He was ever thankful for the protective goggles the Sappers had given him, and as he wondered when he’d have time to utilize the NVGs that were stashed on his back, the soldiers in front of him raised their open palms overhead. The squad halted, and from the center of the wedge the PL could be seen slapping the cargo pocket of his BDUs.
Thomas moved forward to participate in the map check. He knelt beside the PL, and they were joined by both the compass men and the pace men, as well as the veteran walking point.
Sergeant Reed was the consummate professional soldier. As the senior Sapper leader course instructor, he was an expert at his unique craft, and Thomas could sense the respect that his fellow soldiers afforded him.
“If you didn’t know any better, you’d think we were back home at Leonard Wood,” commented Reed, who spat out a torrent of tobacco juice and pulled out a red-tinted flashlight to illuminate the PL’s map.
While they tried to decipher the detailed topographical map, the sound of footsteps foreshadowed the arrival of Ted Callahan, Captain Christian, and their U.S. Forest Service representative.
“Looks like that’s it for the last light of dusk,” was Callahan’s greeting.
“Anyone know the moon phase?”
“It’s a day away from the first quarter,” Reed answered.
“Since the sky is clear, and is forecast to remain that way throughout the night, we should have plenty of natural, ambient illumination.”
Thomas noted that Jody Glickman was carrying a full rucksack herself, and he watched her kneel beside the small knot of soldiers gathered around the map.
“We should be right about there,” she said, pointing to a quadrant near the center portion of the wilderness area.
“We’ve already passed Fiddler Spring, which puts us on the northern slope of Slash Bay Hollow, with Freeman the next hollow to the south.”
“How are you doing reading the trail. Sergeant?” asked Callahan.
Reed spat out more tobacco juice before answering.
“Right now, I’m following the dog tracks. There’s still seven individuals in the party, with one of them either a woman or a large child.
Because the soil’s getting increasingly rocky, and since it hasn’t rained in these parts for a while, with nightfall and all, it could get difficult.”
“Well, we don’t have much farther to go, since it’s obvious they’re headed into Freeman,” said Callahan.
“Sergeant Reed, you and your Sappers will continue to lead the way. Per our OPORD, I think it’s best if we move in a file formation from here on in and slow down the pace a bit. And for those who’ve got them, it’s time to deploy the NVGs. The army that can fight at night is the army that wins.”
Chapter 38
“The more I think about it, the more I fear that Coach didn’t believe my warning,” said Andrew Chapman.
Vince was seated on the same fallen oak trunk as the VP, and he replied while gazing up at the ever-darkening portion of sky visible from this portion of the overlook.
“You’ve got to admit it was an earful, sir. It’s only natural for him to be cautious at first. And if he’s really the outstanding officer that you say, he’ll get over his initial skepticism and begin looking into the matter.”
“I’m beginning to have second thoughts myself,” mumbled Chapman, strain and frustration clearly visible on his tanned face.
From the other side of the clearing, Miriam could be heard talking with her father.
“Pa, I think I’ll go down and see if I can help Junior find Satan.”
“Absolutely not, young lady!” retorted Amos, who had been passing the time whittling a maple branch.
“I told your lame brained brother that we’re gonna skedaddle from these parts once night falls, and if he doesn’t hurry and get back up here, he, Tiny, and C.J. are gonna be traveling solo.”
“I sure hope they’re staying far away from Tater Hill,” offered Vince.
“Those boys don’t have any idea what they’re up against out there. Mariano’s a skilled tracker who’s specially trained to hunt down and kill his fellow humans.”
Amos peered across the clearing, and made it a point to slice off a thick piece of wood before responding to this warning.
“My boy might be a little short in the brains department, but one thing he can do is survive in the woods. Shit, I taught him myself, and Junior was stalking deer when most boys his age were still on the breast.”
A booming explosion sounded nearby, seemingly punctuating this bold comment, and after flinching, the occupants of the clearing nervously stood. They stared into the blackened hollow, vainly trying to see any visual aftereffects of this resonant blast, which Vince attributed to either a grenade or a mine.
“Junior!” exclaimed the worried parent, who dropped his knife and went sprinting into the woods, toward the direction of Tater Hill.
Miriam followed her father, and Vince cried out, “Damn it, Miriam, come back!”
She didn’t, and Vince listened as the VP beckoned toward the woods, saying, “We can’t go and abandon them now that there’s trouble afoot, Kellogg. Besides, one of those boys might be hurt, and could use our help.”
Vince could hardly believe his eyes when Chapman brazenly pursued Miriam into the forest, leaving him no alternative but to curse angrily and follow.
“Sounded to me like a claymore,” Sergeant Reed told Thomas and the other Sappers gathered at the head of the formation.
“And best guess is it blew a couple of klicks due south of here, smack in the heart of Freeman Hollow.”
Thomas nodded in agreement, listening carefully as the senior Sapper instructor began detailing the manner in which they’d proceed, now that yet another threat had to be contended with.
Chapter 39
Red somewhat halfheartedly prepared to initiate her computerized scan of the phone logs, unable to give this project her complete enthusiasm. Though she had a sincere respect for Coach, the bizarre warning that he had shared with both her and Commander Cooper sounded more like the disturbed rantings of a paranoid conspiracy buff. Of course, this was definitely not the type of behavior that one would expect from the senior pilot of one of the Air Force’s most important aircraft. She knew that Coach and his fellow flight crew members were subject to frequent, intensive physical examinations that included a comprehensive psychological evaluation. There was no way that he’d be allowed to command Nightwatch unless he passed these tests with flying colors, and Red supposed that a mental ailment was most likely out of the question.
Coach therefore deserved her support, and she felt a bit embarrassed for questioning his sanity. After all, it took immense courage on his part to even share this warning, and for him to pick Red showed how much he trusted her. To properly investigate an unthinkable event of this magnitude, an open mind was needed, and she decided to hold back further judgment until the facts were on the table.
To access the proper phone log, she needed to input the Chairman’s personal key number. Each crew member aboard Nightwatch had one of these numbers, which had to be fed into the computer before initiating either a telephone, radio, or data transmission. Because she was responsible for placing the majority of Warner’s calls. Red was most familiar with his key number, and she in putted the sequence 4-6-1-3-3 into her keyboard.