The battle for dallas, p.1
The Battle for Dallas, page 1
part #11 of Bug Out! Texas Series
Bug Out! Texas Book 11
The Battle for Dallas
Robert Boren
South Bay Press
Copyright © 2017 by Robert Boren.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.
Author/Publishing South Bay Press
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
Book Layout ©2017 BookDesignTemplates.com
Cover design: SelfPubBookCovers.com/Fantasyart
Bug Out! Texas Book 11 – Battle for Dallas/ Robert Boren. – 1st ed.
For Bob B.
The miracle of Texas lies in the fact that it is the work of a handful of men. In not a single fight during the entire period from 1800 to 1845 did they muster as many as one thousand fighting men. Overwhelming odds never discouraged them and defeat but spurred them to ultimate victory.
― JACK C. BUTTERFIELD
Contents
Previously – in Bug Out! Texas Book 10
Trap Door
Not Enough Doctors
Van Attacks
Travel Plans
Sand Bar
Bunker Warfare
Lead Contractors
Berth at Texas City
Reinforcements
To Dallas on I-20
Drones and Wreckers
Leaders and Followers
Rain of Death
Dead Rabbits
Lamar Street
Stitches and Blood
Bonton
Historic Data
New Life
Overflow Parking
Spikes
Battle Plans
Surrounded
Motion Detector
High Tension
Back on Patrol
Dallas Recap
Alone at Last
The 2nd Street Corridor
Fishing Boats
Body Dump
Cast Of Characters
Previously – in Bug Out! Texas Book 10
Members of the Williams Militia were on their way to New Mexico, to pick up the three M-1 Tanks they thought were captured by their scavenger allies. The Fort Stockton group was ready, attacking them on the road a couple miles before they got to the tanks. While that battle was going on, more scavengers snuck in and killed the men guarding the tanks. Carrie and Kate got the drop on them, but Kate was wounded. She was rushed to the hospital.
Enemy fighters continued to converge on Dallas. Texas citizens rallied, the social media recruitment efforts beginning to pay off big. Alex and Kitten, who ran the MidPoint 66 Café and were part of the I-40 battle with the Fort Stockton Group, signed up for the Dallas campaign with Doug, the owner of a restaurant they were both working at. A massive number of recruits arrived west of the city, Major General Gallagher hosting a big meeting at the football stadium of a local high school. They planned to attack the enemy from the Trinity River park, which allowed them access into the back of the industrial area housing the Islamist base. The citizen forces arrived at the entry point, defeating the enemy in the first location, then regrouping to prepare for an assault by a much larger group, heading towards them from the east. Kitten joined the medical team, working in the field hospital.
The Fort Stockton Group finished their bridge demolition, cutting off enemy access to all the routes north through New Mexico. They started the long trip back to Texas.
The DPS Patrol Boat team arrived at their new training center in Canyon Lake, which turned out to be a huge, heavily armed pontoon barge, which had the capability to dock numerous patrol boats and house eighteen trainees. There were staterooms for Richardson and his team to live.
The Texas Leadership Team had a full plate. An EU Navy carrier group was steaming towards the Gulf of Mexico, the US Navy nowhere in sight. Dallas was becoming a huge problem, and there was enemy infiltration from Mexico in the southwest and Louisiana in the east. It wasn’t all bad news. The apps gained the capability to show name, rank, and country of origin, giving the Texans a better understanding of the enemy, and more importantly, the apps were released wide, giving everybody in the country a view of enemy locations and movements. Patriots in Washington DC wasted little time attacking the enemy operatives in the US Government. Infiltration over the Texas border stopped when the enemy realized they were visible to everybody. The enemy forces inside Texas merged into bigger groups to protect themselves.
Richardson and his team were on the barge, anchored in Canyon Lake, when they noticed a group of enemy fighters leaving San Antonio, heading in their direction. As they were watching, news came of nuclear attacks along the Mississippi River. The enemy was now on the move everywhere, gathering together and moving to new locations for self-protection. Brendan noticed that there were enemy fighters heading for several of the larger lakes in Texas, and reminded the group about the submarine weapon used to destroy the dam at Falcon Lake. Richardson alerted Director Wallis. The enemy fighters arrived at Canyon Lake, Richardson and his team watching their every move as they pulled up anchor and drove the battle barge towards the enemy landing spot, getting there just in time. The battle started, Brendan and Juan Carlos targeting the enemy’s inflatable boat. They sank it, but the submarine weapon was detonated from shore. Luckily it wasn’t pointed at the dam. A huge wall of water rolled across the lake to a populated area, taking out everything there, the water receding towards the barge. Richardson drove the barge towards shore in a panic, riding the huge wave, running aground, all of the team surviving.
In Dallas, the enemy set up at the prison and court complex next to the Trinity River. The citizen army moved in that direction but got pinned down by snipers on the tall detention building. Many citizens were killed in the battle which ensued, and Kitten’s field hospital was attacked as they were moving into downtown Dallas, killing most of the med team before they could get off their bus. Kitten survived with several others, trying to save the wounded there. The citizens finally got mortars in place and killed the snipers. Victory was almost in their grasp when the Trinity Riverbed flooded, due to a submarine weapon going off in Lewisville Lake. Many citizen fighters were washed to their deaths. Alex and Doug both survived, showing up at the field hospital.
Governor Nelson struck a deal with General Hogan; If Texas would declare they were once again part of the United States, they would get support from the US Armed forces, now that the enemy operatives had been rooted out of the Federal Government. The leadership team learned that the Fort Stockton Group arrived in Lubbock. Governor Nelson asked them to help with the battle in Dallas, which was still raging.
Enemy fighters along the gulf coast began moving inland quickly, the activity noticed by everybody with the apps. Director Wallis sent Richardson’s team to Galveston Bay, to man another battle barge, one of three now stationed on the gulf coast to prevent the enemy from running nukes near populated areas. The battle started as they got into position. Small Islamist boats made runs towards the inlets, trying to get past the barge, as ground artillery and EU Navy destroyers blasted each other. Harley was killed while shooting at a chopper, and the barge was hit with heavy fire from a destroyer as the small enemy boats continued their runs…
{1}
Trap Door
B rendan and Juan Carlos looked at the huge flash in the gulf, covering one of the EU destroyers.
“My God,” Brendan shouted. Then three US Navy jets flew over their heads, banking to return, missiles taking off from all of them.
“It’s our guys, finally!” Juan Carlos shouted. “We need to get the girls.”
“No, man, we’ve got a job to do. Look, there’s more small boats coming.”
“But our women!”
“If they light off a nuke, we’re all dead, man,” Brendan shouted. “Stay focused.”
Juan Carlos looked at him, his face turning to steely determination, and he aimed and fired at the approaching boat, hitting them. They blew up and sank quickly
“Hey!” Madison yelled, treading water about twenty feet from the barge.
“How’d you get out there?” Juan Carlos asked.
“That trap door in the back room, remember?” she shouted.
Richardson’s head popped up. “Don’t leave your post. Keep shooting at the boats. I’ll get the women to the island.”
“Roger that, dude,” Juan Carlos shouted back.
“Here comes another group,” Brendan said, sending a hail of grenade fire at them, Juan Carlos joining in.
“They’re still coming,” Juan Carlos shouted, watching them slog through the choppy water of battle. Brendan fired again, hitting just the right place, the boat blowing up and sinking. Juan Carlos watched, getting ready to fire at the men in the water.
“Save the ammo for another boat,” Brendan said.
“What if they swim to our women?” Juan Carlos asked.
“Richardson
There was another bright flash, and several explosions, lighting the entire area. Then a huge explosion went off, lighting the silhouette of a battle ship.
“Our guys got that other boat,” Juan Carlos shouted.
“I didn’t hear any planes,” Brendan said.
There were more explosions, the sky lit almost like daylight, and they saw the US Navy ships sitting out there, firing more ordinance, hitting the EU Destroyer broadside, sparks, fire and smoke billowing now, the shadows of men leaping overboard.
“Wow,” Juan Carlos said. “The US Navy is finally making an appearance.”
“Hell, that was the US Navy before,” Brendan said.
“No more little boats,” Juan Carlos said.
“Maybe we should go get the girls, then,” Brendan said.
Just then a flashlight beam hit them, blinking several times. The men strained their eyes to see, the figures of a man and three women on the beach with their hands raised.
“They made it, dude,” Juan Carlos said. “We know they’re safe. Let’s keep watch for a while, just in case.”
“I’m with you, brother,” Brendan said.
They stayed at their posts until first light. The area around them was filled with floating bodies and debris.
“We won, dude,” Juan Carlos said.
“Yeah. This old tub is still floating, and the fire went out. Think I’ll buy stock in the company.”
Juan Carlos snickered. “You don’t own any stock, dude.”
“I plan to, and you should too. We have kids coming.”
Juan Carlos smiled. “Damn straight.”
They watched until the sun was higher on the horizon, and then Richardson stood and motioned for them to come over.
Brendan grinned. “Looks like we’re done.”
“About time,” Juan Carlos said.
“That hovercraft is still tied to the side. Looks like it’s un-damaged. Shall we?”
“Hell yeah,” Juan Carlos said. “I’m bringing my M4, though.”
“You think I ain’t? I’m thinking about throwing an M60 in that sucker.”
“Do it,” Juan Carlos said. They left the roof, hitting the weapons locker on the way to the stern, then climbing into the hovercraft. Juan Carlos got behind the wheel and tried the engine. It started, the hull of the craft raising slightly above the water. “Untie us, dude.”
Brendan went for the rope, untying it from the cleat on the front of the craft, tossing the rope back at the barge. “Okay, we’re free.”
“Can’t exactly back up in this,” Juan Carlos said. “Watch the front while I try to turn. Don’t let the skirts rub up against the side, okay?”
Brendan nodded to him, watching, ready to push away as Juan Carlos engaged the clutch for the thrust fan, turning the rudders hard to the left, giving it more gas. They cleared the stern of the barge and were in open water, heading for the sandy shore. They hit the sand and drove up, Richardson and the women backing away from the flying sand.
“That thing moves well,” Richardson said as Juan Carlos shut down the engine.
Brendan and Juan Carlos paid him no mind, rushing to their women, both embracing them.
{2}
Not Enough Doctors
K itten walked down the corridor towards intensive care, her heart beating a mile a minute.
“Can I help you, miss?” asked an orderly, a young black man with blood on his neck and shoulder, his scrubs bloody at the waist and the left leg.
“My dad’s in there,” she said.
“What’s his name?”
“Alex Breyer,” she said.
“And you are?”
“Kitten Breyer.”
“Okay, I’ll take you to him. He’s doing well. I think he’s gonna make it.”
Kitten followed the young man through the crowded hallway, turning left into the room. It smelled of pain and death. Several gurneys held bodies covered by sheets, nobody there to wheel them away.
“He’s in bed fourteen,” the orderly said. “I’ve got to go. Good luck to you.”
Kitten smiled at him as he turned to walk away, realizing she hadn’t thanked him. He was gone before she could correct herself, so she turned into the room and entered. It took less than a minute to find the spot labeled fourteen. She pulled back the curtain, sucking in air as she saw her father, wires and tubes attached to his upper body.
“Dad?” she asked softly.
Alex’s eyes opened slightly, a smile washing over his face. His eyes did the talking, because there was a half-inch tube sticking out of his mouth. Kitten rushed to his side, her hand going to his forehead. She bent down and kissed him. His eyes lit up, and he nodded to her, cheeks rising with a smile hard to see on his mouth.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He shook his head yes, but his eyelids were heavy.
“The battle is still going, but it’s moving away from us. Doug survived. I worked on him at the field hospital a little while ago.”
His eyes lit up again, cheeks raising in a smile. He nodded slightly.
“I’ll leave you to sleep, dad.” She petted him on the forehead again, then bent down and kissed him. He was drifting off when she walked away. Her phone dinged as she moved down the hall towards the front doors. She looked at the screen before stepping outside. The text was from Dr. Patel. Can you come back?
She smiled, a warm feeling rising, and typed that she was on her way.
The street was littered with the damage of warfare, many of the buildings pock-marked with bullet impacts and gaping holes, broken glass and other debris all over. There was a team picking up bodies. The sound of gunfire drifted towards her from the north and east as she hurried back to the field hospital. Dr. Patel grinned as she entered.
“He’s okay? Your father?”
Kitten nodded. “The orderly said he was gonna make it. He was lucid, at least.”
“You talked to him?”
“No, he had a ventilator in,” she said, “but he responded to things I said.”
“That’s great,” Dr. Patel said. “We’ve got another group of wounded coming in, from the foreword field hospital.”
“Too crowded?”
Dr. Patel shook her head no. “Attacked.”
“No, really? Where was it?”
“Farmer’s market on Harwood and Marilla.”
Kitten’s eyes got wide. “That’s not very far. I thought the battle was further to the east and north.”
“The worst fighting is going on north of the Cotton Bowl. That field hospital was set up to support the battle there.”
“Is it big enough to stretch that far?”
“The battle?” Dr. Patel asked.
“Yeah,” Kitten said.
“No, the battle is east of I-30.”
“So the battle moved in that direction all of a sudden?”
“No,” Dr. Patel said. “The enemy sent in a commando team.”
“Oh no. They could do that here.”
Dr. Patel nodded. “That’s why we have some troops outside.”
They both heard the sound of approaching trucks, glancing at each other fearfully. Dr. Patel stuck her head out of the tent, then came back.
“It’s ours,” she said. “Better get ready.”
“How many?”
Dr. Patel sighed. “Not nearly enough. They killed three-quarters of the patients and most of the doctors.”
Three trucks pulled up outside, men rushing from the cabs to the back, another two vans pulling up nearby, medical staff exiting them and rushing over to help with gurneys.
“We need more doctors,” Dr. Patel said softly as she watched the gurneys being pushed through the door.
{3}
Van Attacks
G overnor Nelson sat in front of the large screen in the console room, eyes glued to the high-res app, refreshing every few seconds, watching the movement of troops in and around northeastern Dallas. Chief Ramsey walked in with Hendrix and Dr. Schultz.
