The Last Mile Trilogy

by Jacqueline Druga

  “How?” Jeb asked.

  “The best way,” Sam replied, “is to set the explosive or pulse from within. Time the charge and run. They are like a mound of ants.”

  Tate laughed. “That’s funny. Just walk right in, set down the charge, and run.”

  “Two,” Sam explained. “We need two charges, and yes, set down the charge and run.”

  Michael asked. “How do we do that without being attacked?”

  “The Atranda cannot sense or react to each other. An individual struck by them stands a chance of the DNA being mutated; hence, as I said before, the Atranda cannot see them or sense them.”

  Again, Tate laughed. “Jeb! I knew your hulk talents would come into play.”

  Robi waved her hand. “What am I missing? Hulk? Jeb?”

  Michael turned to her. “To make a long story short, when the Atranda struck Jeb, it mutated with him. He’s fucking strong, and the Atranda can’t sense him because, in a sense, he’s one of them.”

  Robi looked at him and blinked. “You’re mutated.”

  Jeb sniffed. “It’s a gift.” He turned to Sam. “So we go in, set the charge, and run. They won’t see us?”

  Sam shook his head.

  “We?” Tate asked. “We? You want me to go? Jeb, seriously, they’ll sense me.”

  “It’s a two-man job,” Jeb said. “Easier if two go, set the charge, and run. But not you. You aren’t mutated. I am and so is …” He faced Bishop. “He.”

  “Me?” Bishop laughed. “I’m so not mutated. How do you figure?”

  “You got stung,” Jeb said.

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, it’s a hundred and ten degrees out here. All of us are sweating like pigs. You …” He reached out. “Dry.”

  “So I’m not hot. What’s that have to do with it?”

  Sam explained. “The Atranda are tolerant to heat. So are you.”

  “Um, no,” Bishop argued. “I just am not feeling hot.”

  “In a hundred and ten degrees,” Jeb reached out to his skin, “you are cool and dry. Which means you are mutated. Which means …”

  “I know. I know.” Bishop waved his hand. “I go.” He looked at Sam. “Get the weapons ready.” He then faced Robi. “Get Martha ready … just in case.”

  Sam said, “I’ll get the weapons.”

  Jeb nodded. “Tate, get the vehicles closer. Hopefully, after we clear those things we will find something underground. If not … we’re screwed.” With a point, Jeb walked toward the bus.

  “Jeb.” Robi called to him and followed. “Wait.”

  Jeb halted before stepping on the bus. “What’s up? I wanna see Martha before I do this, just in case.”

  “Do you think this is a good idea, you and Bishop just walking into the group of those things?”

  “What choice do we have?”

  “I guess you’re right.” Robi lowered her head. “Do you think it will work?”

  “I hope it will.”

  “What does your gut say?” Robi asked.

  “My gut?” Job shook his head. “My gut says I’m crazy, that this could be suicidal. But my gut also tells me this will work.” He looked around before stepping on the bus. “My gut says … we’re home.”

  <><><><>

  The rock formation wasn’t that tall, but it was enough to give shelter and protection, or so Jeb and Bishop hoped.

  Jeb lifted up over the edge and peered at the moving mound of Atranda. “Fucking ton of them.”

  “This isn’t going to work, is it?”

  “Oh, it’ll work.” Jeb turned from looking and sat next to Bishop, back against the rocks.

  “What if they get us, spot us? Come after us?”

  “It’ll still work, because we’re setting the explosives for three minutes. If we’re stuck there, at least it blows.”

  “Oh, boy.” Bishop heaved out a nervous breath and looked at his weapon.

  “You know the plan. We set it. We run in. You take north by the booth, I’ll head south. We slide in, drop the weapon, and race back here. Easy.” Jeb twitched his head.

  “Easy.”

  “Yeah.”

  “This could be a suicide mission.”

  “Yep.” Jeb nodded. “But we’ll kill them and give the others a fighting chance.”

  After a brief moment, Bishop lifted his head. “I like this plan. I’m excited for it. I’m not dying today.”

  “Me either. Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  “On my count set and run.” Jeb placed his hand on the weapon. “Set it to three.”

  “Are you sure that doesn’t mean three seconds.”

  “Fuck. I don’t know. No. I mean, it shouldn’t, we’ll find out.”

  “Swell.” Bishop replied.

  “If it goes to two really fast, then hit the blue button that aborts.”

  Bishop nodded in agreement.

  “My timer is set.”

  “Mine too.”

  “On three, engage and run. Ready … one, two … engage.” Jeb hit the engage button, stood at the same time as Bishop, and with everything he had he raced toward the Atranda.

  To say he didn’t feel fear would be a lie. He did. But not of the Atranda. He didn’t fear dying, he feared failure. The only thing Jeb wanted to do was make sure the explosive device was planted and left.

  He raced toward the mound and did a baseball slide just a few feet before the mound, landing between the legs of one of the Atranda.

  He was in.

  Checking the device, hoping it didn’t get trampled, with less than two minutes left, Jeb crawled out and ran.

  Bishop. Bishop. Where was Bishop?

  He was smaller and faster, and Jeb didn’t see him.

  Jeb stopped running.

  The moment Bishop made his way in through the opening of the Atranda, he felt as if he had stepped into a sound room filled with a million Cicadas. The sound was unbearable; the rhythmic chirping was constant and an occasional ‘snapping’ sound made his ears ring.

  But he was in, weapon placed in a good spot, and Bishop proceeded or rather tried to crawl out.

  Suddenly he felt pinned.

  The weight of something was on his back, heavy and pressing down, not in a threatening manner, but in a more ‘affectionate’ manner.

  His eyes widened.

  Then he heard the call of his name.

  “Bishop! Almost one minute!

  “I’m being mated with! Help!’

  What? Jeb thought. He knew he took a chance by calling out, but he didn’t expect that response. He circled around and saw Bishop trying with desperation to free himself from the confines of an Atranda. Jeb saw the reaching fingers and he ran to him.

  He was able to grab hold and yank Bishop free, but he did it so incredibly fast and hard that he dislocated his arms from the shoulder sockets.

  Bishop screamed out painfully, “My arms, my arms!”

  “Run.” Jeb took off.

  Bishop, bracing his arms, ran fast, and he passed Jeb getting ahead of him Both men dived for the second the rock formation which was near and landed just as the timpani ‘boom’ rang out.

  Shielded behind the rock, Jeb lay low and felt the pressure filled winds blow over him.

  It lasted only thirty seconds, and then the sounds of the Atranda silenced and it grew quiet.

  “You okay?” Jeb asked.

  Bishop nodded. “My arms need to be popped back into place.”

  Jeb reached to him.

  Bishop pulled back. “Not by you, Jesus Christ you’ll push them through my body.” He turned his head with a painful grunt. “Are they dead?”

  “I think.”

  “How powerful was that explosion.”

  Before Jeb could answer, the old adage, ‘what goes up must come down’ rang true, when like rain, Atranda body parts and guts rained down upon them.

  Jeb ran the back of his hand over his mouth to clear the slimy substance and his shirt sleeve to clear his eyes. He looked
around. “I’d say pretty big.”

  <><><><>

  It wasn’t a fashion statement, just a personal preference. Robi secured a black cloth tightly over her arm to cover the stump. Not only did she have to deal with losing the appendage, she had to deal with the visual aspects of it as well.

  She stood strong and tall not knowing what she had to face.

  A few minutes earlier she had not only heard the explosions go off a few miles away, but she felt it. The ground shook, windows rattled, and things toppled from the counters in the bus.

  A part of her feared the explosion was so massive that there was no way Jeb and Bishop had survived.

  But they did.

  She learned that when Tate came into the bus to tell her they got a signal. It was ‘all clear’.

  Time to move out.

  Robi still didn’t want to exhale until she saw them both. She didn’t think she could take any more death. Atranda carcasses were strewn across the desert area. She saw the block building and Jeb and Bishop standing out front.

  The caravan of vehicles pulled over the bodies and the downed fence that had once encircled the perimeter.

  The small pod craft, flown by Sam, had landed moments before Robi arrived.

  She stepped from the bus with Tate, and her hand covered her nose. The stench was worsened by the heat.

  Michael walked up to her, a cloth over his face. “Jeb and Bishop want to see you. Want me to keep a watch here?”

  “Yes,” Robi replied. “You and Tate gather everyone. Stay together. I’ll see what they got. Keep an eye out for more of these things.”

  Tate interjected, “Sam didn’t see any by air.”

  “You never know.” Robi shouldered her weapon and walked toward Jeb at the block building. She tried not to cringe when her boot crunched and squished with each step, sort of like stepping on a blanket of cockroaches.

  Jeb stood, arms folded, by the steel door, with Bishop right next to him.

  “You all right?” Robi asked Bishop. ‘You look pale.”

  “In pain. Hulk here pulled my shoulder out of socket.”

  “I put it back in, didn’t I?” Jeb asked.

  Bishop grumbled.

  “And you are sure you’re fine?” Robi waited for a nod and then pointed to the door. “Is it open?”

  “It is now.” Jeb pushed open the door. “It’s very musty in here.”

  Robi stepped inside. The room was plain, and about twelve foot by twelve foot. A desk and chair were directly in the center of the room. There were a few shelves, a tall two door old style metal cabinet, and another door that looked like a closet.

  “Soldier on guard.” Jeb pointed to the uniform. “Died in the drop. His weapon is here. Ammo, too. Door was locked, but his computer is still running. He was on a social network when the drop occurred.”

  “How is the computer still running?” Robi asked.

  “Power is coming from somewhere. My guess is from below,” Jeb answered. “That silo chute outside goes down about two hundred feet. That tells me there’s something down there.”

  “Our survivors?” Robi guessed.

  “Possibly, whatever is here is important,” Jeb said.

  “Maybe it’s just a missile silo,” Robi suggested.

  “Maybe.” Jeb shrugged. “Door was locked when we got here.”

  “How did you get in?”

  “Numeric keypad. Eight digits.”

  Robi looked at him curiously. “How did you know the code?”

  Jeb pointed to Bishop.

  Just as Robi was about to question him, Jeb continued.

  “He also knew other things. Like …” Jeb pointed to the one shelf. “First aid kit. He knew this metal cabinet contained fishing gear.” He walked to the cabinet and opened it. “And while it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out, no one is going fishing in the desert. He just knew it opened.” Jeb reached in. The rack of fishing rods slid back exposing a panel with a keypad and switches.”

  Bishop explained, “Elevator and lifts to below.”

  “How do you know they aren’t nukes?” Robi questioned.

  Jeb exhaled. “I’m gonna say if he knew the fucking code, what everything was, he knows what the buttons do.”

  “Do you know the code for the lifts and elevators?” Robi asked Bishop.

  “I know a code. Whether it works or not we’ll find out. We were waiting for you.”

  With almost an air of disbelief, Robi held out her hand in a ‘go on’ fashion.

  Bishop punched in the code and the red and green buttons lit up.

  Robi’s eyebrows lifted.

  With a deep breath, arms cross over his waist and one finger to his chin, Bishop stared at the panel. “Okay, I’m just trying to remember which is the lift and which is the inside elevator … let me think, I had a method when I played the game. Oh, yeah, right is the lift so left is the elevator.” He pressed the green button. A sound of gears engaging rang out.

  Jeb looked around. “Nothing.”

  “The ground is rumbling,” Robi said. “You pressed a nuke.”

  “I didn’t press a nuke. I pressed the elevator,” Bishop argued.

  “Then where is it?” Robi questioned.

  Jeb’s head turned to the sound of shouting outside. It seemed as if everyone was yelling ‘Hey’ as a warning. “What are they shouting about?”

  Robi spun around. “Probably because a rocket just shot from the ground.” She raced to the door and stepped outside, but before she could run more than a foot, Jeb snatched her by the edge of her shirt just as she was about to step onto the sinking ground.

  A huge section of earth, about the size of half of a football field, was being lowered down, carrying the remains of the Atranda and one truck with it.

  Robi looked across the hole. Michael stood with most of the people. He shrugged and lifted his hands and then, Robi peered down.

  Almost happily, Tate and Nick looked up and waved.

  “We jumped on!” Nick hollered up. “So cool!”

  Bishop spoke from behind Robi. “Oh, yeah, I remember now. I was wrong. Left is lift. Left. Lift. Get it?”

  Robi peered over her shoulder with a glare.

  <><><><>

  She didn’t want to show it, but Robi was astounded at how ‘right on’ Bishop was with the codes and knowledge. She began to think that perhaps he had gotten something else alien in him.

  “Earth Abounds,” Bishop said in the elevator ride town. “Coolest game ever. Never released a second, though.”

  “You and them video games,” Jeb said.

  “Yeah, well, me and the video games got us down here. Bet when it opens we are in this huge ass cavern. The walls are two hundred feet high, and solid, too. The floor is concrete and topsoil.”

  Both Robi and Jeb looked at Bishop who stood between them.

  The elevator door opened.

  “Yes. I was right.” Bishop stepped out.

  “Dude!” Nick yelled. His voice echoed. “Does this not look exactly like Earth Abounds?”

  “Yes. Yes.” Bishop replied, excitedly. “I told them that.”

  Robi asked, “You played that too?”

  “Only the best game ever. Coolest game. Never released a sequel. Dude, I was bummed.”

  “Me, too,” Bishop said.

  Tate held up his hands. “Both of them know this game. Nick was saying as soon as he saw the building it reminded him of the game.”

  Jeb pointed to Bishop. “He said the same thing. I didn’t pay attention until he opened the door with an eight digit code.”

  Nick said, “16628623?

  “Yep.” Bishop nodded.

  “Was the elevator panel behind the fishing rods?”

  “Yep. Only I got the elevator and the lift confused.”

  “Dude, really, left is lift. How many times did the Admiral of the Radicotis say that to Colonel Green?”

  “I know. I know.”

  “Which means …” Nick ste
pped away a little from the group. “Those big doors lead to the vehicles. This room here is supposed to be for crafts, and they work on them …” He paused. “The tunnel to the ship area isn’t there.”

  “Maybe it never was complete in reality.”

  “Dude, they had to secretly base the game on reality. Think about it.”

  “Oh my God. Why wouldn’t Mas say anything?”

  “Different division, Dude.”

  “Stop.” Robi halted them. “You two are saying that, based on this game, there is more to this place?”

  “A lot more,” Bishop replied. “You’ll go through the vehicle bay. To the reception area. Autopsy rooms to the left …” He cringed. “Then labs, hospital, living area. Bet that’s where the survivors are. If this is like the game, then it’s huge.”

  Robi looked to Jeb, then Tate, then to the video gameaholics. “I didn’t play games, but I know enough to know there’s a back story to every game. What is the back story to Earth Abounds?”

  “Kind of freaky now, come to think about it.” Bishop explained. “Basically, there was an alien invasion. But … there are two alien races that want Earth and need Earth - the Radocotis and the Maritomians. The latter are the vicious ones. The Rads only want to coexist peacefully on Earth. The Rads they have this keen ability to be able to time jump, but only when they do it from space. The Marits can’t. So the Rads, knowing that the Marits are going to attack, take and destroy Earth, and come early to prepare. This right here is the hidden gem. This is where the war begins for survivors. Everything they need to survive and prep is here.”

  Nick continued. “The whole point of the game is that Earth has been decimated biologically by an alien race. The final attack is imminent. You, as a survivor, must arrive at the base, meet with survivors, and fight the aliens. They come in waves. But the problem is, you need back up from the Rads and you have to defend yourself until they arrive. Same story for time thing.” He exhaled. “Then they never released a squeal.”

  “Dude,” Bishop said. “We are the sequel.”

  Jeb questioned. “So according to the game, aliens arrived and built this place.”

  “And others,” Bishop said. “Ten bases. This is X51 built in 1947. If they can break time, then Mas may not even know. He may just be part of the aliens’ race to deliver the antidote.”