He found the girls at the end of the street giving Bill Taylor some flying lessons with the drone. They had obviously won Badger over because the man was laughing along with them. Winters relished the rare moment knowing the girls were charming the grouchy man.

  “Captain, I think I got the hang of this,” said Taylor.

  “Glad to hear that, Badger.”

  “He's totally got this,” boasted Laney. “He's a natural.”

  Winters took note of the compliment. She was good.

  Collette wrapped her arms around Winters. “And Laney's an excellent teacher.”

  “Hell, if I knew how much fun these things were, I'd gotten one a long time ago,” said Taylor.

  “I got a smaller one but not nearly as nice as this one. This thing is, like, top of the line,” said Laney putting the drone back in the box.

  “Is it almost time to leave?” asked Collette still holding onto Winters.

  “Not for a while,” said Winters patting her back.

  Taylor picked up the box. “Thanks for the lesson.”

  “My pleasure,” beamed Laney as she moved in to give him a hug.

  He broke out into a smile and winked at Winters. Taylor knew he wanted some time with them and carried the box back up the street.

  “I just love that man,” said Laney. “He's really cool.”

  “Don't tell anyone else that, he's got a reputation to uphold.”

  Laney grinned. “He told us the same thing.”

  Winters shook his head not surprised. “Of course he did. So, you guys get enough sleep?” asked Winters.

  “I did,” said Laney.

  Collette tightened her grip around him.

  “You alright?” asked Winters.

  “Yeah, we just don't want you to leave, is all,” admitted Collette.

  Winters figured it would come to this. They hadn't really been apart since he rescued them, and during that time, they had experienced so much together.

  “We know you have to go,” said Laney wrapping her arms around the other side of Winters. “But that doesn't make it any easier.”

  Winters put his arms around their shoulders. “I gotta admit, it's gonna be a little weird not having you girls with me.”

  “Really?” asked Collette.

  “Of course. You guys have been great. I mean it when I tell everyone that without you, I wouldn't be here right now.”

  Winters struggled to take another breath as they squeezed him harder. He was used to it as they had been doing it ever since they started working together. Both needed a lot of reassurance, which was probably a result of their former situation. During the past three months, they hadn't received much of that, at least from a father figure. He didn't mind, if anything, he enjoyed it as it was comforting to him as well. They had been helping him get over the loss of his daughter, so it was a two-way street.

  They walked across the street and sat down in the tall grass.

  “I know I've stressed the importance of guard duty before, and you've both have been outstanding, but this is different. There's a lot of people here who'll be depending on you two.”

  The girls looked at each other before answering.

  “We know,” said Laney. “You can count on us.”

  “We won't let you down,” asserted Collette. “You don't have to worry about us.”

  “Besides, we've got those two old guys from Jackson helping us,” added Laney.

  This was something Nordell had suggested. He had a couple of older gentlemen who weren't physically able to come with them tonight but wanted to help anyway. Winters liked the idea because there'd be no other adults. Doctor Lunsford volunteered to go with them figuring there'd be wounded to attend to. It would be the first time, they had a medic with them.

  “Are you sure you don't need our goggles as extras?” asked Laney.

  “No. Those are yours, and you're gonna need them patrolling the streets. Are the batteries charged?”

  “Yep,” said Collette.

  “Perfect. Ammo?”

  “Ten mags each,” said Collette.

  “We even cleaned our weapons earlier,” bragged Laney.

  “How long have guys been up?”

  “Couple of hours,” said Collette. “We didn't want to wake ya, so we snuck out.”

  “Yeah, you were the sleepyhead,” laughed Laney.

  “Needed it, especially after seeing what we saw,” said Winters referring to the beheading.

  “Yeah, that was, ah, just a tad bit disturbing,” cringed Laney. “Glad there was no sound.”

  “No doubt,” said Collette. “I always, like, turned down the sound during the scary parts in horror movies.”

  Laney broke out laughing. “I do the same damn thing. But, we won't have to now that we're badass bitches.”

  “Oh no. I'm still a big baby,” acknowledged Collette.

  Once again, Laney lost control as she continued laughing.

  Winters remembered Amber saying Collette was complex. Afraid of spiders and scary horror movies, but willing to put her life on the line.

  Laney tried catching her breath as she chided Collette. “But you're a badass bitch now, girl.”

  “Yeah, that's cuz I have a gun, but I can't shoot the TV.”

  “You can shoot a spider,” joked Winters bumping into her shoulder.

  Collette cocked her head back. “I hadn't thought about that.”

  “Next spider we find, you're taking it out,” yelled Laney wiping the tears out of her eyes.

  Collette threw her chest out. “I'm gonna conquer my arachnophobia with a Colt M4 Carbine on full auto.”

  “There's that badass bitch, I love.”

  Winters couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Once again, these two found a way to be entertaining. It was always Laney who got things started as she fed off Collette, who unwittingly, played the straight man. She just had a way about her that Laney was always able to turn into something funny.

  They continued to joke around wanting to put off the coming night for as long as possible. None of them wanted to admit that this might be the last time they'd be able to enjoy each other's company, so why spoil the fun. They were in the moment and soaking up all it offered.

  Chapter 85

  Grosse Pointe Michigan

  The slight breeze off the lake made the light black fabric flow behind him as Mordulfah walked outside to talk to Colonel Khan. The soldier stood up when Mordulfah came around the corner and saluted the prince.

  “Sit, sit Colonel,” commanded Mordulfah as a chair was pulled out for him.

  “Thank you.”

  “Since you finished cleaning out Jackson yesterday, I trust your men are well rested.”

  “They are and are ready to clean out the next town.”

  Mordulfah picked up a strawberry and popped it into his mouth. He stared at the Colonel as he chewed it.

  “I'm afraid that will have to wait.”

  Khan's initial urge was to ask why but knew that information would be forthcoming. If there was one thing he had learned about the prince over the last few days, it was that he took his time, particularly when it was important. He marveled at the man's patience and control.

  “This morning, Captain Vatter's police station was attacked. It was completely destroyed and most of his men killed.”

  The news made Khan's hands go sweaty. He had failed the prince. Was he about to lose his head?

  Mordulfah picked up another strawberry and held it between his fingers. He stared at Khan with his black eyes that were like an X-Ray, missing nothing. He was always sizing people up searching for a weakness.

  “It would appear the rebels are not completely out of it. Only now, they're a bit more on the, shall we say, incensed side of things.”

  Khan fought to control his facial expressions. He didn't want to appear weak or overconfident. He, of course, knew they hadn't killed all the rebels but had assured Mordulfah he had taken the fight out of them. He should have known better and not bragged at the success of taking down the town.

  In actuality, the rebels had put up a hell of a fight, which had surprised Khan as he took the brunt of how determined they were. They had been able to resist his much superior force, and at one point he had even wondered if they could beat them. It had been a hard-fought battle and he had lost half of his own men. He had no idea nor cared how many of Mordulfah's men had been lost since he only thought of them as cannon fodder. They had their uses but proved to have little skill for real battle.

  What Khan should have known was that Americans didn't like giving up, even if the odds were stacked against them. They would defend their homeland to the death if necessary. That fact was staring him right in the face when they rounded up the prisoners. Not a single one of them was a rebel soldier. Besides the females of various ages and the young boys, their only other prisoners were old people. It was something he didn't bother mentioning and was glad Mordulfah hadn't brought it up a second time. Of course, he was happy to simply be successful with a big bounty of young females.

  Mordulfah ate the strawberry before going on. “They will attack us and more than likely it will be tonight.”

  Khan didn't want to question Mordulfah's authority because he was afraid of insulting him. The prince wasn't in a good mood, and anything could set him off, which might cost him his head. However, he wasn't so sure it would be tonight and needed to put that out there. He had to be delicate but to the point.

  “Tonight?” stated Khan, mirroring Mordulfah's statement. It was the safest way of questioning your superior without sounding condescending.

  “I know their leader and know he won't want to wait any longer than he has to. It will be tonight.”

  Khan gave it some thought. If this was the case, then they will have already done their surveillance and have a battle plan based on what they've observed. The best way to spoil those plans would be to move his soldiers around. Put them in different parts of the estate and have a strike team waiting in the wings to come in behind them once the fighting started.

  “Is there anything I should know about their tactics?” asked Khan.

  Mordulfah didn't hesitate. “They'll want to rescue the females first. It is their weakness.”

  Khan gave him a knowing smile. It was just enough to instill the confidence that he was still the man for the job. That he would not let him down. It did the trick as Mordulfah seemed to relax by serving himself more to eat.

  Khan took a confident breath because he knew exactly what to do. He would use the female prisoners as bait. Of course, this would only throw off part of their plans, but it would be a start and would definitely deflate their spirit.

  Chapter 86

  Hudson Michigan

  Tuesday Night

  The convoy of vehicles flew down the interstate slicing through the darkness like a long black ghost train. With no headlights and no street lights, it would be difficult at best to see them. The tension inside the lead vehicle was palpable, enough so there was little to no small talk. Everyone was deep in their own thoughts, about their assignments and what was at stake. It would be the final blow to an enemy who had unleashed so much evil on the town of Jackson, it would take a couple of generations to recover.

  Nordell and Bassett had come up with a simple but well thought out plan of attack. It was more of an overall strategy that would drive the enemy into one area. It allowed for Mister Murphy to rear his ugly head as he always tended to do.

  Winters sat in the back seat of a Ford Expedition next to Amber who was bouncing her leg up and down. She was as nervous as everyone else.

  Winters reached over and grabbed her hand. She responded and gripped his tightly. Winters was sure she smiled at him but couldn't tell in the dark cab. She did stop bouncing her leg though, which was a good sign.

  Both had said their goodbyes to Reese, which had been an easygoing affair. Not surprising, Reese had displayed a detached attitude because she didn't fully understand where they were going or what they had to do. In some ways, it was better she didn't know. Ignorance is bliss.

  That wasn't the case for his innocent shadows. They had latched onto him and didn't let go until he opened the door to the SUV. Neither cried, but they weren't happy either. It was bittersweet because, on one hand, he wouldn't have to worry about them, but on the other, he liked having them around.

  Winters leaned forward and asked Meeks, who was at the wheel, where they were.

  “Not much further, shouldn't be but fifteen minutes.”

  “You got a bottle of water back there?” asked Scar.

  Winters let go of Amber's hand and reached in the back to a cooler. He pulled out a bottle and handed it to him. “Anyone else?”

  “Yeah, better give me one,” said Meeks.

  “Careful there, you don't want to have to pee in the middle of a firefight,” joked Scar.

  “Been there done that.”

  “You too?” quipped Amber.

  Meeks scoffed. “It's the worst, isn't it?”

  “Worse for us girls.”

  “No doubt,” said Meeks grabbing his water.

  Winters held up another bottle. “Amber?”

  “No, I better not.”

  Winters opened it for himself and took a gulp.

  “Actually, could I have a sip of yours?” asked Amber.

  “Oh, we sharing cooties tonight?” laughed Meeks referring to their on-going joke.

  “Only Cole's,” retorted Amber as she took a couple of sips before handing it back to Winters.

  “What? He's got better cooties than I do?”

  “No, just less of them.”

  “Why I resent that remark...but...would have to agree. A captain always has fewer cooties.”

  Amber leaned over to Winters' ear and whispered. “Aren't you glad you're back.”

  “It's like I never left,” he whispered back.

  Amber grabbed his hand. “Good.”

  “Hey, hey, no whispering back there,” said Meeks.

  Scar turned in his seat. “How else are they supposed to talk behind your back.”

  “Good point.”

  “Oh, don't flatter yourself, Mister Meeks,” said Amber. “In light of our banter, I was just asking Cole if he was glad to back.”

  “Well, Captain, are ya?” asked Meeks.

  Winters took a moment. “Well, I do get to sit next to Amber.”

  “That is a nice benefit,” approved Scar.

  “Why thank you, Scar.”

  “And she's an adult,” joked Meeks.

  Winters rolled his eyes knowing he was poking fun at his innocent shadows. “Yeah, yeah, I know.”

  “Don't get me wrong, Captain. Those two girls of yours are hysterical and had me cracking up. Hell, they're like us, only worse I think.”

  “You have no idea.”

  “Yeah, and Collette is afraid of spiders,” cracked Amber.

  “I can't say I like the suckers either,” laughed Meeks.

  “Nor me,” agreed Scar.

  Now that the tension was broken, the remainder of the trip was filled with more lighthearted banter. Something that was always welcome as it helped ease the stress. They'd have enough of that within the hour.

  They arrived at the same tall building they'd used earlier to recon. It was far enough away from the compound, and the height gave the advantage of noticing anyone approaching. Everyone dismounted as the leadership headed upstairs with the drones to do a final sweep of the grounds. The slight breeze out on the rooftop helped cool them down from the long climb up the stairs. It had been a hot day reaching into the nineties and hadn't cooled down much. It took only a few minutes to get a drone into the air and flying toward the compound. Once there, they realized something was wrong.

  “They know we're coming,” stated Bassett.

  The Jijis were in different areas, and it appeared there weren't as many of them. This meant only one thing, Colonel Khan had them hidden away.

  Nordell didn't seem entirely bothered by that and shrugged his shoulders. “Corporal, what would you do if you knew we were coming?”

  “Do what they've done. Spread my force around and have some in reserve.”

  “Exactly. We just need to make a few adjustments to make our plan still viable.”

  The one main thing Winters was most concerned about was the female prisoners, so he ordered a drone over to the two houses.

  Taylor toggled the joystick and had it there in seconds. The silent drone hovered a hundred feet about the houses as the thermal camera exposed the area.

  After a minute, Nordell spoke. “What are we noticing different?”.

  “No one is coming or going,” said Bassett.

  “Just what I was expecting,” said Nordell. “They think they know us, but they don't.”

  Winters guessed where Nordell was going and didn't like it but also knew it was the right call. “The prisoners will have to wait.”

  Nordell gave him a firm nod. “What they don't know is that we have these drones.”

  “We need to find their reserves,” suggested Bassett.

  “That's their biggest asset,” said Nordell. “With so many damn houses around they could have put them anywhere. Even with these drones, it'll still be like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack.”

  “They could be anywhere, so any place we attack from, we'll chance getting attacked from behind,” said Scar.

  “We'll just have to keep our six clear,” said Nordell.

  “We don't have enough men to do that everywhere,” advised Bassett.

  “I'm aware of that, but it won't be all of our positions,” defended Nordell.

  Winters stood back listening to the back an forth. He admired Nordell's confidence and experience because he understood war better than any of them. He had the overall experience his team had been lacking. Up until now, they'd mostly been winging it with creative, and at times, crazy plans. It helped them evade and overcome forces that were often times more than quadruple their own.

  Nordell and Bassett had come up with a solid plan, but Mister Murphy had already reared its ugly head even before the first shot was fired. Bassett was right, they didn't have enough manpower to keep their six clear everywhere. And he wasn't willing to risk lives when it wasn't necessary. This was where military experience didn't always come in handy. They were accustomed to having more men and an acceptable casualty rate.

 

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