"I'm useless with a weapon, but since our ammo is beneficial to the human host, I don't have moral qualms using them. I just need more practice," she said.
"We brought some regular ammo," AJ said. "There's at least an hour of daylight left; let's get you checked out on a pistol. You'll be surprised how much improvement you'll see in an hour."
"And then we take off?" she asked.
"That's right," Darnell said. "No sense in sitting around thinking about it."
AJ tossed his breakfast plate in the trash and popped open the tote containing ammunition and pistols. He extracted a box of 9mm ammo, located an empty magazine and loaded it with bullets. "See what I'm doing here?" he asked, handing a second magazine to Jayne. "Load yours up, too."
"I'll set up a couple of targets," Darnell said.
"Aren't you worried that we'll attract attention?" she asked.
"Sound of a gunshot doesn't travel too far out of a ravine like we're in," Darnell said. "The sound is absorbed by the trees or it goes straight up. Now, if we were near water, that'd be a different thing entirely."
"I don't really know if I can shoot someone," she said as they walked down the ramp behind Darnell. "I know these special charges free the host. I’ve just spent so much of my life fixing people who've been damaged by guns, it’s a tough thing to ask."
"That's good, Doc," AJ said. "Keep that thought for as long as you can. People who say shooting someone is easy are lying. Do you know the worst part of it?" Jayne stopped and investigated his face. "It's the exhilaration you feel when it happens. It's the ultimate power trip. Trust me, it'll change you and it can swallow you whole if you're not careful."
She rested her hand on his forearm. "This must bring up bad memories. I'm sorry."
He shook his head and gave a small shrug. "Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't take it back. I did what I had to do to protect my brothers and my country. I'd do it again, stain on my soul and everything."
"People really don't know what you boys went through, do they?"
AJ shook his head again. "Nah, and they don't need to. What I did, what you did, hell, what Darnell did in 'Nam – that was about us. We all made choices that put us there. Was it messed up? Sure. No difference here. This is messed up six ways from Sunday. Doesn't change the fact that we might have to kill someone tonight. This time we're not just fighting for our country, we're fighting for all of humanity. Personally, I can live with that."
Jayne waggled her eyebrows and smiled. "Are you sure you're not an officer? That was a pretty good motivational speech."
"Now don't go insulting the only working man on this crew. And I’ve never met an officer who could motivate anyone," he said. For the next hour, the three worked on Jayne's shooting form and safe gun-handling techniques.
"I guess I just hope I don't shoot myself at this point," she summarized as they headed back into the ship.
"Happens more than you'd expect," AJ said. "You won't be an expert overnight, but if Jack paints a dot where you're aiming, it'll help a lot. Things happen faster than you think in combat. Your goal is to try to slow down."
"Come on, Greybeard," Darnell urged as the bulldog ran up the ramp with the Blastorium and Fantastium collectors in his mouth.
AJ relieved the dog of its burden. "Crap, almost forgot those." He looked up at Jayne. "Only thing you need to remember about combat is to keep your head down. If the enemy can't see it, they can't shoot it."
She nodded soberly as they worked their way into the cockpit.
AJ sat in his chair and leaned back with a big grin on his face. "You know, this plan makes me think of that old movie, Ghostbusters."
"What, because I'm the token black guy?" Darnell asked.
AJ chuckled, knowing that Darnell enjoyed egging him on. "Sure, as long as I'm Bill Murray and not Ramos."
"I haven't seen it," Jayne said.
AJ frowned at her, scandalized. "You've got to be kidding."
"How are we like Ghostbusters?" Darnell asked.
"Our whole plan boils down to us showing up and you saying something like, Get 'em, Ray."
Darnell smiled as he lifted off from the protected valley. "Best plans are the simplest."
Twenty-Five
Hero or Fool
"Man, get a load of that place," Darnell said as he banked the Vred shuttle, slowing it considerably. "I wasn't expecting it to be so lit up."
"BB, can you construct a map of the base from what we've seen so far?" AJ said.
A virtual map of Area 51 appeared between the cockpit seats. On the east side were three long, widely spaced airstrips. A taxiway connected air traffic to a parking lot and a grouping of buildings on the west. Furthest south on that side were two large hangars. Stretching north were a smattering of small, temporary buildings and finally a single, larger building.
"Appearances are deceiving," She popped in and stood atop the map, wearing a gray woolen dress and horn-rimmed glasses straight from the sixties. In her hand, she held a wooden pointer stick. She approached the smaller buildings to the southwest and tapped the map with her pointer. The image zoomed in. "Ship sensors have identified an underground complex.”
As she spoke, a red glow emerged on the map, outlining a massive underground structure. The top end of the highlighted box touched one of the trailer-sized temporary buildings and included all the area south, running under the closest hangar.
"Further, heat signatures reveal approximately twenty staff in residence spread amongst these buildings." She tapped on the map again. "Our sensors are insufficient and unable to penetrate the ground. We cannot identify occupants within the subterranean structure."
AJ studied the map for a moment before standing up. "Area 51 is classified top secret. The first layer of security is likely these guys on the topside. They'll have lower security clearances, probably a Marine detachment, maybe Army. Point is, they'll have plenty of firepower. My guess is, this place is quiet, so complacency works to our advantage. I wouldn't expect that to last long, however. They'll be trained."
"Why not try a hangar entry?" Darnell asked. "BB, did you get a read on staff in the hangar above the bunker?"
Beverly reached for the map and pulled at the center of the hangar, so it occupied most of the visual surface. Three fuzzy red dots showed. "It would be better if we could fly over again," she said.
"That's definitely our entry," AJ said. "If we can avoid gunfire until we're in the hangar, we might not even wake up the rest of the Marines."
"How do we get there? Won't they see us coming?" Jayne asked.
"In 'Nam, we took advantage of the general principle that in combat, bold action trumps caution," Darnell said. "Quick, aggressive action puts an enemy on their heels and doesn't give them time to respond. It's actually how Hitler made it across Europe so easily in World War II."
"As I see it, Korgul will have one of two reactions to our entry. Either they recognize this ship as one of their own and don’t sound the alarm, or they'll recognize it as coming from Mexico and we'll be made before we get to the hangar," AJ said. "Darnell will have to make decisions based on their response."
"What if they aren't Korgul?" Jayne asked.
"BB?" Darnell asked.
"It is a reasonable question," Beverly said, turning to Jayne. "From our previous mission, we know Korgul once occupied this base. There was even a population of Korgul Minor living underground."
"So, not very likely," AJ said. "Doc, if you want to stay behind, I'll understand. If you're coming with me, you've got to listen and do what I say immediately. I'll keep you alive. Copy?"
Jayne nodded, sucking in a breath. "I'm coming."
He placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you feel like you want to throw up, that's a good sign. Adrenaline is pouring into your system. Just be careful of how that speeds things up. Take time to aim and most of all keep your head down. If you can see them, they can see you."
She nodded again and swallowed. When AJ walked aft, she followed behind him.
Having already equipped a backpack with supplies, he held it up in front of her. "You want me to carry this?" she asked, confused.
"It's heavy. I need to be able to move and reload fast," AJ said. "I know it seems less than chivalrous, but that rocket belt will give you a significant advantage. I need to go light so I can keep up."
She gave him a half-baked smile. "That actually makes sense."
Greybeard pranced behind the two and growled.
"Seamus says he and Greybeard are coming along," Beverly said, translating.
AJ was about to argue but remembered the dog's many saves. "Jayne, you'll have to help him to the ground."
"I will," she said.
"Big D, we're GO. BB, can you give me a HUD showing our approach?" AJ asked. Wordlessly, Beverly conjured a display showing the ship's forward view.
"It's damn quiet," Darnell said. "Giving me the creeps."
AJ gripped the stock of his AR and took two deep breaths as the alien vessel quietly glided over the perimeter fence and dropped to mere feet above the ground. For a moment, he was back in 'Nam, the desert floor transforming to rice paddies bending beneath the rotor wash. Old feelings of excitement and dread gripped him. He'd missed the exhilaration of being on mission.
"Ready?" he whispered, pushing open the hatch when they were a hundred yards from the hangar.
Jayne rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm with you."
"The damn hangar is open," Darnell said, angrily.
"Why is he mad?" Jayne whispered.
"Open doors are a breach of protocol. Military doesn't make mistakes," AJ said and then added. "Except when they do."
Large metal doors sailed by as Darnell guided the ship into the hangar and slowed. "Go!" he urged, unlimbering the forward-mounted turret, but finding no target. Within the hangar sat several large aircraft, all covered by lightweight tarps.
Even though they were still moving, AJ jumped from the craft and absorbed the impact with bent legs. Momentum pitched him forward, but he accepted it and rolled, surprised at how easily he came back to his feet. For a moment, he was confused as his HUD showed a split screen and he saw his back from above.
"I'm here," Jayne said as that view included her arm reaching out to touch his back.
He sprinted forward, taking cover behind a stack of pallets, gratified to see Jayne and Greybeard tight on his six. "BB, where are my bogies?" he subvocalized.
"There are no additional heat signatures within the hangar." Her voice sounded like a whisper in his ear. "They must have moved to another building. I've outlined a doorway, but the ship sensors are unable to penetrate it. Also, I've identified at least one of the vessels within this hangar as having a Vred hull design."
AJ ignored the superfluous information and focused on the blinking blue glow of the door outline that appeared on the other side of the crate. Combat was all about split second decisions and though his gut burned with doubt, he rolled around the crates and dashed for the door.
"I've got you covered," Darnell said over comms.
A cypher lock was next to the door, but AJ grabbed the handle and attempted to open it anyway. "Lift Greybeard to the lock, AJ," Beverly said.
Instead, AJ stepped back and pointed his rifle at the door. "Jayne, can you get Greybeard?" he whispered. Without answering, Jayne lifted the bulldog and moved him close enough to the pad that he could reach out and touch it with his stubby paw. A moment later, a green LED flashed atop the lockset at the same time a mechanical clunk vibrated within the door.
"Pull it open and use it for cover as you do," AJ said, pointing his rifle into the opening.
Through the widening space, they faced a full stack of armed Marines loaded and waiting in the hallway ahead. As if in slow motion, he dropped to a knee and began firing. "Jayne, get outta here!" he demanded, pulling his trigger as quickly as he could. "Darnell, it's a trap!"
Bright lights flooded the hangar as sheets slipped off towering machines lined up on both sides of the hangar. A Marine in the hallway yelped as the non-lethal, shock ammo struck his uniform and he fell to the ground, shaking. AJ swung his weapon across, lining up on his next target, only it was too late. Sharp pricks of pain bloomed in his chest as he was thrown back. As his consciousness dimmed, AJ searched for and found Jayne who had her pistol raised and was firing into the hallway. Her bravery was cut short as a spray of blood erupted from her chest and she was knocked back by the concussive force of whatever round she'd taken. He lost consciousness as dozens of Marines poured out of the cramped hallway.
AJ's eyes felt like they were glued shut as he started to regain consciousness. When he attempted to reach for his face, he discovered his arms were restrained.
"Albert Jenkins. Vietnam veteran. Honorable discharge. Aerospace engineer. Junkyard owner. Seventy-two years old. Widowed," a woman's voice intoned. AJ moved his head and realized a mask had been placed over his face. "Something's not right in this picture."
The whir of electronic motors preceded pressure on AJ's back as he was raised to a seated position. Without warning, his body seized and fire coursed through every fiber. Belatedly, he realized he was being electrocuted.
"Nothing, ma'am," a male voice said, after prodding at AJ's mask. "We're not sure why the alien is resistant to the shock."
"Up the voltage," she answered, imperiously.
"It might kill him," the man answered.
"If we don't get it out, he'd rather be dead," she said. "He's a war hero. Didn't you read his jacket?"
"It's …" AJ tried to talk but fresh pain blistered through his body as the current was reapplied.
When the current stopped, AJ's jaw was slack and drool dribbled from his mouth. "I'm not Korgul," he groaned, barely managing to speak.
"Pakup, tell us how you have changed this man's aging process," the woman said. "We may let you live."
"What's Pakup?" AJ grunted.
"Are you new to Earth? That's what we call you alien bastards," the woman spat. "I'll kill this man before I let you continue living in him. Only way you get out of this is if you tell me how you made him young."
"Albert Jenkins. Sergeant in the US Marines. 80892533," AJ growled.
"Yes, we know Jenkins' military ID," the woman said. "We also know you can read his memories. Why were you trying to break into the base? Has there been a breakdown in Pakup command and control? Are you an independent?"
"Identify yourself, lady," AJ growled. "Geneva convention says you owe me that much."
"Geneva convention doesn't apply to aliens, Pakup," she snapped back.
"Bullshit," AJ said. "I'm a prisoner of war and I'm no god-damn Pakup."
"You flew in on a Pakup ship," she said. "Your dog hacked our security lock in milliseconds. Let me guess, you want me to believe you were out for a stroll, found a Pakup ship, and thought you'd bring it to Area 51, the most secure, top secret base in the world?"
"It's no fucking secret," AJ spat. "Shit, kids dress up as your precious Pakup Minors for Halloween."
"Ready another shock," the woman said.
"Oh, for shit's sake. I can probably prove I'm the real deal. Let me think about it a minute."
"You have sixty seconds. I'm going to need some answers."
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Wrong answer," she said. A moment later, AJ's back arched and his jaw clenched as electricity raced through his body again.
"Are you at least human?" AJ mumbled. He tried, but was unsuccessful at properly closing his mouth.
"Major Dittany, US Marines," she said. "I'm proud to say I'm one hundred percent human."
"Well, first, you've got the names wrong. Your Pakup are called Korgul by the rest of the universe. There are two types of them. The robin's-egg-size snot balls are the brains and the ones who look like alien Halloween costumes are their dumb brothers – Korgul Minor. Same world, dual evolution. You with me so far?"
"Dual evolution is impossible," Dittany replied.
"More impossible than a shit-to
n of pus balls taking over Earth?" he asked, working his jaw muscles. "Explain how twenty million chihuahua gonads did anything more than just creep the shit out of us. You've inspected our ammunition by now. Doesn't it seem a bit off that we came in with rounds that were less lethal to humans but would knock out Korgul?"
"I'm not here to answer your questions," she said. "Perhaps you can tell us why you attacked my base."
"Ain't your base, sweetie. You're just a Major," AJ said. "I'm gonna guess we're sitting in a room with a big mirror and your boss is watching us, right? Prove to me you're not Korgul and I'll rock your world."
"We'll get the information we need from you," Dittany said. "Hit him again."
AJ flinched as he anticipated the electroshock. The pain never came. Instead, he heard rapping on the glass. "Better get that," he said. "Sounds important."
"If that bastard so much as moves, shoot him in the gut," Dittany growled.
"I'm here, AJ. I'm in contact with 2-F, Seamus and Jack. Everyone is okay and Greybeard isn't well secured,” Beverly's voice sounded in AJ's ear. "Major Dittany is speaking to someone she's addressing as General. No first or last name is being used."
AJ's chair rocked violently. From beneath his blindfold, he saw the room lights blinking and swaying. "What was that?" he asked Beverly subvocally.
"Tremor. I suspect there was an explosion on the surface," she said. "That's confirmed. The General is being alerted. The base is under attack by a large Korgul force. AJ, they're coming for us. The Korgul can't afford to let us escape and make our report to the Galactic Congress."
"Major Dittany! General!" AJ yelled. "The attack. They're trying to get me and my friends. You've gotta let us go."
The clattering of dress shoes on linoleum sounded as Dittany re-entered the room. "Did you call them here? Are you a mole?"
"No. My friends and I are helping civilized aliens take a survey of the Korgul on Earth. They are trying to stop what’s happening," AJ said. "Area 51 is supposed to have those records, but that was back when the Korgul ran this place. Tell me you're not in league with them."
Junkyard Pirate Page 26
