“Sounds good.” Arlene fluffed her dark brown hair with one hand. That was the extent of her freshening up. The woman was on the extreme side of low maintenance.
“Sure does,” added Marcus. “Lead the way.”
He guided them to an open pavilion in the shape of an octagon. There was a wood roof with shingles, and four of the sides were covered with lattice. A dozen tables and a small presenting stand had been placed inside.
“We’re big on community celebrations” commented Dennis, in way of explanation when the group’s eyes settled on the mix of musical instruments. He took a seat and motioned for the others to do the same. “We have some venison stew coming, fresh vegetables, fresh bread, and cake. Again, I am sorry about the delay and about ignoring you. Our talks took longer than they should have.”
“What’s the deal with the guys in the robes?” asked Alan.
“Call themselves The Brotherhood. I know it’s not very original, but they’re good guys. My brother’s in the group. Lots of prayers, lots of hard work. They don’t like assuming responsibility. They say it gets in the way of communing, whatever that means. Although, with the time some of us spend settling disputes and doing everything else, I suppose they’re right.”
“Seems weird,” muttered Alan, mostly to himself.
Marcus wasn’t particularly distraught that this group was going to stay put. They were well established and should be fine. Also, he could just picture Lizzy’s reaction if they did show up. She had serious issues with anyone nuttier than herself, considering herself to be about as far from the norm as a person could get and still maintain the level of rationality necessary to survive the zombie apocalypse. Others would be just as bad, though for different reasons. The Black Hills was almost uniformly Christian, primarily Protestant with a substantial minority of Catholics. Father Nicholas remained the sole preacher in residence, and he held Mass almost every morning and non-denominational Bible classes nearly every night. There would be plenty who would be troubled by a strange, new age type faith.
“Ah,” said Dennis. “Here we go. You’re all going to love the stew. It’s one of our specialities.”
“It does smell good.” Arlene took a long sniff before dipping her spoon in. “And it really is quite tasty. Any chance you’ll share the secret?”
“I’ll ask the cooks, but don’t hold out too much hope.”
All four dug in, and Dennis had a second serving brought out as soon as they emptied their bowls.
“Try dipping some of the bread,” he suggested. “We use honey when baking, so it’s sweeter than most.”
“Okay,” slurred Arlene. She started to lean to the side but caught herself. “Sorry. Got a bit lightheaded there.”
“Not a problem,” replied their host. “I know you’re all tired, and it is late. Again, I’m sorry about everything dragging on.”
Marcus was feeling it as well, so he didn’t comment when Arlene set her head on the table and closed her eyes. After all, it wasn’t like he hadn’t done the same on occasion back at home, and it had been a trying day. However, Alan beginning to nod off and Tyler looking to follow did cause a stir. Those two usually kept going like the Energizer Bunny. He tried to rise to his feet but found he couldn’t.
“Guys, wake up.”
Dennis was smiling. It lacked the pleasant charm he’d displayed earlier.
“Ah, damn.” Marcus reached for his pistol, but someone came from behind and easily plucked it from his grasp. Losing his balance completely, the large man slammed into the floor. “You son of a bitch.”
Chapter IV
What a mess. We are talking about a total and complete, nastily steaming pile of chaos, with pain and fear mixed in for good measure. The fighting began with the Captain Briggs, Lieutenant Gikas, and the other soldiers under his command going on the offensive and leading the Yellowstone forces through no man’s land. The enemy caught wind of what was happening and moved to intercept. Due to the structure of deployment, not to mention that the forest was full of dense underbrush, the battle itself consisted of many separate engagements, often miles apart. Understanding what was happening was difficult. Getting into position to help was even harder.
With both the captain and lieutenant out of radio contact, I was forced to assume strategic control. Now, I know what had been planned, so it wasn’t like I was clueless. However, I was at the supply base. I couldn’t see anything firsthand and was in contact with less than half of the Yellowstone militia. Here’s what I did know. To the north, we were making progress. The raiders in that area never managed to get organized and were being forced back. Things were less rosy in the south. One platoon walked into a trap. At least ten men were killed outright, more were missing, and only three had managed to escape, to the best of our knowledge which was, like I said, limited. They were retreating east and claimed they were being pursued. Other units had moved to help but found themselves under fire.
“Lizzy! Get squads one through four ready to march.” I was glaring at the map, as if that would make the slightest difference. “Mary, are there any Yellowstone people in this area?” I indicated a large swatch with my finger. “Anyone at all?”
“Their third platoon had to pull north. They have lots of wounded and are trying to get behind the lines there.” She was wearing a headset allowing her to listen to all the communications. “Everyone else seems to be falling back.”
“Where’s Carlson?”
The old man stepped forward. He’d been standing off to the side. “Right here, Jacob.”
“Go check all the claymores and explosives, just in case this reaches us.” I spotted our pilot running past with a machine gun in his arms. “Xavier!”
He stopped and turned my way.
“Where are you going with that?”
“Dale said to put it between the big ones in the front.”
I waved him off. The twins knew their business.
“I got Harvey moving those squads to the side,” said Lizzy. “The other two are going to take up defense of the hill. That’s what you want, right?”
I nodded. “See if Tara and Dale have anything to say and then get with Carlson. I’ll be leaving with the first four squads in a few minutes. You are in charge here.” I turned to my daughter. “You’re staying put too.”
“But…”
“Don’t even think about arguing. You keep listening, and you keep me informed of everything that is happening. Those friends of yours are staying too. Where are they?”
“Dale has them crouched down behind the light machine guns he just moved,” answered Lizzy.
Hopefully they knew how to operate the weapons. I wasn’t certain how much training they’d received.
“Keep Xavier on standby. I want him ready to move people or pick up wounded, whatever might be needed. Give him one rider with a M-16 and grenade launcher. Mary, call up the Yellowstone people and make sure their military choppers are ready to go. They are not to take off, not unless I or Captain Briggs gives the order, or if the raiders do break through. If they get here, in the open spaces around this hill, have the pilots shoot the living shit out of the bastards.”
What else? Was there anything I was missing? I turned to the map again.
Lizzy reappeared a few minutes later with the twins trailing. Both had sniper rifles slung over their backs and M-16s in their arms. Despite my misgivings, quite a few of our militia emulated the pair. Add in all the bandoliers, satchels, and fanny packs we used to carry extra ammunition, and we were capable of operating without bulky backpacks. When you came right down to it, you couldn’t carry nearly as much, but the fighting was only a few miles away. We should be able to resupply.
“Mary, anything new?”
“I got a call from another unit requesting help. They said they were being chased. I think they’re over in this area.”
That was close, closer than I’d anticipated.
“We’re heading there first,” I announced. “Tara, Dale, you two st
ay with me. Lizzy, I’m depending on you to make sure those assholes do not get their hands on Mary.”
She gave me a curt nod. When it came to fighting, I could always depend on Lizzy, and she would go down before she let Mary get captured, killing her as well if necessary. Not being taken alive was rule number one when dealing with the prophet. What they did to prisoners was horrific.
* * *
“Squad one is to the north, about four hundred yards out and a hundred ahead of you. They’ve seen nothing.”
Mary was getting regular updates from each team’s radio man, including GPS coordinates. I’d made certain each squad had two of the encrypted satellite uplinks. The leader was carrying the other.
“Three and four are south of you,” she continued. “Four hasn’t seen anyone and is moving ahead like one. Three is even with you and right in the middle with five hundred yards between them and you and them and four.”
I was traveling with Harvey’s team. From the little we knew, we had to be getting close.
“Dad! I just heard from the Yellowstone guys who are running. They should be passing between you and squad three any minute now, and they said they are still being chased.”
“One and four continue to advance but move in toward the middle,” I ordered. “Two and three angle in to meet. Let’s see if we can catch them between us.”
Tara grabbed my shoulder, holding me back so the men and women of Harvey’s team could move ahead. She was right. Keeping myself in the forefront was a bad idea. I was supposed to be in charge, and I couldn’t do my job if I was fighting for my life. It made perfect sense, and I hated it.
The sound of gunshots was evident a short time later, coming due south from my position. Harvey’s team began to move faster, spreading out as they went. I hurried to follow, then paused beside a large tree. The militia members in the front had dropped to their knees and were shooting. I could just see two men limping past. The squad medic intercepted them and began treatment. It appeared both were wounded.
Raiders came immediately after. Realizing more militia had arrived, they darted from tree to tree or ducked behind boulders. That made sense, but it was overshadowed by their clothing. The idiots were wearing their denim jackets. At least my people were in camouflage, all of which had been supplied by the military or taken from Ellsworth Air Force Base. It was, being camo after all, a whole lot less noticeable than the dirty blue the enemy seemed obsessed with. Maybe the prophet insisted they keep the jackets on all the time, some sort of reinforcement of their unity or whatever.
“Squad two is fighting, and squad three just reached the battle and is joining in. You are less than two hundred yards apart, so be careful. Most of the raiders seem to be to your west. Kimberly flew over a minute ago and said there are at least a hundred of them. One and four are both moving in. They can flank in a few more minutes.”
I loved getting regular summaries from the pixie, and it meant I didn’t have to try and make sense of it all myself. There was just too much information to sort through, especially during a battle.
Tara unslung her sniper rifle and took up a prone position. Dale followed a moment later, after setting his M-16 down.
“Keep it to the west,” I cautioned. I didn’t want the .50 caliber rounds hitting anyone in squad three on accident. “Focus on heavy weapons and their snipers.”
With the thick foliage, finding targets would be difficult. The conflict was also more subdued than I expected, with neither side rattling off bullets willy nilly. There was too much cover and not enough ready targets. Additionally, my people had drilled over and over not to waste ammunition. Rapid fire was only to be utilized if we wanted the enemy to keep their heads down, such as right before a charge.
The machine gunner in Harvey’s squad had his weapon assembled and ready. He had yet to fire, but I could see his backside sticking out of a rather dense shrub. There was a good chance the raiders would overlook him, at least until he opened up.
Tara fired her weapon. I didn’t see anyone drop, but she shifted aim and let go a second time. Dale held his position, waiting patiently.
“Squad four just engaged,” said Mary.
I was tempted to change the setting on my receiver so I could listen in directly, but I restrained myself. She would keep me informed, and, yes, I realize a proper military commander would likely do things differently, that they would not even consider such a convoluted system, but this worked for us. It prevented distractions. Besides, there were only four squads present, forty people. We were little more than an oversized platoon. It was sufficient.
“They are not being attacked by the same group that you are fighting,” she continued. “The ones hitting them are coming from the other side. Kimberly is coming for another flyby. I’ll have more information then.”
“Squad four, try to hold your ground. If necessary, withdraw north to squad three’s position.” I squatted lower, keeping my eyes on the fight. “Squad one, pick up the pace and come flank the raiders we’re engaged with. Mary, have one of the Pave Hawks ready to take off and the others on standby. There’s enough open space behind us to land. They can drop off any Yellowstone militia that wants in the fight and pick up the wounded. I will be calling for it soon.”
Harvey’s squad slipped back about fifty feet. A few of the raiders advanced, coming into the open. The machine gunner, who had not moved, lined up his targets, and the belt fed weapon promptly cut down five of the enemy. Four appeared to be dead, but one was writhing in the dirt, screaming. I ignored him. The machine gun was then scooped up and carted to another spot, just seconds before some rounds slammed into the bushes where the fellow had been hiding.
“Squad three, move closer to squad two,” I ordered. “Where’s squad one?”
“A hundred fifty yards north of squad two,” answered Mary, a few seconds later. “They can see muzzle flashes and people moving. They’re about to hit the northern flank of the raiders.”
I heard them open fire. It seemed they’d managed to get awfully close without being detected. Later, I would learn they killed or wounded somewhere around twenty men without suffering a single casualty in return. Unfortunately, the raiders had reinforcements too, and they were starting to trickle in.
“Send in the Pave Hawk. I want it to blast the raiders nearest us. Then have it land behind me and pick up wounded. Anyone unable to fight is to move toward me as soon as the chopper starts firing. Wait for it.”
Most of the injured were lying behind whatever cover was available. The raiders were too close to risk moving them just yet.
“Four is in trouble,” warned Mary. She sounded worried.
I switched the setting on my radio from hearing only Mary to hearing everything. “Squad four, give me an update.”
“We’re pinned. Got three dead included Shauna.” She was the squad leader. “They’re all around us.”
“Mary, how far are they from me?”
“Only three hundred yards south and a little to the west, but there’s a creek running between you. Kimberly said it was pretty deep – she just passed over – and her spotter thinks there’s about fifty of them around squad four. There’s more coming your way too.” She paused. “Pave Hawk is almost there.”
The helicopter roared over our heads a few seconds later. With the enemy wearing their patch covered jackets and us in fatigues, it wasn’t all that difficult for the pilot to determine where the battle line was. Brass casings poured from the sky as the chopper raked the area in front of us. Tara and Dale began to fire more rapidly as raiders leapt to their feet and tried to flee.
The enemy pulling back, the pilot swung around and landed behind us. Militia members immediately began to help the wounded. There were more than I cared to see, and several appeared unconscious or worse. Six men exited the chopper. I didn’t recognize them, but they had to be part of the Yellowstone crew. I waved them over. Maybe it really would be best if we made use of proper uniforms or created some sort of insignia to hel
p identify everyone.
“Over there with squad three. You are going to be working with them.” Of the teams present, they had lost the most. “Mary…” This was into the radio. “…have the helicopter swing south and fire at the raiders hitting squad four.”
The bird took off, and I could just make out the sound of its weapons rattling. Then I saw it rise high into the sky and head east toward the heart of Yellowstone National Park.
“That helped,” said Mary, “but squad four can’t extract on their own. They have too many wounded.”
“We are moving south to join four,” I declared. “Squads two and three take the lead with one as rear guard.”
Being in essentially that position to start with, no dramatic maneuvering was required. We marched off.
* * *
It soon grew quiet in our area of the forest. The raiders pulled back after getting hammered by the Pave Hawk, although they appeared to be shadowing our movements from a safe distance. I briefly considered attacking after the sun went down. We had night vision goggles, but I knew from past encounters that the raiders also had access to such devices. It was too risky, and my people were exhausted and hurting. In the end, we marched back to the hilltop fort. Squads five and six were promptly sent forward a mile and a half to hold the ground and keep an eye out for the enemy, should they launch a night assault of their own.
The morning showed no change. The raiders had withdrawn all across the board, and the Yellowstone militia, which had forcibly pushed them back in the north, likewise returned to their original positions. Captain Briggs was found. He’d been shot in the arm, but it was a minor flesh wound. More pressing was his satellite uplink being destroyed. Trapped for hours between some hills, we had been unable to receive regular radio transmissions.
With the captain now on his way to the supply base, Lieutenant Gikas was assuming command of the line. The raiders are big on licking their wounds between fights, so we likely had a little time before it flared up again. Lacking substantial reinforcements, and with plenty of our own casualties, it was decided we spend the day reorganizing.
Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse (Book 3): Salvation Page 11
