Chapter 53
By the time the enemy was cleared out of Jamestown, they’d freed close to sixty American conscripts. The roads in and out of Oneida were still guarded by Chinese roadblocks and so John ordered them to return to town on the same trails through the Scott State Forest they’d used to arrive. The downside was that it would take the men a while to march the fifteen miles home, especially since he’d ordered them to carry as many extra weapons and as much ammo as they could. The rest of the supplies were strapped to the horses.
John left Reese and the other men from Alpha to accompany Brandon and the soldiers back to Oneida while he and Moss went ahead. They were on the cusp of launching a major offensive and preparing everyone on their individual missions and responsibilities would take time.
No sooner had they arrived at the stables in Oneida than a sergeant from the 101st informed them Brooks was looking for them and he wasn’t happy. Of course, the soldier used a far more colorful metaphor involving boiling feces that created a rather vivid and disturbing image in John’s mind.
“Moss, you stay behind and make sure the rest of the Rough Riders sort through their gear. I want everyone ready to go in two hours. And bring the entrenching gear. We’ll likely be digging in the minute we arrive at Colonial Heights.”
“I’m on it.”
John rode his horse through the bustling streets of town. Around him was the ghostly squeal of M1A2 tanks and Bradleys heading through the town’s back streets as they assembled to the east. There weren’t nearly enough vehicles for the thousands who’d be joining them, so many of the infantry would need to head there on foot, a journey which would take many hours of hard marching. As it was, they would be coming up behind the Chinese position and the timing of their advance was critical. If they left before the enemy fell for the ruse and made a concerted push toward the American center line, they risked being caught out in the open and destroyed. If they waited too long, they might let the retreating Chinese escape. Of course everything would hinge on whether the enemy believed the false intel Phoenix was feeding them.
General Brooks was in the radio room when John arrived, pacing back and forth like a caged animal.
“I could have you court-martialed, Colonel,” he shouted. “We’re on the threshold of the biggest operation of the war and you go off disobeying a direct order.”
John bowed his head. “I brought sixty more American troops as well as weapons and ammunition from Jamestown.”
“I’m sure you did, but that doesn’t change a thing. I should put Moss in charge of your outfit and keep you here under house arrest.”
“If I didn’t bring Brandon home, General, it wouldn’t only have killed his mother and sister, it would have killed Gregory and likely the morale of many more. The Marines never leave a man behind and neither should we. There’s no excuse for disobeying a direct order and I’ll accept my punishment.”
“All right, John. You’re lucky I need you. I don’t care that this attack plan is your brain child, if you push me again, I won’t hesitate.”
“Understood.”
The two men stood staring at one another.
Henry was on the radio and looked back, concerned.
“Did Phoenix send the Chinese the message?” John asked.
Brooks nodded. “A few hours ago.”
“Any new troop developments?”
“Not yet.”
“If they attack without warning, we might not make it in time to keep the pressure on,” John said.
“Yes, but when do battles ever go according to plan? Getting there may be the least of our worries. We’ll have the unknown and Murphy’s law to contend with.” Brooks glanced down at a piece of paper in his hand. “General Dempsey thinks you’re some kind of Ulysses S. Grant. Frankly, I think you’re overrated and more importantly, I don’t think we have nearly enough men and materiel. There’s over a million Chinese troops strung along that mountain range and maybe five thousand of us. I’m worried it’s gonna be a bloodbath.”
A signal came in then and Henry pressed the headphones close to his ears. A moment he turned back, his face ashen. “The Chinese have begun their attack.”
Chapter 54
Diane and Emma were in the kitchen preparing lunch when John arrived and explained the situation.
“But who’s going to stay behind to defend Oneida?” his wife asked.
“The garrison will be more smoke and mirrors than actual men. We’ll set up machine-gun nests at key strong points, but most of the able-bodied men and women who know how to use a rifle will be marching east sometime within the next hour.”
“If you hadn’t suggested this plan in the first place,” Diane scolded him, “none of you would be leaving.”
The urge to crack a smile nearly got the better of him. “If you had a nickel for every time I told you you were right you’d be a rich woman. This plan is the best chance we have of saving American lives. General Dempsey was about to order a full-frontal attack on dug-in Chinese positions. The carnage would have been unbelievable.”
“Yes, but do you need to risk your own life, John?”
“I don’t want you to die, Dad,” Emma said.
“Neither do I, believe me,” he said, touching the back of his daughter’s head. “But how can I possibly ask my men to charge into battle if I’m not willing to stand beside them? Our faith has carried us this far. Don’t let it waver now when we need it the most.”
They caught the sound of footsteps heading tentatively down the corridor toward them. Soon a figure appeared in the doorway, one Diane and Emma didn’t recognize at first. Brandon dropped his duffel bag at his feet and smiled weakly and that was when Emma fainted.
John held his daughter in his arms while Diane fanned her with cool air.
“I didn’t mean to,” Brandon said sheepishly.
“She’s been hoping for this day for so long,” John told him. “If Justin Speeber had walked through the door, she wouldn’t have been more surprised.”
“It’s Justin Bieber, Dad,” Emma said, coming to. “And I don’t listen to him anymore.”
John helped his daughter to her feet. “Hey, what do I know?”
She held onto the table as she stared at Brandon and poked him with her finger.
Diane snickered. “Yes, he’s real.”
“And I suggest you hug him quickly before he goes,” John told her.
Emma looked physically wounded by the suggestion.
“I’m sorry, honey. We need everyone with combat experience we can scrape together.”
“But, Dad, he just got back.”
“I’ll give you two a moment,” John said. He turned to Brandon. “Be at the rendezvous point in thirty minutes.”
Brandon nodded as Emma’s eyes filled with hot tears. The thought of torturing her in this way was heartbreaking, but there was no other way around it. The boy would never admit it to Emma, but he wanted desperately to be part of the American counterattack. John only prayed he’d come home to her in one piece.
Chapter 55
As promised, within the hour, the column left Oneida. Nearly six thousand strong, the force consisted of the scattered units from the 101st, 278th, and the 3rd Infantry Division as well as members of the town militia. The decision was made that they would move as a group. The tanks and Bradleys were split evenly between the front and the rear. At the back were the Humvees, many of them towing the 155mm artillery that had served them so well during the Chinese assault on the town. Over the last few weeks they’d managed to scrounge up enough fuel for the vehicles to enable a one-way trip to Colonial Heights. Finding a ride home afterward was something they would need to figure out when the time came.