MacArthur's Freehold

Chapter 66

Chapter 66 -- GKDUPWNYYXSANX

Carter helped Tommy and James load the last cases of dynamite into the truck, then went around to get in the passenger side. Jessica was driving, and Tommy and James followed in another truck. The drove away from the enormous steel grain bins toward the runway, where an incoming flight was expected.

The forty boxes of dynamite in each truck would be loaded onto two flights, each taking half. A thousand pounds was close to the limit of the small aircraft, but a thousand pounds of dynamite could do a lot of damage, in one place or in several, depending on the objective.

The bricks of thermite that had been flown away two days ago was very likely already being put to good use, as more accounts of toppled cross-country electric transmission lines came in, along with bridges, water towers, and other parts of the infrastructure. Television reports routinely showed miles of traffic backed up on highways, mostly the interstate roads supplying the largest cities. In some places water mains had and pumping equipment had been damaged, along with electrical distribution stations. The war was on and there was no going back.

Carter looked over at Jessica as they waited. They often did not talk much when they were alone, each likely dealing with the stress of their position. A major insurrection was going on all over the country, and they were part of the prime mover. The fact that their involvement, even their existence, was still unknown was surprising. He hoped their luck would hold.

They watched the small aircraft approaching, waiting as it landed and taxied to their position. The pilot opened the boarding door and helped them load the boxes, returned to the cockpit, and started the engines. In just over a half hour he was gone.

"Now for the other." Jessica said, looking at her phone. "We're looking about twenty minutes. We should be just in time for lunch."

They would spend the afternoon and evening as usual, watching news reports and monitoring the chatter on the patriot channels. Both were quite heavy and that wasn't likely to change soon. They sat in the cab of the truck, Jessica reached over to put her hand on his. He looked over, both tried to smile but the effort was forced.

"Are you ever afraid?" she asked. "I mean, feeling like we're waiting, for something bad that's about to happen?"

"Sure I worry" he said. "We wouldn't be normal if we didn't. But there's no way out, and we knew when we chose - try for freedom or live a pointless life. And I believe there's little chance now that they can win. Prolong it, maybe. Probably. But I hope not."

"I've sometimes wondered what would happen if I'd just tried to have a regular life." she said. "But I know that there wouldn't have been one, the way things have gone. This is our only chance to have one."

"You will" he said. "We will. We just have to get through this, whatever it takes."

The second aircraft arrived, and the process went as smoothly as before. There were still large quantities of matériel in storage, and likely there would be more requisitions ahead. The pilot who had picked up the thermite was one who had helped fly the strike force out of DC. He told them their air traffic was busy and expected to increase.

After lunch they assembled in the command post as usual. Donald briefed them on the developments so far. The operations continued at a steady pace, slightly increasing day by day, diverting more and more resources to repairing the damage. At some point there would be a complete breakdown.

"Chicago is, just from what they're letting out, not just a figurative hellhole but an actual one." he told them. They're averaging a dozen killings a day - and that's just the ones we know about - and the crowds are uncontrollable. The police are fortifying areas and defending them, protecting the critical parts of the city, and everything else is being left to burn.