Aliens in the Allagash

by Gary Striker

  “We still have a communications channel open through the undamaged eye, which is more like a lens cover”, Darren explained.

  “You know, this guy bothers me”, Cruz said while staring at the entire hulk of the creature, “Why does he look so classic? The shape of his oversized head, the large oval disks for eyes, and the rest of his body is too damn familiar”!

  Liam had a quick answer.

  “That’s because somewhere you have seen the photos and drawings from the actual alien relative that currently resides at Area 51”.

  Everyone looked at each other with the stark realization that Liam was probably correct.

  “So we have encountered his kinsfolks before”, Steve presumed with an irritated demeanor, “and those bastards at Area 51 decided it was better to keep things quiet and let three of our soldiers die because of it”.

  “There’s little doubt that this encounter was their first visit from the M13 Star Cluster”, Liam confirmed. “They know too much about us to never have been here before”.

  “Steve, we have to get those cameras in place as soon as possible”, Major Greer requested, “We’re advised that a local residence in the Wallagrass district would be our ideal staging point”.

  Steve agreed to an O-six hundred meeting time at the Striker residence. Cheyenne would lead the group to a point where the mission could be handled by Major Greer’s squad, at which time they would be escorted out of the area. They discussed the necessity for utmost stealth and caution. Everyone realized that if they were detected, the ensuing melee would be disastrous.

  On the way back to Eagle Lake, Steve and Cruz discussed the fine line between reality and fantasy that the entire alien imposition presented. There were no answers, only circumstances to be accountable for.

  “Hi honey, I’m home”, Steve greeted as they entered a seemingly empty house. “Where in blazes are they”?

  “Down here, Steve”, was the response from the lower level as the girls made their way up the stairs.

  “What are you up to”, Cruz questioned?

  “We’re taking inventory”, Lucy answered, “Jane’s father stockpiled all kinds of things in his bomb shelter”.

  Sure enough, the shelter was full of military rations of all kinds. They could easily support their needs for at least six months.

  “What do you think, Steve”, Jane asked, “Do we have a chance”?

  “Better than most couples”, Steve answered with a grin as everyone inhaled the needed humor.

  “How could I be in love with such a bonehead”, Jane asked as she questioned her own sanity?

  “Do you have any idea how out-of-control worried I am”, Jane said as she grew faint and wobbly on her feet?

  Ming helped her to a chair and proceeded to make an oriental tea blend that had very desirable medicinal effects.

  “We’re all being pushed to our limits”, Cruz ascertained, “We can simply get in our car and drive away. Is that what you want”?

  “That will never happen”, Jane confirmed with authority, “We were put here for a reason and we will follow the course of whatever destiny has in store for us. Those intruders will wish they had never heard of the planet Earth”!

  Indeed, they all had realized that Jane was right. There was no place to run. Cruz once again ignited the spark of determination as Lucy presented her secret formula tea concoction.

  Everyone enjoyed Lucy’s Jasmine tea and the tranquilizing effects it had. The world outside seemed a bit distance for the moment. It was a desirable break in the tension that clouded over the group.

  “Take me to bed before I sue you for breach of contract”, Jane ordered as Steve obliged and slung her over his shoulder, while finishing his tea.

  “Oh, let me down you idiot, before I have to report you to Santa Claus”, Jane objected, while nobody else could understand why the little distressed Elf was having a problem!

  Aliens in the Allagash

  Chapter 27

  Showdown

  The morning came much too early as the alarm woke Steve from a very sound sleep. Jane and Lucy had already been at work in the kitchen and the usual aromas were penetrating everywhere. Cruz would be joining the mission and assist with the staging operations at the Striker residence in Wallagrass. This was the most advantageous route into the Ben Lake Watering Area and one that Steve was well familiar with.

  General Thompson and Colonel Harris were appraised of the insurgent operation and had subsequently scheduled the bomber mission for a dusk encounter if all went well. This was the twilight interval of the day that the alien resistance appeared to be least effective. The attack mission timing was critical for several reasons, since after dark their heat signature detection would be unavoidable. The enemy would be able to see approaching aircraft as easily as a spotlight on a moonless night.

  “We’ll be ok, Jane”, Steve assured his soon-to-be bride over a cup of coffee, “I’ve got Cheyenne, plus the most capable ground force that the Army has to offer, not to mention Cruz at the base camp. Hell, Cheyenne’s undefeated in two wrestling matches with those things already”.

  All but Jane appreciated the humor, but everyone enjoyed the biscuits and gravy.

  “Major Greer’s squad is going to set up the cameras and radio links”, Cruz reminded the group as he attended to breakfast, “He wants Steve and Cheyenne out of there as soon as they’re no longer needed”.

  “You macho guys are all alike”, Jane said, “Just make sure you get your butt home in one piece”.

  Steve and Cruz arrived at the base camp staging area to find an entire platoon preparing for the mission. A heavy snowfall proceeded to add to the light blanket covering the terrain.

  “I’m Staff Sargent Hanley. I’ll be leading the squad for pre-positioning of camera assets and SATCOM communication links. We’ll be calling the ordnance drop”.

  “Nice to meet you, Staff Sargent”, Steve acknowledged, “and we’ll be obliged to get you back in to a suitable observation point”.

  “That would be ideal sir, and your service is appreciated”.

  “Staff Sargent Hanley, this is Cheyenne Charrette. He is intimately familiar with the Allagash Watering Area about Ben Lake. He will be accompanying us on the mission”, Steve advised.

  “It appears that we have a Marine Expeditionary Force to protect as well. That is also appreciated”, the Staff Sargent said with a twang of competitive Army humor.

  “I’m under orders to get my butt home in one piece. If that doesn’t happen, you’ll have to deal with the Warden, and heaven help you”, Steve cautioned.

  Staff Sargent Hanley smiled and appeared to be well satisfied with his team members. Preparations were nearly complete as two personnel carriers proceeded toward the trail head leading to Ben Lake. Cruz and Cheyenne carried shotguns as they did in Vietnam for close quarter combat operations.

  “Staff Sargent, may I suggest a point reconnaissance spotter positioned well ahead of us along with two flank guards”, Steve advised as the Staff Sargent looked inquisitive. “Sir, if we make our position known to the enemy, our chances of a successful mission would get very slim”.

  The personnel carriers came to a stop at the trail head as all squad members disembarked. The final checklist was completed as the Comm Section group leaders commenced to set up the radio link antennas and hardware necessary to guide the bomb drop mission.

  Snow cover to provide a soft quiet cushion was not available as the squad proceeded on foot for the five mile journey. This had disappeared as the weather warmed back into the upper thirties. Since the ground had not yet frozen for the winter, the squad was forced to improvise and adapt the best they could.

  All personal communication radios were tested, but as before, would only be used on a limited basis.

  About half way to their destination, the point recon spotter brought the group to a halt. Everyone separated off the trail and dropped to motionless concealed positions. Hand signals from the point spotter indicated somethi
ng was approaching. The squad made ready as the spotter disappeared into the cover.

  Two of the alien life forms approached and became visible to Staff Sargent Hanley.

  “Easy…Easy…hold your fire”, the Staff Sargent whispered through the personal intercoms.

  The group had all but vanished into the wilderness as two creatures passed by within a few feet without detection. A hovercraft followed and then veered off back toward the lake. Not a breath could be heard for ten minutes.

  “Let’s move”, Hanley ordered as the point spotter gave the ‘all clear’.

  The group advanced in segments while observing and monitoring the surroundings for any activity. They were approaching the last rise down to Ben Lake as Cheyenne used hand signals to point to his recommended observation point. The group proceeded off trail to a new location that Steve was not familiar with. The group spotter proceeded to the rise overlooking Ben Lake in the prone position. The Corporal moved in an agonizingly slow motion crawl while stopping to observe the surroundings every ten feet or so. He reported activity off to his left flank where they proceeded off trail. Again, everyone froze in position as they hugged the ground. They remained motionless for over an hour until several enemy creatures moved on.

  “They have human captives”, the spotter relayed, “on the lake shore dead ahead. There is one person standing without a guard unit and another is being led away to a hovercraft like we observed before. They appear to be controlled in some fashion. They are not trying to escape”.

  Nobody said a word as the stunning reality of what lay before them seemed surrealistic and unearthly.

  Staff Sargent Hanley gave the order to return both Steve and Cheyenne to the trailhead. Instead, Cheyenne bid Hanley a safe day and he and Steve proceeded northeast into the woods and out of sight.

  The Staff Sargent was satisfied with the ideal observation point from which the equipment could be emplaced and provide guidance for the bombing mission.

  “Cheyenne, what are we doing”, Steve asked as they made their way down the embankment toward the north side of the lake.

  “I used to store my canoe near where that person is standing”.

  “Jesus, Cheyenne! We could blow the whole mission”, Steve asserted with a loud whisper.

  They had discarded the intercoms on the way down toward the lake. This area adjoining the lake appeared to be free of alien activity, but extreme caution was maintained. Cheyenne apparently knew the location of every tree as he led Steve toward the shoreline.

  “What are they doing with these people”, Steve asked?

  “I don’t know, but it looks like they’re fixin’ supper”, Cheyenne answered in his wryly Acadian fashion.

  “You may not be far from the truth”, Steve pointed out as they made their way to the tree-lined lake shore.

  Directly in front of them, the back of a partially clothed woman stood motionless. She appeared to be alive. Steve noted that it was getting increasingly hard to breathe as they reached the lake shore.

  “We can’t leave her”, Steve insisted as Cheyenne scouted the area and made a dash for the last few feet in the open toward the woman. He snatched her up and returned to Steve without apparently being observed.

  “It’s Marie”, Steve almost blurted out loud, “Is she alive”?

  “I think so’, Cheyenne answered, minus any other positive note on her condition.

  “We gotta git”, Steve commanded as they made their way east and away from the lake shore. Each took turns carrying Marie until they were about a half mile from the Lake.

  “Get that blanket out of your pack and spread it out”, Cheyenne commanded as he proceeded to select two fallen branches that he trimmed to stretcher length with his KBar combat knife.

  “Why do you always smile when you have that knife in your hand”, Steve asked while getting only a smiley response in return?

  “They quickly rolled each side of the blanket around a branch. Cheyenne covered her with his own survival blanket. In less than two minutes, Marie was being transported on the makeshift stretcher in a hurry away from the lake. They were about three miles from the highway when they took a quick break.

  “God damn, Cheyenne, if those things don’t kill us first, we’ll get it from the ordnance drop”, Steve said with concern as he brought his breathing back toward normal.

  “So far I haven’t heard any action from back at the lake”, Cheyenne observed, “and that’s good”!

  “Maybe they don’t know she’s gone yet”, Steve hoped.

  “They know”, Cheyenne assured him.

  “Cheyenne, we gotta move! Those things might be tracking us and it’s almost two o’clock”.

  “We’ll be out of the woods in an hour”, Cheyenne assured Steve as he pointed out where an intersecting logging road was excavated.

  Staff Sargent Hanley and his squad managed to emplace the necessary surveillance equipment atop Cheyenne’s observation point. They had noticed that the woman left standing on the lake shore had disappeared, but had no explanation. They had backtracked partially through the woods while avoiding another near encounter. The alien presence had become more active as they felt the need to get out of there in a hurry.

  The remote camera equipment was verified operational and left in a standby mode to prevent detectable transmissions from being discovered. A quick acknowledgement from the radio operator informed the platoon leader that the squad was on their way out, but without the two former Marines. Additional combat ready forces were assigned at the trailhead from Major Greer’s battalion command.

  Jane and Lucy had joined Cruz at the base camp along with Major Greer, who also just arrived. He was communicating via radio to his group located at the trailhead.

  “Where’s Steve and Cheyenne”, Lucy inquired of Major Greer?

  “Ladies, I don’t know. They split from the squad and disappeared into the woods heading northeast. We have no idea where they are or where they were going”.

  “Oh my God! Now what have they done? Oh no”, Jane exclaimed while trying to contain herself!

  “They’ll be fine”, Lucy pleaded as she tried to comfort her friend, “Cheyenne knows the woods and he won’t let anything bad happen, I promise”!

  “Oh, you don’t know him like I do”, Jane assured Lucy, “He’ll take a risk just for the thrill of getting away with it”.

  “They’ll be fine”, Cruz asserted, “Lucy’s right, and besides, you don’t know Steve yet like I do! He’s the most resourceful son-of-a-bitch I ever met. He can walk on water without the lake being frozen”!

  Once again, Cruz had managed to bring calm out of a frenzied situation. Jane gave him a big hug while trying to regain her composure.

  “Jane, you’re the toughest woman I ever met”, Cruz stated bluntly, “and you’re not about to fold when he needs you the most”!

  “I haven’t heard you swear”, Jane commented.

  “There’s a time and place for everything”, Cruz said with a smile.

  Staff Sargent Hanley reported his position on the access trail coming out of Ben Lake. There were no casualties, but Steve and Cheyenne were still M.I.A. Cruz stayed close to the Base Camp radio operator. The squad was making its way back at record pace with an E.T.A. of a half hour at the trailhead.

  Jane was beside herself, but holding it together, barely. The temperature was steadily dropping as it fell below freezing under clear skies. They waited for word from the lost duo as Staff Sargent Hanley reported in to the relay station at the trailhead, about three hundred feet higher in elevation than the base camp. The relay station would stay on site through the bombing run, which General Thompson was preparing to launch. ‘Duty’ and Chad from the State Police district along with Army Battalion forces were busy evacuating residents and securing a perimeter around Ben Lake.

  Two F-22A’s were being readied with full armament to escort the B2 Stealth, which was transporting thirty thousand pounds of the most lethal conventional weapon ever devised.
The risky mission flight plan had the aircraft holding five miles west of Ben Lake at tree top level. Time to objective: thirty seconds. The all-weather attack jets had the advantage of visual augmentation and target detection for this mission. For once, nature was lending a helping hand.

  Staff Sargent Hanley had assigned his squad to assist at the relay station. Two remotely controlled camera systems were deployed to act as backup should one fail. He had taken due diligence to locate the cameras out of sight from each other in the event that one got discovered. The cameras would not survive the mission. One of the Corporals commented about the high cost per unit. Another responded about the subsequent cost to save the planet as well as their own hides. Everything considered, Major Greer had managed to keep morale high, in as much as he had suffered losses. He knew that determination and self-confidence would make the difference between mission success and annihilation. The temporary base camp was a hub of activity as crews readied the equipment that would ultimately guide the most essential mission in military history.

  “Major Greer”, Hanley began, “they simply vanished into the woods. We never saw either of them again”.