Free Blood in the Ashes by William W. Johnstone Page B

of north Florida. He’d left a good man down there to run the operations, so he wasn’t at all concerned about that.
    Ben Raines concerned him.
    All that garbage about him being some kind of a god. Shit! Goddamned law-and-order freak was what he was.
    Wasn’t no back-up in Raines. He just went in shooting. But he was a mortal; he bled just like anybody else. And Tony meant to be the one who pulled the trigger on Ben Raines.
    Yes, getting rid of Raines would be quite a feather in his cap.
    He’d definitely see about wasting Ben Raines. He had people in Raines’ camp.
    The son of a bitch!

TWELVE
    It didn’t take Dan Gray long to put it all together. He had looked around and found a lot of seasoned combat vets gone from camp. Probably gone to link up with General Raines.
    He wondered if the general was going to make a move against those who grabbed Colonel McGowen. Probably, he concluded. Dan knew he had a bad reputation in a fight. But nothing to compare with General Raines’ reputation as a bad ass. He felt very sorry for the Ninth Order when Ben Raines caught up with them.
    The Englishman had detected a growing restlessness in General Raines lately. And he had pegged it accurately. When the Rebels were settled in, the problem with Willette and his malcontents solved—and it would be solved—and Ike found, dead or alive, Dan was certain Ben was going to take off. Probably after Gale birthed her babies. But he couldn’t be sure of that, for Gale was one very astute person, and Dan had spoken with her at length many times. Gale knew Ben was getting restless, and she also knew no one woman held Ben for very long. Not since Salina. Gale just might insist Ben take off without her.
    Dan didn’t blame Ben for wanting to get away for a time: a few months, perhaps even a year. Lord knows the man had been saddled with the problems of creating nations for more than a decade. It was time for a break.
    Dan smiled. All right, General, he thought, take your hiatus—you’ve earned it. But before you do, I shall be equipping a new truck for you. And when I get through with it, I shall be able to track you and pinpoint your location no matter where in the ravaged nation you might decide to wander.
    He was grinning and rubbing his hands together gleefully as he walked off toward the motor pool.
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    â€œI suppose, Mr. Raines,” the spokesman for the Macon group said, “it would be a losing proposition for us to stay here. Is that the way you see it?”
    â€œYes,” Ben replied without hesitation. “Mr. Harner, Tony Silver, so I’m told, has a small, but very well-equipped army. And he is pushing hard into south Georgia. His tactics are brutal. I’ve told you about them. I believe the only way civilization can endure is for people of like mind to band together. When that is done, perhaps others will join us and we can spread out. I’ve been entertaining the thought of outposts throughout the nation, small fortress/village types.”
    â€œWell-armed and well-equipped,” Harner said, leaning forward. “Much like the old west days when the settlers were pushing westward. Yes. I like that concept, General. Count us in.”
    â€œDon’t delay your move too long, Mr. Harner,” Ben cautioned the leader of the Macon survivors. “I noticed you have a good communications system. I’ll be in touch if I hear anything I think you should be informed of.”
    â€œWe’ll start the packing in the morning, General Raines. But we’ll do it in a manner that will not be too obvious. We should be ready to pull out in two or three weeks.”
    â€œGood. I’ll radio Colonel Jefferys and tell him to be ready to receive you, or to give you help, if you should need it.”
    â€œGeneral? Are you, ah, aware of the, ah, manner in which many people view you?”
    Ben smiled. “The rumor that I am more god than man?