With a solid clunk, the chopper settled onto the concrete and Frank powered down. Hunter reached for the door and climbed outside as Randall and Koran followed.
Stumbling onto the concrete, he dropped his bags on the ground then knelt and lowered his head. He brought his hand to his face and took a breath
Randall looked at Koran with a confused guise. Koran shrugged and held his hands up like he was just as puzzled. So, in silence, they watched Hunter as he mumbled a prayer under his breath and tried to hide the tears on his face.
“Should we go?” Randall asked.
Koran didn’t respond and after a few minutes Hunter finally stood up and grabbed his things.
Randall patted him on the shoulder. “You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Sir,” Livingston called out. “Everyone is in the mess hall sir and the plane is ready to board.”
Hunter nodded. “Get Major Lockship on the line.”
“Do we really have time for this?” Koran asked. “Did you forget about the army that’s on the fucking way?”
“No, I didn’t, Koran. And I didn’t forget that Lockship died trying to fight them, or the fact that someone sold us out. I’m not going anywhere until I find out who that is.”
Koran let out an incredulous laugh. “Did you see that back there, Hunter? They had air support and we’re flying what, one of grandma’s ACs? If we don’t get that fat lady in the air right now there’s not a chance in hell we make it and I don’t car what kind of ordinance it’s carrying.”
“I’m not risking it. I can’t take that chance, we have to find the mole.”
“Are you not listening to me? If we don’t leave now, everyone here is gonna die. Your mole and everyone else. You gonna let that happen?”
“I’m with Koran,” Randall added. “We should go. How do we even know there’s a mole? We’re all gonna die on a hunch. They…they could’ve found out a million different ways.”
Hunter considered him then shook his head from side to side. “We…we have to be safe.”
“Staying here isn’t safe, Hunter. It’s not safe for us and it’s not safe for any of those kids either. You wanna make your last stand right here, right now?”
Hunter groaned then turned to Livingston. “Start boarding.”
Livingston saluted then spun on his heels and ran off. Frank and Jacob stepped out of the cockpit and started pulling equipment from the helicopter and loading it onto carts for the flight crew to drive to the plane. With one command the base sprung to life.
“Wait for me!” Randall yelled and rushed off after Livingston.
He caught up to him just as he was walking into the cafeteria. His heart was playing a techno track in his chest and he couldn’t catch his breath no matter what he did. As he stepped through the doors he felt like he’d burst into a million pieces.
“Randall!” Melinda screeched as soon as she saw him.
She hurried across the room and wrapped her arms around his neck. David and Charlie followed right behind her and dove at him. He picked them up then looked around as the rest of the kids started to move about.
“Dad!” Alistair called.
He was standing with Ashley, talking with the others. Randall smiled as he hurried across the floor to greet him.
“Did Mom tell you?” Alistair asked.
“Tell me what?”
“It’s a ship, Dad. The Mayflower is a ship.”
Randall looked confused. He turned to Melinda for answers. “What is he talking about?”
“They knew about all of this, Randall. The government knew all of this was happening for years. They built a ship to escape it all.”
Randall didn’t know how to respond. His mouth fell open as he tried to make rational sense of what they were saying.
“A ship?” he mumbled. “A ship?”
“A space ship,” Alistair added.
Livingston suddenly pulled a chair across the floor with a loud screeching noise. He climbed onto it then stepped up on top of the table.
“I need everyone’s attention,” he said loudly. “We need to get all of you onboard the plane outside. We need to do this as quickly as possible.”
“What’s going on?” Chase asked in a defensive tone.
“We’re leaving. Any other questions you can hold until we get in the air. But for now, we need to move.”
He stepped down and headed to the door. Several soldiers walked inside and started ushering everyone toward the runway. Daniel and the rest of his group broke out in protest. Panic set in and what was once a subtle apprehension became all out pandemonium.
“Where the fuck are we going!” Trevor snapped. “You people haven’t told us a damn thing! We deserve answers.”
“You get your ass on that plane or you’ll deserve to stay here!” Livingston roared.
“No!” Daniel shouted back at him. “Enough of this shit! Somebody needs to start talking.”
Livingston charged and grabbed him by the collar, slamming him against the wall. Daniel grabbed his wrist and grimaced as his head bashed into the concrete.
“Listen here you little shit,” he started.
Randall grabbed Livingston and struggled to pull him away. “Take it easy. They’re just kids,” he said as he dragged Livingston back.
Fuming, Livingston shrugged him off and stormed away. “Anyone not on that plane is getting left behind,” he spat then walked out.
“Jesus. What is his problem?” Alistair grumbled.
“Listen,” Randall started and turned to face Daniel and Trevor. “I know you want answers, and we all do. But right now, what we need is safety and this place isn’t safe anymore. Just, just do what they say for now. Okay?”
Daniel frowned, but nodded his understanding. He grabbed Trevor by the arm and headed for the door. The rest of the group followed him and made their way outside.
“This way! This way!” the soldiers yelled as the engines on the AC-130 started to spin.
Randall and Melinda grabbed David and Charlie and ran toward the plane. Alistair hurried behind them with Ashley clinging to his arm as her hair twisted and wafted in the wind.
“What’s going on?” Alistair called out. “Why is everyone acting so crazy?”
“Someone’s coming,” Randall replied.
“What do you mean someone’s coming?”
“People…soldiers, they’re coming here. Not the good kind.”
Alistair paused at the bottom of the ramp. He looked back down the runway and swallowed then looked up at his dad.
“We’re gonna be okay,” Randall told him.
Alistair nodded then followed him onto the plane. The interior was a skeleton. It was stripped down to the bare bones like a gutted cigarette. Frank and the other helicopter pilots were spread throughout the cabin, sharing anxious looks with one another. Alistair hurried to the seat beside his parents and buckled the strap across his lap.
Minutes ticked by as the whirl from the engines grew louder. Randall nervously bobbed his leg up and down and bit his bottom lip. Melinda reached out and grabbed his hand, cupping it in her own.
“Can we get this thing in the air already,” Koran complained.
“Where’s Hunter?” Randall asked him. “I thought he was running this show.”
“I don’t know. He said he had to get something.”
“There he is,” Frank said and pointed down the runway.
Hunter was running in an all-out sprint like his legs were on fire. He was waving his hands and shouting desperately, although no one could hear him over the roar of the engines.
“What the hell is he doing?” Randall mumbled.
Three loud snaps suddenly echoed and the asphalt behind Hunter splintered apart. Randall jumped then grabbed David and Charlie and tucked their heads under his arms.
A dingy, white pickup truck swerved from behind a building and screeched toward Hunter. A machine gun was mounted in the bed with a chubby man in all black clinging to it as
he fired blindly. The bullets bounced everywhere, crashing into windows and ricocheting from the pavement before sailing into the air.
“Somebody shut that damn thing down!” Frank yelled.
The flight crew started to scramble. There was shouting near the back of the plane then the sound of a min gun buzzed like a horde of killer bees on steroids.
Hundreds of searing rounds shredded through the truck as it rolled to a stop and caught on fire. Hunter sprinted up the ramp and into the plane just at it started to roll down the runway.
“They’re here!” he screamed.
CHAPTER 11
WELCOME TO THE MAYFLOWER
Alistair opened his eyes and grimaced. They’d been in the air for hours and the web seats were the most uncomfortable things he’d ever sat in. The seat cushions were nothing more than canvas stretched over two metal bars and the backs were just cargo nets. Every bump, every tiny air pocket felt like a wooden roller coaster barreling down a broken track.
Rolling his shoulders, he surveyed the sparsely populated cabin. The worst was over and nearly everyone had fallen victim to exhaustion. Twisted awkwardly in their seats most of the passengers were snoring loudly as the plane jostled them around. Only a few soldiers were still awake, staring blankly with bloodshot eyes.
“How you feeling?” Randall asked as he straightened up in his seat.
“Like someone beat me in my sleep,” Alistair replied.
“Yeah, they definitely didn’t make these things with comfort in mind.”
“How close are we?”
“No clue, they haven’t even shared with us where we are going,” Randall replied and turned to Koran. “You know anything?”
“You’re probably more in the know than I am.”
Randall smirked then waved his hand at one of the soldiers sitting across from them. “Hey…hey buddy. How much longer?”
The man looked up and focused his fatigued eyes. It took him a minute then Randall’s face became clear.
“What?” the man asked.
“How far away are we?”
“Um, I…I don’t’ know,” the man said and shrugged.
Randall grumbled then looked around the cabin until he found Hunter. “I’ll be right back,” he said to Alistair then unbuckled his seat.
Randall stood up and steadied himself using the webbing. Wobbling from side to side, he staggered down the aisle then took a seat next to Hunter.
“How much longer do we have?” he asked as he grabbed the straps and buckled them together.
Hunter was staring down at the ground with his hands crossed across his lap. He sighed and shook his head from side to side.
“Not now Randall,” he groaned.
“It’s a simple question. Why is it so hard for people to answer simple questions?” he asked in an annoyed voice.
“Randall, do you have any clue what’s going on? I mean really…what the hell do you think we’re doing?”
“I think no one will tell me a damn thing. I think we’ve been asking questions and not getting answers. So, no Hunter…I don’t have any clue what’s going on.”
Hunter glared at him like he wanted to punch him in the face. Randall stared back and tilted his head to the side. He shrugged then held his hands up.
Hunter yawned. “An hour Randall. We’re an hour away. Anything else?”
“Is there really a ship?”
Hunter tried to hide the surprise on his face, but he was too late. “Who told you that?” he asked angrily.
“So, there is,” Randall replied. “There is a ship.”
Hunter nodded.
“Wow,” Randall whispered and leaned back. “So…so, a space ship. I just, that’s crazy. So, that’s what the Mayflower is, a ship? Why a ship?”
Hunter looked away from him and took a deep breath. “I guess it doesn’t matter now,” he started. “The Mayflower isn’t the what, it’s the how.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“This is it Randall. This is the end of the world, and I’m not just saying that. The storms, the earthquakes…it’s gonna keep getting worse. When it’s all done, this place will be uninhabitable.”
Randall didn’t reply so Hunter continued.
“There’s a habitat on Mars. They worked on it for years.”
“Mars?” Randall echoed. “Mars, we’re going to Mars?”
“I um, that’s the plan.”
Randall swallowed then steadied himself as the plane jerked sharply. There was a thud then a mechanical whirling noise from beneath. A light flashed overhead, and Hunter smiled.
“Looks like we’re here,” he said.
Randall nodded. “Well, good talk.”
He unlatched the buckle to his seat and stood up. The plane shook again, and he took a minute to steady himself then made his way back to his seat.
“What was all that?” Alistair asked.
“Just trying to get some answers.”
“And?”
“And we’re landing.”
The ride become increasingly rough as they descended. Every bump and rattle felt like the plane was falling from the sky.
“Everyone buckle in,” the pilot announced. “It’s gonna be a rough landing.”
Randall grabbed David’s hand and nudged him on the arm. “Wake up buddy,” he said then turned to Charlie and did the same.
“Where are we?” Melinda asked in a groggy voice.
“Here…wherever the Mayflower is.”
The plane hit the runway with a thud then bounced. Melinda tightened her face and gripped the bar on the bottom of the seat.
The wheels screeched as they slid across the pavement. The brakes strained to make any impact and the engines roared like dragons as the pilots reversed the thrust.
The Dubois airport wasn’t meant for large planes. It was made for single-engine joy rides and retired executives that played golf. The lumbering AC-130 quickly consumed the runway and was barreling toward and open field.
“Brace yourselves,” the pilot shouted desperately.
The rubber burned off the wheels and the nose of the plane drove into the loose gravel. Screeching and sparking, the plane slid across the ground, gouging a trench through the rocks as it rumbled to a stop.
“Everyone ok?” the pilot asked.
~~***~~
“I can’t see a damn thing,” Randall groaned. “Keep the light closer.”
“I know what I’m doing dad,” Alistair retorted. “You need to move faster or we’re gonna get left.
Randall laughed and looked up ahead. They were walking through an open field in the middle of the night. The moon and their flashlights sliced narrow beams through the darkness, illuminating a gravel trail that snaked its way up the mountain.
The air was crisp and cool. Randall had never felt anything like it before. He sucked in a lungful and looked up at the stars.
“It’s beautiful up there,” he mumbled.
“Could we have landed any further?” Koran complained as he pushed his way past him.
Hunter gave him a sideways glance and bit his tongue. He’d been fed up with Koran for a while and contemplated leaving him at the naval base. As it was, he didn’t trust him, but he didn’t trust anyone anymore.
“It’s just up this trail,” Hunter said to Randall and patted him on the back.
Randall took a deep breath and nodded. He grabbed Melinda’s hand and fell in line behind the kids.
“What do you think it’ll be like?” Melinda asked.
“The ship?”
“Yeah…the whole thing. What are we walking into Randall?”
“Don’t move!” a scratchy voice shouted.
CHAPTER 12
SAFETY IS RELATIVE
“This is crazy,” Randall said in amazement.
He was standing inside of the main atrium. The dome-like ceiling soared twenty feet overhead and opened even higher as it stretched back into the darkness. It was just the beginning of an expansive f
acility that countless hours had gone into constructing.
“Sorry about the security check,” Craig started. “You can never be too safe. Max can get your people situated and show you around the place. He knows more about it than anyone else.”
“Yeah,” Max said as he waved his hand in small arc. “There’s um, there’s a lot of you guys. Not a problem though, we’re nowhere near capacity. I’ll get you set up with rooms.”
Hunter stepped forward and extended his hand to Craig. “Sergeant Hunter,” he said.
Craig gripped his hand and shook it then looked around in confusion. “Where’s your captain hiding sergeant?”
Hunter frowned and looked away. “We lost him sir. During the mission. There’s some things we need to discuss. How much time before launch?”
“The launch?” Craig echoed.
“Yes sir. We assumed we’d be the last group arriving.”
Craig sighed and dropped his face into his hands. “Lockship didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what sir?”
“Jesus. The launch already happened. They didn’t wait…they’ve already left.”
“What!” Koran snapped. “What! Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Who the hell is this guy?”
“Colonel Meyers,” Koran barked.
“Ex-colonel,” Hunter corrected him. “And what do you mean they left already?”
“I mean they left. They’re gone, there is no Mayflower!”
“Wait a minute,” Randall said and stepped between them. “I…I thought this was the Mayflower. I mean, we made it didn’t we?”
“This is just the launch station, the reception center,” Max corrected him. “The Mayflower is the ship.”
Randall stared at him in confusion.
“I guess you could call it all the Mayflower then.”
“So, we’re all gonna die?” Amber cried hysterically.
“What the hell!” Chase growled.
The atrium erupted in protest. Questions and accusations rang out, echoing throughout the dome. Cries of panic and hysteria twisted with whispers of fear induced rage. Craig shook his head from side to side and ran his fingers through his fiery hair.
Deconstruction- The Complete series Box Set Page 74