It's Hell to Choose

by Michael Anderle

  “We've got to go!” Stacia pulled the helicopter in a turn to take them back towards land, “I’ll head in the direction of the mayday, but I’m shaving it close with fifteen minutes of extra fuel to get back.”

  Erika nodded her head.

  Erika noticed that the three remaining Mirage’s finally turned towards the Mayday signal, and the large platforms were starting to substantially increase their altitude.

  “Black Eagle One, this is A-1, we have a French Mirage in tow, where would you like it to be delivered?”

  “Hold one, I want to see this!” an excited female's voice came back.

  Erika noticed two of the Fighter Pods tear off from the ships and pass them by like they were sitting still.

  In a few seconds, the radio came back on, “Damn guys, that’s impressive. Is the pilot ok?”

  “Yes Black Eagle One, we have a thumbs up from him inside. Apparently, all electronics went dead shortly after his mayday message.”

  “Well, I’d ask Captain Stick-up-his-Butt, but I don’t trust him or whoever is giving him orders. So, let me tell you where I want you to place this Mirage like-a-baby-in-a-crib…”

  Erika smiled. While she didn’t know ‘who’ the leader was, she had to admire her style.

  Because, leaving a plane with a rescued pilot right at the Eiffel Tower, which was built to commemorate the French Revolution, the 1889 World’s Fair, and as a nod to the great scientific movement which preceded its creation was genius.

  This lady had just thumbed her nose at France and reminded them of their previous history of altruism and dedication to the sciences.

  Someone in the government, Erika was sure, was about to receive a major ass-chewing.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  The Dark Web

  >>luckyu11 - ADAM, are you there?

  >>MyNam3isADAM - Yes lucky, I am.

  >>luckyu11 - We’ve broken the codes for the Chechen computer hacks, and it doesn’t look pretty. We think we have found chatter talking about attacking another school and killing children.

  >>MyNam3isADAM - Please, drop me the data and I will take it to a group I know can help.

  >>luckyu11 - INTERPOL? We don’t want to get on their radar.

  >>MyNam3isADAM - No, not INTERPOL. Better.

  >>luckyu11 - Who?

  >>MyNam3isADAM - I can’t share, but trust me, if this is happening then there WILL be a response. And Lucky?

  >>luckyu11 - Yes?

  >>MyNam3isADAM - Thank you. If those children have a chance, it is because of you and your team, surely.

  >>luckyu11 - Just get your ass going and tell your friends, ok?

  >>MyNam3isADAM - I already have. Let the group know, there WILL be an effort to protect the kids.

  >>luckyu11 - I will, thx…

  Eiffel Tower - Paris, France

  Bethany Anne was watching as the four pods worked with the computers to gently set the Mirage on the vast outer area with the thousands of tourists watching.

  “Eat this, you fucking liars…” she started speaking to no one in particular.

  >> Bethany Anne, we have another issue.<<

  What? Are they sending more planes?

  >>No, I have intel that confirms there are Chechens preparing an attack on a school.<<

  Fuck my life, really? Is this connected to us?

  >>Not that I can tell at the moment, but it could be due to a lack of global press on their efforts. So, they are going to do something dramatic to get international news focus.<<

  Ok, let me think about this for a second.

  Bethany Anne watched as the four Pods gravitated back away from the Mirage and the pilot was able to pop his hatch. Several male tourists went over to help him get out of the jet.

  When the pilot was on the ground, the four Pod’s went up to about forty feet, then rapidly accelerated away.

  ADAM, show me a map. TOM, take us back.

  Bethany Anne didn’t notice Paris quickly fading away behind her as she studied the information in front of her.

  Shit, that's on the other side of Turkey. When is this supposed to occur?

  >>I’ve reviewed the ‘chatter’, and it looks like they are preparing to hit in the morning.<<

  Ok, how many combatants?

  >>The information doesn’t confirm a number. The Beslan School event information from 2004 suggests approximately thirty-two to forty-two.

  So, more than me and… Yeah, I don’t want Michael involved in this one, I’m just getting his sociopathic ass settled down. Get me Akio.

  A stilted voice speaking English with a Japanese accent came over the line. “Yes, my Queen?”

  “Akio, get the Elite prepared. I need you guys to help take out a group wanting to attack a school. We need to take them out, quietly. Expect to be picked up in twenty minutes or less. Bring the sword.”

  “Hai.”

  When it rains, it fucking pours, she thought.

  Route 70, Colorado

  Boris watched the nicely equipped bus pass down the road as he waited at a small gas station. He pulled out his phone and texted ‘Passed’.

  He went into the station and paid in cash. His job was to be the back door and follow the bus once it was taken down.

  Up ahead, there was a fake Colorado State Patrol vehicle that would pull over the bus and then the team would jump on, keep everyone in their seats and drive the bus to the protected area.

  The holding location was as good as Phillip had suggested. Perhaps better. The exit area allowed someone to walk out, drive out, or enter the sewers. The building also had a walkway on the third floor which crossed to another building. The second building had an exit into the sewers in their basement as well.

  That was the exit Boris was planning to use.

  The plane trip up to the states had gone fine. While most of the team enjoyed the comradery, they gave Boris a wide berth. His headaches were worse recently, and he was on a short fuse. These headaches had been happening for the last few years, but recently they had been damn near overwhelming at times. He noticed the sudden jump in pain was within the timeframe of the TQB efforts to go to the moon if you assumed they did some testing before the ‘world reveal’ when they went into space. The technology was the only thing he had to go on, at the moment. With his physiology, nothing should be causing him pain like this.

  Walking back out to the car, he moved the napkin to his left hand and used it to open the door. Getting in, he set his peanuts in the other seat and started the car. Leaving at a sedate pace, he turned onto the road and followed Interstate 70 towards town.

  In ten minutes, he slowed to review the location where the takedown was supposed to occur, he had heard no calls on his channel, so no one needed him. He noticed a large set of tire tracks off the side of the road a couple of hundred yards past the estimated location. Boris considered the driver might not have been able to handle the bus like a professional driver.

  What he failed to see were the two bodies thrown under the brush thirty feet off of the road as he sped by.

  One was a man with the name ‘Barrins’ stenciled on his jacket. The other was a wolf wearing ripped human clothes. Both had multiple gunshots. If you watched carefully, the chest was rising and falling ever so slightly on the wolf.

  The man beside her, unfortunately, was never going to open his eyes again.

  Bethany Anne landed on the Ad Aeternitatem and popped her hatch. She smiled to Peter and John as they popped theirs, “That was fun!”

  Todd came up behind her, “Seriously? I could go to sleep while you run out of fuel?” He grinned as he passed her while Peter caught up to him and they went to check on their men.

  John walked over, “Having some fun, did you?”

  Bethany Anne smiled, “Hell yeah! God, do you know how boring it is to be in meeting after meeting…wait.” She put up a finger, “Don’t answer that question on grounds you were listening from the door of those meetings and therefore you are not objective.”

 
“What, you think I can’t pretend being ‘in’ the meeting is less enjoyable than standing near it, but not at it?” John asked.

  “I think…” She started.

  >>Bethany Anne, there is a question going to the base about when the Field Trip bus was going to arrive. They are fifteen minutes late.”

  What? Who’s riding for protection on that bus?

  >>Barrins and a Base Guardian Jennifer Erickson.<<

  Fuck! I know Barrins, and he would be reporting in. I remember Jennifer and she seemed solid. Son-of-a-bitch!

  She said, “John, we have potential hostages back in Colorado. Field trip bus, I’m calling Michael.”

  >>Patching you through.<<

  “Hello, mon amour…” Michael started.

  “Gott Verdammt Michael, I don’t need you playing with me right now!” Bethany Anne snapped.

  “Who is playing Bethany Anne? I’ve told you twice before I love you” he grated, annoyed to feel his honor besmirched and considered hanging up.

  Bethany Anne’s shoulders slumped, “First, you are right, and I apologize. Michael, there are two sets of kids in trouble, and I can’t help both. I’m scared, and I just jumped your ass instead of …” She closed her eyes then opened them and mouthed silently to John, ‘stay here - be right back’. He nodded. She stepped through the Etheric into her small room on the Ad Aeternitatem. Hopefully, it was adequately sound proof.

  “Ok, I’m where I can talk. Dammit Michael, I love you too but right now is a bad time for me to admit this. I’m scared for the kids, I’m afraid for my people who are probably dead, and I’m scared you will leave me… probably like my mom left me” Bethany Anne backed up to the wall and slid down it until she was sitting on the floor.

  “I need you, Michael. God, I need you.” There, she said it out loud. She meant it, she wouldn’t go back on saying it to him.

  Ever.

  “You have but to ask, Bethany Anne. Give me half, I won’t fail you.” His voice was as caring as it was unyielding. He was the rock she would invest her love in.

  >>There is a Pod heading towards Michael’s house. He can be picked up in sixty seconds.<<

  Which place? Her Elite were already on their way here, Michael was needed in Colorado. Fuck, she thought, with some decisions it’s hell to choose.

  “Colorado. I need you to get with my dad and handle whatever is going on in Colorado. The Elite and I have to take out a small squad of terrorists. Don’t let anything happen to the children, Michael, please.”

  “I hear the Pod outside, Bethany Anne. You can count on me, forever. I’ve got to go, I love you.”

  Bethany Anne had a tear tracking down her face as she replied, “I love you, too.” She hung up before he heard her cry.

  TOM, shut down my emotions for Michael. I can’t deal with this shit now.

  The aching in her heart stopped. She was able to wipe her eyes clear. She allowed some of her anger at the situation to kickstart her mind back into the game. Michael was for later, now was for the children. One set of children she knew nothing about; the other set were the children of her people back in Denver.

  With Barrins not reporting, that was enemy action. Otherwise, they would have had a report already.

  Her game face on, she stepped back out of the chamber and started her walk back to the Pod hanger.

  —

  By the time she arrived, the over head doors were opening, and her Elite were arriving. Ashur had come from somewhere, “Ashur!” The big german shepherd turned towards her and started loping over. She called out, “Akio, John, I’m going to change.” She noticed John reach up to his shoulder to communicate her whereabouts to someone.

  She hunched down a little as Ashur came up, looking into his eyes. “I’m going to go change, but I might need you. Are you willing to run with me?” The big dog chuffed, “Well, then let John put on a vest we’ve had made for you. I don’t want any shots to your chest killing you.” Ashur chuffed again and turned to make his way back to John. She called out, “Suit Ashur up!”

  She stepped through the Etheric to her closet on the Ad Aeternitatem and started stripping off the flight suit. She heard someone enter her bedroom outside, “Who is it?” She called out.

  “Um, Barb” the reply came back. “I work with Frank?”

  Bethany Anne tried to smile, but her heart wasn’t in it. “Barb I remember who you are just fine. Please go get the two swords on display in the meeting room right outside. I’ll be out in a second as soon as I switch outfits.”

  She tossed the suit onto a chair and grabbed her black leather pants. Slipped on her UA shirt and then the personally-fitted ceramic plate vest. She checked the mirror. The plates accentuated her chest, no wonder Michael liked her wearing this vest. Grabbing her holsters from the wall, she slung them on, tied her hair back, and slid on her ‘work boots’, as Eric liked to call them, lacing them up.

  Damn, the guys were going to be pissed; John got to play on this one.

  “Keep telling yourself jokes, Bethany Anne, maybe it will keep your mind off the children.” She mumbled to herself as she unbolted the door and stepped out. Barb looked surprised to see the CEO of the company come out looking like she was ready to go to a biker bar and either drink or start a fight.

  “Thank you!” She grabbed the two swords. “Please have someone straighten the closet and lock the door within the next ten minutes.”

  Barb nodded, “I’ll do it myself.”

  “Thank you, gotta go.”

  Then, Barb was astonished as Bethany Anne seemed to start a step and disappear right in front of her. She walked over to the closet and, “Oh…My…God…”

  “What is it?” Barb heard Frank call out from outside of Bethany Anne’s room.

  “Nothing you would understand!” Barb replied as she looked at what had to be over a hundred, maybe two-hundred different pairs of beautiful, no exquisite, dress shoes.

  She walked over and grabbed the lycra feeling suit and a hanger trying to figure out how to disentangle the fabric. She sat down on the chair and looked around the large space with all of the clothes. “Frank?”

  “Yes?” came his voice again.

  “Do me a favor and set a timer for nine minutes. Make sure I come out by that time, ok?”

  “Sure?” The question in his voice was evident.

  “I’ll admit why to you later; please don’t interrupt me as I’m going to meditate.” She bent down to grab the two boots and moved them off to the side where Bethany Anne had additional boots.

  She looked around the closet. “I’m going to meditate on how cute these shoes would look with my wardrobe” she whispered.

  —

  Bethany Anne pushed open the door to her arrival room, and closed and locked it again. “Dammit, we need another place closer to the hanger if this shit keeps up.” She walked down to the Pod Bay. Ashur had on a special bullet-proof vest that covered most of his body yet allowed him freedom to move, even if he had to twist in the air. He was already in her Pod.

  Her Black Eagle was modified in case she needed to take Ashur or another person with her. For the other Black Eagles, that area would commonly be used for supplies.

  She walked over to the Elites who were also dressed in all black. She nodded her head as Akio held out her sword. She took it and handed one back to him. “This is the blade I used, in addition to the one you just gave me, when we fought the Forsaken in Turkey. I would prefer that it be in service, not sitting on a mantle, if blood is going to be shed.”

  Akio nodded his head, “Hai, service is good for a weapon, it ages if it is never used. Some do not take to the aging well.”

  Bethany Anne spoke up, “We are hitting a group that intends to get the world's attention by attacking a school full of children, holding them hostage. The last time they did this, it ended with well over a hundred children dead and over three hundred other people killed. We go in, we kill, we leave. If you need blood, don’t leave behind the evidence, understand?”
She looked into every face to make sure they got the message.

  “Get in your pods, we will be in communication until we land. I will talk with Akio, and he will provide targets to you.”

  ADAM, how much time do we have?

  >>Their radio chatter has them arriving at the meeting place in forty-eight minutes.<<

  “Ok, get in your Pods, let’s get there a few minutes early.”