New Frontier 2: Wild Lands, page 14
part #2 of New Frontier Series
“How many refugees are you currently handling?” Piard asked.
“We’re dealing with an inflow of anywhere from five to fifteen a day,” Thomas said in a low voice.
“They don’t all stay here, though,” Huff added. “We try to spread them through other centers throughout the state.”
“And how’s this helping tame the New Frontier?” Martinez asked.
“Hearts and minds, like Lindsey always says,” Flannery said. “The people we bring into these centers offer valuable intel on what their communities are like. Plus, the refugees often have families and friends they’ve left behind.”
“So you want to use them to appeal to the rest of their community,” Tiankai said matter-of-factly.
“We believe it will help,” Lindsey said. “We hope to shift tactics to focus more on these personal connections, leveraging them to convince communities to allow us to help them. Instead of rolling into a town looking like we’re going to invade, we’ll come in as peaceful non-governmental groups providing support and assistance. Most importantly, we’ll be bringing goodwill ambassadors on these missions.”
Huff gestured back at the Refugee Center. “We have over sixty people staying at just this facility. Already twenty have volunteered to travel with us and try to recruit more of their communities to accept our help.”
“Impressive,” Martinez said. “How do you envision us taking part in this?”
Lindsey rubbed her hands together. “Well, here’s the deal. We need vehicles to support these efforts. We also need more fuel and supplies. The unfortunate truth is that though we’ll try the peaceful approach, no one here is foolish enough to believe we don’t need armed support. There will still be some communities that resist or meet our peaceful ambassadors with the threat of violence. We’ll always need armed reinforcements ready to respond, backup, or at least evacuate our community ambassadors. That’s where you all come in.”
The members of the FAC all looked uncertain.
At that moment, a black SUV rolled up the drive and onto the center’s parking lot. It pulled to a stop by the end of a row of sedans, trucks, and SUVs.
“Ah, just in time,” she said.
The FAC turned as Palmer got out of the SUV and jogged over. Four Steel Runners were with him. They left the vehicle to head inside.
“Deputy Palmer and the Steel Runners are freshly back from California where they were able to extract the ingredients needed to help produce the cure to Wild Fire,” Lindsey said.
Palmer nodded. “It wasn’t easy, but we did it.”
“A win,” Lindsey said. “With the help of our Steel Runners.”
“Yes, indeed, Sheriff.”
“Good news,” said Martinez.
The other FAC members seemed pleased as well.
“Let your superiors know, and then tell them about my request,” Lindsey said. “We need your support to help contain this outbreak.”
“What is President Diego doing?” Piard asked.
It was a damn good question.
“Why can’t he send more vehicles and people?” Tiankai asked.
“He has already sent USAAMRIID to help, with vehicles and troops,” Lindsey said. “The Secretary of Defense is scrounging up what she can to help. We should have more information soon, but the reality is we have problems all across the US demanding Diego’s attention and personnel.”
“You should have seen LA,” Palmer said. “Freaking nightmare.”
“I’ve heard stories from my counterparts out east,” Martinez said.
“We can’t give up now,” Lindsey said. “I’m going to let Huff, Thomas, and Flannery explain more about the Refugee Center and other ways you all can support its mission. I truly believe there are more opportunities to curb the violence in the New Frontier and stop the Wild Fire. I hope you’ll support these endeavors as we evolve our efforts. Now I must take off to deal with some other issues.”
The FAC crowded around Huff, peppering the man with questions as Lindsey made her way toward the parking lot.
Palmer led her back to the SUV where she let out a sigh.
“Back just in time, thank you,” she said to Palmer. “So it was really that bad?”
“You have no idea, ma’am.” He replied. “But Wheeler seemed happy enough with everything we brought back. Said he could start culturing it immediately, whatever that means.”
“It means we’ve got a real hope of fighting the Wild Fire.”
Another trio of SUVs rolled into the lot. This was the rest of the group coming back from the mission.
Calvin got out of the first SUV. Lindsey saw a few other Steel Runners she recognized head into the Refugee Center. But Calvin strode straight over to Lindsey instead of joining them.
“Sheriff,” he said. “As Palmer probably warned you, I didn’t come back alone.” He opened the rear passenger door. A young boy and girl got out with his help, followed by a blond woman who looked to be their mother. “This is Maureen Gomez and her son Frankie and daughter Raquel.”
“Pleased to meet you all,” Lindsey said. She thought about offering her condolences about their father, but the kids seemed excited to be here. She didn’t want to ruin it.
“I heard there’s snow in the mountains,” Frankie said. “I’ve never seen snow.”
Lindsey grinned. “There’s a little left on the highest mountains, but just you wait and see when the winter rolls around. You’ll have more than enough of it.”
“We’re staying that long?” Frankie asked.
“We’ll see,” Maureen said.
Raquel held her by the side, peering up sheepishly.
“Well, we better find a place for you all to stay,” Lindsey said.
“I’ve already got a request in with Director Huff,” Palmer said. “He’s got a room ready.”
“Excellent. Let’s check it out.”
Lindsey waved for the family to follow her. Calvin joined them.
They made their way into the facility, where they saw another pair of familiar faces. Sandra Spears and Lara Lithgow were volunteering extra hours to do medical checks on the people here and provide warm meals.
For a moment, Lindsey relished in this reunion of so many people who shared her vision of a better Colorado. Despite the horrible ambushes over the past couple of days, and the threat of a new war, she thought they might actually have a chance. Maybe this shift in her tactics would protect the New Frontier—and the people of her beloved state.
She just hoped the FAC would stick around to help.
She wasn’t sure they would survive without them.
Raven had spent the past day and a half doing recon around Mayor Clayton’s compound outside of Ouray. He was perched in a fence of pine trees on a bluff with Creek. Night had fallen over the fortress below and the moon gave Raven enough light to survey the defenses around the compound. He had to take his time to avoid being spotted by the routine patrols around the area.
He wished Lindsey was out here with a Ranger squad, but he was basically on his own with Jay. It was about time for the two of them to meet up again and trade notes.
Raven started walking through the woods toward the rendezvous point as he considered the recent call from Lindsey. She had updated him about the attack on her USAMRIID escort and also how the team that had gone missing near Crested Butte still hadn’t been found.
Things were getting worse by the day.
There were only four USAMRIID teams—twenty medical staff and technicians—left to deliver the meds the New Frontier communities desperately needed. The rest of the USAMRIID team was staying put at the Regeneraid facilities.
Lindsey had reassured Raven they were going to try a new strategy to protect those invaluable teams, but there was still no telling when the Rattlesnakes or some other group might attack them. These teams needed to be able to deliver the Commander meds to the people of the New Frontier. Their intel, based off refugees coming into the Front Range, put the number of infected into the thousands.
The disease was exploding out here. They had to find Eddy before it was too late.
Raven couldn’t stand waiting around while his allies were in danger. He needed intel from Mayor Clayton. The man seemed to be the only one that might know where Eddy was and why he was raising an army.
Still, it wasn’t going to be easy getting to Clayton.
Raven paused and raised his scope back to the compound. A six-foot concrete wall surrounded a three story mansion. Old-fashioned spires on either end made it look as if it had been constructed long before asphalt and concrete highways traced through the mountains.
At each corner, wooden watchtowers had been constructed. Each was about fifteen feet tall with a single guard.
Raven could see the one closest to him clearly.
A bearded man leaned back in a folding chair and lit a cigarette. He had a scoped rifle propped up against the short knee-high wall tracing the top of the tower.
Over the past thirty-six hours, Raven had only seen a single vehicle enter the facility. It had been an old black Mercedes Benz straight from the 1960s. The Mercedes had driven straight through the open gate and into the compound’s four-car garage.
He hadn’t had a chance to see its occupants. Since then, the vehicle hadn’t left.
Creek nestled up to Raven. He stroked the dog.
“Patience, boy,” he said.
The dog let out a low whine.
A warning.
Raven strained his ears, picking up the crunch of boots traipsing through the forest below. One of Clayton’s routine guard patrols was drawing near again. They came just under Raven’s lookout once every two hours, almost on the dot.
The guard patrols were predictable. But they were still thorough, canvassing almost all the forest around the compound.
With so many of them, he hadn’t found a good way to get into the compound without running into at least a few of Clayton’s stooges.
The footsteps came closer.
Raven pressed himself lower against the rock and dirt, hiding behind the bushes. Creek lay beside him.
Fighting their way into Clayton’s place was a losing proposition. He had no plans of going full Rambo with so much backup ready to descend on intruders. Especially when he wasn’t sure if Jay was at the rendezvous point.
So unless Clayton left those walls, there was little chance of confronting the man.
It seemed David’s intel, even if it was correct, wasn’t going to help.
The guards grew even closer, walking just below the precipice where Raven was. He held his breath, listening as they finally passed.
Then a pair of headlights far in the distance grabbed Raven’s attention.
Slowly as he could, he got up for a look. The vehicle curved up the road straight toward the compound.
Raven’s heart beat in anticipation, wondering who these people might be.
Maybe if he was lucky, it would be Eddy. That would be the evidence he needed to call hell down on this place.
The vehicle stopped at the front gate to the compound. Spotlights shone from the two nearest watchtowers, illuminating a rusty white sprinter van.
It didn’t look like a vehicle Eddy would be driving in, but then again, the Rattlesnake was full of surprises.
As the guards patrolling near Raven marched deeper into the forest, Raven got up and watched the van enter the facility. Spotlights traced it past the mansion’s gardens and up to the entrance.
He expected armed men to pile out of the vehicle.
Instead, when the rear door opened, three women got out. He raised his scope, zooming in to find these were escorts in scant clothing. Judging by how quickly the van was waved into the compound, this was not their first visit.
Raven guessed the prostitutes also had a better idea of what lay inside the compound than he could ever get watching from the woods for another week.
“We got to move, buddy,” he whispered to Creek.
They crept through the woods until he neared the rendezvous point area where Jay was supposed to be. There was no sign of the man among the boulders or fallen trees. No footprints. No sounds.
He scanned the darkness. Creek stuck his nose in the air, sniffing. The dog went down on his forelegs and let out a soft growl.
Raven turned the direction Creek was facing just in time to see Jay emerge silently from between the trees.
“Sorry, I had to be sure it was you,” Jay whispered.
“Shoot, man, we’ve been meeting up several times over the past day and a half. You know it’s me.” Raven shook his head. “You about scared the piss out of me.”
“That’s an image.”
Raven quickly told him his conclusions on the prostitutes. “If we can get back to Saddle and Spurs, maybe Lily will help us.”
“After the money I spent at that place, I have no doubt.”
Raven shook his head. “Guess we’ll find out. Come on.”
They snuck back to Ouray, arriving at just before four in the morning.
The town was quiet. Most of the drunks had already gone home or passed out in the street. Just a couple lights from saloons and a three-story hotel remained on.
With Creek at their heels, Raven and Jay crept through the side streets and alleys until they made it to Saddle and Spurs. They hid behind the rusted chassis of an old Toyota in the alley.
They didn’t wait long before the door swung open.
Raven snuck a look at a tall woman with straight black hair striding out in knee-high boots.
“Night,” she said.
As she walked to the main street, Raven pushed up his shemagh scarf to cover his features. Then he slipped toward the door before it closed. Jay had his bandana back over his face as Raven opened the door gently. He slipped inside with Jay and Creek.
Lily was counting coins at a cash register.
“You forget your bag again, Charity?” she asked without looking up.
“Nah, but you didn’t forget about me, did you?” Jay asked. He closed the door behind him, locking it. Creek prowled around the bar after Raven.
Lily looked at them in turn.
“You boys again?” Lily asked. “Bar’s closed and the ladies have all gone home for some well-deserved rest. I’d advise you both to go home as well.”
“No can do,” Jay said, slipping onto a bar stool. “We got some questions.”
“Questions?” she asked. “Those will cost you.”
Jay fished out a small silver coin and dropped it on the bar top. “What do you think of Mayor Clayton?”
Lily’s face flushed, a scowl flickering over her features before she got control of it. Raven could tell she was talking through gritted teeth when she said, “He’s a perfectly fine mayor.”
Raven made a mental note of that.
“Interesting,” Jay said. “Thing is, we saw your girls going to the mayor’s compound. I didn’t realize you can order delivery from here.”
“Clayton has a… special arrangement,” Lily answered.
“I see,” Raven said. “Seems like your girls might know a thing or two about getting into his place. Maybe even getting access to Clayton.”
Lily leaned over the bar. “And what kind of business would you two have with Clayton?”
“The mayor’s got some information that’s pretty important to us,” Jay said. “We noticed he doesn’t come into town much except to kill people. So not much opportunity to talk.”
“We just want to get into the compound. Can you tell us how or not?” Raven asked.
Lily propped her elbows on the bartop. “You guys have a death wish.” She let out a long breath. “I do send my girls up to the mayor. He won’t come down here for them.”
Raven noticed her nostrils twitch again when she talked about the mayor. Her words dripped with venom. He could almost feel the heat rising from the woman as if she was fighting back anger.
“You really don’t like the guy,” he said.
She opened her mouth as if to argue.
“No use denying it,” Raven said. “I can tell.”
Creek whined next to him.
“Look, even he agrees.”
She paused as if thinking over her next words. “He has my son. Mark.”
Ah, there it was. The leverage Raven had been looking for.
“Why’s he got your son?” Jay asked.
Lily hesitated.
“You don’t know who you’re messing with or who he works for,” she whispered. “And I don’t want any part of whatever you got planned to get yourself killed.”
“Maybe we can help you,” Raven said.
“How? You going to break into his compound and get my son back?”
Jay and Raven exchanged a glance. They both knew getting into the compound like some kind of insane SWAT team wasn’t going to work, but maybe there was another way to talk to Clayton and force some info out of him. Maybe they could trick the guy into coming out into the open, nab him when he was most vulnerable.
They were hoping Lily had that answer.
Lily played with the silver coin Jay had dropped on the counter.
“You want the truth?” she asked. “Clayton likes playing rough with his women. Rough in a way I don’t like. When I tried to tell him I wouldn’t be sending any more of my girls up there, he had his men come down here and take my son, Markie. Told me if he couldn’t have his girls, I couldn’t have Markie.”
A wet sheen formed over her eyes, her bottom lip trembling. “So I’ve been sending them up and he still hasn’t let me see Mark again. The boy’s just six. I have no idea what Clayton is doing with him. He needs me.”
Lily paused, wiping a tear from her eye.
“Mark isn’t the first kid that Clayton stole from town. Hell, he ain’t the first person Clayton stole. People that go up there have a habit of never coming back.”
“Jesus,” Raven said. “This guy sounds like a dirtbag.”
Jay spat on the floor. “Asshole. You know what he does to people?”
“He’s a really big fucking asshole,” Lily said, choking back the tears. “But I don’t got any idea what he’s doing in that fortress of his besides treating my girls like shit.”
“So can you help us?” Raven asked.
