World War III (32 page)

“Oh I just love your accent,” giggled Beth, as she followed Cleo to the dune buggy.

Five minutes later, Cleo and Beth came crashing through the front gates, riding side-by-side in the dune buggy. They pulled to a stop in the middle of the camp and Cleo jumped out, leaving Beth alone in the passenger seat. Lex was helping to load the last truck, when he saw Cleo running towards him, shouting and waving.

“We gotta get going!” she yelled. “There’s a convoy of military vehicles headed this way!”

“Get going everybody!” shouted Lex. “There are more enemy troops on the way!”

As the last truck full of American civilians pulled away in a cloud of dust, Lex turned and ran towards Cleo. They hurried back to the dune buggy and Beth, who was waiting patiently inside. Just as they reached the dune buggy, enemy troops appeared on the horizon, followed by all manner of armored vehicles. The Russian forces immediately fell into pursuit of the civilians, chasing after the trucks headed east. Which was also the direction that Lex, Cleo and Beth were planning to take.

“Where’s Duke?” asked Beth, hunkered down in the passenger seat.

“I’ve no idea,” answered Lex. “Where did you leave him?”

“Back at the house,” she said. “They wouldn’t let me bring him. We have to go back and get him.”

“There’s no time mom, we’ve gotta get out of here!”

“Not without Duke,” insisted Beth. “He’s like family!”

“Who’s Duke?” asked Cleo, completely confused.

“The family dog,” answered Lex, considering their options. “He’s back there,” he added, pointing behind him to the west. “My mom’s house is within sight of the coast.”

“Yeah,” said Cleo, “and so is the entire enemy force. You can’t be considering this? Only a fool would head in that direction!”

“Look,” said Lex, pointing at all of the Russian vehicles chasing after the trucks loaded with civilians. “Do you really think we’ll be able to escape in that direction? Heading towards the coast would be the last thing they’d expect.”

“That’s because it’s bloody suicide mate!”

“We haven’t any other choice,” said Lex. “Get in!” With the decision made, he turned and jumped into the driver seat next to Beth, while Cleo climbed into the backseat. He slammed his foot down hard on the gas pedal and sped away, leaving the camp behind and heading west towards the coast.

Two of the enemy’s armored vehicles spotted them and fell into pursuit. One was a Humvee and the other a jeep. Lex weaved back and forth in a zig-zag pattern, trying to avoid the machine gun fire coming from the .50 caliber on top of the Humvee.

“Cleo,” shouted Lex, over the barrage of gunfire, “a little help please!”

Cleo spun around in her seat, rifle in hand and took careful aim at the soldier manning the machine gun. She took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger. The bullet hit the soldier in the forehead and he slumped forward dead. She then took careful aim at the driver of the jeep and shot him between the eyes. The driver slumped forward onto the steering wheel, causing the jeep to roll over three times before coming to a stop in a cloud of dust.

As they entered the San Diego city limits, the Humvee began to close the distance between them. Cleo watched as the dead soldier on top was pulled down from inside the vehicle and another soldier popped up in his place. The Russian immediately opened up with the .50 caliber machine gun, sending a wave of bullets towards the dune buggy. Cleo tried to shoot the driver of the Humvee, but unlike the jeep, it was bullet resistant and the bullets bounced off the windshield without causing any damage.

“Bloody hell,” mumbled Cleo, dropping her rifle on the seat beside her and rummaging through her bag. “Resist this!” she shouted, as she withdrew a grenade from inside her bag and pulled the pin. She counted to five in her head and then tossed it on the street behind them. The grenade hit the pavement and bounced twice before the Humvee drove over it. When the grenade exploded, it sent the rear end of the Humvee high into the air. The vehicle flipped over and landed upside down in the middle of the street.

“Nice job!” Lex shouted over his shoulder, as they sped away.

“She’s quite a spitfire,” observed Beth, glancing over at her son. She was so grateful that Alex had finally found a girl who could handle his wild side. She only wished her husband was still around to meet her.

When Lex pulled to a stop in front of his mother’s house, he turned to look at her and asked, “Okay mom, where is he?”

“I left him in the basement,” answered Beth. “He should still be there, hopefully.”

“Alright,” said Lex, looking from his mother to Cleo and then back again, “you two wait here and I’ll go get him.”

He jumped out of the dune buggy with his 9mm Berretta tucked behind his belt and walked up the steps to the front porch. He found the door hanging slightly open and withdrew his gun. Using the muzzle of the weapon he pushed the door open and slowly entered. Once inside, he quickly scanned the house to make sure he was alone. Satisfied that no one else was there, Lex whispered, “Duke, Duke where are you boy?”

Hearing his name, the dog began to bark. The sound was coming from beneath the house. Lex opened the door to the basement and Duke came bouncing out, his tail wagging behind him. Although Lex hadn’t seen the dog in years, Duke remembered him. The yellow Labrador jumped up with his paws landing on Lex’s chest, and began licking his face.

“Alright, alright, I’m glad to see you too boy. Come on, we gotta get out of here.” Lex walked back through the house towards the front door, with Duke following behind, his tail swishing back and forth.

“Oh Duke,” cried out Beth. “Are you okay?”

Hearing his master’s voice, Duke charged the dune buggy and jumped up inside, showering Beth with kisses. Lex followed behind the dog and climbed into the driver’s seat.

“Now what are we gonna do?” asked Cleo. “To the east is the enemy and to the west is the ocean, we’re trapped.”

“Why don’t we take a boat ride,” suggested Beth, while petting Duke and hugging him. Lex and Cleo looked at each other, considering the suggestion.

“Ya know that’s not a bad idea,” said Lex. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s bloody brilliant,” replied Cleo.

With that decided Lex started the engine to the dune buggy and headed for the coast, using residential streets and back alleys to avoid enemy troops. The city was swarming with both Russian and Chinese soldiers and road blocks were everywhere. Having already taken the city, the enemy forces had become confident in their victory and weren’t paying as close attention as they should be.

When they arrived at the Mission Beach Marina they found a large selection of abandoned yachts and sailboats floating in the docks. Lex helped his mom down from the dune buggy, while Cleo scooped up their bags.

“Take Duke and go with Cleo,” whispered Lex, giving his mom a snug hug. “I’ll be right behind you.”

Beth did as told and followed Cleo through an opening she’d cut into the security fence and onto the nearest sailboat, with Duke following close behind. The sailboat had the name ‘Shooting Star’ painted in large, white letters across the aft.

Lex quickly scooped up the remainder of their supplies, including the rifles, and hurried after the two most important women in his life. As he climbed onboard the sailboat that Cleo had chosen, he asked, “Why a sailboat? Couldn’t you have found something faster like a speed boat or something?”

“Sure, but then where would we get the gasoline to operate it?” asked Cleo. “This vessel may be slower, but it doesn’t require any fuel or make any noise.”

Cleo was right, so Lex decided not to argue, even though he knew nothing about sailing. He quickly unfastened the rope connecting the boat to the dock and pulled the anchor up. As they glided away from the dock, Cleo started the engine and guided the vessel out of the marina. Preferring to not attract any unwanted attention, she headed north along the coast without deploying the sails. Lex glanced back longingly at the dune buggy he’d left behind. He was going to miss that buggy. After all, it had saved his life several times during the past few weeks.

Prisoners of War

World War III – Day Fifteen

Clearview, Nevada

When Major Conrad and his convoy returned to Clearview, he found the town well defended. Vehicles were strategically positioned in the middle of the street, blocking all of the roads in and out of town. Militiamen armed with automatic machine-guns were stationed behind the vehicles, with additional guards patrolling the streets. The Major could see bags of sand stacked on several rooftops, with .50 caliber machine-guns propped on top. What he couldn’t see were the ten snipers hidden throughout the small town. He was glad to see the citizens had taken his advice and fortified their home.

Several people emerged from their houses and shops to watch, as the military vehicles drove down Main Street. With five hundred and fifty soldiers, three hundred and forty-two refugees, fifty-five armored vehicles and two Russian prisoners, the procession looked more like a parade than a military convoy.

The townsfolk were relieved to see the Marines and felt safe again, waving at them as they passed by. Little did they know Major Conrad had already received his marching orders, dictating his stay in Clearview would be brief. His orders were to re-supply, before heading south to reinforce Las Vegas, as the city was under siege.

In addition to striking both coasts simultaneously, the Communist Muslim Coalition had also launched an assault on America’s southern border. After breaching the poorly defended border, an army combined of Russian, Chinese and Muslim soldiers flooded into California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

Although highly trained and ready for a fight, the Americans were vastly outnumbered. China alone had more soldiers to throw into the battle than a dozen other countries combined. Texas prevailed the longest, but even their tenacious fighting spirit couldn’t withstand the continuous wave of troops swarming across the border.

Reports had been trickling in to Major Conrad, providing him with limited information on the three separate battlefronts that America now found itself struggling to defend. The boundary with Canada hadn’t seen action, but troops were still being held back and positioned along the border, in anticipation of an assault from the north.

When Ian saw the convoy of Marines approaching, he walked outside to greet them. He was looking forward to catching up with his old friend, Lieutenant Jon Sawyer. When he found the Lieutenant he was talking with Major Conrad, discussing their two Russian prisoners and trying to decide what to do with them. Although they had been able to extract some information from Lt. Razin, Captain Petrov had remained silent, even under the cruelties of torture. The only information they’d been able to extract was his name, rank and serial number. Of course, they hadn’t had much time to work him over in the field, perhaps now they’d have more success.

Even Major Conrad had to admit that Captain Petrov was a hard man to read. Torture had become a regular practice in the military, but the Major was not a fan, nor did he believe it was very effective, usually producing unreliable intelligence. He had however, on several occasions, used the method on prisoners. It was not something he enjoyed doing and he only did it when ordered to. Unfortunately, the Major had received orders to continue torturing both prisoners until he was certain they’d divulged all they knew. And he was pretty sure the Captain was hiding something.

“Hello,” called Ian, as he approached the two officers. “How was it out there?” he asked, nodding towards the mountain range looming in the distance. “Did you run into any of the enemy?”

“Hey Ian,” replied Lieutenant Sawyer, reaching out to shake his friend’s hand, as a grin flashed across his face. “We sure did! In fact we’ve got a couple of prisoners here with us. I don’t suppose you have a place where we can keep them, like a jail or something?”

“We surely do,” answered Ian. “Although I must confess our Sheriff isn’t worth a damn. You’ll be better off having some of your men guard the prisoners.”

“‘That shouldn’t be a problem,” said Lt. Sawyer, looking to Major Conrad for confirmation.

“Sounds perfect,” replied the Major. “It won’t be for very long anyway.”

“Why is that?” asked Ian. “Aren’t you staying?”

“No,” answered Major Conrad. “Las Vegas is under siege and we’ve been ordered south to help reinforce the regiments defending the city. The prisoners will not be traveling with us. My orders are to execute them, after they’ve been properly interrogated.”

“Wow,” said Ian, “that’s a pretty stiff sentence. What’s their crime?”

“They’re an enemy of the State,” replied the Major, “that’s all that’s required.”

“But if we start killing their POW’s,” pressed Ian, “what’s to prevent them from killing ours?”

“They’re already killing ours,” said Lt. Sawyer. “Besides, ‘ours is not to question why, ours is but to do and die.’ At least I think that’s how it goes.”

“You don’t really believe that do you?” asked Ian. “An officer should always question whether an order is right or wrong. Not only is it their responsibility to do so, but also their duty. Following orders has never been, nor will it ever be, a good excuse for killing the innocent.”

“I see your point,” agreed Major Conrad, “but orders are orders, and these men are far from innocent. They were captured after killing a couple of my men in an attempt to kidnap me for information. They’ll get what they deserve. Besides, if I don’t follow my orders and shoot them my superiors will replace me with someone who will, possibly someone with less compassion. As you can see, I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

“I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree on this one,” replied Ian. “So, if you’ve been ordered to Las Vegas does that mean the enemy has already taken Arizona?”

“Just about,” answered Major Conrad, his eyes full of dismay.

“Really?” said Ian, trying to digest this new information.

“We’ve received reports that Muslim officers are ordering the beheadings of hundreds of prisoners, both soldiers and civilians,” added Lt. Sawyer. “The only people they’ve spared are those who are willing to denounce their faith and accept Islam as the one true religion.”

“I see,” said Ian, now realizing why the two Russian prisoners had been sentenced to death. “So which countries are we currently at war with?”

“The Communist Muslim Coalition is comprised of China, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Libya, North Korea, and the list goes on,” answered Lt. Sawyer.

“And our allies?” asked Ian.

“Precious few I’m afraid,” admitted the Major. “The United Kingdom, Canada, France, Japan and South Korea have all claimed to be on our side, yet none of them have come to our aid. Although to be fair, Japan and South Korea are struggling to defend their own territory. The United Kingdom and France haven’t been invaded, at least not yet. Their leaders want peace and refuse to join the fight unless attacked directly. So far Israel is the only ally we have whose actively fighting our enemies, and doing a damn good job of it too! Not only are they successfully holding their line of defense, but they’ve also launched counterattacks against the invading armies that surround them.”

“Why are you being re-deployed to the south when the enemy is just over those mountains?” asked Ian.

“Without reinforcements Las Vegas won’t last very long,” replied the Major.

“But if you guys are heading south who’s going to defend the border here? If the enemy is advancing as fast as you say, it won’t be long until their crossing over the mountains.”

“True,” agreed Major Conrad. “That’s why I’m leaving fifty men under the command of Lt. Sawyer. Their sole task will be to defend the various mountain passes. I was hoping that you and your militiamen could also help in the defense. We must hold the enemy here and prevent them from pushing further east. If they get passed you, there’ll be no one left to stop their advance.”

“I understand,” said Ian. “I’ll inform the townspeople and ready my men.”

“Good,” replied Major Conrad. “Lt. Sawyer will be in charge, but I’d like you to be his second in command.”

“Of course,” agreed Ian.

“We also have some civilian refugees that we picked up in California. I’d like to leave them here in Clearview. Do you think you could find room for them?”

“Absolutely,” said Ian. “When are you and your men pulling out?”

“At first light,” said Major Conrad. He then turned and waved to the two soldiers guarding the prisoners. The Marines immediately escorted Lt. Razin and Captain Petrov over to where the Major stood waiting. “Would you please escort my men and the prisoners to the jail?”

“No problem,” said Ian.

“See to it that the prisoners are under guard at all times and never out of your sight.” Major Conrad said to the two Marines. “Lieutenant Sawyer will be along shortly to interrogate them.”

When Ian and the Marines arrived at the jailhouse with the two prisoners, they found it completely empty. As usual, Sheriff Garrett was over at the Shady Lady getting drunk. Ian ushered Yuri and Sasha into separate cells and locked them inside. He was putting the cell keys back in Sheriff Garrett’s desk drawer, when Shiloh and Mason entered the jailhouse.

“What’s going on?” asked Shiloh, noticing the two Marines standing guard. “And who are these guys?” he asked, pointing at the two men behind bars.

“Russian POW’s,” answered Ian. “They were captured by Major Conrad and his convoy of Marines. Apparently, his orders are to execute the prisoners after they’ve been thoroughly interrogated.” Ian lowered his voice when mentioning the interrogation and execution so that the prisoners couldn’t hear him.

“I need to talk with Major Conrad,” said Mason. “Do you know where I can find him?”

“The last time I saw him was on Main Street just a few minutes ago,” answered Ian. “I’m not sure where he is now. Why what’s up?”

“The enemy has set up a large camp down by the lake,” replied Mason. “It looks like the entire town of South Lake Tahoe has been occupied. From what I saw they appear to be re-supplying and waiting for reinforcements to arrive before crossing the mountains. There are already thousands of troops down there and God only knows how many more are on their way. I need to warn the Major immediately.”

“The Major and most of his men are leaving for Las Vegas at first light,” said Ian. “Apparently the city is under siege and he’s been ordered to reinforce their dwindling defenses. Although, he did say that he’s leaving fifty men here in Clearview under the command of Lieutenant Sawyer.”

“Fifty men won’t be enough,” said Mason. “We’re already outnumbered by over a hundred to one.”

“Can’t you call upon some of your old connections for help?” asked Shiloh, referring to Mason’s tenure with the C.I.A.

“I’m afraid not,” said Mason, “I’ve been disavowed. The only friends I have left are located in Europe and won’t be of any use to us here and now. What we really need are more men and more guns. We must convince the Major to stay and help us defend the mountain passes.”

“Good luck with that,” replied Ian. “I doubt he’ll be willing to disobey his orders.”

“Well we’ve got to try,” said Mason. “I’m gonna go find the Major and inform him of the enemy’s proximity. I’ll talk to you guys later.”

“What do you think we should do Shiloh?” asked Ian, once Mason was gone.

“I’m not sure,” answered Shiloh, shaking his head. “Did Lex and Cleo return with the convoy?”

“I don’t think so,” replied Ian. “I didn’t see them.”

“I’m gonna go and find out. Will you be alright here by yourself with these two?” Shiloh nodded towards the two Russian prisoners, who sat quietly in their cells.

“Oh yeah,” grinned Ian, “no problem. Besides, I’m not alone,” he added, glancing at the two Marines who were sitting at the Sheriff’s desk playing cards.

Shiloh turned and left the jailhouse, hurrying to catch up to Mason. When he’d finally caught up he asked, “Have you heard from Lex or Cleo?”

“Nope,” answered Mason. “But I gave Cleo a satellite phone before they left.”

A few minutes later they found Major Conrad at the south end of town, briefing his officers and giving them their orders. When the Major had finished, he turned to face Shiloh and Mason. “Yes gentlemen, what can I do for you?”

“What happened to Lex and Cleo?” asked Shiloh.

“They separated from us in Ridgecrest, California,” answered Major Conrad. “The last time I spoke to them they were headed southwest towards the coast. One of the prisoners that we captured informed us of FEMA camps just outside of San Diego. I believe that’s where they were headed.”

“So you’ve already interrogated the prisoners?” asked Mason.

“Just a little bit, but not near enough. My orders are to use more stringent methods, followed by an execution. So far only one of them seems willing to talk.”

“Which one?” Asked Mason.

“The Lieutenant,” answered Major Conrad. “The Captain is far less scared and much more composed, and he refuses to talk. Of course he’s also the one who would have the most information.”

“I found one of the enemy’s forward base camps on the south side of Lake Tahoe,” said Mason. “They have thousands of troops with more arriving every day. My understanding is that you and your men are leaving for Las Vegas in the morning, is that correct?”