by Terence West
Looking up he saw the form of a soldier stagger over to him then fall hard on a large rock near the edge. The crack of his skull against the rock made a sickening sound. He watched as the soldier slowly slipped off the rock and over the edge. His body dropped several hundred feet to the rocky floor below.
Pulling with all his strength, Jake slowly lifted himself back up. Peering over the edge he saw Griggs kneeling with his hands behind his back in front of the second soldier. A shiny pistol was reflecting the lights from the Jeep's headlights as the soldier held it firmly to the back of Griggs' head. Carefully, Jake removed one hand from the bush and reached for his weapon. Pulling it out of his holster he drew a bead and fired.
The soldier dropped to the ground behind Griggs as the bullet slammed into the back of the head. Dropping his gun in the sand, Jake pulled himself up. Quickly standing up, he moved over to Griggs. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"What happened?"
"I had this one pinned down," he pointed to the one lying behind him. "Then I saw the other one approaching you. I had to take him out, and that gave the second one a chance to get me." Griggs stood up. Turning around he delivered a swift kick to the ribs of the dead soldier. "Come on, let's go."
The two men climbed into the still running vehicle. Griggs pressed down the clutch and threw it into reverse. Looking behind him, he slowly piloted it off the mountain.
* * * *
Perry stepped out of the doorway and adjusted his blue uniform. A soldier spotted him and quickly ran over. He saluted then leaned close to whispered in his ear. Perry nodded and eagerly dismissed him. The floodlights positioned around the tarmac were hurting his eyes after spending so much time in his dark office. He turned to his left and spotted the advisors still standing near the hangar door. He moved toward them.
"Good evening Gentlemen." He rubbed his hands together as he approached them. "I trust you are all ready for the test."
One of the advisors glanced at his watch and sighed. "Can we hurry this up General. We all have to be back at the Pentagon in the morning."
"It'll just be a few more moments." He looked over at the figure in the trench coat, "excuse me for a moment." Perry made his way over to the man. "I wasn't made aware that you were here, Sir. I'm glad to see that you could make it."
"This isn't a social call, General. We're here to see if your little pet project is a success." His black trench coat rustled slightly in the breeze.
"I understand. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised when it begins."
He tapped his finger on Perry's chest. "I better be, your job's on the line."
* * * *
Griggs stomped on the accelerator sending the Jeep flying over a large bush and slamming into the desert floor. Cranking the wheel hard, he righted the vehicle, sending it screaming toward the base.
Jake was gripping on to the dashboard for dear life. "What happened to inconspicuous?"
Griggs swiftly guided the Jeep through a maze of sagebrush and rocks. "Look behind us." Jake twisted around to see another white Jeep following them. "That's the vehicle we saw on the ridge opposite ours."
"Damn. What do you plan to do?"
"There's nowhere to loose them, so I'm trying to outrun them."
"Do you think of these things before hand, or do you just act impulsively?" Jake turned around in the seat to see another white Jeep rushing head long toward them. "Turn!"
Griggs stayed cool. "I see it."
Jake's eyes widened as Griggs held his course. "Turn!"
He didn't. "Shut up!" Jake stared as the Jeep came closer and closer. Reaching over he grabbed the wheel and tried to turn it. "Get off!" Griggs threw Jake back into his seat. "I know what I'm doing!" Griggs gripped the wheel with all his strength. He kept his eyes firmly locked on the approaching vehicle. He felt the wound in his shoulder begin to bleed again due to the pressure of his flexed muscles.
"They're going to hit us!" Jake locked his arms around his head.
"It's just a simple game of chicken." Griggs began to count down in his head as the other vehicles headlights glared in his eyes. He could now clearly make out the writing on the license plate. Beads of sweat began to roll down his forehead. Checking his rear view mirror, he made sure that the other Jeep was still right behind him. He knew it was now or never. Suddenly he cranked hard over on the wheel sending the Jeep skidding passed the oncoming vehicle.
The two white Jeeps crashed head first into each other. The divers of both vehicles slammed into the windshields shattering them. The passenger in the vehicle that was following them smashed his head on the dashboard, knocking himself unconscious. The passenger in the second vehicle wasn't as lucky. Wearing only his lap belt upon impact, he was tossed forward like a rag doll snapping his spine instantly.
Griggs slammed on the breaks, throwing his Jeep into a three hundred and sixty degree spin. Jake stared at the mayhem Griggs had just caused. "Remind me never to doubt you again."
Griggs turned to him and wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Just like I said. It was a simple game of chicken. I just had to know when to flinch."
Jake stared at him for a long moment then started to laugh. "You are one twisted son-of-a-bitch." Both men laughed for a moment then stopped. "What next?"
Griggs removed his binoculars from his belt. Holding them up he scanned the horizon. "Looks like General Perry's little party is about to begin." He turned to Jake and smiled. "What do you say we crash it?"
"I just want you to know that I am expecting to survive this whole ordeal."
"I am too." Griggs kicked the Jeep into gear and floored it.
* * * *
Colonel Hunter seated himself in the Command Room and pulled on his headset. Running his hand over the keyboard he typed in his password. Hitting the enter key his screens flickered on with views of the tarmac and everything going on there. He watched as several men in white jump suits readied the two saucers and the black stealth jet for the impending test.
He wheeled around in his chair. "Monitors up. I want this to go off without a flaw."
The other soldiers moved through the control room with ease and purpose carrying out Hunter's command. Twisting back around to his console he tapped in the code switching all monitors to the main hangar and tarmac. He was sure that his crack security force would be able to handle any intrusions they might have during the test.
* * * *
Perry stood in front of one of the immense saucers staring at it. He watched as the support crew removed several hoses connected to it. Reaching up he ran his hand across the rough surface of the shiny craft. He watched intently as his slightly warped reflection moved along the side of the craft. Pulling his hand off, he walked around to the front. Several members of the crew were moving in and out of the craft through an open hatch.
He stared at the steel steps leading up to the hatch as he walked up them. He had only been inside these crafts once before. He stopped at the hatch. Grabbing the sides of the door he slowly leaned inside and inhaled a deep breath of air. He hated the smell of these things. Stepping inside he took a quick look around. The first time he had come aboard the halls had been dimly lit and dank. The engineers at the base had installed track lighting along the base of the halls and lights along the roof. The black patchwork walls had been replaced by thin sheets of glistening aluminum giving the ship more of a human feel.
The walls were stenciled with arrows and area designations. He glanced at the arrow that pointed down the hall to the cockpit. Turning to his left, he followed the arrows through the twisting passages until he reached it. Stopping at the door he watched as members of the support crew checked the readouts on the newly installed computer banks. Three chairs arranged in a triangle stood in the center of the room with control panels flanking each. Two more chairs stood at the front of the room directly under a huge electronic view screen. The screen was flashing images of the tarmac and computer diagnostics.
Stepping into the room he mad
e his way to the center chair and seated himself. It had a steel frame with vinyl cushions that wasn't entirely uncomfortable. Reaching over he ran his hand across the smooth control board. He longed to be at the helm of the craft when it lifted off, but his presence was needed on the ground. Standing up from the chair, he gave the bridge one final look before turning around. He was approaching the door when a young soldier stopped him and saluted.
"What is it Private?"
He was panting. "Sorry to bother you Sir," he tried to catch his breath. "But we've got an intruder heading our way."
"Damn. Do we know who it is?"
"It's Major Griggs and Lt. Silver, Sir."
"Son-of-a-bitch." He placed his hand on the young man's shoulder and pulled him out of earshot of the other crewmembers. "What the happened?"
"They disposed of Private Altone, then commandeered a Jeep. So far on their way here they've killed four more of our men and wrecked two vehicles."
"Jesus Christ." He pulled his hand off the young man's shoulder and quickly turned around to make sure no one else was listening. Turning back he began to think quickly. "I want all of our available men on this right now. Inform Colonel Hunter that he is to assign several of his men to be on watch for Griggs and Silver."
"Yes, Sir." The young man saluted then went about following his orders.
Perry slowly spun around and glanced over the bridge one last time. Turning, he slowly made his way back toward the hatch. He passed five men wearing green flight suits. They saluted as they passed by. He envied them.
Stepping through the hatch he slowly walked down the stairs. Glancing over at the Advisors he saw that they had now separated into small groups and were discussing something. Things aren't going well,he told himself.
Suddenly shouting filled the night sky followed by the sound of gunfire. "Shit." Whirling around he saw a white Jeep roar on to the runway with guns blazing out the windows. Perry shouted at the top of his lungs. "Get those bastards!"
Waves of soldiers took up firing positions around the tarmac unleashing a torrent of bullets toward the Jeep. The bullets slammed into the hood and doors of the vehicle sending it careening out of control toward the main hangar door. Soldiers jumped out of the way as the Jeep skidded past them on its collision course.
Perry watched the advisors scatter as the jeep slammed full throttle into the hangar door shredding it. Fragments flew in all directions. Running toward the first soldier he saw, Perry began to bark orders. "Private!"
The soldier was surprised to see the General. He quickly snapped to attention. "Yes, Sir?"
"Gather a team and get in there! I want those men dead!"
The soldier quickly saluted then took off. From where he was standing, he could see a gaping hole in the hangar door. Grabbing another soldier, he reached for his weapon. "Give me your sidearm Private!" The Private quickly relinquished his weapon.
Holding the sleek black pistol in his hand, he cocked back the hammer and swiftly jogged toward the hole in the hangar door. Glancing around the edge, he saw the Jeep rolled on to its side in front of another black stealth jet. The rear of the vehicle was slowly burning due to the leaking fuel. With several soldiers behind him, Perry slowly crept toward the injured vehicle with weapon raised. Motioning with his hands, his soldiers spread out.
The Jeep was lying on the driver's side with the roof facing the hangar door. Perry slowly crept around to the front. The windshield was shattered and the hood flung open. Engine oil was leaking out in to huge pools in front of the Jeep. One of the soldiers slowly made his way to the passenger side window. Quickly aiming his weapon inside, he fired several rounds. Perry walked to the window and peered inside. Nothing.
"Where are they?" Perry demanded.
The soldier shrugged.
Stepping back, Perry swiveled around and began to scan the hangar. Fear gripped him. "Do you see them?"
Machine gun fire erupted around the hangar. The sound of bullets ricocheting off the concrete floor echoed loudly. "Get down! Get down now!"
Two soldiers hit square in the chest crumbled to the floor. Perry and the other soldiers scrambled for cover next to the battered Jeep. "Get those bastards!" Perry's men jumped up and started firing wildly in all directions. One by one, his men fell to he floor dead.
* * * *
Jake and Griggs had taken up position behind the stealth jet that had been knocked over in the wreck. When the Jeep tipped, they had scrambled out of the passenger window with only minor scrapes.
Sliding down, they sat with their backs to the jet while bullets whizzed overhead. "How are we going to get out of this?" Silver sat holding his rifle in the ready position.
"Give me a second. I need to think of something." Griggs jumped up and fired several rounds over the top of the plane.
Jake twisted his head around and stared at Griggs. "What about one of those?" He pointed at a small round object attached to Griggs' belt.
Griggs yanked the grenade off his belt and assessed it. "That's not a good idea."
Jake jumped up and fired off several more rounds before he slid back down next to Griggs. "Why not?"
"We're surrounded by very highly explosive objects. If I throw this," he twirled his finger in the air, "the whole hanger goes up in flames."
A gunshot slammed into the plane's hull right behind their heads. "Do we have another choice?" Jake asked.
Griggs leapt up and fired off several rounds just as a wave of bullets skimmed over his head. "I see your point." Both men moved into a crouching position. "When I pull the pen and throw the grenade, run for that door to your left."
Jake nodded and readied himself.
"Okay, here we go." Griggs quickly pulled the pin. Standing up he tossed the small green ball over the plane toward the group of soldiers.
The two men leapt to their feet and hit a dead run toward the door. Machine gun bullets rained down around them. They hit the door just as the grenade exploded into a giant ball of flame. The sound of the soldiers' screams filled the room as the force of the blast slammed the Jeep into the nearby stealth jet engulfing both in a giant plume of flame.
"Open the door!"
Jake grabbed the handle and twisted it. "It's locked!" He shouted above the roar of the flames and explosions.
Griggs spotted the security box next to the door. "Damn! We need a security card to get in!"
The flames were quickly nearing the two men. "Davis gave us his card!" Jake remembered. Digging into his vest he removed the card and quickly slid it through the box. Two red lights immediately blinked on.
"Shit!" Griggs grabbed the card out of Jake's hand and quickly slid it though the reader again with the same result. "Davis' pass codes must've been locked out of the system. Stand back." Tossing the useless card to the ground, he lifted his weapon and fired directly into the machine. A cascade of sparks erupted from the small black box as it exploded.
With only moments to spare, he holstered his weapon and dug his fingers deep into the edge of the door. Pulling as hard as he could, he slowly managed to open the door. Pushing Jake through first, Griggs dove to the ground just as a wave of fire burst through above them.
"Jesus!" Jake covered his head with his hands.
Griggs reached over and grabbed Jake. "Crawl! We need to get out of here!"
The two men lifted themselves to their knees and quickly crawled out of the hallway. Jumping to their feet, they tried to catch their breath. Jake glanced around the bare room they had emerged into. It had two doors on the left and one on the right. Directly ahead of them was another hallway.
"Where are we?"
"This is kind of like Area 51's main lobby. From this room you can get any where in the base." Griggs stared down the opposite hallway.
"We need to find out where they're holding Dr. Robinson. How do we do that?"
Griggs thought for a moment. "It's not going to be that easy. There isn't any kind of base directory that we can follow. On top of that, the base will pro
bably now be alerted to our presence, making our job that much harder."
Jake snapped his fingers as he thought. "Might as well just start looking around. Lead on Major Griggs."
Griggs assessed is options. He decided on the single door to the right.
* * * *
Perry slowly came to consciousness, his body racked with pain. Trying to lift up, he found himself pinned down by an immense piece of scrap metal. Looking over, he saw two other wounded soldiers slowly lifting themselves off the charred floor. The two soldiers immediately spotted him and came to his aid. Kneeling down they used all their strength to lift off the piece of metal and slide it to the side. Reaching down, they grabbed Perry's outstretched hands and lifted him up off the floor.
Perry tried to dust himself off and sustain his dignity, only to feel a trickle of blood run down his forehead. Pain rushed through his chest when he tried to take a deep breath. He knew some of his ribs were broken. Grabbing his side, he surveyed the damage. The hangar was wrecked. The grenade had triggered a chain of explosions that had annihilated everything in sight. Charred piles of metal that used to be jets littered the hangar's floor.
Anger welled up inside of him. "I want those sons-a-bitches dead!" His two remaining soldiers staggered out of the hangar to find back up.
Removing a small white handkerchief from his pocket he dabbed it at the cut on his forehead and tried to wipe off the blood. He felt a large painful bruise forming over the cut. Folding up the napkin, he replaced it in his pocket. Turning around he made his way past several smoldering piles of rubble as flames burned unchecked on all sides.
Stepping out of the smoke filled hangar, Perry coughed to try and clear his lungs. The tarmac was in shambles. Bodies were scattered about and equipment was on fire. Looking around he spotted the advisors huddled near one of the saucers. He jogged toward them.
"Is everyone okay?"
The Advisors turned to look at Perry. "General, consider your career over."
"What?"
The President's Advisor adjusted his glasses on his nose. "This is a top secret military installation and you've allowed two men to come here and destroy what the government has worked so hard for!"