Thrilled to Death

by James Byron Huggins

  “Then Blake started screaming for help and then even more Army guys showed up. MPs, or whatever they are, were all over the place. Then it got really, really ugly. Your guys were outnumbered big time but they went to the wall.” She shook her head. “I’ve been around, Connor. You know that. And I’ve seen some serious brawls in my time. But I’ve never seen a fight like that. It was just no mercy whatsoever with people going everywhere. They hit each other with chairs, pipes, tables, chains, clubs, whatever. And your guys are tough, Connor. They work hard and they fight hard. The Center is demolished. And a bunch of people got hurt.” She almost cried. “I feel bad about it, Connor. I feel responsible for it.”

  Connor shook his head. “It’s not your fault, Beth. It was coming a long way off.” He smiled. “My guys just did what they thought was right. They’d do it again. And nobody got killed.”

  She blinked a tear, focusing on him. “Did you reach the Sea Patrol on Thor’s shortwave?”

  Connor grimaced, shook his head.

  “Well, we’ve got to get out of here, Connor. This is no place for a child. It’s too humid. It’s too hot. If Jordan stays down here too long, he’s going to get sick.”

  “I’m going to take care of it, Beth.”

  She nodded, mouth tight. But he knew that she suspected the truth was something darker, more terrible.

  “Give me two hours,” Connor said, holding her dark brown hand as she nodded. Then he focused on Jordan. “Don’t be afraid of this place, buddy. We’ll be leaving soon. ‘Cause you know what?”

  Jordan blinked, rubbing a hand over his eye. “What?”

  Connor smiled. “We’ve still got to go fishing!”

  “Now?” His face brightened. “We’re going fishing now?”

  “No, buddy. Not right now. But in a little while.”

  “But ... I don’t like it here. I’m scared.”

  “It’ll be okay,” Connor said, leaning forehead to forehead. “Daddy’s got to talk to someone for a minute and then I’m coming back to you. And then we’ll all go home.”

  “Home?” Jordan’s eyes brightened. “You mean a real home? Where it’s not cold and I can play in the woods and where you can play with me?”

  “Of course I’ll play with you!” Connor smiled, eye to eye. “We’ll play all the time! Because we’re going to go back to Kentucky to live with your grandmother and she’s got a farm.”

  “A real farm?” Jordan smiled.

  “Yeah, buddy, a real farm. With horses and cows and chickens and peacocks and everything! You can even ride a horse.”

  “Yeah!” Jordan whispered. “That would be fun! And will you ride it with me?”

  A brief, touching pause, and Connor nodded. “Yeah, boy. We’ll ride together. And play together. And do everything together. Just like we’re supposed to. How do you like that?”

  “You promise?”

  “Yeah, son. I promise.” Connor kissed his son on the forehead, placing him gently in Beth’s lap before he kissed her also.

  Her voice was a whisper. “Connor ... I’ve still got the disk.”

  Connor knew instantly what she was planning. “How hard are they watching you?” he asked.

  “Barley doesn’t seem to care what I do,” she replied quietly. “He seems more disgusted with this whole situation than anything else. But Blake told those other two Rangers to keep a close eye on me.”

  “What do you need?”

  “I need time on a terminal. But I think I can break this encryption and then I can call for help.”

  “Can Frank help?”

  She shook her head. “No. Not really. Frank knows about GEO and this experiment of his, but I don’t think that he has the communications expertise to break a satellite code. Not by the seat of his pants, anyway. Not like I can. Frank would probably need the help of GEO and he doesn’t even have access to it any more. But I can do it alone. I just need time.” She stressed, “I need access to a terminal, Connor. And I need it soon.”

  “All right, Beth,” Connor replied quietly. “I’ll see what I can do.” He stood and took two steps before she spoke again; spoke in a voice so soft that it wounded him.

  “Connor ...”

  He turned back, frowning.

  “I know you’re a fighter,” she whispered. “But please be careful in this. You know what I mean.”

  A pause, and Connor nodded. Then he turned and walked to Barley, becoming angrier and more determined with each step to come up hard. He saw the big lieutenant scanning the cavern. His eyes were mean, narrow and concentrated.

  “All right, Barley. I’m through messing around. Where’s Blake?”

  “He’s at the Command Complex,” Barley responded, as if his mind were occupied. “I’m going to have one of the guards escort you down there so you can go head to head with him. But be careful, Connor. Blake is an idiot. He doesn’t have a clue. I’ve seen his kind before. He’s a bootlicker and a yes-head but he ain’t got the guts to do the job. Or the brains.”

  “What are you gonna do?”

  “I don’t know, Connor. I don’t know what I can do. This whole thing is just a fiasco. It’s dishonorable, man.” The big man shook his head. “I can’t believe that I’m being forced to hold a woman and child hostage for some crazy colonel.”

  “Well I know what you can do, Barley.”

  Barley focused on him.

  “Find a room where Jordan can sleep,” Connor said. “A place where Beth can be alone.” He paused. “Find a room that’s got a working computer terminal and maybe, just maybe, if you want any of us to survive, you can make sure that she’s left absolutely alone.”

  Barley stared, somehow knowing. “You think she can do it?”

  Connor nodded sharply.

  There was nothing evident in Barley’s face for a long moment. Then his chiseled features softened, with a nod, and Connor knew it would be done. He whispered, closing, “We have to get off this island, Barley. Because if that thing gets out of the Containment Cavern we’re all gonna die. You know it. I know it. And Chesterton knows it.”

  “Yeah,” Barley whispered, his finger curling round the trigger of his rifle. “Tell me about it.”

  Connor entered the Command Center’s War Room to find Chesterton in a violent screaming match with a pudgy Army official that Connor identified instinctively: Blake.

  Connor made a direct approach and stepped between them, eye to eye with Blake. Where before the pudgy colonel had been angrily arguing with Chesterton, he went suddenly calm and indifferent to Connor. He crossed his arms over his chest. Solid and defiant.

  For a moment Connor said nothing, allowing his electrified attitude to communicate for him. But Blake was unfazed so Connor spoke, not allowing the colonel’s calm to rattle him.

  “I’ll give you ten minutes to get my family out of this cavern,” Connor whispered, having already made up his mind to use whatever force was necessary to remove them.

  “They were brought here for their own protection, Mr. Connor.” Blake’s thick jaw jutted forward. “This is a secure military facility, and I was alarmed that your wife might have broken down under the strain of the situation. It was also discovered that she was attempting to do something ... precipitous. It was a logical action to—”

  Connor leaned closer. “You’re insane, Blake! Insane! Why did you close off communications with that NSA code?”

  “For security.”

  “For security?” Connor snarled. “Don’t you realize that shutting down the Ice Station Communications Center left this entire cavern system without phone lines?” He shook his head. “Because of your little stunt, Blake, we can’t even communicate with each other from cavern to cavern!” Connor paused. “You’re an idiot, Blake.”

  “The United States Army has the potential for utilizing microwave radio communications systems, Mr. Co
nnor. The Ice Station Communications Center was expendable and was locked down for your own protection. From this point on we will utilize radios for—”

  Connor shouted, “Radio waves don’t carry through solid rock, Blake! Haven’t you ever spent any time in combat? Don’t you know that your little handheld radios have a range of less than a mile in this place? And there are over forty miles of caverns and passageways! You’ve compromised the safety of your own men!”

  “That is only your opinion, Mr. Connor. And regardless of what you may think, the fact remains that I am now in charge of this facility. I have Executive Orders and a squad of military police.”

  “Your military police are in the topside hospital, Blake. Or guarding my men in the warehouse. You’re out of manpower.”

  “You’re mistaken, Mr. Connor. Colonel Chesterton has turned over authority of all his men to me. So I still have three platoons of Army Rangers at my disposal.”

  Chesterton was silent. Grim.

  “Well,” Connor growled, leaning closer, “you’re not in charge of my family, Blake. So turn them loose. Right now.”

  “Your family shall remain safely under arrest until—”

  “Cut it, Blake!” Connor shouted. “I’m not here to argue with you! I’m here to tell you! I’m taking my family to the surface! And if you try to stop me I’ll personally break you in half.”

  “You’re under arrest, Connor!” Blake shouted, lifting a hand to the soldiers. “Nobody threatens a commanding military official on this—”

  Chesterton stepped in. With a vengeance. “That’s enough, Blake!” he shouted. “You’re way out of line!”

  Startled, Blake took a step back but Chesterton followed, staying in his face. “That’s right, Blake. You’re history! I’m taking back command, and we’ll just let the Pentagon and a Senate Intelligence Subcommittee sort this out.”

  Blake staggered. “You ... you can’t do that!”

  Chesterton nodded. “Watch me.”

  “But I have an Executive Order!” Blake protested. “You’re ... you’re a soldier, Chesterton! You’re part of the machine!”

  “I’m a man, Blake. A colonel in the United States Army. I am not a machine. And as of right now I’m pulling the plug on this Black Ops takeover and your so-called right to command.”

  “On what grounds?”

  “On the grounds that you have placed civilians who were clearly loyal to their country and operating within international law under unjustified military arrest. You have placed a woman and a small child in extreme physical danger without proper cause or provocation and, by doing so, have demonstrated that you are mentally disabled. So as of this moment in time I, as the senior Army member present, am terminating your authority under Code AR600-20 of Command Regulations. Paragraphs three and four. Read ‘em!”

  Chesterton stood his ground like stone.

  “No!” Blake retorted. “No! You’re out of line, Chesterton! You have just now exceeded your authority! I am relieving you of command!” He violently signaled the guards. “Place Mr. Connor and Colonel Chesterton under arrest! Immediately! Put them in irons and take them to the holding area with Dr. Frank and the rest of the science team!”

  “Stand fast!” Chesterton shouted to the Rangers, not even removing his gaze from Blake. Connor saw that the guards were shocked, almost panicking.

  Enraged, Blake turned fully to the soldiers. “That’s a direct order, gentlemen! Place Colonel Chesterton under arrest this moment! Do as you’re told!”

  Chesterton turned sharply. “Stay where you been! Get on the horn and get Barley down here ASAP.” He focused again on Blake. “We’re about to make some changes around here.”

  Quickly one of the guards lifted a radio, speaking breathlessly, trembling as Blake swore, “You are finished, Chesterton. As God is my witness, I swear that I am going to send you to Leavenworth for the rest of your life. You will never see daylight again. Never! Never! I swear it!”

  “Maybe.” Chesterton nodded, smiling. And Connor could see that Chesterton had crossed some kind of horrific line within himself. Just as Connor knew there would be no turning back now, not for any of them. Chesterton would either be proven right in a court of military law, or he would be found guilty of treason and insubordination and sentenced to a military prison for the rest of his life.

  “Maybe I am finished, Blake,” Chesterton responded. “Maybe I won’t see daylight for the rest of my life. And then, maybe I’ve seen too many good men killed in Vietnam because of incompetent commanders like you. But one thing is absolutely certain, Blake.” He nodded. “We know who’s in charge, don’t we?”

  Within minutes Barley came calmly into the room, tall and muscular and disciplined and, as always, the consummate military professional. He moved without question or hesitation to Chesterton as if he understood exactly what was happening and had already chosen a side.

  “Lieutenant Barley, take Colonel Blake to a holding area and secure him,” Chesterton said. “And then try to override the NSA satellite lockout to get an immediate emergency airlift of this facility’s personnel. Tell the North Atlantic Sea Patrol to get a ship under way if the weather prevents flying. And get someone to bring Dr. Frank up here.”

  Without even blinking Barley stepped up to Blake, fearlessly relieving him of his sidearm. He cleared the clip and the chamber and placed the semiautomatic weapon in the waist of his gun belt. Then he stepped to the side, motioning with an empty hand.

  “Colonel Blake,” he nodded, emotionless.

  But Connor saw the smile hidden within Barley’s muscular face, caught the laughing gleam in the narrow dark eyes. After a resentful pause Blake complied, stiff with rage.

  “Stand fast,” Barley said as he followed Blake past the two soldiers. Then he spoke a lot louder than necessary so that Blake could clearly hear his words. “I don’t need any help with this one.”

  “Leviathan’s EEG activity is increasing dramatically,” a panel controller said, staring at the elevated spikes on the electronic screen. “Alpha and Beta waves have gone completely off the scale and its heart rate is increasing to ninety beats a minute. Internal body temperature is dropping to 326 degrees and epinephrine levels have peaked.” The pale controller stared at the monitor. “It’s waking up.”

  Tolvanos didn’t blink. “What is the cavern temperature?”

  “Temperature at this end of the cavern is 32 degrees Fahrenheit!” the controller shouted. “But the air temperature in the area of the creature is over 200 degrees! It should be freezing down there but Leviathan’s exothermic body temperature is superheating everything around it. Even the rocks, the air. Everything.”

  Tolvanos glanced down, frowning. “How long before the creature achieves full awareness?” he asked calmly.

  Wide-eyed the controller regarded the rapidly changing measurements. “I ... I can’t tell if—”

  “There!” Tolvanos pointed. “It is awakening!”

  Upon the screen, captured fully by the monitor, Leviathan began to awaken, rising. A thick tail uncoiled, whipping out suddenly to the rear, revealing the four long, thick-tendoned legs that ended in wicked feet, reptilian claws gleaming darkly to grapple stones softened by the unimaginable heat of its sleep. Then, from a protective position beside its chest, the long neck straightened as it stood, head rising, rising, lifting sixteen feet above the cavern floor on the armored neck, stretching. And then it lowered its head again as the malevolent green eyes opened, glowing eerily.

  It glared at the titanium heat shield.

  “My God,” whispered Adler.

  The Dragon’s body, almost six tons of muscle and tendon and angled, hardened plates of black-green armor, suddenly contracted, corded tendons in its legs and chest visibly tightening, stretching the thick muscles. For a moment it appeared to be cramping, bunching, coiling and twisting the tendons. The joints bulged w
ith the effort, tendons knotting like rocks, then relaxing to tighten again in a slow, gathering rhythm.

  The diabolical dragon-head twisted as the jaws separated to reveal jagged rows of white fangs, like a shark’s. With a sharp movement the mouth clamped shut, locking, muscles bunching along its neck as the wicked eyes glowed dark and darker, focusing on the fire shield.

  A sudden convulsion whipped its tail around, striking the cavern wall to tear a slice off a rock with the wedge-shaped end. As the rock fell to the cavern floor, the tail itself began to shiver with rhythmic contractions, tendons tightening.

  “What is it doing?” Adler whispered.

  Staring at the image, Tolvanos did not reply.

  “Dr. Tolvanos!” Adler shouted. “I asked you a question! What is the creature doing?”

  “I believe,” Tolvanos replied calmly, “that the creature is beginning to increase tensile strength in its musculature by revolving its tendons inward. And it appears to be initiating some type of contraction along its spine.”

  Adler nodded. “Yes, yes. That would be the kinetic energy release process. It is preparing to launch an attack.” He began retreating. “It will move very, very swiftly when it does!”

  “Yes. I am sure.” Tolvanos was studying the matrix control panel. “Why has the creature’s brain activity suddenly dropped?”

  The controller shook his head. “I don’t know, Dr. Tolvanos.

  Brain activity peaked when it was staring at the fire shield. Then it just dropped off to nothing. But the creature’s adrenaline level remains high.”

  Adler joined, “Leviathan thinks quite quickly, Dr. Tolvanos. Dr. Frank has informed me that its mind speed is five times faster than a human being’s. Perhaps it has already formulated a plan to—”

  “I am quite aware of the creature’s phenomenal mind speed, Mr. Adler.” Tolvanos was watching the monitor. He spoke to the controller. “Open Bay Door Number One and send in the remote-controlled MlAl Abrams Tank. Let us confirm how this creature confronts a real adversary. We have two tests to complete as soon as possible.”