by Sawyer, JT
Porter shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “Wait—you mean we’re more punctual than the SEALs? This is a first.”
“Speak for yourself,” said Connelly, who was loading a Glock magazine with hollowpoint rounds. “If you didn’t go out of your way to stop and chat up every female staff member along the way, we would’ve been here ten minutes ago.”
“And their day would be so much less bright as a result,” Porter said with a chuckle.
“Those women have probably already forgotten your name,” she said.
“But not his face—they’re scarred for life now,” said Nash with a faint smile.
“As I recall, those nurses didn’t even glance at you as we walked by—probably ’cause they’ve seen enough pug-faced goombas in their lifetime,” said Porter.
Reisner finished stowing the last of his AR mags in his vest then looked over at Porter. “Hey, Prince Charming, you want to finish stashing the canisters Selene brought down? They need to be divided up—four apiece for each of us.” As Porter moved to the end of the table beside the canisters, the rest of Ivins’ team filtered into the room. Murphy was in front, followed by the rest of the SEALs.
The large monitor on the wall flashed on, showing General Dorr’s office. Reisner was expecting the commander to be presenting in front of an auditorium full of military personnel like in past briefings, then recalled the general’s last transmission indicating that all information on future operations would be divulged only amongst the units participating and only directly before the engagement. This was one way to help ensure that the alphas would be out of the loop in the event a member of the military was captured or the intel compromised. The days of morale-boosting public events being broadcast to the armed forces were over for now—humanity didn’t have the luxury of making any further tactical errors or letting some critical information slip out. In some ways, it was no different than how Reisner and his team had always operated in the past—short, concise briefings prior to deployment and without any entanglements from the White House or DOD. He preferred it this way—skilled operators being cut loose to get the job at hand done without a bureaucratic leash. It was the way Runa had operated back in the early days for most of his career and what Reisner had been able to experience for a sliver of time before congressional oversight became so tightly wound during the height of the War on Terror. Now, it seemed like the world had reverted back to the days of frontier justice. Only the paras were becoming equally skilled at waging strategic battles and doling out their own brand of brutality far greater than anything humanity had ever imagined.
Reisner holstered his Glock and tucked the suppressor into his vest, then turned his attention to the monitor as Dorr sat down before the camera.
His face bore a restrained grimace as he spoke, his steely brown eyes fixed ahead. “I won’t rehash the tedious details of the hour-long briefing I received from my scientific advisors on the wonders of nuclear fission, but I want you to know the reason you are all going downrange.” Reisner appreciated the man’s honesty and he knew of his reputation as a bull-headed operator who had logged countless missions under gut-wrenching conditions around the globe. “There are sixteen high-value, Level 3 nuclear reactors spread throughout the U.S. Eleven of those are occupied by large concentrations of paras. In some cases, there are several thousand drones accompanied by upwards of eight alphas inside the facilities, with the greatest numbers being in the Palo Verde Reactor, forty-six miles west of Phoenix.”
Reisner felt his stomach tighten and his mouth grow parched. He looked around the room at the nervous glances amongst the other warriors as Dorr paused, knowing the impact of his words. The general cleared his throat and continued as Reisner temporarily tried to blot out the staggering number of alphas from his mind.
“The problem we are facing is that the heat created through nuclear fission, whose steam powers the turbines that generate electricity, are reaching critical levels. Without a full-time staff on site to regulate the temperature of the cores, there lies the potential for a catastrophic meltdown. Immediate measures would be necessary regardless of whether the paras were present there. Our country would be uninhabitable if even half of these reactors suffered a meltdown. It would make the Fukushima disaster in Japan seem like a blip on the disaster scale.”
Dorr twisted his head to the right, emitting an audible pop in his neck before continuing. “The objective of each team is to infiltrate each power plant at the exact same time, destroy the enemy, and gain access to the mainframe computers that control the emergency cooling for the cores. My intel staff will provide team leaders with the security codes for each plant along with guiding you through accessing the mainframes. Once that is complete, my science staff on this end will take over and remotely cool the cores.”
Reisner pondered Dorr’s comments about destroying the enemy, which seemed too succinct to portray the carnage and chaos of the grueling combat operation that was about to unfold. He glanced at the end of the table towards the rows of bioagent canisters, hoping it would be enough. We’re either at the mercy of the paras in this world or risking destruction from our own technological achievements. Not a lot of great options in this scenario.
Dorr rested his hands on top of one another and looked directly into the camera. “Bear in mind that victory in this undertaking will be tremendous but it will also present us with another major consideration—that the remaining alphas throughout the world will know we have a bioweapon capable of killing their drones. It’s my belief and that of my intel staff that their retaliation will be swift and brutal. They aren’t going to wait for us to make the next move. They will probably launch an all-out assault against the regions they deem a threat to them or that they suspect could house the bioagent—places like MacDill and other military installations.”
The general shifted in his seat, pulling his shoulders further back. “It is for this reason that I am implementing Protocol 34. It will go into effect immediately after Operation Overlord.” Dorr stood up and hunched forward, resting his fists on the desk. “Godspeed to you all on your mission, and I look forward to greeting each of you personally when you arrive back here.”
Nash looked across the table at Ivins. “What’s Protocol 34?”
Ivins let out a long exhale. “You know those desert trees around the city—the mesquite and creosote—when they are faced with a drought year, they withdraw the energy from their branches to allow the trunk to survive until the rains come in. Well, Dorr is calling all of his operators back to the roost to preserve central command.” Ivins grit his teeth. “Things must be worse than I thought with our special operations units for him to have us pull up stakes like this.”
“The nuclear plants are going to be the battle to begin the mother of all battles,” said Murphy.
“Dorr is no doubt fortifying MacDill even further right now,” said Ivins. “Probably bringing in any of the remaining attack helos from the Southeastern U.S. along with stockpiling ammo and food for a potential siege.”
Reisner felt his stomach churn as he thought about Jody and Runa stuck back at MacDill. Before, it was a mild relief knowing they were in such an establishment; now he knew it was about to become the eye of the storm, he wanted to race back there and get her out. “How long after Operation Overlord before we depart from this location?”
Ivins grabbed his pack off the table. “Immediately upon returning from Palo Verde. I’ll have Doctors Munroe and Tso start gathering their research materials and begin arranging for the rest of the CDC staff to evacuate. We will have to make a few trips in the Blackhawks to get everyone from here to Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. It’s a small airfield about an hour northwest of Vegas, and the nearest place to hop a military flight to Florida.”
Reisner was still focused on the upcoming mission to Palo Verde, and barely registered everything about relocating to MacDill. The one bright spot was that he would be able to reunite with Jody and Runa at last. He held on to that glimmer of h
ope to help balance out the dread he felt for the coming hours. He stood up, glancing at each of his team members, who had a look of apprehension coupled with a disciplined exterior honed from going downrange countless times.
“Let’s meet on the helipad at 1630,” said Ivins, who hastily departed the room.
Porter crooked his head as he moved beside Reisner. “Glad I’m in Arizona or this briefing could’ve really dampened my mood.”
He couldn’t force a smile but just grabbed his gear and rifle, trying to focus on the singular bright spot in Dorr’s briefing: they would be heading to Florida after this—and that meant to Jody.
Chapter 10
Sunset swept over the forested parcel around the massive estate as Roland Whitmore stood on the veranda outside his study, looking up at the stars overhead as a wintry wind crept over his bare neck. A week ago, his frail body would have been nearly hypothermic, but now he was beyond the reach of the cold. Since his transformation, he had seen his physical prowess grow ten-fold. His arms that were once lanky and without strength could now effortlessly lift a human being off the ground; his hearing enabled him to discern the slightest rustle of a deer rummaging through the leaves a quarter-mile away; his sense of smell had heightened to the point that he could detect the unique coppery odor of a nearby human and determine if it should be food for the drones or kept alive for its hormonal secretions. It was the latter that he had coerced into serving him as a liaison of sorts between his world and the one he once belonged to. Though he could speak, he had little time to question incoming captives to discover their usefulness. His considerable mind and intellect were diverted to other areas of focus, and if his plan in subjugating the Others was to succeed, he would need every fiber of his being committed to the battle ahead.
He heard the French doors behind him open and knew from the rhythm of footfalls that it was his sister Katherine. She moved up beside him, her black eyes staring at the forest ahead. He knew that, unlike himself, her intellect had suffered during her earlier transformation at the beginning of the pandemic. She did not see the splendor in the stars above, delight in the fragrances found in the wind, or grasp the scope of what he was planning. She was a hardy foot soldier with abilities beyond those of the drones, but his only interest in her was their previous connection as twins. Though there was an inkling of a feeling he had once known as love, it had morphed into an organic bond, and he felt connected to her on a cellular level, like fungus attached to the trunk of a large tree.
She is in the other room, waiting for you, his sister said without speaking aloud.
“Good. Remain here.” He turned and walked through the doors towards a dark fireplace beside a massive oaken desk. A young woman with pale cheeks and goosebumps riddling her arms was standing by an ornate bookcase.
She kept her eyes low while stepping forward to hand him a clipboard.
“Tell me what you’ve learned, not what you’ve written.”
“Two of them are doctors. One is a veterinarian.”
“That should suffice for now.” He reached in his shirt pocket and removed a folded piece of paper. “Give this to them and see how this formula can be made on a larger scale. I want specific requirements, supplies, and medical equipment to create large batches of this. Once you have compiled a list, return to me.” He moved closer, placing his ashen fingers under her chin and tilting her head up. “And do not delay unless you want your younger brother to be fed to my brood below.” She nodded as tears streamed down her cheek onto his fingers. He pulled back, wiping the fluid on his shirt with a scowl then slamming his hand onto her throat and driving her back into the bookcase. Roland tilted his head, pressing his face closer to hers as a ropey parasite slipped out from his mouth. Its triangular gray head undulated around her lips as her eyes filled her face. As quickly as it appeared, it was withdrawn, and he eased his grip.
“If you are too weak and unable to fulfill the simple tasks I give you, another assistant can be found from the captives below.”
Rose straightened up, gasping as he withdrew his fingers. She shook her head, squelching a whimper. “No, that won’t be necessary. I will go to the doctors right now and get the information you’ve requested.
Roland angrily thrusted his chin towards the door. “Then leave here.”
After the woman scurried out of the room, Katherine entered from the porch. I can do her job—why not use me instead?
“There is something else I need your help with.” Roland turned and walked towards his desk, staring at the large map on the wall. The world atlas blanketed much of the paneling. The hundreds of red dots marked around the major cities indicated military bases, small outposts, fueling depots, and bands of civilian resistance fighters. Each of the locations was provided through the eyes of his alphas, who constantly fed him updates as they unfolded.
“There have been considerable troop movements and supply runs around several of the military bases throughout this country.” He slid his slender, pale finger between the red dots peppered along the southwestern United States, eventually settling upon the Phoenix region. “This area in particular has seen significant activity at the site of a CDC building, along with one to the south of us.” He traced his finger across the map to the right, eventually hovering around Tampa. “The others like you who are located outside of this military base can only relay so much information from their positions.” He turned towards Katherine. “I need you to find a way inside MacDill and remain hidden long enough to reveal the size of the enemy and their capabilities.”
She slowly blinked her eyes, acknowledging him. Roland opened the right desk drawer and removed a clear vial of fluid. He moved around to the other side and raised up her left hand, sliding the vial into her palm and slowly folding her fingers inward. “This will keep up your strength. It was recently obtained from a pharmaceutical building but there are only limited amounts available for now.”
Katherine narrowed her eyes, giving a puzzled expression.
“It’s a synthetic solution identical to what you have been draining from the Others for nourishment.” He gently squeezed her hand, then let go and ran his spindly fingers over her smooth gray head. “Soon, we will no longer have a use for them and we will wipe their scourge from the planet.”
“But the rest of our brood that are not like us—how will they feed?”
“I am working on that as well.”
She looked out towards the open door that led into the hallway, her nostrils flaring as she inhaled the lingering coppery aroma of Rose. She turned back to him, canting her head.
He gave her a faint smile. “Yes, she and other young women like her will play an important role in the survival of our own.”
Chapter 11
Three hours later, Reisner had finished loading the last of his gear onto the Blackhawk atop the CDC building. Selene was standing next to him, looking at the dizzying array of tactical items, weapons, climbing rope, and NBC equipment. She held up the mask for one of the radiological suits, letting out a grimace as she looked over at Reisner.
“Sure hope it doesn’t come to this,” she said, shoving the mask back into the duffle bag.
He only raised his eyebrows. Nothing he could say would convince her that things were going to go smoothly, and both of them had already discussed the nebulous reality of the coming operation. If they were successful and all of the nuclear plants were secured from the alphas, they would have overcome another staggering hurdle in their way but also revealed to the remaining alphas around the world that they possessed a new weapon.
He turned around and stood looking out over the empty helipad. The rest of his team was below with Ivins’ group, and he knew this would be the last time he would be alone with Selene for some time.
“What did Dorr say about your departure from here?” said Reisner as he held her hand.
“We’ll be pulling out within four hours, as soon as the helicopter from Creech Air Force Base gets here. Then we’re splitting up, wi
th myself, Tso, Noveck, and the rest of the research staff heading to the Lachesis while the remaining six civilians will catch a later flight to MacDill with you guys.”
“Lachesis—that should be much more suitable for continuing your work than being at the hospital on base.”
“That’s what Runa said too. From there we can amp up production of the bioweapon for whatever is coming next.” She held his hand firmly and leaned her head on his shoulder as they looked out at the horizon. “What is coming next?”
He knew it was a rhetorical question and one neither of them had answers to, other than a massive war between the two forces desperately vying for a foothold in this insane world. “After we survived that living hell in L.A. and were pulled out, I felt like there would be some break in the conflict—because how can it keep going on like this, day after day, with us getting a slight edge only to be shoved back down the cliff again as the alphas gain some ground.” He stopped and looked at her, staring into her green eyes. “Then when we found your bioagent was successful in the tunnels, I figured, this is it. We can strike back on a level that can even things out—give our kind the edge once more. But then we have to divert our assets to securing the nuke facilities—it’s just a never-ending series of near misses each time.” He shook his head, staring at the hues of blue in the sky. “I’ve fought in a lot of ugly battles before this pandemic and, even if the odds were stacked against us, we knew our firepower and technology was superior to the enemy and we could call upon further air assets if things went to hell. Now, our military is hanging on by a thread and our future may very well be determined by what happens during these next few days. It just doesn’t let up.”
“I don’t know anything about the strategic side of things like you, but I know in the world of medicine that there are always these turning points in history that occur right on the cusp of disaster, the scientific boundaries are pushed because of some epidemic or deadly outbreak.” She turned to face him, resting her hand on his neck. “The bioagent is one of those breakthroughs, Will. If we can formulate larger quantities of that aboard the Lachesis, it could give us that edge back. If the millions of drones throughout the world are eliminated, that only leaves the alphas to contend with and we already know how to locate them based upon heat signatures.” She kissed him, then stared into his eyes. “We will get through this.”