Webster City

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  While the driver tried to make radio contact with Freedom Alliance headquarters, Davidson looked around and saw several other Alliance trucks drive through the main gate and head towards the air command building. Nobody tried to stop them. Overhead, Alliance helicopters kept flitting towards the center of the City. Then a couple of small tanks came through the main gate and scurried towards the main hangars, firing their cannon.

  After about a minute, the driver yelled that he'd made contact with headquarters. The blond guy swaggered over to the cabin, sat next to the driver and spoke to someone on a hand-held two-way radio. After about three minutes, he puts his head out of the window and yelled at Davidson. "Commander Solon wants to talk to you."

  After breathing a sigh of relief, Davidson picked up the pack containing the canisters of Agent Pandora and strolled over to the truck. Helen Watkins followed him.

  He took the radio from the blond fighter and said: "Davidson here."

  "Solon here. You've got the canisters?" Solon sounded remarkably calm for a general fighting the climactic battle of a decades-long war with planetary domination at stake. He certainly didn't sound like he was losing it.

  "Yes, all three, intact."

  "Excellent. Well done. Where is Colonel Prentice?"

  "Dead, I'm afraid. He killed the Chancellor, but didn't make it out of the Palace."

  Solon's tone rose. "The Chancellor is dead?"

  "Yes, in his office."

  "You're sure."

  "I didn't hang around to give him an autopsy. But the Colonel put about six bullets in him and even killed his ghost."

  The Commander's voice wore a big smile. "That's great news - wonderful. We've been wondering why the City's defense seemed so uncoordinated. Well done."

  Davidson wanted to ask how the tide of battle was going, but the Commander obviously had no time for chit-chat. "Glad to help. Now, will you tell your man here not to shoot Helen Watkins or me?"

  A laugh. "Of course. Put Captain Tucker back on the radio."

  Davidson handed the radio back to the blond fighter who listened for about a minute and said: "Roger."

  Tucker handed the radio back to the driver and turned to Davidson. "Looks like I'm not allowed to kill you or your friend."

  "Good."

  "In fact, I've got to take you both to the Palace, with the canisters."

  "The Palace? We should take them to your headquarters."

  Finally, a smile. "Commander Solon expects to set up his headquarters outside the Palace in about twenty minutes."

  "You're kidding?"

  "No, we've gone through this city like a knife through butter. It's a bit spooky really. I'm worried it's some sort of trap. But I'm glad we came across you. We were sent to secure the air base. Now we can watch the fall of the Palace. Amazing. Come on, let's get everybody on-board."

  Captain Tucker jumped out of the cabin and yelled for his men to get back on the truck. "We're going to the Palace."

  That provoked a loud cheer and everyone scurried towards the back of the truck.

  Tucker looked at Davidson and Watkins. "Come on, we'll ride in the back."

  The rear of the truck had an open tray with a bench on each side. Davidson climbed aboard, careful to ensure he didn't bump the pack containing the Agent Pandora. He sat next to Watkins with the pack between his knees.

  Tucker sat opposite and looked at Davidson. "I'd better get you both something more appropriate to wear."

  He reached under a bench, pulled out two camouflage jackets with the Freedom Alliance insignia and proffered them. "Here, put these on."

  Davidson and Watkins thanked Tucker and did as told.

  As they drove off the air base, Tucker introduced himself as Captain Rene Tucker. He was born in an Outlaw community in Kentucky and had been in the Freedom Alliance for almost ten years. "My grandparents escaped the City about 40 years ago, so I've got lots of relatives in this place I've never met."

  "How did you get into the City this morning?"

  The Captain proudly described how Alliance engineers worked throughout the night to clear paths through the minefield in front of the main city wall. "As soon as the artillery bombardment started, squads like mine crawled forward and blew holes in the wall. Once through, we circled around to help capture the South Gate. Then we joined the battalion responsible for capturing the air base."

  "Where did you get the helicopters from?"

  A laugh. "Big surprise, huh? The US Army stored sealed kits of those copters in tunnels in the Arkansas hills, for use after a nuclear war. It took us years to assemble them and get them working. Fortunately, a couple of defectors from Webster City, who were aircraft engineers, helped out."

  The pandemonium on Jonas Salk Boulevard had abated. Freedom Alliance armored vehicles and troop trucks were now streaming towards Pasteur Plaza. The only impediments to their progress were the crashed and burnt-out vehicles that dotted the route. However, the truck driver weaved his way past them.

  Most of the fighters on the truck stood and trained their rifles on the apartment buildings, wary of snipers. However, Freedom Alliance flags already hung over many balconies.

  Davidson scanned the fighters on the troop trucks around him. Their helmets and shoulder patches showed most belonged to the Liberty Brigade. However, the Badlands was infested with religious sects, many of which taught that the end of the world was nigh. Many sects had sent troops to join the Freedom Alliance. So Davidson also saw troops from the Branch Davidian, Episcopalian, Muslim and Buddhist regiments. A large flag with a star and crescent fluttered above one truck.

  Captain Tucker shook his head. "I've waited years for this moment. It doesn't seem real."

  It seemed even less real to Davidson. He had spent years fighting the Freedom Alliance. Now he sat on one of its trucks as it drove victoriously towards the center of Webster City.