Lucifer's Hammer - Larry Niven [274]
"No. He expected another week," Harvey said.
"Which we don't have," Jellison muttered.
Al Hardy nodded. "Harvey, you've been working all day, but not outside digging the way Hartman's people have been. And someone must go buy us some time."
Harvey had been expecting that. "You mean me." He saw that Maureen had paused, briefcase full of sassafras and honey in her hand. She closed the door without going out and stood at the door looking back into the room. "It's time I earned my keep," Harvey said.
"That's about the size of it," Jellison said. He glanced at Maureen. "Was that stuff important?"
She nodded.
"You'll get to talk to him before he goes. He's got an hour or so," Jellison said.
"Thank you." She opened the door. "Be careful, Harvey. Please." Then she was gone.
"I've got some troops for you," Al Hardy said crisply. Now that the decision was made, he was all business again. Harvey thought he'd liked him better when he was sounding worried. "Not the best people we have. Kids, I'm afraid."
"Expendables," Harvey Randall said. He kept his voice flat.
"If need be," Al Hardy said.
The worst of it, Harvey thought, is that it makes sense. You don't put your best people out to buy time. You keep your best troops to dig in, and you send out what you can spare. Hardy can spare me! So can the Stronghold …
"We don't expect miracles," Senator Jellison said. "But it's important."
"Sure," Harvey said.
"We want you to take the TravelAIl," Hardy said. "We put your CB back into it. Take the TravelAll and a truckload of gear and go buy us some time. Days if you can, but hours anyway. As the Senator said, we don't expect miracles. Deke's people will make a fighting withdrawal. They'll blow bridges and burn what they can on the way out. You go meet them. Take chain saws and dynamite and the winch on that TravelAll and make a mess out of the road."
"Put them on foot," Jellison said. "Get the New Brotherhood on foot. Ruin those roads. That buys us a day, maybe more, right there."
"And how long do I stay out?" Harvey asked. He was having trouble with his breathing, and hiding it. You need time to psych yourself up, he thought; that, or zero time to get scared.
Jellison laughed. "I can't order you to go sit there until they kill you. Maybe I would if I thought you'd do it … Never mind. Just let Deke's people get past you, then come home—and take as long getting here as you can. Unless you've got a better idea?"
Harvey shook his head. He'd already tried to think of a better idea.
"You'll do it?" Hardy barked the question, as if trying to catch Harvey in a lie.
It was irritating as hell, and Harvey barked back. "Yeah."
"Good man," Hardy said. "Eileen, have the message relayed to Deke. Operation Scorched Earth is on."
Task Force Randall, a dozen boys, the oldest seventeen; two teen-age girls; Harvey Randall; and Marie Vance.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Harvey demanded.
She shrugged. "They don't need a cook just now." She was dressed for hiking: boots, hat with earmuffs, and several layers of clothing topped by a jacket that was all pockets. She carried a scope-sighted rifle. "I've done some varmint hunting. I can drive. You know that."
Harvey looked at the rest of his command and tried not to show dismay. He knew only a few of them. Tommy Tallifsen, seventeen, would be his other leader. He couldn't imagine what Marie's status would be. "Tommy, you drive the pickup."
"Okay, Mr. Randall. Barbara Ann will come with me. If that's all right." He indicated a girl who didn't look more than fifteen.
"It's