JAA Ch. 01: Aftermath

Cappy shook his head as he eyed the smiling face of Sue in the turret behind the fifty. Mark was in the passenger seat holding on for dear life. Simon was laughing, as he floored it past Cappy and Jones, around to the front of the hanger. Jones swung the hummer around and followed Simon around to the front of the hanger.

Four of Cappy's men were at the small side door of the hanger talking to whoever was inside. After about five minutes the four men stepped back from the door and people started to file out. Not just a handful but four planes full, Cappy climbed down from his hummer and walked to the group of flight crew talking with John.

"...do you know if there is any fuel on the base?"

"No, sir, we just got here ourselves."

"Waylon," Cappy yelled.

'Yeah, boss."

"Send some men to see if there is any JP in the tanks then fill some of those fuel trucks and get them over here."

"Right."

"Are you in charge here?"

"I like to think I am, sometimes, though, I'm not so sure. Does whiskey one-five-delta-delta-four ring a bell?"

"That was you people?"

"Yes. We hadn't had any contact with Lackland here for two or three days and thought we would come on down this way to find out what was going on."

"Thank the gods you did. Those...people...where going to use us all for slave labor and such. They already raped a few of the women and did some unspeakable things to some of the children."

"Ma'am, you can't do that, ma'am. Please go back over with the group."

"Just a second Captain," Cappy said to the pilot and walked over to the woman Simon was holding back.

"Miss..."

"Missus, Missus Carlton, that sick bastard, the one with the smirk on his face, raped me. And the one next to him cut up that poor little girl Emily."

"And what would you do to him if I let you go over there?"

"Kill him."

"How?"

"Anyway, I could."

"Well then," Cappy said holding out his pistol to her, "go ahead."

The smirk disappeared from the face of the man who raped her as she took the weapon from Cappy's hand and hefted it with a knowledgeable gesture. She walked over to where he sat and pointed the pistol at his head. He raised his hands as if to shield himself from the bullet. She squeezed the trigger. The bullet impacted the man in the crotch. She pulled the trigger a second time. The man slumped forward as the bullet ripped through his chest.

The man who had molested the child rose and started to take a step toward the woman. Rounds hit him in the head and chest. The woman walked over to another woman in the crowd of passengers and took her hand, dragging her over to the other men that sat on the ground with fright in their eyes. She put the gun in her hand and whispered something to her.

The woman with the gun looked up and searched the faces of the seated men. She spotted one and brought the pistol to bear. Her hand started shaking and she broke down, dropping her arm to her side. Waylon waded into the crowd of men and plucked the one she was going to shoot up by the neck. Waylon raised him above his head and slammed him down onto his knee breaking his back and snapping his neck.

"Line them all up against the wall and shoot them," Waylon yelled.

Eager hands and feet grabbed and kicked them until they were up against the wall of the hanger. Sue still stood in the turret and swung the fifty around to cover the men. As soon as her friends were out of the way, she pressed the trigger and held it until the belt of ammo in the gun was exhausted.

A cheer went up among the women passengers. The men nodded their heads in approval. Cappy walked over to the woman who had his gun and gently took it out of her hand and put it back in its holster. The men assigned to look for fuel ran off to search.

"Waylon see about some decent food for these people. Captain," Cappy stopped as he turned back to the pilot he had been taking too. "What's the matter, Captain?"

"I...I can't explain...this is the first time...you American's do know how to take care of people. I just assumed that you would put these animals in prison."

"Who do you think we are the police, the military? We are private citizens just taking care of ourselves and those who can't. We do not oppose the military forces, what's left of them, in any way. We are just trying to make the best of things for our children and ourselves. If we succeed then a court of law will be present in this land again. Until then lawbreakers must be dealt with harshly to dissuade those that might decide to follow their path."

"I see. I think I speak for everyone here, thank you."

"Not necessary Captain. Now let's see about some food for you and your passengers."

"Cappy, I found the mess hall. It still has canned and frozen food and the gas and electric are still working," Ham's voice came over Cappy's radio.

"Great, where?"

"Two streets in from the airfield, y'all could be here in five minutes. There is also a barracks next door."

"Okay, we'll be on our way in about five minutes."

"Roger, I'll leave a light on."

"Leave it to Ham. Captain, looks like we have a place for you to eat and sleep tonight. If there's any fuel you can take off in the morning."

"Thank you, gentlemen, all right lads get them up on their feet we're going to take a little hike to get something to eat."

"Right Captain."

The group got into a ragged line and started toward the mess hall. Cappy caught a glimpse of the light as he stood to the side and let the passengers pass. Several gunshots echoed in the distance, down the road Cappy had come. Some of his men had run into the spotters. He hoped none of his was hurt.

Cappy waved at Phil who started up his hummer and drove over to Cappy.

"Phil, take Sue and go with the passenger. Sue check out any who might be injured."

"Right, Phil step on it."

The hummer sped away from Cappy as they careened down the road toward the light in the distance. Three fuel trucks came roaring up to the tarmac where the planes stood.

"There's a fourth truck but we only had three people Cappy."

"That's fine, you guys know what you're doing?"

"I can teach them, I worked the flight line for ten years."

"Good. Be safe."

"Roger Cappy."

Cappy smiled to himself. Things were going smoothly, so far.

"Cappy, I put three men in the tower, all the equipment there is in working order. You can see the whole base from there too." Waylon came walking up to stand beside Cappy.

"Good thinking. Who was out the way of the gate?"

"That was John and Paul. They got those two lookouts skulking around."

"Good, good."

"What's on the schedule now?"

"We get these planes fueled and tomorrow they fly out of here. Then we go home."

"Sounds good to me."

"There's food and beds where the light is down that way. Rotate the men so they get something to eat and a little sleep."

"Sure thing Cappy."

Cappy turned and started to walk away.

"Hey Cappy, we found a hanger full of hummers topped off and ready to go two hangers down."

"Great, we'll take a few with us when we leave."

"There was this note for you there too."

"What?" Cappy exclaimed as he took the piece of paper from Waylon.

Opening the folded note, Cappy read...

Cappy,

I know you will find that we have left and I just wanted to let you know that we have been ordered south to protect the President. There were so few of us left here anyway and all the men that stayed were from the northern states, like me, that I decided to follow these orders.

Have fun with the equipment. We have left everything as is. There are so few people left in the States that I have no doubt that everything will be quite safe until you stumble upon it looking for us.

The keys to the weapons bunker are on the key ring of the command hummer in the second hanger of hummers. I know you will need a re-supply of ammo and spare parts for those weapons I gave you last year.

Good luck and keep everyone safe. Say hello to Doctor's Susan and Michelle for me and that jarhead Waylon.

Regards,

TEE

Major General Thomas E. Elfing USAF

"Did you get the keys?"

"Yes. Did you read the part where he called me a jarhead?"

"Yeah, did you tear up?"

"Yeah, that flyboy sure has a way with words. Here're the keys." Waylon turned and walked away, as Cappy laughed at his friend's words.

"We put a temporary patch on the hole in the side of the plane you shot up Cappy, it should hold until they get to where they are going. All the planes are fueled and ready to go. We hauled up four generators from the hanger down the flight line and we've been charging the planes internal batteries all night."

"Great thinking, the trucks with the passengers should be here in about a half an hour."

Cappy stood, looked around at all that they had accomplished, the dead, just one passenger had been killed, had been buried. The animals who had set up this little sting where tied to the fencing around the air base as a warning to others of their ilk. Cappy did not like doing it but Waylon said bad times call for disgusting measures.

The planes sat, lined up, ready for their passengers, and crew. Cappy's men were in strategic positions around the flight line. Waylon and Sue were standing by at the mess hall while the passengers and crew had a good breakfast. The planes, restocked with food and beverages from the mess hall were ready for the long flight.

Cappy stood next to the first plane and watched as the passengers climbed aboard. They all thanked him and smiled as they passed him. Standing next to him was the captain of the plane.

"I want to thank you, sir, for the rescue and the servicing of our plane."

"No problem Captain. Get these people to safety and we'll call it even."

"You bet Captain." Cappy snapped too and saluted the pilot.

"You know I was never a Captain of anything."

"Does it matter in times like these?"

"I guess it doesn't. Good luck and may the wind be at your back."

"Thank you." The pilot turned and climbed the stairs.

At the top, he turned and waved, then closed the hatch. Cappy backed away from the mobile stairway as it pulled away from the plane. He walked over to the generator and stood next to Larry as he talked to the cabin crew. The engines started to whine as the compressors spun up to speed.

Engine one lit and engine two started whining. It took five minutes to get all four engines running and up to speed and temperature. Larry ran forward and unhooked the phone and the generator. He looped the wires around their hook and the generator whisked away. Larry ran out in front of the plane and directed it to turn to the left.

"Tower, let them know when they are clear and make sure you have the correct lights turned on."

"We do Cappy, Larry showed us before he went to start the planes."

Cappy nodded to himself as he walked over to the next plane in line. Larry met him at the generator just as the last engine ignited and screamed up the scale. Larry ran out and unhooked the generator and phone line. Looping them around their hooks on the generator, it too was whisked away at his signal.

The pilot had watched the first plane and started his turn once Larry was out front. Cappy and Larry then went to the third plane. It was already clear of its generator. Larry stood with his arms crossed as he waited for the second plane to clear the way. When the second plane had finished its turn, Larry signaled the pilot of the third plan to start his turn.

"Do you think they'll be all right Cappy?" Larry yelled, the noise from the engines almost drowning him out.

"Don't know. I hope so." Cappy yelled back. "I hope so."

The fourth plane started its turn as the third finished theirs.

As Cappy watched the planes roll down the taxiway, he shook his head in wonder. The planes made the turn onto the head of the runway and one after the other roared past his field of vision and leaped into the air. Once all four planes were aloft, they formed up and headed south.

Chapter 33

"Cappy, we have a request from a military aircraft to land," Waylon said over the radio.

"Who's military?"

"China," exclaimed Waylon. "They say they're on a mission of mercy."

"Yeah, that's what they called it last time they tried this."

"What should I tell them?"

"Tell them to try Canada."

There was a pause. Then the radio filled with laughter.

"They said there is nothing but snow in Canada."

"Let them land but, give me time to prepare a welcoming committee. I want everyone that can drive to grab a hummer out of the hanger and drive it to the base of the tower, now."

Cappy walked over to the hummer parked nearby, waved Larry in and drove down to the hanger with all the hummers. Larry jumped out, climbed in one of the parked hummers, and fired it up. Both he and Cappy then drove to the base of the tower.

"All right, I want the hummers spaced fifty feet apart, all facing toward the ramp. I want every man in the turret on the fifty, only fire on my command or my death. Clear?"

"Clear Cappy," Waylon answered for the rest.

"Go, here he comes." Everyone turned and headed off to a hummer.

Ten machine guns swung toward the incoming aircraft. A C130 look-a-like rolled onto the ramp and halted. The engines whined down as power shut off. Cappy walked to the nose of the aircraft until he could see the pilot through the windscreen.

"Tell them to send out one man, someone who speaks English," Cappy told Simon who was in the tower on the radio talking to the plane.

A side door opened and a woman climbed down the ladder that flipped out of the hatch. A strikingly beautiful woman, in a military uniform, with long black hair, turned and walked to Cappy. When she was standing in front of Cappy, she snapped a salute. Cappy smiled as she held her salute.

"I'm not in the military, uh...Major," Cappy told her. She smiled as she lowered her hand.

"I had the impression that this was a military base."

"It was...or still is, but I'm a civilian."

"Then I need to talk to the highest ranking military officer on the base."

"Well, that might be a little difficult. You see, all the military has been reassigned, to Mexico."

"I see. Then I guess I will talk to the civilian in charge."

"Well, that's me. John 'Cappy' Abernathy at your service," Cappy said as he stuck out his hand.

"Well, Mister Aber..."

"Cappy, please."

"All right, Cappy, Major Ying Lee at your service. You may call me Ying."

"Great. How many men do you have huddled in the back of that plane Ying?"

"Why " her eyes grew big with surprise, "only ten."

"Then let me re-phrase that question if you don't mind. How can I help you?"

She smiled at Cappy as he asked the question. He still held her hand in his and she was not trying to pull it from his grasp.

"We are on a mercy mission to re-supply our men. It has been a long time since the People of China have been able to send them supplies."

"I don't know what to tell you...you see...uh..."

"They are not all dead?" Ying's eyes started to tear up as she realized what Cappy might be alluding too.

"Not that I know of, it is true quite a number were killed, I don't know the total count, but most of them surrendered. That was back when the military here in Texas was still around. Reinforced by the citizens of Texas and other states, your men, were either killed or captured. I'm sorry." Cappy pulled her closer to him.

"Those who were captured, what was their fate?"

"They were turned loose and are living with us as best they can."

"You expect me to believe that?" Cappy released her hand as she backed away.

"Just a minute," Cappy turned to the men in the hummers. "Ham, front and center."

Ham jumped out of his vehicle and ran up to stand next to Cappy. When he noticed Ying's uniform he snapped to attention and saluted her. He rattled something off in Mandarin to Ying, who snapped to attention and saluted him back. They both conversed in their native tongue for a few short minutes.

"My apologies Cappy, it would seem you are telling me the truth."

"Why wouldn't I? I have nothing to hide and even if we did kill them all, they were invaders, armed invaders of my country. Would not you do the same thing?"

"I suppose I would. Ham tells me you are an honorable man. He is very impressed by your...what is the word...moral compass, yes, he is very impressed with your moral compass."

"Thanks, Ham," Cappy, said slapping Ham on the back, "I like you too."

"Thank you Cappy," Ham replied.

"Ying, why don't you tell everyone in the plane to come out, unarmed of course, where we can see them," Cappy told her.

"You're right of course." Ying produced a radio and talking in Mandarin told her men to deplane.

"Ham?" Cappy queried.

"She is telling them to leave their weapons," Ham replied.

Ying said something to Ham in Mandarin.

"I live here now, these are my friends. I no longer serve the People's Liberation Army. We were abandoned two years ago."

"He's right you know. There is no way home from here. There is no fuel for your plane. We just used the last of it to send four seven-four-sevens from Europe on to South America. Sorry."

"I see," Ying spoke into her radio again.

"She is telling them to open the rear doors so unloading may be done," Ham told Cappy.

"What kind of unloading?"

"The unloading of all the supplies we have brought, which you may now have," Ying told Cappy smiling at him.

"Cappy there were some deuce and a half's in the second hanger down," Ham said.

"Ham, take two men and bring back three."

"Sure thing Cappy."

"Ying, are you hungry?"

"Yes, I just deplore those boxed meals they have onboard." She smiled at Cappy.

"Well then you're in for a treat as we have a fully functional military mess hall," Cappy smiled back at her. "Waylon," Cappy yelled over his shoulder.

Waylon came lumbering up behind Cappy. Ying's eye grew wide with wonder as the tall hulk came into her line of vision.

"Yes, Cappy?" Ying jumped at his deep voice.

"Waylon, this is Major Ying Lee of the People's Liberation Army, she brought us some supplies and will be staying on with us. Please make sure her men make it over to the mess hall when they are done unloading the plane for us."

"How do you do Major Lee, it's very nice to meet you. I am Major Waylon Franklin, United States Marine Corp at your service." Waylon stuck out his hand.

Ying's small hand disappeared in the grasp of Waylon's. She was astonished at the size of the man before her. He was so big, yet his firm grip of her hand was so gentle.

"Pleased to meet you, Major Fra..."

"Waylon please," Waylon's deep voice cut her off.

"Waylon then very pleased to meet you." Ying smiled up at the big man as he continued to hold her hand.

"Waylon?"

"What?"

"Unloading?"

"Oh, sorry, I'll get right on it boss." Waylon released Ying's hand and smiling turned toward the plane.

Three deuce and a half's roared up to the back of the plane, as Ying's ten men waited at the foot of the ladder. Ham jumped out of the lead truck and yelled at the men in Mandarin. They all jumped at hearing their native language coming from behind them. Ying turned and yelled at her men in Mandarin. They all hurried to the back of the plane where a truck was backing up to the ramp.

"Well, we'll leave it to my men to unload. I have told them to follow Lieutenant Chung's orders. Why do you call him Ham?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you over dinner." Cappy turned to the hummers. "Sue, Mark, Luke, and Phil, you're with me." Turning back to Ying, "Shall we," Cappy said offering Ying his arm. The four others joined them as they headed for the mess hall.