by AJ Newman
The nurse cocked an eye in my direction and said. “Good luck with your new job. If you’re ever back in my section, look me up. I think we could have a good time.”
I said, “I might just do that.”
I pretended to cough and swallowed the note.
Later that evening, my mind played the writing on that scrap of paper over and over. It had said, “Keep your mouth shut and do what I tell you to do, and we might get out of this alive. Nothing is what it should be, and these ain’t good people. Trust no one.”
I had a ‘what the hell’ moment, and my mind wondered what had really happened to our country and who was now in charge. I found out the answers to those questions over the next few weeks.
☆
Chapter 6
Fort Campbell Kentucky
“Major Tidwell, you rose to the rank of Major after being an enlisted soldier for four years. How long have you served? I’m sorry, but as you know, we don’t have any electronic records and are left with interviewing unknown personnel to decide how to use them in the best manner.”
“I understand. Eleven years, sir.”
“That’s unheard of. You graduated from OCS six years ago and raised four ranks in five or six years. How?”
Ann said, “My MP unit was pinned down with a company of paratroopers in Belgium during a surprise attack. Every officer above me was killed early in the battle. I took charge, and we were victorious over a numerically superior enemy. The Colonel gave me a battlefield promotion to Captain. The division was cut off from supplies and support. Command left me in charge of the company until the three-month campaign was complete and then I was given my own command of a company of MPs with the permanent rank of Captain. The next year my company was in Germany when the enemy invaded from Belgium, Spain, and France.
It was a debacle for our troops. I took charge and …”
The General looked up in surprise. “Damn, now I know you. You’re the Battling Bitch from Belgium. Your exploits are well known around the world. I’m pleased to meet you.”
Ann shifted from one foot to the other. “Sir, a lot of what you heard has been exaggerated quite a bit.”
“Didn’t you receive three Purple Hearts, a Unit Citation, and a Bronze Star? There was talk of the president awarding a Medal of Honor.”
“I received the Medal of Honor and was kicked upstairs in the MPs. They didn’t want a Medal of Honor recipient to be killed by the enemy. I’ve been a desk jockey for the last year.”
The General said, “I’m honored to have such a highly decorated soldier in my command. I think you will become my Colonel Curtis’s XO. Colonel Curtis is in charge of our rescue and mopping up campaign.”
Ann said, “I’m happy to serve in any capacity that helps our nation recover.”
“Good. I do have one concern.”
Ann’s eyebrows rose. “Sir?”
The General said, “Your choice of a personal driver has been questioned by the officer in charge of the replacement depot. It appears that Sergeant Walker left his unit and went home like many of the other deserters.”
“Sir, I can vouch for Sergeant Walker. He saved my life while on a mission to find his sister. He also saved a priest, three nuns, and a dozen other people. He and I planned to report to the nearest unit after we made sure his sister and the others were safe. We became separated from the others when the gang attacked us. Your men saved our lives.”
The General snickered. “Okay, keep him. I guess you won’t admit to being romantically involved with him. You don’t have to answer that. Our rules have changed since the attack. The young lady outside my door is my driver and ‘personal assistant’”
Ann saluted and left. She was amazed the General actually winked when he’d said, ‘Personal assistant.’ He drug out the word personal and the first three letters of ass-istant. The man was a creepy jerk, and Ann wanted no part of his Army.
***
A corporal met me when I left the chow hall. He told me to report to the motor pool and sign out a Humvee and then report to the main office for instructions. The vehicle looked nothing like the original Humvee. Instead, the bottom sides came together in a shallow V that was supposed to make it more bombproof. The body also had weird looking angles covered in reactive armor, which were covered in ceramic plates. It looked like it would be more at home on Mars than an Army base. Soldiers made fun of the looks but thanked God when the armor and angles saved their asses.
I disabled the autopilot and took the wheel in my hands. I’d never trusted cars that drove themselves. It was only a short drive to the Division office but long enough for me to familiarize myself with the vehicle, which was the latest model. It obviously had the improved shielding to make it CME (solar flare) and EMP proof. We needed one of these at the farm.
I parked the Humvee, but before I could report into headquarters, Ann jumped in the passenger side and said, “Sergeant, take me to the front gate.”
“Yes, Ma’am. What is …?”
Ann barked, “Shut up, Sergeant! Speak when you’re spoken to.”
I was pissed and turned to her to give her a good cussing when she put her finger to my lips and smiled. I braked for the gate, but the guard already had the gate rising and waved us onward. Every time I started to speak, Ann put her finger to my lips. The last time, I opened my mouth and bit her finger just a bit. She smiled back and said, “No, be a good boy and wait until we find a spot to stop. I’ve been going crazy without you in my bed.”
I was stunned until she made the slashing motion across her throat, leaned over, and whispered in my ear. “The Humvee is bugged. Play along.”
I said aloud, “I know darling. I’ll pull off the road as soon as we get away from the camp.”
Ann gave me a thumbs up and said, “I think our Commanding Officer is fairly lenient on fraternization, but let’s keep our lovemaking secret until we get the lay of the land. Up there, pull into those trees.”
I made the turn, drove several hundred feet through the brush, and stopped in a secluded copse of trees. Ann pulled a Mylar blanket from her satchel and took me by the hand. “Come on, let’s find a comfortable spot.”
Ann made sure we were out of listening range and sight of the Humvee before placing the blanket on the ground and inviting me to sit beside her. She sat there looking at the shore of a small lake in the distance. She didn’t speak. I knew part of this was an act to fool whoever was listening, but her actions led me to believe we were about to get very close.
I can’t remember if I mentioned it, but Ann was about ten years older than I was and was an attractive woman, even in BDUs. I turned to her and placed my hand on her right shoulder, drawing her face toward mine. She chuckled and pulled my hand from her shoulder. “Slow down, Jason. We only have to make them think we’re out here making love. We don’t actually have to do it.”
I replied, “Sorry, I guess I misunderstood your signals.”
“You certainly did.”
Blood rushed to my face as my embarrassment grew. “I already said I’m sorry. I do find you very attractive and would have told you, but we seem to always be getting shot at.”
“Keep it in your pants until we get away from this phony General and FEMA, and I’ll let you try your best pick up line on me. Hey, wait a minute. Weren’t you trying to find that soldier Maria? I took it to mean you two were a couple.”
The hole I was in got deeper. “Maria and I were friends. I miss her and want to make her safe. I don’t have a wife or girlfriend, and I’m not looking for one.”
Ann jumped to her feet. “That was long enough. Let’s go review my soldiers at their checkpoints.”
I smiled and said, “I feel used and very cheap.”
Ann replied, “Good boy.”
“Hey, I’m not a dog.”
Ann said, “Let’s cut the crap and get down to business. This is nothing but a glorified slave camp. I don’t know if we can free all of them, but we need to help them and then bug the c
rap out of here. You need to stop complaining about the camp and put a smile on your face.”
I gave her the timeout sign. “Ann, you may be the Major, but I know how to kill people and blow shit up. I agree on getting out of here, but realistically two of us can’t take on the whole division.”
“There are six of us, and I’ll bet you’ll find some of your friends in here like I did. If we just cut and run, they’ll chase us down and kill us. We need a plan to blow this place up and free the slaves.”
I said, “Give me a day or two to scout the place, and I’ll get back to you.”
“We’ll inspect the entire camp over the next few days as I start my new job. I’m in charge of all of the MPs and have responsibility for law and order in the camp and perimeter security.”
“The fox guarding the henhouse.”
“Damn right, Skippy.”
I drove Ann around the base and visited all the checkpoints at the entrances, and the ones guarding all the roads into the camp. We stopped in another copse of trees for a fake lovemaking session to continue our conversation.
Ann said, “There are four entrances and one road that passes by the front entrance. There are extra guard stations about a mile up on each side of the road to protect against surprise attacks.”
I asked, “Who would attack an Army base?”
“That’s a great question. The General told me there are some large gangs in the area that would love to get our weapons and vehicles.”
I said, “I heard some rumors from the nurses that the General was forcing self-sustaining farmers into the camp. Perhaps he actually fears a revolt of the locals against this tyranny.”
Ann replied, “I think it could be both. The General has added a rather ruthless soldier to his Rescue and Relocation group. He also just came back from the war in Europe. I believe his name is Captain John Long. The word out on Long is that he likes abusing and killing anyone who resists the relocation effort.”
I frowned and clenched my fists. “I knew a Private John Long in England. He’d held every rank from private to staff sergeant several times. He was caught abusing prisoners, drinking on duty, and was accused of raping a young lady. He was in Maria’s unit. We didn’t like him, and Maria tried to get him booted out. I hope to God it isn’t him, but I don’t think he would kill innocent people.”
Ann had a worried look on her face. “You’ll meet him in about an hour. We’re driving over to the remote compound where he’s in charge of processing the newly-detained locals. There’s also a sizeable prison used to contain locals who resist relocation.”
☆
Chapter 7
Fort Campbell Kentucky
MMax hid in the bushes sniffing the air. Every now and then, he caught a faint whiff of his human, Jason. He also smelled Ann’s odor and knew they were together. As they circled the Fort, MMax got excited and led the short, skinny girl to a spot in the woods and sniffed the ground. The grass had been mashed down, and Jason and Ann’s scent was keen. MMax couldn’t bear being separated from Jason but felt danger all around. He liked the short skinny girl but loved his human.
About halfway around the camp, MMax noticed Jason’s smell was the strongest yet. He tugged against the leash so hard that Kat told him to heel. MMax knew he didn’t have to obey the short, skinny girl, but he liked her. He sat at her side and watched as a vehicle passed by on the road. The vehicle was a hundred feet down the road when Jason’s scent blasted his snout. Ann’s smell was also strong.
***
Kat saw Jason and the woman in the Humvee. She was confused, having seen Jason freely driving around the Fort. Kat had thought the worst case was that she would have to kill some guards to free Jason. Now, she only hoped Jason hadn’t joined the bloodthirsty FEMA group. Kat knew firsthand about their savagery. She froze for a few seconds when MMax tugged on the leash. The flashback made her stomach queasy, and the taste of bile rose in her throat. Then a faint smile came across her face as she remembered killing the ones who had attacked her.
Kat remembered a few of the commands that Jason had used to control MMax and said, “Stay.”
MMax turned and looked at Kat. She said, “Sorry, boy. We can’t catch him, but I know where to find him.”
Kat led MMax into the woods in front of the main gate and hid in the woods. It took several days, but she soon had a lean-to built and was ready to watch and learn. She had to know if Jason had joined her enemy or was just playing along. It was all she could do to keep MMax from charging the main gate to find his man. This was the first time MMax ever growled at her. She bent down to his eye level and said, “Trust me. We’ll find Jason and get him free.”
MMax lay down beside her and whimpered.
***
Ann directed me to take the Gate 7 road to Highway 41 A North. She told me to drive about four miles and turn left on Crenshaw. I made the turn and saw signs for a Walmart Distribution Center. We only drove a few hundred yards until we had to stop at a manned checkpoint. The guards recognized Ann and waved us through. She returned their salute and directed me to drive around the left side of the building and park beside several other Humvees.
That’s when I saw John Long. I also saw a sergeant whipping a man with something that looked like a cat-o-nine tails from the old days. The man’s back was bloody and had severe cuts made from the beads on the ends of the whip. I steeled myself as I saw John laugh. I followed Ann when she walked up to John.
“Captain Long is it necessary to beat the locals half to death for your pleasure?”
John looked up and saw Ann but didn’t notice me. “Well, hello, Ma’am. We don’t enjoy it, but find it a necessary evil to keep the non-complying ones in line.”
Ann said. “Captain, you salute the rank, not the person. I know damn well you don’t like me, but I’ll bust you back down to the private you are if you don’t show respect for my rank.”
John saluted Ann just as he recognized me. “Well, what the hell did the cat drag in? If it isn’t my friend Jason from the good old days. I …”
I interrupted. “Who the hell promoted a laggard like you to captain? John, you never were my friend.”
Captain Long said, “Major, instruct your flunky in proper military courtesy. I’ll have him whipped to death if he keeps running his mouth.”
I took a step toward him, and three soldiers drew their sidearms and leveled them in my direction. Ann yelled, “Lower your weapons! Sergeant Walker, apologize to the captain! Now!”
I glared at Ann and said, “Captain, I’m sorry if I disrespected your rank.”
“Sergeant Walker, go to your vehicle and wait for me.”
I saluted Ann and left to go to the Humvee. As I walked away, I saw a colonel, which must have been Curtis, walk up to Ann and John.
They saluted Colonel Curtis as I lingered close enough to hear the conversation. Curtis said, “Was that something I need to be involved with?”
Before Ann could speak, John said, “No, sir. Sergeant Walker and I are old friends from the European wars. He was my sergeant and gave me some good-natured ribbing about me being promoted to captain. He’s a good man. In fact, he’s too good to be a driver. I need men like that helping me to run my group.”
Colonel Curtis said, “Let me talk with Major Tidwell before we make any reassignments. The General told me that Ann and the sergeant also have a history.”
I heard John snicker, but Ann cut him short. “Sergeant Walker is an excellent soldier, and I also need him in my command. Sir, we can discuss the matter during our meeting this afternoon, if you like.”
“Ann, that sounds good. Now, Captain, show us your operation. I hope I don’t see any more of our people being whipped.”
We had been on the road for about fifteen minutes, when I said, “I’m sorry.”
Ann snapped back at me. “Shut up, soldier! Jason, start acting like a soldier, or you’re going to get us both killed. You can’t have a pissing contest with an officer in the real Army, and you k
now damned well these guys will kill you just for rocking the boat.”
I knew she was right. I was just so mad that a man who had abused prisoners during the war had turned his evil ways on innocent people who couldn’t fend for themselves. Most of the soldiers and staff I’d met were decent people. Most were afraid to speak about how the Fort was managed. They would never mention the atrocities. I had to resolve that I would play the game until we could help these people escape this prison and kill the evil leadership.
Ann saw me in the hallway after supper and passed a note to me. It said to meet her at our usual rendezvous place in the copse of trees on the north side of Hedge Row Road just below the airport. This was a great place to meet up and discuss our plans. Even if we were seen, everyone just assumed we were meeting up to make out. Little did they know there wasn’t any lovemaking. It had been a long time for me, which made it tough to be so close to Ann at times.
Ann arrived a few minutes after me with her black bag and pulled out a blanket. We spread the blanket on the ground and sat next to each other. Ann reached into the bag and passed a bottle of wine and an opener to me. While I opened the bottle, Ann retrieved two stainless steel glasses. I poured us each a glass of wine, and we toasted.
Ann said, “To real friendship that will outlast this hell hole.”
I raised my glass and bumped hers. “A toast to the days when we put this Army behind us and can act like regular people. And, to a beautiful woman who can probably kick my ass any day of the week.”
She laughed. “And twice on Sunday. Oh, I need to mention that your friend went over the colonel’s head and got you assigned to him. You start reporting to Captain Long at the end of next week.”
I thought this was Ann’s way of apologizing for having to dress me down in front of John and the others. Then Ann said, “Please don’t put me in a position to rip you a new one again. Now rub my shoulders.”
