Part 27 (1/2)

Scouts report they're eating and sleeping and resting. They're checking equipment and getting ready to move out.”

”Well, G.o.dd.a.m.n! That's what we wanted, wasn't it?”

”Raines is leading them. Two squads of Rebs pulled out yesterday with the kids. They're headin' back east. Boy, we got big troubles.”

”Maybe,” Red said, pulling on his boots.

”What about Cowboy Vic?”

Jake snorted derisively. ”Raines hung the b.a.s.t.a.r.d from a tower. He's still hangin' there.”

”Way I see this thing, Jake, we ain't got but one option left us.”

”Oh? And what's that?”'

Texas Red met the man's hard look.

”Run!”

Ben lingered for a moment in the cold dawn, his eyes on the cross above Jordy's grave. ”There is nothing left to say, Jordy. Nothing at all.” He turned away from the grave.

”Colonel Gray?”'

”Sir!”

”Are your forward teams in position?”'

”Yes, sir. Ten miles out and holding.”

”Radio contact with the team holding east with the kids?”'

”Yes, sir. Making good progress and reporting no trouble.”

Ben nodded. He removed his beret and ran his fingers through graying hair. He looked at the beret and smiled. He walked to the grave of Jordy and hung the beret on the cross. ”You were a good soldier, son. I never served with any better.”

Rani stood and watched Ben, tears running down her cheeks.

Colonel Dan Gray cleared his throat and wiped his eyes. ”d.a.m.n dust,” he said.

Ben broke the sad spell.

”Move out!”

”Dan says Ben is calm,” Ike said to Cecil. ”To use his words, ”Too d.a.m.n calm.””

”You've known Ben as long as I have, Ike. You know that when Ben gets this way he's killing mad.

This campaign will be a scorched-earth policy. He'll kill anybody who gives any type of aid to those outlaws.”

”Not only that,” Tina said, walking up. ”Dad will burn the d.a.m.ned towns down. You remember how he was up in Missouri.”

”Only too well,” Ike said.

Cecil turned to the young woman manning the radio. ”And what was Ben's last transmission, again?”

”He said, when I gave him your message to please return to Base Camp One, quoting George Bernard Shaw, ”Not b.l.o.o.d.y likely!””

Tina summed up the feelings of them all. ”Oh, s.h.i.+t! Dad is really p.i.s.sed!”

”Scouts report a little town just up ahead has given sanctuary to some outlaws, General,” Dan called in on the CB. ”It's some sort of hippie place. To use a very outdated word.”

”You're certain the ... hippies gave them sanctuary voluntarily?”'

”Yes, sir. With open arms.”

”Any kids involved?” Ben asked.

”Therein lies the rub, sir.”

”s.h.i.+t!” Ben said. ”All right, Dan.

Surround the town and we'll play it by ear.”

”It's not exactly a town, sir,” a scout broke in. ”It's a ... a commune.”

”Haven't heard that word in a good many years,”

Ben said.

The column was traveling north on Highway 169. What was left of a tiny village just south of Cienega Mountain had been taken over by a newgeneration of Love Children. Most of the ”Flower Children” were about Ben's age-at least. It was the most ludicrous sight Ben had witnessed in a long time.

A man who had to be at least sixty years old approached Ben's truck. He was dressed in a dress.

”Is that man dressed in a dress?”

Rani asked.

”Sure looks that way to me,” Ben said.

”Baby killers!” the man yelled, waving a plastic flower at Dan Gray.”

”I beg your pardon!” the Englishman said.

Another group of Love Kids appeared.

Average age, mid-fifties. They were chanting as they marched. ”h.e.l.l, no. We won't go.

h.e.l.l, no. We won't go!”

”I think they have the wrong war,” Ben said.