Part 7 (2/2)
”That would probably be best, Doctor Walland,” Ralph said.
”Captain Walland,” Gloria corrected.
”But of course.”
”I am a physician, Doctor Barnes.
If you bring two wounded people to me, one a member of the Rebel Army, the other a prisoner of war, I will check to see which person is the more severely wounded.
But I would not, and will not, allow a member of the Rebel Army to die in order to save the life of the enemy. Is that clear, Doctor?”'
”Perfectly clear, Captain,” Barnes said stiffly.
”One more thing, Doctor Barnes,” Gloria said. ”Two years ago I was seized at gunpoint by armed men. Scavengers, looters, sc.u.m. They raped me. One of them made a mistake and turned his back to me when he had finished. I grabbed his pistol, a .38-caliber revolver, took very careful aim, and shot the b.a.s.t.a.r.d squarely and precisely in his a.s.shole. He was still screaming as I killed the other two and drove away. Does that give you some insight as to what I think about criminals, Doctor?”
”I get a very clear picture, CaptainWalland.”
”Fine, Doctor Barnes. Now if you'll help me with my equipment, we'll see about giving everybody here a checkup and see where we have to go concerning vitamins and diet.”
”With pleasure ... Doctor,” Ralph said.
As Walland walked away, Ralph looked at Ben and smiled. ”Very ... ah, forceful young woman, General. I think we're going to get on splendidly.”
”I hope so, Ralph. I'm told she's an expert shot.” When Ralph had gone, Captain Chad said, ”General? I've known Gloria for five years. She never was raped.”
Ben smiled. ”Yes. I've read her file.
She's just telling Doctor Barnes how the show is going to be run, that's all.”
Leaving half the newly arrived contingent of the Rebels behind, Ben took the mortar crews, the machine gunners, and one hundred of the newly armed citizens with their newly acquired vehicles and led the column toward the first of West's labor camps.
Ben's heavily armed force rolled up to the gates of the forced labor camp, located some twenty-odd miles from Dyersburg.
A strange silence greeted them. There were no guards in the crudely built towers, no guards to be seen behind the high barbed wire that surrounded the camp.
”I don't think we're going to like what we'll see in those barracks, General,” Captain Chad said.
”Nor I, Captain,” Ben replied. ”Blow the gates and let's take a look.”
Several of the civilians lost their breakfast and many more turned green around the mouth.
The prisoners in the labor camp had been machine-gunned in their barracks. The rough wooden floors were slick with blood. The stench of loosened bowels was nearly overpowering.
”Why, General?” a man asked. ”Why did they do this?”'
”Revenge. West must have had observers behind the main column yesterday. They reported back, and this,” he waved his hand, ”is their reply to us.” Ben turned to Dot. ”You know where the other camps are located?”
”Most of them. But... what about the dead here?” she asked.
”You have no earthmoving equipment, Dot. And I didn't bring any body bags with me. So unless you people want to spend several days digging holes for the bodies-which the dogs and other wild animals will dig up as soon as you're gone-I suggest we put all the bodies in one barracks and burn them.”
”And ... then?” Canby asked.
”We go wipe out what is left of West's operation.”
The smoke from the controlled burn poured black and greasy into the morning sky. The unmistakable odor of burning human flesh filled the still air.
The scene was nothing new to the small contingent of Rebels that stood impa.s.sively by and watched. Many of them had been with Ben for years; they had seen much worse than this during the years of traveling.
But to the civilians of Dyersburg, the scene was awful.
”Got a long way to go to make these folks fighters, General,” Captain Chad said quietly. ”If it's possible at all.”
”I'll opt for the latter, Captain,” Ben said.
”And I'm not downgrading them for it. I think we can train them to become a pretty good militia force, as long as some of us are around to lead.”
”And that's up to me and my troops, right, General?” Captain Chad asked.
”That's it, Captain. This outpost idea was just a thought. We'll review what's happened next spring. Take it from there.”
The captain thought about the small city. ”First thing we do is clean up the town. Got to give the people some purpose; keep them busy. Elect a leader and set up work teams. But the people will have to think they're the ones who thought of it and implemented the plan.”
”The chief of security will be Charles Leighton. Let him pick his own security people; he'll do a good job. Watch Doctor Barnes, Captain. The man is living in a dream world.”
Ben was thoughtful for a moment. ”I believe Barnes is a good man. But he's no Rebel and never will be. He's going to question every decision you make, Captain.”
”What you're saying, sir, is that the man is going to be a pain in the a.s.s.”
”Very aptly put, Captain.”
Ben sent out scout teams of his own people, with Charles Leighton guiding them, to reconnoiter the largest of the forced work camps. While that was being done, he sent a jeep back to get West.
”Doctor Barnes isn't going to like that, General,” Canby told Ben.
”He probably won't,” Ben agreed.
Ralph Barnes returned with West. The man was clearly upset and made no effort to conceal his ire.
”I.
demand to know why you ordered this man taken from his bed and brought here, General?” he said. ”Can't you see he is clearly in pain?” The doctor sniffed several times. ”What is that smell?”
”Burning bodies,” Ben told him. ”Several hundred of them.” He told Barnes what they had discovered at the camp.
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