Ashes - Standoff In The Ashes Part 37

"When he starts shootin' you'll know," another called. "You can bet on that."

"I need to call for someone to send a chopper for the general's body," a fourth man said. "They're not gonna believe he's really dead."

"Well, he's dead, all right. It was a d.a.m.n fool thing for both of them to do."

' 'Not really. I understand it. General Berman hated General Raines. It was just something that had to be settled, that's all it was."

"Well, it's d.a.m.n sure settled. Berman's dead. I guess you'd have to call that settled."

"Enough chatter," the first man said. "McVey, you and Chuckie and Mallory start up that hill."

"That's your a.s.s, Barton," one of the three called. "Berman's dead."

"So?"

"Who's payin' us our money now? Somebody answer that one for me."

"I'd say he's d.a.m.n sure got a point there, Barton. Who is paying us?"

"I don't know," Barton called. "But this is personal 303.

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now. Money or no money, I been with Berman a long time. We owe him this, way I see it."

"f.u.c.k that. I don't owe him nothin.' I fight for money, not friends.h.i.+p."

Yet another voice was added. "d.a.m.n right, I ain't fightin' for the pleasure of it."

"You got that right," another mere said.

"Get up that G.o.dd.a.m.n hill like I told you," Barton snapped. "I still give the orders here. Now, do it!"

Ben watched and waited for someone to make a move. Then one man attempted a run across a small clearing. Ben gave him a burst from the AK and the mercenary went down in a tumble, his legs mangled from the short burst of lead. He lay on the ground and screamed in pain.

Ben wondered how many men Berman had trucked in just behind his arrival.

So far he had heard enough voices for maybe a squad, but Ben didn'tthink he would be that lucky. Surely as much as Berman had hated Ben and wanted to see him dead, he had brought more than that.

The meres below him opened fire on his position and Ben was forced to hunker low in the trench, knowing that at least a couple of the meres were on the move during the cover fire.

Ben smiled and took a couple of grenades from the rucksack and popped the pins, then tossed them down the hill, throwing the mini-bombs in a high arc.

"Grenades!" someone yelled.

Both grenades exploded about ten feet off the ground and several of the meres began yelling.

"I'm hit, I'm hit!" one yelled.

"Shut up, d.a.m.nit!" the man that Ben could now recognize as Barton shouted.

"Oh, Jesus!" another mere called, his voice slurry. "My neck . .. my face is ..."

His words trailed off into a painful bubble.

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"Where the h.e.l.l are the others?" a mere called.

"Berman said they'd be here if he needed them."

"Well, we G.o.dd.a.m.n sure need them now!"

"Was he gonna call in?"

"I don't know."

"Who's got the radio?"

"Barton does."

"No, Barton doesn't," Barton called. "Franklin does."

"That was Franklin yellin' about his face and neck," Chuckie called.

"Can you get to him?"

"I can try."

Ben waited a few seconds and pulled the pins on two more grenades and chunked them over the side.

"Get down!" a mere yelled.

The warning came about two seconds too late. The grenades blew, and that was followed by several more explosions. When the debris stopped falling there was almost dead silence for half a minute.

"What the h.e.l.l was that?" Barton called."One of the grenades landed right on Chuckie," someone called. "It set off the grenades he was carrying. Chuckie is all over the place in bits and pieces, and Wesley don't have a head. I'm outta here, Barton."

"Get your a.s.s back here!"

"f.u.c.k you. I'm gone."

"I'm with you, d.i.c.k," Mallory said. "I'm gone."

"You yellow b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!" Barton yelled.

There was no reply. Mallory and d.i.c.k had cut out for safer grounds.

"s.h.i.+t!" Ben heard Barton say. That was followed by someone beating a path through the brush.

Barton had followed Mallory and d.i.c.k.

Was there anyone left?

Ben didn't know.

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What about the wounded meres? Did those who had just pulled out leave them to die?

He didn't know about that, either. What Ben did know was that he couldn't spend a lot of time waiting around there. Some of Berman's mercenaries would certainly show up with blood in their eyes ...

probably led by Barton when the man got his nerve back.

Ben crawled to the end of the shallow trench and chanced a look below him. He could see huge splashes of crimson splattered about in one spot and chunks of various body parts-remains of the mere after die grenades on his batde harness exploded. Ben shook his head at die sight; what a mess. The first mere he'd downed was lying in the clearing and not moving. He could see nothing of die other dead or wounded.

Ben cautiously made his way down the rear of the small hill and into the brush, circling wide and heading back to where he'd left Mai in the Hummer. He really had serious doubts about her still being there. He'd been gone a long time: a couple of hours.

When he reached the Hummer, she was gone.

"Well," Ben said. "I was asking a lot of her."

A bit sad at losing die dog, Ben put his gear in die vehicle and turned around as he was removing his battle harness. Mai was sitting a few yards away, looking at him, as if to say Where the h.e.l.l have you been ?

Ben smiled and knelt down, holding out his hands. The dog came to him and Ben petted her for a moment.

"You ready to take a ride, girl?"

She gave him a lick on die side of die face.A few minutes later, Ben was on die road, Mai sitting on the front seat, watching die pa.s.sing scenery widi doggy interest.

Ben turned on the radios and the talk was all over the frequencies. The Rebels had attacked the Federals from 306.

all sides and put them in a full rout, forcing them back across the border as fast as they could go. The Rebels had taken several hundred prisoners.

The Federal a.s.sault on Rebel territory was over, and Raines's Rebels were clearly the victors ... again.

Ben drove for several miles, not sure where he was. Finally he pulled over to roll a cigarette and try to get his bearings. He had just lit up when suddenly the sky was filled with Rebel helicopters. Several of them landed in a clearing off to Ben's right. Ben put a hand on Mai to calm her down; she was getting very nervous about the hammering of the huge blades.

His team piled out of one chopper and ran toward him. Mai bared her teedi as they approached.

"It's all right, girl," Ben told her, petting her. "They're friends."

Jersey was the first one to reach the Hummer. "You all right, Boss?"

"I'm fine, Little Bit."

Mai looked at the young woman.

"Holy s.h.i.+t!" Jersey said. "Who is that?"

"I found a friend."

"You sure did," Anna said from the pa.s.senger side of the Hummer. "Is it all right to pet him?"

"Her," Ben corrected. "Malamutes are usually very people-oriented. But this one is very different from others I've been around. I'd let her approach you before doing anything."

An officer Ben did not know by name but had seen a few times walked up.

Ben thought he was a major, but since many Rebel officers did not wear rank insignia, he wasn't sure about that "General," he greeted Ben.

"President Jeff-erys said that when we found you we were not to let you out of our sight again, and we were to escort you back to Base Camp One immediately."

"Did he now?"

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"Yes, sir. He sure did, sir. Ah... is that your dog, General?""I think I belong to her," Ben replied. "But maybe it's a mutual thing."

"Whatever you say, sir. That is a very large animal, General."

Ben noticed the officer was eyeballing the Malamute warily. "She's no lightweight, for sure."

Mai was busy licking Anna's face while she petted her. Anna had no fear of dogs, and the Mai had sensed it.

"Shall we go, sir?" the officer asked.

"In a little while," Ben told him.

"Ah ... sir," the major persisted. "President Jefferys said immediately, General."

Ben cut his eyes to the major, then slowly got out of the Hummer. He looked directly at the officer. "In a little while, Major."

The major knew better than to push it any further. One simply did not push a commanding general, and one sure as h.e.l.l didn't push Ben Raines.

"Yes, sir. Whatever you say, sir."

"Thankyou." Ben turned to his team, all gathered around the Hummer.

"Somebody get my gear out of this vehicle, please. Then we'll have a cup of coffee and I'll relax a bit."

"Right, Boss," Cooper said, moving around to the rear of the Hummer.

"Sounds like a good idea to me, for sure."

"Who cares what you think, Coop?" Jersey told him, a twinkle in her eyes. "Get the gear. Why not make yourself useful for a change?"