Without Law 19, page 10
“We’ve never had a single person die,” Tara added. “And we’ve been on a bunch of missions like this before. Maybe not against this amount of people, but it’s, like, the same concept.”
“Sir,” I began as I looked at the general. “If we can find out where their airfield is, I have every bit of confidence in my team that we’ll be able to gain air superiority and win this war. I know you said you have enough shells to last another couple of months, but I’d like to end this long before that.”
“As would I.” General Lopez nodded and walked around the table to the white board at the front of the room. He flipped it around to reveal a map of the surrounding area. “We have a couple of men who speak Korean, thankfully, and they’ve been able to translate any orders we’ve come across.”
“So, the majority of the NK troops are in Douglassville?” Paige asked as she leaned forward in her seat to get a better look at the map.
“Yes, that’s what the circle here indicates.” The general pointed to the map. “That’s where they keep most of their larger weapons and the majority of their men, however, that’s not where their airfield is.”
“Smart,” Anna said.
“Smart?” Pete asked from across the room.
“Oh, well, I just mean it’s smart of them to keep their MiGs away from their other weapons,” the redhead explained with a shrug. “If they had them in the same place, they’d be a way easier target. Now, we’ll have to take them out in two gos instead of just one.”
“Right.” He nodded slowly and looked at her like he’d looked at Tara earlier, like she had two heads.
“The NK troops are our enemies, and they’re assholes, but they’re not stupid,” the General agreed. “It’s a smart plan, but it also puts us at a disadvantage.”
“Do you know where their air support is?” Tara asked.
“Birmingham.” The General pointed to the map.
“Shit,” Paige breathed, and she crossed her arms and leaned back. “And I’m guessing they have troops set up on every main road to get there.”
“Every last one of them.” He nodded. “They don’t exactly have all the smaller roads blocked off as far as we can tell, but they’ve got every road on the state line blocked off right there so nobody can get from Georgia to Alabama. We’re the last of the resistance, and while they might be trying to get us to waste our ammo, I think more than that, they’re getting desperate.”
“Desperate how?” Bailey asked.
“Right now, we’ve managed to cut off the supply lines from the west coast to the east coast,” he explained. “As well as the gulf of mexico. But if we fall, they’ll be able to easily unite those supply lines, and that will make it even easier for them to take over the last bit of our country. Right now, we’re all that stands in the way of the United States being a dictatorship under that Kim sonofabitch.”
“So, you think the men on this side of the supply line are running low?” Anna asked.
“I think it’s likely.” He nodded. “The MiGs you saw earlier have been coming around more and more, and they’ve been putting together small scale attacks like the one your team intercepted earlier today. I’m afraid this is coming to a head whether we like it or not, and we need to be prepared when it does.”
“Sounds like we need to get ahead of it before it does,” Tara said.
“I think that’s right,” he agreed.
“So, we take the MiGs and those tank looking things they have,” the platinum-blonde said. “Easy peasy.”
“Easy p--” Pete cut himself off and shook his head with astonishment. He clearly didn’t know how to feel about his daughter’s newfound confidence in the war room.
“If we take those out, the NK troops don’t stand a chance against us,” I said.
“They still outnumber us three to one,” the General reminded me.
“I’ll take those odds,” I told him with a grin.
“I’ll take ‘em, too,” he chuckled.
“Well, once they’re out of their MiGs and their huge plasma weapons, we’ll be on even footing,” Paige said. “But we’ll actually have the upperhand because, like Tav said earlier, they don’t have any traditional artillery like we do.”
“That’s right.” General Lopez nodded.
“There’s still the issue of taking them, though,” the guy in the plaid shirt said, and he raised a dark eyebrow at us.
“We’ll handle that,” I said, and the girls all nodded.
“But how are you going to get there?” he asked. “They’ve got troops blocking every road on the state line. There’s no way you’ll be able to sneak by them.”
“We won’t have to,” Paige said.
“Of course, you will.” He shook his head. “There’s no other way over there.”
“That’s not true,” the brunette said, and she stood up, walked over to the map, and drew a line with her finger from our current position to Birmingham. “There’s a bicycle trail that will lead us right around. It’s called ‘The Silver Comet trail.’ It won’t lead us directly to Birmingham, but it will take us across the border, and after that there won’t be nearly as many troops around so we should be able to get over to Birmingham pretty easily.”
“A bike trail,” the man’s eyes narrowed first and then widened to saucers. “Shit, I didn’t even think about that.”
“Most people don’t.” Paige nodded. “Which is why I’m sure the NKs didn’t consider it, either. I don’t think we’ll run into any troops if we take that route.”
“Well, hot damn,” Sergeant Wilson laughed, and he kicked his feet up onto the table and leaned back in his chair with his arms behind his head. “It sounds like we’ve got the makings of a plan.”
“I’d say so.” The General grinned.
“One of your men was talking to me outside just a little while ago,” I said. “And he mentioned there are some pilots here?”
“That’s right,” Lopez agreed. “I’ve got a few guys who are Air Force Special Reconnaissance. They’ve been itching to do something, but without a plane, they haven’t been able to put their skills to good use.”
“They must be pretty good at sneaking behind enemy lines, then,” I said.
“They’re not half bad,” he laughed. “You want them to tag along with you? What’s your plan here, Tavish?”
“Well, sir,” I started. “I have one pilot already familiar with the NK MiGs, and I have a MiG here the other pilots can use to get to know the controls. My thought is this, we can steal their air support and use it for our own.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea!” Paige said, and she leaned forward with excitement. “We can bring the Air Force guys, and they can fly the MiGs back here.”
“That’s right,” I agreed. “Though maybe not here here. It’s kind of cramped as it is.”
“Right, right.” Paige nodded.
“Where are they going to land?” the General asked.
“Here,” Paige said, and she pointed at the map. “There’s an airport not too far from here.”
“It’s about twenty minutes.” He nodded. “That would work.”
“We can leave you guys with some flares to lay out on the runway,” the brunette continued. “In case they’re coming back in the dark they can radio in, and the ground crew can light them.”
“Good idea,” I agreed.
“I’m sure they’ve got more MiGs than we’ve got pilots,” the General said. “What’s your plan to take out the remaining planes?”
“Same as it was before.” I grinned. “Fuck them up beyond repair.”
“I like where you’re going with this.” He smiled. “But I’m going to need to know the details before I approve this plan.”
“Fair enough.” I nodded. “Right off hand, I’d say we have some Carl Gustaf recoilless rifles that can do some serious damage. Once we get to their airfield, we’ll covertly take out the men on patrol, then the pilots can hop into the MiGs and get them going. As soon as they’re headed down the runway, the girls and I will fire at the remaining MiGs and take them out.”
“What about the plasma?” the man with the glasses in the corner asked. “Don’t you have plasma weapons.”
“We do.” I nodded. “But the MiGs are equipped with them, too, so it would be dangerous to shoot at them with the plasma since it ignites itself, and we could get caught in the explosion.”
“Yep,” Anna added. “The recoilless rifles are our best bet. But we also have some grenade launchers, and Bailey has her Barrett, so no matter what, we’ll be able to take them down.”
“And you said you have some SEALs with you?” he asked.
“That’s right,” I agreed.
“I only have five pilots,” he said. “With yours, that’s six. I’d feel better sending a little bit larger of a group over there. You think they’d mind tagging along?”
“Not at all.” I shook my head. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“So, the SEALs will escort your team and the pilots to the airfield in Birmingham,” the General recapped. “While the pilots take off in the MiGs, the remaining members of the team will take out the rest of the MiGs.”
“Correct.” I nodded.
“And how long do you think this will take you?” he asked.
“Well, we’re going to have to use the bike trail,” I said. “But I’m betting it’s wide enough for a vehicle, and if so, only a couple of days.”
“A couple of days.” He shook his head and smiled. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Tavish.”
“I didn’t realize I was negotiating one, sir,” I laughed.
“And you and your crew are willing to undergo this mission?” he clarified as he glanced back and forth from me to the girls.
“Absolutely,” I said, and the girls nodded.
“This will be easy,” Tara added.
“Alright,” Tara’s father roared, and he stood up and slammed his hands on the table. “I don’t know what the fuck is going on here, but my daughter isn’t going anywhere near this war!”
Tara turned to me with eyes filled with horror.
This might not be as easy as she thought.
Chapter 7
“You’ve got to be insane to volunteer for something like this,” Pete continued, and he shook his head and paced back and forth. “This is absolute madness. You’re not trained for this. Where’s my little girl? What the hell happened to you?”
“Nothing happened to me,” Tara scoffed. “And I am so trained. I’m probably more trained than you are. I’ve fought plenty of times.”
“You’re pregnant!” he yelled, and I could tell immediately that was the reason he was so incredibly upset.
I had to admit, I didn’t like her fighting pregnant, either, but she was integral to the team, and I wasn’t about to let anything happen to her. Pete didn’t know that, though, not yet.
“I’ll be careful, Dad, I promise, I--” Tara started, but Pete cut her off.
“There’s no way.” Her father shook his head vehemently. “I will not allow it, young lady, do you hear me?”
“Dad--” Tara tried again.
“Not another word on this,” he commanded. “You’re not going anywhere I can’t see you. I absolutely forbid it.”
Tara opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, and she looked over at me with tears in her eyes. I didn’t think I’d ever seen her that upset, and it seemed her father speaking to her like a child had sent her back to that mentality.
I knew it was an instinctive response, and I didn’t blame her for it at all. She was also pregnant and emotional as hell.
Still, I didn’t care if it was her father or not, nobody was going to talk to my woman like that, not with me around.
“Mr. Vincennes, this is uncalled for,” I said as I set my jaw and stood up.
“Who are you to tell me how to speak to my dau--” he started, but I cut him off.
“Your daughter is an incredible soldier, and she’s not the same person she was before the EMP hit,” I told him. “I’ve personally watched her grow exponentially as an individual and a warrior. She’s intelligent, the best stealth ops girl I’ve got, and she’s fierce as hell. And, not to be rude here, sir, but you’re an engineer, and something tells me you’ve never seen the likes of battle.”
Wilson barely stifled a laugh at that, and the rest of the group looked away at my comment.
“I’ve personally gone into battle with your daughter, and I can tell you without hesitation that she’s the only person I’d want to do a stealth operation with,” I continued. “She’s killed more enemy men than most of the soldiers I’ve met, and she’s risked her life countless times for her country. I think you should consider that before you speak to her, and maybe next time you’ll find it in yourself to be a little more respectful.”
Pete stared at me with his mouth slightly agape, but the General was quick to intercept.
“Alright, alright,” Lopez said. “You all can work this out later.”
“Yes, sir.” I turned to the General and nodded. “My team and I will be ready to go in the morning, and we’ll leave as soon as the pilots feel comfortable with the controls.”
“That sounds fine,” the General said. “Now, everybody get the hell out of here and cool off.”
“Thank you, sir,” I said, and I grabbed Tara’s hand and pulled her toward the door with me.
The girls all followed closely behind, and once we were out in the hallway, I stopped and took a deep breath.
“Damn, Tav.” Anna grinned. “Good job in there.”
“Yeah, thank you,” Tara said quietly. “I don’t know what came over me.”
“I do,” the redhead laughed. “That’s your dad. I’d go quiet if my dad yelled at me in front of a bunch of people, too.”
“He just cares,” I said.
“I know,” Tara scoffed. “But you’re right, that was uncalled for.”
“It was,” I told her.
Her father came out in the hallway then, but Tara turned away.
“I don’t think I can talk to him right now,” she whispered.
“Go,” I told her. “I’m going to stay for a minute.”
Tara nodded, and Bailey grabbed her arm, flashed me a quick smile, and led her down the hallway.
“Tara-” Pete started as he walked toward his daughter.
“She just needs a minute,” I told him as I stepped into his path. “But I would like to apologize for my outburst in there, Mr. Vincennes.”
“You would?” he asked, and his white eyebrows pinched together.
“Of course.” I nodded. “I know you only care about your daughter, and you want what’s best for her. Truth be told, I’m not the biggest fan of her going into battle pregnant, either, but you know Tara, she’s nothing if not stubborn.”
“Good to know some things haven’t changed.” He shook his head and let out a deep sigh. “I suppose I owe her an apology. I don’t know what I was thinking, I shouldn’t have yelled at her in front of everyone like that.”
“I think she’d appreciate an apology.” I smiled. “I’m sure she’s going to make something good for dinner tonight, too. Why don’t you come over in a little while and join us. That will give her some time to cool off.”
“I’ll come find her in a while.” He nodded, then his eyes narrowed and he looked at me seriously. “Sorry, did you just say my daughter was going to cook?”
“Yeah,” I laughed. “You’d be surprised what she can do now.”
“Right,” he mumbled, and he looked down at the ground.
“I’ll see you soon,” I said, and I smiled and walked down the hallway.
I still got the sense the man didn’t care for me much, which made sense considering the first real thing he’d found out about me was that I’d impregnated his daughter, but I refused to let that bother me. I knew I’d win him over eventually, and I’d put up with him not liking me at the moment if, at the very least, Tara got an apology out of it.
She really didn’t deserve to be humiliated like that, and I appreciated the man admitting he’d done wrong. Even so, that was a matter he’d have to take up with Tara.
I found Hammer and let him know the plan so he could pass it on to his SEALs, then I found Ben, who quickly agreed and said “finally, a chance to really fly.”
After everyone was aware of the plan, I made my way out to our camp and found the girls all around the fire. Tara was muttering to herself and angrily opening cans and putting them in a pot.
“What’s she doing?” I whispered as I came up behind where Anna, Bailey, and Paige sat across the fire from their platinum-blonde friend.
“Angry cooking?” Anna joked.
“She’s pretty upset.” Bailey frowned.
“We tried to comfort her, but she’s… a little scary,” Paige said.
Tara muttered louder and forcefully pulled the lid off one of the cans.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I chuckled, and I walked over and put my hands on hers to stop her. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“Sorry,” she sighed, and she took a deep breath and looked up at me. “That was just really upsetting.”
“I understand,” I told her.
“Yeah, I know that’s your dad and all,” Anna said. “But that was kind of a dick move calling you out in front of everyone like that.”
“Right!” Tara threw her hand up in the air and cocked her head to the side.
“Has he always been so overprotective?” Bailey asked with a frown.
“Yeah, he’s always been a hardass.” Tara rolled her eyes. “He just can’t believe I’m a badass now.”
“Maybe it’s because you keep saying you’re a badass,” Anna chuckled.
“I am.” Tara blinked at the redhead with a straight face.
“I know you are,” Anna assured her. “But most people who are badasses don’t actually say they’re badasses.”
“Oh, yeah, I see what you’re saying.” Paige nodded. “Like you wouldn’t catch Bruce Lee saying he’s a badass.”
“Or Robert DeNiro,” Anna agreed.
