We got back to the humvee's I ordred us back to the base, feeling good about the so-far success of the mission. I knew If something was going to happen, it was now or never. I drove us up to South Greely and over the tracks. ON the other side of the massive bridge, stood a few people.
"What should we do?" Jeff shouted down in the cabin.
"Convoy stop!!"
I lead us, a few thosand feet ahead of the rest of cnvoy, I knew my limits, I knew just what Jeff was capable of, Percy was a good soldier, who had seen time in the field, the other Airman was a bit jumpy, and admitted to never seeing time in combat, but we werethe best, in the convoy. Always lead with your best foot, The words from my first team leader echoed in my head.
More people appeared in front of us, and least twenty, all caring rifles. I rolled down my window. "We are coming by." I shouted down at them. They didn't shout back, they answered by standing their ground, and drawing their rifles. "Gamma and delta teams, fall back to the other brdige, go slow, and quietly, signal when you're ready." They acknodgled and a few minutes later they were on the other side of the bridge. "Ok hears what I want to do." I laid out my plan, it was simple Jeff and I would engage them, drawing their fire while the other two teams would hopefully be able to sneak behind and flank them in the chaos.
"Jeff, when I hit about twenty MPH, let loose on them." I shouted up at him, he acknadgled.
I let off the break, we started to coast down the hill, guns from the blockade fired at us. I floored it, Jeff let loos with his SAW as, I switched between lanes, fast, staying in one until I heard the tinks from rifle . Gamma, and Delta Teams reported that they were moving in. A few of Jeff's shots shredded into a group of pirates... No pirates isnt right." I mused to myself as I swerved into the other lane.
"Good Job Kid!" Percy shouted. Delta and Gamma, whirred behind the enmy, flanking them, before they could return fire, They broke entirely. Their bodies hit the ground. I reported in, and that we were going to take the few blocks around us, and check for wounded. These were once normal people, I had to point out, and we had enough troops to secure the area. What I really wanted to know is who these people were, and to check their weapons. I stopped our humvee, Percy and the other Airman got out, and checked the bodies. I got out to check one body, she was gone, I grabbed her weapon, it was Russian. We fell back into convoy formation, and drove back to the base.
When we got back, it was like we had won world war two, there were medics on standby, but everyone from the base was cheering for us, making a way for us. I stopped at the commander.
I rushed towards him, his happy expression faded. "Look happy!" I grunted loud enough for him to hear. "You shouldn't ruin this for your men." He faked a happy expression and turned. Getting to him, I handed him the gun. "We have a huge fucking problem."
"I am not good with guns." He objected.
"It's Russian."
"How'd it get here?" He asked handing it back to me.
"I have a theory, but I need to brief you, I'll have to do it from memory I am sorry."
"My office?" I looked back at Jeff who was being carried around by Percy, and the other Airman in our Humvee. "I'll let someone know, to tell him where you are... He needs this I think."
I turned to him. "Hell ya he does, he fucking earned it today." He smiled at me and montioned me to his office. I explained why I was in Cheyenne, my mission with the CIA, the how I had felt the fires in the neighborhood were only a distraction, giving the surge in attacks, that I felt strongly, the Russians were behind them too.
He sat quietly, his hands making a triangle resting on his nose, staring on what I thought was a small knot in the wood on his desk. No outward signs of being present in the conversation, but I knew his type well enough to know, he was deep in thought listening to every detail I had told him. "Well, shit" He sighed. "I don't think we should cancel our plans for the BBQ."
That was what I was going to suggest, but figured I'd have to wrestle him around a bit, like a steer in Cheyenne Frontier Days.
He smirked. "You said it may not make Military sense, but if people are truly as scared as you have convinced me, something 'nomral' might slow this down." My shock must have been apparent. There was a knock at the door "come!" He ordered
Jeff and Percy walked in, Jeff sat next to me. "Both of you that was great work today, it's really going to help the people here, and we got some good intel today." The commander sighed.
Jeff was beaming pride.
"It's fucking great Intel!" I grunted. "We now know who is behind the ambushes, and who has been arming the civilians."
"But these are the first Russian weapons we have found." The commander sighed and tapped his desk.
"Well, I am sure they had a variety of weapons, from many places." I sighed. "It helps sell, a better cover."
"So desperate they take any weapons they can get?" Jeff asked. I loved that he just seemed to get things and their deeper meanings.
"Essentially." I nodded. "It would make sense..." I paused and shivered. "Who knows what else they could have."
"Satileights?" Jeff asked.
"There is too much, shit in the air, to even get a signal to them." The commander said. I knew it was just his way, of not acknodling what the shit really was.
"Drones?" I asked.
"We only had a few and Most were being worked on in the shop, when the emp hit."
"Figures." I sighed.
"We will have one or two patched back up in a week or two." He said opistcally. "I had planned on keeping one up in the air at night for recon, but that doesn't feel quite right." I raised an eybrow at him, this sounds more like the man I wanted him to be, than he ever had before.
"Perhaps for right now, we should get a survey of the city, and surrounding areas. Use them for recon during scouting for missions."
The commander nodded at me. "Percy, are we ready for tomorrow?"
"Yes, we have flyers to put on doors, starting at 0900." Percy nodded.
"Great, that gives people 3 days' notice..." Jeff stared confused at the commander. He filled him in, resupplied our humvee, and sent us on or way, with an escort to the high way.
Jeff road shotgun, and Percy took the turret. "You did good today." I smiled at Jeff, as Percy got out.
"He did great!" Percy smiled as he leaned in my open window. "You're one hell of a marine." He smiled and playfully saluted.
"Spemperfi." Jeff smiled. No doubt despite there being no more corps, He was a marine. The last one.
"Gentlemen, See you in a few days, you are expected to be there." Percy smiled at me, I went to object. "At least I expect you to be there, it isn't an order."
"Well, we will be there." Jeff smiled.
"1100" Percy said while leaning out of the humvee. I drove us home.
"God." Jeff sighed as he flopped on the couch. "I am tired. What are we doing tomorrow?"
I sat him up, sat on the end of the couch, and patted my lap, so he'd lay back down. "We are going to check on our test cow, and see if the rancher would recommend us to a few other of the ranchers around."
"Why?"
"Well if the enemy of my enemy is a friend, then the natural first assumption is a friend of my friend is a friend."
"First impressions?" He asked while I stroked his hair. I nodded.
He got up. "Ill be back." He tossed his shirt on the floor, and turned on stargate, and laid back down. I stoked his hair with one hand and ran my fingers up and down his scalp, his smooth, defined chest. His muscles mainly visible cause he was so damn lean. "Now this is perfect." He sighed. A few episodes in, he was snoring and leaving an awkward drool stain on my pants.
The last episode finished, I picked him up and carried him to bed. I laid next to him on my half of the bed, like the last few times i carried him into bed, he curled up on my chest. The same gentle warm, peaceful feeling came over me. I knew I was the luckiest guy in the world, he needed me, as I needed him, together we were more than two men. Alone just half of one. Nighttime was truly my favorite time, in the Greate Cheyenne Wastes.