Chapter 4

31 March, Kenner La. 23:56

A small amount of the new element, Asimovium, has been traced to the death of an unemployed construction worker here. Police and NRC agents used very sophisticated radiation detectors to determine the location of the highly radioactive substance believed to be responsible for the death of 29 year old Alvin Williams last Monday. Replies of 'No Comment' echoed from all officers involved in the case when asked how Williams could have come in contact with the rare element. It is rumored that the FBI, and the NSA have now become involved.

Asimovium, discovered by researchers at The University of Texas, is the newest and the cleanest of Nuclear fuels. It is to be the fuel choice for the new addition of the Great Bend Nuclear facility on the West Bank, but no shipments of the substance have yet arrived at the plant.

According to Professor O.E. Hutchins, of Tulane University, only one ounce of this material is needed to produce an atomic explosion larger than those which devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the 1940's. No word is forthcoming on the amount of Asimovium found by searchers this evening.

" Chico Lopez, sir." The voice of the Gerrald Burke, one of only three caucasians in Ali's group, broke into his thoughts of the hell due at any time. He nodded to the pockmarked man and directed his gaze to the smaller but less emaciated figure who entered with him.

" Chico, I am told Marco took two others with him and went out to settle an old score he has with some gringo family south of town. Is this true? "

" Sir, I don't..."

" No. You don't give me any bullshit or you will be in the shit a lot deeper than your asshole buddy already is. All he did was to disobey an order. That's bad, but not even close to the trouble you'll let yourself in for if I ever, and I do mean ever, catch you or anybody else in this outfit trying lie to me. Do... you... understand? " the slender teenager's eyes never left the ground as he slowly nodded. " Now. Would you care to start over and tell me about Marco?"

" Yes sir. He left before dawn with Jesus, and Alfredo."

" That much I already know. " he said evenly, " Would you now care to tell me where they went, or should I ask Mahomed to join us?" The name of Ali's second in command brought Chico's head jerking up to ascertain if he was joking, but he knew before he looked. Ali never joked about his S in C. His gaze slammed back to the floor.

" No sir. I'll tell you everything I know. You needn't bother the Second sir, I'll give you everything, sir."

" Fine. I already know he left about twenty minutes before dawn and he took three pistols and 100 rounds of ammunition. So all I need from you is where he was going, why he went, and when he'll be back."

" Yes sir. He went southeast out to the Klienschmidt's place. He was going to get more guns and ammo from them, and pick up his girl, Gretchen, sir."

" I suppose he expected some resistance, and this is why he took the weapons?"

" No sir, I mean yes Sir. He took the guns but he doesn't expect any resistance because the girl is gaga over him. He plans to bring her back for, uh, entertainment, sir."

" The stupid prick. When is he due back, or was this operation planned in any detail at all?"

" Yes sir. He planned to be back by six-thirty, but he must have been delayed, sir."

" Yes Chico, he must have been delayed because it is now a quarter to seven. Do you know where this place is, and the route he was going to take?"

" Yes sir. He planned to approach the house from behind. It's real secluded and the only people there right now would be Gretchen and Robby, her brother."

" Then you will go with Baker Force and show them the way. Upon your return you, and your friends will confine yourself to your quarters and prepare to leave for Group F base at once. Burke. Take Baker Force and bring the turkeys back to the roost. Be gentle, but don't take any shit from them. "

" Yes sir. If their operation is not complete, should we complete it, or should we just retrieve our men, sir?"

" Use your own judgement, but do not, I repeat do not jeopardize the overall operation by using force that will bring a reaction from the authorities. If it is necessary to use force, NO witnesses. Dismissed. "

Burke wasted no time in getting Force Baker together and taking off toward the trail Marco had used. He was surprised the untutored spic had the forethought to use this zigzag path through the forests. It cleverly avoided all of the small residential communities springing up on this side of T-Town. The track made judicious use of the pipelines and highlines crisscrossing the area, and went out of its way to avoid roads where an armed group could be spotted.

As Baker Force got closer to its objective he slowed, and finally stopped below the crest of a ridge. It was the last area of cover they would have before they reached the house. He no sooner climbed from his bike than he hit the ground at the outbreak of gunfire from the house. A quick look around showed him more than half of the twelve men with him had done the same, but the other four remained standing and stared in the direction from which shots still came.

" Get down you stupid bastards," He screamed at the unmotivated quartet. " Eat dirt and like it scumbags." Well they did obey his orders, that at least was something. He silently repeated their names to himself so he would remember those who lacked the initiative they were going to need. " Well I'll be damned. " He continued silently as he completed his quick scan. " Chico done good."

Burke watched Chico slither further up the trail, toward the open area at the summit. He used cover well, and though Burke could see his movements, any noise he was creating was not audible at even this short distance.

The firing stopped as abruptly as it had begun and some of Baker Force started moving without visible purpose. His quiet but stern " Don't move. " brought the movement to a halt, but also stopped Chico, which was not his wish. He looked back up the trail, caught Chico's eye and motioned him to continue his approach to the forest edge. He used low-voiced commands to spread his unit out, sent two of his more trustworthy men to watch their backs, then ssettled down to wait

It didn't take long, after he got to the ridge crest, for Chico to grasp the overall situation, and ease back to Burke's side.

" I couldn't see Marco or the girl, but I figure they are in the stable. There were at least seven people involved in the shooting and four of them are down. Two of those have to be Jesus and Fredo, but the other two are women I don't know. The three still up are by the house. They have to be Robby, his mother, and some other girl who might also be hit cause she's moving around one of those down for sure. "

" Damn. Are you sure it's Fredo and Jesus down?"

"Yes sir, Jesus was wearing denim, he's down near the house, and Fredo was wearing the big navy coat. He's down real close to the stable, but he ain't moving. "

" And the others, what's-his-name and the mother. What were they doing?"

" They were both talking to the woman jerking around on top of one of the bodies. Yeah, I know you don't think someone's dead, you make sure, but I was up far enough to see Jesus pump at least three shots into her after she fell. Then the kid cut Jesus to pieces with a lever action rifle. I figure Marco and the girl are in the stable, cause that is where the kid is watching, and I think I saw movement through a window on this side of the shed."

"You did good Chico, and I'll make sure the man knows it. Get back up there and keep a look out. I'll join you after I set up a perimeter."

Burke eased up to Chico's side just in time to see the two women go into the house, while the boy went through Jesus' pockets and loaded his rifle with shells he found there. " What did Jesus have, a .38, .45, or 9mm.?"

" Fredo and Chico both had .38's, but Marco had some foreign auto, something 75. "

" Probably a CZ-75. It's a 9mm made in Czechoslovakia. Did you see Marco shoot at anything?"

" No sir, I don't think he did. The movements I saw occurred well away from the doorway while the shooting was still going on. "

"That means he probably still has fifty rounds of ammo left, and he," pointing to Robby who was now reloading Jesus' pistol, " is using 38's in the rifle. Unless there are more in the house he has less than forty left. "

Burke turned back toward the rest of his group and motioned a tall black youngster with a scope equipped rifle up the hill to his side.

" Bart, Do you think you could hit the guy by the house from here?"

" This here is a 30/06. and that fellah be about 500 hundred yards off. I might be able to hit him, but I couldn't garuntee a kill first time, sir, and he'd move after the first shot and get behind some cover where I couldn't reach him from here a-tall. "

Burke's stare drew a zigzagged line from their position, across the field, and up the hill to the stable. He then searched the area around the kid and tried to imagine where he would rabbit to if someone crossing the field started shooting at him. His eyes finally came to rest on the same section of woods Robby had used to eavesdrop on Jesus and Fredo. He hated to divide his forces, but had reached the conclusion that to complete the botch Marco had started he was going to have to send a couple of guys around to the spur of woods to flank the defenders, leave one or two here to snipe, and one more as a rear guard.

Finally he decided he would lead six across the field, send two into the spur on the left and two more around to the right. This would leave one for a rear guard, and two more to snipe from this ridge. While giving the orders to accomplish this he cursed the need to do it at all. The earlier firing didn't last very long, and he doubted anyone would suspect problems this early in the morning. After all fewer than twenty-five shots had been fired, and he knew people regularly fired as many just kicking up their heels near town. According to Warren Stapleton, who had tried to get work from the old man here, the closest house was more than two miles away, and most of the area between was pine groves that effectively muffle sound at a distance. There was always the possibility someone would hear the next firefight, because they would be using heavy weapons when compared to the 38's used before.