by Paul Moxham
Mike smiled. “I was just thinking the same thing, about skimming along the treetops I mean. But we’ll need to wait until the last possible moment. That’s when they’ll least expect it.”
As the seconds passed, Kenneth wondered if they would be forced to land first. He hoped that they wouldn’t, because then they would only have to contend with one aircraft.
The Strikers slowed and hovered next to the mountain’s runway. The communication device crackled. Mike listened. He grimaced. “They want us to land.”
“We’ll have to flee now,” Kenneth said.
“You’re right. You’d better strap yourselves in. It’s going to get bumpy.”
The teens and Kenneth hurried back to their seats. They had just strapped themselves in when Mike yanked the controls to the left before pulling down on them.
The aircraft swept toward the ground. Within seconds, both Strikers swung around and followed their aircraft. A heartbeat later, they opened fire, spitting out red bolts.
Mike dodged the energy blasts as he neared the ground. When he felt he was as close to the trees as he could manage, he leveled out the aircraft and increased the speed.
The ground flashed by as the Striker roared across the landscape. Mike tried to avoid as many red bolts as possible, but with two aircrafts pursing them, it was impossible to avoid them all. Whenever one hit, the aircraft shook from side to side.
“Can you fire back at them?” Molly said.
“I could, but I don’t want to. If I enrage them too much, they’ll call in support,” Mike said. “It’s hard enough to fight off two, let alone five.”
“How much damage can those aircrafts do to us?” Kenneth said.
“Two hits in the same spot is enough to pierce the armor. So, if they have good aim, they’ll go for the engines. If they get hit …” Mike didn’t bother to finish the sentence.
~*~*~
Logan knew that every second he held off the men, the better it would be for Lucy and Jet. So even though he couldn’t get off a clean shot, he fired a few shots into the air just to show that he was still there and only stopped when the AK-47 ran out of ammunition.
He tossed it aside and grabbed the M-6, waiting for the shooting to cease. A few moments later, it did. Logan inched forward and peeked across the street. He couldn’t see anyone.
He hurried to the back of the vehicle and scanned the street. He caught a glimpse of a person on top of a rooftop. His eyes bulged when he saw the rocket launcher. A second later, the rocket tore toward him. He leaped up and lunged toward the entrance of the hospital.
Logan was midair when the rocket slammed into the Volvo for the second time. The vehicle was torn apart this time, and debris scattered everywhere.
Logan knelt, searching for his rifle. He spotted it only five feet away, but before he could high crawl even an inch, a burst of fire tore up the concrete between his outstretched hands.
He flopped over as a ricochet tore off his hat and another took a chunk off his left ear. “Screw this!”
Logan sprang to his feet and swan dived into the hospital’s lobby, with more rounds shattering the glass facade and slashing him a thousand ways.
Glancing back, he saw several shadows stacked on the door, ready to enter. Logan scurried down the hall to the underground parking lot. What difference did one gun make?
He was a dead man walking either way.
~*~*~
The Striker covered a large distance in a short amount of time. Mike attempted to stick to the trees as much as possible, but as buildings came into view, he had to pull the controls up so the aircraft didn’t hit anything.
There was a small screen to the left of the main screen that displayed a rear view of the aircraft. It also showed the two Strikers, which were still in pursuit.
A siren blared. Mike pursed his lips at the control panel.
“What’s wrong?” Kenneth asked.
As the aircraft slowed down, Mike spoke. “The left engine is failing. We’ll have to land.”
“If we land, they’ll slaughter us,” Derek said.
“Yes, if we land normally.”
“What are you suggesting?” Kenneth asked.
“Just hold on to your seats and be prepared to run for your lives.” Mike gripped the controls and threw the craft into a dizzying turn. He throttled the engines down to a complete standstill. Then, as their pursuers zoomed past, he lowered the craft onto a grassy field.
Drawing his handgun, he shot at the glass in front of them. It shattered. Jumping up onto the controls, he called to the others, “Follow me.”
Kenneth was already standing. He waited anxiously as Derek and Molly climbed up. Not wasting a second, he followed them. They sprang to the ground and sprinted toward the trees at the edge of the field.
A few seconds later, a Striker flew past and opened fire. Metal flew everywhere as the grounded aircraft was blown apart.
The force of the explosion knocked everyone to the ground. As they stumbled to their feet, Kenneth glared at the darkening sky. The other Striker was approaching.
Kenneth and the others raced and swerved from side to side as red bolts pounded the grass all around them.
Kenneth didn’t know how they’d survived, but they all managed to reach the safety of the trees without getting hurt. As they huddled underneath a pine tree and gazed up into the sky, they saw the Strikers turn around and head back toward Mount Shasta.
“Good thing they didn’t land,” Derek said.
“They would have if they thought we were a big threat, so it’s lucky we didn’t shoot at them. It’s going to be hard enough getting out of here in the approaching darkness without someone chasing us.”
“Does anyone have any idea where we are?” Molly asked.
Kenneth thought. “I think I saw the ocean just before we crashed, but I’m not sure. What do you think, Mike?”
Mike pointed left. “I did see some water. I believe it was in that direction.”
~*~*~
The engine of the red sedan spluttered to life as Logan approached the vehicle. Jet leaped out of the driver’s seat and climbed into the back.
Logan looked around the dark parking lot before he climbed in. He peered at Lucy, who sat in the front passenger seat. “Everything go all right?”
“I was beginning to think something had happened to you.”
Logan smiled, reached over, and kissed her. “I just wanted to give you two enough time to find a vehicle.” He turned to Jet. “Good job jump-starting it.”
“Thanks,” Jet said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you a hand up there.”
“No need to worry. I managed—just.” Logan revved the engine, strapped his seatbelt on, and headed for the exit. “You better duck down. The men will probably shoot at us if they see us.”
Lucy and Jet ducked down just before the vehicle emerged onto the street. Logan swung the wheel to the right and headed away from the hospital, glancing into the rearview mirror as he did.
One of the men who had been standing guard by the entrance of the hospital rushed onto the street and opened fire with his shotgun.
Logan ducked down as the pellets flew past. As two pellets smacked into the back windshield and cracked it, he pushed down on the accelerator. As soon as he could turn off the street, Logan did. As the shots faded away, he sat up straight and glanced back at the others. “Did you get hurt?”
Lucy and Jet shook their heads.
“I was scared when the glass broke though,” Lucy admitted.
“We were lucky that there was only one man by the entrance,” Jet said. “Good thing the others were inside looking for you.”
Logan grunted while staring in the rearview mirror. He let out a sigh as he noticed no one was trailing them and eased off the gas. “I don’t know why they followed us, but hopefully they have bigger fish to fry. Now let’s see if the Golden Gate Bridge is still standing.”
Five minutes passed before they arrived at the structure. They were all relieved t
o see that, while it was damaged, it looked in good enough condition to drive across.
Traveling at a reasonable speed, they crossed it. Once they were back on solid ground, Lucy smiled grimly. “I wasn’t sure we were going to make it back there, especially when it started to creak.”
Logan stretched back. “Me too. Now I don’t want to offer any promises, but it should be a nice and easy run to Stinson Beach, so relax and enjoy the scenery.”
Chapter 11
Darkness had fully closed in by the time Kenneth and the group arrived at a small town. Several lights twinkled here and there. After stopping at the nearest house, Kenneth banged on the door.
It took a while to get an answer, but once the owner had ascertained that they weren’t going to harm him, he let them inside.
After ascertaining the necessary directions, they left the house and set off on a brisk march.
“Forget about holing up for the night. We might as well make the rest of the trek now.” Kenneth huffed, adjusting his gear as best as possible. “I don’t feel like sleeping outside any longer than I have to, and the lodge does have comfy beds.”
The others grumbled, but they set off down the road. The moon had now risen in the cloudless sky. Along with the countless stars, it helped them see where they were going.
Some miles later, they reached the small town. After Kenneth got his bearings, they set off up a steep hill. Five minutes later, puffing and panting, they reached the top of the driveway.
As he came up to the big steel gate, he couldn’t help but admire the place. The massive property was surrounded by a ten-foot high stone wall that could shrug off an RPG. As an added security measure, razor wire covered the top of the wall all the way around.
There was also a guard house just inside the property, as well as two security cameras that swiveled around twenty-four seven. At least they were supposed to swivel around twenty-four seven, but not today.
“Here we are,” Kenneth said, arriving at the gate. He tried to open them, but they were locked.
“Do you know the combination code?” Derek said, pointing at a slim, black box.
“Of course. I forgot all about that.” He punched in the code.
Nothing happened. Derek tried prying the gates open, as did Molly and Mike, but still nothing happened.
“Hmm, I must have made a mistake.” Kenneth tried again, but it still didn’t open.
“What do we do now?” Mike asked.
Suddenly, the gates slid open.
Derek and Molly hurried in, but Kenneth hung back. Mike saw the anger in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“Someone from the inside just opened the gates. Is it really such a good idea to just waltz into the spider’s parlor?”
“Maybe the gates are on a delayed mechanism.” Mike strolled onto the property. Kenneth reluctantly followed.
They were halfway to the front door when it opened from the inside. A shape appeared and shined a flashlight in their eyes.
Kenneth tried to shield his eyes from the glare. “Whoever you are, we come in peace.”
“Kenneth!”
Kenneth grinned. He recognized the voice. “Logan!”
The brothers came together in a bear hug, both smiling in delight.
“It feels like forever since we parted,” Logan said.
“Me too. So much has happened,” Kenneth said. “Hey, did you rescue Lucy?”
Logan flashed a thumbs-up but couldn’t pry his eyes off Mike’s intense gaze. “Who is your friend?”
“Don’t worry, you can trust him. Name’s Mike.” Kenneth glanced around. “Where’s Xavier?”
Logan leaned against the wall and shut his eyes. “He didn’t make it.”
Kenneth grabbed his brother’s shoulder, as much to stay on his feet as for sympathy. “Damn. He seemed so unstoppable.”
“Yeah. I’ll tell you all the gory details inside. I thought hell was supposed to be warm? It’s freezing out here.”
The two shuffled inside.
Two hours later, everyone, except for the teens, were sitting around a warm fireplace in the massive lounge room. Derek and Molly had been yawning ever since they arrived at the lodge and were now snoring in one of the many guest bedrooms.
Kenneth took a swig of his steaming cup of coffee. He sighed. “I still don’t like the plan, but as I don’t see any other option, I suppose you may as well go ahead and do it.”
Logan flipped his watch up. “If we get going now, we should be able to get back before dawn.”
“Well, five hours of sleep is better than no sleep,” Kenneth said. “Are you sure you won’t need my help?”
“No, we’ll be fine, won’t we, Mike?” Logan asked.
“Let’s just get going. The sooner we get back to Redding, the better.”
“I still don’t know whether it’s a good idea to tell General Loreto about our plan. What if something goes wrong?” Logan said.
Mike sighed. “I don’t like this plan any more than you do, but it’s better to work with the military than against them. Come dawn, they’ll attack. That is a certainty. What isn’t a certainty is who will win.”
Logan jerked his head forward. “Okay, let’s see if the Striker is still where we saw it.”
After Kenneth and Jet left to get some rest, Logan and Mike headed outside. They climbed inside the red sedan and left the property.
It didn’t take long to reach the city. From there, it was a straightforward drive to the airport.
As they approached the massive structure, Logan slowed down. “We better approach carefully. Last time I was here, there was a roadblock set up outside the entrance.” As he reached the turnoff, he brought the car to a halt. He leaned forward. “I can’t see it, can you?”
Mike shook his head. “No, but I don’t think it would still be there now that Sanchez is dead. I’d say that as soon as the men heard about his death, they fled, leaving behind whatever they were here for.”
“That’s a possibility. Let’s see if you’re right.”
Driving slowly, they headed closer to the entrance. There was still no lights or sign of anyone when they arrived there, so Logan continued driving.
Five minutes later, the two concluded that they were the only ones there. After parking the vehicle next to a hangar, they climbed out.
“Which one was the craft in?” Mike asked.
Logan hesitated. “I thought I would remember once I was here, but now that I am, they all look the same. But it could be that one.” He pointed to the hangar on the left. He pulled a flashlight from the vehicle and strode toward the building.
The hangar doors were closed. With Mike’s help, he opened one of the doors and shined the light into the darkened space. He smiled with relief. In the middle of the hangar was the Striker. “How about that? Now we just need to find out if it works.”
With Logan holding the flashlight, Mike walked around the aircraft, quietly checking it out. Every now and then, he would fiddle with something.
Logan couldn’t bear the suspense any longer. “What do you think?”
“She’ll do fine,” Mike said. “The engines appear to be in good condition and that’s the main thing I was concerned about. Some of the armor appears to be damaged, but nothing serious.”
“Then why did it crash?” Logan said.
“I’m not sure.” Mike bent down and touched something on the bottom of the aircraft.
The door flashed open without a sound. Mike climbed in. Logan followed. He had never been in a Striker before, and he wanted to ask a lot of questions, but he kept his mouth shut as he watched Mike fiddle with the controls.
It took a minute for the lights to come on and the control panel to light up. Logan switched off his flashlight and sat down next to Mike as he tried to start the engines.
After two minutes of trying, Mike punched the panel. “Something’s wrong. I’ll have to examine the engine.”
As Mike hurried to the back of the aircraft, Logan glanced
around. The ship wasn’t that spacious, but for two people, it didn’t need to be. He touched the seat. So exotic. It wasn’t made of any material that he’d ever seen. Sitting gingerly in place, he moaned at the comfort. Logan closed his eyes, and before he knew it, he had drifted off to his first nightmare-free sleep in a long time.
Half an hour later, the engine roared to life. Yawning, Logan opened his eyes. “Sorry, I must have dozed off.”
Mike dismissed his apology with a wave of his hand. “No worries. I didn’t need your help.”
“How did you fix it?” Logan asked as the Striker lifted off the ground.
“It was quite simple actually. A bit of metal was jammed in the middle of the rotors. It took some work to get it out without damaging anything, but it should fly fine now.” Mike aimed the craft toward the hangar doors. At the press of a button, red bolts shot out of the machine. He whipped the controls from side to side. The doors crumbled to the ground.
Grinning, Mike maneuvered the Striker through the newly created doorway and onto a runway. Then, with a pull of the controls, the aircraft soared into the air.
They encountered no trouble getting back to the lodge, though when they reached it, they had to decide where to land the craft. The helipad was too small, so they had to land it on the grass between the tennis court and the swimming pool.
Logan climbed out, prepared to get some much-needed sleep, when he noticed that Mike hadn’t left his chair. “What’s wrong?”
“I have to contact some people,” Mike said. “But don’t worry. I’ll be back before dawn.”
“I’ll come too,” Logan said, climbing back into the Striker.
“No, you need your sleep,” Mike replied.
“I feel fine,” Logan said, sitting down.
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t come,” Mike curtly replied.
Logan frowned. “Are you going to meet with people like yourself? Hybrids?”
“Hopefully. We need all the help we can get if we are to succeed in the morning.”
“But I thought they’d refused,” Logan said. “Back at Boise, you—”
“They did, but this forthcoming attack on Mount Shasta is more serious than I believed. Seeing all those military vehicles down there, as well as talking to my contact, has led me to believe that this is the turning point.”