Pedestals of Ash Read Online Free PDF Page B

end, mostly due to a lack of knowledge within Smokey’s ranks . Engineers, electricians , and even construction work ers had been killed, slipped out of town , or j oined the church. Time after time, Smokey’s followers automatically blamed Deacon Brown’s little ba nd of holdouts for every failure or shortcoming – whether they deserved it or not.
    In reality, there were three groups of people remaining in Alpha. In addition to Smokey’s army of cri minals and Deacon Brown’s congregation, there were hundreds of what Smokey’s men referred to as “the rats.” These were college students and citizens of Alpha who were still trying to survive on their own and not align ed with either side. Smokey realized that as time went on, these people would have to associate with one side or the other. If the church were eliminated as an option, his way would be the only choice.
    Smokey’s army was divided into two groups. For the past hour , his lieuten ants had been gathering the troops and laying out the simple plan he had communicated in the c hief’s office a short time ago. The first group of about 40 men would function as a decoy, acting as if they were the main assault against the church’s fortified perimeter. The second group would envelop , and 10 minutes after the shooting started, hit the church from the west side where Hawk reported the defenses were the weakest. Smokey remembered reading a quote by the American General George Patton, “Hold them by the nose , and kick them in the ass.” He planned on doin g just as the famous general advised.
    Smokey thought about giving a pre-combat speech to the gathered men, but decided against it. The groups scattered around him were not real soldiers , and he didn’t like speaking in public anyway. He held up the AK47 rifle, taken from the police station armory, and simply yelled out, “Let’s go kick some ass!”
    The small town of Alpha , Texas had never witnessed a full-on battle. Populated after the Indian Wars in this part of the world had long been over, the presence of dozens of armed men moving through the deserted streets was something new. The two columns of fighters moved slowly down the sidewalks and unused avenues that were already sprouting weeds here and there. The men avoided large piles of glass from brok en storefronts and maneuvered around the rusted, burned out automobiles that littered the streets. 
    It was only 15 city blocks from the courthouse to the perimeter of the church. As the diversion group approached its jump off point, the leader motioned for the men to spread out and stay behind cover where possible.

    Deacon Brown was in her office when the lookout’s whistle blew. She scampered down the stairs , grabbing her rifle on the way. She sensed , more than saw , Atlas behind her. Her adopted son was a giant of a man , and it always boosted her confidence knowing he was with her. As she descended the stairs, she found the main sanctuary was already bustling wi th activity. Men who were not already engaged in sentry duty were scrambling to find weapons, ammunition and kiss family members goodbye. The women who were not assigned to help the fighters herded the children and elderly toward the basement steps. While a stranger might have viewed the scene as absolute chaos, everyone’s actions were actually well rehearsed after weeks of what amounted to open warfare.
    The First Bible Church’s extensive parking lot was ringed with a barrier of automobiles, church buses , and anything else the congregation could throw together to defend the property. All along the makeshift wall, men were running with weapons and bags of ammo. Deacon Brown rushed to the roof of the church’s two-story annex building attached to the main sanctuary. A few dozen plastic trash bags had been filled with sand, dirt , and gravel in order to create a command post overlooking most of the defensive positions. Atlas, as usual, stayed beside his mother. In addition to the