“Looks like we’re going to need a repair crew again tonight.”
“Yeah, George is going to be happy about that,” said Ashley. “Probably good to go in on your knees until you can see what’s happening. There’re places to hide inside. A bunch of rooms. A stage with curtains. They could still be in there. I didn’t look.”
The captain lined up his men, briefed them, and selected two men to go in first. They crawled in. One came back and reported a vacant entry and deserted balcony. The rest ran in fast. Gunfire resumed. Nearby.
Fritz checked his watch. The first through had been in the portal for more than hour. Over a hundred raiders were now inside, and nobody had emerged for a long time.
“Fritz, I’m going in to check out what’s happening,” said Ashley. “I’m not being useful here. And I’m worried about Jane.” My luck has to change, and for a brief second, he crossed his fingers.
“You’ve been in the portal now almost as many times as me. Ash, be careful.” Ashley got on his stomach and crawled in. He stood slowly and looked around. A balcony ran all the way around a large open room with the markings of a basketball court on a hardwood floor. The retracted glass backboards had been shattered by gunfire. Only one of six hanging ceiling fixtures provided light. Just below him, the stage reached across the building, its curtain now shredded by bullets. He was watchful—the stage could still be a great hiding place. At the side of the staircase, a group of women huddled. Looking for surreptitious movement, friendly or otherwise, nothing stirred but the hostages. Apart from them, the building seemed unoccupied— at least, no one was standing. The gunfire outside sounded like a flock of competing woodpeckers. He crept down the stairs.
“Are you all okay?” he asked. One hugged him. “Let’s get out of here. Follow me.” In accented English, a woman tugged his sleeve and said, “Mister, we have injured. We can’t leave them.”
“Can they walk?”
“No, Mister.”
“OK. You five, come with me.”
He sent them up the staircase and said to the rest, “I’ll be back with help in one minute.” He ran upstairs and led the small group through the portal. He told the medics to come with him. “Fritz, I’ll be right back.” The medics carried the injured out without stretchers, and Ashley told the rest to follow them. He climbed the stairs after them, surveyed the sight below him, and walked along the balcony, cautious and alert. Bodies were spread throughout the open room, two on the upper level. This is something I never want to see again. At the end of the section, he turned right and found the major lying face down, her black dress covered in blood. He picked her up and ran back to the portal. As he rushed through, he yelled, “Medic!”
“Fritz, no one is in there,” Ashley said. “At least not moving. They must have chased the Eledorians out. I could hear gunfire outside. Men are down. I didn’t check to see if any were alive.”
“Stay here, Ash. They know their jobs. Go check on Jane.”
“I’m going back in, Fritz. They’ll need to be directed back here.”
“Now I’m the cautious one. Don’t be stupid. They all know where the portal is. Let’s just wait.”
A medic came out of the hospital room. “We can’t do anything for her here. She needs doctors and a hospital, and we’re all here. She needs blood. We don’t have that either.”
“So, the airport doesn’t work. The VA hospital is about forty minutes from here. Is that too long?”
“You need to ask the doctor. I don’t know. I’ll get him.”
“Mr. Russell,” the doctor said, “her best chance requires speed. Is there a hospital nearby?”
“About ten minutes away. Faster with a siren and flashing lights.”
Fritz turned to Jim Shaw. “Jim, they’ll take her in a Suburban. Can you run an escort ahead of them? Take her to Community Hospital. I’ll tell the colonel.” He looked at the medic for confirmation. He told Ashley to go with her and said he and Linda would meet him there later. “I’ll take care of things here.”
Ashley didn’t know what to say. Moments later, the gurney rolled down the hall. Still unconscious, the major’s pallor reminded Fritz of Sleeping Beauty. One medic had run to get a car. Two others wheeled the major out. Ashley could think of nothing more than to hold the door.
Once Ashley left, Fritz recognized his new status. He was the conductor. His neck and back tightened, and he gritted his teeth. If he sent the medics back down the hall to the settlers, Tony would be his lone companion. If they stayed at the door, only Linda, George, and Lois were helping at the end of the hall. He asked one medic to stay and sent the rest to help with the crowd. It was after eight. That meant it was the middle of the night for the former hostages.
“What do I do now?” asked Fritz, mostly to himself.
Tony looked up. “Fritz, like the man said, ‘It’s your party.’ I wish I could tell you. But, I know both Mitchell and Burnett by reputation. I wouldn’t mess with either of them. So I wouldn’t worry just yet. My guess is they met up with the Israelis and are chasing the Eledorians back to Sooksamad.”
“I hope they get there soon. How’s the power holding up?”
“So far it’s steady, but it’s running down. I could sure use a couple more generators, just to be sure.”
Fritz’s brow wrinkled. “Can they be plugged in instead of running on batteries? Could we use an extension cord to give you power?”
“Sure. Do you have one?”
“Tony, this is a school. There’s bound to be one somewhere. I just don’t know where. Do you think it would be all right for me to leave the door for a minute?” The medic said it would be okay and raised his pistol.
“Give me your gun. But hurry back,” Tony said.
Fritz ran down the hall. Linda saw him coming and met him.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need George. We’re running out of power. I need an extension cord. Do you know where he is?”
“Around the corner with Lois. We’ve split up into groups to try to keep these poor people calm and comfortable. Are you okay? What’s going on?” Fritz said, “Later” and ran around the corner.
“George, do you know where we could find an extension cord?”
“Of course I do. I’m the principal.” Then to Fritz’s surprise, George chuckled.
“Another joke? Keeping your head when all around you are losing theirs?”
“I may be over the hill, Fritz, but I have my moments. Let’s get the cord. How’s it going?”
“Ashley went into the portal. He said we chased them out of the building, but the major is hurt. Ash carried her out and went to the hospital with her and some medics. The soldiers are still inside. When Ashley came out with the major, Jim Shaw helped in the hall—so he knows now. He led them to the hospital.”
“Well, you’ve been busy. Here we are.” George yanked out a heavy-duty extension cord about ten feet long.
“Anything longer, George?”
George walked to the back wall and shuffled things on a shelf that Fritz couldn’t see. “Here’s one. It looks very long.”
“I’ll take both. We’re running low on power. See you later.”
Fritz ran back to his classroom. He surveyed the empty hallway and asked Tony if anything had changed, any men back. Tony shook his head. He took the extension cords to the nearest classroom and power flowed to the generators. One problem solved.
With the clock approaching eight thirty, Fritz’s nerves rivaled Ashley’s. Neither relished standing around, at least not in comfort. Ashley had a reason for his impatience. As long as Linda stayed with the settlers, she stayed safe. He didn’t know what help he could be. But he wanted to see for himself.
“Tony, are you okay alone for a few minutes.”
“As long as we stay alone, I’m fine. But you know as well as I do that we’ll be in trouble if we have uninvited guests.”
“I’m thinking of going in to take a look. Just inside the door.”
�
��I hate to rain on your parade, but what good can you do in there?”
“I don’t know. Maybe nothing. But doing nothing and knowing less is making me nuts. Before, I could see into the portal through the open door. But not now. I wonder why.”
“Fritz, trust me. These guys know what they’re doing. When they finish their mission, they’ll be back. Don’t make their night harder. You don’t need to be a statistic. Or a hostage. The portal is another story for another day.”
“Thanks, Tony.” He took a deep breath, exhaled, and rolled his shoulders.
“I agree, Mr. Russell,” said the medic. “If they need us, someone will have come back.”
“I just don’t like not knowing,” Fritz said.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk about how you discovered the portal,” Tony said. “I have a ton of questions.”
“Me too. I’m still learning how it works. As you know, I got a serious shock when lightning struck the school last April. Ashley and I were playing basketball when the storm began. A couple of weeks later, I walked into the classroom, and my class and I met Robert E. Lee at Appomattox. A couple of periods later, another class witnessed the Triangle Fire in Manhattan in 1911. At the end of the day, George and I walked in on the president. You know the rest.”
The medic listened. “You met Robert E. Lee?”
“What’s your name, soldier?” Fritz asked.
“Ferris, sir, Joel.”
“Well, Lieutenant Ferris, that’s right, isn’t it?” Ferris nodded. “I met him in April, and I’ve been to see him a couple of times this week. I’d tell you more, but I don’t know what I’m allowed to say. You already know the portal is top secret.”
The medic nodded again and said, “That has to be exciting.”
“How about the electrical tie-in?” Tony asked.
“Well, each time, I got a shock from the doorknob. That day had been stormy. We finally figured a connection exists between my desk key, the lightning, the doorknob, and paperclips in books on my desk.
“Keys and lightning, Ben Franklin.”
“Yup. I figured it out after looking at a hundred-dollar bill. The president figured it out about the same time.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Russell, but you’ve met the president, too?” The young soldier’s eyes were wide, in a kind of dazed stare.
“Lieutenant, what happens in Riverboro, stays in Riverboro. You might see him before this is over.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tony said, “I know most of the story from when we first investigated. I’m still amazed. Did you use it over the summer?”
“No. But I did think about how it works. A lot. What’s been fascinating to me is how time seems to move. When I went to see Lee last week, he told me it had only been two days since my last visit. But more than two months had passed on my calendar. And when we first met him, one of my kids had a textbook with nothing written in it. By the time we left, the words had come back. We found out tonight that the open door drains power.”
“And we found those images in your classroom. Electrical imprints left by you and your students, the Triangle fire, and Robert E. Lee. That was amazing. Fritz, this portal may have practical uses, but it’s a scientific marvel. I’d love to do experiments with you, if you wouldn’t mind.”
“Tony, after this week, I’m not sure I want to have anything to do with it. Well, that’s not really true, but it certainly isn’t all a good thing. Then again, as a historian, it’s a real temptation.”
Coming from behind them, a single sound, “Wow.”
Chapter 16
THE CLASSROOM DOOR opened before Tony could respond. Two soldiers walked through, one supporting the other. “Medic!” shouted Fritz. As Ferris stepped across the hall and a medic ran toward them, Colonel Mitchell arrived, looking weary. Not sure of his condition, Fritz reached for his arm.
“I’m fine, Mr. Russell. But they have a mess to clean up. We need medical facilities, more than we planned for.”
“Colonel, can you call the airport? Can anyone there help us?”
“Yes and no. All the medics and doctors are here, or were. Give me a second, and I’ll take care of it.” Fritz walked with him to Ashley’s classroom. The colonel sat in the first chair he came to. “Mr. Russell, do you have anything to drink?”
“We’ll get something. Maybe we can open the cafeteria. I’ll ask George.” Once more, Fritz ran down the hall. Low-level chatter and subdued crying filled the hallways. Linda watched as he ran toward her.
“They’re coming back,” he said. “We need to open the cafeteria. And maybe some soda machines.”
“Are you okay?” asked Linda.
“I’m fine now that it’s over. Once they’re out, we can send these people home.” The crowd now had spread along the hall and around the corner, almost to the office.
“Do you know where you’re sending them?”
“Not sure. I think it’s on your computer, but it’s still going to be a while. Let me get George. We may need to hit a few convenience stores.” Fritz found George, explained the situation, and together they went past the crowd of tired, confused people to the cafeteria. Most of the settlers were sitting on the hard floor. Some stood and watched as Fritz and George hurried by. “George, once we clear the portal, we’ll be able to get these folks home. But until then, they may need the bathrooms and something to drink. As much as I hate revealing too much, it might be a good idea to get some Israeli soldiers in here to make them more comfortable.”
“I’ll take care of this end, Fritz. If any soldiers can help, send them to me, okay?”
“Thanks, George. I’ll take a bunch of water bottles for now. You might want to open the soda machines, if you can.”
“Of course I can. I’m the principal.” With an amused look Fritz rarely saw, George said, “Now, get going and send me some help.”
When Fritz returned to Ashley’s room, the colonel had his phone pressed to his ear. Fritz handed him a bottle. When the call ended, the colonel said, “Thanks, Mr. Russell. They’re already on the way. The major called them twenty minutes ago. She’s hurt. Last night’s wound opened. That’s where most of the blood came from.”
“Colonel, what do you want me to do?”
“Direct traffic. Some of these guys have had a rough time. The Eledorians didn’t retreat far. Thank heavens the Israelis moved in. But they didn’t know about us, so we had a hell of a time sorting it out. Get the medical people to set up and get the injured in there.”
“Colonel, the cafeteria’s open. George needs help getting the settlers watered, and I think that if we get some Israelis here, it might help.”
From the doorway, the colonel said, “I’ll take care of that. Captain Dolan, we have two things to do. First, send some men to the cafeteria to help Mr. McAllister. Then go back in and find an Israeli officer and bring him to me.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you need anything, Colonel?” Fritz asked.
“No. This will be over shortly. Get things set up as best you can. I need a minute to think.”
Fritz walked to the hallway as the next set of buses pulled up, led by a police car. The buses unloaded, and Jim Shaw walked in. “Mr. R, can you tell me—” Fritz stopped him.
“Jim, I need to get the hospital set up. That’s what these guys are unloading. We’ll talk later.”
“Where do you want them?” Jim asked.
“There,” he said, pointing to Sandy’s classroom.
Jim directed the first men coming in and then went outside. Fritz returned to his classroom door and held it open. As the teams returned, seeing that quite a few were wounded, he called for the medics. Then his phone rang.
“Hello, Mr. President.”
“Fritz, what’s going on? I haven’t heard anything.”
“It’s busy here now. Our guys are just starting to come back. Colonel Mitchell came through about five minutes ago. The major’s wounded again.”
“The two of them went
in? Who’s been running things?”
“Me, I guess. Ashley went to the hospital with the major. George, Lois, and Linda have been taking care of the Israelis. Colonel Mitchell can tell you what happened. Do you want to speak to him?”
“I do. Fritz, when you can, come and get me.”
“Yes, Mr. President. But I don’t know how soon. Hang on a sec.” He called for help again, and returned to his call. Fritz told him he didn’t want to close the portal until everyone had returned. He also said that he suggested bringing some Israeli soldiers to help with their people.
“I like that idea. The prime minister will too. Let me talk to the colonel, Fritz.”
As more Americans and the Israeli settlers who had been fighting came through the portal, Captain Dolan returned with a dozen Israeli soldiers, half of whom were women. Fritz watched as they stared at their surroundings and then at each other. Dolan introduced Fritz to Colonel ben Ami, tall, tanned, and dirty.
“Colonel, would you ask your soldiers to go to your people?” Fritz requested. “They’re down there. And would you come with me to Colonel Mitchell?” The Israeli officer looked at Fritz, then up and down the hall. Fritz marked the rapid change of expression. “This way, Colonel.”
Mitchell finished talking to the president. “He wants to talk to you, Mr. Russell. He said to call him when things quiet down.”
“Colonel Mitchell, this is Colonel ben Ami,” said Fritz. “Do you need anything?”
“Nothing for me. Get some water for the colonel, please.”
Fritz found the extra water bottle he had left earlier, gave it to the Israeli officer, and went back into the hall. With the controlled chaos around him, Tony had a book open, still sitting on the floor.
“Tony, what are you reading?” Fritz leaned in.
“One of your books about the Civil War. I grabbed it before we started. Hope you don’t mind.”
“No, that’s fine. Do you want anything?”
“Yeah, a chair. My butt hurts. And some water.”
Fritz took a chair from Ashley’s classroom, which was now filling with both returning and newly-arrived soldiers, and grabbed a bottle of water. Down the hall, more soldiers arrived with boxes of sandwiches. He directed the first man to Ashley’s room. What else? Oh, yeah. Bathroom.
Sand Storm (Quantum Touch Book 2) Page 16