“Who’s going to be in charge of the convoy now that you’re going to return north to play with the polar bears?”
“Very funny. I’ve ordered Captain Gilbert to lead the convoy. He’s very experienced having spent three tours overseas. He can smell an insurgent a mile away…”
“I hope so because it seems we keep running into them or they’re just waiting for someone to drive into their traps. Either way, it’s not fun being in an unarmored vehicle when the bullets start flying. When are we leaving?”
“When the preparations are completed. I don’t know how long it’s going to take to add the armor to yours and Frank’s SUVs.”
“Whoa, Frank and Trinity are going to drive alone again?”
“Of course, they did really well on this leg of the trip. You said how proud of Frank you were…”
“I understand. If you had a daughter, you’d understand my feelings.”
“I do have two of them, both married and four grandchildren, all girls, so I DO understand your feelings. Jon, we’re in a new time, one where our kids have to grow up much quicker. They are our future.”
Jon smiled. “General, again, thank you for everything you’ve done for us and congratulations on your promotion.”
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The driver of the Jeep asked the man they picked up, “other than leader of the church what can we call you?”
He spoke very softly and stared straight ahead as if he was looking at something. “You can call me Elder.”
“Elder? What kind of a name is that?”
“I am the elder of my church, the Church of the true God, Satan.”
“I see.” Richard who was driving the Jeep shook his head. He whispered to his friend in the passenger’s seat, “He’s gone around the bend, the cold did something to him. We should have left him to die.”
“I heard that. I can prove what I say.” The Elder broke a piece of trim off the rear door panel and used it to slice the passenger’s neck open. Richard screamed as the warm blood shot across the Jeep and onto his hands and face. “You’re crazy, I’ll pulling over, you’re getting out.”
“I am.”
When the Jeep stopped the Elder stuck Richard in the neck with the trim and pushed him over. The Elder got out of the Jeep. He opened the driver’s door and pulled Richard of the driver’s seat. “Tell my master I will see him soon enough.” He then drove off leaving Richard and his friend dying on the road. The Elder thought, I need to turn around, I know where we have supplies the stupid army missed. I have my most devoted people waiting in the deepest cave. I will return and we will lead them to victory over the fools who believe God in heaven will save them. He doesn’t care what happens here on Earth. He gave us free will and then forgot about us. My Lord cares. He has helped us when the fool in heaven sat there and watched us suffer. I serve the one being with real power, the only one who cares about us humans. He sent the rock to test us. He sent it to separate those of us worth saving and those sheep who belong to the fool in heaven.
I have enough fuel to return. I have their rifles and food. They gave me arctic clothing. Combined with my faith, I have everything I need to strike the fear of Satan into everyone who doesn’t take a kneel to the Dark Lord. The Elder smiled, first I will close the interstate. Then we will use the maps we discovered in the base to attack and destroy their bases trapping their people above the freeze line. We will destroy the bridges and block the interstate. We will force the people who put their faith in the fool to serve us, those who have realized who the real Lord is, the Lord of Hell.
I should be able to reach the secure cave in four hours. After a hot meal, a good night’s sleep, the war will reach a new level.
The Elder smiled when the people in the other Jeeps got out to see what was going on with Richard’s Jeep. The Elder waved to them with his left hand. He held a full automatic M4A2 behind his back. This new version of the M4 fired the new 6 mm bullet which was larger then the old 5.56 and due to its very high ballistic coefficient carried much further then even the best heavy (75-77g) 5.56 rounds. The Elder pulled up the rifle, he’d already flicked the controls to auto. He aimed at the group of people coming towards him. He pulled and held the trigger back and he swung the rifle back and forth. Only 25 rounds, but at least with these new ones you usually don’t have to hit them more than once to make them go and stay down. These bullets pierce any vest and then break apart inside the body. They’re all dead. I have my choice of which Jeep to take. I’ll fill it with all of the supplies from all of them.
Chapter 28
Three days later the smaller convoy left Scranton with two tanks leading the convoy of ten vehicles. Many of them were consumer SUVs filled with civilians. The military sent the two tanks and four LAVs. General Spivey took the rest of the armored vehicles with him. He thought it was safe enough to send the civilians with only a few armored. Vehicles. He thought since the military had been running snowplows to keep the roads as clear as possible, the civilians would be fine.
The trip to the secure safe base was 475 miles. If they could maintain 45 miles per hour,
