Ben stood up and stretched. "Let's go meet your people and make some plans."

"About getting out of Manhattan?" Sue asked.

"About staying alive until we can," Ben replied.

The members of the newest group of survivors were all about the same age, in their early to mid thirties. Ben guessed-as it turned out, accurately-that the bunch had been together for years, probably since their teens, and that most were from the same area of the country.

Ben had brought enough coffee with him so that each of them could at least have a couple of swallows of the real 143.

143.

stuff. They trapped birds and squirrels for food, and had even eaten rat. They offered Ben some fried rat. He refused as politely as possible.

"How about other groups in the ruins?" Ben asked.

"There were about a dozen or so when we first got here," a man who had been introduced as Rob said.' 'Then the gangs of thugs began arriving and killing diem off. They killed die men and took die women. I'd guessthere are no more than .. . oh, 150 people left, max, who aren't aligned with the gangs."

"The women they seized, are diey still alive?"

"If that's what you want to call it," a woman named Janet said. "They're slaves. The gangs trade them back and forth. The children too. There are .. . perverts among the gangs who prefer boys as sex objects. If you know what I mean."

Ben knew, and it never failed to fill him with die deepest of disgust.

"I know," he said, his words soft but edged with rage. He looked at the group for a moment, meeting every eye. "I'm surprised you people have survived as long as you have."

"We move often," a man called Al said. "And we've been doing this for a long time, general. We've been on our own since we were teenagers. We were all attending private schools in the Nordieast when the Great War hit us. The schools were about ten miles apart. We knew each other through dances and debating societies and so forth. We work well together. Leaving our boats unguarded was one of the few times we really acted stupid."

"You searched the waterfront area?"

"As best we could," Sue said. "We know they're hidden down there somewhere. But that's a big area to search."

"The punks didn't walk on water to get here," Ben said, as much to himself as to die others.' 'The boats are hidden somewhere. We just have to find them."

144.

Ben stood up and paced the room for a moment, then turned to the group.

"I'll level with you-we've got to get off this rock and do it quickly.

When my people launch their next assault, it's going to be all-out.

Those are my orders. When the assault starts, I can keep the artillery away from us, but it won't take the punks long to figure out our general location. We're also running out of supplies. I want to find as many of the survivors trapped on this rock as possible. I don't want innocent deaths on my hands. Can you contact these groups?"

"Some of them, sure," Jeff said. "But whether they'll believe us is another matter. They're pretty suspicious." He shrugged. "Who can blame them?"

"Then do it," Ben said. "I'm going to contact my people on the mainland and see just how much time we've got. In war, timetables are subject to revision very quickly."

They sure were. In only a matter of a few hours, the tides of war had shifted dramatically.

"We've got the punks on the run, Ben," Ike told him. "It won't be long, maybe two, three days max before we're ready to hit the ruins of the city. Do you want us to come get you?"

"Negative, Ike. The gangs are expecting something like that and they'll be ready, you can bet on it. What they aren't expecting is for us tolocate the hidden boats and try an escape from this side. Give us three days, and then launch the assault."

"All right, Ben. But even if you find the boats, you're going to have a lot of open water to cross. In very small boats."

"I know. Continue with your plan to assault the ruins, Ike. Whether we make it out or not. That's the way I want it. OK?"

"All right, Ben." Ike's reply was tinged with sadness, but Ben knew the ex-SEAL wouldn't hesitate to carry out die 145.

orders. "But if you can't get out in time, I want an exact location from you."

"I'll try, Ike. I can't promise anything. Just stay ready for anything.

You hear me?"

Ike could read a lot in that last remark. "All right, Ben."

"Good luck, Ike."

"Same to you, Ben. Shark out."

At dark, Ben led the second band of survivors to the various places where he had earlier cached all the weapons and ammo he could not carry.

On the way, he showed them the fine art of silent killing by taking out two more punks. Now a full third of the new people were armed with either M-16s or AK-47s, and had ample ammunition for those weapons.

Whether or not the new people knew how to use the weapons was something Ben would learn soon enough, although they all said they did.

Then he led them to the subway tunnel and told them to stay within the confines of the old station. He wasn't about to lead them to the cave until he had the OK of the people there. This was their show, not his.

Judy, Greg, Dr. James, and several more of the survivors walked back up with Ben to meet the new people. Within minutes, the scene resembled old home week. Ben stood off to one side, amused at the sight.

When the conversation finally took a break, Ben said, "All right, people. Listen up. Red, you take someone and get back to the cave, draw two days' rations for ten people, and get back here. Judy, you and Greg, Babe, Bud, and Joan. You're with me. Sue and Jeff, Paul and Sally. That makes ten by my count. We're going boat hunting. Cliff, you monitor the radio. I'll try to broadcast twice during the day, at 1000 hours and 1800 hours. That means you've got to chance the outside to pick me up.

Use the headset to reduce the chances of being heard."

146.

Cliff nodded in understanding and looked at his watch, one of many that Ike had included in the emergency drops.

Ben smiled, thinking, Simple things like a wristwatch that the Rebels have taken for granted for years. This country has a hell of a long way to go on the road back.Ben looked at the group for a few seconds, then made up his mind. "We've got five days," he deliberately lied, adding two days to what he and Ike had discussed. "So pack up everything that isn't absolutely necessary and be ready to move at my signal. And when you start moving, don't stop. Just come on to our location, wherever it might be. And people, when I give you the word, don't turn back for anything or anybody, because you won't have time to recover if you do."

Red returned a few minutes later, several men helping him carry the food and water and ammo. When everyone was supplied and their packs filled, Ben preset the radio frequencies and picked up his CAR. He looked at Cliff. "I'll do a radio check in one hour, Cliff."

Cliff nodded. "I'll be waiting, general."

With Ben leading the way, the group marched out of the tunnel and up to ground level. Ben halted them while he checked in all directions, then waved them forward.

Somewhere along the waterfront there were boats that would take them off the rock. Ben intended to find them. If not that, then he planned to kill a lot of punks.

On the mainland, Ike was rapidly wrapping up his offensive against the punks. The gang leaders had planned well, Ike gave them that, but anytime one planned war against the Rebels, it was best to plan for the totally unexpected, for the Rebels did not adhere to any set rules of engagement. The Rebels had not taken many prisoners, for as Ben had said, these were the hardcore of the criminal element, and 147.

they had nothing to gain by surrendering. They knew what awaited them at the hands of the Rebels.

Ike met with the batt corns and told them of Ben's decision. "He gave us three days, folks. Then ordered me to let the hammer down. And in so many words, he asked that no rescue attempt be made on our part. If he's not off the rock in three days, he's going to try to radio us his exact location and we'll keep artillery away from there." Ike waited until the low murmur of disapproval had died down. Then he spread his big hands.

"The boss's orders, gang. What can I say?"

The only batt corn who had not groused was Ben's son, Buddy. He stood up. "Dad's got something up his sleeve, Ike. If he didn't, he wouldn't issue those types of orders."

"I agree, Buddy," Ike said. "But whathas he got working in that devious mind of his?"

The handsome and muscular young man shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know and we're not going to know until the last moment. It's my belief that Dad doesn't fully trust someone in the bunch he's aligned with.

He's playing his cards close."

The others in the room nodded in agreement.

' 'Ike sat down on the edge of a folding table that groaned under his weight. He ignored the smiles from the others. Ike was in excellentphysical shape; he was just ... well, large. "Ben hasn't said anything about creeps on the rock. I think perhaps the majority of them have moved on. God alone knows where. But you can bet we'll meet them again along the way. We've killed a lot of punks, but many of them have also moved on. We've still got a hell of a fight looking at us somewhere along the way.'' He sighed. "Then there is Simon Border to deal with.

I'm rambling, people, trying not to think about the fact that Ben is trapped on that goddamn rubbled-up piece of real estate over yonder."

Tina, Ben's daughter, stood up. "Ike, Dad is lone-wolfing 148.

it. He's doing what he loves to do ... with no restrictions placed on him and no one nursemaiding him and bitching at him and watching him like a hawk looking at a rabbit. He's enjoying himself. And you all know that. Dad probably has a plan he's not telling us about. He's usually got an ace up his sleeve. But he's given us orders, and we've got to obey them. Like them, or not."

"I guess that is the bottom line," Ike reluctantly agreed. He expelled air and then stood up. The table sprang back into its normal shape.

"Start repositioning the artillery. Let's get ready to take that rock over there." He looked at his watch. "We start shelling the objective in 80 hours. That's all, people."

149 The rain continued to come down in a steady fall as Ben let Greg take the point and lead them toward the waterfront. They skirted the park in silence and then cut due west. The rain was obviously keeping the punks under cover. Greg kept the group in the alleys as much as possible and the going was slow but safer. After an hour had passed, Ben signaled for a halt and called in. Cliff answered immediately and the signal was clear and strong, then the group pushed on through the rain.

When they reached what a member assured Ben was Tenth Avenue, they cut north and continued for a number of blocks before Greg called for a rest break.

"This will take us to Pier One," he told Ben. "When we get there, we'll start working south. If the boats aren't hidden somewhere along there, I don't know where to look."

"We'll give it our best shot. But I've got to say we've been damn lucky so far this night."

150.

"I've never seen a creep out in the rain. They don't like water. I don't know where the gangs are, or why they aren't out patrolling. It's ...

sort of weird."

Ben thought he knew the answer to that, but he keep his opinion to himself, and his eyes on one member of the group. He'd been watching him since first arriving in the park.

The rainstorm began to blow itself out as die front pushed eastward, out into the Adantic.

Another block, and Bud said, "I know a shortcut, Greg. It'll save us time. I'll take die lead if you don't mind."Ben smiled in die darkness. "Oh, I don't diink that will be necessary, Bud."

"Sir?" Bud asked, turning to face Ben.

"I've been trying to figure out how you tipped off die punks." Ben lifted his CAR as Joan started to slip to one side. "Stand easy, Joan.

Take her weapon, Greg."

Confusion on his face, Greg jerked die weapon from Joan's hands and backed up.

"Putyour rifle on the ground, Bud. Slow and easy. That's good. Now back away from it."

"You're making a mistake, general," Bud said. "I haven't been tipping anyone off."

"That's right, Bud. But only because you couldn't figure out how to do it. You couldn't leave die park to warn your buddies; you couldn't leave a message for fear it would get destroyed in die mortar assault. All you could do was hope we'd send out a patrol and you could be a part of it ... so you could lead us straight to your punk friends."

Joan suddenly whirled around and started to make a run for it. Judy gave her die butt of a rifle to die back of her head. The woman dropped like a brick to die wet alley.

Bud's shoulders sagged, his eyes on die still form of his woman. "You couldn't have had any proof. You had to be 151.

guessing it all," he said. "You were running a bluff and Joan panicked.

Shit!"

Ben smiled. "I'm a pretty good guesser, Bud. You see, every time I looked up, either you or Joan were standing close to me, listening very intendy. I thought the both of you were going to have a heart attack when I suddenly decided to leave the tunnel and go scouting. That's when I pulled Cliff aside and told him to never let the radio out of his sight. The punks seized radios when they overran our position; didn't take a genius to figure that out. That's why I changed frequencies.

That's also why I told a few other little lies. Just in case you'd somehow find a way to leave a note, tipping off your punk friends."

"You can't prove any of this!" Bud flared. "Hell, Joan just panicked a minute ago, that's all. Doesn't prove a thing."

"But your coming back from every patrol damn sure does," Greg said.

"Everybody else would be suffering everything from gunshot wounds to scrapes. But not you. You never got so much as a scratch. But what was the point, Bud? What did you gain from it all?"

"Food," Babe said, open hate in her voice. "While the rest of us were eating rat and anything else we could get our hands on, losing weight, Bud and Joan never lost an ounce. Look at them. They haven't changed in months. Jesus, I must have been blind not to see it. You two had food cached in the park. Goddamn you bodi!""I always thought you two were just lovers who wanted to be left alone,"

Judy broke her angry silence. "That's why I never gave it a second thought when you'd go off by yourselves and stay gone for hours. You were meeting the gangs and telling them about upcoming patrols and then chowing down while the rest of us were walking around hungry. Especially the kids, who really needed nourishing food. Damn you to hell!"

152.

Bud grinned at the group, his smile macabre in the misty night. "Go ahead, general. Kill me. Fire your weapon. And when you do, you'll have a thousand people around you in five minutes. Come on, pull the trigger, kill me. I'll at least go out knowing you're a dead man. None of you will ever get off this rock. You'll all die here. I can at least take some satisfaction in that. You'll never find the boats. They're too well hidden and too well guarded. Fuck you, Ben Raines!"

"You're not my type, Bud." Ben took a step forward and buried the blade of his knife in Bud's belly, muscling the blade upward. Bud fell backward and hit the concrete of the alley. He twitched several times, then lay still.

"Take his weapons and food and water. Then do what you want to with Joan," Ben said. "Just do it quietly."

Judy reached down and cut the unconscious woman's throat with her own knife. She stared down at what she had done for a moment, then took a couple of steps to one side and vomited.

Ben waited until she had regained her composure. "Drag the bodies into a building. Let's get moving. We've still got a long way to go."

As the group neared the waterfront, still about three blocks away, Ben slowed their advance. They moved forward one at a time, darting from cover to cover. The rain had stopped, but the skies were overcast. The gangs had yet to make an appearance.