Alien Storm

by Don Viecelli

  “What’s it worth to them, General?” Colonel Nash wanted to know.

  “The paper is willing to pay half a million dollars for the pictures. They’ll pay one-and-a-half million for the other stuff you have and exclusive rights to the story. They’ll pay half now and half after they run the story. They need to see the evidence first. When can you get it to them?”

  Colonel Nash was ecstatic. He could feel the money in his pocket, more than he ever dreamed he would make in his lifetime. “I can’t send it in the mail. We’ll have to meet somewhere. Tell them to meet me at the airport in Green Bay tomorrow. I’ll leave in the morning. I can be there by eleven.”

  “All right, Colonel. I’ll tell them. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. Call me in the morning when you get to Green Bay.”

  “Will do, General. Thanks for your help.” Colonel Nash ended the call and jumped for joy. He couldn’t believe it. Two million dollars for a stupid story about UFOs. He had to make plans. What was he going to do with the boys? Tie them up and leave them here? Dump them off somewhere? He wasn’t going to kill them. That would be stupid. He’ll decide in the morning. He went back inside to tell Hall and Grady. He would have to give them some money to keep them quiet. Then he would just disappear for a while. He looked at the sky. It would be dark in a few hours. No electricity. He would start up the portable generator. There was one in the shed for emergency purposes. Most cabins had one up here. They came in handy. You never knew when you would need it. He walked over to the shed to check the fuel tanks.

  Ryan, Jason and Tom watched Colonel Nash jump up and down outside after he put his phone away. Something was up. Ryan looked at Jason, then Tom. Their minds were made up. They were going to make a run for it tonight, as soon as everyone fell asleep. Ryan would try to get the disk and his camera, but he wasn’t going to risk his life to do so. If he had to leave the evidence behind, so be it. They just wanted to get away from here.

  Ryan decided to take a chance and check his phone, so he asked permission to go to the bathroom. Once inside, he closed the door and sat down on the toilet. He reached for his phone and looked at the message indicator. He had a message. He pulled it up on his display screen. It was from his sister, Kaye. They were looking for him. He knew it. Why was it taking so long? There must be a reason, he figured. He hoped they found them soon, but he wasn’t going to wait much longer. He would give them until it got dark. Then they would make their move. He flushed the toilet and went back to the living room where his two friends were sitting. He would tell them about the message later. They were sitting there when they heard the power generator start. The lights flickered on in the cabin. One of the guards went over to the TV and turned it on. They were bored like the rest of them and wanted to see what was on.

  Colonel Nash came back into the cabin. He told the men that he started the generator. They would eat an early dinner and go to bed as soon as it was dark to conserve fuel. They would leave early in the morning. He told the boys he would let them go in the morning. Ryan looked at the others and wondered what that meant. Should they wait or run? It was confusing. He decided he would discuss it with his friends when they went to bed. Now they were just hungry and Ryan offered to help cook dinner. He was in the mood for some tacos if they had the stuff. Colonel Nash told him to knock himself out. He was in a very good mood for being a kidnapper. Ryan looked out the window at the lake. The sun was setting and the shadows were creeping over the lake. One more night of this and they would be free. He started to make dinner.

  Chapter 28

  Dave decided to go outside and see what was going on. The UFO had disappeared behind the mountains on the west side of the lake. He saw Kaye talking rapidly to Kurt. Debbie and Colonel Feldman were standing nearby. “Did you get a shot of it?” Dave asked, looking at Kaye and Kurt.

  “Yes, I did,” Kurt responded. “Then I lost it when it crossed the lake. What do you think it’s doing here, in broad daylight?”

  “It’s looking for the downed spacecraft and crew,” Dave replied.

  “How do you know that, Dave?” Kaye asked.

  “Because General Anderson just called and told me. He said the President got a call from NASA that a large UFO was near the space station a little while ago. It made contact with the astronauts on board and asked for the bodies back.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” Debbie asked.

  “No, I’m serious. They want the disks back too.”

  “Jesus! This is unbelievable,” Colonel Feldman commented.

  “I agree, but it’s true. I think our time is running out. We need to locate Ryan and his friends and get that other disk back.”

  “Do you think that UFO knows where the bodies are?” Kaye asked.

  “I would suspect so. They seem to know where the crash sites are. And the bodies and disks aren’t even here, except for the one Ryan has. They must have the locations from the transmitter we found.”

  “How are we going to find Ryan?” Kaye asked. She looked desperate.

  “General Anderson says the GPS service is working again. We need to call the carrier and get his cell phone coordinates. Colonel Feldman, can you help us with that?”

  “Sure. I’ll get right on it. I’ll call and tell Major Drew. He should be able to find them by nightfall.”

  “Okay then. We only have a few hours of daylight left. We need to send the video pictures to General Anderson. Who’s going to take care of that?” Dave asked the group.

  Kaye responded, “Debbie, find Joe and tell him to fly you to the radio station in Houghton. Send the file from there. Then call and let me know the file made it. Kurt and I will stay with Colonel Hampton. We’ll go with you to find Ryan, Dave, and see if this UFO comes back.”

  Dave knew it would be futile to argue with her. Besides, it made sense. “Okay, but you have to do what I say. I don’t want anyone to get hurt when we find these guys. I’ll meet you by Major Cole’s helicopter in a few minutes. We’ll fly over to see Major Drew once we get your brother’s location.”

  The group dispersed. Kaye, Debbie and Kurt went back upstairs to get the video file and pack up their things. Dave went inside to the command center and stood near Colonel Feldman while he made some calls. First Colonel Feldman had to call the local police station to get permission to track Ryan’s cell phone number. The wireless carrier would not give this type of information out without proper authorization. It took only a few minutes to set up the procedures. It would be handled like an E-911 call. Colonel Feldman would call the local police public safety help desk number and the police would check with the carrier’s operation center to find out where the cell phone was located at that moment in case it was mobile. The carrier would check the cell phone control signal to verify it was turned on. The user’s cell phone GPS receiver would receive signals from the three nearest GPS satellites in orbit above the Earth and send the data to the carrier operation center for triangulation purposes. Then the carrier would send the coordinates to the public safety answering center. The whole thing would take a few seconds and the phone would be pinpointed to within ten meters of its location on Earth. The police would tell whoever was authorized to receive the information. The E-911 public service was vital, and it saved lives every minute around the world.

  Colonel Feldman had the coordinates within five minutes after the police gave the okay. “We got it? He looked on the map. “They’re on Lake Gogebic, just like Ryan’s message said—here!” He showed the spot to Dave. “I’ll call Major Drew and tell him where to look.”

  “I’ll fly out there with Major Cole. I’ll take the two reporters with me. You stay here in case something else comes up. Tell the people at the crash sites to come in for the night. Tell the guardsmen on duty, if the UFO comes back, don’t interfere with it. Let the UFO do whatever it wants. I don’t want anyone trying to shoot it down.”

  “No problem. I’ll take care of it. You be careful with that paramilitary group when you find them, Colonel.”r />
  “Will do. I’ll talk to you later.” Dave left the room and walked outside to the helicopter. Major Cole was getting ready to start the engine. Kaye and Kurt were already inside. He noticed the Channel Two News helicopter, with Joe piloting and Debbie inside, taking off a short distance away. The sun was beginning to set behind the Porcupine Mountains. They had a couple of hours of daylight left. He climbed inside, shut the door and said hello to Kaye and Kurt. Then he gave the all-clear sign to Major Cole. The helicopter lifted off the parking lot and flew south.

  “Do you know where Ryan is?” asked Kaye.

  “Yes. We tracked his cell phone to a location on Lake Gogebic just as he said. He’s still there according to the location of his phone. We’re flying to meet up with Major Drew. He has Ryan’s location now. He’ll send his men to search for them. We have to be careful they don’t spot us.”

  Kaye sat in silence the rest of the way to the lake. Dave could see how worried she was by the look in her eyes. He hoped nobody would be hurt. It was up to Major Drew’s men now. At least they know where they are. It will be over soon, one way or the other.

  Major Cole flew to the north end of the lake. There was a crossroad where M-64 and M-28 met just on the edge of the lake. It was about ten miles away. They would be there in a few minutes. Dave could see the lake. It was at least ten miles long and maybe two miles wide at its widest point. Somewhere in the middle on the west side of the lake, Ryan and his two friends were being held hostage. They saw the intersection appear below. Major Cole prepared to land. He saw an open field near the road that was clear of trees and power lines. He landed quickly. As Dave opened the door and stepped down he saw Major Drew’s Humvee pulling up. Major Drew got out and walked over to greet them. “Hello, Colonel. Nice to see you again.”

  “You too, Major. Did you get Colonel Feldman’s message?” Dave shouted over the noise.

  “Sure did. It saved us a lot of time. I ordered my men to drive down the lake to within a mile of the place where they are staying. The local police chief knows this area well. He says there is a cabin there. They’re checking now to see who owns it. He knew the previous owner. Used to fish with him until he retired and moved south to Florida.”

  Dave turned around and helped Kaye step down from the helicopter. Kurt and Major Cole followed. They all said hello to each other and everyone except Major Cole walked to the Humvee. Major Cole said he would wait for Dave to call if he needed him. Once everyone was in the Humvee, they took off.

  “What’s your plan, Major?” Dave asked as they drove down the narrow road beside the lake.

  “I told the men not to approach the cabin. We’ll wait for darkness. Then I’ll send two men to scout out the place without being seen. The police chief said he would send one of his men out on the lake in a fishing boat and motor past the place to see if he can see anything. If it looks safe, well move in around midnight after they’re asleep.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Dave looked at Kaye and Kurt. They just nodded in approval. It looked like it was going to be a long night after all.

  “Did you people have dinner?” Major Drew asked as they neared the place where his men were waiting. They all said no. “I’ll have one of my men go out for something.” Major Drew found a parking spot for the Humvee and turned off the engine. Everyone got out. The wind was blowing in from the south. It was getting warmer and there were dark clouds building in the sky over the lake. The forecast did not call for rain, just wind. It should be a pleasant evening according to the radio station someone had playing. Everything around them was dark. The electricity was still off. The local radio station said they hoped power would be back on by morning in most areas. No one knew for certain.

  True to his word, Major Drew had someone buy food for everyone and brought it back. They had a choice of pizza or fried fish, French fries and soft drinks. Nobody was complaining. They grabbed the food and found a place to sit and eat. Dave sat next to Kaye. The National Guardsmen had started a campfire and several of them sat in foldout canvas chairs the Army used.

  Dave tried the fish. It tasted pretty good. “How’s the pizza?” he said smiling at Kaye.

  Kaye returned the smile. “It’s okay, but not as good as Chicago pizza. “Sure is a nice night.”

  “Yeah, I think it’s warmer than normal up here this time of year. I hear it gets pretty cold in the winter time.”

  “Is that why you live in North Carolina?”

  “One of the reasons. I like to sail in warm water. The Gulf Stream flows up the east coast. These waters never warm up.” He was referring to the big lakes that surrounded Michigan, not the inland lakes.

  “You’re right about that. I rarely swim in Lake Michigan. It stays too cold in the summer. Maybe when I visit my parents in North Carolina this summer, you can take me out on your boat, if you’re home.”

  “That would be great. I’ll make sure I’m home. I’d love to take you sailing. I give free lessons, you know.” He liked the way Kaye smiled back at him. Things were looking up.

  “Deal,” she said and held out her hand. Dave took her hand in his and it felt soft and warm. They shook. It only lasted a moment and it was over. It seemed to him that he could never be alone with Kaye for more than a few minutes at a time. It was frustrating. He wanted to get to know her better and everything was getting in their way. They both finished their food in silence, watching the campfire dance in the dark. It was time for him to talk to Major Drew. He told Kaye he would be back and walked away.

  Major Drew was busy getting his men organized. There were several state troopers and local police helping him out as well. They blocked the road at both ends of the lake so the FLM could not escape. He sent two men out on foot to find the cabin and report back what they saw. The police sent out a man in a boat disguised as a fisherman just before dinner, before it got dark. He reported back that he saw some activity in the cabin as he floated by, but he couldn’t make out how many people were there. They waited for about an hour. It was almost 9:00 p.m. when the two guardsmen reported back on their radios. They saw two men with rifles guarding the front entrance of the cabin. There were six more people inside the cabin, three men in military garb with more guns and three younger men being held in the living room. It was the people they were looking for, sure enough. Major Drew decided to wait two more hours before moving his men into place.

  Dave and Major Drew were talking when one of the National Guardsmen near the cabin called Major Drew franticly on the radio. Major Drew had to calm him down before he could understand the message. “What’s wrong, Lieutenant? Repeat the message.”

  “Something’s going on here, sir! There’s a large object hovering over the cabin, sir. It’s shining a blinding light down on the cabin. It’s moving our way. I don’t know what it’s doing. I’m moving ...” Then only static could be heard before the radio died.

  “Lieutenant? Repeat again! Lieutenant, do you hear me?” Major Drew was concerned. The man was obviously very frightened.

  “What’s wrong, Major?” Dave asked.

  “I don’t know. The radio went dead. Something’s happening at the cabin. We can’t wait. We need to get down there now.” He ordered his men to get in their Army trucks. The state troopers and local police hopped into their squad cars and raced down the two-lane road. Everybody was moving fast. Dave found Kaye and Kurt and led them to Major Drew’s Humvee. Major Drew followed and jumped in. They sped out with the Army trucks right behind them. They were less than a mile from the cabin. It took only a few minutes to reach the location. A police officer was directing the vehicles to spread out and point their lights toward the cabin so they could see. One of the officers had a bullhorn out waiting for orders from Major Drew. The cabin was in a local sheriff’s jurisdiction, but the Governor made it clear this was a military matter and to support Major Drew in this operation.

  Major Drew walked up to the officer and took the bullhorn. They were at the front of the long driveway that led to the cabin
. They could just make it out through the trees. He sent some men to surround the cabin. The police sheriff told him he had a patrol boat on the lake behind the cabin. No one was going to be able to escape from the back.

  Major Drew took a deep breath and spoke loudly into the bullhorn. “Colonel Nash, this is the National Guard and the state police. You’re surrounded. Come out with your hands in the air. You will not be hurt.” He repeated the message. There was no reply.

  “Major Drew!” a voice came over the radio. “We found our men. They’re unconscious.”

  “What do you mean, unconscious?” Major Drew yelled into his radio.

  “Like they’re asleep, Major. We’re trying to wake them up now.”

  “Bring them back here, now! Get the medic to look at them.” It didn’t make sense. The radio crackled again.

  “Major? We see two men down on the ground in front of the cabin. Do you want us to approach?”

  Major Drew thought for a second. Something unusual was going on. He made a decision and hoped it was the right one. “Approach cautiously. I’m coming to join you.” He selected three of his men and ran down the road to join the others. When he reached them, he could see the outline of the cabin. There were no lights on. It was completely dark inside. He ordered two men to check the men lying on the ground in front of the cabin. They had rifles beside them. The two guardsmen approached quickly, guns aimed at the bodies. They reached the men and kicked the guns out of reach. They checked for a pulse. The men were breathing, but completely unconscious. The guardsmen tied their hands and feet behind their backs. The others moved to the cabin. On Major Drew’s signal, they pushed open the front and back doors at the same time and rushed inside. There were no shots fired. In a few minutes, Major Drew walked back outside shaking his head. They found three more men in the bedrooms, everyone unconscious, but no boys. Ryan and his two friends were missing.