“Why can’t we stay together?”
Colonel Spivey answered, “Because we don’t have enough space to put you all in. When we reach the FOB, we’ll get you a new vehicle, but the way you wreck them, I think we ought to put you in a tank.”
“Colonel…”
“Jon, forget it. I understand. The accident could have happened to anyone. You had the only consumer vehicle and your ground clearance wasn’t high enough. It was my fault. I should have made sure the tanks plowed the road all the way down to the surface.”
“I understand. We appreciate you taking care of us. Are you sure my family is going to be alright?”
“Yes, my best medics are on the job. I’m worried about the two kids.”
“Can I do anything?”
“Yeah, follow the medic’s instructions. I have to leave you now, I’ll see you when we pull into the FOB.”
“Colonel, thank you. Really, thank you for everything.”
“Jon, listen to them.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s a good boy.”
The Colonel was interrupted by his aide, “Don’t say a word, we’re leaving. I want the scout squad to race ahead and reach the FOB. I want them to make sure everything is okay with them and they’re prepared for us.”
“Sir, what could be wrong with the FOB, it’s well defended and heavily armed.”
“Just send them. I can’t explain it, but I have a strange feeling in my stomach. I don’t like it and nothing has happened as I was briefed. Either the intel wasn’t up to date or they never checked this area and fed me some pure BS. Either way, from this moment on, we’re going to operate on a war footing.”
“Sir? We’re almost at the FOB and the Pennsylvania border.”
“Just issue the orders.”
“Yes, sir.” The Colonel pulled his face covering up to meet his googles and tried to look into the dark, cloud covered sky. Sun, I know you’re out there somewhere. Are you ever going to burn through this crap and shine your light on us again. Or has God forsaken us and this is our penalty? God, have you lost patience with your children? Have you moved on to another planet and started over? I wouldn’t blame you if you had. I would have done so a long time ago. His aide returned, “Sir, the scouts have left, the convoy will be ready to leave when you are.”
“Saddle up and let’s get the hell out of here.”
“Yes, sir.”
@@@@@
When the scouts approached to within twenty-five yards of the FOB, Sergeant Mays gave the order, “Halt. Something’s not right. I don’t see any guards in the guard buildings. I don’t see any lights on. They like us, had generators. Shit those generators could have lit up five city blocks. I don’t see any hits on the thermals. Something is seriously wrong. Dismount, lock, and load and let’s check out what’s going on. Something is seriously wrong here.”
Corporal Ricks yelled, “The guard buildings are empty. The tablets are gone, everything even the heaters are gone.”
“Check the weapon’s safes.”
“I did, they’re empty.”
“Shit. Let’s spread out, teams of two, keep your partner in sight and be ready for anything. I don’t like the feel of this. Something is seriously wrong.”
One of the scouts yelled, the motor pool has six Abrams, four Suburbans, twenty-six LAVs, fifteen MRAPs, and twelve Bradleys. All are just sitting here.”
“Weapons?”
“Not installed, haven’t found the weapons bunker yet.”
“Keep looking and find the staff and the Colonel.”
“Sarge, so far we haven’t found a drop of blood or a single body. It’s as if everyone just disappeared. I know that’s not possible and it couldn’t have been that long go. It’s warm inside the offices and some of the computers are still on.”
“Don’t touch anything, check each room, and assume we’re in a hostile environment. Shoot first and ask questions, never. All I want is one captive, if you find any. I pray you find at least one because this place is giving me a really bad feeling. Something happened here and we better figure out what it was before the Colonel grills all of us.”
“Yes, Sarge.”
@@@@@
The scouts entered every room with their M4s leading the way. They wore night vision googles and silently stepped over windblown trash, blown paper, and empty paper coffee cups. One private touched the coffee pot. Cold. The powers still on. The fridge is working. The monitors are on, but the network is broken. Radios like ours are offline. Where did all of the staff go? How did an entire FOB disappear without a trace?”
Two buildings over, Sergeant Mays checked out the Commanding Officer’s quarters, Colonel Tom Jefferson, twenty-six-year veteran, three tours in the sandbox. How the hell did he allow anyone to sneak up on him? There were over three hundred people here. Enough weapons to hold off thousands. They had everything from flame throwers to the 120 mm cannon on the tanks and enough shoulder fired missiles to knock out anything that moves all the way out to three miles. They had thermal sensors, machine guns, radar, not that they’d be much help and, if they were equipped as we were, enough mines to line the freeway all the way back to us.
“Sarge! Come to the storeroom, hurry!”
By the time Sergeant Mays arrived at the storeroom he saw three soldiers bent over throwing up. “Make way, make way and what’s the F-ing wrong with you pussies?”
A private first class walked out of the storeroom, his
