Part 31 (2/2)
He knew that all forms of government are, in part, based on fear. Governments cannot and will not work without that element.
He told them that if they stayed on in the town, the work would be hard and the life would sometimes be lonely. And that others would try to take what they had built from them. And that always got the same response.
”Ain't no way, General.”
And the shocker from Ben was, ”And of course you will be armed when we leave.”
After the numbing silence had abated, Ben said, ”You're part of this movement now. For every Rebel, there are five hundred others out there who want to destroy us. You are part of us now, and the word will spread. And spread quickly. If we were to leave you here unarmed, you'd be overwhelmed in a month. And bear this in mind, once you fire that first shot against outlaws, you're forever branded as a Rebel. If you need help, get on that radio and holler. There are Rebel patrols working all over America. We can have troops here by plane in a few hours. Good luck, people.”
Ben landed back in southern California at the old Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base and rejoined Thermopolis, who had worked his way up to just south of the base.
”It'll work out with a little bit of luck,” Ben told him. ”I actually have a good feeling about those people.Oh, some of them will cut and run. I'd guess ten to fifteen percent of them. But I think the majority of them will stay. Let's hope. Only time will tell.”
If the usually optimistic Therm had any doubts about the new outpost, he did not voice them.
”We're finding a few people as we go,” he said. ”But not many. This area was really stripped of human life by the outlaws and the creepies.”
Ben nodded his agreement. ”We'll probably never know how many people lost their lives to the sc.u.m and the creepies. But I'll wager it was in the hundreds of thousands. How about Camp Pendleton?”
”Looted and stripped and destroyed. If the punks felt they couldn't use a piece of armor, they dropped some type of explosives down the hatch.”
”Like all vandalism, senseless. Are you meeting any resistance?”
”Very little. A few random shots fired occasionally.
But other than that, our forward progress has been fast and boring.”
”You get the feeling it's going too easy?”
”Very definitely. I'm getting an itchy feeling in the middle of my back.”
”Others have said the same thing. What are the Scouts reporting?”
”Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And unless I'm getting paranoid, that tells me something is up.”
”I agree. And with seventy-five percent of our people a couple of hundred miles away, we're vulnerable.”
Dan walked up, an odd expression on his face. ”I hate to be an alarmist, General. But I feel eyes on me.”
”That's just what we were discussing, Dan. Go to middle alert and double the guards. I think we've got trouble coming at us.”
”Punks?” Therm asked.
Ben shook his head. ”Creepies. We've destroyed their last major bastion, and they've got nowhere to go and nothing to lose now. They just might be preparing for a suicide attack. I think they've dug deep holes -- literally -- and have been waiting us out. They know we don't have the people to search every house and building, every bas.e.m.e.nt and every drainage system. I think we are going to be in for a rough time of it, very soon.”
”If they stay true to form,” Tina said, ”they'll attack at night.”
”But why wait?” Linda asked. She paused, looked at Ben, and then answered her own question. ”They want you.”
”That's right.” He glanced at his watch. ”I've got all the other battalions moving around Nevada, chasing down outlaws and searching for equipment. Cecil still has his hands full in Los Angeles. It's up to us, people. Let's batten down the hatches and get ready for a blow.”
”We stay here?” Buddy asked. ”On the oldbase?”
”It's as good a place as any to fight from.” Ben smiled. ”A lot of tradition here, a lot of fighting spirit still clinging to these grounds. We could sure do worse.”
Ben found Lamar and briefed him. ”I'll set up in the middle of the perimeter, Ben,” Lamar said. ”Those old concrete block buildings over there will be the best. We can tuck the generator trucks in close for protection. It would take too long to clean out the main hospital. See you around, Raines.”
”Lamar.” Ben's voice turned him around. ”Get armed. This just might be a bad one.”
Chase nodded his head, gave Ben a sloppy mock salute, and walked on, yelling for his people.
Ben chose to set up in an old office building.
”Start sandbagging, gang,” he ordered. ”It'll be dark in about two hours. We don't have much time.”
Ben found a good defensive position and began filling clips for his M-14. That done, he went outside and helped fill sandbags. He was the commanding general of all Rebel forces, but no Rebel sat on his or her a.s.s and watched others work.
Civilian or soldier, general or private, owner or employee, that didn't cut it in the Rebel system.
”General Jefferys on the horn,” Corrie called from the office building.
”Go, Cec.”
”You got troubles down there, Ben?”
”We all seem to think so, Cec. We all have itchy feelings. I think the creeps are going to try for a suicide charge. It's probably going to be a long night.”
Linda watched the sure but unhurried movement of the Rebels as they prepared for battle. And as before, she was both impressed and a little puzzled by their movements.
”They act ... well, I don't know whether complacent is the right word,” she said to Ben.
”Smug?” Ben replied, cutting his eyes. ”No, we're not smug, Linda. But we are very sure of ourselves. We've been doing this for a long time. Many of those people out there have been with me for years.”
The tanks and light armor had disappeared into buildings, usually by driving right through the front or rear. They lowered the muzzles of their cannon and readied their machine guns.
Ben said, ”Where is your shotgun?”
Linda smiled and lifted an Uzi machine pistol, .380 caliber.
”Lord have mercy on us all,” Ben said with a smile.
”Where'd you get that?”
”Buddy found it for me and helped teach me how to shoot it. I love it!”
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