The Last Rebel: Survivor (24 page)

McAulliffe glanced up.

“This is Morton Rosen,” McAulliffe said.

The man, who had large, dark, even scary eyes, looked and nodded. “And this is Jeffrey Weaver.”

Weaver looked away, and then down at the papers that Rosen had supplied for McAulliffe.

“Why don’t you wait outside, Mr. Rosen?” McAulliffe said. “We’ll call you back in after we discuss what you’ve provided.”

“No problem,” Rosen said, and one of the guards escorted him down the hall a ways.

I hope
, he thought,
that I have made the right decision.
You never knew when you were dealing with fanatics. Of course these guys, Rosen thought, weren’t the Rejects, but they were, in their own way, fanatics: it was their way or the highway.

Ten minutes later the guard came for Rosen.

“Father McAulliffe would like to see you.”

Rosen nodded. He could not help but feel a little flutter in the pit of his belly.

He was led into the room. Both McAulliffe and Weaver were looking down at the orders of battle.

McAulliffe looked up.

“This is some valuable information you’ve brought us,” he said, and Weaver nodded. “The single-most important piece of military intel since we started warring with the Rejects a couple of years ago. We thank you, and congratulate you. You’re a brave man.”

“I just like to do my job,” Rosen said.

“Good.”

“When the plan is coordinated and the attack sequences decided, you will be there, fully embedded. And two of our soldiers will be assigned to guard you.”

“Thank you,” Rosen said. But inside he was shouting hallelujah, and he was looking forward to a night of sleep uncluttered by fear that someone was going to make sure he took a permanent nap.

TWENTY-TWO

All day, Jim LaDoux, Beverly Harper, Duke Kindhand, and the rest of the Rebels were traveling north toward Montana, and by dusk they were ready to stop.

They made themselves dinner from a deer that Kindhand shot and the venison was quite delicious, and not just because they hadn’t had something like it in a long time.

After dinner they were sitting around a fire, this because they weren’t concerned about the Rejects catching up with them, simply because they had no way of finding them, and they had traveled quite far north during the day.

“So, Jim,” Kindhand said, “what are your plans?”

“I don’t know. They’re still up in the air. But I expect they’ll be to settle in Montana for a while until things straighten out, then head east.”

“What, you going to live alone?”

“I hope not, “Jim said, his eyes flicking to Bev, who was pointedly looking at him. “I might find some ugly old goat who wants to live with me for a while.”

Abruptly, Jim had to dodge a towel, this thrown by Bev, and Kindhand and the other Rebels got a laugh out of it.

Kindhand looked into the fire. The light flickered off the deep crevices in his face, his eyes glittering.

“I don’t think things will ever straighten out,” he said. “One way or the other we’re going to have to fight for whatever we get. That’s the way it was with the SUSA, and that’s the way it’s going to be with anything else we form.”

“You going to try to do that?” Jim asked.

“Absolutely. My philosophy and that of the other Rebels hasn’t changed just because Ben is dead. In fact, we want to realize the dream that was always his.”

“It seems that you guys have been fighting all your lives,” Jim said.

“It seems that way because it is that way!” Kindhand said to appreciative laughter from the other Rebels.

“But how are you going to fight anyone with just a handful of men?”

“We aren’t,” Kindhand said. “I don’t know if you know it but I sent a message out in code on the CB, if any Rebels are within listening distance. I told them what road we’re traveling, where we are, and before long I expect we’ll be meeting some people. I just know there are thousands of Rebels still alive, it’s just that they’re scattered.”

“Is it safe?”

“What, the code?”

“Yes.”

“It’s pure Indian wind-talker stuff. The Axis couldn’t figure it out in World War II and couldn’t figure it out now.”

“Somebody said the Jamaicans were the same way,” Jim said, “the posse gangs. Spoke in their own special pig English and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency couldn’t figure out what they were saying.”

“I had heard that too,” Kindhand said. “I don’t doubt it for a minute.”

There was silence for a moment, everyone sipping hot coffee, a moment like so many moments so long before the wars and the plague started. Just brothers-in-arms, enjoying each other, the calm before the storm: the storm, they knew, that some of them wouldn’t make it through.

“So,” Kindhand said, “you’re just going up to Montana and live there?”

“Yeah,” Jim said, “I got mountain man in my blood.”

Kindhand took a long sip of his coffee. Then he looked levelly at Jim.

“You know you won’t be able to do that until this world straightens itself out.”

“Maybe,” Jim said, “but I’m going to try. At least we have a good chance to avoid conflicts with the Rejects. They won’t be able to find us, not in the country we’re heading for.”

Kindhand looked at Jim.

“Do you have a minute, Jim?”

“Sure.”

“There’s something I want to show you.”

Kindhand got up—he was remarkably agile for his age—and Jim followed him to his HumVee. He reached in and took an envelope out.

“This,” Kindhand said, taking some papers out of the envelopes, “is a memo from Ben Raines that contains some valuable info on fighting war.”

“Why are you showing it to me?”

“Because I think that someday, Jim, you might find some of these tips valuable. In fact, if I should get killed I have told my men that you would make a good leader.”

“I told you,” Jim said, “I have no intention of fighting a war.”

“Well, like I said, maybe someday you’ll have to.”

Jim just looked at him.

“Why don’t you just look them over and see what you think? Some of them apply to full-scale war where artillery is used, but there are some ideas that are very useful no matter what the mode of warfare.”

Jim hesitated but then said: “Okay. I’ll take a look.”

Kindhand nodded, turned, and walked back toward the fire. Jim read the memo by moonlight.

CONFIDENTIAL

To: Field Commanders

Subject: Most Effective Combat Procedures and

Principles of Command

From: Ben Raines, Gen.

Over the years that we have fought as brothers in arms, a number of things have come to my attention that need to be addressed relative to combat procedures and administrative principles. For some of you, this information will be old hat, but some of your are new and are relatively unfamiliar with the information or simply have gotten blase about its execution. Upon reading these tenets, some may seem academic, even boring. But it is absolutely crucial that these principles be followed. If anyone reading this does not understand anything contained, please communicate with me or the chief of staff at once.

GENERAL POINTS

- Leadership. It is expected that anyone who is put in command of any unit should lead that unit personally, should lead in person. Any commander who fails to obtain his objective, and who is not dead or severely wounded, has not done his full duty.

- Visit Front Daily. In the event that combat involves the maintenance of a front, rather than a guerilla-style action, each chief of the general staff sections—Signal, Ordnance, Engineering, and Quartermaster section—should visit the front daily. The commanding general or his chief of staff—but never both at once—should also visit. To avoid duplication of duties, the chief of staff will designate which sectors are to be visited by whom.

When visiting the front, remember that the function of the visiting officers is to observe, not interfere in any way. This does exclude, however, them reporting anything of military importance no matter where it comes from. Remember that praise is militarily more valuable than assigning blame. And remember that as a commander you have objectives in visiting the front: to gather relevant intel and have your men meet you at the front.

- Execution. The promulgation of an order involves only ten percent of your responsibility. The other ninety percent must be devoted to making sure, by vigorous and proper supervision, that the order is carried out.

- Staff Meetings. Frequent meetings among staff commanders is required to ensure that all relevant information in a particular campaign is fully circulated and acted upon. Attendance at these meetings is required. If information is discovered that is of an urgent character, it must be distributed quickly.

- Rest. Any personnel, whether line or commanding, will not survive without proper rest. All sections are required to run a duty roster and enforce compliance. Different sections require different rest time, and this should be calculated as time goes by. Of course, in some situations we all must work all the time, but such emergencies are not frequent. The central point is that men who are not exhausted work better when pressure is high.

- Command Post Location. All command posts must be strategically located, following the central idea that the closer to their front the command post is the less time is wasted in driving to and from the front. Ideally, the Chief Command Post (CCP) post should be more than a half-hour’s drive away from the front and the command posts (COs) of field units closer to the line. The closer the COs are to the CCP’s saves much time. Command posts should be set up so that there is a minimum amount of radio traffic.

COMBAT: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

- Maps. Some of us think that we acquire merit because we read maps in the safety of a CCP or CO. This is in error.

Maps exist to allow us to plan overall strategy and give us a panoramic view of battles.

Very importantly, maps also exist to allow us to see where critical situations are or may develop, and the commander should be aware of these. In the higher echelons, a layered map of the whole theater drawn to a reasonable scale, showing roads, railways, streams, and towns is better than a large-scale map clogged with ground forms and nonessential information.

- Plans. These should not be rigid, but flexible, ready to be changed as needed.

- Reconnaissance. The plain fact is that there is no such thing as too much reconnaissance. However you can get it, by whatever means, do so. The reports submitted must not be speculative or opinions, but facts, whether negative or positive.

If you intercept a message, be wary: sometimes intercepts are sent to be intercepted and provide false data. Cross-check them. And remember, information is like bread: the fresher it is the better it is.

- Orders. All commanders will receive written orders on battles and other relevant matters that are complete. That is, the overall goal of an operation will be made clear as will the mission to be accomplished by each major combat unit. The order should be short, and perfectly clear, accompanied by a sketch that will tell what to do, not how to do it.

- Fragmentary Orders in the Field. Commanders will get many orders electronically. It is necessary to write them down and repeat what you hear.

Whenever possible, issue the order in person and always try to have the senior officer issue the order rather than the junior. Allow ample time, whenever possible, to allow the person to act on the order.

Keep troops informed, not only of what is going on, and is to go on, but also in detail of what they have achieved.

- Supplies. All units must anticipate supplies that they need and ask for them in time for them to be effective in combat. To aid this process, reconnaissance should be used as needed to help anticipate demands.

Remember: a rifle without bullets is just as useless as a gun truck without gas.

- Medical Care. There should be adequate care available—and quickly. If a field hospital is involved it should be close to the front.

All commanders should visit the wounded personally, not have a junior officer do it.

- Special Note: Decorations. These are very important to keep morale up and should be given whenever time allows. There should be one officer on the staff who will be able to write up the citation for proper consideration.

- Discipline. There is only one type of discipline—perfect. If you don’t enforce and maintain discipline you are potential murders. You must set the example.

Discipline is based on mutual confidence and respect, meticulous attention to detail, and pride in being a soldier. Discipline must be as much a part of a soldier as his breathing, something that is stronger than the excitement of battle or fear if death.

Discipline is only possible when officers care deeply about their troops, and are imbued with their cause. These officers will not tolerate negligence; officers who fail to correct mistakes or compliment success are useless in peace and dangerous in war.