These Dead Lands: Immolation (24 page)

“Well, I
was
here first, you know,” Jarmusch said.

*

“Sir, we’ve identified
several locations that meet the PIRs you gave me earlier,” Ballantine reported, using the acronym for Primary Intelligence Requirement. “In fact, we’ve located some local businesses just down Fisher Avenue that have either shipping containers or semitrailers. There’s also a good deal of them here on the base, including the usual ISU-90s that we can use. Farther out, in Reading and Rutherford, we’ve identified railcar switching yards. Older satellite imagery shows a significant number of cars sitting in the yards at each location. We would need to verify that they’re still there before doing anything, though.”

Hastings looked over the map that had been annotated with the information Hastings had requested, as well as some other goodies he hadn’t. “Good job on knocking this out so fast, Carl.”

If the praise registered, Ballantine didn’t allow it to show. “We’ve also annotated all the bridges that we could identify that cross a river or other terrain feature that could be considered a choke point. You mind telling me a bit more about what you plan to do, sir?”

“My intent is to use the shipping containers and semitrailers as barriers to reinforce the perimeters around this base. We don’t have enough HESCO barriers to go around, and besides, the ghouls might be able to climb over them if we give them enough time. And we have a huge perimeter that needs to be fortified in a short period of time. Indiantown Gap is so spread out that it’s going to be impossible to secure everything we need in one perimeter, so I want to use the shipping containers to build walls by stacking them around critical portions of the base. That way, instead of giving up ground, we’ll have a lot of smaller perimeters around key facilities that can withstand the type of attack we saw in New York.” Hastings tapped the map, indicating one of the railheads. “I want to use the railroad to help move more of those shipping containers closer to this location. Not only that, it’ll give us a mode of transportation that’s less likely to be compromised by reekers or held up by abandoned vehicles on the road.”

Ballantine grunted. “Nice. And what about the bridges? You want to bring them down?”

“Not necessarily. I don’t think the command group would want that to happen, anyway. But I can see using more of the shipping containers or semitrailers to block them off. We don’t want any avenues of approach left open along the highways and secondary roads where the bridges cross the rivers. The goal is to channelize the reekers and force them into the countryside or use the rivers to keep them away from the post. I want to be able to do this in depth, which is why I gave you a radius.”

Ballantine nodded. “Understood. So your thinking is, if we can keep them from converging on this location en masse and spread them out over a larger geographical area, we might be able to contain them.”

“Or at least delay them, and we can fight off the assaults from smaller forces. I don’t see the fort surviving a mass attack like we saw in Manhattan, especially with how spread out this place is.” Hastings tapped the map again. “We’re going to ask the engineers to construct revetments and trenches in the areas where we can’t use containers. I’m hoping that will help channelize them into areas where we can deal with them. They’ll also have the task of building up the shipping containers once we have them in place to serve as fighting platforms. Remember the guard towers we built in Afghanistan with the CONEX containers? Same concept, just a bit bigger and longer.”

Ballantine let out a sigh. “Sir, that’s a pretty big task to accomplish. Do you think we will be able to put this in place in time?”

“If we start doing it and stop talking about it, yeah. I’m confident that we can at least get the perimeter reinforcements in place around Indiantown Gap’s critical structures.” Hastings reached into one of the cargo pockets on his combat uniform’s trousers and pulled out several sheets of neatly folded paper. He handed them over to Ballantine. “I’ve compiled a list off of the top of my head. Give it a look and make any additions you think are needed. Be sure you bounce it off of the locals in the TOC here, just to make sure we don’t overlook a key area or building that we’re unaware of. The airfield is the first priority and the largest to build up. The engineers will be using the HESCOs on hand to start reinforcing the chain-link fence line along Fisher Avenue and the ends of the runway. They’ll also be building secondary fighting positions in case we have to come off of the wall. The other key areas are in this vicinity but spread out. The POL point is critical because there’s a lot of fuel on base for both vehicles and the aircraft. The living areas and TOC are on there as well.”

Ballantine unfolded the list and scanned it. “Got it.”

“Make sure you find out where else they have people billeted. We may have to consolidate everyone into closer locations. The Ammunition Supply Point is pretty secure already, but I want to reinforce the gates so they can barricade themselves inside the wire if needed, since they’re the farthest away from all of this and they’re out there by themselves. I’m told we have an almost full ASP at the moment because there was a unit scheduled to train here before all this went down, so we have all your standard small arms ammo to include explosives and aviation ordnance. Speak to the ASP ammo manager and see if you can get an accurate inventory of what they have over there that we might be able to use. Did you have a chance to talk to the Shadow platoon mission planner?”

Ballantine nodded. “Yes, sir. Along with the S2, the three of us identified your PIRs, and they’re ready to support us as soon as they get a mission. What do you want them to service first?”

“Good deal. As soon as we’re done here, have them start planning on putting their ISR platform up as soon as possible. The first two locations I want them to look at are those two railcar-switching yards.” Hastings pointed at a spot on the map. “I want to know if they can identify if any engines are there, as well as shipping containers. The key thing is the engines; we have to find one. Even if there isn’t one in the yards, there has to be one somewhere along the rail line, so make sure that’s a priority task for the sensor operators anytime a platform is up.”

“Roger that.”

“Oh, yeah. Speaking of engines, we have a person here who is actually a railroad engineer. Ask around to find out who he is, and pick his brain on where we might find what we’re looking for. Brief him on the rail plan so he understands what we want to do.”

“Sir, I don’t see any rails coming into the fort. The closest portion of the rail system is here”—Ballantine put his index finger on a point on the map above Fort Indiantown Gap—“just north of us about twenty miles away, near Tremont. And it’s just a bend in the track behind a water reclamation plant outside of the town. We’d have to clear the entire town since the rail goes right through it, but the S2 doesn’t think there’s any place along the line in town that would be better than the bend behind the reclamation plant. Satellite imagery supports that, and I have to say I agree with him.

“The only other place we picked out as a possible good location is in West Hamburg, a town about thirty miles north on I-78.” Ballantine moved his finger to the location. “The rail line coming out of Reading, the highway, and the river all come together there. We’ll have to block the far side of the bridge there and the rail line comes right alongside of the river. There appears to be a shipping company in the vicinity of the bridge that we could use to load or off-load containers.”

Hastings nodded. “All right. Let’s make these secondary targets for the ISR platforms. Let’s see if we can develop better situational awareness of what’s there right now before we send guys out in helos or via ground movement. Also, have them determine if there are any abandoned vehicles or other obstacles that might keep us from moving via ground up the highways or secondary roads along the routes we’d have to take to get to those bridges.”

“Will do, sir. And just so you know, the S2 tells me there’s a Cabelas outdoor store right by that bridge in Hamburg I was telling you about. It’s on the west side of the highway.”

“Okay, that’s good to know. What did you have in mind?” Hastings asked.

“Well, sir, if the S2 is correct, the shipping company will have rigs with trailers that we could fill up with supplies from Cabelas and bring back here with us. We just need to find someone who can drive a semi, and we should be good.”

Hastings grunted. “It’s a long shot there’s going to be much left out there at this point, but I’ll let you work that. Don’t get too wrapped around the axle with it. The focus is on blocking off that bridge and recovering any containers or trailers. Hooah?”

“Hooah, sir. Anything else?”

“No, we should be good for now. I want to speak to the S3 to make sure we’re all on the same sheet of music and he knows what we need done. I’ll meet you back here in thirty mikes, then we’ll head back to the barracks to brief the rest of the guys. Oh yeah, that reminds me—senior staff has agreed to release all our gear to us, along with anything else we might need. And dependants stay with us, no separation.”

Ballantine looked at Hastings directly. “Really, sir?”

Hastings nodded. “Really. I don’t want anyone wondering what’s going on with the civilians, so they need to be where we can keep our eyes on them. If not us specifically, then at least some of the other guys.”

“That’s… that’s outstanding, sir. Really. I want to thank you for that.”

Hastings shrugged. He didn’t quite know how to feel about Ballantine’s gratitude, especially since the NCO’s family was alive and safe, while Hastings’s wife and kid were churning around in the guts of a bunch of reekers. “No sweat, Carl. I’ll see you in thirty mikes, right?”

“Sounds good, sir. Thirty mikes.” Ballantine left with a smile on his face.

*

Forty-five minutes later,
Hastings and Ballantine walked back into the barracks, followed by several soldiers carrying the group’s weapons.

“Thanks, guys.” Ballantine pointed at a spot next to an empty bunk. “Just stack them right over there. We’ll take them from here.”

The others in the room had turned and looked as the door opened. When the troops saw their weapons, their faces lit up, shit-eating grins all around.

“God damn, we get our weapons back?” Stilley crowed. “Man, I ain’t
never
been so happy to see an M4! Christmas comes early!” He reached for one of the assault rifles, but Tharinger grabbed him by the shoulder.

“You can’t have that weapon,” Tharinger said. “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid. Ho, ho, ho.”

Stilley looked perplexed, a usual condition for him. “Huh?”

“You never watched
A Christmas Story
?”

“What’s that?”

Tharinger looked at Ballantine, who looked at Hastings.

Hastings sighed and told Stilley, “Forget it. Take one of the weapons. Just don’t shoot anyone’s eye out.”

“Naw, I wouldn’t do that—”

“Daddy! Daddy!” Ballantine’s boys came running.

The big NCO almost ran right over Guerra to get to his kids.

“Hey, easy there, big man!” Guerra said, stepping out of the way.

Ballantine spread his arms, laughing as Josh and Curtis leaped into his embrace with happy squeals.

Hastings watched this, his heart turning into ice.

Smiling, Guerra watched the happy reunion, then he looked over at Hastings. When the Hispanic staff sergeant’s eyes met Hastings’s, his smile evaporated immediately. Hastings turned away from him for a moment, embarrassed. What did Guerra see in his face? Resentment that Ballantine’s family was alive, while his was dead? Outrage? Hatred, even?

Get on with the job, man.
Hastings put on a neutral expression and turned back to the men. “Bring it in, guys. I have some news on our situation and what we need to get started on.” He waved everyone over to the front of the barracks.

Still carrying Josh and Curtis, Ballantine paused long enough to give Kay a quick kiss, then they both joined the others in gathering around the table.

Everyone’s attention shifted to the far end of the barracks when Kenny suddenly started screaming. The boy was frantically trying to stuff a jelly-covered cracker in his mouth with one hand while Diana was trying to get him up by the other.