"Texas Wildfire" - Chapter 12

Texas Wildfire

Chapter 12

By Dwayne MacInnes

The military convoy moved slowly through the back roads of New Mexico, winding its way between desolate rock formations and barren hills. The Army and Army National Guard have been shuttling supplies into the new state of West Texas for days now. The convoys rarely repeated taking the same routes at the same time to make it more difficult for rebels to lay an ambush.

Lt White rode in the front truck hauling crates of the M-18 assault rifle and boxes of assorted ammunition. The five other trucks also were loaded with various cargoes. Some were hauling food, some medical supplies, and others just basic supplies needed to keep an army going. One venerable Ultra AP vehicle rode along to protect the convoy.

Music played from the small MP5-keychain dangling from the truck's ignition. If one wanted, they could even depress a button and a holographic video projected from the MP5-keychain. However, the military frowned on such things while on maneuvers.

"Say Loot, we could sure make better time if we could use the interstate," Corporal Martinez stated as he drove the truck over the rough gravel road.

Every bump caused the driver and the passenger to hop into the air; sometimes leading to an irritating connection between the soldier's head and the cab's roof.

"You know the orders," Lt White stated coldly. "We are to move through this area so that the rebels cannot ambush us and steal the valuable supplies we are carrying."

Martinez snorted, "Are you kidding? The rebels would have to make their way through West Texas and into New Mexico and back with our supplies. That would be highly unlikely."

"I don't think the rebels would be wearing signs that say, Look! I'm a rebel. Remember there is a lot of support for their cause across the country."

Corporal Martinez opened his mouth to reply when an explosion rocked the truck. Martinez slammed on the breaks as the Ultra AP, now a flaming wreck coasted off the dirt road to stop when it collided with a piled of rocks.

"Holy shi…" Martinez started before a bullet exploded his head against the driver's side windshield.

Lt White hit the button activating the mike in his helmet as he exited the cab. "This is convoy Echo Bravo! We are under attack!"

White continued to broadcast his message as he slid underneath the truck. Bullets ricocheted off steel and rocks all around him. He watched as other soldiers jumped from their trucks only to be sawed down by a machine gunner located somewhere in the hills to their right.

"Repeat: this is convoy Echo Bravo! We are under attack!" White continued to broadcast. He noticed that the firing had now slacked off. He halted his transmission as he heard voices and footsteps approach the convoy. Occasionally, a pistol would bark as someone finished off a soldier.

Finally, a pair of black military boots stopped in front of White's face as he pushed himself back further under the truck's frame. A head looked down under the truck and smiled ominously.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" the man with a face full of stubble and wearing a cowboy hat grinned. "It looks like we missed one."

"No, no…" White protested holding his hands out in front of him as he pleaded. "This was not the plan."

The man grinned even harder as he held an old Colt .45 Peacemaker threatening towards White. He pulled the trigger only once. The pistol barked one last time before he pulled himself up straight and looked back towards the men mounted on horses behind him. "Okay, boys we need to get these supplies loaded up and we need to vamoose immediately."

The growing numbers of people joining the Oath Keepers were almost unmanageable for Fred Wilson to control. He constantly needed to find bigger and bigger areas to host his meetings. Thankfully, Sheriff Gracen was always able to secure a location.

With the military presence in Littleton constantly growing, the people of the small New Mexico town were in near riot. However, it would not help anyone if another massacre happened here. The main reason was that the military was prepared to hold onto all states that even thought of seceding.

Sympathetic states' legislatures and U.S. Congress people all protested the heavy-handed way they felt President Ramirez was dealing with the rebellion. Some people were angry because they felt that the Federal Government had no justification to stop Texas from seceding. Others felt that the president was taking too long to respond.

Wilson could feel that soon there would be enough people and sentiment of support for the New Republic of Texas that the U.S. government would have to bow to the people's will and sue for peace with the new country.

The meeting was another long and vehement affair as people vented their anger and frustration over the whole situation. Many people called for the assassination of Ramirez or another armed rebellion. However, Wilson knew that the time was not ripe for either.

Sheriff Gracen, a man straddled with maintaining the peace of the small town and making sure that the military did nothing to violate the Constitutional Rights of his people, wanted to speak to Wilson after the meeting. His concerns grew nightly about the growing animosity being displayed at the meetings. They needed a better and more productive approach. That is, unless Littleton and his people in New Mexico wanted to leave the Union and therefore, suffer the chaos and carnage that was raging across the New Republic of Texas.

Gracen stepped up to the stage where Wilson had for two hours railed against President Ramirez and the Federal Government. He noticed that Wilson was speaking to a wiry young man in his mid-twenties. The young man was wearing his military fatigues as Gracen approached the two.

"Hey Bernie!" Wilson waved to the sheriff. "Have you met Ted Morrel?"

Sheriff Gracen nodded towards the young man. "Ted was recently discharged from the army for his views on the rebellion," Wilson added.

Sheriff Gracen smiled and looked towards Wilson, "Fred, I have a few things to discuss with you."

"Of course, Ted was just enlightening me on an interesting idea of his that very well could end this whole debacle a lot sooner."

"Really?" Gracen said arching an eyebrow.

Fred Wilson motioned for Ted to step aside, "Ted, I'll be back. We'll discuss your plan further. Now Sheriff what can I do for you?"