The destruction was unlike anything he had ever seen. In a matter of minutes, the invading force had eradicated Dumond’s troops as easily as a man squashing a bug with his thumb. The attackers patrolled the camp, searching for survivors and dispatching any living thing that still moved.
“Stay down,” Randall said, crouching behind a large block of ice.
“Who the hell did this and do you think they saw us?” John asked.
“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s the Red Dragons. We just need to stay put and wait for them to leave. We’ll see if we can find a working Snow Cat and put as much distance between us and this place as possible before the missile hits.”
“But Dad, we’re so close, we can’t leave now!”
“Son, there’s no way I’m putting the two of you in danger any longer. Besides, the missile will destroy the base and no one will have access to the mind control substance.”
“What about Rob and Jamie?” John asked.
“You and Gabby head back to McMurdo to get help. I’ll follow the Dragons and keep an eye on them until reinforcements arrive.”
Randall peered from behind the frozen rock and watched the soldiers milling about the remains of the camp. They appeared to be searching for something, but what?
“What are they doing?” Gabby asked.
“They’re looking for something … or someone.” Randall replied.
He looked over at John, who was craning his neck around the ice block to survey the area. Randall was certain that his son had also caught sight of the men searching the wreckage, but something else had caught his gaze. Randall turned to look at the vehicles gathered near what had previously been the outer rim of the camp and noticed something about them. Emblazoned on the doors were unmistakable bright red figures.
“Dad, look at the doors of the trucks. I think you’re right and I think I know who they they’re looking for.”
Randall nodded his understanding. It was The Red Dragons. “They must know I found the Rosetta Stone and want the coordinates to the base. We can’t let them find us.”
He withdrew behind the rock. As he did, a loud ringing noise came from his parka.
“Shit, the satellite phone!” Randall said.
He struggled to remove his gloves. The phone rang again. He finally tore the glove off and opened his parka, fumbling to unzip the pocket. The phone rang a third time. Nearly ripping the zipper open, he scooped the phone from his jacket and silenced the ringing.
“Do you think they heard us?” Gabby asked.
Randall inched his way to the edge of the ice block and peered around the corner. He froze. Several armed soldiers had fanned out and were approaching their position, followed by a heavily armored vehicle.
“Stay here!” Randall ordered.
He stood from behind the rock that had concealed him and walked toward the soldiers, hands in the air.
“I’m unarmed, don’t shoot,” he said.
He continued moving toward the Red Dragons, clasping his hands behind his head in a show of submission. His plan worked, the soldiers surrounded him and took him captive, completely oblivious to John and Gabby’s presence.
Chapter Forty-Eight
The Dragons marched Randall to a group of heavily protected armored vehicles. His hands tied behind his back, there was little he could do but comply with their orders. He reviewed the carnage that had once been Dumond’s base and, as much as he hated Dumond, couldn’t help but feel pity for the brutal death that had befallen him and his men. They approached the rear of one of the APCs and stopped. The motor controlling the rear hatch whirred to life and the opening slowly descended in front of them. Randall was shocked to see Rob sitting in the back, his hands cuffed to a metal rail behind him.
“Rob! Thank God you’re alive! Where’s Jamie?”
Rob raised his head slowly. “She’s gone, they took her.”
“Who took her, what do you mean?”
“They did … those creatures! It was horrible. I couldn’t do anything to help her, it was like I was drugged and couldn’t move. They took her, Nick, and God knows what they’re doing to her.”
“It’s okay, Rob, we’ll find her. I promise we will.”
The soldiers pushed Randall into the back of the APC and closed the hatch. The big armored vehicle rumbled through the snow.
“Are you okay, have they hurt you?” Randall asked.
“I’m okay. Hell, I don’t really care what they do to me. I’m just worried about Jamie. Poor kid.”
After a short while, the APC stopped and the big rear door slowly opened again. Randall, Rob, and their escorts descended from the vehicle. For the second time in the same day, Randall was amazed to find himself in the midst of a large, temporary city of tents and heavy military machinery. The juxtaposition of the green structures and heavily armored vehicles against the pure white background of the Antarctic wilderness was a shocking contrast. The fact that they had made no attempt to conceal their presence spoke to the Dragons’ confidence … or arrogance.
Accompanying the structures and large weapon transport platforms were smaller support trucks, helicopters, and nearly a hundred soldiers. The Red Dragons had transported a small military base from China to the Antarctic, and their purpose was clear: they were going to get the mind control substance, and would crush anyone who got in their way.
The soldiers led their two prisoners to a rectangular metal box situated on top of a large, flatbed tracked vehicle. The structure looked like a shipping container used by stevedoring companies to move freight, except this one was painted completely green, except for the Red Dragon logo emblazoned on its side. Randall was led up a temporary ramp where a guard stood waiting for him outside the door. The guard punched a code into a recessed keypad, unlocking the entrance. He escorted Randall into the container while Rob was spirited away to another location.
The inside of the structure was appointed with all of the creature comforts one would expect in a well-appointed office. Thick, brown carpeting lined the floor and large, overstuffed cloth chairs were neatly arranged by one wall, which was decorated with beautiful lithographs depicting the ancient Chinese countryside. The room was well lit by wall sconces and several chandeliers, which were draped from cream colored ceiling tiles. Tucked away in the far corner of the room was a beautifully hand-carved ebony desk with the Dragons’ logo inlaid in the side facing the entrance. A polished brass lamp sat atop the desk, which was otherwise devoid of anything except a single folder. The appearance of the room gave the impression of standing in a Wall Street CEO’s office instead of a military headquarters.
Seated behind the desk was a man in a perfectly tailored uniform resplendent with medals and ribbons befitting someone who had dedicated his life to serving his country. He carefully studied the contents of the folder, seemingly unaware of the intrusion into his private domain. Finally, he lifted his moon-shaped face and locked his eyes onto Randall, studying him carefully.
“The coordinates to the base, I need them now,” he said.
“Sorry, I don’t know what you’re referring to. McMurdo is back that way,” Randall replied, pointing his handcuffed hands out the window of the office.
The soldier stood up from behind his desk, his six-foot-tall athletic frame cutting an imposing figure. He walked around to the front of the desk and sat down facing Randall.
“I know you have the coordinates, we monitored you after you returned from the underwater cave. If you want to see your friend live, you will give me what I want.”
“Do you really think I’m stupid enough to believe you’ll let Rob and I live?”
The soldier reached back into his desk drawer and removed a cigarette and a lighter. He carefully placed the cigarette into his mouth, methodically lighting it. Taking a puff, he stared directly through Randall as if he wasn’t there. After a long, smoky exhale he replied.
“I can guarantee a quick and painless death for both of you, or I can make it a slow, excruciatin
g process. It’s your choice.”
“I missed your name.”
“I am General Keung, the leader of the Red Dragon Brigade.”
“I’m Dr. Nick Randall.”
“I am familiar with you and your work, but I don’t have time for small talk. I need the coordinates to fulfill my mission.”
“You mean you couldn’t figure out where the base was with the footage from Rob’s camera?” Randall goaded.
Keung wasn’t taking the bait. “An oversight on my part, which will now be remedied. The coordinates, Dr. Randall.”
“You know your plan will never work.”
The General took another puff of his cigarette as he continued to study Randall. A thin smile spread across his lips. “Typical American. You think you know more than everyone else and can control every situation. Your country’s time as a world leader has already passed, but you are too arrogant to realize it. Now, my country stands on the threshold of controlling the greatest power known to man and you have the last piece of information we need to make it a reality. If you believe for a moment that I will hesitate to take any action needed to attain this knowledge, you are gravely mistaken. Now, I will ask you one last time. What are the coordinates to the alien base?”
Randall dropped his glance to the floor. Nodding, he glanced back up at the General. “Okay, Keung, you win. I’ll give you the coordinates, but I ask for one favor in return. Before you kill us, I want you to take us to the base with you. As men of science, this is a momentous occasion in human history and we would like to be a part of it. Please allow us this small indulgence and I promise to give you the coordinates and even help you translate any messages you find.”
Keung stared directly into Randall’s eyes and took another puff of his cigarette. He turned, reached into his desk drawer again and retrieved a polished brass ashtray, setting it on his desk. He flicked the burning embers into it.
“I will grant your request as you may yet serve a purpose, but remember,” he said, holding the cigarette in his right hand, “if you try to deceive me or escape, I will crush you and your friend.”
Keung squashed the cigarette into the ashtray.
Chapter Forty-Nine
The armored personnel carrier rumbled through the snow toward the coordinates of the alien base. Randall and Rob sat in the middle of the back seat sandwiched between two enormous soldiers, looking out into the gray dreary sky. Although the snowfall had stopped, huge clouds hung in the air, blotting out the sun and casting an eerie pale over the newly fallen snow. They had been traveling for nearly an hour and were rapidly approaching the coordinates Randall had provided, but there was still no sign of the base.
Keung’s contingent followed closely behind the lead vehicle, and the general was growing impatient as they traversed the large flat plain. Soon, they approached an ice shelf jutting out of the white earth.
“Stop the vehicle!” Keung ordered, turning to Randall.
“Where is the base? I warned you not to trifle with me.” Keung nodded, and a soldier sitting next to Rob produced a pistol and pointed it at Rob’s head.
“I swear, these are the coordinates,” Randall said, searching the area outside of the vehicle.
Keung nodded again to the soldier, who now cocked the hammer of the gun and pressed it into Rob’s left temple. “Do you take me for a fool? If you don’t tell me the location of the base by the count of three, your friend is dead,” Keung said.
“It has to be here, if we just get out and…”
“One.”
“It could be buried in the snow, send out your men with…”
“Two.”
“Wait! Look up there!” Randall said, pointing out the window of the carrier toward the ice shelf. “It looks like there’s an opening in the side of the ledge.”
Everyone in the APC turned to look in the direction he was pointing. Against the bright backdrop of the low sun hanging behind the ice ledge, they could see a small dark, rounded opening in the otherwise blue-white ice cliff.
“How much farther until we reach the exact coordinates I provided?” Randall asked the driver.
“One hundred and seven yards.”
“That seems about right. If we keep going in this direction, we’ll be at the base of the ice ledge. Don’t you see? The base might be built into the side of the cliff and not on the ground. We need to at least investigate the possibility.”
“Lower your weapon.” Keung instructed his soldier. “Take us directly below the opening.”
The vehicle lurched forward and resumed its trek through the snow, stopping at the base of an incline leading up to the opening in the ice ledge. Everyone exited the APC and stood staring up toward the possible entrance. The ice shelf was easily two hundred feet tall and over a mile wide, the opening approximately fifty feet from the top. Standing in the howling wind, Randall felt like little more than a dark spec against the pure white background as the cold cut through his down parka. Despite his gear, he could feel his core body temperature slowly dropping.
Rob leaned close to his friend’s ear. “How much longer until the missile hits?”
Randall glanced at his watch. “Four and half hours, give or take a few minutes.”
He then turned to look at the men and equipment Keung had assembled, and for the first time noticed one long-tracked vehicle carrying a missile.
“What in God’s name is that?”
“A Dong Feng 21 missile carrying an electromagnetic pulse weapon. Did you think the general would enter into battle against these creatures without a way to neutralize their systems?” Randall’s guard said before shoving him in the back to move forward.
Randall staggered up the icy slope trying to keep from sliding on the frozen ground. Rob walked next to him, prodded along by another soldier tasked with watching him. Keung followed close behind, trailed by his personal escorts and a platoon of Red Army regulars. The group slowly made their way up the treacherous path until they finally arrived at the opening.
Randall’s initial reaction was that the opening was much larger up close than it had appeared from the bottom of the path. The wind buffeted him as he stood in awe of the dark fissure that fed into the icy ledge. He stared into the darkness but couldn’t determine how deep it went … or what awaited them inside.
“What are you waiting for?” Keung asked.
“A light would be nice. Call me crazy but it would be helpful to know what we’re walking into before we go in.”
The general motioned for one of the soldiers to give flashlights to Randall and Rob. The two switched on their beams and entered the opening. The wind howled down the tunnel, drowning out all other sounds as they slowly made their way into the icy chasm. The lights reflected off the blue iridescent ice forming the walls of the cavern, creating a shimmering effect. As they moved forward, all signs of the exterior world faded, giving way to a surreal landscape of undulating ice cut into the frozen mountainside. Icicles dangled from the ceiling like long, slender daggers ready to drop onto an unsuspecting intruder.
The tunnel was deep. Although Randall’s light pierced the darkness ahead, he could only see more icy walls and ceilings. The group followed a slight left turn in the path and the opening changed dramatically.
The rectangular entrance was fifty feet wide, half as high and a hundred yards deep. The floor consisted of large, square sections ten feet on end that protruded from the ground by several inches. A grid-shaped channel measuring three inches surrounded each segment, creating a checkerboard appearance. The walls were flat, save for large rectangular compartments resembling air conditioning units lining the surface approximately twenty feet from the floor. Thick pipes—not unlike electrical conduits, only larger—were neatly arranged in a parallel fashion spanning the roof with rectangular lights spaced at irregular intervals.
The poorly lit interior was a matte black color with dull metallic surfaces interspersed throughout. Randall noted the increased humidity inside the base, which caus
ed him to sweat the moment they entered the long corridor. The temperature was noticeably warmer than in the ice tunnel and the air smelled like Sulphur. As he checked the area, he observed a large white cylindrical object that spanned from the floor to the ceiling. Located directly at the end of the entrance, it looked like a giant, glowing pillar holding up the ceiling.
“You men, take the two prisoners into the facility,” Keung ordered his soldiers.
Four Red Dragons prodded Randall and Rob forward, while Keung and the rest of his men waited in the relative safety of the ice tunnel.
Randall was astonished at the size of the facility, which dwarfed any warehouse he had ever seen. They walked quickly down the hallway and arrived at the cylinder. Upon closer inspection, Randall realized that it was a lighted control panel that likely operated this section of the base. He depressed a small section of the cylinder that was outlined by a glowing blue LED band and a panel retracted to reveal a keypad with the same strange writing from the underwater cavern. When he began typing, a large section of the cylinder transformed into a clear, glasslike surface. Symbols appeared on the screen in response to his query. As he continued typing, a diagram of the multilevel facility appeared with notations describing each section. His translation was slow, but Randall eventually understood most of the information being presented.
Focused on the task at hand, he hadn’t noticed that the General and two additional soldiers had joined them. Apparently, Keung had determined it was safe to enter the area.
“What does it say?” Keung asked.
“I’m searching for information on the facility to see where we are and where we should go.”
Randall touched the screen and a small section of the facility map enlarged and specific details not previously visible became clear. He touched the screen again and video imaging appeared on a separate section of the cylinder next to the facility diagram. The image showed a room with a bank of six large metal containers with glass openings halfway up and running to the top of the containers. The glass of each container was foggy as if tinged with frost.
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