by Terence West
"All right. Let me see if I'm tracking here. You take this strange craft out and gas people? What next?"
"Next we take the subjects aboard the craft and return to base. Sometimes our ship gets spotted. This is where the majority of the UFO sightings come from." He rolled the vial of green liquid in his fingers. "Once back at base, we do test on these people."
"What kinds of tests?"
"Basically these tests are to determine a subjects susceptibility to certain nerve toxins. It's all about biological warfare. We've found that certain types of people have a natural immunity to some of the chemicals we test on them. We then extract the DNA from these people and store it. Usually the people are returned home safely with little, or no memory of what happened."
"And the others?"
"Sometimes they don't survive the tests."
Jake was horrified. "For what purpose?"
"Mr. Silver, we are creating a genetically perfect army. This super army could be sent into battle with no effects from the toxins we would be hurling at the enemy. They could infiltrate and kill while the enemy was incapacitated. We are building an army of clones."
"For warfare? These people are being taken, gassed and cut open so you can build the perfect soldier!" Jake leaned back. He knew the story he was being told was true. He had been a P.I. long enough to know when someone was lying to him. "What does this mean to your daughter?"
Jonathan's body slumped. "She was one of the test subjects." He laid the vial on the table and rolled it to Jake. "As were you."
Chapter 8
General Perry stood staring out the window in his makeshift office. Before he had arrived, this office had been a storage room. It was small with bare white walls, but large enough to suit his needs. In the rear, behind his desk, a large observation window looked out onto the longest runway in the world. He watched as a bright blue light rocketed toward the end of the runway. No matter how many times he had seen the Aurora craft in flight, he had never got used to it.
The Aurora was a top-secret government ship back-engineered from alien technology. It was large, black and triangular in shape with incredibly bright running lights. The Aurora was the pinnacle of Military technology.
He watched as the bright blue light touched down on the runway and taxied to a stop in front of the main hangar. The running lights faded away revealing the hull of the large black craft. Five men in black Army fatigues approached the craft from the hangar. Upon reaching the ship, a large rectangular cargo door on its side slid open and several men dressed in white jump suits exited the door along with a person strapped to a stretcher. Perry couldn't tell whether it was male or female. The Army personnel swiftly escorted the men in the white jump suits and the stretcher into the open hangar. He watched as the craft began to roll toward the now open hangar door. A knock came at his door. Not moving from his place at the window, he commanded the person to enter.
"General Perry?" Colonel Hunter opened the door and strode into the room. He snapped to attention in front of Perry's desk.
"What is it?" Perry asked sternly.
"Sir, I am saddened to inform you that we have a traitor in our midst."
Perry turned around to face Hunter. "You do understand that treason is a very serious offense Colonel."
"Yes, Sir."
"Who is it?"
"It's one of our research team." Hunter clasped his hands behind his back.
Perry sat down in his chair. "What has this person done, Colonel?"
"We just got word from one of our operatives in Las Vegas that he's imparting top secret data to a civilian."
"Which data?"
"About the 'Uber-Soldier Project'."
"This man must be eliminated," Perry advised. "Who else knows about this?"
"Just you, Sir. I thought it would be best to take this problem to the highest authority."
"Very good, Colonel." Perry stood up and adjusted his uniform. "Dispatch a team to handle this problem."
"What about the man he is talking to?"
"I want everyone involved with this man to disappear. I want this to send a message to the rest of the employees here at the facility that treachery will not be handled lightly."
Hunter saluted. "Yes, Sir." He made his way out of the office.
* * * *
Jake's eyes went wide at what he had just heard. "What do you mean?"
Jonathan lowered his voice and leaned closer to Jake. "This project is very far reaching. We have records on every man, woman, and child ever born since 1950."
Jake gasped for air. "I was born in 1967."
"This is the biggest project the US government has ever undertaken. We have screened millions of subjects looking for the perfect genome."
Anger began to well up in Jake. He leaped up and grabbed Jonathan by his shirt collar, lifting him out of his chair. "You sons a bitches violated my rights, came into my house and took me? To do 'genetic testing' for your perfect soldier?"
Jonathan broke free of the hold. "Yes." His tone was still dead serious. He adjusted his now messed shirt. "They even have my sample on record." Jake tried to calm his temper. "This can't continue. This project has to be stopped!"
"That's exactly what I'm here to talk to you about. Did you ever wonder why we picked you for this case? Why we drove all the way from Las Vegas to Lake Tahoe?"
Jake nodded.
"I knew you were a former subject. That's why."
"You came to me because you knew exactly how I'd act when you told me. That I'd want some kind of retribution."
"Right."
Jake thought for a moment and then nodded in approval. "All right, I'm in. How do we do it?"
He pointed to the vial of green liquid on the table. "Take that. It's undeniable proof of what we're doing at Area 51. That's what you'll need when you take this story to the media." Jonathan extracted his key card from his pocket. "It's going to be very difficult, but you'll need this to access most of the base. Getting there will be the hardest."
Jake picked up the card and began to examine it. Placing it in his jacket pocket he continued to listen.
"As you may or may not know, Area 51 has some of the most state-of-the-art defenses in the world."
"What kind are we talking about?"
"Motion detectors every fifty feet, and infrared sensors that can detect an insect flying past them at a hundred yards. Pressure sensors that are so sensitive that blowing dust sometimes sets them off. They'll know your coming even before you do."
Jake rubbed his chin. "How do we get in, then?"
"I've set up a contact for you in the base. He's a very high ranking official with the clout to help us."
"Sounds good. When do we meet him?"
"Tomorrow night at eight at a bar downtown called 'The Factory'."
"How will we know him?" Jake began to get an uneasy feeling. Something was wrong.
"He'll be wearing a 'Yankees' baseball hat."
The door to Jake's room burst open in an explosion of wood shards. Jake's instincts went into high gear. Leaping over the table he grabbed Jonathan and threw him to the ground. Quickly reaching behind him, he retrieved his weapon from its resting place on his nightstand. Cradling it in both hands, he lifted it into a ready position. Moving swiftly, he knocked over the table in front of them to use it as a barricade.
Two men in black fatigues ran into the room carrying automatic machine guns with black ski masks concealing their faces. The room erupted as bullets sprayed from the attackers weapons.
Jake plastered his back to the table knowing that it wouldn't last long under this kind of abuse. Jonathan was shouting in hysteria as the bullets pierced the wall directly behind them. Jake knew the men were advancing, and this would not be a safe hiding place for very long. Searching for options, he spotted the bathroom. Reaching his gun around the table he fired several shots wildly toward the assailants. He turned to Jonathan. "When I say go, you run for the bathroom!"
Jonathan nodded frantically
.
Hearing the tell tale click of an empty magazine, both men jumped up from their cover. Time seemed to freeze as Jake immediately fired two shots, hitting the nearest attacker squarely in the chest. The man let out a groan as he clutched his wound and crumpled to the floor. Jonathan was less than a step from the bathroom when the second man reloaded his gun and began to fire. Jonathan let out a shriek of pain as he fell to the floor. Diving in front of Jonathan, Jake initiated a roll that carried him into direct sight of the second man. He quickly squeezed the trigger sending a bullet ricocheting off the second attacker's gun knocking it to the floor. His next shot hit the man in the neck. The soldier grabbed his throat as blood began to spurt wildly from his severed arteries. Jake watched the soldier's eyes roll back as he crumpled to the floor in a bloody heap.
Staying in a ready position for a moment, Jake stared at the door for a next wave of assailants to enter. Nothing. Reaching over, he lifted Jonathan off the floor and carefully leaned him against the wall. A bullet had hit him near the heart piercing his right lung. Blood was falling from his mouth.
With his last ounce of strength, Jonathan lifted his hand to Jake's shoulder. "Save my daughter," he made a gurgling sound as he spoke. "If they've come after me, she'll be next." His hand slumped off Jake's shoulder.
Jake watched as his breathing stopped. Lifting his hand he gently closed both of Jonathan's eyes. "I will." Standing up, he holstered his weapon. Grabbing his jacket and boots he ran out the door.
* * * *
Christina couldn't sleep. She rolled over in her hospital bed and glanced at her clock. It was almost three in the morning. Flipping over on to her back, she snatched the remote control off her nightstand and clicked on the TV. An infomercial was airing about a new kind of potato-slicer. Knowing that nothing good would be on at three in the morning, she watched it.
A cool breeze was blowing through her open window. It was rustling the curtain that separated her from the other patient in the room. She watched as the full moon cast strange shadows on the curtain and floor. She never knew why, but she had always been a night person. Even when she had to get up early the next morning she always stayed up late.
A noise caught her attention. The noise sounded like very light footsteps on the hard floor. Knowing the nurse's rounds were finished for the night, her mind went on alert and her pulse began to race. Quickly flipping off the TV, she pushed herself back down in the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She heard the noise again. This time it was closer. She watched as a long shadow began to creep into the room. Rolling off her bed she began to cower next to it. Peeking over, she saw a tall man walk into the room. He was dressed entirely in black including a mask covering his face. She recognized the night-vision goggles he was wearing from movies she had seen.
Christina watched as he moved closer to where she was hiding. Looking up, she saw the lamp over her bed. She took a long deep breath and quickly reached up for the switch. She knew she had been spotted. Finally finding the switch, she clicked it on. The light overloaded his goggles and he began to moan in pain as he tried to rip them off of his face. Knowing this might be her only chance she leapt to her feet and began to charge at him. She slammed into his mid-section as he was trying to pull off the goggles. The man toppled to the floor as she began to run past him. His hand shot out and grabbed her right ankle tripping her. She rolled over and began to kick wildly. Hitting her assailant in the nose, he loosened his grip long enough for her to wriggle free. Standing up, she noticed his weapon lying on the floor next to him. Kicking it hard with her bare foot, she sent it flying under her bed. Turning, she sprinted out of the room.
Christina frantically screamed for help as she tried to traverse the dark corridor. Reaching the nurses station she searched for someone, anyone, to help her. Running around behind the desk, she found the three nurses that were on duty slumped over on their desks, each lying in a pool of their own blood. Thinking quickly, she lifted up one of the dead nurses and crawled under her desk. Sitting as silently as she could, she heard the crisp click of booted feet walking towards her. She closed her eyes and hoped he wouldn't find her.
From under the desk she could see that he had rounded the corner and was coming around the nurses station toward her. She noticed that he had not retrieved his weapon and that he had abandoned the night vision goggles. He stopped in front of her. She felt a momentary burst of adrenaline. Placing both her hands on the nurse's chair, she pushed as hard as she could. The body of the nurse went toppling over on to the attacker. They hit the floor with a thud. Jumping up, she ran over to him and kicked him in the head as hard as she could. She heard a crack as the man began to scream.
Looking to her left, she spotted the elevator. She noticed that the lights above it were still working and slowly counting up. Frantically, she dashed toward them. Hitting the down button, she spun around to see the man starting to push the body off of him. She screamed and began to bang on the doors. She turned back around in time to see her attacker charging her. He jumped, hitting her squarely in the midsection, slamming them her into the wall. The man slowly stood up in front of her and flashed her a sinister grin. Reaching behind him, he retrieved a small black pistol from his belt. Christina heard the elevator doors ding and begin to slide open.
Jake looked out into the dark hallway. It took his eyes a moment to adjust, but he immediately saw a man dressed all in black standing over Christina. Using all his strength he leapt at the man sending both of them careening to the floor. The weapon in the man's hand went skidding off towards the nurse's station. Swiftly pulling himself up, he sent a barrage of punches into the man's face. Recovering quickly, the man easily threw Jake off and leapt to his feet. Jake was still on his hands and knees when the soldier delivered several heavy kicks to his ribs. Grabbing the soldier's foot, he twisted it and sent him sprawling to the floor.
Jake reached for his gun. Aiming, he pulled the trigger. The gun clicked uselessly in his hands. "Damn, out of bullets."
The soldier quickly swatted the gun out of Jake's hands and began to deliver several shots to his ribs. Blocking the last shot with his arm, Jake retaliated with an uppercut that caught the man in the jaw. The attacker stumbled back trying to regain his composure. Looking around, Jake spied a hallway that led to the staff's lounge. Realizing he had to take the battle away from Christina, he began to run full steam down the hall. Flipping around to see if he was being followed, he was caught in the face by a quick jab. Jake went reeling toward a window at the end of the hall. Catching himself on the window ledge, he watched as the man started another charge.
Jake suddenly had an idea. He readied himself as the attacker raced toward him with his face twisted with anger. Just when he was about to pounce, Jake quickly stepped to the side of the window sending the attacker sailing through the window in an eruption of glass and wood shards. Leaning back against the window frame, Jake let out a sigh of relief. He began to stand up when he was suddenly grabbed from behind. The two men toppled out the window, catching themselves on a nearby ledge.
The attacker lifted back up on to the ledge where he stood mockingly over Jake. The ledge was at least six stories above the ground and no more than two feet wide.
"How do you like the view?" he sneered. "Better enjoy it, it'll be the last one you ever see." Lifting one of his booted feet, he began to smash Jake's fingers.
Jake fought off the pain trying to keep his hold on the ledge. Gritting his teeth, he looked up at the attacker. "I think you'll appreciate this view more than I will."
Letting go with one hand, he snatched the soldier's foot and yanked. The attacker lost his balance and stumbled over the edge. Quickly placing his hand back on the ledge, Jake listened as the man's screams faded, then stopped. He slowly pulled himself up on to the ledge where he let out a long breath.
Christina startled Jake as she popped her head out of the window. "Are you okay Jake?"
Jake nodded as he was breathing heavily. "Yeah, I'm oka
y." He started to stand when he began to feel light headed. He hated heights. "Give me a hand here, will ya?"
Christina grabbed both of his hands and helped him into the window. "Thanks for saving me."
Jake fell in a slump under the window. "It was my pleasure." A smile appeared on his face.
She sat down next to him. "What were you coming here so late for?"
"To make sure you were all right." He patted her bruised knee. "Listen Christina, we've got to get out of here. It's not safe for you anymore."
She nodded. "I know."
Jake stood up. Extending a hand, he lifted Christina off the floor. "I also have some bad news."
She looked into his eyes. "What is it?"
He looked away. "I'm real sorry. Your dad," he felt the words get stuck in his throat. "He's gone."
"What?" Tears began to well up in her eyes.
"He was meeting with me when two of those goons dressed in black broke into my room and began to shoot up the place. I'm so sorry, Christina. I couldn't save him."
She began sob uncontrollably. "My dad's gone."
"He wanted you to know he loves you very much. That's why he hired me." She just cried. Jake opened his arms and pulled her to his chest. "I know you want to find who's responsible for this. He gave me names and places, but I'm going to need your help. Do you feel up to it?"
She stepped back and wiped the tears from her face. "Yes I do."
Chapter 9
General Davis was awe struck. He had just learned that General Perry had given the order to kill Jonathan Anderson. He was pacing around his office frantically. Sitting down at his desk he pounded his fists on his desk. "This is not good policy, Goddammit."
Colonel Hunter sat in a small wooden chair across from him. His arms were crossed in a very defensive position. "Sir, General Perry was just acting in the bases best interest."
