Nathan Jones - Determination

The small silver lining was that the military was finally taking over the defense of Aspen Hill Canyon and the surrounding area. They’d also be including the refuge’s current residents when it came to distributing whatever supplies they had available, including medicine. It wasn’t enough to make up for what Aspen Hill would be losing in the deal, how their circumstances would suddenly be much, much worse, but it was something.

And like it or not things were different from last time. This wasn’t another case of a petty bureaucrat like Ferris coming in, taking their food, and leaving them to fend for themselves. This was the final bastion of an invaded but not defeated nation, putting everything it had against an enemy that wanted to wipe them off the face of the map.

Lewis also had to acknowledge that, even if the shelter group had wanted to try to flee to the hideout with their supplies, it was far too late now. The military was already all over the area, and things would only get more crowded going forward. Besides, the shelter was far too close to Highway 31 to go undetected for long, especially with a large group living there.

No, they were committed now. Like it or not they had to contribute everything they had to offer and hope it was enough. After that they could worry about finding a way to survive whatever came next.

He didn’t have much time to muse on the future, though, because he’d only been out scouting for an hour or so before his dad radioed in. “Lewis, I need you to pull everyone back here.”

Lewis glanced over at Jane and Uncle George, who returned worried looks. His dad was leading the defenders guarding the mountain approaches this shift, which might very well be the last one before the military arrived to take over. So of course the trouble had to come now.

“We’re on our way,” he said, breaking into a trot across the meadow they’d been investigating. “What is it?”

“The blockheads are gathering at the mouth of the canyon,” his dad replied, tone tight with worry. “Twenty trucks, hundreds of soldiers, even a tank. It looks like they’re preparing a serious attack.”

Lewis paused in spite of the urgency of the situation. “Up the canyon? No way.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think they were that stupid either. But it looks like they’re planning to spread across the slopes and push at us in force.”

Jane shook her head, raising her own radio. “They either forgot we have an M2 and missiles or they don’t care. Either way we’ll have to make sure they get the message this time. The canyon’s ours.”

“Yeah that’s all well and good, but did you miss the part where they have a tank ?” His dad abruptly changed his tone. “Chauncey, you there? We need to get ahold of Grimes and get help here now.”

There was a painfully long wait for a response as Lewis pounded across the meadow towards the canyon road, closely followed by his wife and uncle. Then Chauncey answered. “The colonel and his men are all engaged holding Highway 6. They can’t send anything.”

Lewis blinked when his dad cursed. A rare break in composure for him. “You made sure to mention what’s coming our way?”

“Yeah. Grimes isn’t too worried since we can always blow the canyon.”

That was true. But at the same time the defenders weren’t really equipped to push back a massive attack. Which had been painfully proven the night the blockheads snuck in and hit them from the north. Even Davis and his people to the south depended heavily on quick reinforcements, sending notice of attacks and holding out as best they could until relief came.

But there was no relief. Not when Erikson’s defenses in the Wasatch Range were crumpling, and he was doing his best to evacuate hundreds of thousands of civilians south while holding the blockheads off. Not when Grimes was getting hit from at least two sides by an enemy that desperately wanted to take his position.

“What about Lassiter?” he asked. “Even Davis, or this Harmon guy who took over for him. Can anyone send help?”

“We can ask,” the retired teacher said doubtfully. “But if the blockheads attack soon we’ll probably be alone for a while even so. I’d start thinking about how you’re going to welcome them.”

Lewis picked up his pace some more. “Believe me, I am.”

Considering the threat they faced, Lewis was able to get together almost a hundred townspeople, defenders and civilians willing to pick up a gun to defend their families. He also had the M2, several missiles for the two missile launchers, and a dozen assorted grenades and Molotov cocktails.

It didn’t feel like much, when tank armaments could be accurate at over a mile. At least the missiles they had were antitank, for what that was worth.

He left Uncle George, Jane, Tam, the Mayor, and most of the defenders up top with the civilians to man the emplacements they’d prepared, start digging new ones in potentially vulnerable places just in case, and keep an eye on the enemy. Whatever else happened, he wanted them ready to defend wherever the blockheads decided to attack.

That left the rest of his volunteers and a handful of his best defenders to hop in the truck and drive down the canyon. It was risky, but they had to try to take out that tank if they could. Besides, there were places in the canyon where they could really do some damage to an attacking force. They might not be able to hold any of them for long, or even at all, but the potential advantage couldn’t be ignored.

Lewis had his dad coast the truck down as silently as possible, just like that first ambush he’d done against the blockhead scouts coming up the canyon, when the enemy first arrived. His dad did his best to maneuver the truck to the less visible parts of the road, and hopefully he did a good enough job that they weren’t seen by anyone below.

“So I get the priority here is taking out the tank, son,” he said. “What then?”

Lewis glanced past Carl, who was in the middle seat between him and his dad. Lewis had one of the missile launchers, he had the other. “The tank isn’t the only threat. We also have a chance to get good use out of the M2, from better vantages than we’d ever get from up above.”

“And get ourselves blown up.” His dad veered tight around the inside of a corner, and Lewis glanced worriedly out the passenger window. The edge of the road blocked his view of the valley below, but the cab’s roof was higher than his head. It might’ve been visible for a moment. “Maybe we should consider ourselves lucky if we even manage to take out the tank,” his dad continued. “Call it good there.”

His impulse was to insist, but instead he hesitated. He’d been insisting too much, lately, and his dad’s advice was worth listening to. “Maybe.”

Jane’s voice abruptly came over the radio. “Hey guys? You’ve got a good vantage coming up around the next bend. I’d stop there for a look.”

Lewis felt a surge of anxiety. They’d taken a long time to gather everyone up and get the truck started down the canyon. He wouldn’t be surprised if the blockheads had started their attack before his team was ready. “Are they moving?”

His wife took a second to respond. “Um, yeah. Just not the way we expected.”

What did that mean? His dad braked the truck just out of sight behind the bend, and even before the vehicle stopped moving Lewis hopped out, missile launcher in tow, and moved in an awkward crouch with the heavy weapon. Jane was correct that the vantage offered a view of the mouth of the canyon down below, but what he saw was baffling.

His wife was also right that the enemy was moving. Specifically, all the soldiers previously lined up in squads, ready to be deployed, were piling into the trucks. Which had all pulled around to face away from the canyon. The tank was awkwardly turning around on its treads as well.