Brian came closer and gathered me into his arms, giving me a gentle hug. “I understand, Dan. This is not very easy for me, also. I thought I was finally away from all the guns and death. I was falling into what it was like to be a civilian and enjoying the world and what lay before me. To be pulled back into chaos and waiting for my turn to be shot is not what I was expecting for my life, but here I am.” He looked up into the sun and closed his eyes. “I do feel blessed and happy, though, knowing I have a new brother in you and a new family in this team. That is enough for me to keep going, though.”
He thumped me on my helmet and then pointed in the sky. I followed his finger and saw two helicopters appear. Each one had something attached and swinging from them. “What the heck are they carrying?”
“Oh, sweet Jesus. Looks like two Humvees,” he clicked on his radio and called out. “Kuppers, Vic, looks like the cavalry is here. Looks like they brought some toys.”
I squinted at the helicopters. “What kind are they? They don’t look like the Blackhawks we saw at the base.”
“Those are CH-47 Chinooks. Military transport helicopters. They can carry some pretty heavy loads, as well as forty-four passengers. They need some room to land, though so let’s beat feet back to the truck until they can unhook those Humvees.” Kuppers appeared next to us.
The Chinooks came in lower. One hovered higher up while the lead set down its load. Vic detached from us and met the Humvee, climbing on top of it and detaching the hook from its sling. The Chinook climbed up higher and moved out of the way, while the other came down and placed the other Humvee next to the first. Brian ran over and performed the same maneuvers as Vic. They then climbed into each and fired them up, moving them out and away from the parking lot.
The first Chinook came down and, as its wheels touched the ground, a ramp lowered from the rear and forty soldiers disembarked. They carried and pulled supplies with them. Once done, the Chinook lifted into the air and swung out of the way, as the second one came in and landed. I looked up when I heard another sound and watched as two dangerous-looking black helicopters came into view and banked around the mountain and out over the river.
More men came off the second Chinook and again unloaded crates and supplies. One of the men looked around, spied Kuppers, and ran up to him. “Sir, I am First Sergeant Evans. Captain Philips sent us to help you out. Where are the hostages and prisoners?”
Kuppers clapped his back and pointed to me, “This is Dan, and he will show you and your men.” The soldier nodded his head and gestured for me to lead them.
I led them into the restaurant and showed him where the hostages and prisoners were located. He sent a medic and six men upstairs to deal with the prisoners there and three to the kitchen to deal with the one on the dining room floor. He and two medics, along with twelve soldiers, ducked into the supply room where the hostages were.
I watched from the dining room as the prisoner on the floor and the one from the kitchen were escorted outside to the awaiting Chinook. The medic and the six sent upstairs appeared, marching the woman and carrying the wounded man on a stretcher downstairs and outside. I popped into the back room and watched as First Sergeant looked over the hostages. He looked very pissed off. “First Sergeant, will you be taking these people back to Fort Stinson?”
“No, that base is packed to the gills. We have been able to secure another area and are setting up a new refugee camp, along with an air wing of Chinooks and Apaches. It’s near Petaluma, officially been named Fort Survival. For now, we are a mix of Air Force and Army National Guard who have been federalized under Brigadier General J.R. Richards. Now excuse us, sir, we need to load these people up so the next Chinook can land.”
I nodded my understanding and thanks. He and his men rounded up all the hostages and led them outside. I followed and watched as he loaded the Chinook up, then stepped back and watched as the ramp closed and the large helicopter leapt into the sky. I watched it bank out over the river and gain altitude. One of the scary looking helicopters broke off its formation and formed up on the Chinook leaving.
The lead Chinook then came back and landed in the spot from which the other Chinook had vacated. This time, though, the helicopter powered down, and its two sets of mighty rotors slowed to a stop. The rear hatch lowered to the ground and the aircrew, consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, and crew chief, disembarked. Next, the last sleek black helicopter landed on the crossroads in front of the restaurant and powered down. Its two canopies opened, and two pilots climbed out and looked over their craft before trotting over to us.
Kuppers came up and stood with us as the pilots arrived. Kuppers saluted the pilots and crew chief and they saluted back. “They sending out Apaches now for protection?”
The pilots from the Apache removed their helmets and tucked them under their arm. I was taken back to see they were both women. The taller of the two wore her red hair in a short bob ending at her neck answered, “You must be Kuppers. Captain Philips has ordered all craft be accompanied with protection. A couple of incidents down south near L.A. have required this.”
“Nice to meet you, Lieutenant. What incidents are you referring to?”
The shorter pilot spoke up at this. She had longer hair, brown and tied back and braided. “Fucking Ridder is deep down there. They somehow took control of a couple of air bases and have been able to order pilots of fighter jets and other Apaches to fire upon any aircraft that belong to the National Guard or are being used to help civilians. We’ve lost twenty Blackhawks and numerous civilian and state aircraft. So, nothing flies without protection anymore. By the way, can you point out a Dan Welko?”
I frowned, grinded my teeth at the story being told, but was surprised when I heard my name, “I’m Dan.”
The pilot opened a black case she was carrying and handed me a folder containing files and documents. “I was asked to give you that from General Richards.”
“Thank you.” I turned to the pilots from the Chinook, “How long are you guys staying for? We have four kids that need a ride to someone who will help them.” My brain was buzzing over what I had in my hands.
“We are going to be here for another couple of hours ‘till we are relieved with a Blackhawk bringing in a black team. We’d be happy to take the kids back to base.”
The pilot was about to walk away when I took his bicep and stopped him. “I’m sorry, what is a black team?”
“It’s a team of six men that are Spec Ops soldiers. Think Delta, Seals, and Green Berets.” He removed my hand and walked into the building.
I turned to Brian, “Why are they bringing those guys up here?”
“Probably to secure the area or run a certain mission.” Brian patted me on the shoulder, “Let’s go chat with Vic and get Cupcake here with the kids.
I agreed, and we went off to find him. We found him on the other side of the Chinook, talking to a group of soldiers. I caught his eye and made a motion, telling him we had something to discuss. He excused himself from the soldiers, dismissed himself from the group, and made his way over to us.
“I was given a folder of documents and files by the pilot of the Chinook from the General himself. I need to find time to go through them. I got the kids a ride back to the base, but we need Cupcake to pack them up and get them here.”
Vic looked at the package in my arms. He clicked on his radio, “Cupcake, pack up the kids and the supplies and get back here. Break, Senshi, head over and meet up with Cupcake to give him back up. Over.” Two affirmatives came over the radio. “Why don’t you head inside and take over a booth and go over those docs. By the way, the General was kind enough to send us those two Humvees to use and some extra supplies.” Vic turned and walked back to the soldiers.
Brian looked around, as if looking for something to do. I went up on my tiptoes and punched him on the arm. He looked down and laughed at my feeble attempt. I took my leave and made it back to the restaurant, finding a booth at the windows. I took off my helmet and Zomgo pack and put it and my MP5 on the table and rubbed the hair on my head. “I really need to shave soon,” I muttered out loud to myself. A soldier standing by heard me and approached.
He swung his pack off his shoulders and rummaged through his belongings. He removed a small bag and put it on the table in front of me. I opened it and found a Bic-like razor and a small can of shaving cream. I looked up at him and smiled. “I know how it feels, man. I have another one in my pack, so enjoy that.”
I shook his hand and gave him my heartfelt thanks. He went back to his guard duty and left me alone. I put the small bag in my Zomgo pack and opened the folder of documents. I spread its contents out and picked up the first page. It was a memo outlining what I had in front of me and signed by General Richards himself. The memo was addressed to Kuppers and me. I spent the next hour reading through the first file of documents, taking notes using my little notepad and pen I had picked up back at the police station.
Gee, how long ago was that anyway?
I put the file down and stared at my notes, thinking over what I had just read. As I reached over to grab another file, I found a cup of something steaming sitting at the end of the table. It sat on a note holding it down. It was a small note from Apache. She wrote that she brought me some disgusting instant coffee, but thought I might like it. Also, that Cupcake and the kids made it back to the camp, and the Chinook would be leaving soon. I looked out the window and saw the helicopter was still there. I gathered up the files and secured them back in the folder and stuffed that into my pack. I put my helmet back on and grabbed my MP5 and pack.
I almost forgot the coffee, and turned and grabbed it before making my way outside. I came upon the kids saying goodbye to the team. I tapped Tessy on her shoulder, and she swung around almost knocking my coffee out of my hand. She then wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me tight, “I thought I wouldn’t see you again. Thank you so much for helping my brother and the other kids. Do you think we will find our parents at the base they are taking us to?”
I rested my head on the top of hers and hugged her back, “I wouldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye. You are very welcome and glad we could help. I don’t know about your parents, but if they have survived, the base is the place to be.”
Each kid gave us all hugs and then said goodbye to Angel and boarded the Chinook. I found myself thinking about those kids and hoping they would have a safe future. “Dan, how are you doing with those files?”
I heard a voice from a distance, but it couldn’t break through my brooding. Kuppers tapped my shoulder and finally brought me back to earth. “Sorry about that, I have a lot more to go through. Give me a couple more hours to finish.”
Kuppers stared at me for a while and nodded his head. I took that as an order and trotted back to the restaurant, back to my booth. I spread the files back out, retrieved my notebook, and got back to work. I sipped on another cup of coffee that appeared at my side, never knowing who brought it to me. I finally finished just as the sun was about to go down, which was making it hard to read. I packed everything up and sat back in the booth with my eyes closed, thinking about what I just read.
I felt a hand shaking my shoulder slightly. “I’m awake, just thinking about what I just read,” I opened my eyes and looked up at Apache. She smiled down at me and handed me a sandwich. I stared at it, trying to figure out how she came to acquire it. I hadn’t seen a sandwich since the interrogation room back in the police department in San Francisco.
I took it and bit into it. Oh my God! Bacon? Apache read my surprise and ecstasy on my face. “Yes, bacon. The soldiers arriving for the last couple of hours brought real food with them. They were nice enough to share. Kuppers is looking for you. We have decided to take over the office upstairs as our nest for the night. Kuppers wants you to come upstairs and lead a briefing.”
I ignored her for a second and finished my sandwich. I collected all my files and reports, stuffed them in my pack, and collected my gear. “Lead the way, my Indian Queen.”
Apache gave me a shake of her head and punched me in the shoulder. “Come on, white man with stupid face. Follow me.” I laughed and followed her up the stairs. In the back of my mind, I was screaming over the crap I just read.
As we made it into the office, I found that most of the furniture had been removed and sleeping bags were spread out with the team sitting around eating sandwiches and cleaning their weapons. Kuppers looked up at me as I came in and motioned me to come over.
“Dan, why don’t you get your bag laid out and everything situated. Give your guns to Doc. He’ll clean them while you brief us in on what you found.”
I put my bag next to Brian and handed my 1911 and MP5 over to Doc. When I came back to my bag, I found that Brian had taken my bag out and unrolled it next to him. I sat down and removed my boots, put them aside and almost passed out from the locker room stench. Brian helped me take off my armor and top shirt. I stretched back and felt my knees, hips and back pop, snap, and then crack.
I took out my notebook and stared at it, trying to find a place to start. I looked up to begin and found the team staring at me. “Sorry guys, I needed to get settled and find my way around what I read.” I bought more time by cracking my knuckles and neck. “The document came from General Richards, Captain Philips, and their intel team. First, I want to share what the pilot of one of the Chinooks shared with me. Seems that the Initiative and Ridder have taken over a couple of airfields and assets in southern California. They are attacking and firing on any and all aircraft that is not under their control. The General has ordered that no aircraft fly without protection from now on. Thus, the reason we had the Apaches out there.” I searched through my notebook, looking again for a place to go next. “The reports they sent me were a jumble of things ranging from Ridder attacks, movements, supply lists, and recorded zombie hordes. Best thing I can say is that we have no big hordes around us right now. We’ve been lucky; other groups have been decimated by humongous hordes. Most of southern California is gone and bases are being attacked and are falling fast, mostly with Ridder acting as a second front. Some news that I think that is gonna piss you all off is that the Nevada Guard has captured what they believe is a member of the Culling Initiative.”