“Major McLoy, I’m afraid you’ve lost me,” said the colonel.
“I understand it, ma’am,” said Major O’Malley. “He’s saying Colonel MacMillen is in good standing and has a reputation as a stand-up guy.”
“Yeah, O’Malley, that’s right. But there’s more to it. Mac’s got… I dunno… him and Mark—General Harmon—they’re people who everyone sorta looked up to, I guess. Sometimes we call them people ‘fixers’—when they’re outta earshot.”
“Fixers?”
“Yes, ma’am. Guys you can put your trust in—you know, guys who’ll make it happen. Like General Harmon. He stepped up in a big way when the Sickness hit. And, Mac would’ve organized the hell outta us if he were here… as it is, Terry, Andy, and Ryan are all a big part of rebuilding the entire area.”
“I see,” she said, looking down at the map at the intersection of Dinner Bell Road and Route 40. “Keenan? Let’s radio your commanding officer.”
“Yes, ma’am. Captain, please go get the radio.”
“Yes, sir.”
CHAPTER 10.22-A Decoy
“They’re hemmed in pretty good, Phoenix. They’re about a half-mile out, sittin’ behind an overpass. Over.”
“I can see the overpass. I don’t see much else. Over.”
“I think we got the bastards. We’ll hand their heads to you on a silver platter. Over.”
“I admire your confidence, Luke, but they’ve been runnin’ since they left Cleveland. They have some stayin’ power—we can’t get ahead of those fucks. Over.”
“We’re on them now, Phoenix—I’m sure of it. Over.”
Phoenix didn’t bother responding. Instead, he surveyed the two-pronged approach of his army converging on the overpass. Phoenix was disappointed his search of the wheat fields hadn’t turned up the Rat Pack. They had continued on their way after firing numerous rounds at his men. He had considered the possibility, knowing they favored Route 51 for quick travel and had hoped to catch them aiding the invisible townies. To make matters worse, that sniper was still around. He heard the shots—one every minute or so. It was nearly paralyzing his men—the guy had yet to miss.
“I want that weapon!” he yelled into the radio.
“What’s that, Phoenix?” asked Larry Reed.
“I said I want that fucking sniper’s weapon!”
Reed ignored his nephew’s frustration. Instead, he raised his binoculars to study the convergence of the army near the overpass. “We’ll get it for you. All units are in place for the final assault.”
“Yeah, I see that. Tell me something I don’t know.” Phoenix thought tactically and recognized Luke and his team were keeping the sniper pinned down near the overpass with their aggressive pursuit. He raised the radio with a smile, ready to issue orders, but stopped when he heard Luke’s voice.
“Luke here. They’re jammed up behind the overpass. At least, their cover team is. I think the rest of the team’s runnin’ or ridin’ outta range. One of them’s hit, for sure. I don’t know about the others. Over.”
Phoenix knew he was close, very close. “I want ’em alive, Luke. Especially the leader. And, the boy Renaldo. What else you have to report? Over.”
“I see you’ve sent teams coming up on both sides of the overpass. Over.”
“Yeah, Luke, that’s right. They’re closing in on ’em to pin ’em down. Over.”
“Phoenix, sir, they seem to have some idea of slippin’ around the overpass. Tell ’em to hold back—things are lookin’ way too easy right now. Over.”
Phoenix studied the two-pronged attack, thinking his men were progressing to his satisfaction. He grew irritated and raised the radio. “Explain yourself, Luke. Over.”
Luke was in a supine position beside the front bumper of a Grand Am. He stared at the overpass fifty yards away and sensed in his gut that there were several men still hiding somewhere on the other side of the overpass, hiding in the dense weeds. He hadn’t seen anything, so he wasn’t sure. “Where are you, you bastards?” Earlier, he had caught faint movements in the area, but between the smoke from the flairs they had launched and the fires brewing in the distance, he remained unsure of what he had seen. It was like they hadn’t been there. In his gut, he knew they were probably the same bunch of guys he’d come across on Brownsville Road. “I’m gonna find you,” he growled.
Two of his men nearby glanced at him. Luke recalled how he had lost good men to this foe—he vowed it wouldn’t happen again, he wouldn’t walk into another trap. He scanned the area right beneath the overpass again and considered it a perfect pinch-point to impede the progress of a significant force. He wondered if the enemy was planning to blow the overpass to create enough rubble to delay them indefinitely. “Dammit!”
“Sir?” asked Reggie Watson.
“Nothing, Reggie. I’m just figuring some shit out. Keep your eyes on each side of the overpass. Send a couple men to the east to see if they can catch anyone moving for new cover. Tell ’em to stay low—that fuckin’ sniper’s still out there.”
“Yes, sir.”
Luke held the radio to his lips, but didn’t depress the talk button to explain himself to Phoenix yet. He studied the teams of men crossing the road—they were trying to sneak beyond the overpass to cut off any possible escape. Both were part of other units, not under his command, and while he recognized their ability as soldiers, he also recognized they couldn’t hold a candle to his own elite fighting men. These clowns were destined to get in his way.
“Luke to Phoenix. Over.”
“Yes,” came the immediate reply.
“Sir, I’d ask again that you have those other teams stay back in a position of support only. Over.” As he waited for a response, he saw another man from the intruding teams dropped from a sniper bullet. The commander of the team found cover and urged his men to do the same.
He studied the overpass again and considered the feasibility of the enemy hiding in the adjacent weeds. There hadn’t been any shots from the area of the overpass for some time, but Luke was uneasy about it. It was his team’s responsibility to investigate, but he wanted to do this without losing anyone else to sniper fire or to a possible trap.
“Sir. Phoenix, I think the overpass is set to blow. Over.”
Phoenix was resting in the cab of his pickup near the south gates of the town. When he heard Luke’s comment from the truck’s radio, he laughed and slapped Larry on the back. “I think Luke’s shittin’ his shorts, uncle. He’s too cautious.”
“I dunno, Phoenix. He has a point. Blowing the overpass would slow us down.”
“It won’t slow down the cavalry or anyone on foot. Only our trucks. It’ll be an end around—a ten minute delay at the most.”
“Sure. You’re right, but those ten minutes might be the difference between our success and failure.”
“Send everyone. Load ’em up and send ’em. Plain and simple. Keep the teams split to each side of the road. Have them converge a hundred yards beyond the overpass. Once they’re formed up, we’ll be in a position for full pursuit. There’s a cluster of eighteen-wheelers beyond the overpass—tell the men that’s our mustering point.”
“Yes, sir.” Larry Reed issued the orders to the commanders and the army began moving. The two units on each side of the overpass began to move in a direction beyond it.
Luke clipped the radio to his belt and studied the overpass. At the edge of his vision, he saw a group of the enemy breaking cover from a small ditch beyond the overpass. They were running at top speed towards the wooded area further south. He counted six men running. They were using abandoned vehicles and other debris as evacuation cover and had easily slipped behind the men advancing around the overpass. They were quickly beyond the eighteen-wheelers and lost from sight.