by Terence West
"Shit!" The giant picture window exploded into millions of tiny razor sharp fragments. One of the larger shards of glass sliced through his uniform and embedded itself into his chest. Stumbling toward the door, he tripped over one of his fallen plants and stumbled to the floor. He quickly rolled over just in time to see his desk topple over on top of him breaking his right leg. He screamed in pain as he tried to lift the heavy steel desk off of him.
* * * *
The low frequency was still assaulting the base. Stepping forward, Davis easily picked off the three remaining soldiers with his pistol from behind. Holstering his pistol he walked toward the open hatch of the saucer. "Silver!"
Jake slowly peeked his head out of the ship and caught sight of the four dead soldiers lying in front of the saucer. Redirecting his attention, he caught sight of Davis. "General!" He turned back to the three accompanying him. "Let's go."
The four people walked out of the ship and down to Davis. Davis grabbed Jake by the arm and led him into the hangar. Alex and Christina were covering their ears to try and stop the pounding. Then as suddenly as it began, it stopped. They all stood up straight and looked around in confusion.
Jake glanced at Davis. "What the hell was that?"
"I don't know, but it sure wreaked havoc here at the base." He turned and caught sight of his daughter. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Alex." He walked toward her. "Are you all right?"
She shot him an icy gaze. "No thanks to you."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, that if you hadn't sent your goons out to get me, I never would've been here in the first place."
"I had no idea that was you in Egypt, Alex. As soon as I found out I devised a way to get you out of there."
"I really appreciate that Dad," She said with anger.
Griggs stepped between the two. "I really hate to break up this family reunion, but right now we need to get out of here."
Christina nodded. "I want to go home."
Jake agreed. "This has been fun, but I really think we should all be going. How do we get out of here?"
Davis turned his attention away from his daughter and thought for a moment. "Major Griggs, you are qualified to fly a helicopter aren't you?"
Griggs nodded. "But I haven't logged a lot of fly time under my belt"
"We've gone down this road before, General. He can't fly the saucer."
Davis shot Jake a bewildered look. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Jake smiled sheepishly at Davis. "We wanted Griggs to fly us out of here in the saucer."
"What in the hell possessed you to think of that?"
"It's the first thing that popped into my head. Isn't that what you were talking about?"
"No." He continued to stare in awe at Jake. "I was thinking of using that helicopter over there." He pointed at a chopper parked on the far side of the tarmac.
"Okay." Jake turned and started to walk toward the chopper followed by Griggs and Christina.
Davis took a step closer to Alex. "You're still angry at me for leaving after your mother died, aren't you?"
"Jesus Christ, Dad. Mom died and you left. How do you think that made me feel?"
"I realize that you think I abandoned you, but—"
"You did abandon me. I grew up living with Grandma and Grandpa."
He tried to hold her hand, but she pulled it away. "I needed a way to get through it. I chose to work." He grabbed her hand and stared into her eyes. This time she let him hold it. "That was my decision and I regret it every day."
Tears welled up in her eyes. "I felt like you didn't love me."
"I'm so sorry Alex. You're mother meant the world to me and when I lost her I was devastated. I loved you so much, but I knew I would never be a good father to you."
The tears broke loose and streaked down her face. "You could've explained it to me. I was old enough to understand."
"I couldn't face you. I felt like a failure."
Just behind them Hunter slowly began to regain consciousness. Looking up he saw Davis and Alex standing together in front of him. Lifting his weapon, he aimed the best he could and pulled the trigger. Davis screamed as the bullet tore through his upper back shattering his spine and puncturing one of his lungs. The force of the shot knocked him to the ground. Using all his strength he rolled over and pulled his weapon out of its holster. Quickly aiming at Hunter he pulled the trigger. The bullet slammed into Hunter's head.
Alex reached down and grabbed her father. "Dad! Are you okay?"
He smiled. "No."
She placed her hands on both sides of his face, "stay with me!" She quickly stood up and screamed across the hangar for help.
Jake and Griggs came running across the room and stopped over Davis. Jake looked to Alex. "What happened?"
Alex was crying hysterically. She pointed to the dead body of Hunter lying behind them. "That man shot him!"
Griggs walked toward the body and kicked it over onto it's back. "It's Colonel Hunter. He's dead."
Jake knelt down next to Davis. "General?"
Davis looked at Jake. "I don't think I'm going to be able to finish this journey." He looked over at his daughter and ran his hand across her face. "I love you Alex."
She kissed his hand and held it tightly. "I love you to Daddy."
He grabbed Jake's shoulder. "Take care of my daughter, Silver."
He nodded. "I will."
Davis' hand slipped off Jake's shoulder and fell to the floor. Alex squeezed his hand tightly and cried quietly as he died. The two remained hunched over the fallen man for several minutes before standing up. Jake scooped Alex into his arms and held her as she cried.
Jake muttered to himself. "Two dead fathers and two daughters under my care."
Slowly she pulled away from him and looked him in the eye. "Thank you for letting me see my father one more time Jake."
He nodded and smiled.
Griggs walked over and stood next to Jake and Alex. "We need to get going before reinforcements arrive."
The three began to walk briskly toward the awaiting helicopter when a bright flash of light filled the hangar. Holding his hand over his eyes, Jake struggled to see what was causing it. The three slowly made their way toward the light. Stepping out of the hangar they caught sight of it. Alex let out an audible gasp.
A huge craft was hovering over the tarmac. Several apertures on the bottom of the ship were emitting beams of red and yellow light that looked to Jake like they were scanning the tarmac. The intense white light slowly faded to be replaced by a less harsh blue light. The red and yellow lights converged on the two saucers sitting on the runway then blinked off. The four people standing next to the helicopter watched in awe as a large hatch on the bottom of the ship slowly slid open revealing a gaping hole in the bottom of the crafts bottom.
Jake turned to Griggs while keeping his eyes firmly glued to the ship. "Is that the same ship that crashed not far from here?"
Griggs assessed the craft. "It's hard to tell, but it looks very similar."
Everyone took a nervous step backwards as the two saucers shuddered to life and slowly lifted skyward. The two crafts floated silently upward until they entered the hangar of the giant ship hovering above them. The red and yellow lights reappeared. They shone directly into the hangar past the group hitting the large metal door at the rear.
Griggs pointed at the door. "That's where the other saucers are. It's locked up tighter that fort Knox, though."
As the final words were leaving Griggs' mouth, the giant door began to slowly slide open. Jake smiled. "Guess you spoke too soon."
The door groaned as it stopped. The remaining saucers hovered single file out of the door toward the mighty ship waiting outside. The group watched in awe as the large saucers floated past them out of the hangar. Rising up. The saucers slowly made their way into the hanger of the awaiting ship. Once all the saucers were inside, the hatch slowly sealed shut. They all watched as the silver ship pulled back from the hangar
slightly and stopped.
Jake felt a wave of fear roll through him for the first time as the ship angled itself toward the hangar. A small door opened at the front of the ship and a long slender tube extended out of it.
Grabbing Christina, Jake yelled for Griggs to grab Alex. "Run!" The four sprinted away from the hangar as quickly as they could.
The tube pulsed with energy as it heated up. Arcs of blue electricity flew off the tube in all directions. Suddenly a green of energy discharged with a deafening roar toward the hangar hitting it dead in the center. It exploded in a giant ball of red and green flames sending shards of wood, steel, and rock sailing through the air in all directions. The shockwave from the explosion tore along the ground like a ripple in a pond knocking the four down on to the tarmac. Jake quickly threw himself on top of Christina and Griggs did the same for Alex to shield them from flying debris and shrapnel.
Jake turned his head around to see what happened. Flames arced high into the sky and black clouds of smoke billowed away from the demolished hangar. The large slivery ship hung over head in a moment of silence as it retracted its weapon. It paused above the four.
A slim blue beam shot out of the bottom of the ship and slammed into Jake's head. Flashes of images through out the machine race's evolution cycled through his mind's eye. He closed his eyes tightly to try and block out the visions racing through his brain. His head throbbed from the mass of images flooding his head. Writhing on the ground he slammed his hands to his temples trying to stop the pain. Slowly opening his eyes, he felt the pain pass.
He watched as the large sliver ship slowly turned around and immediately shot into the sky then out of sight at an incredible speed. He rolled off Christina and laid flat on his back on the tarmac staring up at the sky. It had become a cloudy morning as the sun slowly rose through the clouds in the eastern sky giving everything a pink and orange color. He listened as the thunder clapped and rain began to fall from the sky.
The large raindrops fell loudly on the tarmac next to them. Christina drew herself up into a sitting position next to Jake and lifted her head to the sky. She allowed the rain to tap on her face and run down her neck. It felt cleansing to her.
Griggs and Alex lifted themselves off the wet ground. She smiled and opened her arms palms to the sky. The rain fell heavily on her face and hands. "We made it."
Jake stood up and quickly helped Christina off the ground. "I'm not sure about that yet. We still need to get out of here." He looked over at the charred wreckage of the helicopter. "It seems we've lost our ride."
Griggs pointed across the runway into the Nevada desert. "I think our best bet right now is just to walk out of here. All staff personnel will be busy dealing with the destruction."
Alex lowered her hands and stepped in front of Griggs. "I really don't feel up to walking all that way."
Christina glanced around the tarmac. "Why don't we just use one of those?" She pointed at several white Jeep Cherokees sitting on the far side of the runway.
Jake smiled and started walking toward them. "We're back in business."
The four climbed into the Jeep with the two women in the back and Jake and Griggs in the front. Jake slid behind the wheel and looked down at the ignition. "There's no key." He glanced over at Griggs and caught sight of a knife on his belt. Reaching over he yanked the knife free and jammed it into the ignition. He twisted hard and the lock turned over starting the vehicle.
Alex laughed at Jake. "Where did you learn to do that?"
"I spent a summer in Juvenile Detention for stealing cars." He laughed. "Long story. Let's get out of here."
Stepping on the clutch, he pushed the gear shifter in to reverse and slowly pulled the vehicle away from the building. Popping it into first gear he hit the accelerator and sent the vehicle careening off into the desert away from the burning ruins of Area 51.
Chapter 19
The journey back to Las Vegas was an uneventful one to the satisfaction of the group in the white Jeep Cherokee. No words had been spoken between them as they all had gone into their own minds trying to deal with all they had just been through.
Jake guided the vehicle down a back street and parked it in front of a small dirty coffee shop. Turning around he glanced over the other passengers in the vehicle. Griggs had fallen asleep in the passenger seat with his head laid back on the headrest. He had just started to wake up when Jake stopped. Alex had wrapped herself tighter in her robe and was biting her nails. Christina had been staring out the window the entire trip with her elbow resting on the edge of the door and her hand holding her head up. Jake knew she was taking it the hardest.
"Let's get a cup of coffee. I think we all need it."
Griggs nodded and got out of the Jeep and stretched. Alex slowly reached for the door handle and opened it. Christina didn't move.
He looked at Griggs and Alex. "You two go ahead. We'll be in a minute." The two went on ahead. Climbing into the back seat with Christina, he closed the door. "Are you okay?"
She shook her head. "No."
"You can talk about it. It'll make you feel better."
She turned to him with tears in her eyes. "I miss my dad."
He slowly rubbed his hand up and down her back. "I lost my father when I was a little younger than you." He was trying to be as comforting as possible. "I can only tell you this, the pain never goes away, but you eventually learn to deal with it. I just want you to remember one thing. He gave his life to save yours. He loved you very much."
"I know he loved me. I just wish I could've told him that I loved him too."
"He already knew."
She smiled as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
Something occurred to him. Reaching into the back of the jeep he grabbed his black duffel bag and unzipped it. He rooted around inside until he found what he was looking for.
"I want you to take this," he opened a small black day planner and removed several large bills.
"I can't take your money."
"It's not mine. It's the fee your parents paid me." He pushed the money toward her.
She slowly took it.
"I want you and your mother to pack up what you can and buy plane tickets to get as far away from here as possible."
She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you Jake."
He returned the hug. "Your welcome. Now lets go get a cup of coffee."
Letting go, she reached over and opened the door. Stepping out of the Jeep her bare feet landed on the warm concrete. She turned to the east and stared at the rising sun. It rose through the sky casting shimmering images on the many glass buildings that dominated the Las Vegas skyline. Taking a deep breath of the cool morning air, she slowly exhaled it and savored its sweet taste. It was a brand new day for her. Things were going to be better for her from now on. She was going to make sure of that.
* * * *
After dropping off Christina at her mother's house, the three made their way down into the heart of Sin City. They watched the people on the sparsely populated streets head out of the casinos with bleary eyes. Alex wondered if they were going home, or on to the next game. Jake pulled over in front of a massive casino and got out. He had gone back to his usual dress of jeans, a t-shirt and his brown leather jacket. Griggs stepped out next. He had removed the heavy gear he was wearing and had stripped down to a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans he had on under the jump suit. Alex exited the Jeep. She had traded the robe and sandals she was wearing for a plain blue dress that Christina's mother had lent her.
Alex looked at Jake. "Why are we here?"
"We need to talk and I wanted to find the most public place I could."
Griggs walked past Alex. "Just to be safe."
She stopped. "You think they'll still be after us? After what that ship did to the base?"
"I wouldn't put it past them," Jake answered grimly.
Walking into the Casino, Jake was surprised to see that a good portion of the tables and slot machines wer
e still occupied. He laughed out loud. "Don't these people ever go home?"
"I was just wondering the same thing," Alex replied.
Jake directed them to a small round table at the rear of the bar area. Small candles stood at the center of the table, giving off a small amount of light from its flickering flame in the dimly lit bar. Excess light from the casino was filtering in, but it wasn't enough to brighten the place.
Griggs caught the attention of the waitress and ordered a beer. Alex stared at him in amazement. "Isn't it a little early for that?"
He shook his head and smiled. "Nah. I've decided to celebrate a job well done." The waitress returned with his beer and he took a long swallow.
"We're not done."
Griggs sat his beer down on the table and looked at Jake in awe. "What do you mean?"
"I mean we're not done."
"We did everything that Davis wanted us to. We rescued his daughter and with the help of our friends from outer space," he pointed his finger upwards, "we destroyed the base."
Jake nodded. "In that aspect your right. We did do everything that Davis asked us to, but there's one thing left we have to do."
"What?"
Jake shifted in his seat. "When the alien ship was about to leave," he paused, "It somehow beamed the entire history of its civilization into my mind."
Alex's eyes went wide. "You know the history of an alien civilization?"
Jake grabbed Griggs' beer and took a big gulp, "yeah."
"They asked you to do something for them?"
"Yeah. They want us to destroy one final artifact they left here on Earth. They said it was some kind of super energy source capable of destroying this entire planet if used incorrectly." Jake took another sip of Griggs' beer. "From what I can understand, they are a race of machines. They have been capable of exploring the universe even before life began to develop on this planet. They've traversed the universe in search of other sentient beings like themselves."
Alex was totally engaged in the story.
Jake continued. "When this planet was still young, it became sort of an interstellar gas station for this race. They used it to refuel and make repairs on themselves. From what I can piece together, there was a great catastrophe on their home world and all explorers were called back to help. In the confusion, they left several members of their race here along with some very important pieces of their technology. One of those pieces is still here at a place called S-4."