Jesse's Starship (31 page)

The President looked at his notes again and said, “I also learned something else; I learned that there is a secret organization in my military that have decided that we will not lay down our weapons but will use whatever we have to fight these aliens.” Bedlam started and the President held up his arms. “I want those traitors to know that I will not allow them to overthrow our government and take power.”

Medusa looked at Mamba, “Issue the launch order.”

“Yes Sir.” Mamba lifted a cover from a button and pressed it.

The Assembly grew silent. The President looked at his watch again and said, “Those traitors will be launching nuclear missiles at Washington, Peking, and Moscow momentarily and moving to overthrow the governments of the three most powerful nations on the planet.”

One of the President’s aides rushed up to the podium and whispered in his ear. He shook his head and looked at the Assembly, “I’ve just been told a missile has also been launched and is heading toward New York.”

• • •

Jess watched the President’s speech and looked up, “Are you ready, Pete?”

“I am.” Jess looked back at the hologram and continued to watch the President. “Jess, three Q ships have just arrived in moon orbit.”

“Oh Crap, not now!!”

“Are you open for a conversation?”

“NO, HETZEL I’M NOT! WHY ARE YOU HERE?!”

“I’ve come to see if you require help in disarming your planet.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’ve come to see if you require assistance in disarming your planet.”

“You know I could never allow you close to the planet; you’d destroy it.”

“I am here to offer our assistance. The death sentence on your planet has been rescinded by the Assembly.”

Jess was in a state of confusion. The missiles were going to launch in moments. “Pete, is this offer genuine?”

“He has made a clear offer. If you accept it; it is binding.”

“Would you take this risk?”

“I would.”

“Why are you asking your computer?”

“I’ll explain later; I need one of your ships to go to the other side of the planet and scan for a nuclear missile launch. I need it stopped.”

Hetzel said, “Nefen, go.”

“I need another ship sent over the North Pole and scan for another nuclear missile launch and stop it as well.” Jess saw another Q ship disappear. “What do you want me to do?”

“Stay with me. I’ll need you to make an offer my species can’t refuse.”

“Why don’t you make it?”

“It’ll have more impact if you do it.”

“Jess, there are two nuclear missiles launched; one is targeted on the city your President is speaking in.”

“Hetzel!”

“I’ll handle the one headed north.”

The two Q ships disappeared from view and Jess saw his ship fifty miles in front of the Cruise Missile targeted on Washington. Pete waited until it was ten miles away and moved slightly below it and fired upwards. The bright beam vaporized it.

“Pete, get us back in orbit.”

The President stood quietly with the screaming delegates and after a moment the aide came back to the podium. The President listened to him and said over the microphone, “The missiles have been shot down.” The room started to return to order but a third of the Representatives had run out of the building. One of the delegates yelled, “Just how were you able to do that?”

“The rogue ship knocked them out. I will be back here tomorrow to tell you what we are going to be forced to do to save ourselves. You aren’t going to like it.”

• • •

The Medusa looked at Mamba as he looked up from his panel, “Sir, the missiles were eliminated and the subs that fired them have stopped reporting.” Suddenly the room rocked violently and a loud explosion deafened them.

• • •

Mike lifted his handset, “Janet, what’s your status?”

“The heavy lifter is coming in low. I have it covered and the boys will be dropping out momentarily.”

“Let me know when they make the leap.”

“Will do, Mike.”

Janet and Mac were flying the AH 6 ten feet above the C-138 transport. Janet had extended the field of her personal device to cover the helicopter and the large transport. “Mac, you need to move toward the rear to see when they jump!”

“We can’t do that; we’ll be in the jet wash.”

“Then move under it.”

Mac tilted his head and swung the small helicopter in front of the transport’s right wing and dropped under the belly of the transport. Janet looked over her shoulder and saw the first soldiers fall out of the back of the transport. “They’re in the air!”

Mike was hovering a mile out from Cheyenne Mountain and he flew the Ka 52 toward the military base. He hovered outside the huge blast doors and moved the helicopter closer. He landed and walked forward. The guards standing outside the blast doors suddenly saw a helicopter appear out of nowhere. They raised their AR 15s as a white beam flashed by them and hit the massive blast doors. The entire front of the mountain exploded outward and huge pieces of rock hit Mike’s personal field and deflected away. The Seals began soaring in on their chutes and spread out following him into the giant structure. Mike led the way down into the corridors blowing away every armored door; the Seals removed any hostiles that tried to attack from the sides.

Mamba got up from the floor and looked at the display panel. The blast door was gone and the interior armored doors were having huge holes blown through them. He turned the controls and found dark shapes were moving toward the door into the central command section of the facility. He looked at Medusa, “Sir, you need to get to cover.”

The General stood and stared at the display. He left the office and met a squad of soldiers that had taken off their suits and donned body armor. The red haired commander said, “Sir, if you’ll follow me.”

The General looked at Mamba and he said, “I will remain behind and slow them up.” Medusa nodded and moved out of the huge room into a small corridor with a hatch located thirty yards up a steadily rising slope. One of the mercenaries turned the wheel on top and opened the hatch cover. Three mercenaries entered and the Medusa followed them. The other six remained at the hatch and lifted their weapons.

• • •

Pete announced, “We stopped them.”

Jess said, “All Q ships… eliminate the submarines that launched the missiles. Move back into orbit and wait to see if there are any more launches.”

Hetzel looked at Jess on his hologram, “Do you anticipate another launch?”

“Hetzel, our military forces are attempting to take control of the planet and prevent their loss of power. They had to be insane to launch nuclear missiles in the first place. I suspect some of them are now bordering on being psychotic. My real fear is that some of the systems have been automated and will launch automatically.”

“I have two hundred ballistic missiles lifting from China.”

Hetzel said, “Take them out.”

“I have eight hundred lifting from the large country in the northern hemisphere.”

Pete said, “Your forces are launching their entire inventory.”

Jess’ expression turned grim. Hetzel have your ships hit those missiles when they reach the top of their launch path. I also want you to fire on any submarine you find.”

“Pete, if it’s underwater, kill it.”

Hetzel moved out over the west coast of the Americas and started blasting nuclear missiles high in the atmosphere. His ship began firing tight beams at the water and huge geysers blew out of the sea high into the air. The four ships surrounded the planet and destroyed every missile and submarine. Hetzel looked at Jess, “We didn’t have to destroy your planet; you would have done it on your own if we had just left you alone.”

“Hindsight is perfect.”

Hetzel shrugged, “That’s a saying we use as well.” Hetzel paused, “What do we do now?”

“We stay here and make sure nothing happens. We’ll wait to hear what the leader of my country has to say tomorrow.”

“Fair enough; I’m curious about your computer.”

“Come over and join us. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting.”

“I’m on my way.”

• • •

Adams and Bowen moved down the corridor with H&K MP 5 submachine guns raised. One would stop and cover their advance as the other rushed forward. The reached a corner and Bowen pulled his combat mirror and stuck it slightly out into the hallway. He saw three men lying in doorways with rifles pointed toward them. An instant later, the mirror shattered. Bowen looked at Adams. He held up three fingers, then two and pointed at the far wall. He made a motion pulling a trigger and then made an O with his thumb and index finger.

Adams nodded. Three shooters, two on the right wall, they were very accurate shooters. Adams pulled a concussion grenade and pulled the pin. Bowen put his hands over his ears and Adams released the switch and counted one and a half and threw it down the hall. The three soldiers lying on the floor saw the distinctive grenade bounce once and roll toward them.

Adams jumped out and ran down the hall and fired at the two men on the right who had were trying to pull themselves out of the hallway. He stopped and fell to the floor as the grenade went off and his body lifted a foot off the floor. Bowen came out behind the blast and rushed up to the doorway that was empty. Adams had hit and killed the two soldiers on the right. The third soldier peeked out of the door and Bowen shot him in head with three rounds; the first one went in his right eye. He bent down and rolled Adams over, “That was crazy!”

Adams shook his head and managed to stagger to his feet. “What?” Bowen pulled him forward and pushed him into one of the rooms on the right side of the hall. Adams stumbled over the body of the dead soldier and fell to the floor. Bowen pulled a standard grenade, removed the pin, and stuck his head out of the doorway and watched the door at the end of the hall.

Suddenly it flew open and a grenade was thrown into the hall. Bowen tossed his grenade through the door before it closed. He dove to the right as the grenade went off in the hall, blasting shrapnel into the walls. Ordinarily, the two Seals would have been hit as it blew through normal walls…but these weren’t normal walls in a security military installation. Bowen jumped up and watched the door at the end of the hall and nothing happened. He ran across the hall and pulled Adams off the floor. He staggered to his feet and nodded. Bowen led the way down the corridor as Adams followed and struggled to regain his balance.

“Why did you do that?”

“It was the only way to get a shot off. Give me a few moments. I had ear plugs in my helmet secure.”

They stopped at the door at the end of the hall and Bowen looked at Adams, “Are you ready?”

“You’ll have to do the honors.” Bowen nodded and kicked the door in. Both of them fell back to the wall on each side of the door expecting gunfire…but nothing happened. Bowen rolled into the room and saw three soldiers to the right of the doorway. He raised his automatic pistol and fired at one of them who was struggling to stand up. He fell as Adams moved into the room with his weapon raised. Bowen inspected the other two and saw the grenade had killed them. He shook his head; they should have spread out.

Bowen moved quickly across the floor, while Adams remained at the wall. Halfway across the large computer room, Bowen was hit by four rounds in the back and he staggered and fell to the floor. Adams whipped the MP 5 around and fired a burst of 9 mm rounds at a tall black man who was whipping his Uzi around toward him. The black man was staggered and stumbled backward for three steps before falling backward. Adams rushed forward as he fired and arrived over the big man with his MP5 aimed at his head before he could raise the Uzi. The man stopped and released the Uzi and stared at the Seal standing next to him. Adams stared at the man’s uniform and saw he was a Colonel in the Air Force. Adams stepped back a step and said, “Get up!” The Colonel jumped to his feet and Adams knew he was dangerous. He moved another step back and kept his gun trained on the Colonel’s head. He had on body armor and it would take a head shot to drop him.

The Colonel rubbed his chest, “Damn, I’m losing my touch; I should have taken you out.”

Adams knew he had made a mistake; he should have made the Colonel stay on the floor. The Colonel smiled and Adams shot him in the foot. Mamba fell to the floor screaming. “I knew you were going to make your move.” Adams shot him again in the knee and Mamba screamed again. He aimed at the other knee and said, “Throw the handgun away…slowly.” The Colonel reached in his holster and put his hand around the handle and Adams shot him in the other knee. He rushed forward and put his foot on the Colonel’s arm and removed the Sig Sauer P 228. “You made a mistake; only Special Forces use the Sig; that told me who, and what, you are. You must be Mamba.”

Mamba was twisting in pain and glared at Adams with pure evil in his eyes. Adams heard Bowen moan but he kept his attention on the dangerous black man on the floor. He was certain he had at least six more weapons he could pull if he looked away for an instant. “You’re the one that killed Adam Moore’s wife. He told me about you before he committed suicide to prevent you from killing his children.”

Mamba said through gritted teeth, “I still killed them.”

Adams stared at Mamba and said, “That’s too bad,” and shot Mamba in the head. He rushed over to Bowen and rolled him over. “They need to make this armor thicker.”

“If they did you couldn’t run as fast.”

“I know my entire back is going to be blue.”

“Get up; we can carry each other from here.”

“Easy for you to say.”

Adams felt a headache take him and he fell to his knees, “Maybe we should just wait here for relief.”

Bowen rolled on his side and winced, “Roll me over when they get here.” Bowen looked at the dead Colonel across the room, “Shouldn’t you have saved him for questioning?”

“Maybe.”

“We could have all sat around and told war stories.”

“His would have been better.”

“Oh…then you did the right thing.” Adams laughed and waited for support to arrive.

• • •

Janet watched the attack move inside the huge fortress at Cheyenne Mountain as Mac hovered the AH 6 two hundred yards out. Janet heard her cell phone ring and looked at Mac; “Hey, don’t look at me, I’m not calling you.”