The Soldier
Chapter 26

The trip south had been uneventful. As Jon had expected, they had come across several American patrols. Two of which they managed to steer clear of. The third bought their story of being a hunting party out of Jacksonville.

They were moving past a freight train depot heading southwest along the remains of a highway. Logan was casually watching the activity as freight cars were moved into their positions by a work engine.

“Seems almost normal,” he said to Jon as the horses walked along.

“In many ways, it is,” Jon said, “And there are many Americans who don’t realize what they’ve given up over the years and just wish those of us who do would just go away already.”

“So why don’t you? I mean, if you can have a fairly quiet life and just go along with the status quo, isn’t that worth something rather than fighting what appears to be an unwinnable fight?”

Jon looked at Logan and laughed.

“You’re the last one I would have expected to hear making a comment like that,” he said. “You fought for England. Would you just give up on the England you love if the situation were reversed?”

“No, of course not,” Logan said. “Things aren’t peachy back home, but at least we’ve still got our freedom.”

“Exactly,” Jon said. “And besides, I just can’t give up on restoring the America my ancestors fought and died for.”

“Your ancestors?”

Jon smiled.

“Yep, my ancestors, well, our ancestors really. Nearly half of the people in my unit can trace their heritage all the way back to revolutionary if not colonial times. We didn’t just pick ‘minutemen’ for a name because it sounded cool. It means something to each and every one of us.”

The two men rode silently for several minutes.

“So, where are we headed?”

“Someplace to lay over for a few days,” Jon said.

Several hours later, Jon brought the team to a halt. They were standing on an open piece of land. To their right were the ruined hulks of businesses that were the only indication that they were moving down what had once been a roadway. To their left was a building that was vaguely reminiscent of a chapel or hall of some sort, with most of a bell tower next to it.

“Where exactly are we?” Logan asked.

Jon took a deep breath and looked around.

“Home,” he said as he nudged his horse forward.

Several minutes later, they were standing outside a huge structure. Concrete ramps spiraling up to the upper levels of the facility had not yet completely succumbed to the elements.

Willie moved up beside Logan.

“Do you have the slightest idea where we are or what this place is?”

Logan shook his head. “Haven’t the slightest.”

“Come on, we’re going to set up camp inside,” Jon said.

The five horses carefully walked up a ramp and then down some crumbling stairs onto an expanse of grass and brush inside the structure. Logan looked up at the rows and rows of seats and the upper-level observation areas that at one time were enclosed with glass.

As Logan slid from his horse, he looked up at the top level where the remains of signs could be seen. There were numbers – 7 and 15, and parts of names that he couldn’t quite make out.

“It’s a sports stadium of some sort,” Willie said softly to Logan as he looked at the fallen goal post at one end of the field. “American Football I think.”

“Close Willie, College Football actually,” Jon said, a big grin on his face. ” My friends, welcome to Florida Field.”

Logan looked around. “Sorry, Jon, this obviously means a lot to you, but I haven’t a clue.”

Jon laughed. “Obviously. We’re on what used to the be the main campus of the University of Florida. Florida Field was named in honor of Floridians who lost their lives in World War I. At one point they attached the name of Coach Steve Spurrier to it, but I don’t really call it that, neither does anyone else who grew up here.

“This is Gainesville. My hometown. We’re going to take a breather here and try to get the latest info from Kennedy.”

“How long to you plan on staying here? Logan asked.

“Just a few days,” Jon said. “Let the horses rest up a bit, do some hunting. Get the radio set up, and once we have the latest intel we’ll head down to Cocoa Beach.”

“And when we get to Cocoa Beach?”

“Then it’s up to you to figure out how to get your friend out of what is, after The Wall docking bays, one of the most tightly guarded American facilities on the Atlantic coast.”

“And just how am I supposed to get a signal in here?”

Jon turned to see Max walking up with a backpack slung over one shoulder.

“Well,” Jon said looking up. “I suggest you get yourself up to the top of the stadium. It’s the highest point around here so you shouldn’t have any trouble at all reaching Cocoa.”

Max grunted. “Easy for you, you don’t have to climb to the top of this damned thing.”

“Should I get someone to help you?”

“Nah,” Max said. “I can handle it fine, and I could use the exercise. I just like complaining.”

Max walked off for the nearest stairway going up from the field into the stadium.

Jon watched Max walk off then turned to Logan.

“Come on, I’ll show you around a bit.”

“Sounds good,” Logan said.

The two men had just reached the southern end of the stadium when Willie and David caught up with them.

“Where are you two off to?” Willie asked.

“Jon and I are going off for a bit of a walk, why?”

“Mind of we tag along? David and I don’t have much to do and you never know, might come across something interesting or maybe useful.”

“Fine with me. Jon?”

“No problem here, let’s go.”

The four men walked up the stairs into the stadium’s interior, then down a long concrete ramp that let them out onto the campus. They walked along in silence. Logan looked around, taking in the design of the what was left of the buildings, built so many years ago in the American Gothic style that mimicked the designs of old American and British institutions.

“This must have been truly beautiful at one point.”

“It was, at least so I’ve been told,” Jon said. “When the government began diverting all funds to the construction of the wall, the universities were the first things to fall apart. No research dollars, no federal grants of any kind, and without government-supported financial aid, most people couldn’t afford to come.

“My family actually lived in one of the old dorms for a while. All the kids used to play football on Florida Field and imagine we were back in the day, with the roaring crowds and all.”

Jon fell silent. Logan looked at Willie and David and sighed, then put his hand on Jon’s shoulder.

“You said you’re willing to fight for the old America. Do you think you’ll ever get your hometown back?”

“Me? No, there’s too much rebuilding to be done,” Jon said sadly. “But if I could just see things heading back in the right direction. If I could see that my grandson would have a chance to see this country the way it once was. That would be ... outstanding.”

David and Willie had split off from Jon and Logan and were wandering around the central part of the campus on their own.

“Must’ve been real nice at one point in time, eh?”

David looked around

“Agreed,” David said.

Then he stopped and looked at the roof of a nearby building.

“What?” Willie asked.

“Come on,” David said as he headed towards a two-story building at a brisk pace. Willie hurried to keep up with David, catching up to him as David walked through an old metal gate that was rusted in place partially open.

“Lacking a working lift, we need to find a stairway,” David said, “Ah, here we are.”

He pulled a door open and sprinted up the stairs with Willie following at his heels.

“Do you mind if I ask what we are looking for,” Willie said, somewhat winded as they reached the upper limit of the stairway.

“Patience, my friend,” David said as he tried the door. “Well, it’s either rusted shut or locked. But either way, maybe the years haven’t been kind to the hinges and we might be able to get outside with the application of a bit of force.”

David stepped back and gave the door a solid kick. The door vibrated but didn’t open.

“Lend me a hand, or more precisely a foot, if you don’t mind,” David said.

Willie just sighed but moved into position.

“All right, then, on three,“David said. ” one, two, and three!”

The two men kicked with the same result.

“Once more,” David said.

They kicked again and this time the hinges gave way and the door fell open. David immediately walked through the door out onto the roof. Willie looked through the door as he rubbed his sore foot, then followed. He walked up to David.

“Now what was so important?”

Then Willie saw what David was looking at.

“Yes,” Willie said agreeably, “These just might come in handy at some point.”

“Jon said this was a university, and this must have been the communications school,” David said. “Where else on campus would they have such a collection of satellite dishes just waiting to be put back to work.”

“Where indeed,” Willie said. “The question is, what are we going to do with them.”

“Well, our dear old friend Logan has this foolish notion about getting America back in touch with the proverbial outside world, and this is one way of doing it.”

“Yes, but don’t you need satellites for these things to work?”

“That you do.”

“And didn’t the bloody Americans knock the birds that overflew their territory out of the sky back when they built that damned Wall?”

“Right again.”

“Then,” Willie said getting somewhat exasperated, “How the hell are you planning to use these fancy antennae if there isn’t anything up in orbit for them to talk to?”

“I don’t rightly know at the moment,” David said.” Maybe there’s still one up there that I can bounce a signal off.”

David turned and started back inside.

“But first, we have to find the broadcast facility inside this building and see what is salvageable.”

“And even if you find some working equipment, what are you going to use for power?”

“That,” said David, “is something to worry about at another time.”

It had been two days since the minutemen had arrived in Gainesville and Logan was getting jumpy.

“And exactly why are we still here?”

“Because I haven’t decided it’s time to move out yet. I’m in charge of this unit and it doesn’t move until I say so.”

Jon looked at Logan.

“Now, if you and your people want to head out ahead of us, you can go with my blessings. And I’ll even let you borrow a couple of horses. But I think I’ve got you figured out. You’re ex military and I really doubt you want to move into hostile territory without knowing exactly what you’re walking into.”

“You’re absolutely right,” Logan said with a smile on his face. “On both counts. I’m just anxious to get moving and get Caitlin out of the American’s tender graces.”

“Understood,” Jon said. “But she’s probably in a pretty good place right now, especially if the Americans are finding her useful. The info we’ve heard paints a pretty nice picture for the workers inside Kennedy. Regular hours, decent apartments and the like.”

“Well regardless, a prison is a prison no matter how nicely the walls are painted,” Logan said.

“What’s this about painted walls? Are we setting up shop here permanently?”

Logan and Jon turned to see Mandy walk up.

“No, not hardly,” Jon said, then a thought occurred to him. “Actually, I have an idea. How’d you like to take Logan out for a little R and R until we’re ready to move out? Take two horses and go explore a bit.”

Logan began to blush slightly, but before either he or Mandy could say anything, Max walked up.

“Got some news, Jon,“He said.

“Go on.”

“Seems Logan’s friend has got herself in good with the Feds. She’s got ’em believing she’s working for them and she’s been given a little bit for a loose leash as it were.”

“Sounds good,” Logan said.

“Oh, you haven’t heard the best part of it,” Max said.

“And that would be?”

“She’s been assigned to hack that chip of yours.”

Logan opened him mouth, then closed it again. The stroke of luck was indeed unbelievable.

“The look on your face,” Max said as he turned to return to his radio, “priceless.”

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