Reckless Faith

by David Kantrowitz

  “What are you planning on doing?” asked Christie, mortified.

  “We’re getting back aboard the Faith, that’s all,” said Ray.

  John nodded, taking the bandoleer. “I’m not letting anything stop us now.”

  Ari drew her Glock, the illegality of which had long ceased to be a concern for the others.

  “Good,” Ari said. “Now you’ve got the right idea.”

  “Now are you glad we took the time to practice with small arms?” John asked of Christie.

  “Glad?” said Christie. “Are you insane?”

  “Ask yourself the same thing,” John said, offering Christie his Beretta.

  Christie took the pistol. Dana looked near panic.

  “We only have one more weapon, and that’s my Smith,” said Ray. “Are you comfortable using it, Dana?”

  Dana shrugged. “I suppose I have no choice.”

  Ray passed his sidearm to Dana, along with two spare moon-clip reloads. John motioned for the group to head towards the opposite end of the motel. As they moved, John addressed them quietly.

  “Okay, listen up. We just want to get back to the Faith, and we want to do it as peacefully as possible. Do not engage anyone you see unless they fire first. If we have to talk, then we talk. Do not be intimidated if they have weapons drawn. It doesn’t mean they want a fight any more than we do. If we’re lucky we can sneak aboard and be gone.”

  The others nodded in approval.

  “You wanna take point, Ray?” John asked.

  “No, but I will.”

  Ray cradled his rifle in his shoulder and headed for the south side of the motel, the opposite end from the government vehicles. The others fell in line behind him, single file. John took up the rear. It was a quiet night around the motel and there was little chance of them being seen before they could get to the cover of the woods. As they crept into the tree line, Ray paused to let his eyes adjust to the low light. In the peace of the evening he could almost hear something ahead. He turned toward Ari, who was next in line, and pressed his index finger against his lips. Ari nodded and passed the gesture to Christie.

  Ray began moving forward again. His steps were careful, and his pace maddeningly slow. Ari knew it was necessary but found it annoying. Dana was too frightened to care either way. John kept a watchful eye on the parking lot until it was out of view, and then directed his attention to woods behind them. Tycho seemed to understand the proper decorum and sidled along next to Christie.

  After a few minutes, Ray held up his hand and stopped. An erratic pattern of white light was coming from the direction of the Faith. Ray recognized it as several flashlights. Someone was speaking, but so far Ray couldn’t see any figures. Ray held his index finger up to his ear, and pointed forward. Ari nodded and passed the message down the line.

  Beginning to move at an even slower pace, Ray led the crew closer. Soon, he could see the silhouettes of people. Abruptly, the flashlights were all switched off. Ray hit the deck. He heard John follow his lead, and the ladies as well a moment later. When the leaves underneath him had settled, Ray realized he could understand the voices.

  “If it is here, we can’t reach it,” someone said.

  “You could always try shooting at it,” a second voice said. “You brought enough hardware.”

  “Then you realize how seriously we’re taking this. If it’s just out of reach, as you say, then yes, we could fire towards it. How do you know this ‘cloaking device’ won’t be able to compensate anyway?”

  “I don’t. But I’m fresh out of ideas.”

  Ari leaned over until her face was directly next to Ray’s ear.

  “Who are they?” she whispered.

  Ray turned his head slightly to reply.

  “I don’t know,” he breathed.

  “All right, we’ll set up a perimeter,” the first voice said. “Team A will take the woods. Team B and you agency guys will take up overwatch positions on the road and the motel. If they return, we’ll have them.”

  “Where do you want me?” asked the second voice.

  “Never more than a few feet away from me, kid.”

  “Who the hell is that?” thought Ray.

  “It’s not Levi,” whispered Ari, as if reading Ray’s mind.

  Ray nodded his head in agreement. The shuffle of footsteps could be heard, and Ray realized that at least two people were heading right for him. It was too late to withdraw without being heard. Ray motioned for the others to remain silent and prone.

  His only hope was to disable the men as silently as possible, a prospect Ray regarded with significant angst. He’d subdued unruly suspects before, but not without them raising the dead with their objections. If the men stopped before reaching them, there was a chance that they could overpower them and make it aboard the Faith before the others could react, no matter how much noise they made. Then again, they could all be shot in the attempt. Ray longed for John’s counsel on the matter but such an exchange was impossible. It was up to Ray to make their move.

  The two figures drew closer. Ray checked to make sure the safety on his rifle was off. The easiest option was to simply kill the men and run for the Faith under cover fire, a fact that did not escape Ray. Considering the alternative, it didn’t sound too bad.

  The men approached and then stopped, not two meters from Ray and Ari. At this distance Ray could easily identify their weaponry and gear. They were outfitted with MP5 submachine guns and black tactical gear. Ray drew a bead on the closer of the two. He was startled by a shadow moving to his left, and realized a second later that it was Ari.

  Ray couldn’t call her back; Ari had seized the initiative. Ray watched breathlessly as Ari walked silently towards the first man. Amazingly, she slipped behind him undetected. Ari drew to within arm’s reach of the man. The man slipped his weapon onto his shoulder by way of the attached sling, and withdrew what Ray recognized to be a pair of night vision goggles. As he did this Ari grabbed the MP5 right off his shoulder. In a blur, she slipped the sling over the man’s neck, twisted the weapon around 180 degrees, spun on her heels, and flipped the man over her back. Ugly sounds emanated from the man’s neck before he landed in an angular heap. Ari dropped to the ground and lay flat.

  The noise of the first man hitting the ground was far too obvious to be ignored. The second man froze in place, scanning the darkened woods.

  “Palmer!” he hissed. “Palmer! Where are you?”

  “Over here,” whispered John.

  The remaining man took a few steps towards John’s voice.

  “Where?”

  Ari rose up from the gloom and slipped her left hand over the man’s mouth. Her right hand went between his legs. Ray cringed.

  The man let loose a hideous scream, muffled for the most part by Ari’s hand. Ray jumped up to help her. The man’s right index finger twitched, and an ear-shattering three round burst from his MP5 tore through the trees. Ray batted the submachine gun aside and slammed the butt of his rifle into the man’s stomach. The man gurgled and crumpled to the ground.

  “Palmer! Budak!” someone shouted.

  “Shit!” grumbled Ray.

  A beam of white light hit Ray and Ari like a cannon. Ray flung himself to the prone but Ari hesitated, the second man’s MP5 in her hands.

  “Enemy contact, southeast!” the man behind the flashlight shouted.

  John’s rifle barked twice in response. The man dropped his flashlight and fell over.

  “So much for the stealthy approach!” Ray said.

  “Seth, open the ramp!” John yelled.

  The Faith made herself known as the ramp lowered, spilling soft blue light into the clearing. At least four more men were nearby, surprised by the sudden appearance of the gangway but not distracted enough to ignore the group. Two men nearest to the ramp began firing their weapons towards the crew. Ari threw herself down and rounds whistled overhead.

  “Damn it,” she said.

  John crawled over to Ray.

  �
��It’s too late for diplomacy,” he said. “If we want aboard the Faith, we’re going to have to engage those men.”

  “This is a departure from your normal attitude,” Ray said.

  “I’m through screwing around, Ray. This is our ship!”

  “Cease fire! Cease fire!”

  Ray recognized the voice as belonging to the first man he heard upon arrival at the ship. The men near the ramp concealed themselves in the underbrush and followed the order.

  “Get on line, everyone,” Ray whispered hoarsely.

  Ari moved into position next to John. Christie and Dana looked at Ray, terrified and confused. Ray motioned for them to move forward. Christie began to crawl ahead but Dana didn’t budge.

  In the clearing, a lone figure appeared. He didn’t seem to be carrying any weapons. He faced the direction of the group.

  “This is Commander Guilfoyle of the Defense Intelligence Agency,” he shouted. “There is no need for further violence. Drop your weapons and come out with your hands up, and you will not be harmed.”

  “You want the honors?” Ray whispered to John.

  “Naturally,” he replied.

  John tried to conceal himself in behind the nearest tree, and spoke.

  “I’m afraid we can’t comply with that demand, commander. We have a rather pressing engagement aboard our ship.”

  “John Scherer, I presume?”

  Ray shook his head at John. John shrugged at him.

  “That’s correct,” John said. “I have to say I’m impressed you found us. Your resources are outstanding.”

  “Why not come out where we can talk on even footing?” Guilfoyle said.

  “I don’t think that’s possible, no offense.”

  “I’m standing out here. The least you could do is the same, so that we can establish trust.”

  “I can’t afford to do that, sorry.”

  “All right then, let’s look at it another way. You, Mister Bailey, Miss Ferro, Miss Tolliver and Miss Andrews are surrounded and outnumbered. You’ve already fired on my men, which proves your resolve. This standoff has only two outcomes. Your surrender or your demise.”

  “Well, Ray,” John whispered. “What do you think?”

  “I think we’re screwed either way,” Ray said.

  “While you’re making up your minds,” Guilfoyle began, “mind if I take a tour of your ship?”

  Guilfoyle took a couple of steps up the ramp. John rose up onto his elbows.

  “Don’t take another step!” John yelled.

  “This ship is ours, Scherer! It’s time you accepted that. It’s also time for you to negotiate your place aboard. If you don’t surrender you’ll make certain you never see it again.”

  Guilfoyle took another step. John squeezed off a shot from his Garand. The round bounced off of the ramp directly in front of Guilfoyle and caromed into the woods beyond. Guilfoyle ran off the other side of the ramp and dove behind the nearest tree.

  The crew began receiving fire from several different positions at once. If Guilfoyle had anything else to say, it was lost in the thunderous staccato of fully automatic weapons fire. John drew a bead on one of the men near the ramp and fired his weapon dry. The clip ejected with the distinctive ping unique to the rifle. Ray tracked muzzle flashes and returned fire while John reloaded.

  “Head towards the ship on the right flank!” Ray screamed at the top of his lungs.

  Ari was too busy firing her newly acquired MP5 to notice the suggestion. Christie and Dana remained motionless, horrified at the prospect of rising up into the path of the incoming rounds. John slapped a new clip into his rifle and patted Ari on the shoulder.

  “Get the others around on the right flank!” he shouted.

  Ari ceased fire. “Okay!”

  “Covering fire!” John yelled.

  John and Ray fired quickly in the direction of the enemy. From the report of the weapons belonging to the opposition, John correctly guessed that they were trying to flank them on the left. That was fortunate. Ari got up and sprinted behind him and Ray, speaking to Christie and Dana as she did so.

  “Let’s go!” she said.

  Christie got up and sprinted towards the right side of the clearing. Ari waited for Dana to do the same, but Dana didn’t move. A split second later Ari was about to ask why when Dana got up and ran. In the opposite direction.

  “To hell with this!” Dana screamed, utterly terrified.

  “Last mag!” said Ray, reloading.

  “Dana!” Ari shouted, aghast. “What the hell?”

  John emptied his rifle again and fumbled in his bandoleer for another clip. For the moment, all fire on their side ceased. Ari fought everything that her conscious was telling her and ran after Dana.

  “Where the hell are you going?” John demanded.

  From a few meters away on the right side, Christie began firing the Beretta.

  “We’ve got to move, now!” shouted Ray.

  “Go!” yelled John, reloading his rifle.

  John resumed fire as Ray sprinted towards Christie’s position. Ari ran after Dana, who was making a bee-line back towards the motel. Ari reached out for her, but fell short by a scant few inches.

  “Damn it, Dana, stop...”

  A figure appeared out of the darkness and grabbed Dana. She screamed and dropped her pistol. Ari tried to stop short and got a rifle butt in her left shoulder. Another man stepped forward as Ari fell to the ground in agony.

  “Hold it right there, sweetie,” the man said.

  Dana continued to scream and struggled against the first man. Ari struggled to regain her balance against the pain. She looked up at the man and recognized him as one of the CIA agents she saw wandering around the facility in Boston. Ari reached for her Glock and the man stepped forward, stepping on Ari’s right arm. She screeched in pain.

  “That’s enough!” he said.

  A third figure approached.

  “What are you doing here?” the first man said.

  At first Dana thought that the man’s head had popped off. Then she realized his helmet had been knocked off of his head. The third figure drew his rifle back and hit him again, this time in the face. The man dropped like a sack of bricks.

  The man restraining Ari turned around just in time for a fourth man to kick him in the face. He was out before he hit the ground. Ari recognized the fourth man.

  “Richter?” she said, astonished.

  “I thought I was the only one who was ever glad to see Richter,” the third man said.

  “Devonai?” Ari said, agape.

  “Who are these guys?” Dana squeaked.

  “The good guys, apparently.”

  Random bullets zipped through the woods. Devonai and Richter crouched down. Richter picked up Ray’s pistol and offered it back to Dana. She accepted it as if it was a three-day-old dead fish.

  “Why?” Ari asked.

  “That’s why,” said Devonai, pointing towards the action.

  “Ari!” yelled John through the trees. “Ari, come on!”

  Ari picked her MP5 up off the ground. “Well, if you’re with us let’s get going!”

  Richter took Dana by the arm and led her forward. She seemed comatose.

  “Allow me,” said Devonai, taking the lead.

  Ari gestured willingly. Devonai shouldered his rifle, which Ari recognized as some sort of M16 variation, and led the way back towards the clearing.

  “Incoming friendlies!” Ari yelled, and then added, “We’ve got some new friends on our side!”

  Devonai sensed some people to the left. He aimed high and fired off a volley. He reached the point where John and Ray used to be, and hit the prone. He could see two men on the opposite side of the ramp. He aimed for their feet.

  “Go, go!” he yelled, and fired.

  Behind him, Richter, Ari, and Dana ran to the right. John, Ray, and Christie came into view. Ray had run out of ammunition for his rifle, which was now strapped across his back, and had taken control of the B
eretta from Christie. He stopped firing and looked over at Richter.

  “Who the hell are you?” he said.

  “Call me the cavalry,” Richter replied, grinning.

  Ray said something in response but the report of John’s rifle drowned him out. John’s rifle ran dry once again and he reached for another clip. Christie looked at Dana and carefully took the pistol out of her shaking hands. Christie and Richter simultaneously noticed that the two men across from the ramp were attempting to flank to their left. Richter raised his weapon every bit as smoothly as Christie raised hers clumsily. They fired together, but only Richter’s shots found their mark. The two men fell and did not move. John and Ray looked over in surprise.

  From the east side of the clearing, opposite their position, fire renewed in earnest. The crew and Richter pressed themselves against the ground as shots passed by. Devonai shifted his attention to the muzzle blasts and began returning fire.

  “Devonai’s in a good position,” Richter said, “but I need to be forward of that ramp.”

  “There isn’t any cover out there!” shouted John.

  “The ramp is good enough cover. When I’m in position I’ll cover you.”

  Without another word, Richter sprinted forward. He passed underneath the ramp and came up on the other side firing. He immediately shifted to the other side of the ramp and fired again. Shots smacked into the ramp and ricocheted into the fuselage of the ship.

  The bullet impacts created a wave effect on the hull of the ship as the force of the hits dispersed the stealth field. Richter reloaded his rifle with inhuman speed and dropped to the ground. He waved the others forward and resumed firing. John joined him for a quick eight shots of his own.

  “Run for it!” John yelled.

  Devonai and Richter laid down a hellish slew of fire as the crew ran up the right side of the ramp. Tycho was the first one up the ramp, with Ray right behind him. When Ray got to the top he ducked behind the nearest piece of cover, a 55-gallon drum. Shots raced by in a big hurry. Ari ran up the ramp next. Ray looked for a target, found one on the right side of the clearing, and fired. The Beretta ran dry and Ray fished in his pockets for another magazine. He realized that Christie still had them. Fortunately, Christie was the next one up the ramp. Ray grabbed her and pulled her behind the drum.