“Less than five minutes.”
“Okay,” Tuck said, climbing down the side of the jet, “We need to get this bird covered, changed and ready for the show tonight.”
“What show?”
“You’ll see, Lieutenant.”
“Better just call me Sam when we’re in town.”
“Promised to make this trip interesting, and I will deliver…just follow my lead and you’ll do fine.”
“How are we getting to town, Colonel?”
“If I get to call you Sam, you had better not call me Colonel.”
“Sorry…Tuck.”
“We walk.”
“In this hot sun?”
“Give me a break, here.”
“Tonight, when I give you the signal. I want you to get back to the Harrier and watch for our return.”
“What’s the signal?”
“Oh, I think you’ll know it when I give it.”
“Huh uh. I suppose there is some truth to that.”
“I also would advise that you have the bird prepped and ready. If I’m not back in twelve hours from now, get out. Get back to the base.”
“Oh no, sir…Tuck. That’s one order I can’t obey sir.”
“You’d face court-martial?”
“You bet I would, sir. I’m not leaving you behind, I’m all or nothing.”
Tucker laughed, “Sam, you’re my kind of people. We’ll be just fine. I’m pretty sure.”
“Pretty sure as in your positive, or pretty sure, you have no idea?”
“Hey, you stole my line.”
“Yes, I did.”
“I’m honored,” Tuck said, pressing his hands on his heart, “Come on, let’s get this bird secured and into town.”
“Tuck, you’re nothing like I had ever expected. I don’t know what everyone else is saying, but you’re really not a bad guy.”
“You’ve not seen me drunk.”
“Will I?”
“Highly probable.”
“I think our trip is about to become more eventful.”
“I am certain.”
* * *
San Miguel de Allende
Mexico
Small roof-top bar
Day 6
Earth Date: Aug.16, 2064 2300hrs local time
Tucker and Sam sat at a quiet roof top bar on the outside of town. A bad mariachi band tried to play in the background. The noise irritated Tucker, but he had to endure this, even though he hated Mexican music, it was part of the plan.
“So,” Samantha asked, swirling her glass of neatly served Tequila, “How do you plan on bailing Calvin out of the local holding cell?”
“Bailing?” Tuck said, before filling another shot, “Who said anything about bailing?”
“Tuck.”
“No, really. Bailing someone out implies that I have money, and you don’t want anyone thinking that I have money in this town…nope not a good idea.”
“Then how are you getting him out?”
“Patients, you must have, my apprentice.”
“Was that a Yoda impression?” Sam laughed.
“Impression it was, a good one, it was not,” Tucker said in his best Yoda voice.
“You make me laugh, Tuck. I haven’t heard anyone do that for years,” she gazed into his eyes, smiled, and then she took her finger and twirled her hair in circles.
Tuck, straightening up in his chair, “Oh, now wait a minute Lieut…Sam,” he whispered.
“What’s the matter, Tuck? Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“No, no…now you wait one second…and don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered, and don’t think for a second that I wouldn’t be interested, but we just can’t do that…not here…not now.”
“Ah, Tuck,” Sam frowned, “Why not? This Tequila is…”
“You never mind that right now…” great, he thought, a pilot who can’t hold her liquor, “I’m about to launch my plan,” he said, taking the drink from her hand, “I think you’ve had enough of this…wow…so you just remember, when I make my move, you get out of here and back to the bird. Give me about twelve hours and we should be getting close.”
Samantha grabbed her drink back and held it up to her cheek.
Tucker lifted his glass and then poured another shot of the elixir the waiter brought them. Lifting it to his lips, he downed the glass and immediately poured another and began lifting it when Sam stopped him.
“Maybe you should slow down too mister.”
“Not on your life.”
“How come you get to drink and I don’t?”
“Because you’re flying us out of here in twelve hours.”
“So, I can drink for at least four more hours.”
“Nope, ‘cause you’re leaving in a minute.” He downed the shot, “That one was for the pain,” he poured another and downed it before she could stop him, “Another for the pain,” and then filled the shot once more.
“Wow, Tuck. Slow down? Pain? I never knew you to be in pain.”
“It’s for the pain I’m about to endure.”
“What are you talking about, Tuck?”
“Watch and learn, my young apprentice.”
He stood and took the full shot glass with him, and wandered over to another table full of Mexican men. Sam could hear him whisper something to the men at the table and then doused one with the shot.
The other man shot up and punched him in the jaw, sending Tucker stumbling backward. He crashed into their table and then to the floor.
“See,” Tucker said, looking up at Sam, “I told you it was about to get a lot more interesting.”
The man barely let him finish, before taking him by the collar and back to his feet, only to hit him back down to the floor by the other man’s fist, who’s hands where the size of iron skillets.
The entire bar erupted with several more men entering into the fray, slugging and swinging wildly. The Mariachi band never skipped a beat during the brawl.
Sam, sitting unscathed and holding the rest of her drink, lifted it and sucked it all down before tossing the glass at the man who threw the first punch, sending him down to the ground.
She nervously exited the bar, leaving Tuck behind, knowing this was her signal.
“Tucker, you sure have a funny way of planning jail breaks.”
* * *
San Miguel de Allende
Mexico
Local jail
Day 7
Earth Date: Aug.17, 2064 0130hrs local time
Tucker was escorted, handcuffed in the front, by a local officer. The Policia opened the jail cell and shoved him inside. The door rolled closed and latched with a clunk.
“You just sleep it off, amigo,” the jailer said, “I’ll come back for you in a few hours.”
Tucker slumped down against the brick wall and fell asleep.
The other man in the cell turned over and began to snore loudly. Tuck wasn’t the least bit disturbed by the man’s snoring, and slept like a baby for several hours.
* * *
San Miguel de Allende
Mexico
Jail Cell
Day 7
Earth Date: Aug.17, 2064 0730hrs local time
The other man occupying the cell with Tuck rolled over, not being able to take the awful noise his new roomie was making, “Hey!”
Nothing… “Hey Mister!”
Again, Tuck didn’t respond. The man got up and kicked the man on the leg, “Hey mister. Wake up already…wait…Tuck?”
“Who’s asking,” Tuck said with his eyes still shut.
“Tucker Petersen! It is you, you ol’ dog you.”
“Cal?”
“In the flesh…so, what the hell did you do to get yourself locked up in here with me?”
“Sam was right. You have put on the weight.”
“Hey, I can still get the job done…and we’re not talking about too much. I made a couple of good scores last year and been living a little high on the hog, so to speak.”
&n
bsp; “A little?”
Cal just gave him a look with his eyes, “So tell me what you did?”
“I started a little fight.”
“Always the smart ass, huh.”
“It was all part of the plan.”
“Uh huh, sure it was…so, what’s your plan now?”
“Why don’t we start by you telling me why you’re here?” Tuck asked, sitting upright, “Owe, oh man…”
“What’s the matter, Tuck? You had a few too many?”
“Something like that. Either that or it’s the pounding I took to get me here.”
“Tuck, I need to tell you what I have. It’s imperative that we get out of here.”
“Cal? You actually sound scared. What happened?”
“I’ve been tracking this strange chatter on the secure airwaves.”
“Signal?” Tuck asked, not trying to sound too excited.
“Something from one of the Asteroids out there. We’re missing several ships and now…now there’s this signal, sending detailed blueprints of some kind of technology.”
“What else?”
“Isn’t that enough in itself?”
“I just know there’s more to this story…next you’ll be saying that little green men from outer space have abducted our guys.”
“They have.”
“What are you saying, Cal?”
“When I was tracking the signal, I traced it back to a monastery high in the mountains from this quaint little town here. The word on the street was, they were close to breaking the language and would be building this tech.”
“Sounds too much like Science Fiction to me, but go on.”
“Well, I sort of miscalculated when the good people were home.”
“You got caught, didn’t you.”
“Yes. It was a real bugger too. I had the data at my fingertips. It was on the screen, but when I put my thumb drive in the slot, the computer shut down and sounded a very annoying alarm.”
“Thumb drive…why the hell would you use such an antiquated piece of technology. You could have sent it to your wireless.”
“It’s a monastery, I didn’t think they had wireless…it was lucky enough that they had a thumb drive slot.”
“Why would these monks be so interested in this signal?”
“That’s what I asked too. Seems this tech is some kind of bio chip that can be inserted into our heads. Actual chips grow out and into our cerebral cortex. Tuck we can program this chip to cure sickness.”
“These people want to get rich selling this…that’s what this is all about.”
“Perhaps, Tuck. But I think they were already in contact with the Vatican…and I think they were instructed to just turn it over quietly.”
“What about their data?”
“It was destroyed. I guess my thumb drive caused their old computer to crash. I memorized the info on the screen. I was going to make my getaway and planned on getting rich. That’s when the alarms all went off.”
“Go figure.”
“Yep. So here I am. Rotting in this cell until they figure out what they want to do with me…so how did you happen to end up in the same exact jail cell as me? I’m an awful long way from the beaten path.”
“I heard you were in a little bit of trouble.”
“So you thought you’d come down here and bail me out?”
“Bail? Why does everyone think I’m made of money over here.”
“If you’re not bailing me out, then why are you here Tuck?”
He reached into the inside of his boot and pulled out two sticks of dynamite, held them up, one in each cuffed hand, “You just made bail.”
“Tuck!” Cal whispered in excitement, “Are you crazy?!”
“People have said...”
“Now wait a minute, Tuck. You can’t just go around blowing holes in the side of a jail.”
“Watch me,” Tuck answered with a smile and cigar popping out of his teeth.
“How did ja’ get those in here anyway?”
“Security sucks.”
Tuck placed the two sticks in the rotting brick under the window of the cell. The sun beamed down on his face, “What time is it anyway?”
“It must be getting on eight, judging on the sun.”
“Wow, okay. We have to hurry.”
“Tuck, don’t do this,” Cal urged.
He took his cigar and puffed the small coal inside and blew a large plume. He took each fuse and held the cigar to them, immediately causing them to shoot spark.
“Here help me with this mattress, get under.”
“I don’t like this, Tuck. What are you doing?”
“We’re going to go rescue our guys from the little green men.”
“Come on, Tuck!”
“No really…trust me…it’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. I trusted you once and was sorry.”
“That was a long time ago. Now hold on. Ready, set…any time now…”
The fuse sizzled down inside the packed powder making a large exposition. Rocks and debris riddled the cell floor and mattress. They toss it off and crawled out the hole in the cell the dynamite had left.
“Come, on. Come on, Come on,” Tucker said hurriedly.
Cal couldn’t quite fit through by himself, so Tuck began pulling his arms. When he popped out, Tuck fell backward into the street where he knocked a man off his motorcycle as he was driving by. The man fell to the ground and yelled several Spanish cuss words.
“Take the bike,” Tuck yelled, “In front. You steer and clutch…I’ll shift and do the gas.”
“Tuck, you’re more nuts than I first thought!”
The two got on the bike, Cal depressed the clutch while Tuck put it in first gear with his foot, “Here they come, pop the clutch!”
Cal obeyed and let the clutch go, sending the bike into a wheelie as Tuck gave too much throttle.
“Easy Tuck!”
“Sorry.”
Tuck and Cal managed to shift into second and then third as they made their way down the snaking cobbled streets with the enticing smells of roasted corn, tacos and churros assailing them at every turn.
“Wow.”
“What now, Tuck?”
“I’m hungry, can you steer us a little closer to one of those cafes? I can grab us a snack.”
“Forget it, Tuck.”
“You’re right, keep going. Take a right up here.”
The bike turned down the road as several police cars gave chase to the two fugitives, making their way down the dirt road and out of town.
The wind in their face, and moving along at a fairly quick pace, they began hearing bullets fly past their heads.
“They’re shooting at us Tuck!”
“Start weaving, they’re not such a good shot!”
“How much further?”
“Just around the next turn, about a quarter mile, Get ready to ditch the bike.”
“Ditch?!”
“Just follow my lead!”
“Tuuuuuker! I’m gonna kill yooooou!”
Sam heard the speeding bike approaching and then heard the dings of bullets hitting the Harrier, “Tucker! What the hell has he done now?” She ran to the ladder on the side to climb in when she was struck in the leg by one of the stray bullets.
Yelling out in pain, she moved to the cockpit and began firing up the avionics and quickly turned on her gun turrets.
Tucker and Cal tipped their bike sideways and quickly slid to a stop just before the jet, they scrambled to the ladder, sending Cal up first.
“Tucker!” Sam yelled, “I can’t fly, I’ve been shot in the leg!”
“Great…were cuffed. Cal, you squeeze in with Lieutenant Rothschild here, and I’ll fly the stick. Sam, arm your missile…”
“Missile!”
“Trust me on this… When I lift off, fire just before their lead car.”
Not waiting any longer, he blasted the vertical lift engine to full throttle and lifted the
bird off the ground. Sam fired the weapon as instructed.
The pursuers, seeing the jet taking off out of a cloud of dust, had already veered off the road. The missile missed everyone, but lifted a significant amount of dirt and debris into the air, enough to distract them into cease firing. The jet became fully airborne and screamed out of sight.
“Whew, that was close,” Tucker said.
“What the hell are you doing?!” Sam yelled, “You almost got us all killed.”
“But I didn’t, now did I.”
“No, but…”
“Sorry about your leg, how bad is it?”
Sam had managed to wrap a scarf around the wound, stopping the bleeding, “The bullet is still in there, I’m going to need surgery.”
“Damn.”
“Will you be alright until we get back?”
“Yeah, I think so. But let’s push her to the limits. I’d rather get there sooner than later.”
“Got anything to take these cuffs off with?”
“Yeah, right. I come equipped with keys to handcuffs.”
“How about a hairpin?”
She pulled one out of her hair that held her ponytail in place and reached behind him with it.
“Perfect, thanks. Can you take the stick for a moment while I get these off?”
“Got it, Tucker,”
Tucker made quick work of the cuffs and then had Cal reach his hands back, and Tuck removed his as well.
“You both mind telling me what the hell’s going on?”
“You didn’t tell him, Tuck?”
“Not yet.”
“Tuck!”
“Well, sort of…he already knows about the signal.”
Tuck briefed his friend during the rest of the flight back to the base.
* * *
Chapter 5
Whidbey Island Naval Base & Space Port
Oak Harbor, WA
General McKenzie’s office
Day 8
Earth Date: Aug.18, 2064 0800hrs
Tucker sat alone and across from the General, who was pacing behind his desk, “What the hell were you thinking Colonel!?”
“What? My plan worked.”
“Let me count the ways: You nearly got yourselves killed, I have a wounded pilot and we don’t even know if she can make the mission now, and you created an international incident!!”
Salvage-5 (First Contact) Page 4
