Chapter 11
Greg listened to what was known about the Southern force. They seemed well armed. Controlled a large area to the south. Had access to at least one military vehicle of an armored type that they knew of. Had many vehicles of all types, cars, trucks, four wheel drive blazers. Patrolled an area about fifty miles south, calling it the 'Border' of their area.
The few times that Litchfield had tried to go in and look around, they had been rebuffed. With bullets. A couple weeks ago, a person claiming to be a soldier in the army of the, 'Free Zone Protectorate', approached one of the southern most points that Litchfield kept manned, and delivered a list, and some demands. Mat presented Greg with the original list.
To the authorities of Superior and environs. Greetings. I am Director Mason of the Free Zone protectorate. We are a group that has banded together for mutual protection and benefits. As of now we claim several hundred miles of what used to be the State of Montana. It has come to our attention that strife stills runs rampant in your area. We will be assuming the duties of police and offer the services of our doctors and other experts to try to get your power and other services restored to you.
However, as a gesture of good will on your part the following must be adhered to strictly All persons who are actively engaged in your current patrols must stop. All patrols will be executed by our offices. One hundred head of cattle must be shipped to us no later than 15 days after the receipt of this notice. Also required is as follows: Flour-10 tons, Table salt-10 tons, 20,000 gallons Diesel fuel. 20,000 gallons regular gas...
Greg read further, growing more disturbed. It was a long list of items that would beggar the ranch if he authorized it. It was basically a list that stripped a majority of items that Litchfield had gathered. Some were impossible to comply with.
"This guy has 10 tons on the brain. I also notice that while not taking everything Litchfield has, it takes a good chunk of it. It's almost as if they knew what was stock piled here." Greg mentioned.
"When Colonel Litchfield got this, he actually started a tirade. He sent a patrol down south to find out what this was all about. They never returned."
"How many men comprise your patrols?" Sgt. Ballerton asked interestedly.
"We always send out three man patrols. Unless we were doing a patrol in force, then we send out seven men." Mat replied.
Greg thought about it while Sgt. Ballerton and Lt. Preston talked over the tactics and who and how many were prior service or had military experience. Quite a few were either prior service or were National Guard as it turned out.
Greg got on the phone and asked Steve to pass along a request for satellite recon to the south. This was something that had to be done and done quickly. Steve said he would get right on it, and told Greg that a landing spot had been picked out and as soon as the road was clear, they would be coming home!
They talked a bit more, and Greg talked with Jessica for a while, told her he loved her, and told Lt. Preston to take charge of this ranch, and get it up to standard. He was heading back to the lodge to wait for the satellite info.
Several hours later, Greg had a better picture of what was going on to the south. It was worse than he thought. The satellite had found the main area of the protectorate quickly enough, since it knew where to look. What it showed was a very organized area about 120 miles to the south.
It centered around a small town which seemed to have escaped the destruction of Superior. What was even more interesting was the motor pool that they had. Greg counted 7 APCs and 2 Bradly fighting vehicles. There were 10 school buses as well as 5 Hum Vs.
Greg watched as the satellite scanned and stopped at different locations. There seemed to be a large warehouse with people lined up receiving food. Most of those in line were woman and children. The few men in line seemed to be quite elderly. Another site they stopped at was what was apparently a tent area enclosed with a large chain linked fence topped with razor wire.
Over 64 people were counted inside the tented area. The tents looked to be standard GP medium tents. It appeared to be an outdoor prison or detention camp of some sort. A house trailer was parked a shot distance from the fenced area. Everyone inside the tent camp was a male. (GP stands for general purpose)
Most disturbing was a gathering of vehicles that was parked on the side of the road about 20 miles to the north. Another Bradly fighting vehicle, two Hum Vs, two school buses apparently full of armed men, a motor home, and three empty cattle trucks. Additionally there was a tractor trailer to carry supplies, presumably.
Cheyenne Mountain was not to pleased with what was going on. More and more little conclaves of survivors were being discovered. As these small groups were discovered, Cheyenne Mountain would find some way to make contact. First and foremost the remains of the federal government would try to locate active state government officials. When that did not prove feasible, the federal government would try to locate and communicate with the local military leaders and appoint someone as district commander, such as happened with General Greg Baron.
It was decided to offer General Baron air support in the event of an attack. All the surveillance tapes and photos of the area directly south were disturbing. Also, the district the Federal Government assigned to General Baron also en-composed some of the self proclaimed Free Zone Protectorate.
Even while these decisions were being made, surveillance was still being carried out on the protectorate. More and more area was being identified as belonging to this group. More evidence was coming in of a systematic incarceration of men or boys from the age of 15 to 50. A total of 11 such camps had been located. More military vehicles were discovered, usually from the same units. It was possible a National Guard unit had gone rogue. Or it's top echelon.
Communications was tried but nothing was heard in response to queries. Cheyenne Mountain was able to see several standard military radios being used, and even managed to monitor several transmissions.
In other areas of the United States, communications was re-established with out of touch units and local governments. All in all it was a grim map of survivors that was emerging. Well over 200 million people in the United States were known dead. This represented the majority of it's population.
In space, Steve, Bob and Jessica were getting ready to depart the station. Steve checked his craft and slowly powered up certain systems in preparation. Also, one station crewman would be returning with them.
They watched closely the area they had chosen to land. The road was mostly clear. Still, the landing strip at Cheyenne Mountain was ready and they could even land and wait out the remaining days at the mountain until the road finally cleared the rest of the way. Steve had been given assurances that transportation would be provided if necessary.
Steve had been monitoring the situation closely, and was worried for his brother. He approached Bob about getting some explosive ordnance for his craft so he could fly support for his brother if it came to open battle. Bob told him he would work on it for him, and see what he could do.
Finally, it was time. Goodbyes were said, and everyone who was departing with Steve left and went into his craft. Still, Steve worried. The southern group was on the move north, and Greg was shifting people and supplies to try to stem the advance.
He would try diplomacy first. If that failed, it would be a battle. Steve had originally thought to stay on the station until the road totally cleared, but with the impending battle looming, he wanted to be on earth with his brother.
Departure went smoothly. Jessica chatted with their passenger, Elisabeth Kingsly, who had been the station meteorologist. It had been decided ground side to bring her back. She had some interesting data on what was happening in the atmosphere. Particularly the Ozone layer.
Soon, re-entry had been accomplished, and Steve was winging his way on a strict course that had to be followed exactly. Twenty minutes later he was touching down on runway 8. That was it's only title. He came in out of the west, and flew in jags as directed by ground control.
Three minutes after touching down, he was taxiing into a huge vault like structure excavated from the side of the mountain itself. With the return to earth, gravity made itself known, and Jessica was glad of her exercise regimen. She had felt more and more heavy as they had entered the earth's atmosphere. She also felt the need to find a bathroom really soon.
An hour later Steve and Bob were talking with General Colton in his office in the mountain.
"I would not worry to much about your brother, Steve. He has already repulsed one attack, and this was after he had given them fair warning to turn back. He has taken the fight to the enemy. For a supply and maintenance man he is doing well." General Colton told him.
While Greg took the field and Steve discussed rearming his craft for ground support, the few remaining people at the lodge were worried. This worry took two of the residence to a bedroom on the second floor.
Tracy was a little nervous. She and Adam were sitting on her bed in her room, and she was dressed in a bathrobe that was already open. All she had on was brief panties. And her robe of course. Adam was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and was feeling Tracy's breasts and tweaking her nipples.
They were both kissing, tongues playing one against the other. Adam pushed against Tracy, and she lay back on the bed. Adam paused, looking at her. His penis was hard and pushing against the now cramped quarters of his crotch.
Tracy felt Adam's crotch. She was very excited! It had been a long time since she last did anything with a boy, and for some reason it was extremely exciting this time. Adam ran his hand down from her breast, to her panties, and onto the slit they covered.
Tracy hissed in pleasure. Adam took this encouragement, and put his hand into her panties, feeling her moist slit. Tracy shuddered and spread her legs. Adam taking the hint, slowing drew his fingers up and then back down her slit. His fingers were totally wet after the first run.
Tracy was busy with getting his cock in her hand. Finally she had it out, and marveled at its hard but silky feel. How could something so hard and throbbing be so soft? She groaned as he sunk one of his fingers into her. Slowly he started to finger fuck her.
She sped up in her stroking of his cock. As she sped up, so did he. Both were so engrossed with each other that nether heard the door open, and Tracy's mother was just in time to see first her daughter, then Adam have their orgasms.
Both relaxed as they came down from their orgasmic high, and Rachael then made her presence known.
"Well, it seems I have arrived at an inconvenient time for you, but just in time for me. I think we should talk." Rachael said to the two teens.
Greg lay on the hilltop, watching the approaching vehicles. This time instead of the Hum V being first, the Bradly was in the lead. All the buses had disgorged the men they had been carrying, and they were all walking, spread out, slowly advancing.
The rest of the vehicles hung back until a specific distance had been reached. The remaining vehicles would slowly drive up to the rear of the advancing men, then stop again.
Sgt. Ballerton had watched the advance, and had spread out a few Claymore mines. The enemy was about to get engaged the hard way. Sudden death. As the soldiers moved well into the kill zone, Sgt. Ballerton gave the order, and explosions happened in several different locations.
Faintly, screams could be heard. Everything down the road stopped. People dropped to the ground. The Bradly hesitated, then pulled off the road and came to a halt also.
At the second signal, the .50 caliber machine gun opened up and started it's THUMP... THUMP... THUMP... sound as it fired. It's target was easy to identify. Tracer rounds went walking up to the Bradly, and into its engine compartment.
The armor of a fighting vehicle could defeat most gun fire, but a .50 was not one. Smoke billowed out from the Bradly, and then nothing. Greg gave the order to pull back, and the forward strike team once again retreated, and ran to waiting vehicles, to be taken to the next fall back area, where they would again set up another trap.
So it was. Greg would set a trap, have it sprung or watch it sprung by the advancing enemy and then pull back. Sgt. Ballerton and Greg had already decided on a spot for a full battle if they advanced that far. So positions were being prepared by Lt. Preston and her men.
So far, it would seem at least 13 people dead, and over 23 wounded from the advancing force. No wounds or injuries were reported by any of Greg's forces. Still no communications were received from the advancing party. Greg had his RTO constantly trying to raise the advancing enemy on his radio. (RTO is radio telephone operator.)
Greg and his men were positioned in the final fall back position, when his phone rang. It was Steve calling from Cheyenne Mountain.
"Hey guy, we've been watching your battles from the sky. Command here says great job for a desk jockey!" Steve said, chuckling.
"Never mind that, can you see what they are doing now?" Greg asked.
"Sure thing brother. They have retreated about a mile from the last trap you sprung. So far, they seem to be talking it over. The people in the Bradly have the hood up and are trying to get it going is our best guess. They have some guards out so the crew of the Bradly won't have to guard as they try to fix it. Nice job." Steve ended.
"Any new intercepts on radio from them? We have tried everything, but still nothing from them." Greg asked.
"Negative. However, command here says that they have configured my craft for ground support. How does a couple of FAE dropped on the enemy sound to you?" Steve asked grimly. (FAE is fuel air explosive. It's a very fiery explosion.)
"I think it would be great. These people must be brought to the bargaining table or destroyed. I don't think as of now they are really taking us seriously. They seem to have been winning all their little battles until now. Their convoy does not even have any ambulances. It's almost as if they think they won't loose a man." Greg postulated.
Steve and Greg spoke for another 15 minutes, then Steve said he had a flight to prepare for. Greg told him to hurry and get his butt home where it belonged, then hung up. Steve had said that's what he was working on before they had hung up.
The RTO said he had just received communications from Cheyenne base, that the enemy was on the move again. Estimated time to contact was about 1 hour at current speed of travel.
So they waited. Faster than they wanted, the enemy appeared out in the distance. Greg had chosen another hill top with positions dug in. Both the .50 cal and the .60 cal machine guns were placed at ether end of the line.
A little over 100 men still advanced on foot, spread out of course. A few vehicles were just now coming into view. Greg had the word passed to prepare to fire when the distance had gotten down to 500 meters.
That changed. A silent swift object came diving out of the cloud cover and loosed a single large oblong object. Even at over a mile away, the roar and initial heat burst was still felt! Steve had arrived with is craft, and it's deadly load. The craft climbed and turned, and then ran again at the men on the ground.
Greg's view was blocked by the fire and smoke, and when the second FAE went off, it got worse. Greg waited, but no one advanced on his position.
Greg was standing and scanning the distance with binoculars, trying to see through the dense smoke and flames, when the RTO came up to him.
"Ground 1, this is Skeet Shoot, over." Steve's voice said over the radio.
"This is ground 1. Nice work Skeet Shoot. Do you have a report on what the enemy is doing now?" Greg asked, having recognized Steve's voice.
"Roger. I make it about 15 people running south, fast! Check that.
The vehicles are picking them up now. Ok, all people have now gotten in
vehicles and I make it all vehicles are headed south. If you advance
now, you could probably capture that Bradly." Steve almost chortled
into the radio.