Part 13 (1/2)

He smiled. It was a good plan.

Chapter.

Twelve.

”Sneaky, Ben,” Ike said. ”Real sneaky.

But it's risky, buddy.”

”I know. But I've already sent for Cecil and his battalion. There is an airstrip here”-he punched the map-”just a few miles from Big Lake.

The strip is big enough to handle twin-engined cargo planes. Cecil's bunch will slip into position along the southeast side. Dan, your bunch will takethe north side, forming the top of the triangle. My people will be in position on the west side, forming the west angle of the scalene. When the IPF people enter, then I'll close the box. If we do this right, we can really cut the odds down.”

”I like it,” Dan said. ”It's dirty and mean.”

He looked at Ike and grinned.

”You would,” Ike said with a grunt and a grin. ”But then, so do I.”

”Get your people into position and out of sight. For a fact, Striganov is going to make some fly-bys in recon aircraft.”

”And start transmitting between the outposts we've captured?” Ike asked.

”Right. But warn your operators not to make it too obvious. Just chitchat. Lots of Rebels between 101 and Interstate five to the south. Lots of people at the border. We're waiting for fresh troops to arrive. But it's lonely as h.e.l.l at Big Lake. Keep it simple and plain. Let drop once or twice that we've got two platoons at Big Lake. I don't really know Striganov's mind-no one knows another's mind-but if I were in his boots, I'd send at least a full battalion into the Big Lake area, just to be on the safe side. What do you people think?”

”Just to add a bit of spice to the tea,” Dan said, ”I would suggest a conversation or two about some green troops mixed in with the regulars at Big Lake. Since it's so isolated, and the danger of attack so slim, that would be a good place for new troops.”

”Yes,” Ben said. ”Good idea. But not too obvious with it.”

”Right, sir!” the Englishman said cheerfully.

”I like it,” Ike said.

”Move out,” Ben ordered.

”I don't like it worth a s.h.i.+t!” Sam Hartline said.

”State your objections,” Striganov said.

”You can't trust that G.o.dd.a.m.ned Ben Raines!

I'm tellin' you, Georgi, he's pulling some c.r.a.p on us. It's not like him to put up with all this bragging his people are doing on the air. It's like ...

well, he's trying to goad us into doing something stupid.”

”Oh, I agree with that. But you've listened to all the tapes we've made. Someone put a stop to any mention of those green troops at Big Lake.

Raines, I'd wager.”

Hartline sat back down and calmed himself, mentally, silently, going over Striganov's plan. It had merit, he was forced to admit that.

But Hartline felt he knew Ben Raines far better than Striganov did. He should, he thought, hiding a smile, for the two men were alike in a lot, well, some ways. ”What are you thinking, Sam?”

”A mixed bag of thoughts, Georgi. I'll admit that I like most of your plan. All right, then, we'll have a go at it.”

”I'll order recon teams in and we'll do a fly-by. Tomorrow morning all right?”

”Fine.”

The Rebels had worked furiously all day and well into the night. Teams had begun arriving at the Big Lake site only a few hours after the meeting of Ben, Ike, and Dan had broken up.

Cecil and his reserve battalion had landed and were digging in along the eastern borders of Big Lake.

Machine gun emplacements, mortar pits, and bunkers were almost finished. b.o.o.by traps were being laid out; Claymores were going into place.

Artillery was anch.o.r.ed and camouflaged.

And then they waited.

Ro and Wade had received their orders. It was up to them and their young charges to see that no member of the attacking IPF forces made it past the triangle's northern angle alive. At the Big Lake site, Ben watched the young boys and girls of the woods-children as they received their orders.

If there was any fear in them, they did not allow it to show on their faces. They stood impa.s.sively.

And it almost broke Ben's heart.

Ike was standing by Ben's side; he picked up on his friend's silent feelings.

”I don't like it any more than you do, buddy,” he said. ”But if they didn't receive an a.s.signment, they'd go off on their own and maybe get mauled.”

”You and me, Ike, we've seen a lot together.

But I'll be d.a.m.ned if I've ever seen anything to compare with this sight.”

”Kids have fought in every war since the beginning of time, Ben.” He sighed, a sign of frustration.

Dan joined them. ”Those children should be in school. This should be the happiest times of their lives.”

Ben glanced at him, smiling. ”Do you want to be the one to order them out of here?”

Dan grunted, remembering when he had first encountered the woods-children. He had offered one little sweet-looking girl of about nine or ten a candy bar. The child had bitten his hand to the bone, kicked him in the s.h.i.+ns, grabbed his AK-47, and took off into the timber, leaving Dan hopping around on one foot, cussing.

”Thank you, but no!”

he said flatly.