Chapter 08

Tim’s Halt

Tim’s Halt is a large farm in a remote valley at the southern base of the Sharten Mountains which are the northern Berant border. This is one of many such valleys. The major crops are barley and hops. The only road through the Sharten Mountains is one hundred and twenty kilometres to the east, much further east than Darmore. However, there are several small passes in nearby valleys that allow foot traffic to pass through the mountains. Throughout history groups of brigands crossed the mountains to raid the farms and towns with the last raid being in 1932. Untouched during the civil war the area has known peace for over fifty years, apart from the incident in Darmore twenty-two years earlier. Recently there have been a number of particularly vicious brigand raids along the border. The Army and the Guards have increased patrol activity in the area.

On Patrol

On the move since dawn the 6th Platoon, F Company, 2nd Claymore (The Foresters) enters a small farming valley at the base of the Sharten Mountains at 9:00 a.m. on 24th August, 2005. This is the twenty-third valley and farm they’ve checked since the patrol started four days earlier. The platoon commander is very young for his rank, but very well-liked and respected by the Swords. They know him from previous postings or from the grapevine. Many commanders feel these patrol checks aren’t dangerous and are routine, but he never sees them that way. He doesn’t exactly run them by the book, but he does ensure full security and safety in doing them. Instead of two open field combat cars, mistakenly called Jeeps, and a troop transport he’s using one Jeep and two transports. He justifies the changes with better fire power, combat flexibility, and the ability to safely remove more civilians if need be. Unlike the Jeeps used by the other patrols which have a very comfortable rear seat in them this one has a powered, twin barrelled, heavy machine-gun mounted on it. Because the two larger vehicles allow the platoon to carry more food, ammunition, and petrol they’re assigned the remotest patrol line.

Riding in the machine-gun’s control seat is uncomfortable and very exposed while in motion. The troops don’t like riding in it, but they don’t complain because everyone is taking turns in fifteen minute stints. At the valley entrance they stop to change gunners as the platoon leader hands over control of the machine-gun to Private Mason and the commander sits in the Jeep’s shotgun seat. When the patrol enters the large front yard of the farm Thistledown the two troop transports swing out to the flanks and the Jeep takes the central slot when they head for the house. The leader senses something is wrong and he calls a halt just inside the gateway while he studies the farm with great care because he’s not happy. There’s no one in sight and he can sense only one person who’s in extreme pain. On full alert the vehicles move forward to stop fifteen metres from the open front door.

After stopping the platoon Senior Lieutenant Mannheim dismounts then he enters the building with Corporal Emkara and 4th squad. Soon the sound of a single pistol shot rings out. The squad exits the building and some of the Swords move to the side to throw up. A pale faced Gerry walks to the lead transport to remove a digital video recorder as he orders everyone to stay where they are. He returns inside the building. Ten minutes later he walks out again. Putting the recorder down he orders some Swords to fan out to see which way the brigands went.

Grabbing a twenty litre can of petrol from the troop transport he goes into the building and he pours the petrol about the rooms of the farm house. A moment later he returns to put the empty can back. After setting the house alight he radios a report to the company commander.

The scouts return. The attackers came from the north and are heading west. Studying the map Gerry sees the attackers came via a little used pass up the valley and just north of the farm. Moving west they’ve two more valleys before they can cross back north. The signs indicate a group of over two hundred brigands, a very large band, and, from what he’s seen, a very vicious band. Their next target is Tim’s Halt, a large farm worked by thirty adults and with eighteen children living there.

Mounting up they leave at high speed, and some watch the burning house behind them. It’s now a race to Tim’s Halt. They’re starting hours later and are going the long way by road. Will they be fast enough, and can they beat the brigands? Gerry tries to call Tim’s Halt on his satellite mobile phone, no good. He uses the phone to call his sister and he has her send the Mathesons, the owners of Tim’s Halt, an e-mail warning.

Ten minutes later Isobelle calls back to tell him they’ve the warning and are acting on it.

After a hectic fifty minute drive the platoon pulls into Tim’s Halt. Everyone is ready to pull out, as instructed in Gerry’s warning message to them. They’ve waited until he arrives because they don’t have enough working transport for all there.

Gerry evaluates the situation. Women and children are loaded into the troop transports. The farm men, with their personal weapons, load up the few working farm vehicles. Each troop transport has a soldier to drive it with another in the back to operate its mounted machine-gun, and one corporal to command the detachment. Leaving him fifteen swords and himself to defend the farm.

Against his orders from the company commander Gerry intends to defend the farm to eliminate the band of brigands. Although it would be uncomfortable they can overload the vehicles so everyone can leave, but he isn’t going to do that. Gerry wants these scum to pay for what they did at Thistledown. While the troops take up position he tells them the full situation and he offers them the opportunity to leave with the transports if they wish to leave. However, he’s staying and fighting, even if it’s by himself. The troops just move up to the wall and get ready for battle. He may be only thirteen years old, but they know he’s tough, and much more importantly, they know what he saw back there as some of the 4th squad troops have talked a little bit. The Jeep is set up just behind a one and a quarter metre high stone wall then covered with a tarpaulin while the troops spread out beside it along this wall at the yard’s eastern side.

The convoy is ready to move out with the farm vehicles sandwiched between the two troop transports when Shaun Matheson gets off. He says he’ll stay to act as a medic because he’s a well-qualified medical technician. Patrick Matheson, the farm owner, isn’t happy about his eighteen year old brother’s decision, but he accepts it. The convoy departs, and it’s soon out of sight as it moves down the road.

Gerry radios the company commander with the current situation, and he’s promptly ordered out. He replies, “I’m sorry, Sir, court-martial me if you must. But I’ve a duty to the people to kill these scum. A duty to those these scum will harm in the future if they’re not taken out now, and a duty to those they’ve already killed at Thistledown. I’d appreciate it if you can detach forces to High Reach in the next valley and to Thistledown to ensure they don’t get back over the mountains. I’d also appreciate any support forces you can send us. For the people! Out.” The company commander can be heard swearing over the radio until Gerry turns it off.