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  “That was the main reason for the call,” Wallis said.

  Nelson took a deep breath. “All right, go ahead and hit me with it.”

  “There are a number of EU Navy ships steaming towards the Gulf of Mexico,” Wallis said. “It was just a couple last time we talked. They’re planning something.”

  “How many is in a number?” Ramsey asked.

  “We see a carrier group,” Wallis said. “The carrier, supported by three cruisers, four destroyers, and the usual support vessels.”

  “Wait, I thought the EU Navy didn’t have any aircraft carriers,” Ramsey said.

  “They only have helicopter carriers,” Wallis said, “and they hold only about twenty choppers each. The initial danger is what we discussed earlier. They have several ships armed with HARM missiles, which could take out our radar stations.”

  “They can kill a lot of our people and blow up a lot of oil refinery equipment with twenty choppers,” Nelson said. “Are they good choppers?”

  “They aren’t Apache level,” Wallis said. “They’re closer to what we have. Our F-16s could splash them in a hurry, but that would create an international incident.”

  “And moving a foreign navy into US territory isn’t an international incident?” Ramsey asked.

  “It’s not if the Federal Government agreed to the operation,” Wallis said. “That’s the problem. Texas is still viewed as an outlaw state by much of the world’s leadership.”

  “Where’s the US Navy now?” Hendrix asked.

  “All over the damn place,” Wallis said, “and giving the EU Navy fits, apparently. They’re beefing up their patrols along the west and east coast, and turning away UN Peacekeeper transport ships.”

  “The EU Navy isn’t stopping that?” Hendrix asked.

  Wallis chuckled. “The EU Navy is only about 20% the size of the US Navy, and what’s left of the British Royal Navy has joined us. The EU Navy is out-matched.”

  Hendrix rubbed his chin, thinking. “The EU Navy might be trying to draw the US Navy to the gulf, to allow more UN transports through on the coasts.”

  “If that’s what they’re thinking, they ain’t too bright,” Gallagher said. “The US Navy could wait until those EU ships are in the gulf, and then block them in and destroy them all.”

  Hendrix laughed. “Frankly, I don’t think the folks running the EU military are bright at all. They thought they could take over the United States with Islamists and UN Peacekeepers. Think about that for a moment.”

  Nelson laughed. “He’s right. Here’s what we’ll do. If we get any attacks from choppers, any shelling of southern cities, or any damage to our radar installations, I approve use of our Air National Guard to defend Texas. Any questions?”

  “That’s what I wanted to hear,” Gallagher said. “We’ve got some artillery. Maybe we should tow it to the gulf coast. If they get close enough, we can sink their ships with those.”

  “Until they blow them up with their ship-board artillery,” Ramsey said.

  “Sure, they’ll be at some risk, but we’ll have certain advantages too,” Wallis said. “I like the idea.”

  “Then let’s do it,” Nelson said. “Move them down there. It’s not like we can use them in places like Dallas. Too much collateral damage.”

  “Exactly,” Gallagher said. “I don’t feel too good using them for our land border problems, either. Don’t want to be shelling Louisiana or New Mexico.”

  “All right, then let’s keep an eye on this and move the resources we mentioned into place. Anybody object?”

  Nobody spoke up.

  “Anything else we need to discuss?” Nelson asked. “What about the Fort Stockton Team? Any news?”

  “Shoot, been so busy that I haven’t checked recently,” Ramsey said. “I’ll see if I can raise one of them.” He walked out of the room, putting his cellphone to his ear.

  “Your people made it to the new floating base, right Wallis?” Hendrix asked.

  “Yes, they’re in place. We’ll have the first shipment of trainees there in three days.”

  “Good,” Nelson said.

  Ramsey came back in with a big grin on his face. “They were successful with I-40 and Route 66. They’re on their way south.”

  “Nobody tried to stop them?” Gallagher asked.

  “The enemy figured out what they were up to. They were on the way, but got there too late. There was a small skirmish, which the enemy lost.”

  “Did we destroy the roads in such a way that they can’t be reopened quickly?” Wallis asked.

  “Yeah, the bridges on I-40 were weaker than they expected,” Ramsey said. “They were able to knock them down with the tanks alone, and there was water in the river, which has now backed up into a mini-lake around the broken road. Oh, and the spot they were gonna tear up on Route 66 was actually an old bridge. They blew it with dynamite.”

  “Excellent,” Wallis said. “I’ll relay that to General Hogan. He’ll be happy.”

  “Good,” Nelson said. “I’m going to make some calls about the EU Navy coming to the gulf. Talk to you guys later.”

  Maria ended the call as Nelson got up and headed for his room.

  “Things seem to be going well,” she said.

  “For now,” Ramsey said.

  “We’re going out on a limb if we attack the EU Navy,” Hendrix said, “but I don’t think we have any choice.”

  Chapter 14 - Wide

  Don was behind the wheel of his truck, pulling the trailer, Sydney by his side looking at her phone.

  “Anybody close by?” Don asked.

  “There’s a swarm of enemy hits by the place we just blew,” she said. “Looks like they’re trying to figure out how to open it again.”

  “They will, but it won’t be a twenty-minute job. Maybe a month.”

  “Is that enough?” Sydney asked, looking at him in the dusk.

  “Hell, I don’t know,” Don said. “Between that, what we did to I-25, and what the folks we recruited did in Arizona, I think we’ve made a difference. Might be enough for General Hogan to get done what he needs to get done.”

  “All it’s really doing is slowing down the enemy reinforcements, though, right?”

  “Basically,” Don said. “We’re not that far from Pie Town. Heard anything from Jason yet?”

  “About what?”

  “If we’re going to continue our journey tonight, or stop where we were in Pie Town.”

  “Oh,” she said. “I think we’re gonna keep going, based on some chatter I was hearing.”

  “Chatter?”

  Sydney flashed him a smile, her dark hair swaying. “Yeah. Junior, Clancy, and Dirk were talking about stopping at some place called Magdalena. Apparently there’s a bridge east of there, in the middle of nowhere. Good place to blow Highway 60.”

  “Oh. They want to do that tonight?”

  “That’s what they said, but I didn’t hear a clear-cut agreement.” She moved her fingers over the screen. “It’s only a fifty-five-minute drive.”

  “No, it’s more, we’re only going forty-five, remember?”

  She nodded. “Oh yeah, forgot. Sorry.”

  “Any place to stop in Magdalena?”

  “Looking at it now,” she said, focused on her phone screen. “Tiny town, but not really any smaller than Pie Town. Maybe it’s even a little bigger.”

  “Pie Town was a mighty metropolis. I think it was less than two hundred people.”

  She chuckled. “Well, this is bigger than that. They have a massive nine hundred.”

  Don laughed. “Hope they have a gas station, at least.”

  “We should stop in Pie Town to get gas. We know they have a station.”

  “Anybody said anything yet?” Don asked.

  “Don’t know,” she said, “but I’ll float the question.”

  “Yeah, you do that, because we’re only about fifteen minutes from there now.”

  Sydney nodded as she typed in a text message and broadcast it to the
group. Her phone dinged several times a few seconds later. “Several people would like to stop.”

  “Good,” Don said. “We’ve still got over half a tank, but you never know where it’s gonna be available in times like these.”

  Both their phones dinged. “I’ll check it,” Sydney said, bringing it up to her face again. “Jason. He said there is a gas station and a place to stay in Magdalena, and he’s good with blowing that bridge the others were talking about. He also said anybody running low on gas can stop in Pie Town if they want to, but he wants to know about it, so we don’t get separated too much.”

  “Good,” Don said. “Here comes Highway 603. We’re getting close.”

  “Crap, is that smoke up there?”

  “Oh, shit,” Don said. “Might be. Hard to tell in this light.”

  She typed on her phone, which dinged a few seconds later. “Others are seeing it too, honey.”

  “Check the apps,” he said. “Your gun up here?”

  “It’s behind the seat,” she said. “Should I get it out?”

  “Yeah. I can see lights on in town. It’s not totally blown away at least.”

  “The first of our vehicles made it there. They said the gas station is burned to the ground.”

  “Well, scratch getting fuel there,” Don said. “No enemy hits?”

  “Not a one,” she said. “Closest ones are in Arizona and back where we blew the bridges.”

  “Dammit, maybe it was more of those scavengers,” Don said. “Frigging inbreeds probably multiplied like rabbits.”

  Sydney cracked up. “That wasn’t very nice.”

  “I guess it wasn’t. Look, there’s a couple of our vehicles stopped ahead. Looks like they’re talking to the locals.”

  Don watched as they approached, waiting through a couple red lights before they got there. The town was shutting down for the night, the sun sitting on the horizon.

  “They’re moving again,” Sydney said. Their phones dinged. She took a look. “It was the scavengers. Pulled in and went on a revenge rampage, until a few of the men in town wasted them. The first thing they did was toss a Molotov Cocktail against the gas pumps. Whole place went up.”

  “We’d better watch it. This wasn’t just revenge. They wanted to make it difficult for us to refuel. They’re working with that militia.”

  “You think they’re setting up a trap?” Sydney asked.

  Don’s brow furrowed. “I think it’s possible.”

  “Should we say anything?”

  “Jason and the others are having the same thoughts,” Don said. “Let’s just make our way to the next town.”

  They passed the rest of the Pie Town buildings, heading into New Mexico desert again, the mountains in the distance looking beautiful as the sun sank lower.

  “It’s so pretty here,” Sydney said.

  “Yep, but I miss east Texas.”

  “What’s it like? I’ve been to Houston, but that’s the only part of east Texas I’ve seen.”

  “It’s lush and green,” Don said. “More humid, of course, but where I was the air was a lot better. Than Houston, that is.”

  “Do you want to go back there?”

  Don looked over at her for a moment. “That’s a joint decision now, wife.”

  She laughed. “I guess it is. We could live on the compound, if you don’t mind the Hill Country. Of course, the place could get raided due to our moonshine operation.”

  “What’s it like to live there?”

  “We were outside of Fredericksburg,” she said. “It’s a little hotter than Houston, but a little less humid too. Most of the Fort Stockton Group is from that general area.”

  “That’s right, you lived next door to Jason and Eric’s parents.”

  “Yep. I dated Eric when we were teens, you know.”

  “I remember,” he said.

  “It’s pretty there. Gentle rolling hills and oak trees. But don’t worry, we’ll check out both places before we decide what we want.”

  “I don’t have my heart set on moving back to east Texas, even though I miss it. That was another life. So many people I know were killed there when this mess started. We were lucky to get out alive.”

  The sun was almost down now, the couple quiet for a while, as the flat lands turned to hills with more foliage. It eventually leveled out, looking more like desert again, and they could see a town coming up.

  “What is that?” Don asked.

  “Checking,” Sydney said, looking at her phone. “Small town called Datil. It’s even smaller than Pie Town. Population is about fifty people.”

  Don chuckled. “Maybe they have a gas station.”

  “We’ll be lucky if they have a bathroom.”

  “You need to go? You can use the one in the trailer.”

  “I’m fine,” she said. They rolled into town. “Look, there is a gas station.”

  “Yeah, there’s a couple of our people at the pumps. Hopefully the inbreeds don’t show up here too.”

  “Jason and a few others are parked by the side of the road up there,” Sydney said.

  “See them,” Don said. “I’ll pull over.” He parked on the side of the road, behind Junior’s Brave, and they got out.

  “Anything wrong?” Sydney asked as they walked up. Junior turned, smiling, the others still talking amongst themselves.

  “The apps went wide,” Junior said. Rachel glanced at Sydney, grinning.

  Don smiled. “You’re kidding? When?”

  “Hours ago,” Junior said.

  “How’d we find out?” Sydney asked. Jason looked at her and nodded a greeting. “Carrie saw it on a couple message board postings. Within a few minutes everybody was talking about it.”

  “Well, this is good and bad,” Kyle said. “The enemy knows we can see them now.”

  “That’s true, pencil neck,” Curt said, walking over with Amanda. “It also gives us an army of millions that can see them. They’ll have nowhere to hide. Hanging out in the midst of cities like Dallas just got a whole lot more dangerous for them.”

  “Hey, sis,” Amanda said, getting next to Sydney.

  “Hey yourself,” Sydney replied. “Any thoughts about that gas station in Pie Town? Was that aimed at the town or at us?”

  “Now there’s a good question,” Kim said.

  “Is gas the only reason for this stop?” Don asked.

  “Some of us needed gas, and some needed the bathroom,” Jason said. “I don’t want us separated too much, especially after what happened before.”

  “You heard what I asked Amanda,” Sydney said. “Do you guys think it’s possible that the attack on the gas station was aimed at us.”

  “I do,” Kyle said, “and I’m gonna get gas here because of it.”

  “Yep, I agree,” Eric said.

  “Where’s Kate and Carrie?” Sydney asked.

  “Hanging out in our rig,” Jason said. “Tending to Chelsea’s dinner.”

  “We really gonna blow that bridge tonight?” Don asked.

  “I think it’s a good idea,” Jason said quietly.

  “What’s the matter?” Don asked, getting closer to Jason, Eric, Junior, and Curt.

  “We’re being hunted, man,” Eric said. “That blown gas station was not revenge on the town. No way. They didn’t help us. They want us running low on fuel.”

  “That’s what Sydney and I were thinking,” Don said. “So, you want to blow that bridge on Highway 60 and keep going, then?”

  “I do,” Curt said. “We’ll have to convince the tribe. Haven’t broached the subject yet.”

  “Where are they?” Don asked.

  “Further ahead,” Jason said. “I’m gonna get on the phone with them after we take off. I wouldn’t read too much into this, though.”

  “What do you mean?” Curt asked.

  “The scavengers didn’t know we’d be coming back there, for one thing, and they don’t know where we’re going now. You’ll notice that this gas station is still open, and it’s n
ot that far away from Pie Town.”

  Curt chuckled. “Well, pencil neck, I hope you’re right, but I’d still like to get this job done and get the hell out of New Mexico.”

  “Me too, but for all the other reasons,” Jason said. “See you guys later.”

  “Well?” Don asked, walking back to his truck with Sydney.

  “You gonna gas up?”

  “Damn straight,” Don said. “Can you do a little looking around on social media once we get going? I want to know what’s happening now that the apps are out there.”

  “I was already planning on that,” she said, opening the passenger side door. Don got behind the wheel and pulled into the line at one of the gas islands.

  Chapter 15 - Snowballs

  It was early evening, the water on Canyon Lake calm, a slight wind ripple moving by from time to time. Lita and Richardson were relaxing on the stern deck.

  “I could get used to this,” Lita said. “Wish I had a bathing suit.”

  “We’re gonna have a bunch of young recruits here soon. I don’t think I want you prancing around in front of them with a bikini on.”

  She looked at him and laughed. “Good point, I guess.”

  “Oh, there you guys are,” Brendan said, walking out with Hannah. “The apps went wide.”

  “Really?” Richardson asked, sitting up. “When?”

  “Sometime today. There wasn’t an official announcement. They just appeared in a lot of places where you’d expect to see interest. It’s going viral fast, though.”

  Richardson stood up. “I need to look at the high-res app on the laptop.”

  “Right now?” Lita asked.

  “Yeah, because the enemy is gonna know about this in a hurry, and they’re liable to do some crazy shit.”

  “Seriously, man,” Brendan said.

  Hannah shook her head and followed Brendan into the main room. “Just when I thought we’d have a little peace.”

  “Maybe we ought to turn on the TV too,” Lita said. “This ought to be a big enough story to make the news broadcasts.”

  “I don’t trust any of those outlets anymore, but it’ll be interesting to see if they cover it,” Richardson said. “C’mon.” He extended his hand to help her up, and they went into the room.