Ashes - Fire In The Ashes Part 11

Como pulled himself erect. When he spoke, his voice was hard. "You're a soldier, General Krigel, and you'll obey orders, or by G.o.d, I'll-"

"You'll do what?" Krigel snapped, losing his temper. "G.o.dd.a.m.n it, Paul, we're creating another civil war. And you know it. Yes, I'm a soldier, and a d.a.m.ned good one. But by G.o.d, I'm an American first.

This is a nation of free people, Paul? The h.e.l.l it is! Those people in the Tri-States may have different ideas, but-"

"G.o.dd.a.m.n you!"Como shouted. "Don't you dare argue with me. You get your troopers up and dropped-now, or they won'tbe your troopers. General Krigel, I am making that a direct order."

"No, sir," Kigel said, a calmness and finality in his voice. "I will not obey that order." He removed his pistol from leather and handed it to General Como. "I'm through, Paul-that's it."

General Como, red-faced and trembling, looked at the .45 in his hand, then backhanded his friend with his other hand. Blood trickled from Krigel's mouth. Krigel did not move.

Como turned to a sergeant major, who had stood impa.s.sively by throughout the exchange between the generals. "Sergeant Major, I want this man placed under arrest. If he attempts to resist, use whatever force is necessary to subdue him. Understood?" He gave the sergeant major Krigel's .45.

The sergeant major gripped General Krigel's arm and nodded. He didn't like the order just given him.

He'd been a member of a LRRP team in 'Nam-back when he was a young buck-and the idea of special troops fighting special troops didn't set well with him. American fighting American was wrong, no matter how you cut it.

"Yes, sir," the sergeant major said, but was thinking: just let me get General Krigel out of this area and by G.o.d, we'll both link up with Raines's Rebels. Us, and a bunch of other men.

General Como turned to his aide, Captain Shaw. "Tell General Hazen he is now in command of the 82nd. Get his troopers dropped. Those that won't go, have them arrested. If they resist, shoot them. Tell General Cruger to get his Marines across those borders. Start it-right now!"

Shaw nodded his understanding, if not his agreement. The young captain was career military, and he had his orders, just as he was sure Raines's people had theirs.

"Yes, sir." He walked away. "Right away, sir."

General Como blinked rapidly several times. He was very close to tears, and then he was crying, the tears running down his tanned cheeks. "G.o.dd.a.m.n it," he whispered. "What a f.u.c.king lash-up."

"You all right, General?" an aide inquired.

Krigel shook his head to clear away the fog of memories. He brought himself to the present with a visible effort. Como had been killed on the tenth day of the fighting in the Tri-States; killed by a little girl with a .45-caliber pistol.

Ironic, Krigel thought. Como had spent several years in 'Nam. No desk-soldier, Como spent as much time in the field with his men as possible. Hadn't gotten a scratch.

"Sir?" the aide persisted.

"What? Oh ... yes, Captain. I'm fine," Krigel curved his mouth into a smile. "I was ... lost in memories for a time."

"The Tri-States, sir?"

"Yes. You were there, too, weren't you, Van?"

"Yes, sir. For eight days. I ... walked away from my unit on the morning of the ninth day. Couldn't take any more of it. That ... raping got to me."

"And the torture?"

"I wasn't a part of that, sir, and neither were any of my men. But I saw what was left of a woman after some ... guys got through with her. I don't think I'll ever forget it."

"No," Krigel sealed the statement. "No, you won't, Van. I saw some of it in 'Nam-done by Americans. You don't forget it-you just learn to live with it."

"Yes, sir. I was kinda hopin' you'd say you eventually forget it."

"I wish," the general said, accompanying that with a sigh. "Everything loaded, Van?"

"Yes, sir. Ready to roll."

"All right. We'll cut southwest through Ohio until we pick up Interstate 75 at Cincinnati. We'll stay on that most of the way into the mountains. That's where we'll link up with Ben."

"You know General Raines, sir?"

Several officers and enlisted personnel had gathered around.

"Yes, I do, Van. Not well, but I know him."

"What kind of man is he, sir?"

Krigel thought about that for a moment. "He was a h.e.l.l Hound in 'Nam. Then he was a mercenary in Africa for a few years. But not of the stripe of Hartline; more a soldier of fortune type. Ben ... is a dreamer, a visionary, a revolutionary. He's a planner; a man who believes in as much freedom as possible for the law-abiding citizen. Ben Raines is ... quite a man."

"Ben is a very complicated man," Jerre said to Doctor Ca.n.a.le. "A lot of people ask me about him; I never know exactly what to say to them."

"You miss him, don't you?"

"I'd be lying if I said no."

"Well, you're going to have your hands full in a few months, Jerre. It's definitely twins."

"A boy and a girl," Jerre said with a smile.

"I won't guess on that," Ca.n.a.le grinned.

"That isn't a guess. I know."

The doctor did not argue. He had long ago given up arguing with pregnant women.

Jerre dressed and thanked the doctor. He winked at her and said to see him in a few weeks. A young man in his late twenties stood up when Jerre left the office, entering the waiting room.

He smiled at her. "How'd it go, Jerre?"

"I'm in great shape, Matt. Well," she grinned, "at least my physical condition is good. I'm beginning to waddle like a duck."

"You're beautiful," he said somberly.

"And you're nuts!" she laughed at him, taking his arm and walking outside with him. "Oh, Matt-I can't tell you how surprised I was to see you. And how glad. I heard you'd been killed in the last days of the invasion on Tri-States."

He helped her into an old VW bug. "It got pretty close and scary there for a time." He got under the wheel, cranked the old bug, and pulled away from the curb. "But a few of us managed to slip across the border into Canada. Then we got orders to set up a base in Northern California. And ... here I am."

"No steady girl, Matt?"

"You know better, Jerre. You're the only girl I ever wanted."

She touched his arm. "I never meant to hurt you, Matt. Please believe that."

"Oh, I do, Jerre. You laid it right on the line from the first night we ... I mean..."

"I know what you mean, Matt."

They were silent until they pulled into the drive of a home set overlooking the Pacific, just north of Crescent City. He helped her into the house (she was always amused at his overprotectiveness) and into a chair.

She had to laugh at him. "Matt, I'm not at death's door; I'm going to have a couple of babies, that's all."

"Scary business, Jerre. Spooks me," he admitted. "I'm a big chicken when it comes to stuff like that."

"We're only a few miles from the clinic, so quit worrying. You're making me nervous."

He knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his. "Jerre..."

She shushed him with a genuine kiss. "Don't say it Matt-not yet. You know how I feel about Ben."

"Then ...?"

"I had to, Matt. I had to let go. Ben has a mission; I'm not sure even he knows it-or will admit it-but he does, and I just couldn't be a drag on him. It wouldn't be fair to a lot of people."

"And me, Jerre?"

"You know how I feel about you, Matt."

"But you love General Raines?"

"Yes. And always will, Matt. Let's be honest this time around, too."

He grinned at her. "I'll just wait then, Jerre. And I'll wait with you-if you don't mind."

"I don't mind," she said softly. "I don't mind at all."

"If you were ten years younger, I'd whip your a.s.s," Ben said to Doctor Chase.

"You can't reach that far," the doctor fired back over the radio. "Not from Tennessee to Wyoming.

Besides, she made me promise not to tell you."

"Why did she do it, Lamar?"

"I ... really don't know, Ben," the doctor lied. "I guess she just wanted some time to herself."

"I think she wanted to find some nice young man her own age. h.e.l.l, I'm twenty-five years older than Jerre."

Age has nothing to do with love and affection, you crazy gun-soldier, Chase thought. But if it's easier for you to believe that, have at it. "That may be it, Ben."

"That young man she used to see-Matt something-or-another, he's out there. Yeah, that's it. Well ... I hope she's happy. G.o.d knows the kid deserves it."

To be as smart as you are, Raines, you don't know jacks.h.i.t about women. "Doctor Ca.n.a.le's a good man, Ben, runs a fine clinic. Jerre will be all right. We intercepted one of Ramos's transmissions; set on the same scrambler frequency. I like your plan, Ben."

"I think it's the only way, Lamar. The people have to get involved. We can't do it all for them. h.e.l.l, I won't do it all for them."

"We're moving to link up with Ramos in a few weeks, Ben. You know the plan-I'll see you on target."

Ben grinned. "Watch your blood pressure, old man. It's tough taking care of a woman young enough to be your granddaughter."

"What! How ...?"

Ben signed off, leaving Doctor Chase bellowing into a cold mike. He turned just as Ike walked into the communications tent. Ben's second-in-command wore a funny expression on his face.

"Ike."

"Ben ... you 'member that female reporter on NBC; that one you always said you'd like to strangle for her liberal views?"

"Roanna Hickman. Yes. What about her?"

"She just pranced her a.s.s up to our easternmost outpost. Says she wants to do a story on you-for broadcast."

Ben looked at him for a few seconds. "Well, I'll be G.o.dd.a.m.ned."

"Probably," Ike agreed. "But let's not get into that."

Nine.

The word went out from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to all base commanders: Order all personnel to keep a low profile when off base. No interference with Ben Raines's Rebels unless the men are provoked. This is a fight between Lowry and Raines. Stay out of it.

The message was intercepted by Al Cody's people. Cody went straight to VP Lowry. He tossed the decoded message on the VP's desk and sat down.

"It's all in the open now, Weston. No more playing pitty-pat."

VP Lowry read the message and then pushed it from him. "f.u.c.k the military. We don't need them.

Hartline is beefing up his men to the tune of a hundred a day. The intelligence reports we've received all state that Raines won't make a move before the first of the year-at the earliest. By that time Hartline will have a full division under his command. Maybe more than that. Raines is helping destroy himself and doesn't even know it. The b.a.s.t.a.r.d is stupid."

Cody shook his head. "Don't ever think that, Weston. Raines may be a lot of things; stupid is not one of them. He's got something up his sleeve."