by Nate Castle
It was a seven minute walk from the liquor store back to the racetrack. They saw the plane and the alien craft ahead.
“When we get within 100 yards of the plane, you two need to get on it quick and get the engines going. I’ll be on it soon after. Give me the bottles of whiskey” Logan said.
Garret handed him the cardboard box containing the whiskey. Logan pulled a lighter out of his pocket, the kind you light a barbecue with.
“I’ll be okay,” Logan said, and reached out his fist to give both Garrett and Hank a fist bump.
Hank and Garrett reached the plane and got the engines running. From the flight deck, they could see Logan standing beside the alien craft. One by one, he opened all of the whiskey bottles, emptying the contents on both the ground around the craft and on the craft itself.
“This guy is insane!” Hank said to Garrett.
Logan made a whiskey trail away from the craft to finish. He pulled out the lighter and lit the whiskey. He sprinted back to the plane to avoid getting engulfed by the flames that were developing. After entering the plane, he pulled the cabin door in and latched it shut.
“I like your style Logan,” Hank said.
“Do you think the alien craft will burn?” Garrett said.
The flames were now so big that they could barely see the shiny metal of the alien craft.
“No, but maybe it will slow them down from chasing after us once we are airborne. Or possibly even force them to repair a part of the craft before it’s operational again.”
“This is gonna be a tricky takeoff,” Hank said “We’re going to have to do some hot laps around the race track before we can pick up enough speed to lift off the ground.”
Hank actually sounded a bit concerned, but Logan and Garrett knew they were in good hands and he would get the job done.
15 C’MON MAN
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“That has to be the President, answer it,” Noel said.
They had been patiently waiting in the cell phone store for the past few hours, hoping and praying that nothing would happen to the rescue team en route to pick them up.
“This is Shelby,” she said into the phone.
“Hi Shelby, President Taylor here. Alpha Team is approximately forty-five minutes out. When they arrive you should be able to hear their helicopter idling. Do not move from your current location until someone from the Alpha Team comes to get you. We can’t take too many safety precautions here, we have to assume that the aliens are capable of anything. Do not open the door for anyone, unless they say the codeword ‘Bluejay’ first. We have to assume that the aliens can disguise themselves as humans and might try to lure you out,” President Taylor said.
“Ok, what if something happens between now and when the Alpha Team arrives?” Shelby said.
“Don’t let your mind wander Shelby, everything is going to be fine. I need you and Noel to focus on what I’m about to say now. Before you leave the cell phone store, you must grab all of the cell phones that are there; new used, broken, all of them. Leave the batteries and chips in them until you are safely inside the chopper. At that point you must remove all of the batteries and chips from the phones, but do not throw them out, do you copy?” President Taylor said.
“Yep we’ll do that,” Shelby said.
“And lastly, you must destroy all of the computers you used as well as this landline telephone you are on before you leave. Because you are taking the cell phones with you, the aliens will now be able to enter the cell phone store once you are gone, so it’s essential that we destroy the electronic footprint that you left by communicating with us,” President Taylor said.
“Got it,” Shelby said.
“We’ll see you soon Shelby good luck,” President Taylor said and hung up the phone.
Shelby put down the phone and reiterated the President’s instructions to Noel.
“Grab all of the cell phones in the store and put them in your bag. I’m going to destroy all of the computers and the landline phone. The rescue team should be here in forty-five minutes,” Shelby said.
Shelby walked over to Noel and gave her a hug. Shelby didn’t want to worry Noel so she kept her thoughts to herself. She kept an eye on her watch, and almost expected the helicopter to not show up; something bad would happen to it. They had done everything the President had requested and were ready to leave. Shelby had slammed the computers on the ground to shatter the pieces. Noel had gathered up the phones. Like clockwork, the chopper arrived as promised. Shelby and Noel could hear it getting closer until it’s rumbling sound became steady. How long would it take for the Alpha Team to ‘clear’ the building and determine if the aliens were still here, Shelby wondered.
From the store window, they had a partially blocked view of the parking lot. A man dressed in plainclothes repelled down from a ropes that must have been attached to the chopper which was above their line of sight.
The man entered the mall and disappeared for a few minutes before doubling back to the cell phone store. The man knocked on the door.
“What’s the password?” Shelby yelled from the other side of the glass.
“Password? I don’t have one, but I’m here to pick you up,” the man said.
“That’s not good enough. You need to tell me the password or else we’re not coming out,” Shelby said.
“I wasn’t given a password, but I can assure you that you will be safe with us. Who knows how long we have before the aliens are back. I suggest you come with me now before the mission gets compromised,” the man said. “Besides, if we were aliens disguised as humans, we wouldn’t be able to stand within 100 yards of your cell phones.”
“We have to trust him Shelby, it’s our only chance,” Noel said.
Noel opened the door of the store, Shelby close behind.
“Quick this way,” the man said, and picked it up to a jogging pace, while turning his head periodically in all directions to check the surroundings.
The chopper was about 30 feet overhead when they got outside. It was like no helicopter they had ever seen. It looked like a cross between a military helicopter and a private chartered jet. It was painted white and had four propellers. Only two propellers seemed to be in use at one time.
“Each grab a hold of a rope,” the man said to Shelby and Noel.
The ropes were attached to a pulley system. The man on the ground waved his hands at someone waiting in the chopper, and the pulley kicked in. Shelby and Noel reached the deck of the chopper and were greeted by the pilot, Carter.
“Hi ladies, you’re in good hands now. Throw one rope back down, and when he gives you the thumbs up, hold down this red button overhead to pull Dino up,” Carter said.
With Shelby, Noel, Dino, and Carter all aboard the chopper, Dino pulled a sliding door shut and they began moving.
“Shelby and Noel, can you please take the chips and batteries out of those cell phones now? We have some sandwiches and water bottles back there if you want,” Carter said.
“Ok thank you. When do you think we’ll be back in DC?” Noel said.
“Well, we have to make a couple of quick stops first,” Carter said.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me! The President said that we were a priority,” Noel said.
“You are a priority, but we have to refuel the chopper, and also pick up a few more guys in Oklahoma City,” Carter said. “They too are incredible assets to Operation Firestorm.”
“Operation Firestorm?” Noel said.
“The mission to kill the aliens,” Carter said.
“And your’e good at flying this thing?” Noel said.
“Relax, sweetheart, I flew for NASA, this is a walk in the park for me,” Carter said, “But in the event that something happens that’s out of my control, there are parachutes located under your seats.”
“That’s reassuring,” Shelby said with a hint of sarcasm.
“We have a few hours until we make our first stop in Fayetteville, Arkansas to refuel,” Carter s
aid.
Shelby and Noel took that statement as an excuse to try to get some sleep. The chopper was a smoother ride than they expected; it felt more like they were in a commercial jet rather than a helicopter. Dino, the guy who had escorted them out of the mall had not said a word since they had boarded the chopper, which they found to be a bit strange.
~~~
Shelby and Noel woke up to the sound of Carter’s voice, “Alright we’re about to land. Try to stay on board if possible. Keep your eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. If you need to use the restroom, there’s one in the hangar, but make it quick. The refueling process should take about fifteen minutes.”
They landed soon after at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. It was like a ghost town there, and didn’t look like there had been any alien activity recently at first glance.Carter got out and wheeled a portable fuel tank up to the chopper and began fueling. Shelby and Noel stepped down from the deck and headed to the restroom. Dino stayed on board.
“What do you think of that Dino guy? He seems really antisocial,” Shelby said to Noel.
“Yeah he really creeps me out. I don’t think I would be able to handle being alone with him. Luckily Carter seems pretty cool,” Noel said.
“Hopefully we don’t have to make any more stops after Oklahoma City,” Shelby said.
They were now walking back towards the chopper.
“What is he doing?” Noel said.
They could see Dino through the glass windows on the chopper, moving his arm back and forth rapidly. The motion looked like when someone sharpens a knife on a sharpening stone.
“I can’t tell, let’s get a little closer, but not too close to where he notices us,” Shelby said.
The entrance to the chopper was on the right, Shelby and Noel were on the left side of the chopper, so in order for Dino to notice them he would have to turn his head to the left and look out the window.
“What the…!” Noel said.
“Is he destroying the cell phone chips from our bags?” Shelby said.
They could see more clearly now that Dino had a pocket knife and was rubbing it against the cell phone chips one by one, probably just enough to wreck the chip, but not enough to break the shape of the chip. So, the chip would have to be examined from a close distance to notice that it was ruined.Dino would quickly ‘file’ down a chip and then place it back in the bag. He repeated this process.
‘We gotta do something!” Shelby said.
“I got it, follow me,” Noel said, and turned back in the direction of the restroom. When they were almost at the restroom door once again, Noel yelled to Carter. She wanted to sell it so that if Dino looked over, he would think that Shelby and Noel just came out of the restroom.
“Carter, we need your help! The toilets in here are all clogged up and nasty. Can you please come with us to find another bathroom, we are too scared to go by ourselves.”
Carter, deciding to pick his battles, gave in and headed over to the girls. Noel’s restroom story was a lie, but they needed to speak to Carter without Dino hearing.
“Dino is destroying the cell phone chips, I swear to God. We need to stop him,” Shelby said.
“God damnit. I had a funny feeling about that guy ever since he boarded the chopper back in DC. The only explanation I can think of is that he either is an alien, disguised as a human, or else he has been brainwashed by the aliens,” Carter said.
Dino had indeed been brainwashed by the aliens. In the couple minutes time that he had walked around the mall to make sure it was clear before picking up Shelby and Noel, he encountered a group of aliens, they brainwashed him, and he no longer control of his actions. The aliens had instructed him to destroy all of the cell phone chips that Shelby and Noel had brought out of the store.
“I’m normally not a violent person, but I don’t see a choice in this situation. Ok here’s what we’re gonna do. Remember those two ropes that we used to pull you up? When we get back to the chopper, I want you to unhook one of the ropes from the pulley, and attach it to the metal beam that is welded on the roof of the chopper. The remaining rope will need to be tied to this rope. Once that’s done and I start the to take off, one of you needs to distract Dino while the other attaches the carabiner from the rope to Dino’s belt loop and immediately hits the pulley button, so the rope starts pulling Dino out. When he is out of the chopper, suspended by the rope, detach the other end of the rope from the pulley and he will fall,” Carter said.
“Ok that sounds very complicated, but I’ll trust your judgment,” Noel said.
The three of them headed back to the chopper. Dino, who saw them heading back, had plenty of time to put the chips back in the backpack. Noel estimated there were 250 cell phones that they had grabbed from the store, and Dino would have only had enough time to tamper with fifty of the chips, maximum.
“Hey Dino,” Shelby greeted him in a charming tone.
Dino made a half smile, but didn’t say anything. Carter was now back in the pilot’s chair and fired up the engine. Noel walked towards where Carter was and pulled a black curtain across the opening to the cockpit, and deliberately made sure Dino saw her do it.
“It’s time for a massage, handsome,” Noel said to Dino.
Unless Dino was gay, the girls figured he would have a hard time saying no to that offer. After all, Shelby and Noel were very attractive girls in their mid-twenties with million dollar smiles. Shelby reclined one of the seats fully and gave Dino a little shove forward. He was now lying on the recliner with his face down in the cushion. Shelby started to rub his back, while Noel tied the ropes like Carter had described. It was a brilliant plan because Dino was lying face down and could not see what was going on. He was distracted by Shelby’s soft touch. To seal the deal, Noel clipped the carabiner to Dino’s belt loop and gave his lower back area a quick rub, to avoid raising any suspicion, as to why her hand had been on the back of his pants. The motor for the pulley had various speeds. Noel set it to the fastest speed and hit the button to make it go. The chopper was now about fifty feet off the ground, but the sliding door was still opened, by design.
Almost immediately after Noel hit the button, Dino was catapulted out of the chopper by the force of the pulley and the rope that was now attached to him. Noel had made sure to step out of the way. When she stepped back towards the door and looked down there was no sign of Dino.
“What the heck” Noel blurted out.
“OH MY GOD! AHHHHHHHH!”
The scream had come from Shelby and now Noel could see it too. The windows of the chopper turned a dark red color and they could see human flesh falling from the sky. A loud beeping noise came from the cockpit of the chopper. Without any explanation needed they realized what happened was that the initial force of the pulley had shot Dino out of the chopper at the wrong angle. That, combined with the draft from the propeller sent Dino directly into the propeller which chopped Dino into a thousand pieces.
Noel quickly pulled back the black curtain to see Carter. The beeping noise was still going strong, as if to hint at engine failure.
“Well that was unexpected,” Carter said. Noel noticed him flick a few switches and the beeping sound stopped.
“That’s why I love this beast; with four propellers, if one breaks, all I have to do is turn on another one and the chopper is good as new,” Carter said. “You did good work Noel, try not to think about it too much. He had to die. Obviously the way that he died was unfortunate.”
~~~
The rest of the ride to Oklahoma City was uneventful. The girls were still shaken up by the gruesome scene, a memory that would stay with them for the rest of their live’s.
“One thing I like about riding in a chopper instead of a plane is that we get to see a lot more scenery, like parts of the US that I would never get a chance to see,” Noel said.
“What I like about a helicopter is that the physics behind its design seem to make sense. A propeller spins fast enough to lift the thing off the
ground and keep it in the air. I can’t wrap my mind around the physics behind an airplane. So I actually feel safer in a helicopter,” Shelby said.
“Prepare for landing,” Carter said. They had arrived at Sundance Airport in Oklahoma City.
It was a smooth transition; Logan, Garrett and Hank heard the chopper incoming and were waiting for it on the tarmac. They wasted no time boarding the chopper. The whole process took under five minutes. The chopper had plenty of room for the new guests. Behind the reclining chairs, it had two bench seats that could fit up to three people each.
When everyone was situated Carter said, “Alright guys, bear with me a little longer and we’ll be back safe and sound at the White House.”
“This is Hank, Garrett and I’m Logan,” Logan said to start the introductions.
“Shelby”
“Noel”
“Nice to meet you, I’m sure you have a lot of stories to tell us, as do we,” Logan said.
“Well you already seem more pleasant than the last guy that was on here,” Noel said and then proceeded to tell the story of Dino.
Logan followed that story up with one about their escape from the aliens at the racetrack. Shelby then told the story of their alien encounter at the mall.
Hank was now in the cockpit with Carter, acting as a ‘copilot’, he was in his element.
“Well you girls sound like you were cut out for this line of work, you’re pretty incredible,” Garrett said, in reference to their escape from the aliens and avoidance of the landmines.
“What do you think the plan is once we get to DC?” Shelby said.
“Not a clue, hopefully somebody’s got a brain, and will figure out a way to use the cell phone chips to our advantage,” Logan said.
The storytelling time took up the majority of the flight and Shelby naturally gravitated towards Logan, with Noel settling for Garrett.
Shelby ran her fingers across Logan’s face and said, “Is this seat taken?” which Logan found some humor in. The two new ‘couples’ kept each other occupied for the remainder of the flight, whispering ‘sweet nothings’ into each others’ ears and taking turns utilizing the ‘massage’ chairs.
