Authors: Steven Konkoly
“If he’s willing to help, we’ll keep his vehicles fueled. I completely understand if he isn’t interested.”
“He understands what’s at stake if Eli destabilizes the RRZ.”
“Just do me a favor and keep their involvement out of your digital reports. I’m not the only one reading them—and make sure you recover all of the ROTAC gear.”
“It makes sense to let Campbell keep one of the ROTAC sets. It’s the only way we can get in touch with him in the field. He doesn’t have access to any of the battalion or RRZ traffic.”
“I was specifically told to recover the ROTAC gear,” stated Grady.
“I never recorded the ROTAC transfers in any of my reports. You didn’t tell them, did you?”
Grady shook his head.
“They’re tracking the phones? Fuck, there’s something wrong with all of this. The whole RRZ set up seems like one giant clusterfuck, except for surveillance. No problems there. What else are they tracking?” demanded Alex.
“Vehicles. ID cards. But you didn’t hear that from me,” said Grady.
“ID cards? They can track these?” said Alex, pulling out his card and examining it.
“No, but they can track when and where they’ve been swiped. I received a digital message eight days ago notifying me that Captain Alex Fletcher had accessed the Northeast Sector Coast Guard base in South Portland, Maine.”
Alex didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t prepared an excuse for visiting the Coast Guard station because he’d underestimated the depths of the government’s paranoia.
Never again.
“This is fucked up, Sean,” Alex whispered. “They spend more time watching and analyzing our movements than trying to fix the shit storm out there.”
Grady contemplated Alex’s statement, lowering his voice to respond. “I’m not sure how much of a difference any of this will make in the long run, but we have to try. It’s our best option.”
“Maybe,” said Alex, rubbing his sweaty face with both hands.
“Promise me you’ll stick around until this Eli Russell business is finished. Whatever you do decide to do after that, I’ll make sure nothing stands in your way.”
“I’ll need some leeway with this. More Marines would help,” said Alex.
“I can’t give you more vehicles. They’re tracking our deployment carefully.”
“If I had an additional squad of Marines at the FOB, I’d feel comfortable releasing the rest of my vehicles to search for Russell.”
“We could probably spare a few fire teams from Alpha Company. Would that work?” said Grady.
“We’ll make it work.”
Chapter 29
EVENT +17 Days
Sanford, Maine
Alex selected Harrison’s ROTAC channel and pressed “lock.” He wasn’t looking forward to this meeting.
“Harrison Campbell.”
“Harrison, it’s Alex. I’m sitting on the road in front of your property with Gary, the Kleins, and the twelve volunteers that decided to stay with the brigade. I can drive them up if that’s all right.”
“Probably not a great idea right now. Not everyone took the RRZ’s move in stride.”
“I understand, but I do need to talk with you in person. Trust me, it’s important.”
“I’ll meet you at the first checkpoint,” said Campbell.
“Is that the one where your folks pop out of the woods with guns, or the fortified bunkers a little further down the road?”
“I’ll call ahead and make sure they don’t shake you down.”
“I appreciate that. I’ve hit my shakedown limit for the day,” said Alex.
“That bad?”
“It’s not good. See you in a few minutes.”
Alex trailed the group, drifting back as they disappeared around the bend leading to the gate. A gust of wind unleashed a cascading shower of water from the drenched leaves above. The drops pelted his helmet and uniform, tapering off as the breeze died. He removed his helmet and let the damp, shaded air wash over his head. A purposeful rustling of the bushes to the right drew his attention to a familiar face.
“Ms. Nunya.” He nodded. “Glad to see you back on point.”
“Harrison wants you to wait here,” she said, resuming her watch of the forest’s edge through the thick trees.
“Back where we started, huh?”
She didn’t respond.
Message received.
When Harrison arrived a few minutes later, they walked slowly back toward the rumbling military vehicle.
“Sorry I dragged you into all of this. I should have known the RRZ would do this.”
“No need to apologize. I knew exactly what I was getting into.”
“Still,” he said, glancing behind them. “They seem pretty pissed.”
“They had hoped this would turn out very differently. We took a vote after you came to visit me the first time. The decision to partner up with a government entity was far from unanimous. I gave everyone the option to decline participation and remain in good standing within the brigade. Nobody took me up on the offer.”
“The York County Readiness Brigade isn’t out of the fight yet,” said Alex. “I need your help searching for Eli.”
“Doesn’t the RRZ have several thousand soldiers and dozens of helicopters in southern Maine?”
“Most of the battalion’s assets have been re-tasked with protecting the area immediately surrounding Sanford. 4
th
Brigade Combat Team units are off-limits unless it has something to do with the border.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. They’re just holing up at the airport and hoping for the best?”
“Pretty much. I still have the Marines stationed at the Limerick FOB, but Grady’s not sure how long that will last. The more teams we have searching for Eli, the better. Grady authorized me to refuel any vehicles used in the search effort.”
“I’ll bring this up a little later today and get back to you,” said Campbell. “What’s your plan if Grady recalls the Marines from your property?”
Alex shook his head. “I’d have to leave.”
“Well, you’re always welcome here. Plenty of room in the barn, and it has a nice fireplace. Not a bad place to spend the winter.”
“That’s a generous offer, Harrison. In light of what I put you through—put your wife through—very generous. Thank you.”
“My wife isn’t angry with you or any of the folks dug in at the airport.”
“Eli Russell,” stated Alex.
“And Kevin McCulver. He wasn’t a bad guy when he was part of the brigade. Just couldn’t stop playing with things that go boom. Hard to believe Eli twisted him that far. Then again, I never suspected Eli was warped enough to murder his way across the county. Did your people figure out what happened with the second bomb?”
“Hard to say. State police are sending an evidence team to work with the Sanford department. From what I could tell, the bomb detonated inside the rear stairwell on the second floor. Big hole in the brick wall facing the parking lot.”
“Accidental detonation?” said Campbell.
“Once again, hard to tell. Timing suggests the bomber might have been on his way down to detonate a secondary device among the arriving Marines.”
“Suicide bombing? Doesn’t sound like Eli’s people. We’re not talking brainwashed Jihadis.”
“My thoughts exactly, but witnesses report a man with a backpack walking into the recruiting station seconds before the bomb detonated,” said Alex.
“Bizarre. They could have thrown the backpack through the door and remotely triggered the explosive with the same result,” said Campbell.
“Unless they have something bigger in the works, and they’re not taking chances with a slipup,” said Alex.
“You think the second explosion was deliberate?”
“We’ll probably never know. There wasn’t much left to examine. How are you set for security? Eli might have a sizeable group.”
“We’re good. Most of the chapter members have brought their families over until this Eli thing blows over. Not taking any chances that he might remember some names.”
“Smart move. We’ll monitor the HAM radio 24/7 in case you run into a problem. You know our station ID, so don’t hesitate to call,” said Alex.
“Be a lot easier with one of these,” he said, holding out a translucent shopping bag containing the ROTAC handhelds.
“Trust me, these are more trouble for you than they’re worth. The RRZ can track these,” said Alex. “I didn’t want to tell you when I called, because I suspect they can listen to our transmissions.”
“Shit. I put a tracking device in the hands of every chapter.”
“Take this as a good sign. If they wanted to keep a close eye on the brigade, they wouldn’t have asked me to collect them.”
Campbell barely smirked.
“I’m trying to find anything positive about the RRZ.”
“Good luck with that,” said Campbell. “I’ll get back to you later about a possible joint search effort.”
“You know where to find me.”
Chapter 30
EVENT +17 Days
Forward Operating Base “Lakeside”
Regional Recovery Zone 1
Fiery orange rays of late afternoon sunlight crowned the tree canopy surrounding the clearing, distinct from the shadowy forest behind the Marine encampment. Kate peered into the growing dusk, waiting for Alex’s vehicle to emerge. News of the attack in Sanford was unwittingly delivered to the house by Staff Sergeant Taylor, who momentarily forgot that the house Motorola was tuned to the FOB’s security channel.
After sending a Matvee to reinforce the HESCO position guarding the entrance to Gelder Pond Lane, Taylor was bombarded with questions when he delivered one of the Marines to the sandbag position on the back deck. He cracked easily under the pressure of three mothers demanding more information.
This led to a heated daylong debate about the pros and cons of staying at the compound, dominated by Ed’s end-of-the-world predictions and sudden outbursts demanding that the Marines immediately escort them north to the Thorntons’ lake house. Charlie and Linda stayed mostly neutral, but Kate could sense that they wanted out of FOB Lakeside just as much as the Walkers. She understood why. The Limerick property had turned into a mental and physical prison, despite the robust protection delivered by the Marines.
The discovery of Jeffrey Brown’s surveillance post on Old Middle Road had unnerved everyone, rendering the simple pleasure of sitting on the porch impossible. Every glance at the impenetrable forest left you wondering if you’d just taken your last breath. Forget about letting the kids out of the house. Same problem—but worse. Logically, Kate knew the forest was clear of intruders. The Marines patrolled regularly during the day and took up positions in the forest at night. Odds were stacked against anyone slipping through the Marine security perimeter.
Daily, she tried to convince the group that staying here was everyone’s best option, but her faith in the option had waned. Even Alex, who had lobbied heavily against leaving, seemed less enthusiastic about defending his position. They had reached the inevitable crossroads. Should they stay, or should they go? Ed had been ready to go six hours ago, but she asked him to wait until Alex returned before reaching a decision—or leaving. She made sure to reinforce the danger of running into Eli’s men on the road, which seemed to cool him off temporarily.
She heard the Matvee’s deep rumble, then spotted the grayish-tan vehicle racing through the trees. She waited for Corporal Lianez to execute a three-point turn and park the Matvee facing the exit road before jogging across the gravel driveway toward the assembly area. Alex rushed out, hugging her tightly, and the Marines disappeared into the tent.
“I really missed you today,” she said, kissing him.
“It wasn’t a good day to be away. I’m sorry. The shit never stopped rolling in my direction.”
“Same here. Ed’s on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The rest aren’t too far behind.”
“How are you holding up?” he said.
“I’m fine, I guess.”
“You guess?” he said, his eyes shifting to the DRASH tent. “Let’s check out the lake.”
“Uhhh, sure,” she said, taking his arm.
The fact that Alex felt uncomfortable discussing their situation in front of the Marines didn’t boost her confidence. Neither did her reluctance to take a sunset stroll on her own property. Something had to change. He waited until they had put about thirty feet behind them.
“What’s going on?”
“I feel like we’re back on Durham Road during the pandemic. Trapped, just waiting for the inevitable.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I’m feeling the same way, but on a bigger scale.”
“My perspective is confined to the house. I’m afraid to step outside. We’re all afraid.”
“I know we’re safe here, honey. I wouldn’t stay if I didn’t believe that,” he said, hesitating to continue.
“But what?”
“We met with the RRZ Authority today,” he said and shook his head. “If Eli Russell blows up their headquarters compound, along with everyone inside, the RRZ might have a chance.”
“Don’t say that. They left behind families and other responsibilities for this. They’re just like the rest of us,” she said.
“I know. I know,” he mumbled. “But something’s off with the overall picture. Grady said something that really got me thinking. The RRZ Authority arrived thinking all the initial work had been finished, or should be. Seems like one hell of a disconnect from reality.”
“Maybe they weren’t getting reports from the ground units,” said Kate.
“Wouldn’t surprise me given the chaos of assembling the RRZ teams, but that doesn’t ease my worries. How could anyone with any experience in disaster-response planning think that a system of FEMA camps designed to handle hundreds of thousands of displaced New Englanders would be up and running sixteen days after an EMP attack? Not to mention the sheer impossibility of executing a camp structure that enormous. I don’t care how many warehouses they have stocked with dehydrated food and propane heaters. This isn’t going to work.”
“What are they supposed to do? Say fuck it and stay home?”
“At least pretend not to be surprised when an understaffed National Guard engineering battalion can’t build forty camps, each designed to hold several thousand refugees, in sixteen days. That’s all.”