The Dragons of Men (The Sons of Liberty Book 2) (74 page)

Six hundred feet.

He shook with hatred as the ground began to tremble. He knew it was madness to stand as one man against an army, but war had forged him into a madman worthy of such a grand dénouement.

Five hundred feet.

As the army neared the gap, Adam Reinhart began to roar. He shouted for the fallen. He yelled for the injustice that had enslaved the men and women who charged toward him. Adam howled—the defiant cry of a man that had come so close to reuniting with his family, only to lose everything in the end.

The air about him began to swirl violently, almost as though the earth awaited the approaching clash. Adam ignored the wind. It was the end for him and he would stand in the gap as a man of courage. Adam raised the two blades to the side, whispering one last prayer as the throng thundered forward, now within three hundred feet of the breach.

Give me the courage to stand. Give me the courage to die.

And as the masses of wrath approached, the heavens above seemed to fracture and a deluge of death rained down.

Fast moving fighters quickly passed over the battlefield, their guided missiles destroying the Patriarch tanks—black smoke and fire consuming their dense armor. Infernos fountained beneath the feet of those who charged the wall, sending men and debris spiraling through the air. Twelve Blackhawks hovered above the inner campus, bullet casings cascading down upon the swirling trees below like a downpour. All in all, it was a breathtaking sight—a miraculous turning of the tide worthy of capturing the awe of any soldier. But Gene Smith ignored the battle for but a moment, fixing his eyes on the tattered flag that waved violently above the shattered wall, his eyes beading with tears as he realized the patriot within him had not yet died after all.

“All chalks remain in position and cover the gap.” Gene finally shifted his eyes back to the battle, knowing there would be plenty of time to dwell upon the red, white, and blue. “Rangers, deploy and secure the inner base. First squadron, I want one more pass out of you boys. Second squadron, reroute to the fighting on Race Street. Hit the bastards hard and watch for friendlies. Once you’re spent, I want all fighters to head south and regroup with Texas. The Fifth and Seventh should have already commenced their assault on Little Rock and I want you there.”

“Copy that.”

The pilot beside Gene turned to him and nodded his head, a grin splitting his jaw. “Damn proud to be here, General.” Though Gene couldn’t see the pilot’s eyes behind his visor, he knew they’d be glistening with tears, just like his.

The fighter jets banked around sharply on the horizon, though Gene didn’t care to follow their paths. The battle had been won and his place was no longer in the air above.

“Pilot,” Gene said, pointing to an empty parking lot. “Set us down. It’s time I join my fellow countrymen.”

Victor broke through the surface of the wide creek south of the base. He swam to the shore—awaiting the plunge back into hell for his failure to charge the base. His hands sank into the muddy embankment as he whimpered. The ground shook again, though he heard nothing. He pulled himself ashore, rolling over and breathing deeply.

The earth began to rumble even more violently than it had before. Victor looked up, watching
and
feeling the jets that crossed overhead like a volley of massive arrows. He ripped his eyes away, looking toward the glowing battlefield they passed over. Dozens of bombs and missiles exploded—the heat from their wave of fire blistering his face.

Victor knew the end was near.

He closed his eyes tightly and began to scream, awaiting release from the hell that had been life.

Sarah closed her eyes, her voice quivering as the building shuddered. The wall of darkened glass at the front of the atrium audibly strained against metallic frames and she began to wonder if it would shatter. The rumbling echo of explosions outside resonated inside her chest—a colossal percussionist standing at their door, drumming away without any perceivable rhythm. Nevertheless, Sarah and the women of the hall worshiped, singing defiantly as their end neared.

The front door banged open and Sarah opened her eyes, finding a familiar face at the front of a line of soldiers.

“Judah!” Sarah shouted, the song in the room quickly wavering. Judah’s glistening eyes shifted from Sarah to Alexandra. He stepped forward, actually grinning.

“It’s over!” he cried out.

The song cut off completely as murmurs permeated the room.

“How?” Sarah asked as Judah ran up, embracing Alexandra. The other soldiers ran into the room, each one smiling or shedding tears of joy.

“I don’t know,” Judah replied. “They destroyed the dorm and we were running here when someone hit them from the air. They’re still hitting them.” Judah turned to the room and raised his rifle high overhead. “We won!”

The Battle Choir of Fort Harding erupted—a jubilant exclamation as women embraced their children. Others ran up to the smiling soldiers—embracing them in scenes reminiscent of Times Square and the victory of World War Two. Sarah wanted to shout with joy. She wanted to shed euphoric tears over the miraculous victory and hold those she loved, but she didn’t. She couldn’t.

Not everyone she loved was standing there with her.

She turned to Judah, grabbing his arm as he embraced a weeping Alexandra.

“Stay here and watch the girls,” Sarah said.

“What?” Judah said, looking at her curiously. “Where are you going?”

She turned to the door and ran, giving no answer. All Sarah could do is pray as she ran out of the building—wondering if she had once again lost a man she loved.

“Sarah!”

Adam shouted, holding Eric in his arms as he searched for his wife. A Blackhawk landed a hundred yards away while other soldiers roped down through the trees that towered above him. He ignored them all, his attention focused on the chaotic campus. He had survived, the battle won. America safe. Now, he couldn’t seem to contain his fear as he wondered if his wife was alive to say the same.

“Sarah!”

“Eric!”

Sarah shouted as she ran out beneath the trees. She shielded her eyes against a towering oak that burned brightly in the center of the commons area. Soldiers descended upon ropes from hovering helicopters above. She watched as a throng of wounded men ran and staggered about the sprawling field, aiding those who couldn’t walk.

Weeping over those who no longer breathed.

Debris and broken trees lay everywhere, increasing in severity as she jogged in the direction of the wall. The men around her were badly wounded. A veil of black smoke billowed from the field just beyond the tattered wall. She knew Eric would have been at the front. He would have stood next to the ground that smoldered with an impenetrable haze. Sarah began to cry, praying for comfort as she began to accept her worst fears.

“Eric….”

Sarah stopped fifty feet north of a burning tree that had toppled and bent at a weird angle near its base. Another group of wounded soldiers passed her, carrying a legless man that howled in agony. Sarah halted, her eyes lingering on the mangled man.

I can’t keep going,
she thought, closing her eyes as she began to cry.
I can’t….

“Sarah!” Adam shouted, hefting Eric in his arms as he ran awkwardly. The entire commons area was alive with fresh soldiers or wounded men. It was surrounded by dozens of buildings. He stopped to scan the field and catch his breath. His head pounded, his lungs burned, and his legs throbbed with exhaustion. Adam was near the point of failure—a beaten car running on fumes as it attempted to summit a mountain.

She could be anywhere.

He gritted his teeth as he took a deep breath, refusing to abandon his search. He would discover what had happened to his family one way or another before he let slumber soothe his heavy eyes.

Adam stumbled forward, nearing a burning oak that had been shattered by a shell. He took a deep breath and shouted again.

“Sarah!”

Sarah wept, aware of the sounds of men rushing about while the rumble of the battle beyond grew still.

“Sarah….”

A faint cry—a subtle whisper on the wind. Sarah’s eyes shot open, searching for the voice.

“Eric,” she muttered, waiting for the voice to return or silence to prove her insanity.

“Sarah!”

Louder this time, on the other side of the burning oak. Hope began to swell within her as she ran toward the voice.

“Eric!”

“Eric….”

Adam knew that voice. A newfound vigor surged inside him as he lumbered toward the fiery tree. He saw Sarah’s outline behind the flames of the downed tree. Adam set Eric down, his hands and face trembling as she rounded the oak. He rose to his feet and Sarah turned the corner.

Their eyes met and Sarah gasped, nearly falling back in complete and total shock. Adam stepped forward, tears streaming down his face as he approached her, stopping just shy of arms reach to soak in her beauty.

“Adam?” she mumbled, taking a step closer. “How…what….”

Adam paused, unsure of what to say. He had dreamt of reuniting with his family once his eyes closed to this world. He had believed Sarah dead, one of the countless victims in a war he had failed to prevent. He had spent the past months on the road, struggling for survival as he searched for a new home and hope. Now, as Adam Reinhart stood upon a victorious battleground next to the wife he had assumed dead, words seemed unbefitting for the miracle that simply was.

Adam stepped forward and embraced Sarah.

C
hapter
T
wenty-three

The Saints Within

Gene Smith quietly listened to the others ramble on, though his attention was drawn again to the far corner of the room. He smiled, his eyes and heart fixated on the flag that hung idly from a wooden pole. The red and white twisted and curved as they stretched downward, stopping six inches above the tiled floor. His gaze shifted upward, climbing the stripes to the rectangular blue sea inundated with a fleet of stars. Despite all Gene had suffered to reach the Republic of Texas, he knew he was finally home—among those brave souls who were willing to fight for the future of a resurrected dream.

“All I am saying is that you don’t need to be here yet.” Adam was leaning forward, facing Nadia as his words pulled Gene’s attention back to the table. “I don’t want you to feel obligated to—”

“Tyler and I governed Fort Harding long before you arrived,” Nadia replied, a hint of bitterness on her voice. “I fully stand by our decision earlier and look forward to seeing how the world reacts to your coming speech, but that does not mean I am ready to stand by silently and let grief overwhelm me.”

“And you’re sure you don’t need some time?” Adam asked.

“To wallow in sorrow would be to accept defeat, and I…I can’t….” Nadia’s eyes slowly fell, staring ahead absently. Eventually, she took a deep breath and continued. “Mr. Reinhart, I’d die if I didn’t fill my hours with something.”

Adam paused, slowly nodding his head. “Alright. And Nadia, none of this is me wanting to push you aside. Your words will always be heeded and you are more than welcomed to be involved as much as you feel comfortable.”

“And don’t be afraid to thrum his skull if he’s out of line after today,” Jack cut in with a grin.

“Well I hope no one will be thrumming my skull again anytime soon,” Adam replied, shaking his head with a chuckle. “You’re all more than welcome to speak your minds freely whenever you want. I want to make that clear from the get-go.”

“Then I reckon I’ll be the first to take you up on that offer.” Gene removed his cowboy hat, brushing his hands through his hair. “We might have a few problems with our friends to the south.”

“You mean Texas?” Alan asked. “What did they do?”

“It’s not them. Apparently,
we’re
the problem. I got word back from one of my contacts inside the Lone Star Nation. To summarize what was a lot of jargon, the higher-ups are not too fond about my actions eight days ago.”

“What do you mean?” Adam asked.

Gene took a deep breath, placing the cowboy hat back on his head. Texas posed a threat, but they weren’t the
problem
. The real problem—the one sitting at their doorstep—needed to be addressed immediately. However, Gene knew what needed to be done was something that was going to ruffle a lot of bright feathers and he’d need to quietly inspire them to come to his conclusions, especially if he were going to grow their numbers by thousands in one day.

“I’d been prayin’ the lack of communication with Texas over the past week might have been a good sign, hoping they’d let bygones be bygones. Sadly, it appears there will be little forgiveness on their part regarding my actions on the day of the battle.”

“But you saved us,” Adam said. “You saved thousands from annihilation.”

“And I’m damn proud of it,” Gene replied. “But they most certainly don’t see things the same way.”

“How do you think they see it?” Nadia asked.

“They see me as a rogue general who commandeered a sizable portion of their air force to run his own emotionally-driven mission just as they were assaulting Little Rock.”

“But you didn’t lose any planes or helicopters,” Adam replied. “They used drones and smart-bombs to soften the city up. They took Little Rock with hardly any casualties. What’s the big deal?”

“Oh, they lost one hundred and twelve men taking North Little Rock when there was barely anything left to take,” Gene replied. “Nothing compared to the Patriarch’s losses, but still not something any general demanding answers can’t ignore. On top of that, the bigger deal is that they wanted Fort Harding months ago. They tried to annex it and you all refused.”

“You think we should have given in?” Nadia asked, nodding over to the flag in the corner. “You think we should have burned that flag over there and joined the mighty Republic of Texas?”

“Hell, no. And I want to be clear that I’m damn proud that you held out, but you did refuse them and made no qualms about your disdain for their repeated requests. The way they see it, once it came down to gritty, Fort Harding wouldn’t have survived without a stolen Texan air force.”

“But we didn’t choose to—”

“I know,” Gene cut in. “All I’m saying is they’re not happy with me for what I had done and they’re not happy with the leaders here at Fort Harding for your lack of cooperation. After Adam’s speech later today…well, I’m not so sure they’ll remain quiet much longer.”

“We’re not backing down.” Adam looked around the table defiantly, the determination on his face daring anyone to suggest otherwise. “No amount of intimidation is going to prevent me from telling the world what it needs to hear. I don’t care one way or another what Texas thinks after that.”

“Oh I doubt they’ll come looking to cause a fight outside of some bullshit political maneuvering,” Gene replied. “They’re not our enemies, but they’re not exactly our friends.”

“I say let them come,” Nadia replied angrily.

“No disrespect, but that is the last thing we want right now,” Gene replied, laughing lightly at what he knew was no laughing matter. “Try to imagine us turning back anything greater than a small pack of rabid outlaws. We can buck up all we want. But for now, we pack a punch not much greater than a small town’s parks and rec division.”

“A fact that needs to change fast,” Adam said.

“If there’s one thing I can guarantee, it’s that the days of lickin’ our wounds are over. Eight days since the battle…I think we’ve rested long enough. After today, we prepare. I know it won’t be easy getting back to hard work and harder training after all everyone has been through, but I can promise you I’ll do everything I can to ensure we’re ready to stand tall against anyone, Texas included. And with all due respect, I’m going to make damn sure that we’re throwing more than a few makeshift walls in their way the next time someone comes battering down our gates.”

“Whatever you need, I promise you, it’s yours,” Adam replied. “There’s no way this war is over and without additional soldiers, we’re simply bidding time till the next battle.”

“If that’s the case.” Gene leaned forward, ready to jump on Adam’s pledge, inwardly amused at the fact that Adam was already suggesting what Gene wanted without even knowing he’d been manipulated.

So this is what it’s like to be a politician.

“The big problem is that we’re all thinking about tomorrow when we have a greater issue on our hands today.”

“Which is what?” Jack asked.

“The survivors,” Gene said.

“You mean the prisoners?” Nadia replied, her eyes narrowing in anger. “Mr. Smith, they won’t be our problem for long.”

“Is that right?” Gene replied. “Who is feeding them right now?”

“We are,” Adam replied.

“And who has to determine their immediate future?”

Adam nodded his head slowly. “Gene, I see what you’re saying. We’ve all been through a lot and I think a little time to breathe will go a long way for all of us. Until we can—”

“Like you said, we’re just bidding time till the next great push. I know you didn’t want this role but you didn’t hesitate to take it on when we asked it of you. I’m sorry, but we can’t ignore those folks any longer. Last I heard, have two thousand nine hundred and nineteen scared and injured survivors—or prisoners if you prefer. They had fought against us by no decision of their own, lost that battle because a few miracles decided to collide at the same time, and they are now all awaiting our next move.”

“And the sooner they’re dead and gone, the better,” Nadia replied coldly.

“She might be right,” Alan said. “God knows I hate saying it, but that might very well be what we have to do to protect ourselves.”

“Alan, I’ve know you for a long time,” Jack began. “Hearing you encourage mass murder was never something I thought I’d see in you.”

“Jack, you saw them. They were mindless savages.”

“And I was almost one of them!”

“But you’re not one of them,” Alan replied. “I’m not saying we should kill them; I’m simply saying no solution should be off the table. We don’t know if that drug can be reactivated and we honestly might be doing them a favor to end it now.”

“The world is going to scrutinize us all after today’s announcement,” Adam said, his gaze shifting between all those at the table. “Every one of you know it’s true. I can’t imagine how they’d react if we start things off by killing three thousand prisoners.”

“That’s exactly my point,” Gene said. “I’m not going to stand against your decision of how to present us to the world, but you need to stand by the inherent virtues that come with such a bold proclamation. No need to be hypocrites, if you catch my drift. Besides, there is strength in numbers and strength is something we desperately need right now. So tell me, do you think there is anyone we might trust that could act as a liaison between our two groups?”

“None that I can think of,” Jack replied, and Adam nodded in agreement. “We could send for Edward and ask if he knows anyone.”

“Edward’s like a curious jack rabbit and we’re all holding out a wedge of cheese, asking him to come back. He might not mean to bite our hand and draw blood, but that doesn’t mean he won’t. I’m sorry Adam, but I still don’t trust that man.”

“And I don’t and will not trust one of those murderous bastards,” Nadia growled. “They’re mindless savages and nothing more! Maybe we can’t kill them, but that doesn’t mean we have to help them do anything but get the hell out of here.”

“I have to disagree with you, Nadia,” Jack said. “I never experienced the hellish nightmares they were subjected to, but I saw it. I can’t hate them. They’re no more responsible for what happened at Fort Harding than you are.”

“No,” Nadia said, shaking her head. “They are responsible. I respect you and everything you have done, but Tyler…my husband would be here with us today if they hadn’t attacked.”

Gene and everyone else quieted, not willing to yield to the silence that followed the memory of Tyler. Tyler had died from his wounds after the battle, his death fueling Nadia’s disdain for those they had taken prisoner. Gene suspected even she knew her hatred was wrong, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t out of place.

Jack was the first to brave the silence.

“Nadia, I’m sorry, but they’re people too.”

“They’re animals!” Nadia shouted, the crack of her hand against the tabletop causing everyone to jump. “And we have no idea when they might turn rabid again!”

“Listen, if the rumors are to be believed, then this war is now nuclear,” Gene said. “With New Orleans and the Patriarch’s stronghold destroyed, they might very well have lost the ability to activate that drug. That would explain the lack of a single reactivation over the past eight days. We’ve already removed more than a few of those tracking devices from behind their ears and have seen no adverse effects. There’s no perceivable reason to believe they are still animals, as you say.”

“And none of what you say means they won’t turn on us,” Nadia argued. “In case you have forgotten, we didn’t exactly welcome them with open arms when they attacked. Those who are mangled are that way because of our bombs. The men and women who died attacking this place lost their lives at the hands of our soldiers. How can you be so sure those who survived won’t seek revenge?”

“And how can you be so sure they won’t—”

“How much time until the broadcast?” Adam interjected, quickly standing.

They all paused, glancing over his way. Gene stared at him too, not realizing he had been on the verge of shouting at Nadia.

“About an hour and a half,” Jack said.

“Good,” Adam said, “then we’ve all got just enough time to take a walk.”

“And might I ask what’s more important that talking this through?” Gene inquired.

“We’re sitting here trying to decide the fate of nearly three thousand people,” Adam said, his eyes moving back and forth between everyone. “A fate that might end with them all executed, set free to wander this fragmented land before likely fall back into debauchery, or perhaps…perhaps their journey doesn’t end badly. Perhaps we show the world the power of forgiveness. After all, I’d be willing to bet that not one of us here hasn’t done something over the past few months that we won’t have to pay for one day. All I am saying is that I think we owe it to ourselves to do more than talk it through without hearing what they have to say. Maybe there is someone among them who can help us make the right decision.”

Gene hesitated before nodding his head in approval. It wasn’t the declaration he’d hoped for, but it would do. The others didn’t wait long until they, too, agreed.

“Alright,” Gene began, standing up and straightening his hat. For once, he was finally happy to see Adam take the lead. “We’ll follow you.”