Ben felt as if he were living a video game. The pilot had been loaded in one Humvee behind them. As the Humvee carrying Ben and Rick swerved to avoid the gunfire and grenades, and the Sergeant filled Ben and Rick in on a lot of things.
They had chosen Agabarn as an ambush or cut off point because air searches and satellites had never shown any movement on the streets of the town.
All their evasive running, all their efforts to stay hidden to keep from being spotted by the enemy had saved them initially, but it ended up being detrimental. Residents who remained in other towns had been airlifted days before. Agabarn, it had been assumed, was deserted.
But the Sergeant let Ben know they weren’t throwing Agabarn under the bus. They just weren’t sure how they could get everyone out in time. Two trucks and air support would be arriving there in minutes.
Ben and Rick were offered the chance to leave, to get to safety, but both men opted to go back and help.
“Are you guys sure the enemy is going to head there for you to ambush and cut off?” Ben asked.
“Positive,” the sergeant replied.
“How can you be so sure, I mean…” Ben shrugged. “It’s a small town located off the main roads.” He saw the Sergeant look at him and it hit him. “You guys set it up.”
“We fed them false information that we were setting up headquarters there and that there were civilians.”
Ben closed his eyes. “What are the town’s chances?”
“We expect them to storm in, not air drop troops. We have Intel that is leading us to believe that is their plan. We planned on waiting on the ground and in air. But that has changed now.”
“You didn’t answer the question. What are the town’s chances?” Ben reiterated.
“If we don’t get there before them…” the Sergeant said. “Not good.”
People scurried.
At first, George informed everyone to hang tight. He thought it could be a trick when they heard a man with a bull horn announce, “This is the United States Marine Corp and we are evacuating the town. STAT. Trucks are waiting and helicopters are arriving for the elderly, sick and young.”
“Hold tight,” George radioed his roof watchers to ask what they could see.
Lana answered. “I see trucks, quite a few of them,” she replied. “Yes, they are American.”
When George heard that, he escorted the people who waited in the basement of the school to the steps outside. He encouraged order, but so many just flew to the staircase that it made it impossible to keep the exodus totally panic free.
“What is happening, Harry?” Tyler asked.
“Well, sounds like the military is here to get us out.”
“Why?” Tyler asked, as he and Harry walked slowly through the cramped stairwell.
“My best guess is something might be going to happen, or maybe they are just being cautious. Either way, they’re getting us out of this town and taking us somewhere else.”
“Oh, no.” Tyler said with panic in his voice.
“Oh, no what?”
“I didn’t think when we came to the basement we would be moved out by the military.”
Harry was lost as to why Tyler was so upset. “Okay, what’s wrong? Are you scared?”
“A little, but that’s not it.”
“What is it?”
Tyler looked up at Harry and then looked toward the staircase filled with people. “Don’t leave without me.”
“What? What are you…” Before Harry could ask anymore, Tyler had released his hand and slipped his body with ease through the hoards of people. “Tyler!”
“I forget the box!” Tyler yelled, his voice growing fainter as he moved farther way. “I’ll be back. I have to get the box!”
“Damn it.” Harry yelled. “Tyler. Stay put!”
“I’ll be back.”
“Son of a bitch.” Harry had to follow him. He had to. While he was confident that the military was right above and they would get him, he couldn’t take that chance. He tried to squeeze through the stairwell, but he wasn’t as small or nimble as Tyler. The best he could do was keep repeating ‘excuse me’ and force himself through the people and up the steps.
It had been the first time in a long time that Foster had been above in the sunlight and it burned his eyes. He took the sunglasses offered to him by Manny as they reached the top level of the parking garage that would lead them out to the street.
It sounded like every war movie he had watched and any newscast of war.
Gun shots, both rapid and single, rang out. Explosions blasted.
It was obvious the battle out there was a major one.
“If you want to change your mind, now is the time to do it,” Manny told Foster.
“No. No. I’m good. I’m good.” Foster nodded, taking a breath. “It’s three blocks down and across the main road. We can do this.”
“Stay close to the buildings and move quickly.”
“I know. I know.” Forster was nervous. He didn’t have a gun; he didn’t have any kind of weapon. If he was found by the enemy, being unarmed was thought to be best. He just need to move, stay focused and move.
Manny did have a gun. He kept it under his jacket.
They inched to the garage entrance and looked out.
Buildings burned and the smoke was thick, but they didn’t see any soldiers. They saw trucks, some parked and some that had exploded.
