World War III (58 page)

“You!” Hissed Cleo, glaring at the man.

“You two know each other?” Asked Shiloh, glancing from Cleo to the unknown sniper.

“His name is Bruno Salvador,” she said. “An assassin for hire.”

“Don’t even think about it,” said Bruno, noticing Cleo’s eyes flicker to the rifle, leaning against her snowmobile. “Snake Eyes wants you alive, but I get paid either way. Although,” he added, his lips curling into an evil grin, “I’d rather take you in for questioning.”

Neither Shiloh nor Cleo needed clarification on Bruno’s preferred method of interrogation. His eyes revealed the sinister desires of his heart, reflecting a wicked man, who enjoyed causing pain.

“Don’t move,” said Bruno, when Shiloh shifted his weight slightly, poised for an attack. “You I don’t need, dead or alive.”

“I don’t have what you want,” said Cleo, her eyes fixed on Bruno’s. “And you killed the only man who did,” she added, glancing at Mason’s body, lying motionless in the snow.

“Where is it?”

“I don’t know,” said Cleo, “and thanks to you, we never will.”

“I don’t believe you,” replied Bruno, slowly circling around, making his way toward Mason’s body.

“That doesn’t change the facts,” stated Cleo. “I wonder what Snake Eyes will do, when he discovers you’ve lost his only chance at retrieving the information.”

“I’ve still got you,” sneered Bruno.

“Yes, but since I don’t know where the flash drive is, you might as well have nothing. Something tells me Snake Eyes isn’t going to be happy. In fact,” she added, with a taunting smile, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he puts a contract out on you.”

Bruno frowned, obviously not liking the thought.

“How many of your associates do you trust,” she pressed, sensing his unease. “I doubt you know anyone, who wouldn’t turn you in for the right price.”

“Shut up!”

“It’s not a pleasant thought, is it?” Asked Cleo. “The hunter, becoming the hunted.”

“You don’t frighten me little girl,” hissed Bruno. “The man doesn’t exist who can kill me. I am invincible.”

“I don’t mean to interrupt,” said Shiloh, “but these mountains are gonna be crawling with Russian and Chinese soldiers any minute. Perhaps we could…”

“Shut up!” Spat Bruno, shifting the muzzle of his rifle, from Cleo to Shiloh. He bent down next to Mason’s body and began rummaging through his pockets, searching for the missing flash drive.

“You’re wasting your time,” said Cleo.

“I have nothing but time. It wasn’t in his house, nor did your boyfriend have it,” sneered Bruno.

Cleo’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Lex and her hands clenched in fists of rage.

Bruno noticed her anger and smiled. “I wonder what type of torture the Russians and Chinese practice,” he said. “How long do you think your boyfriend will last?”

“Longer than you,” replied Cleo.

“I think not,” laughed Bruno. “I watched, as they tortured him. You should have heard his cries,” he added, flashing an evil grin. He reached inside Mason’s jacket and was feeling around for the flash drive, when his hand touched something hard.

Keeping a close watch on Shiloh and Cleo, Bruno ripped open Mason’s shirt and was surprised to find a bulletproof vest, hidden beneath. “Why you son of a…”

Before Bruno could finish his sentence, Mason reached up and grabbed the assassin’s gun, pulling him down on top of him.

Cleo bent in a blur of motion and withdrew a knife, concealed within her boot. She threw the knife underhanded, from a crouched position. The blade soared through the air, striking Bruno between the shoulders.

Holding Bruno with one hand, Mason reached around with the other. He grabbed the hilt of Cleo’s knife and began twisting it back and forth.

Screaming from the pain, Bruno franticly struggled to free himself from Mason’s grip. Although highly trained in hand-to-hand combat, he preferred to kill his prey from a distance. Unless they couldn’t fight back, then he enjoyed getting close and personal, prolonging the experience as long as possible.

Mason rolled onto his side and down the slope toward Cave Rock Tunnel, dragging Bruno with him.

“No!” Shouted Cleo, chasing after them.

Gunfire suddenly erupted from a nearby ridge, peppering the area with bullets, as a platoon of Russian soldiers emerged from the tree line. Shiloh dodged behind a tree and returned fire, hoping to slow their advance. “We need to go!” He shouted, as he quickly reloaded.

Mason and Bruno rolled to the bottom of the trail, landing only a few feet apart, on top of the tunnel. Bruno lunged to his feet and charged Mason, who was slower in getting up. He kicked Mason in the face, sending him twirling, toward the edge of the mountain.

Landing with his head and shoulders dangling over the edge, Mason could see the frigid water below. Knowing the rock beneath him could explode at any second, he jumped to his feet and turned to face Bruno. He immediately reached for his sidearm, but discovered it was gone.

“Mason!” Shouted Cleo, pointing to the road beneath him.

Mason glanced in the direction she was pointing and could see the convoy less than fifty yards away. If they entered the tunnel while he was still standing on it, he’d be blown to pieces.

Bruno grinned and hissed, “You’ve got nowhere to go.” He reached into his jacket and withdrew a Glock 40, as the ground rumbled from the approaching convoy.

Mason dropped to his knees and grabbed a rock the size of his hand, as Bruno took aim. He hurled the rock at the assassin, hitting him between the eyes.

Bruno screamed and lowered the gun, covering his smashed and bloodied nose with one hand.

Mason lunged forward without hesitation, tackling Bruno and knocking him to his back. He jumped to his feet and ran for the trail, where Cleo stood waving.

Bruno scrambled to his feet, searching for his gun. He found it lying near the edge and grabbed it, before turning and firing. His first two shots went wild, thudding into the ground at Mason’s feet. Remembering the bulletproof vest, Bruno steadied himself and took careful aim at the back of Mason’s head. He took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger, as the convoy entered the tunnel.

The lead truck hit the trip line and the nitroglycerin exploded in a thunderous roar, throwing Bruno backward and over the ledge. He plunged eighty feet to the lake below, disappearing beneath the icy water, as boulders tumbled down after him.

The ground began to tremble, as the tunnel crumbled and broke apart. The mountain shook violently and the earth cracked open, causing a landslide of epic proportion. Tons of rock and dirt slid into the deep, blue water, along with half the convoy.

Mason jumped at the last second and landed on solid ground. He smiled reassuringly at Cleo and was about to take a step forward, when the ground suddenly dissolved beneath his feet. He was gone.

“Mason!” She shouted, reaching out and grasping at the air where he’d been standing. She peered over the edge and was relieved to find him dangling a few feet below, holding tight to an exposed tree root. “Here, grab this!” She said, removing her belt and lowering it to him.

Mason reached up with one hand and grabbed hold of the belt. “Are you sure you can hold me?” He asked, before letting go of the exposed root.

“We’ve got you!” Shouted Shiloh, appearing from out of nowhere and grabbing hold of the belt.

Between the two of them they quickly pulled Mason to safety, before heading up the slope toward their snowmobiles. They climbed onboard and started the engines, as dozens of soldiers chased up the slope after them.

“Follow me!” Shouted Shiloh, before speeding up the mountain.

They arrived in town a few hours later and drove down Main Street, coming to a stop in front of the jailhouse.

“How did it go?” Asked Ian, opening the door and stepping outside.

“Mission complete,” said Shiloh, climbing off the snowmobile and removing his goggles.

“They won’t be using those tunnels for a long time,” added Mason.

“Excellent!” Cheered Ian. “Some of the men from Minden, Gardnerville and Yerington have arrived, with more trickling in every hour.”

“How many do we have?” Asked Shiloh, stamping snow from his boots.

“A little over seven thousand,” replied Ian, “but we’re still waiting for a few of the other towns to show up. Mayor Sullivan and Lieutenant Sawyer scheduled a briefing at 7am. They want to get everyone acquainted and formulate a plan of defense.”

“Where’s the meeting going to be?” Asked Cleo, removing her gloves and brushing snow from her coat.

“At the Shady Lady,” he said, glancing at his wristwatch. “If you turn in now, ya should be able to catch a few hours of sleep.”

Kingsbury Grade

World War III – Day Twenty-Four

Clearview, Nevada

Men came from all over northern Nevada and slowly filtered into Clearview. Some arrived in smaller groups of a dozen or so, while others arrived in larger numbers. Most brought their own firearms, but those without were provided weapons and within a few short hours, the town had more than doubled in size.

Shiloh opened the door to the Shady Lady the following morning and was surprised to find the saloon full of people. He glanced around the room and noticed Mason and Cleo had already arrived and were sitting at a corner table.

“Shiloh!” Ian called from across the room, indicating an empty chair next to him.

Shiloh saw many familiar faces, as he weaved his way through the room and sat down next to Ian. “Good morning,” he said, smiling at Jessie and Dr. July, who were also sitting at the table.

“Coffee?” Offered Chelsea, standing beside Shiloh with a steaming pot in her hand.

“Yes please,” he said, holding up his cup.

Chelsea smiled and filled the cup, before turning and gliding across the room to check on her other guests.

He held the cup between his hands and inhaled the coffee’s rich aroma, before taking a sip. Looking around the room, he saw Mayor Sullivan and Lieutenant Sawyer deep in conversation.

“Is everyone here?” He asked, noticing the Mayors from Carson City, Virginia City, Minden, Gardnerville and Yerington, standing together at the bar.

“Almost,” replied Ian. “Mound House and Dayton still haven’t shown.”

“May I have your attention?” Shouted Mayor Sullivan, tapping a spoon against his coffee cup over and over again, until the room fell silent. “I’d like to begin by thanking everyone for coming today. I know we all have families we’d rather be with, but that’s why we’re here, to protect our loved ones. As many of you know there’s a buildup of Russian and Chinese troops, assembling on the other side of the mountain. They’ve made Lake Tahoe their basecamp and they’re getting ready to push east.” He paused for a moment, while everyone digested the information.

“We all share a common enemy,” he continued. “An enemy, who’s hell bent on destroying our way of life and killing every man, woman and child. Our only chance of survival, is to unite and fight as one. That being said, I’d like to introduce Lieutenant John Sawyer. His platoon of Marines have been stationed here for the past three weeks and with their help, we’ve managed to delay the enemy’s advance. Lieutenant…”

“Thank you,” said Lt. Sawyer, standing up and turning to face the crowded room. “As Mayor Sullivan has stated, the enemy is amassing a large number of troops only a few miles away. They are poised and ready to attack, with troops vastly outnumbering our own. What the Mayor didn’t mention, is another foreign army has breached our eastern coastline and advanced to the Appalachian Mountains. Our only chance of stopping both armies from blazing through America’s heartland, is to hold both of these lines.” Using a long stick, he indicated the Appalachian and Sierra Nevada Mountain Ranges on a large map, hanging behind the bar.

“How many men do you have?” Asked the Mayor of Virginia City.

“I have fifty men under my command,” answered the Lieutenant.

“Fifty men!” Gasped the Mayor of Minden. “How are we supposed to hold the line with fifty Marines?”

“We’re not,” replied Lt. Sawyer, “that’s where all of you come in.”

“If those mountain ranges are so important for our country’s survival, why hasn’t the government sent more troops?” Asked the Mayor of Gardnerville.

“I’m afraid our forces are already spread dreadfully thin,” explained Lt. Sawyer. “My Commander, Major Conrad, has headed south to defend our southern border and liberate Las Vegas.”

“Liberate Las Vegas!” Repeated the Mayor of Carson City. “I wasn’t aware they needed saving.”

“In addition to the two armies attacking from the east and west, there’s a third and smaller force moving up from the south,” explained the Lieutenant. “They’ve crossed the Mexican border and laid siege to Las Vegas, a city with precious little natural resources. Major Conrad was ordered south to rescue as many survivors as possible, but that’s the last I’ve heard from him?”

The room became alive with commotion, as men argued about what to do.

“How do we know this Major Conrad hasn’t been killed and the city taken?” Asked the Mayor of Yerington.

“The enemy could be marching north this very minute,” added Luke Slater. “There’s no way we could withstand an attack from two armies at the same time!”

“Let’s not get carried away!” Shouted Lt. Sawyer, trying to silence the room. “Many of you have made the drive from here to Las Vegas and know there isn’t much between. If the enemy has taken the city, it’s doubtful they’d try to head north without provisions and as I’ve just said, Vegas has little to offer. As for Major Conrad, it’s possible the enemy has been jamming our radio signals. The best thing we can do is plan for the invasion we know is coming, but just to be safe I’ll station a lookout on Highway 95. If there’s an army headed this way from the south, the lookout should provide ample warning.”

The commotion died down and the Lieutenant continued. “Here’s what we know for sure,” he said, pointing to the map. “The enemy’s forward base camp is located here. We’ve caused avalanches here and here, and destroyed this tunnel. My scouts have reported they’re now tunneling through the snow here, at Kingsbury Grade. I’m going to take my platoon and hold the pass as long as I can, giving all of you time to fortify this valley. I’m not sure how long we’ll be able to hold them, so you’ll have to work fast. I’d like to introduce a local man by the name of Ian St. Clair,” he added, pointing to Ian. “He’ll be in charge of Clearview’s defense.”

“Hello,” smiled Ian, standing up and joining the Lieutenant, who handed him the stick. He cleared his throat and glanced around the room, before pointing at the map.

“The enemy will have to cross this field,” he said, indicating a field west of town. “So we’re going to cover it with a thick layer of oil and gasoline. Once the enemy is out in the open, we’ll use flaming arrows to ignite the mixture. I want ditches dug here and here,” he added, drawing two lines on the map.

“We’ll pile sandbags on roof tops, as well as along the ditches. Using vehicles and tractor equipment, we’ll block all of the roads leading in and out of town. We’ve also acquired an old cannon recently, which is positioned here,” he pointed to the center of town, “where we can rotate it in any direction.”

“Is that our only cannon?” Asked the Mayor of Carson City.

“No,” replied Ian. “Thanks to old man Sampson, we’ve got quite a variety of weapons, including a few tanks.”

“Thank God!”

“We’ll position snipers on these rooftops, along with artillery guns,” he continued, indicating several buildings in key locations. “I’ve got a lookout posted here, in the church tower and several more surrounding the town. We’ve planted claymores here and here,” he added, indicating two separate tree lines, one to the north and one to the south.

“Anyone living on the outskirts of town will need to bring in their family members and any provisions they’ve got. We’ll use the jailhouse as our armory, the clinic as our hospital and this saloon as our Command Center. The library has a large basement, where we’ll send the women and children when the fighting breaks out.”

“What if they flank us?” Asked the Mayor of Gardnerville.

“We’ve already coated the field east of town with motor oil and gasoline, but we’re going to apply more,” answered Ian. “I’ve also positioned bear traps along this tree line,” he added, pointing to the forest east of town.

“Won’t they have tanks and armored vehicles?” Asked the Mayor of Carson City.

“Undoubtedly,” agreed Ian. “In addition to Sampson’s collection of weapons and armored vehicles, we’ve also begun digging pitfalls in various locations throughout the western field. When finished, these holes will be twenty feet long, ten feet wide and ten feet deep. We’ll fill the pits with the same oil and gasoline mixture, before concealing them with camouflaged plywood. With any luck these pitfalls will snare both man and vehicle, including tanks. As you can see we’ve got a lot to do and very little time. I’d like to organize three separate groups, each working on a different project. If all of the Mayors could please join me in the back room, we can get started.”

When the meeting was over and everyone assigned a task, Mason approached Ian and Shiloh. “Can we speak in private?” He asked softly, so no one else could hear.

“Sure,” said Ian, leading them into the stock room.

“What’s up?” Asked Shiloh, as he closed the door behind him.

“What if I told you I had access to a satellite and could provide real-time Intel on the enemy’s location?”

“I’d wonder how that was possible,” said Ian, glancing at Shiloh, “but I wouldn’t care. As long as it was good Intel.”

“Good,” replied Mason. “I don’t want everyone knowing about this. Is there a private place, where I can set up my equipment?”

“You can use the doctor’s house,” suggested Ian. “No one’s home.”

“Perfect,” agreed Mason. “I’ll notify you when I have a live feed.” He turned and left the saloon, with Cleo at his side.

When they arrived at what was left of Mason’s house, Cleo climbed out of the Hummer and glanced around. She hadn’t been here since Lex had been abducted and as she walked through the charred remnants, she fought the urge to cry.

“Are you coming?” Asked Mason, walking across the yard toward an old wooden shed, which had somehow survived the fire.

Cleo dried her eyes on the sleeve of her coat and followed Mason into the shed. They gathered several containers and loaded them into the Hummer, before locking the shed and driving to the doctor’s house. When they arrived they found the house empty, just like Ian said it would be and quickly deployed the equipment.

“Here,” said Mason, handing Cleo a small box. “On the roof would be best.”

Cleo nodded and took the box, before heading outside. She found a ladder in the garage and climbed to the roof, where she opened the box and removed a small satellite dish. After fastening the dish to the roof, she retracted a long, high-powered antenna and called Mason on the radio. “All set.”

“Roger that,” replied Mason, from inside the house. He pushed a button on one of his laptops and the screen came to life.

The satellite dish opened, like a butterfly spreading its wings and rotated southeast, searching for the nearest signal. It took a few minutes to link up, but when the connection was finally complete, Mason could see the town of Clearview from a bird’s-eye view.

“It’s working,” he informed Cleo, through the handheld radio. “You can come down now.”

“Wow!” Gasped Shiloh, entering the doctor’s house and finding the kitchen table covered with high-tech equipment. Standing beside Mason, he pointed to the monitor and asked, “What are all those green dots?”

“Friendlies,” replied Mason, dragging the mouse over several dozen men digging ditches on the outskirts of town, before double-clicking. The men on the screen instantly turned green. “This’ll make it easier to differentiate between friend and foe,” he explained, zooming in on Lt. Sawyer’s platoon of Marines, assembling on Main Street. He highlighted the entire convoy and colored them green.

“Where’s the enemy?” Asked Shiloh, impressed with Mason’s equipment.

“Over here,” replied Mason, zooming out and scanning to the mountains west of town.

Shiloh saw thousands of red dots appear on the screen, so many they appeared as clusters, instead of individuals. “My God!” He gasped, staring in wonder.

“There’s a lot of them,” agreed Mason, leaning back in his chair. “I just hope your God is on our side.”

While Mason finished color-coding the battlefield, Shiloh stepped outside and watched the Marine Convoy leaving town, headed for Kingsbury Grade.

*******

Arriving at the base of Kingsbury Grade a few hours before sunset, Lt. Sawyer immediately deployed scouts to the top of the mountain. He spread his forces along both sides of the road and ordered his men to create a roadblock, using felled trees. He had no intention of engaging the enemy’s superior force in a face-to-face battle. Instead, he planned to use hit-and-run tactics.

“Sgt. Morgan!”

“Yes sir.”

“I want you to take three of our best snipers and position yourselves along this ridge,” ordered the Lieutenant, pointing to a map spread across the hood of his Humvee. “Target the officers and anyone with a flamethrower. We need to slow their advance and cause as much confusion as possible.”

“Yes sir!” Jesse turned to leave.

“Oh and Sergeant.”

“Sir?”

“Stay in touch with me on the radio,” added Lt. Sawyer. “Once the enemy punches through, we’re gonna need to get out of here fast. I don’t want any men left behind.”

“Yes sir!”

Lt. Sawyer had no delusions regarding the perils of defending the pass and knew he couldn’t hold this position for more than a few hours. Hopefully, a few hours was all he needed. If he could slow the enemies advance long enough for Clearview to fortify the town, they might have a chance.