Armageddon Run

Chapter Five

Yet another sleepless night compelled Plato to arise early and tiptoe from the cabin without awakening his darling wife, Nadine. He stood near the door and sadly gazed at the first trace of light on the eastern horizon.

Was it the senility or something else? Why was he so uneasy?

Plato clasped his hands behind his stooped back and walked eastward, toward the fields and wooded sections preserved in the eastern part of the Home. The cabins for the married couples and families were aligned in the middle of the 30-acre plot, while the western portion contained the six concrete blocks and the open space used for Family social and religious activities.

If all was proceeding according to plan. Blade and the others would be assuming control of Catlow today. If the Doktor took the bait, the next phase would swing into operation. And if the column adhered to his explicit dictates, the Freedom Federation would score a major victory in its battle against the oppressive Civilized Zone.

There were so many ifs.

So many variables.

The Freedom Federation had been his idea. Actually, he had favored the designation Freedom Confederation, but when the final tally had been taken, after Zahner had expressed his preference for the “snappier” Freedom Federation, the leaders of the unifying factions had opted for Zahner’s choice.

Quibbling over the title would have been inane. The primary achievement was effecting the union of such diverse groups.

The Cavalry people had been easy to convince. They had suffered repeatedly from raids by Civilized Zone forces. Based in eastern South Dakota, the Cavalry was the closest to the Civilized Zone. Originally formed as a protective association immediately after World War III, a vigilante group devoted to defending the residents from looters, scavengers, and Government troops, the Cavalry was now a precision military force with approximately 700 armed and mounted riders at its disposal. Its leader, a rugged man named Kilrane, had eagerly embraced the concept of the Freedom Federation and an assault on the Civilized Zone. Kilrane and over 500 of the Cavalry were now leading the attack column. Because 6 of the Family’s 15 Warriors were also on the expedition, Kilrane had graciously left 20 of his men, under the command of a gunman called Boone, at the Home as support for Spartacus and the other remaining Warriors.

The refugees from the Twin Cities had also been happy to join the Federation. Alpha Triad had led about 550 people, the surviving members of three separate groups, to safety. The three groups, known as the Horns, the Porns, and the Nomads, had been fighting among themselves for years over their miserable turf. Now all three were working to build a new home in Halma, not far from the Home. The Family was industriously aiding the refugees in adapting to their new locale. After their arrival in Halma, the heads of the groups had held a conclave and decided to strive to bury their animosity and begin anew. They had selected a title for themselves, using the Family as an example, and called themselves the Clan. Elections had been held, and Zahner had been chosen as their first collective leader. A man named Bear and another known as Brother Timothy had been appointed as Zahner’s lieutenants.

The final faction comprising the Freedom Federation was the Moles.

Initially discovered by Hickok, they existed in a subterranean city over 50 miles east of the Home. They were led by a man called Wolfe. Plato distrusted this Wolfe, but didn’t know why. There was simply some quality about the man engendering unease, an air of deviousness, as it were. Still, Wolfe had agreed to the Federation concept and sent 150 men as his share of the attacking force.

With the 500 or so Cavalry riders, and the 150 Moles, plus the 200 fighting men the Clan could spare, the Freedom Federation was launching an attack on the Civilized Zone with only 850 “soldiers.” The number seemed considerable, until one compared it to the amassed might of their foes.

The Civilized Zone was dominated by a dictator named Samuel II, abetted by the Doktor. Both were supported by the military. Apparently, during the Third World War, a member of the deceased President’s cabinet, Samuel Hyde, had assumed control of the reigns of Government and declared martial law. That had been the end of the United States of America’s Constitutional freedoms. The capital of the country had been moved to Denver, as the military and political forces still operational withdrew to the Midwest and Rocky Mountain region. While in Kalispell, Montana, Blade had learned of Samuel II’s ambition to reconquer all the former territory of the United States.

Plato watched the edge of the sun appear above the horizon.

And now the Freedom Federation was poised to strike before the dictator could realize his vision of conquest. The first major blow had already been struck, when Yama and Lynx had destroyed the Doktor’s headquarters at the Cheyenne Citadel. After Yama had returned from Wyoming and detailed his adventures, Plato had concocted the current plan. The beginning phase necessitated seven fighters entering the Civilized Zone. A conference had been held, and it had been agreed that each faction—the Family, the Clan, the Cavalry, and the Moles—should pick someone for the seven. Plato, Zahner, Kilrane, and Wolfe had agreed to use the SEAL for the operation, and the SEAL never went anywhere without Alpha Triad. With three of the seven automatically chosen, the Cavalry had nominated Rudabaugh as one of its best men, the Clan had opted for Bertha, and the Moles had volunteered Orson. Lynx had stepped forward on his own initiative. His intense hatred of the Doktor, combined with his thorough familiarity with the Civilized Zone, had made him an ideal candidate.

Seven against the Doktor.

Several sparrows darted from a nearby tree, chirping their greeting to the fresh day.

Plato somberly watched their flight, hoping he would have something to sing about too when this was over.