The Fall of America: Fallout (Book 5) Read online

  The Fall of America

  Book 5

  FALLOUT

  ISBN 978-1-944476-23-6

  Kindle Edition 1.01

  © Copyright 2016 W.R. Benton

  All Rights Reserved

  Ebook Production by Loose Cannon Enterprises

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author and/or the publisher. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, or locale, is entirely coincidental.

  Cover soldier image U.S. Army photo by Percy Jones

  © Copyright 2016 W. R. Benton

  Author Photo © Copyright 2016, by W. R. Benton, LLC

  © Cover layout and other images Copyright 2016 by WR Benton, LLC

  Edited by: Daniel Williams, Bobbie La Cour, and Kay King

  “Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government, when it deserves it.”

  ―Mark Twain

  “I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.”

  ―Theodore Roosevelt

  “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”

  —Thomas Jefferson

  “My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”

  —Thomas Jefferson

  “The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. The soldier is also a citizen. In fact, the highest obligation and privilege of citizenship is that of bearing arms for one’s country”

  ―George S. Patton Jr.

  Sci-Fi Books by W. R. Benton

  Eagle People: Snake People

  Eagle People, The Year 2414

  The Fall of America, Book 5, Fallout

  The Fall of America, Book 4, Winter Ops

  The Fall of America, Book 3, Enemy Within — Also available as an Audio Edition

  The Fall of America, Book 2, Fatal Encounters — Also available as an Audio Edition

  The Fall of America: Book 1, Premonition of Death — Also available as an Audio Edition

  See more of W. R. Benton's work of over 30 books at http://www.amazon.com/author/wrbenton

  Dedication

  To all veterans, past, present, and future, who have served, died, or been wounded while doing their duty protecting our great county. As a fellow vet, I salute your total dedication to your chosen profession, your personal sacrifices, and your strong belief in keeping our nation safe. Not many Americans have sworn to protect the Constitution from all enemies — both foreign and domestic. The last count I read was about 3% of the eligible population actually serves our nation by donning a uniform. Since my retirement from 26 years of active duty, I am proud of the men and women who have continued to serve our great county. Y'all make me proud.

  To the memory of Betty Benton, a good woman who died much too young.

  What is the series “The Fall of America” about?

  What if it all came crashing down?

  It started with the biggest stock market crash in history. Banks closed down under the weight of their bogus investments, and the financial sector failed. People looked to the government to make it all better. However, they couldn't. Hyper-inflation, mass unemployment and infrastructure started to breakdown. The food trucks didn't show up at the stores, and the shelves went empty.

  Things turned ugly fast when there was no power for long parts of the day —then forever. Cops, doctors, and trash collectors just stopped showing up for work when the paychecks were delayed too often, or never came. Things started falling apart quickly after that. Whole regions declared a "State of Emergency" in an effort to maintain order and civility, but it wasn't always enough. Starvation, looting and murder became the norm. Then, our American civilization collapsed completely.

  The Fall of America, Book 1: Premonition of Death is the beginning of a new series, about an average man whose life goes downhill fast once society breaks down. Set in the rural south, a scorched-earth showdown with some local thugs leaves John and his wife homeless and on the run. He encounters a member of a survivalist group, made up of former military personnel, and joining them may be his only hope. Just basic survival becomes vicious and resistance is at any cost, as the devastated country comes under a new siege—invading Russian troops.

  The Fall of America, Book 2: Fatal Encounters is the continuing saga of the fall. John and his friends come face to face with Russian troops, but unlike the first book, this time they're ready and able to offer much more resistance. Russian invaders try to pacify the areas of the South under their control. The American resistance groups divide their forces into small cells to better operate effectively behind enemy lines. But as their efforts begin to gain ground, the Russians respond with harsh reprisals; mass executions become the norm and prison camps soon spring up in remote small towns. “Fear brings compliance,” is their motto. The battle for control of Mississippi gets hot, and a violent world gets even more ugly.

  The Fall of America, Book 3: Enemy Within. Things are turning more organized by the partisans and with this organization comes larger attacks on Russian targets, which results in more Americans killed in reprisals. As the partisans become better organized, the Russians become more sadistic. The Americans are now attacking gulags and air bases when the opportunity arises and Russian casualties mount, but there is at least one traitor or more within the partisans. Can the Americans discover the enemy within?

  The Fall of America, Book 4: Winter Operations. The partisans turn mean after ambushing a Russian convoy and discovering cases of the 9K32 Strela-2M missiles, or as the Russians call them, arrows. The missiles soon change how the partisans operate; they are a portable, shoulder-fired, low-altitude surface-to-air missile system with a highly explosive warhead. They have an infrared guidance system. Soon the partisans are attacking Air Bases and shooting down random helicopters using the missiles and Moscow is not pleased. However, it is the discovery of two nuclear weapons, called suitcase bombs, by the Russians, that is about to change this war in ways that have never been considered. Which side will use the nuclear weapons first?

  Contents

  A Word from the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty One

  Chapter Twenty Two

  About the Author

  Excerpt from Snake People

  A Word from the Author

  Writing this series is both interesting and depressing work, because I try to imagine how America will be once it falls, and, sadly, I'm positive it will one day fall. A nation cannot survive at the rate our government is currently spending money, and we need to stop being the world's police force. Sooner or later, we'll run out of money. There will come a time in our future when others will see us as a serious cred
it risk due to our uncontrolled spending, and we'll be unable to borrow funds. America's credit rating has already dropped. Spending aside, we must step back and view our nation with unbiased eyes. We cannot afford to let millions of illegal aliens stay here, nor can we allow great numbers of refugees into our country, and cost aside, how many of those two groups may be criminals or terrorists? Think about that, and give it serious thought, too.

  We have become a nation that produces very little in the way of products and most jobs these days provide a service. I can remember as a child picking up almost anything in a store and seeing 'made in America' or 'USA' stamped on it. Today it's likely to be made in Korea, Japan, China, or Thailand. I recently looked over a Vietnam veteran's hat and it was made in Vietnam. I found it ironic his prior enemies were now selling him hats. Even the flag I fly on my front porch was manufactured in Hong Kong. I think an important reason America produces little these days is we have priced ourselves out of business. No one will buy an American product if it's priced three or four times what other similar products cost, with the only serious difference being it's made in another country. Other countries are simply able to supply cheaper products because their standard of living is considerably lower than ours, thus the workers are paid much less. Additionally, third world nations often have sweatshops where kids, women, the sick and lame work, for much less than they'd pay a man. I think unions and other organizations are good, but only to a point. All workers need protecting, but it's the benefits and high wages of the American worker combined with our poor economy that forces the average American to buy foreign made products. If you live on a limited income, you are forced financially to always buy the cheapest products made.

  I have yet to fully understand why we are sending billions of dollars to nations that hate us and want us all dead. It makes no sense, unless we are paying them not to attack us. Even a child knows you can't buy friends. We are sending billions of dollars that would be better used right here at home. The money we spend in aid to those nations could be used to pay off the trillions of dollars we owe and take care of our nation's poor, and let me go on record as saying, “all poor Americans are not of the black race.” One political figure hinted recently that white people have no poor and only black folks know poverty, which is so untrue. Poverty knows no racial lines and it hits many Americans hard. I know, because I was raised poor and at one point, our house had a dirt floor, and for the longest time we did without a wooden floor. We had a wood-stove, no electricity, and no running water, but this was in the early 1960's, and there was no public assistance then. Mom raised five kids without public assistance, and it was never easy. Poverty has not disappeared, and only a fool would think black Americans are our nations only poor folks. Sometimes I'm surprised by statements that come from our elected politicians and wonder how they've survived to reach the age they are.

  We could better use the money saved by caring for our veterans or our elderly. For those of you who have never served, you have no idea of the sacrifices made by these brave men and women. You may not know what it takes to even qualify to be a member of the best military in the world. It takes hard work and dedication to even make it through basic training, and then on to other schools. Now, every service is a bit different but each has an oath of enlistment that is the same and it reads,

  “I, ______________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” (Title 10, US Code; Act of 5 May 1960 replacing the wording first adopted in 1789, with amendment effective 5 October 1962).

  How many of our elderly lack the money from their Social Security checks to pay for their medications. My momma, a couple of years before she died, told me, “I know people that have to choose between their medication or paying their utility bills. Some take a pill every other day.” I don't think any American should be doing that, not a single American. Not if billions of dollars are lining the pockets of leaders in other countries, not to mention those of our own politicians, who all seem to retire as millionaires.

  The key sentence in the short enlistment oath, in my opinion, is, “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” If invaded by another nation I know millions of veterans, even old men like me, will rise up and fight. Just stick us on a stump on a hill, give us a loaded M-16, and we'll knock down our fair share. If someone attempts to take over our country from within, the active military, as well as all veterans, have sworn to prevent that from happening, too. Again, millions of veterans will answer the call to serve once more. The system our forefathers put together is pretty awesome with all the right checks and balances. And over the last almost eight years, I have thanked God many times for the exact wording of our Constitution.

  Let's get our nation back on track and adhere to the Constitution as we should. Stop adding to it, stop ignoring it, and by all means, stop trying to get rid of that valuable paper. At all costs we must protect it, and by doing so we'll keep our God given rights. If we don't, one day we may wake up and find ourselves in a totally different America. In an America where we're no longer free, no longer able to speak out, and no longer able to legally buy a gun. Can you imagine living in an America where we no longer want to live? An America without our rights? I think those who would try to take over our nation would soon awaken the largest unorganized and best trained military unit in the known world—our veterans.

  This is what the Fall of America Series is about. Veterans and normal day to day Americans of all races and both genders coming together and uniting in a bloody fight against a common enemy, in this case, Russia. So, sit back, get your favorite drink, and read, Fall of America; Fallout, Book 5, and enjoy.

  W. R. Benton

  Jackson, Mississippi

  15 April 2016

  Chapter 1

  I was moving with my old squad when I noticed a blinding light south of the Russian Base at Edwards, and it was a little after midnight. Immediately I knew it wasn't anything other than a nuclear device of some sort. The light was so bright I had to turn my head away from the source. I hoped if it was a nuke, it was accidentally discharged on the Russian base, even though hundreds of Americans at the nearby Gulag would die; it would be a much more merciful death than the mass executions carried out daily, or by starvation. As I stood, I absentmindedly scratched Dolly's ears. The big German shepherd loved her ears played with, and she was all I had left of my past life.

  One of the troops said, “My God, I pray that wasn't what I fear it was.”

  Then there sounded a number of whispers and low talking.

  “Quiet as we move; you all know better.” Mary said just above a whisper, and the low voices and whispers stopped instantly.

  I suggested to Mary that we stop and discuss what we'd just seen. If the Russians had gone nuclear, it must mean we were making our presence felt, and they were starting to run scared. She soon had all our troops in a defensive position, so I sat on a log and asked, “Did you see that light?”

  “Oh, I saw it, and think the Russians just upped the ante in this game.”

  “I can't see them detonating a nuclear device that close to their own facilities, so it must have been an accident. As soon as we arrive at a safe house, I want to know the weather forecast and the wind directions every 30 minutes. The only safety from fallout is distance and shielding. Depending on the direction of the winds, we may have to leave the state.”

  “We have some cells moving in that part of the country, very close to the Russian Air Base at Edwards. They were assigned to kill stragglers when they could, disrupt the Russian transportation system, and basically, just raise hell.”

  “Well, I hate to say this,
but I think those not killed by the blast will soon die from radiation sickness. So, I want to double our rate of march and we will not stop until we reach the safe house. I know some will complain, but when they do, tell them lives depend on the information we have about the bright light.”

  Ten minutes later we were moving.

  All went well until about two hours before daylight when the point man walked to Mary and said, “Big ass tank right in the middle of the road we're to cross.”

  “Did you see any of the crew outside the tank or other troops?”

  “Two privates were looking in the engine compartment with a flashlight and talking in low tones. I suspect the rest of the crew are asleep in the tank.”

  “We have orders to destroy any armor we can within reason. If we can, we'll knock this big beast out.”

  Mary thought for a minute and then said, “Smith, you and Bunch circle the tank and use your NVG's. I can't believe the Russians would leave a broken tank in the middle of a macadam road, deep in partisan country, without a couple of squads or so to provide security.”

  “How do you intend to attack this thing?” I asked.

  “We can take the two men outside the tank out with a sniper using a silencer. Then, since the weather is warm, it's very likely the crew has the hatches all open. We move to the tank, drop a couple of eggs, and one Russian tank kaput.”

  I laughed internally, because things never go as planned. I just hoped things wouldn't get so bad we'd lose a bunch of experienced troops. People we had, but experienced folks were hard to come by.