The Rag by Michael Connelly

Author:Michael Connelly [Connelly, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781490774992
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
Published: 2016-09-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter XXVIII

Ray Thibodeaux had been offered the rank of lieutenant colonel in the militia and a job on the general’s staff, but he had another assignment he requested first. He told General Donnelly that since the 9/11 flag was to lead the troops into battle, it would need to be heavily guarded by an elite team that would keep it from falling into enemy hands at all cost. Ray had volunteered to lead that team and asked that he be able to choose the team members. His commanding officer readily agreed, and then Ray requested that the general’s son, Jamie, be a part of the team. He told Ben, “While I know Jamie has not yet completed his special operations training, I believe that since he is the man who found and saved this flag, he should be part of the team. He can resume his training after the battle.” Once again, the general agreed.

Ray didn’t have to go far to recruit the rest of his team; all the men who had escaped from New Orleans with him readily volunteered with the exception of Tim Johnson who was still recovering from the wounds he had received at the battle for the Sabine River Bridge. They flew the flag on a Humvee with six men inside to protect it and were followed by the Stryker with the rest of the team. It was positioned right behind the American lines on the Kaufman County border until it was time for the infantry and armor to move forward to the attack. Then the vehicles drove into a position where they were following the armor but in full view of and leading the militia infantry.

The Humvee carrying the flag had received some sporadic fire, but the enemy had been too preoccupied with trying to get away from the devastating American attack to worry about an American flag on a Humvee. They might have felt differently if they had known that the very sight of this flag had caused the hearts of the patriot soldiers to swell with pride and fight with all their strength to achieve victory.

It had been a great and decisive victory for the East Texas militia. Of the original combined forces of federal and Iranian troops and their gang mercenaries, less than two hundred had escaped. The rest were dead with the exception of a few officers who were captured so they could be interrogated. There were also three gang members released but only after they witnessed their fellow murderers and rapists lined up and shot. The three were allowed to live so they could take a clear message back to their fellow gang members in Dallas. Joining up with the federal forces was not a good idea.

General Donnelly was congratulated by his staff for his audacious and highly successful plan. Not only had it destroyed many enemy soldiers, but the militia now had three more heavy tanks and several dozen Strykers and Humvees; numerous automatic weapons; thousands of rounds of ammunition, grenades, and RPGs; and truckloads of fuel, food, and medical supplies.

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