Migration: Beginnings (Migration Series Book 1)

by Walter Hopgood

  Rhys gets to his feet, pulling Jason up after him, and the two take in the chaotic scene around them. Bartlett is slumped on the ground in front of the helicopter, holding her leg where she’s been shot, and the two lieutenants are frog-marched to stand next to her, Franks holding a gun on them. Rhys and Jason share confused looks, as do the four nearby airmen. They walk to where Franks is standing as he motions with her gun for Bartlett’s two lieutenants to sit down on the ground next to the major.

  After what seems like forever, Jason finally demands, “What the fuck just happened?” but he’s initially ignored.

  “Mendez, Gallegos,” Franks barks, and the two airmen are instantly at her side. “Secure the prisoners,” she says, and hands over several zip ties, then nods to Bartlett, Jacobs, and Freeman. “Oh, but would one of you please retrieve Mister Frost-Tambor’s belongings first?” she adds, and Gallegos leans down, grabbing the necklace from Bartlett’s hands before crossing to Jason, handing it over with a nod. The two airmen zip tie the lieutenants hands first, then their feet, and finally turn their attention to Bartlett. Mendez zip ties her hands as Gallegos makes quick work of her feet.

  As soon as they are done, Gallegos asks, “Should I tend to her wound, ma’am?”

  Franks considers it, and then nods. “There’s a medical kit in the Chinook. Get a dressing and then apply a pressure bandage so that she doesn’t bleed out before we get back to Kathmandu.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Gallegos responds.

  “Mendez, get their guns,” which Mendez does, holding onto them as he comes to stand at Franks’ side. “Now you two help get these prisoners on the Chinook,” she says with a nod to Vu and Proctor. As the airmen struggle with the lieutenants and Gallegos returns with the pressure wound kit, Franks adds, “There’s an extra duffle bag under my seat; it has restraints. I want these three assholes tied down in the Chinook so they can’t cause any more problems.”

  “Should we check them for contraband, ma’am?” Mendez asks.

  Considering it, Franks has Vu and Proctor search the three prisoners, coming back with little more than personal effects, though Bartlett is reluctant to give up the cell phone she had hidden at her side. Franks reaches for it, saying, “Good. We’ll need this for your court martial,” and gives Bartlett a shake of the head as she is picked up and moved to the back of the plane, along with her co-conspirators.

  “Mind telling me, just what in the hell is going on?” Rhys asks, hoping to get a response where Jason hadn’t.

  “One more second, fellas,” Franks says, her dark eyes holding steadfast on Bartlett. Turning to Mendez, she says, “There are two magazines in my breast pocket,” never taking the guns off of where they’re trained. Mendez reaches into Franks’ coat, pulling out the two magazines. “These have live ammo. I want you to pop the loaded magazines and empty the chamber of their guns, and load each. Once loaded, give one to Vu and then climb into the chopper. Do not take this gun off of them,” she says, “and if they try anything, shoot to kill.”

  “Yes, ma’am!” Mendez and Vu reply.

  Franks waits for the handover to occur and for Mendez and Vu to climb into the back of the helicopter with the three prisoners. Only then does she drop the gun to her side and turn to Jason and Rhys.

  “Sorry, guys,” Franks says. “Intelligence thought Bartlett might be working with someone on the outside on this, and turns out she was. That’s why Landingham insisted that I be your security detail. Back in Kathmandu, we managed to change out the magazines in the three Glocks Bartlett had smuggled in for the trip, making sure they had blanks. Unmarked, so they wouldn’t know, but blanks nonetheless.”

  “Oh Jesus,” Rhys replies. “Couldn’t you—I don’t know—have told us first? At least?”

  “Sorry,” Franks replies. To be quite honest, she does manage to look a bit sheepish for keeping Rhys and Jason in the dark about the undercover operation they’d unwittingly been taking part in. “Had to play this one a little close to the vest,” she adds. “Even the airmen were barely in on it. They were just told to follow my lead, if and when the time came.”

  The adrenaline rush Rhys had felt was starting to slowly wear off, and he turns, noting the tired look in Jason’s eyes. “What now?” he asks. Jason gives him a sardonic smile as he goes to put the necklace back on though his hands are shaking so much that Rhys reaches out to steady him. When Jason can’t seem to stop shaking, Rhys takes the necklace and helps put it over his husband’s head, patting it as it comes to rest against Jason’s chest.

  “We’re gonna head back to Kathmandu,” Franks says as she motions for Jason and Rhys to climb into the helicopter, “and drop these three off. After that, we’re gonna find out where they found the third beam and head out.” Jason climbs into the passenger cabin, Rhys hot on his heels with Franks standing in the doorway, asking, “That sound like a plan?”

  Jason just nods, as does Rhys. “Just no more guns, okay?” Rhys asks.

  “I wouldn’t plan on it, but we’ll try,” Franks says, an apologetic sound to her voice. She gives them a nod and does one more check on the airmen and prisoners, then Rhys watches as she disappears from sight. He decides that he and Jason need to be closer to the cockpit, so they move up, putting some distance between them and the glowering, bleeding major. When he breaks Bartlett’s surly stare, he turns just in time to watch Franks climb into the cockpit.

  “You know how to fly one of these things?” Rhys asks, as Franks sits down into the left seat and dons a helmet. Rhys and Jason do the same, but Franks doesn’t respond. Instead, she turns and gives them a wink before turning her attention back to the instrument panel and flicks a few switches before moving the yoke, and the helicopter takes to the skies.

  Chapter 17

  The flight back to Kathmandu is quick, though Rhys is still a little anxious, mostly due to a fair amount of adrenaline still coursing through his veins. Jason, on the other hand, manages to pass out as soon as the helicopter leaves the ground. Rhys has to wonder if it’s from his natural ability, or the massive comedown after their near-death crisis. Rhys manages a few glances back, watching the four airmen as they guard the prisoners.

  As they land back at the base, the rotors aren’t even fully stopped before the door of the helicopter is pulled open. Rhys watches as one team hustles the three prisoners out of the back, military police standing by with guns drawn. Jacobs and Freeman have their zip ties cut at their legs though their arms stay bound, and they are quickly led away by four armed men, while Bartlett is lowered down onto a waiting stretcher. The gunshot to her leg hasn’t dampened her angered spirit at all, and she continues to shoot hostile looks at Jason and Rhys until she is whisked away to a nearby building. She will, no doubt, receive the emergency medical treatment she needs before succumbing to her eventual legal fate.

  “Gentlemen,” Franks calls up as she appears at the doorway and glances into the crew seating area, the four airmen exiting next to her. Rhys and Jason remove their helmets, leaving them on the bench, and head for the back of the helicopter, holding onto the rail as they jump down onto the tarmac. Rhys has half a mind to sink to his knees and kiss the ground. He seeks out Jason’s hand and takes a deep breath, which helps to keep him centered.

  A familiar voice calls out; Rhys looks up in time to spot General Landingham walking up to them.

  “General?” Jason says, greeting him, wondering why the general was here.

  “On behalf of the United States military, and the president of the United States, I’d like to sincerely apologize for what you just went through.” Landingham looks at the ground, and Rhys recognizes it as an apologetic maneuver. “While we were pretty sure what Bartlett was up to, we couldn’t be one hundred percent sure until she played her cards. But rest assured you were never in any danger. Not at any time during the mission.”

  Rhys and Jason share a look, Rhys shaking his head as he sighs. “Just, please, try to give us a heads up if that ever happens again…” he starts.
>
  “It better not!” Jason adds, interrupting him.

  “While we can never be totally sure of anything, I think it’s safe to say the threat to this project has been neutralized.” He motions for them to follow, which Rhys and Jason do, Franks coming up behind them. “At least threats from the inside,” Landingham clarifies. And Rhys gets it; the military is going to do everything they can and have taken care of Bartlett. But there are still other forces out there beyond their control. After all, Bartlett had to be working with somebody on the outside.

  “So, when do we head out to get the third piece?” Rhys asks as Landingham leads them into a nearby building. The news that Bartlett and her conspirators shared has actually motivated him to find the piece as fast as possible, in an effort to at least keep them out of harm’s way, if possible, as well as find the beam first. As they enter the building, Rhys looks around and recognizes it as a mess hall of some sort, and is undeniably happy; after the day they’ve had, he could use something in his stomach, as well as a nice, rich cup of coffee.

  Guiding them to a table, which looks like something more out of a fine dining restaurant than a makeshift canteen, Landingham gestures to a couple of seats, which Jason and Rhys take. “About that,” he says, taking the seat opposite them, with Franks at his side. “I’m afraid we were a little premature with that information.”

  “Premature?” Rhys asks, confused.

  But it’s Jason that gets it first. “Ooh,” he says, then leans down and puts his face in his palms. He ignores Rhys’ curious look when he comes back from his double face palm and says, “You only said you found it to force Bartlett’s hand. You know, to see if she’d make her move.” As Rhys digests what he’s just heard, Jason adds. “Up there, well…I guess it was a place where she could dispose of us pretty easily, saying it was some sort of accident.”

  Nodding, Landingham says, “Yep,” and touches his finger to the tip of his nose. “Got it in one.”

  “So has the satellite at least been repositioned?” Rhys asks.

  Landingham motions to a soldier standing at attention near the doorway, who comes over and gives each man a printed sheet of paper that takes Rhys a second to recognize as a menu. This must be either some sort of fancy mess or one that caters to military higher-ups because Rhys didn’t even think things like this existed. He looks down at the menu and chooses a sandwich, which he orders when it’s his turn. His mind wanders until Landingham can fill them in with the details.

  Once the waiter is out of earshot, Landingham looks over, and Rhys figures that he must be evaluating if it’s safe to talk or not. A few seconds later, Landingham says, “The satellite was placed into a new geosynchronous orbit at 2300 hours last night. Doctor von Schoor was able to start the scanning a couple hours later, but as of yet, we have nothing to report.”

  “So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?” Jason asks.

  “As of right now, you’re going to see the second piece off while we wait for news from Sacramento. As soon as von Schoor and the team have something, we’ll make our move, sending you two and Franks to go retrieve it.”

  “I think a little downtime would be more than welcome,” Jason says. He makes an exaggerated gesture of sniffing his armpits and makes a face, then adds, “I could use a shower and a nap.”

  Jason watches as Landingham looks up, nodding at the approaching staff, and the table is quickly filled with the food that was ordered. The sandwich looks like it was something pre-made and pulled out of a plastic wrapper. It sits on a plain white ceramic plate that’s definitely not military issue, with a pickle and small salad on the side.

  The waiter comes by with a mug and a large carafe of coffee and sets it next to Rhys with a wink. “Bless you,” Rhys says as Jason rips into his sandwich. All Rhys really wants is some of the warm, strong brew, though he manages to take a few bites of his sandwich to stave off hunger.

  After their lunch and further discussions with Landingham about the project, Franks accompanies Jason and Rhys to the helicopter nearby. Landingham makes his excuses and heads out to check on the status of Bartlett and the other two prisoners. Rhys watches as three men approach the Chinook, one opening the door as the other two (clad in white gloves, as if the beam held some reverent position or status) pull the beam out, holding it as Rhys and Jason watch.

  They follow the men as they walk the beam into the back of the C5 Galaxy, and Jason can’t help but kneel down, as the two soldiers securely strap the beam to the floor and runs his hands over the smooth surface. “Same basic markings,” he mutters to himself, pointing down to the beam when Rhys comes to his side.

  Considering the ancient artifact, Rhys tries to make out the constellations that cover the majority of the beam. That’s the one thing that is dissimilar to the Utah beam.

  “These are different,” Rhys says as he, too, leans down and runs his fingers over the indentations. He and Jason study the beam for a moment until his long-forgotten astronomy class once again yields him the information he needs.

  “Gemini, Taurus, and Perseus,” he says running his fingers over the corresponding indentations. As he continues to study them, he watches as Jason’s fingers run over the wings that are part of the beam.

  “I wonder if the constellations mean anything,” Jason asks no one in particular.

  “Maybe,” Rhys says as he stands back up. “But then again, maybe not.” He breathes out a sigh as the final straps are put into place, the airmen’s job complete in securing the strap to the cargo floor.

  Lieutenant Franks gives Rhys and Jason a questioning look, as if to ask if all meets with their approval, then bobs her head to the side so that they can follow her off the plane.

  Jason and Rhys follow Franks down the ramp and out onto the tarmac. Rhys hopes that the second beam remains safe, and there are no issues, as it travels the wide berth of the Pacific back to the states.

  The three stand watch as the ramp is raised, sealing the gigantic plane, and watch as it taxies until it reaches the end of the runway. And even though it’s early afternoon, the sun is already beginning to hide behind one of the nearby mountains as the plane begins lumbering down the runway. The sky is lit up with brilliant pinks and oranges as the plane finally lifts, with the trio continuing to watch as the plane gets to a few hundred feet and makes a turn, then dips its wings before disappearing off into the far horizon.

  After a few contemplative minutes, Franks breaks the silence and asks, “Well, if you two gentlemen would like to follow me,” and starts walking into a nearby building, “I can show you to your quarters for this evening.”

  Rhys nods and reaches out for Jason, who takes his hand, and the couple follows Franks to the nearby barracks. Rhys is almost a little self-conscious since they’re on a military base, but he has learned to take an intimate touch from Jason when he can get it—especially after the day they’ve had, proving, without a doubt, that life can change in an instant. They follow Franks into the small hut-like structure, which can only be described as minimalistically quaint.

  “It’s not much,” Franks says by way of excuse, “but at least you don’t have to share.” Looking around, Rhys notices a couple of beds at the far end, their suitcases sitting atop one of them.

  “Is there a shower?” Jason asks as he wanders into the room to look around.

  “Shower’s in there, with the bathroom,” she says and points to a door at the back of the room. “There’s Wi-Fi Internet access throughout the base, but no television in here. If you’d like to watch TV, please don’t hesitate to go back to the mess we had lunch in. They know who you are, and will take care of you.”

  “Thank you,” Rhys says.

  Franks nods. “Just one word of caution,” she adds. “This is still an active military base, so please limit where you go to just these few areas. If you need to go anywhere else, the airmen and I will be in the building next door, and can escort you.”

  Rhys looks at Jason, and they share a shrug. Right no
w, Rhys just wants to decompress for a while, and he’s sure, by the way Jason’s tensely holding his shoulders, that he feels the same. “Yeah, I don’t think we’ll need anything else,” Rhys says. “But thank you again.”

  “No problem, sir,” Franks says. With a nod, she’s out the door, leaving Jason and Rhys to themselves.

  Jason yawns, stretching so exuberantly that his belly is exposed, showing Rhys a hint of skin. “I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna shower,” he says with a tired note to his voice.

  “Oh God yes,” Rhys agrees. He goes to the bed that holds their suitcases and starts to dig in, while Jason casually strips out of his shirt and lets his pants puddle to the floor. Rhys looks up, his hands absently looking for a change of clothes, though Jason has him in a mesmerized trance with his subtle striptease.

  He’s finally brought out of his stupor when Jason clears his throat, removing his boxers with one swift movement, then turns and gives Rhys a gaze that Jason swears is his ‘come hither’ look (though Rhys furtively thinks it’s something closer to a deranged badger; he’ll never let that secret go). With a smile and a shake of his head, Rhys can’t help but follow his husband into the small bathroom.

  Chapter 18

  Showered and quite thoroughly sated, Rhys and Jason lay down on the bed, Rhys finally paying attention to the phone he’d mostly forgotten about since their trip across the ocean began. He checks his messages, finding one from Jason’s mother and listens to it. Nodding at the instructions Donna left, he says, “Check your phone,” so Jason gets up and pads over to where he abandoned it earlier. He turns it on, and walks back to the side of the bed, sitting down next to Rhys.

  After his phone comes to life, he connects it up to the Wi-Fi and lets his messages synchronize with the server. He scrolls through, Rhys looking over and finally saying, “That one,” when he sees Donna’s name come up in the plethora of emails that have gone unread. Clicking it, Jason leans back into his husband, holding the screen so that Rhys can see as he presses on an enclosed video.