The War of Pawns (The Human Chronicles -- Book Three)
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“The Juirean shuttle is now approaching the ship.”
The image on the wall-sized screen had shown the approaching Juirean shuttlecraft, and how it had disappeared inside the bowls of the larger ship. Allen marveled at the clarity of the image, knowing that the other Klin ship taking the image was nearly the same distance as from D.C. to the moon. It just went to show him how primitive Human science and technology was.
He silently prayed for the success of the negotiations. The last thing he wanted to do was go up against a foe as advanced as either of these alien species. It would be like a modern soldier, with all his gear, going up against an ancient Roman soldier. The simple truth was, the Roman soldier would be dead before he even knew he was in a fight.
That would be the same for us, Allen thought. They wouldn’t even break a sweat.
The next half an hour was an exercise in boredom. The alien voice would occasionally speak up and say ‘Negotiations are continuing,” and each time it did, everyone in the room would jump, and then look embarrassingly around at the others in the room.
“It’s like watching paint dry,” someone commented in the dimly lit room.
“Yeah. It would be better with a soundtrack—”
Suddenly the entire room lit up as the large screen on the wall washed-out completely. Then the alien voice came through the speakers. “The Juireans have fired on the negotiators.” The voice was amazingly calm.
As the screen adjusted for the brightness, Allen could see half a dozen or more balls of blue-white fire closing on the Klin ship. He couldn’t see where they came from, but they seemed to be closing on the ship from all directions.
And then it was over. The image showed a brief flash of bright light, and then the ship was gone.
The room suddenly erupted in a beehive of activity, as generals and admirals and clean-cut young men in blue suits picked up landlines or pulled out their smartphones and began all talking at once. The voices were deafening, and Allen noticed they all carried in them the sound of sheer panic.
For his part, Captain Nat Allen walked calmly to the nearest exit, and as he did so, pressed the button three times on the small transmitter in his pocket.
Then he was out the door, and headed for the closest exit out of the gargantuan Pentagon building. His wife and two sons should be in West Virginia by now, on I-68, heading west. If all went according to plan, he would meet up with them at Carrie’s sister’s house just outside of Morgantown, if he could get out of the city in time. Hopefully, the town of 33,000 would be small enough to be missed by the Hell that was about to rain down upon the planet Earth.
Chapter-Twenty-Six
Lt. Andy Tobias felt his heart rise up in his chest, and he suddenly felt dizzy. He had tried desperately – apparently to no avail – to prepare himself for the moment when the signal from Captain Allen came through. He tripled checked the results. Yes, it was three beeps, not one. The mission was a ‘Go!’ That meant that the negotiations had failed, and that the Earth would soon be attacked by overwhelming alien forces.
As he sent the ‘Go’ order out to the other SEAL commanders, his only hope was that Adam Cain was right, and that the Klin would intervene to prevent the entire destruction of the Human race. Only time would tell. But for now, Lt. Andy Tobias had his own operation to initiate.
Yet before he slipped out the door of the DEVGRP building at Dam Neck, he had a call to make. He had no qualms making it, not in light of recent events. In a few hours, all national security concerns would fly out the window. Besides, he had promised.
He dialed the number and heard it begin to ring. But then the rings continued, soon to be replaced with a recorded greeting in the voice of Maria Cain.
“Hello, Maria. This is Andy Tobias. I know it’s been a while, but I have some very important news for, plus some instructions I need you to follow to the ‘tee.’ First of all, I want to tell you that Adam is alive. I know this will come as a shock to you, but he is back, and he’s well.
“But that is not the main reason for my call. You have to listen to me very carefully, Maria. Something really bad is about to happen, and I need you and Cassie to leave Virginia Beach immediately. There is a real danger coming this way, and you must go either south into North Carolina or west on 58 toward Emporia – and you must leave now. Don’t take time to question this or to pack. Just go. You have to get as far away from the city as possible, as fast as possible. You know I wouldn’t be saying this just to scare you. This is serious. You must go now.
“And another thing. Whatever you hear about Adam, just know that what they say is not true. Adam is a hero. He has been through a harrowing experience, and he has done everything in his power to prevent what’s about to happen.
“Now don’t think about it. Just get in your car and go. You don’t have much time. Goodbye, Maria. And good luck to you and Cassie.”
He pressed the ‘end call’ button, and then sat for a moment staring at the phone. Then he took a deep breath, rose from the chair and grabbed the duffle bag sitting on the floor next to his desk. “This is gonna be some shit,” he said to the empty room as he headed for the door. “Might as well get it over with…”
All across the country, as well as other secret locations around the globe, cell phones rang or text messages were received. Hundreds of members of the Naval Special Warfare Command jumped into action. All had prepared evacuation routes out of their various cities or bases, and most already had their gear and families packed. The initial message had said families could be included, but that it was imperative that no delays occur. From San Diego to Virginia Beach – and points beyond – hundreds of people were hustled into cars, SUV’s and trucks, and were soon merging onto highways, heading for the nearest desert, the mountain or any other place as far away from the cities as possible. Others, who had boats, were pulling away from docks and heading for open water.
Wives and children were frightened, but they also knew their husbands were privy to information not available to the general public. This made them obey without question, but it also scared the hell out of them.
Some of the SEALs and their families had broken security and made calls to mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, telling them not to ask questions, but to just get out of the major population centers as soon as possible. Since the SEALs themselves had not been briefed on the actual threat facing them, none could say for sure what was about to happen. This concerned the military personnel and their families even more. All they knew was that the order was unit-wide, which meant something really big was coming down.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The SEALs weren’t the only ones who had prepared contingency plans in the event the negotiations with the Juireans broke down. Over the past few days, by Presidential order, a master list of political, business and educational leaders had been drawn up. The same was taking place across the planet by governments who had been informed of the impending disaster.
The initial list of Americans was nearly 25,000 strong.
The locations of these 25,000 people were quickly determined, and the ones outside major population centers were placed on a secondary list. Those located in high-target areas were given priority. Secret Service, FBI, military and even CIA officers were dispatched in as many Chevy Suburban’s or Ford Expeditions as could be found, to lie in wait outside the offices, residences or classrooms of the people on the primary list. Helicopters sat on landing pads or nearby fields, engines revved and ready for liftoff should the word come down. Everyone sat and waited.
President Ryan had left the White House the day before and traveled with his wife, two sons and most of his top advisors to a secure location in the granite hills of West Virginia. A few of the top members of Congress had been shuttled there as well. If the negotiations were successful, then everyone would return.
Yet even without an attack by the Juireans, after today the world would never to be the same. The Juireans would still come to the Earth, and the knowled
ge of alien life could no longer be kept a secret. Whatever civil rights or other laws were broken would be quickly forgiven in light of the events taking place. If the negotiations succeeded, then Ryan and his administration would be hailed as heroes. If they failed, then those who survived, either by fortune or design, would be the lucky ones.
Yet, in the case the negotiations failed, the powers that be had a responsibility to save as much of the planet’s brain trust as possible, no matter what methods that entailed.
The media were going ballistic. With so much activity emanating from the government over the past 72 hours, journalists, bloggers and news organizations were finding it increasing difficult to find anyone who could give them straight answers as to what was happening. There definitely was something going on, yet what it was, not even the people involved knew for sure.
And when the President left the White House, taking with him many of his senior advisors, the White House press corps was apoplectic.
Carla Harmon, the President’s press secretary, did her best at the daily press briefing that morning to assuage their concerns. She told them the President was off on a trade mission to a foreign country that she was not privileged to reveal at the time. These were very sensitive negotiations of vital national interest. Members of the media would just have to be patient.
Carla also knew she was lying. She would be waiting, just like the rest of the staff, for the word on whether or not the negotiations with the aliens succeeded. If not, then she would be on the next helo off the East Lawn. All she had to do was remain calm and confident for this last briefing, and then she could return to her office and await the call.
Her husband and daughter, along with her mother and aunt, had already arrived at her cousin’s home in Louisiana. They had protested at first, but when Carla’s voice cracked, and the tears welled up in her eyes, they knew this was serious. She told them all she could, but they realized that what she couldn’t tell them was something very dangerous. And so they went, and because of that, Carla Harmon was able to put on her normal smiling face and calm demeanor, while the wolves in the media did their best to eat her alive.
I don’t give a damn if any of you survive, she thought as she beamed her million-dollar smile out at them. I’ve had just about as much of your bullshit as I can stand!
And when the word finally came, thousands of people across the country and around the world instantly jumped into action.
For the agents watching the people on the primary list, their orders were simple: Acquire the subject and extract from the location, and then transport to a designated extraction point outside of the city. Some of these locations were nothing more than rest stops along a lonely stretch of open highway. Others were schools or government buildings in tiny hamlets very few people had ever heard of.
Benjamin Lechter was an associate professor of chemistry at the University of Chicago. He had just finished an explanation of polymer reactions when two men in blue suits entered his classroom.
“Excuse me. Can I help you?”
“We’re special agents with the FBI. You’re to come with us immediately.”
“What’s this all about? Am I being arrested?” Lechter asked. Some of his male students near the front of the class stood and began to move toward the lectern.
“Stay where you are,” one of the agents said, displaying his service revolver under his suit jacket.
“You are not under arrest, sir,” said the other agent, approaching the professor. “This is for your own protection. If you do not come with us voluntarily, we are authorized to remove you by force.”
Lechter held up his hand to the gathering crowd of angry students. “It’s okay,” he said to them. And then to the agents, “I’ll go with you, but I’m going to need a full explanation very soon.”
“Everything will be explained once we reach our destination.”
“Are my students in any danger?” the professor asked.
“We don’t have any information regarding that. Please come along, Professor. We don’t have much time.”
Concerned, Lechter turned to his students, “You’re dismissed, and please leave the campus as soon as possible. I don’t like the sound of what’s going on.”
This same scene was repeated thousands of times around the globe. Most people came along peacefully, while others had to be physically removed and placed into cars, SUV’s or shoved onto helicopters. Others were able to put up such a fight, either by themselves or with the help of others, that the agents had to retreat. The orders called for the agents to use whatever force was deemed appropriate without harming the subject. Yet if extracting the subject was not possible without harm, then the agents were to retreat and meet at the extraction point anyway. Little did the thousands of agents who participated in this part of the operation know, but their own lives were being saved in the process.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Maria Cain was exhausted by the time she left her neighbor Ginny’s house to return to her own. Ginny Forrester was crowding 70 years of age, and loved to talk – to put it mildly. Unfortunately, Maria had to tolerate Ginny’s verbosity, seeing that the elderly lady was Cassie’s primary babysitter in the neighborhood. But this latest episode had almost been too much to bear.
Maria had returned home from her job as a part-time cashier at Kroger’s, and had dropped her purse on the kitchen counter before heading five doors down the street to pick up Cassie. That was two hours ago. And now, after listening to the results of Ginny’s latest physical exam, and about how the new medicine she was on gave her incredible cramps and flatulence, as well as a dozen other related and unrelated topics which the old woman droned on about, Maria was finally headed home with Cassie in tow.
Maria was grateful for the job she had at Kroger’s, even though it did involve needing a babysitter. Jobs weren’t that plentiful these days, especially in a military town full of spouses looking for part-time work to supplement their family’s military pay. Maria worked six hours a day, four days a week, beginning at six in the morning. So by noon, she was heading home, able to spend the rest of the day with Cassie, who had just turned three, and craved her mother’s attention nearly 24/7.
The survivor’s benefits Maria received from the Navy helped out a lot, and the life insurance policy on Adam had helped pay off the minivan – even though it had taken nearly a year to receive! She put the remaining balance of the $100,000 in savings. Even though the money she had meant she didn’t have to work, she still needed a distraction from raising Cassie by herself. It also helped fight the loneliness she felt since Adam’s death, and just being out among other people, especially working in a grocery store, helped out immensely.
After returning to the house, Maria set about fixing Cassie a snack, and then proceeded to round up the myriad of toys strewn about the living room. Her purse remained on the counter, her cell phone buried in its depths.
Finally, around four in the afternoon, Maria decided to call her manager at the store to check on getting some extra hours over the coming weekend. Ginny’s great grandchildren were coming over on Saturday, and Cassie always loved to play with kids her own age. That would take most of the day. Saturday was normally Maria’s normal day off, but with Cassie occupied at Ginny’s, she could easily work a full shift, if one was available.
As she pulled the iPhone from inside her purse, Maria noticed the one missed call, and one new voicemail notices. Once she had scrolled through the screens and placed the phone to her ear, she suddenly felt her knees go weak, and she dropped to the floor, holding the kitchen counter with one hand, the phone in the other.
As she listened to the message three more times, she fought through the flowing tears and erupting emotions to focus more on the second part of the message, and less on the first – even though the first part was tremendous. Adam was alive! But there was a more ominous tone to what Lt. Tobias was saying, and all she could think of at the moment was … where’s Cassie!
She c
limbed to her feet and ran into Cassie’s room. She wasn’t there! Then she went into the master bedroom and found the child sitting on the bed, with a storybook in her lap. Maria scooped her up in her arms.
“Come on, baby, we have to go for a drive.” Her voice was trembling, as was her body.
“Are you all right, mommy?”
“Yes, everything’s okay.”
“But you’re shaking.”
“It’s nothing. I’m just cold. Let’s go.”
Maria strapped Cassie into the car seat in the back of the minivan, and then climbed into the driver’s seat. As she began to back out of the driveway, she was distracted by a flickering light that lit up the interior of the minivan. She looked up to see a meteor-like ball of fire streaking down from the sky directly in front of her. She gunned the accelerator and raced into the center of the cul-de-sac. Then shifting gears, the minivan shot down the street – just as a tremendous wall of fire erupted to her right…
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Overlord Yan’wal proceeded into the Human stellar system with extreme caution. The extermination of the Human race was his mission, but first his forces would have to fight their way through whatever defenses the Humans would employ.
In all the history of his people, the Juireans had only exterminated five other races before. The first had been the Klin, while the other four had come after prolonged wars with these races. By the time victory had come, the Juireans knew everything they needed to know about their opponents and their capabilities. Many of these defeated enemies were in such an advance state of ruination that eliminating the last remaining strongholds of alien life was all that was required. But in every instance, the targets of the Juirean vengeance had been known commodities.