His mind raced. Caden ran to Brooks. “Keep fifth squad here and hold this position. I’m taking the rest of the soldiers to the logging road.”
Caden was leaving only ten men to guard the causeway. Turner had been outmaneuvering him all morning. If Caden was wrong this time and Turner attacked across the causeway his men would be overwhelmed, but decisive action was required.
Two deuce and a half trucks carried all of Caden’s soldiers down the bumpy logging road. They stopped about a half-mile from the river. Caden heard a bulldozer nearby. With point men in the lead, he deployed the squads perpendicular to the narrow dirt road.
Progress through the forest was slow. The bush, knolls and trees provided many places for an opponent to set an ambush. With each yard forward the bulldozer roared louder and Caden’s apprehension grew greater. Each twig that snapped under his feet sounded to him like a thunderclap.
A gunshot.
The men dropped to the ground.
Rapid fire.
The guardsmen shot blindly into the forest.
“Cease fire! Cease fire,” Caden yelled. He listened. The steady roar continued, but it came from hundreds of yards in front of them. They’re not shooting at us, but if Turner’s men didn’t hear our shots, this is our chance to get close. Then together they moved out.
By the sound of the dozer and gunfire, Caden knew he was only a few hundred yards away so, with the First Sergeant and a few other men, he crawled ahead. Seeing two soldiers about thirty feet ahead, they stopped.
Caden signaled he would shoot the one on the left, Fletcher should get the other.
That accomplished they quickly moved on to the ridge line above the river. Peeking out from there they could see the main body of the convoy. Turner had about 100 soldiers firing as they moved up the slope from cover to cover toward the opposite ridge. Near the top was a dump truck at an angle across the road blocking any retreat of the convoy.
They don’t know we’re here. Caden had no idea who his allies were, but he was thankful for the help.
The bulldozer worked to narrow the river where the culvert had been. Logs had been cut and brought down to the shore. One already spanned the opening where the culvert had been. Caden wasn’t sure if the plan was to make a temporary dam or a bridge. In either case it wasn’t complete and he was there to stop it.
Turning to Fletcher, Caden said, “Get the men and deploy them along the ridge. Tell them not to fire until I do.” Then he waited anxious minutes as the men came up and positioned themselves along the edge.
Finally Fletcher gave him the thumbs up.
Caden took careful aim at the dozer driver. He pulled the trigger and the man dropped.
All the guardsmen opened fire.
Many of Turner’s soldiers fell. The others scurried for cover.
The sound of gunfire rose to a constant thunder.
Bullets pinged on both sides as dirt flew up in Caden’s face.
A man to his right rolled down the slope and lay motionless.
Bark and tree limbs fell like rain.
It was clear to Caden that he held the superior position and Turner’s losses were much greater. After a few more minutes he shouted, “Cease fire.”
The crescendo of fire peaked and faded into silence.
“Your position is hopeless,” Caden shouted, “Throw down your weapons and you will not be harmed.”
There seemed to be confusion from the convoy, and then a female voice shouted, “We surrender.”
“Pile your weapons in the road and line up along the shore.” As the soldiers of the convoy stacked their arms, Caden, had the medic check the wounded and, with the rest of his men, crossed to the other side of the river. “First Sergeant, secure their weapons and search them.” Looking at the soldiers he had just been fighting he asked, “Where is your commanding officer?
In a shaky voice a young woman said, “I guess that’s me.”
“Where’s Captain Turner?”
“We don’t know, sir.”
Pointing to her he said, “Come with me.” Together they checked the wounded and the dead.
Caden found Turner half-submerged in the river. He pulled him from the icy waters and collapsed alongside him. Cold fingers checked for a pulse, but the gaping wound to the neck told him the sad news. Gently he closed the eyes and cradled the body in his lap. You said a lot of good men would die today. I knew it would be true, but I swear I never thought one of them would be you. I’m sorry.
He didn’t know how long he sat there, mourning the death of his friend. Hearing movement behind him he rested the head on the shore, stood and saluted a fallen comrade.
Turning, he saw Maria with tears in her eyes. All Caden could say was, “How? When?”
“I came in the dump truck. We wanted to help.”
Caden looked beyond her. His father, Hoover, Neil Young and several deputies in SWAT gear along with other civilians stood with his men. He hugged Maria tight as sadness rent his soul.
Epilogue
Holding a silver platter, Caden eased down the hall trying to avoid the squeak of floorboards. He turned the doorknob and slowly crept across Maria’s room. On the tray was a cup of coffee, a ring and a note that read, “With all my love, Caden.”
She stirred, but didn’t awaken.
Pleased, he set the plate on the nightstand and followed the scent of breakfast downstairs. Stepping into the kitchen his mother held up an egg. “The hens laid seven this morning. Breakfast will be ready in a couple of minutes.”
He smiled and headed toward the sound of the television.
In the living room his father switched quickly between news programs.
Caden sat beside him.
Local reporters dubbed the actions of earlier in the week as the Battle of Olympia and spoke of little else. The victory at JBLM was the big news; the skirmish at Hansen was just a minor footnote. The New York networks, under the control of Durant, talked of a battle with insurgents and terrorists and the need for greater security.
Caden shook his head. An awful bloody struggle has just begun.
He stood and walked to an old roll-top desk in the corner of the room. Finding pen and paper he sat and stared blankly out the window. What could I write? What could I say that would bring some meaning or comfort? He sighed and with sudden determination wrote the first words that came to mind. “Mrs. Turner, I knew your husband, he was a good and honorable man.”
Glossary
ACU Army Combat Uniform.
AK-47 The AK-47 is a selective-fire military rifle, developed in the USSR, but also used by the People’s Republic of China. In chapter 25, a Chinese soldier hits David Weston in the face with an AK-47.
CID United States Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC, usually abbreviated as just CID) investigates serious violations of military law within the United States Army.
EOC An Emergency Operations Center is a central command and control facility responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness and emergency management, or disaster management functions.
Fueler An army fuel truck.
GMRS The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is an FM UHF radio service designed for short-distance two-way communication similar to Citizens Band (CB) radios, but requiring an FCC license.
Humvee High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), commonly known as the Humvee, is a four-wheel drive military vehicle.
JBLM Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) is a large military installation located nine miles south-southwest of Tacoma in Washington state.