. She settles into a thicket to watch the depot and plan.
She takes several minutes to watch the surroundings. Her original plan was to walk up and say hello. The distress flag gave her a hunch that she would be welcomed in. The massive explosion up the valley has her rethinking her plan.
The main entrance to the depot is only three hundred yards away. In the thick of summer, it would be fully hidden from her by the trees. Today, she can watch the entrance through the few remaining leaves on the trees. Within minutes of taking up her position, she sees two old hummers roar down the road from the direction of the explosion. The gate opens and the two hummers roar into the compound.
She knows by memory that the stream in front of her joins a river a few miles away. She also recalls that a main bridge across that river is only a few miles farther upstream. She pulls out her precious map to confirm her thoughts. They are confirmed. The defenders of this depot just blew a bridge. They are being attacked. They are in need of help. She just hopes they are willing to accept her help, the help she can offer.
She moves quickly, nimbly, down the stream’s steep embankment and across its swift waters. The resolute special operative’s officer finally emerges on the highway. She confidently walks down the center lane of the highway towards the front gate of the Letterkenny arms depot, arms held high; a small American flag in one hand, her M4 in the other hand.
THE END OF BOOK THREE
‘No way! You didn’t just do that?‘ the reader asks
“Yes, I did!” the author says. “Please read ‘Author’s Final Words.’”
Authors Final Words
The epic tale will continue. I don’t know where it will go, but it will be epic. Will the Oath Keepers actually arrive in time? Can General Mays keep control of the expanding area of peace? Can the ‘brain squad” continue to help put society back together. Can ‘love thy neighbor’ actually work as a governing principal? And winter is setting in….
Expect book four to be published in late winter of 2018.
Thank you to all who have purchased and read this novel. The series has done quite well for an indie author. If you like the story I have written, that God inspired me to write, please click the review button on Amazon and write a few short words about this novel. Reviews are how a book gets noticed. Your review may change a person’s life.
I am totally psyched for book four! It will be epic!
You can contact me at [email protected]. I try to respond to all inquirers.
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