Chapter Thirty-four

Cory

Pulling away in the truck is one of the hardest things he’s ever done. But, nonetheless, at five a.m., they drive out the lane, each man trying not to look in the rear-view mirror for a sign of their wife and their loved ones.

They received a message last night that the President and his caravan haven’t moved for a while. It seems they are sending runners out, too, probably spying on the base, their town, other towns. It would seem that the President has a few men in his group who are very versed in losing a tail, as well. Robert’s men lost track of the runners almost immediately. They are now in the dark. The President is at a standstill and hasn’t moved. Cory wonders if the man is having a moment of indecision, or if he is waiting for something. He hopes it isn’t more people trailing behind them that he’s waiting for. They are already outnumbered.

John drives them to the gate in town where they are permitted entrance and met by the sheriff. Within an hour, all forces and allies are gathered. Dave and nearly a hundred from his camp and town, K-Dog and ten of his men, the townsmen who can fight, and over three hundred from the fort. Hundreds of men unpack crates of ammo from the vehicles from their own compounds.

Derek directs the chaos along with Dave and orders men to different spots and where to set up ammo deposits that can be accessed by everyone fighting with them. They also order guards on the outside of the fence at hundred-yard intervals and about a half mile out to watch for scouts from the President to move in and do recon on them.

The town sheriff directs his men to secure the women and children in the basement of the town hall, also where they have their prisoners locked up. If mortar rounds fall, it will be the safest place for them. Listening posts-observation posts, or LPOPs as the military men refer to them, are already in place, too, and being manned by trusted people with that sort of experience.

“Mrs. B!” Cory calls out to his favorite librarian. “Hey, you need to get to the basement.”

“I will. I just want to lock up the library first,” she says, pulling her brown wool dress coat closer together to ward off the chill in the morning air.

“Mrs. B, I’ll get it,” he tells her.

“Oh, no, I think I should…”

“I’ve got it,” Cory interrupts. He would like to tell her it’s silly to lock up the library from invaders. The President isn’t coming to the town to steal books. He indulges her anyway, escorts her to a sheriff’s deputy, and then locks her precious library. He can understand her reticence in leaving it unsecured. It’s all she has left. It’s her life’s work.

“Bro’,” Simon calls behind him, “Kel needs help moving a few mortars into place.”

“Got it,” he agrees and jogs after his friend.

The mortars are going to cover every end of the town in all directions and will hopefully deter the President and keep him and his men back. Fifty cals are positioned along the wall, as well.

Last night on their final call, Ron from Fort Knox told them that they believe there are closer to five thousand in the President’s caravan, mostly men, mostly warriors, all armed. They have brought with them armored vehicles and equipment that could take them out. They have brought their own toys to the party. Robert’s wife, Lucy, and Lucas and G also came with the men from Fort Knox. He’s a good soldier. They sent a runner to take Lucy and Gretchen back to the farm, but Luke stayed in town to help them. Cory is glad to have him on their team. He just hopes that what they have in their arsenal of men and equipment will even the playing field just a skosh.

“Cor, get the drones up,” Derek orders as soon as they wrap their strategy meeting.

“Yes, sir,” he answers and rushes to the truck with Simon. “I’ve got ‘em both packed in this box here.”

He yanks the box toward the tailgate and works to get them set up. One of the sheriff’s deputies comes over with his brother and volunteers to take turns running them. They both have experience, so Cory is glad for the help.

John finds them after they send the drones up into the air and says, “Hey, you two, run a perimeter check on the south side. We don’t know if he’ll flank. I would imagine he’s gonna try and surround the town.”

“Yes, sir,” Cory says and hands over the controls to the deputy and his brother. “Let me get rid of some of this bulk first, Simon.” Cory ditches his coat, straps on his Kevlar vest over his long sleeve tee, and nods to his friend. Then he and Simon are jogging as the sun begins to rise.

“Think this is going to be the day?” Simon asks.

“I don’t know,” Cory answer honestly. “I’m just glad Paige didn’t fight harder to come with us.”

“Yes, me, too. And Sam and Reagan, too,” Simon adds. “I didn’t think they’d relent so easily.”

“I know what you mean,” he says, reflecting on everything they could lose. It’s not something Kelly and John like any of them to do in situations like this. Keep focused. Keep your head in the game. Don’t get distracted. Today, that’s not going to happen. This could be his last day on earth. Once the fighting starts, he’ll focus. For now, his mind keeps returning to the ones he left on the farm. “Hey, man, I think we should make a pact.”

“What do you mean?”

“If I’m killed before you, and it looks like this town will fall, I’d like you to get back to the farm and make sure Paige and Sam and the kids get out of there. I’ll do the same for you.”

“What about John and the rest of the family here? We can’t just leave them behind.”

“If I’m killed, you can figure they’re dead or will be soon after,” Cory says. “I’ve got a lot of experience with this shit. So do you. So do they. If we start dropping like flies, it’ll be over soon after. We’ll be the last to go down. If we get overrun, I’d like someone to get our women and kids and Doc outta there. Huntley can’t do it by himself. They’ll be sitting ducks. I’m sure this asshole will run over the farm after the town and then regroup and hit Knox in a few days. He’s not comin’ here for a fuckin’ tea party.”

“Right,” Simon says with a concerned scowl. “I agree. He’s coming for a war. This is for power and territory.”

“And vengeance and anger for taking all those people from his base in Colorado.”

“And ego,” Simon reminds him.

“That’s the worst reason,” Cory says. “That’s the worst one of all.”

“Yeah, Cor,” his best friend says. “I’ll do it. I’ll get them. You do the same for me.”

“You know it,” he agrees, and they punch fists. Then Cory gives him a one-armed hug, which is returned with a firm pat to the back.

Simon nods and climbs the stairs to the platform behind the town wall. Cory jogs to another area about a hundred yards away and takes up a similar position. He pulls his binoculars from his pocket and begins scanning. Birds whistle to greet the morning sun. He hasn’t heard them since early fall. Soon they’ll need to plan their planting season at the farm. That is if they defeat the President and live through the day.

He stays in position for about a half hour before he’s replaced by two men from town. Simon jogs back to the town hall with him where they meet up with his brother and Derek again.

“Anything?” Derek asks.

“No, what about the drones?” Cory asks.

“Nothing yet,” Kelly answers.

Cory frowns and considers their next move. “Want me to take a scouting party?”

“No,” Derek says, running the operation.

There is no stress apparent on Derek’s face. He’s calm, relaxed. Cory wonders if men like General Patton portrayed the same sense of calm around their men. He also wonders if Derek is doing it so as not to cause everyone to feel nerves going into this. Cory isn’t nervous. The only thing that concerns him is his wife and the rest of the family. If he is to meet his maker today, he’ll do so in battle next to his friends, his buddies, and go out knowing he died to defend them, his family, and their way of life. He’ll fight till his dying breath to preserve their freedom, their people, and to protect his family. He prays he is killed before Simon and that his friend can get to the farm and take the family far away from here.

“No,” Derek continues. “We’ve got a dozen men out now watching them, as well as the men from the fort. We’ve got eyes on the group.”

“Has anyone heard anything?” Simon asks.

“Yes,” Derek answers. “They’re moving. They’ve split off into four groups. We heard back from one of the general’s men, who says that the one group still seems as if it’s heading our way. They aren’t moving quickly, though.”

“And the other groups?” Simon questions. “Where are they going?”

His brother and Derek both make eye contact and then look away.

“What is it?” Cory asks.

“We don’t know,” Derek says. “The last we heard from him was an hour ago. I can’t reach him. He’s either been compromised, or he’s lost his signal.”

Cory knows that ‘compromised’ means that he was caught and probably killed. “I should head up there.”

“No, we can’t afford that right now,” Kelly says, stopping him.

“I’ve got other men going there,” Derek informs them. “If they’re moving in a large group, and they are, they’ll be easy to find.”

“Not unless they’re killed like the other tracker watching them,” Simon points out.

“They may be moving to set up a permanent camp,” Derek says. “We don’t know. We need to wait and see. Be patient. As soon as they set eyes on them again, he’ll call it in.”

“In the meantime,” John says as he joins their conversation, “be on alert. Be ready. Stay frosty.”

Time ticks by slowly as they wait for the drones or the men on the ground out there looking for them to spot something. They continue to do their rounds, walk the beat, and wait.

“Sir!” one of the sheriff’s men calls out to Derek. “I’ve got radio contact.”

“They’re coming,” the man on the other end says to Derek, who is controlling the radio now. “They’re about two miles from our town.”

“Roger,” Derek says calmly. “Bring your men. Fall back and get back to the town.”

Within an hour or so, the town is surrounded by thousands of men, about two thousand from what has been scouted and seen by the drones. They do not advance or make contact. They are sitting about a hundred yards out from them. Just parked there not moving as if they are waiting for something.

“Son of a bitch,” his brother says beside him on the wall. “The President isn’t here. He’s gone somewhere else. He may have gone to our farm looking for Robert. These men are awaiting his orders to attack.”

“Oh, my God,” Simon says on Cory’s other side.

There are no words that Cory can say that would properly express his fear.