Read Online Ambush in the Ashes by William W. Johnstone - Free Book Online

“I really don’t have an answer for you.”
    “Always us,” Jersey added her two cents into the conversation. “It always comes down to us doing the dirty work.”
    Ben couldn’t argue that. She was right.
    “Because we will do it,” Beth said.
    “Are any of the troops bitching about it, Beth?” Ben asked.
    “Oh, no. They just do as ordered, boss. Fight, march, or burn or bury the dead. It’s a job.”
    Anna looked around her at the shacks that butted right up against what had once been enormous wealth. “What a shithole,” she said.
     
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    Ben didn’t argue that, either.
    When he got back to his CP, he found Paula Preston pouring over a stack of old newspapers that someone had found on board ship and brought ashore. The papers had been used as packing material before leaving the port in the SUSA and these had been left over.
    “Catching up on the past few years, Ms. Preston?”
    “Please call me Paula, General,” she said, looking up.
    Ben noticed she was wearing new glasses-army issue. Chase had seen she made all the stops.
    “All right, Paula. That’ll make it easier. I’m Ben. I really hate formality, especially in the field. Are the stories in those papers shocking to you?”
    “Somewhat, yes. So much has happened in America in such a relatively short time.” She fixed him with her new magnified gaze. “You and your, ah, Rebels have been busy, haven’t you?”
    “Very.”
    She pointed to the stack of old newspapers. “Those reporters don’t think very highly of either you or the SUSA, Ben.”
    Ben smiled at the woman. “Our system of government works, Paula. While the states outside of the SUSA flounder about, struggling to get on their feet, so to speak, the SUSA is functioning smoothly, with full employment, the lowest crime rate in the world, factories, farms, ports, railroads, stores, shops, and a smooth-running government that is truly made up of and for the people. That’s why those hanky-stomping reporters don’t like us. We didn’t crawl out of the ashes of destruction, we came out heads high and working together.”
    She returned his smile. “Hanky-stomping, Ben? What a unique expression. I assume you mean liberals?”
    “That’s right, Paula. The people who did more to screw up America than any other group.”
     
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    “I can see we have hours and hours of delightful discussion about politics ahead of us, General.”
    Ben grunted noncommittally at that, not knowing exactly what the woman had up her sleeve. But he had a hunch, and the thought didn’t thrill him all that much.
    Again, she pointed to the stack of newspapers. “There is nothing about China or South America in those papers, Ben.”
    “We don’t know much about what is happening in South America, Paula, except that nations there are embroiled in civil wars. As for China …” He shrugged his shoulders. “We don’t know what the hell is happening over there. You probably know more about die Mideast than we do.”
    “The Israelis settled their difficulties with those Arab nations who wanted war with diem.”
    Ben chuckled. “I just bet they did. And settled it per-manendy, too.”
    She frowned. “War is not always the answer, Ben.”
    “In their case it was. And for them it was inevitable. And I could have told die rest of world what the outcome would be. We’ve signed an alliance widi Israel. They’ll be joining us in die fight against Bruno Bottger.”
    “That does not come as any surprise to me. I certainly can’t blame diem for diat decision.”
    Ben leaned forward, putting his big hands on die old, beat-up table diat was serving as a desk. “What did you mean, Paula, by the statement ‘we will have hours and hours of delightful discussion ahead of us?’ “
    “Just diat, Ben.”
    “I’m staying in Africa, Paula. You’re going back to America on die next ship out.”
    “No, I’m staying here.”
    Ben leaned back in his chair. “Oh? You mean here in Casablanca?”
    “No.