Nathan Jones
DETERMINATION
Prologue
Tension
Days passed, each one seeming to last a lifetime for Matt as the Gold Bloc siege continued.
The enemy hadn’t tried another attack up Highway 31’s canyon, or any of the other canyons between them and Aspen Hill. Word reached them that Lewis his defenders had taken out a group of blockhead scouts in Aspen Hill Canyon. But that had been on the first day too, and now the Gold Bloc forces were keeping to the valley.
Most of the enemy’s attention in the area was focused along Interstate 70 to the south, Highway 6 to the north, and I-80 even farther north. In those places the fighting was fierce, and constant reports came of attacks. In stark contrast to the chaos and violence they constantly heard about, the relative quiet in their neck of the woods seemed a blessing.
Not that the uneasy peace they enjoyed was peaceful, so to speak. After that first day’s attack, especially with the helicopter wreaking havoc on their emplacements, Matt spent every hour that passed waiting for the other shoe to drop.
There were upwards of ten thousand enemy soldiers in the valley below, all digging in and poking around searching for weak spots. It seemed impossible that they’d just sit there twiddling their thumbs as their supplies ran out; the question wasn’t if another attack would come, but when.
On June 23rd, the fourth day since the blockheads arrived, Matt had just finished a training session with the new volunteers and was heading to the mess tent for dinner. The training was going well, at least as far as he could judge, and Trev seemed to agree with him. But they both understood the massive gulf between even the best training and actual combat.
And with their limited resources they were hardly offering the best, although they tried.
He’d just passed the command tent when Davis popped out and intercepted him. “Larson, got a minute?”
The sergeant made it sound more like a command than a request, so Matt nodded and followed him through the entrance flaps.
Once inside Davis moved around behind his table, leaning over the makeshift map he’d personally put together with the help of his scouts. “You’ve made some good progress with our recruits, but it’s time to get back to work. You can turn training over to your buddy Smith to finish.”
The shift in routine wasn’t exactly unexpected, given how short on people they were. Matt nodded. “Want us to start taking shifts at the emplacements again?”
“Nah, we’ll go with your other talents. Hunting for the near future, starting in the morning. To the same spot you’ve been going… that forested slope just south of this canyon.”
Matt frowned. “I thought hunting was off the table since the blockheads arrived.”
Davis snorted. “Yeah, well it turns out people need to eat to not die. Go figure.” He gestured to his map, inviting Matt to come over. “It won’t just be fun and games, though. See this area?” The sergeant used his finger to trace out an expanse just south of Highway 31. It looked small on the map, but distance wise it was probably around a mile long and a few hundred yards across. “While hunting there you’ve been learning the terrain, right? Preparing clear paths, ambush spots, and emplacements?”
“Yeah, where we could.” That had been a bit hard to do on the densely forested slope, especially with the ground blanketed with deadfall, since visibility was a problem. But at the same time it was easier to prepare ambushes because visibility was a problem.
“Good. Then while you’re focused on hunting I also want you to have people watching the valley below, from the best vantages you’ve found. You should be able to see any blockheads coming long before they get anywhere near you, and you can interrupt your search for game to prepare a welcome.”
Matt scratched at the heavy stubble on his chin. He needed to do better about shaving. “So you want us to hunt enough to be useful, and also defend an area a mile long from any enemies that come our way. That’s a tall order for twelve people. What if the shots we use to bring down game attract attention?”
“Then you’ve got bait for a trap.” Davis moved around the table and clapped him on the shoulder, using the gesture to start him towards the tent’s entrance. “I wouldn’t assign this to you if I didn’t think you could do it, and it’ll only be two out of every three shifts. I’ll send a few volunteers your way later today and you can show them the ropes, then they’ll take over for the night shift. You don’t mind sharing your night vision gear, right?”
Sharing the gear Matt was just fine with, but he was less than thrilled about the “only” two out of every three shifts part. Or basically every waking hour. But truth be told Matt would feel more comfortable in dense forest that he knew like the back of his hand, rather than perched in an emplacement overlooking the canyon. He doubted his squad would get shelled by tanks or hit by missiles from helicopters on that southern slope. He just needed to make sure he could handle any enemies that did come.
“All right, we’ll start patrols of the area in the morning,” he said. “And if it means we get a breather every night I’m happy to loan some of our night vision gear.”
“Good man.” Davis finished ushering him out of the tent and came out with him to look south. “I’ve only got two lookouts there at the moment, but once you spell them I’ll have them stick around long enough to brief you on everything they know about the area. Good luck, and good hunting.”
From the way the Marine said it Matt had a feeling he wasn’t just talking about game. He hoped the blockheads wouldn’t be too interested in that slope, considering it was difficult terrain to get through in large numbers.
Then again, that might make it an attractive location for them to try to slip some people through, to cause mischief behind the lines. He’d have to make sure his people were vigilant.
In the meantime, he needed to get his squad ready for their new assignment. It also couldn’t hurt to give Trev a heads up that his squad would be shouldering all the training now. Davis would probably pull him in to let him know, maybe already had, but there was no reason Matt shouldn’t give his friend a bit more time to prepare for his extra duties.
Luckily everyone would be at the mess tent for dinner at this hour, which meant he could get everything done and catch a quick meal too. He resolved to make it a big one, and encourage his squad to do the same. They had a lot to do in the morning, and patrolling took more out of you than just about any other duty.
Matt wasn’t under any illusions about the hunting. They’d do their best, of course, but that was mostly wishful thinking. They were there to guard that slope, and even though they weren’t far from the main camp they couldn’t count on Davis to send reinforcements if they needed them. Anything could go wrong, which meant they had to defend that section on their own.
With twelve people. Trev had told him what it had been like guarding Cedar Creek Canyon with his squad and watching the blockheads roll by in the hundreds and even thousands. The southern slope was a bit more secluded, but it was the same situation where it was all on his shoulders.
He just hoped they were ready for it.
After maneuvering his way past a couple Marines heading outside at the entrance to the mess tent, he saw that most of his and Trev’s squads were packed along one table in the corner. Scott and Tom waved to him, but he noticed that Trev was huddled together with Rick, either arguing with him or giving him a stern talking to.
From the annoyed glances Rick kept throwing Pete’s way, sitting farther down the table joking with Alice, Matt had a feeling he knew what had the younger man so riled up. Well, that was one problem that would be solved in the morning, when Pete left along with him and the rest of the squad. He hoped.