Bug Out! Texas Book 4: Texas Battle Cry Read online

  “You want me to lock this behind you, right?”

  “Yes,” Hendrix said. “I’ll Facetime you when I’m back down here. That way you’ll be able to see my face. If I try to call instead, don’t open the vault door, okay?”

  “Okay,” she said.

  Hendrix pushed the button to open the vault. The bolts receded and the door slowly opened. Hendrix slipped through with his rifle, and turned to look at Maria. She blew him a kiss and hit the button to close the vault.

  Hendrix walked out to the door, cracking it open and peering outside. Nobody there. He could see the early-morning sunshine flowing down the hall from the kitchen. He crept towards it, listening for anybody who might be sneaking around. The kitchen was clear, so he checked the other ground-floor rooms, and then headed up the stairs into the master bedroom. He opened the walk-in closet and walked all the way to the end, then pushed a button. The wall opened, revealing a dark spiral staircase. After a last look back, he climbed up, pushing the trap door open as quietly as he could. The roof was deserted, the walls around the perimeter hiding him from view. He walked over to a small shack against one side and sat in the observation chair, pulling the periscope in front of him. “Love this thing,” he said as he scanned the area.

  “Dammit,” he said under his breath. There was still a line-up of tanks bottled up on South Congress Ave. There was smoke and flames to the south, near the area where Maria lived. Enemy troops were moving around on rooftops along South Congress, firing shots into buildings nearby, then getting down as fire erupted from surrounding windows. He pushed the periscope eyepieces away and slipped out of the shed, running in a crouch to the trap door and slipping down onto the spiral staircase, his heart pounding.

  Back in his bedroom, he took pillow cases off of both his pillows and rushed them to the dresser, stuffing them full of clothes. Then he went down to the kitchen, grabbed several re-useable grocery bags and filled them with food from the fridge. Fresh vegetables and fruits and milk and other things. Rushing down to the hallway leading to the vault, he set the food bags inside the door, then went back to fetch the two pillowcases. He moved everything in front of the vault door and got on Facetime, hitting Maria’s contact. Her smiling face showed up, and he heard the bolts opening behind the vault door. It swung open slowly and he slipped inside with the grocery bags, then reached back and grabbed the pillow cases.

  “Should I shut it?” Maria asked.

  “Yeah, go ahead,” Hendrix said.

  She pushed the button and the vault door closed, the bolts extending.

  “I hope you can wear some of what I brought,” he said.

  “Looks like you got a lot of groceries,” she said, looking inside the bags. “I’ll take them to the walk-in.”

  “I’ll help,” Hendrix said. They picked them up and walked through the kitchen to the pantry and walk-in area.

  “See much out there?” she asked.

  Hendrix pulled open the door of the walk-in. “Yeah, tanks bottled up on South Congress Ave. Enemy fighters on the rooftops, shooting at buildings. Citizens returning fire. Looks like a stalemate to me.”

  “Why aren’t the tanks moving?”

  “I don’t think they can,” Hendrix said. “I think the first few are disabled, and the others can’t get around them. Hard to tell from where I was, though.”

  “Nobody was close by here?” Maria asked as she unloaded the grocery bags.

  “Not that I could see,” Hendrix said. “I hope whatever citizens are left were well stocked up with food. This is liable to be a long siege.”

  “Good, you brought some milk,” Maria said. “I saw some boxes of cereal. You getting hungry?”

  “Yeah,” Hendrix said. “Let’s eat.”

  They got bowls down and made cereal, then sat at one of the three tables in the kitchen.

  “No way could thirty people all eat in here at the same time,” Maria said.

  Hendrix finished chewing his first spoonful. “Yeah, it would be a little cramped. The protocol was based on submarine practices. Hot bunking, rotation of meal times, and so on.”

  They finished eating. Hendrix looked Maria in the eyes. “Regrets?”

  “Regrets?”

  “About last night,” he said.

  “Not even a little bit,” she said. “It was what I needed. What we both needed.”

  “Good, I was hoping,” he said, still looking at her face. “If you change your mind, I’ll understand.”

  “Will you stop that?” Maria asked. “I gave myself to you because I wanted to, and I’m not one for one-night stands or casual relationships. You can tell that, I hope.”

  “Yes, I can,” Hendrix said. “Sorry to be so nervous about this. I don’t want to become a disappointment. I don’t want you to feel trapped.”

  She giggled. “I don’t see that being a problem.”

  “What’s funny?”

  “Oh, I was just thinking about you, saddled with a wife and several kids. You’re in more danger than I am.”

  “You’d have babies with me?”

  “Yes,” she said softly.

  The buzzer went off.

  “Duty calls,” Hendrix said, standing. He and Maria hurried to the console. Maria got onto the keyboard and input the codes. Holly’s face came on the screen.

  “Good morning, you two,” he said.

  “Morning, Holly,” Hendrix said. “What’s up?”

  “It’s been quiet,” Holly said. “Too quiet. You been up to the roof yet?”

  “Yes, a few minutes ago. Tanks are bottled up on South Congress Ave, and there’s skirmishes going on between enemy fighters on the rooftops and citizens in buildings. Looks like a stalemate.”

  “The tanks are low on fuel,” Holly said. “We’re waiting to see where they go to replenish. Gallagher thinks they know we’re watching for that. He’s afraid they’re waiting to make a move until more troops show up to hold their positions.”

  “More troops are coming in?” Maria asked. She moved closer to Hendrix, hand going over his on the desk.

  “We saw another eighty thousand last night, but they never showed up. We don’t know where they are. They might be trying to enter the city a different way.”

  “So you think they’ll try to keep us busy with a new front while they start rushing tanks to their service area?” Hendrix asked.

  “That’s what Gallagher is afraid of,” Holly said. “Since Dallas is in so much danger, we’re really low on men and materiel around Austin.”

  “Why did you call me?” Holly asked. “You’re getting ready to ask me something that you don’t want to ask me. I know you too well. Spill.”

  Holly sighed. “Nelson wants you to work your Fed connections. We need access to the satellites so we can have a better chance at seeing their troop movements and supply depots.”

  “Oh,” Hendrix said, glancing at Maria. “I’m certainly willing to try that. I’ll need something to trade.”

  “Nelson has authorized you to provide them info, but we’ll need to tiptoe around some things.”

  “Like what?” Hendrix asked.

  “Our relationship with the Air Force, for starters,” Holly said. “The administration knows that we’re getting some help from the Air Force, but they think it’s just a few renegades. We need them to continue to think that, so they don’t know they’ve lost control of the entire Air Force.”

  “I take it the Air Force has been playing them, then,” Hendrix said.

  “Exactly,” Holly said. “There’s a close association with certain high-ranking Air Force officers and some agency folks in the Administration. FBI mostly, but also Homeland Security and the CIA.”

  “You aren’t going to tell me they suspect the Administration is behind this invasion, I hope.”

  Holly was silent for a moment.

  “Shit, what do you know?” Hendrix asked.

  “Not much more than you do,” he said. “Nelson knows something, though. So does Gallagher and Landr
y. Also General Hogan and General Walker. I have a feeling they’ve got the administration dead to rights on this, but they can’t act on it…yet.”

  “This will kill the progressive movement in this country for years if it’s true,” Hendrix said.

  “I know,” Holly said. “We’re lucky we got onto the right side.”

  “Seriously,” Hendrix said. “The Feds might apply a lot of pressure on me, you know.”

  “I know,” Holly said. “So does Nelson and Ramsey, so you need to be careful. You’ll have to walk the razor’s edge. Understand?”

  “Yeah, I understand,” Hendrix said.

  “Good. That’s all I’ve got.”

  “You safe?” Hendrix asked.

  “For now, yeah, but I’m stuck in the city.”

  “Know where Jerry Sutton ended up?”

  Holly was silent again, his brow furrowed.

  “Oh, dammit, he didn’t get killed, did he?” Hendrix asked, feeling the tears around his eyes.

  “He disappeared,” Holly said. “Last night, as he was trying to get to the checkpoint. He was in a bad place when this started.”

  “How bad a place?” Hendrix asked.

  “Not far from where you and Maria were,” Holly said. “Nelson has people looking for him.”

  “He knows a lot,” Hendrix said.

  “If there is a connection between the enemy and the Administration, this could be bad for us,” Holly said.

  “It could also backfire on the Administration,” Hendrix said, leaning back in his chair. “I’ll be able to tell if they’ve talked to him.”

  Holly was quiet for moment.

  “What’s the matter?” Hendrix asked.

  “We need to have a classified conversation. Would you mind sending Maria away for a moment?”

  “We don’t have to do that,” Hendrix said.

  “It’s okay,” Maria said, getting up. “I’ll go in the other room and shut the door.”

  “Thank you, Maria,” Holly said. “It’ll just take a minute.”

  She nodded and went into the next room, shutting the door behind her.

  Hendrix looked at Holly’s image on the screen. “Okay, what?”

  “I’m worried about her,” Holly said. “She could be an opportunity for the enemy.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re in love with her,” Holly said. “The Feds know things about you that she might not. They may threaten you with that.”

  “You think they’ll blackmail me,” Hendrix said.

  “Yeah,” Holly said. “Have you told her everything?”

  “I’ve told her some, but not the worst stuff. I’ve put that behind me, now. You know that. I’ve paid the victims.”

  “It’ll look like you’ve hushed them up,” Holly said, “so be careful. If I were you, I’d come completely clean with her before you talk to the Feds, just in case. Better than getting yourself caught while trying to walk the tightrope.”

  “Okay, I understand,” Hendrix said. “Good advice.”

  “All right, then see if you can get that satellite access turned back on. It’s important. Might save thousands of lives.”

  “I understand,” Hendrix said. “Talk to you later.”

  Hendrix shut down the call and went into the next room.

  “Sorry about that,” he said to Maria.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Was it some of the stuff you told me that I’m not supposed to know?”

  “Yeah,” Hendrix said. “Time to call my contact in DC. Wish me luck.” He walked into the bedroom and picked up the land line phone receiver.

  Chapter 5 – Rendezvous

  Eric slowed the Bronco as they approached the dark Salt Lick barbecue. Dirk’s truck pulled up next to it. They got out.

  “How long till your brother gets here?” Dirk asked.

  “Oh, I’d guess twenty minutes to an hour,” Eric said.

  “That’s a pretty big range,” Chance said.

  “I know,” Eric said. “They’re towing, so they may be going slower. You know they might run into those flatbeds too, right? They might have to fight.”

  “Shit,” Kim said. “Maybe you should call them.”

  “Yeah,” Eric said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He hit Jason’s contact. It rang twice.

  “Eric,” Jason said. “What’s up?”

  “We just got to the Salt Lick,” Eric said. “Saw an enemy convoy on the way. You run into them?”

  “Yeah, but we ducked into the woods before they saw us,” Jason said.

  “They didn’t see your headlights?” Eric asked.

  “No, we’ve been running without them since we made it to the area,” Jason said.

  “That’s tough to do,” Eric said. “Dark out here.”

  “I live around here, remember,” Jason said. “I know these roads like the back of my hand.”

  “Glad you didn’t have to stop and fight them, anyway,” Eric said. “How far out are you?”

  “Half hour, give or take,” Jason said.

  “Good, we’ll be waiting,” Eric said. “Be careful.”

  “You too,” Jason said.

  Eric ended the call.

  “They see the convoy?” Dirk asked.

  “Yeah,” Eric said. “They’ve been running without lights, so they were able to get into the woods without being seen.”

  “Wow, really?” Chance asked. “I wouldn’t want to try that.”

  “Those guys all live around here,” Eric said. “I haven’t for years and years.”

  “Makes a difference,” Dirk said.

  “How long till they get here?” Kim asked.

  “Half an hour or so,” Eric said. “We’ve got a little while to relax.”

  “Yeah, like that’s going to happen,” Kim said.

  “I’m going to double check the guns,” Chance said.

  “Good idea,” Dirk said. “We should load up those AKs we got from the Tigr crew also.”

  “Wish we would’ve grabbed the machine gun and the grenade launcher before we left,” Chance said.

  “Too heavy,” Eric said. “We’re going to be flying through rough terrain during this attack. Better not to have them if we can’t use them.”

  “Good point,” Dirk said. He went to the back of his pickup truck and started checking out the new AKs.

  “Let’s check ours, too, sweetie,” Eric said. Kim nodded and followed him to the back of the Bronco. Eric opened the tail gate and they got to work.

  “You think we’ll survive this?” Kim asked. “I’m more scared than normal.”

  Eric chuckled. “Maybe you’re just nervous about meeting my family.”

  She shot him a glance. “Oh, please. It’s just your brother.”

  “He’s all the family I have left,” Eric said.

  “You think I’m worried that Jason won’t like me?”

  “No, I’m just trying to take your mind off the battle,” Eric said. “Don’t think it’s working. Being scared doesn’t mean you’ll do poorly. Most of the time it’s exactly the opposite.”

  “Hope you’re right,” Kim said.

  “We’re all checked out,” Dirk said, walking over with Chance. “Those weapons look newer.”

  “Yeah, I don’t see a lot of evidence of hard use on any of them,” Chance said. “Maybe the people coming in are green.”

  “Or maybe they aren’t and they just got new weapons,” Kim said.

  “We’ll be more than a match for them,” Dirk said. “If they wouldn’t have had a huge advantage in numbers at Deadwood, we would’ve killed them all. We lost less people than they did in the battle. There was just too many of them.”

  “We have the home-field advantage,” Eric said. “It helps.”

  “I suppose,” Kim said. “How long has it been?”

  “Fifteen minutes,” Eric said. “They’ll be here.”

  They gathered next to the Bronco, leaning on it, thoughts inward as the min
utes crept by. Then they heard the sound of vehicles approaching.

  “Should we get out of sight?” Chance asked.

  Eric thought about it for a second. “Yeah, just in case.”

  They scurried into the bushes and waited as the vehicles approached, coming into view after a few seconds. A Jeep towing a Barracuda with a big gun mounted on top, and a pickup truck with a machine gun mounted on the roll bar.

  “It’s Jason!” Eric said, rushing out to greet them. The vehicles stopped, Jason getting out and rushing to Eric. They embraced.

  “Boy am I glad to see you,” Jason said, looking at Eric. Kim walked over. “This your woman?”

  “Yes, I am,” Kim said. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Kim,” Eric said. “This is Jason.”

  Kelly, Junior, Curt, and Kyle came over.

  “Eric,” Kyle said, taking his hand and shaking it. “Long time no see.”

  “Yeah, too long,” Eric said. “This is Kim.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Kyle said.

  “Wow, not bad,” Curt said. “How you been, Eric?”

  “Good,” Eric said, shaking hands.

  “This is Kelly and Junior,” Curt said. “Comrades in arms.”

  “Heard about you guys,” Eric said. “Good to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” Kelly said.

  “Yeah,” Junior said. “Me too.”

  “Dirk and Chance have been with us since the battle for Deadwood,” Eric said.

  “Good to meet you guys,” Curt said. The others nodded in agreement.

  “This all we got?” Eric asked.

  “We have a group of bikers on the way,” Kelly said. “Gray’s men. Haven’t heard from them yet. I don’t want to call them now – might interrupt them in a bad place.”

  “Hopefully they’ve made it there safe and sound,” Kyle said, “someplace where we can link up. Those guys are good in a fight.”

  “We probably better get going,” Jason said. “We’ve still got some miles to go.”

  “Anybody else around?” Jason asked. “Enemy, that is?”

  Curt pulled out his phone and looked at his tracking app.

  “No,” Curt said. “They’re all bunched up in one place, but I have seen a few hits coming towards their position from Austin. They might be re-supplying some of their folks already.”