Russian Amerika: Chapter Sixty Six

66 - East of St. Anthony Redoubt on the Russia-Canada Highway

    Major Riordan of the International Freekorps spotted movement ahead and slapped the driver's arm. The scout car stopped and Riordan peered through his binoculars.

    "It's our motorcycle scout coming like there's something chewing his ass. Alert the column."

    The driver reached out and hand cranked a siren for five seconds. Behind the scout car, the men in the two armored personnel carriers and the five trucks didn't change in their aspect, but most of them woke up.

    The camouflaged motorcycle purred up to the car and the rider stopped and saluted.

    "Major, there's a Russian unit bivouacked about a mile up the road."

    "How big a unit?"

    "Three medium tanks, three APCs, five trucks and a scout car."

    "Could you tell if they were special forces or regular army?"

    "Looked like regular army to me, but I don't know for sure."

    "What the hell are they doing out here in the middle of nowhere?"

    "I didn't ask, Major," the man said with a laugh. "And they didn't say."

    "They see you?"

    "No. I smelled the smoke from their fires and hid the bike before reconnoitering on foot. They must not be expecting trouble, their sentries were playing cards."

    "Good work, Sergeant Percy. Let your radio antenna free and put a white flag on it. But first take a break, I need to talk to the men."

    "Yes, sir!" Sgt. Percy saluted and rode back down the small column.

    "Duty Sergeant!" Riordan bellowed.

    A large man swung down out of the first truck. His face bore scars and a nose broken many times over. "Yes, Major Riordan?" he said and saluted the smaller man.

    "I want two pickets forward about two hundred yards. They are not to fire at anything until ordered."

    "Yes, sir."

    Captain Flérs dropped out of the lead APC. He saluted in the French manner and narrowed his eyes. "What have we, Major Riordan? Perhaps an engagement?"

    "Pass the word for assembly, René. We're going to play nice and be friendly, until we see the lay of the land. At least until I whistle."

    "We are going to engage the Russian Army?"

    "Now, René, don't go all Gallic on me. We're not going to do anything stupid, okay?"

    "Oui, mon Majeur!" He turned and shouted for assembly.