Ashes - Standoff In The Ashes Part 28

"There's going to be a h.e.l.l of a fight, Anna. According to Intel, about fifty percent of the USA's regular military is going to stay out of it.

Those taking an active part will be young men and women, for the most part, young enough to have been brainwashed by parents and teachers from grade school through college, who have adopted Osterman's weird philosophy of government.''

"I still haven't figured out just what Osterman's form of government is," Beth said. "I've studied it closely. And I just don't know."

"It doesn't have a name," Ben said. "But it's very close to socialism, with a dash of communism and something else that doesn't have a name tossed in for good measure."

Before anyone else could ask another question, a runner from the como truck approached Ben and handed him a slip of paper, then stepped back, waiting for a reply.

Ben read the brief message and nodded his head. "Tell 238.

Ike message received," he said. "And to take appropriate action." "Yes, sir." After the runner left, Ben said, "Intel just reported that the mercenaries are advancing toward our lines. We'll be shooting at eachother in a couple of days."

"Well, it had to happen," Cooper said. Then he sighed. "Peace was kinda nice while it lasted."

"Agreeing with you is getting to be a habit, Cooper," Jersey groused with a fake frown. "This has to stop."

Ben smiled and stood up. "You said yesterday you were getting bored, Cooper."

"I changed my mind, Boss."

"That's a woman's prerogative, Cooper," Jersey told him.

"Do we cross the line over into Federal territory, Boss?" Corrie asked.

Ben shook his head. "Not yet. The civilians have moved back home and are just getting settled back in."

"Something President Osterman sure as h.e.l.l took into consideration,"

Jersey said.

"I'm sure of that," Ben replied. "Her raid on the SUSA brought it all home very clear to me-the elderly, the sick, civilian women and kids ...

they're off limits."

"No matter what, Boss?" Jersey asked.

"I hope so, Little Bit. I sure hope so."

Ben stood on the Rebel side of the border and waited for the artillery battle to begin. He watched through binoculars for the first physical sign of enemy troops, but so far he had seen nothing.

"Going to be a long war, isn't it?" Beth asked softly, standing by his side.

' 'From all indications, yes it is. Intel reports that Oster- 239.

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man has factories producing war materials operating around the clock, seven days a week."

Anna unwrapped another piece of gum and stuck it into her mouth. "I thought Osterman and her followers were opposed to war."

"Oh, they are," Ben said with a grin, lowering his binoculars. "As long as everyone does everything-without question-Osterman and her wacky form of government dictates, Osterman and Millard will preach peace until they fall over."

"Spotter planes report they're taking the wraps off artillery," Corrie said.

"Let's get to the bunker," Ben suggested. "It's going to get hot and heavy here in a few minutes."

"Ah ... Boss?" Jersey said."What?"

"President JefFerys has ordered your security people to move you back several miles from the front."

Ben stared at her for a long moment. "He did what?"

"Ordered you moved back several miles," a security officer said, walking up. "Are you ready, sir?"

"I sure as h.e.l.l am not." Ben glared at the officer. "Who the h.e.l.l are you?"

"Captain Fordham, sir. You promoted me in Africa."

"Oh. Yeah. I remember now. Well, let me tell you something, Captain, I am not moving back from the front. So go guard me from a hundred yards off." He turned to Jersey. "How long have you-all of you-known of this order?"

"Since this morning," Corrie spoke up. "The security council of the SUSA voted on it, and the vote was unanimous, Boss. Sorry. But that's the way it is."

Captain Fordham had not moved. He stood a couple of feet from Ben, one very large young man. Several more very large young men walked up to join him.

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"This is mutiny!" Ben said.

"No, sir," Captain Fordham said. "It's orders to us from the President of the Southern United States of America. I'm just carrying them out, that's all. And your team was ordered not to say anything to you about it, General."

"I see. Well, here's what you do-tell Cec you carried them out, and let it go at that."

"Cec, sir?"

"Cecil Jefferys, son. The President of the SUSA. My old friend."

"Are you ready to move back several miles, sir?"

Ben sighed. He knew if the captain insisted, he would go. He certainly was not going to be carried away kicking and screaming like some sort of lunatic. That thought amused him, and he hid a smile. "If I said no?"

"I suppose we would have to radio the president for further orders, sir."

"And that wouldn't look good on your record, would it, Captain?"

"No, sir. Not at all."

"You have a place all picked out, I suppose?"

"Yes, sir. We do.""For how long?"

"Beg pardon, sir?"

"How long have you had the place picked out?"

"Ah ... about a week, sir."

"I see. Cec screwed me."

Captain Fordham didn't look at all comfortable with that statement. He offered no reply, but his expression was that of a man who needed to fart but couldn't.

"All right, Captain. I certainly believe in obeying orders. We'll head for the new location. Give me a few minutes to get my gear together."

"The wagon is packed, Boss," Cooper said, looking rather 241.

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sheepish. "We were ordered to get your gear together about an hour ago."

"Who ordered that?"

"Captain Fordham, Pops," Anna told her father. "He has written orders from President Jefferys."

Ben nodded his head. "OK. That settles that. Let's do it, then."

Before anyone could say anything else, a Rebel yelled, "Incoming!"

Ben and team and the security people hit the ground just as the first several rounds impacted with earth and exploded. Hot steel began whistling all around them as shrapnel filled the air. They all immediately began crawling toward the bunkers.

"I suppose we'll have to delay my moving to a different location," Ben yelled to Captain Fordham.

The captain made no reply. He did have a very disgusted look on his face.

Ben fell down the incline into the covered bunker, his team right behind him.

When the team was all inside Ben lit a lantern and said, "Where's Captain Fordham?"

"He went to die bunker just east of us," Cooper told him. "He made it."

Rebel artillery began answering the Federals onslaught, giving back two rounds for every one received.

Cooper looked around him.

"What are you looking for?" Jersey asked, noticing his wide-eyed gaze.

"Bats and other creepy stuff," Cooper replied. "I don't like theseplaces. They remind me of caves, and I never have liked caves."

"There are no bats in here, Cooper," Jersey told him during a lull in artillery fire. "And the only thing that comes close to being creepy is you."

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"You really know how to hurt a guy, don't you, Jersey?" Cooper asked, putting on his best 'I'm so offended' face. He couldn't quite pull it off.

The ground trembled with impacting artillery rounds, and conversation was impossible for a moment. When a few seconds of relative silence clung over the countryside, Ben said, "I'm not angry at any of you people for not telling me about Cecil's orders to move me back. He's been threatening to do it for months, and you people were under orders to keep your lip b.u.t.toned about it."

"We thought you'd be furious," Anna said.

"Not at you people," Ben replied.

"At President Jefferys?" Corrie asked.

"Not really. Cec is doing what he thinks is best for me and the SUSA, that's all."

The incoming artillery rounds had lessened, mostly due to the Rebel artillery crews deadly on-target accuracy in returning fire. The Rebels had the Federals out-gunned in all departments, and the Rebels were, at least up until the arrival of the mercenaries, much more experienced in combat.

Ben had some thoughts on that, too. He had said, "We'll just have to wait and see how experienced the mercenaries are. I've got a hunch the majority of them are not that experienced in combat. They've probably all tasted war to some degree, the world being in the shape it's in, but most signed on for the money, I'll bet."

The incoming artillery picked up again, and once more any conversation in or out of the bunker was impossible. Corrie was struggling to hear what was being sent. She had removed one small earplug and had slipped on headphones. She had both hands covering the phones for extra noise protection, and was still having a tough time hearing.

"h.e.l.l, yes, we're receiving incoming!" Corrie shouted. "By the f.u.c.king ton! Can't you hear it?"

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Ben smiled at her in the dim light of the sputtering lantern, and she shook her head in disgust and lip formed the words, Base Camp One.

Ben nodded his head in understanding and mouthed the word, Cecil?

Corrie nodded, too, and waggled one hand from left to right.

Ben held up the middle finger of his right hand and pointed to it withthe index finger of his left hand. He formed the words, Give this to him!

She laughed and shook her head.

"Nothing's funny!" Ben heard her shout.

Ben walked over to the three steps leading up and out of the bunker and stood for a moment. They were really getting creamed this early morning.

Had to be a softening up for a troop advancement across what was left of the old no-man's-zone. The wide strip was still there, but most of the mines had been exploded by mortar and heavy artillery fire over the past weeks. The Federals had cut a wide path through the zone, and probably just as soon as the barrage lifted, they would be coming across in droves.

There was another unexpected lull in the barrage and Ben asked, "Is this c.r.a.p happening all along our border?"

Corrie shook her head as she worked on the table in the dim light. "In only half a dozen spots, Boss. I'm mapping them out now."

Just as Corrie reached over to turn up the lantern, a round landed almost directly on top of the heavily fortified bunker. The roof caved in, burying Ben and his team under a ma.s.s of dirt and timbers.

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