Valor in the Ashes

by William W. Johnstone

  Ike on the horn, Ben asked, “How’s it looking, Shark?”

  “Noon tomorrow, Eagle. We ought to punch through at noon. That’s the best we can do.”

  “They’ll have to hold. If they want to live, they’ll have to hold.”

  Emil stuck his head into the tunnel, New Jersey side, and shuddered. He hated tunnels, caves, elevators . . . anything that hemmed him in. He stepped inside, on the catwalk. A rat ran across his boots, and he almost invented a new dance before he got himself under control. The crashing and booming of the incoming shells had not let up. He hoped Ben Raines had enough rounds to see them through the tunnels — and through the winter — for it was a lead-pipe cinch they were all going to be trapped over there in the Big Apple.

  With creepies all around them.

  He beat it back outside and passed Tina Raines talking with the Russian, Striganov. From the expression on their faces, the news wasn’t good. Emil hurried on. He didn’t want to hear any bad news; he was depressed enough.

  “We’re almost out of fuel,” Striganov said. “I propose we leave the trucks — there are trucks everywhere — and use the fuel for the tanks, SP’s, APC’s, and mortar carriers.”

  “I agree. And we’ve also got to get the badly wounded over. We can’t wait any longer.”

  “Carry them across?”

  “That’s the only way I see.”

  “Agreed. You and Young Mister Raines shall lead the teams with the wounded through the tunnel. There is no point in your returning.”

  “Now, look, General . . . !”

  “I give the orders here, Captain. You will do as you are told.”

  There was steel in the Russian’s voice, and Tina knew there would be no back-up in him. “Yes, sir. I’ll start gathering up our wounded.”

  After she had gone, Rebet stepped forward. “A very noble gesture, sir.”

  Striganov looked at him. “Noble gesture? Bah! This is war. She happens to be very good at what she does, that’s all. Sentiment has nothing to do with it.” But his eyes gave away the lie.

  Rebet kept a straight face. “Of course, sir. Whatever you say.”

  “Get the wounded transported down to the tunnel opening immediately, Colonel.”

  “Yes, sir.” He hesitated.

  “Something else, Stefan?”

  “Yes, sir. I think the . . . strange-looking civilian/soldiers should go over with Captain Raines,”

  “Yes. Yes, you’re right. See that they are notified, Colonel.”

  Rebet gone, Georgi motioned for his radio man. “Get me General Raines.”

  “Translator, sir?”

  “No need for that now. The loss of less than a thousand personnel does not make that much difference when one is facing the numbers we face. If Ben’s shelling stops, we’ll be overrun in a matter of minutes.”

  “Yes, sir. General Raines, sir.”

  “Ben! I’m sending our wounded over on the catwalks. I’m also sending the, ah, hippies over with them. Give the devil his due, Ben; they’re good fighters. I’ve ordered Tina and Buddy Raines to lead them through. Tina was not too happy about it when I told her this was not a Return If Possible assignment.”

  “Typical Raines. Hardheaded.”

  “You said it, not I.”

  “I owe you a couple, Georgi.”

  “Bah! You’re worse than Rebet. Always letting sentiment get in your way. You know perfectly well I would never allow anything like that to muddle a battlefield decision.”

  “Of course, Georgi. Right. Rough and ready, that’s you.”

  “But of course!”

  “Georgi? In case you’re worried about the amount of mail we’re sending across, don’t. I laid in enough stamps to last a long time.”

  “That is very gratifying to hear. When we get across, I must sign my name on several pieces.”

  “You do that. See you soon, Farmer Brown.”

  “Keep flying, Eagle.”

  FIFTEEN

  “General?” Beth said. “Savie’s spotters say the creepies are backing up. Dropping back in all directions.”

  “Order all artillery to cease firing.”

  Up and down the west side of Manhattan the big guns fell silent. Grateful artillery teams slumped to the ground for some much-needed rest. Weary tank crews climbed out to stretch their legs.

  “Tell Savie to keep their eyes on the creepies, Beth.”

  “They are continuing to fall back, sir.” She listened for a moment. “Ike has made contact with Tina and Buddy. They’re bringing the wounded out now.”

  “Continue to monitor the creepies’ withdrawal. But I think I know what they’re up to.”

  “Sir?”

  “They knew what I was talking about when I told Georgi about the amount of mail I had. They knew there was no way I was going to let them get across that field of fire to our people without them losing a lot of troops. So now it’s give a little and get a little.”

  “I understand that they gave some,” Beth said. “But what did they get, General?”

  “The entire Rebel army, and all the forces of Striganov. Trapped on Manhattan Island. Surrounded by God alone knows how many thousands of creepies, just waiting to invite us to dinner.” He grinned at Beth. “How are the cows looking to you now, Beth?”

  “They are handsome animals. If you don’t walk behind them.”

  There was not one shot fired from either side for the rest of that day and all night. Ike broke through to the New Jersey side just after dawn and linked up with Striganov, Rebet, and Danjou. Fuel was trucked over so all vehicles could be brought over through the tunnel. Then the tunnel was sealed off on the Manhattan side.

  “I have a question,” Striganov asked Ike. “What is to prevent us from using some of the ships still docked along the waterfront as a way out?”

  Ike shrugged. “Nothing. If we could get the old engines started. I looked some of them over first thing. However, we just haven’t had time to do much except fight. But who the hell among us can run one of the big brutes? I can’t.”

  “Another good idea poked in the eye,” Striganov said.

  “Poked in the eye?” Ike laughed. “Man, you are gettin’ Americanized, Georgi.”

  Laughing, the American and the Russian walked off to find a cup of coffee.

  The troops mingled easily with each other. A few years back, the Russians and the Americans had been locked in deadly combat with each other.

  Now they were allies, united against the common enemy. The Rebels and the Russians and the Canadians, some six thousand strong, against perhaps fifty thousand or more of the Night People. But they could still find time to joke and relax.

  “Beth, get Ike on the horn. Translator.” Ike standing by, Ben said, “Ike, you want to run the risk of a meeting of all commanders?”

  “I think we’re gonna have to risk it, Ben. And Georgi is nodding his head affirmatively.”

  The morning had turned out cold and overcast. Snowing in the Big Apple.

  “Beth, advise all commanders to leave their XO’s in charge and come up one at a time, with heavy guard, fifteen minutes apart. We’ll meet at the George Washington Bridge. That includes Buddy and Tina and Thermopolis and Emil.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The first one up was Cecil. The friends shook hands and grinned at each other. “How you feelin’, old man?” Ben asked him.

  “Shoulder’s a little stiff, but getting better. We’ve got our work cut out for us, haven’t we, Ben?”

  “I’m afraid so, Cec.”

  They chatted until the next short column arrived, accompanied by tanks. Striganov. West came next, followed by Tina and Buddy, Thermopolis and Emil. Then Rebet, Danjou, and finally Ike.

  A building on Cabrini had been doubly secured and checked from top to basement twice, and the commanders met there.

  “Our gunners stacked them up on the bridges last night,” Ben opened the meeting. “Everyone held. But it’s just a matter of time before they’re goin
g to be overrun by sheer numbers. And there are these added worries: if we keep defending the bridges — all of them — the creepies might decide to destroy some of them; and we’re going to lose a lot of people defending them. And there is this: for every spooky we killed on the bridges last night, two came over by boat.”

  “So it was a costly diversion,” Rebet said.

  “Yes. Proving, again, that the creepies have so many people they don’t object to losing some.”

  “Have you ever thought that we might be doing them a favor, Father?” Buddy asked.

  “Would you like to explain that, son?”

  “Feeding that many of these . . . savages is surely a monumental task. If the Judges can cut their ranks, and still defeat us, we’d be doing them a favor.”

  “The boy just may be right,” Striganov said. “That’s something I hadn’t thought of.”

  “Nor I,” Ben admitted. “Damn, I hate to even entertain the thought that we’re helping these nasties.”

  “They are nationwide, both in Canada and in America,” Danjou said. “And quite possibly worldwide in scope. They’re getting too many to feed, so they’re culling out the inferiors — so to speak — and becoming more selective. That’s just a theory.”

  “Probably an accurate one,” Thermopolis said. “Even living as isolated as my group does, we’ve heard stories, rumors, and we have found half-eaten bodies, with black robes nearby.”

  “They’ve turned on each other,” Emil spoke, then shuddered with the revulsion shared by everyone in the room. “Filthy barbarians!”

  “From what I have learned from your people, General Raines,” Rebet said, “we will have no defined fronts.”

  “That is correct.” Ben stamped his boot on the floor. “The creepies probably have tunnels right under this very building. There are hundreds of subway openings in this city. Expect them to come out of all of them. We’ve welded closed a lot of manhole covers. For every one we sealed, there are fifty we didn’t; and that’s just in the territory we more or less control. They’ll be coming at us from all directions.”

  “Placement of the new people, Ben?” Cecil asked.

  “Tina and Buddy, Thermopolis and Emil up here with me. That’ll beef me up with about eight hundred people. I’m operating, so far, on the narrow end of the island. As we begin to widen our territory — and we will — pushing north and south, we can shift troops around.” He looked at Beth. “Give the orders for those people I named to be escorted up here. Start them immediately.”

  She went to her radio and gave Katzman a bump.

  “When you get your people settled in, hold what you’ve got. The spookies seem to have gone back to fighting at night. That’s fine. When dawn breaks, shift your people around and tell them to stay put! We’ve got supplies cached all around this city. We were fortunate that you people were able to bring most of your equipment over from New Jersey, because this campaign is going to be a long one.”

  “The prisoners the spookies are holding, Ben?” Ike asked.

  “We’ll try to rescue them. But I don’t think there’ll be many left when this war is over. Do I have to spell that out?”

  “Good God!” Thermopolis blurted. “You mean . . . while we’re fighting to free them, the Night People will be eating them?”

  “Yes.” Ben’s reply was soft.

  Thermopolis stood up, folding his arms as if he were cold. “I am by nature a peaceful man, General. I wasn’t always that way, but as I matured I changed. Which is what growing up is all about, I suppose.” He caught the sudden change in Ben’s eyes and accurately guessed what it meant. “I may be middle-aged, but I still like rock-and-roll music.”

  Ben smiled and Thermopolis returned it. “But I have no peaceful, easy feeling toward these Night People . . .”

  “To paraphrase the Eagles,” Ben said.

  Thermopolis cocked his head, looking at Ben. “From a man supposedly wrapped up in the music of Brahms and Chopin and the like, you continue to surprise me, General.”

  “I like some of almost all types of music, Thermopolis. I just never believed in forcing my music on other people. Is there a point to all this?”

  “It’s standing before you,” Thermopolis said simply. “I came, and I believe we must conquer. Or die attempting it.”

  “Right on!” Emil said.

  “Enjoying your first day in the Big Apple?” Thermopolis asked Rosebud, after she had made the dangerous run up to Ben’s position.

  “Oh, yes! I’ve always enjoyed seeing the still-smoldering ruins of war. And hearing bullets wanging off the sides of the truck was a real kick.”

  “Place gives me the heebie-jeebies,” Zipper said, looking around him. “Where and what are we supposed to defend?”

  “This block,” Thermopolis told him. “We’ll take the second floor facing the street. Emil and his bunch will be behind us, second floor, facing that street.” He pointed behind him. “Let’s get set up.”

  “Have you seen Jerre?” Rosebud asked.

  “No. But I was told she is working in Ben Raines’s office.”

  “I bet that is certainly a pleasant atmosphere.”

  “I think they do their best to ignore each other.”

  “Thermopolis,” Rosebud said, “that is ridiculous! How can you work that close and ignore each other?”

  “Dear, I don’t know. I just came up here to fight a war.”

  “If I knew where Ben Raines’s offices were, I’d go see Jerre.”

  “Not me. They’ve been doing this for a decade — or more.”

  “So?”

  “So nothing. Just that I’m staying out of it. It’ll be dark in a few hours. Let’s get dug in.”

  Jerre could walk, but not very well, nor for very long without using a cane. She was sitting by the radio in Ben’s office, alone, when Tina came in. The two women hugged each other, and Jerre pointed out the coffee pot to her.

  “Feels lonesome in here.”

  “It is.”

  Tina poured a cup of coffee and sat down at her father’s desk. “So how are you and Dad getting on?”

  “We haven’t tried to kill each other yet. So I guess that’s something.” She jerked her head toward New Jersey. “Was it bad over there?”

  “We had a few chancy moments. Sure was good to see Uncle Ike’s face in that tunnel, though.”

  “It is good to see you, Tina.”

  “Well, I wanted to come by. Dad is splitting the family up, so we all won’t buy the farm at the same time. I’m going over to the waterfront on the Harlem River. Buddy will be up near Fort Tryon Park.” She finished her coffee and stood up. “The other Rebels giving you a hard time, Jerre?”

  “Not really. They just kind of ignore me, that’s all.”

  “But you understand why, don’t you?”

  “Oh, sure!”

  Tina glanced out the window. “I better go and get into position.”

  They hugged and smiled at each other. “Whatever happens between you and Dad, I want you to know that you’ve earned your place in the Rebels, Jerre.”

  “Tell you the truth, I just wanted to see if I could make it.”

  “You made it. See you.”

  After Tina had left, Jerre walked to the side of the window and looked out, leaning against the wall, being careful not to expose herself to enemy sniper fire. It was raining, a rain mixed with bits of ice and flakes of snow. One flake floated gently against the window and clung there for a few seconds. She felt . . .

  She didn’t know how she felt. Except that she felt like crying.

  So she did.

  Problem was, she didn’t know whether she was crying for herself, or for Ben.

  “You look terrible,” Ben told her. “You feel all right?”

  “I feel just goddamn wonderful, thank you!”

  “Excuse the hell out of me for asking. And get away from that window. You trying to get killed?”

  “Would that matter to you?”

  “
What kind of a stupid question is that? Of course it matters to me. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Just get out and leave me alone!”

  “With pleasure.” Ben stalked out of the office. He stopped in the outer room. Beth, Jersey, and Cooper sat looking at him. “What am I doing? That’s my office!”

  Dan and Buddy picked that time to walk in. “What’s wrong with your office, General?”

  “What? Nothing is wrong with my office. Except I was just told to get out of it.”

  Buddy blinked. “Who told you to get out of your office, Father?”

  “It all comes down to cows,” Beth said.

  Buddy looked at her. “Cows?”

  Dan shook his head and stepped into Ben’s office, spotting Jerre. “Ahh! Now I understand.”

  Buddy looked more confused than ever.

  Jerre glared at Dan. The Englishman backed out of the office. Quick-time.

  “I just came over to say so long, Father,” Buddy said. “I didn’t know you were in some sort of argument about farming.”

  “I’m not in any goddamned argument about farming!”

  “Well, excuse me!” his son fired back. “Ranching, then.”

  Jerre started laughing. Beth and Jersey tried to smother their giggling, but it was a losing battle. Cooper sat down on the floor and began hoo-hawing. Buddy didn’t know what to do, and Dan was having a terrible time keeping a straight face.

  Ben began smiling. He walked back into his office and stood for a few seconds, looking at Jerre looking at him. He stepped toward her and put out his hand to touch her. She tensed.

  Ben dropped his hand, his face hardening. “Back to square one, I guess.”

  He turned, picked up his Thompson from off the desk, and started to walk toward the door.

  “Ben!”

  Her voice turned him around.

  “You don’t understand. Will you, please, just try to understand?”

  “I’ve been trying for ten years, Jerre. I’ve been trying to understand your moods and make some sense out of them.”

  “Damn it, Ben, I was just a kid when the whole world fell apart.”

  “Is that your excuse for never growing up and facing reality? For constantly running away from people who . . .” He bit those words off. “Kid? Hell, you were nineteen years old when I found you in Virginia. That ain’t a kid, darling. When the world blows up in your face, you better grow up fast. Nineteen? So what? I was in Vietnam when I was nineteen. Big damn deal.”