by Paul Moxham
Kenneth swung the wheel to the left and went through. Glancing back, he saw headlights approaching. After spotting a nearby building, he switched off the lights and drove around to the other side before turning off the engine. They were now invisible to the naked eye.
Everyone listened as they heard the roar of vehicles approach. Luckily, the roar passed as the vehicles continued on driving past the hole in the fence. They couldn’t actually see this, but given the fading engine noise, it was a safe bet.
Kenneth breathed a sigh of relief. “Phew, that was close.”
“Now we just need to get to the runway,” Derek said.
“That’s easier said than done,” Xavier said. “We can’t afford to cruise around in this vehicle as they’ll be on the lookout for anything like it, so we’ll have to go on foot. Speed is the key. We’ll leave the wheels and hope that it’s still here when we get back.”
“Why don’t we hide it in one of the hangars?” Logan asked.
“Too risky turning on the engine now. Best to leave it the way it is and hope for the best.” Xavier climbed out of the vehicle and opened the trunk. “Grab a weapon. If we get spotted, head back here. Oh, and if we get split up, meet back here in fifteen. Got that?”
Logan looked at his watch. “Okay.”
After they each grabbed a weapon, they checked for ammo before heading toward the runways. As they walked, Kenneth marveled at the size of the airport. He and Logan had flown out of San Francisco International many times over the past couple of years, but it had never felt as big while sitting inside an airliner as it did now, walking along the tarmac that stretched for miles. This was an entirely different experience. Another reason it felt and looked so much different was that many of the hangars had been burnt out, and destroyed planes littered the taxiways and terminal areas.
It may have been dark, but the moon did a good job of illuminating the place. Although it wasn’t the same as walking in daylight, it was still a surreal experience.
The group had managed to cover just over half the distance when they rounded a hangar and paused. Up ahead, three buildings down, a blaze of lights lit up the area.
“What the …” Kenneth shook his head in wonder. “This must be why they’ve got those guys guarding the entrance.”
Xavier, who was now wearing his night-vision goggles, nodded. “I don’t know what you can see, but there’s plenty of firepower up there. We’ll have to take a wide detour. It’ll be longer, but if any of those men have night-vision goggles, we’ll be toast.”
“I can’t see Molly being here with all these people about,” Derek muttered.
“We’ll soon see,” Kenneth said. “Let’s go before we’re spotted.”
To get to the other set of hangars, they had to cross a large expanse of tarmac. As Xavier had the goggles, he was chosen to keep watch. So while he kept an eye on the men, the others hurried across the gap.
They managed to do so without any trouble. Now it was Xavier’s turn. He waited until the men by the hangar door seemed engaged in conversation and hurried across to join the others. Before he made it to the cover of the building, a yell went out. Looking back, he spotted two figures racing toward them.
“Do we make a run for it or make a stand?” Logan said as Xavier reached the hangar.
“We don’t have enough firepower to make a stand,” Xavier said. “We’ll have to split up and make for the runway. Derek and I can go straight there while you lead them astray for a bit. As for these guys …” Xavier fired his shotgun and stopped the two men in their tracks. As soon as the shots rang out, more yells were heard and two Humvees, their headlights blazing, tore toward them.
“Meet back at the car in twenty minutes.” Xavier turned and disappeared into the darkness without another word, quickly followed by Derek.
Taking aim with his trusty AR-15, Logan emptied the 30-round magazine in seconds. Grinning, he saw the Humvees swerve to one side and the men dive for cover.
His grin quickly faded as the men replied with their own measures. As the zings overhead grew into louder cracks, he grimaced. “We should get going.”
After firing off one more round, Logan followed his brother. Unfortunately, Kenneth did not have the night-vision goggles that Xavier sported, so when he came to a corner, he had to guess which way to go. He headed right, but no sooner than he did, two sets of headlights lit up the area.
Kenneth and Logan raised their weapons to fire, but dropped them and put their hands up as ten men appeared from within the darkness. As the men walked closer, Logan saw that even though the men were carrying military-grade weapons, they were not dressed in army uniforms.
“Let me do the talking,” Logan whispered to Kenneth. A tall guy broke off from the group and approached them. By the way he strutted over and the way two men followed his every move, he guessed that he had some authority over the group.
The man had short-cropped hair, tattoos on his arms, and a scar across his left cheek. He stared at Kenneth and then at Logan. “Are you the men that took out my searchlight?”
“It wasn’t me,” Logan said.
“It wasn’t, huh? But it was one of your buddies?”
Logan didn’t answer.
“Betcha I can make him talk.” one of the lackeys snickered.
The boss grinned. “No, not yet. Take them to see Captain Burke. He’ll know what to do with ’em.”
As the brothers were led away, the man glanced around the darkened airport. “And put some patrols out. I want their friends caught pronto.”
Chapter 5
Derek wasn’t one to give up easily, but after searching the runway for ten minutes, he had to admit that Molly wasn’t there.
Xavier anxiously studied his watch. “Come on, it’s time to go.”
Dejected, Derek followed Xavier back the way they had come. “What do you think happened to the others?”
“No idea, but I hope they made it back to the vehicle,” Xavier said.
Derek frowned. By the tone of Xavier’s voice, it was clear that he wasn’t very hopeful. He clutched his hand cannon tighter and followed the man past various hangars.
A Humvee roared past several times, and they had to stop and hide. Other times a sentry strolled past, but they were easy to avoid since Xavier still had the night-vision goggles on.
They had to take a detour to avoid the hangar that the men were guarding, so they were behind schedule when they arrived back at the vehicle. Fortunately, it was still there, but there was no sign of Logan or Kenneth.
Xavier peered around the area with his goggles. “There’s no one in sight.”
“Maybe they’re delayed,” Derek said.
“We’re behind schedule as it is. If they’re not here by now, it’s because they can’t be here.” Xavier paused and thought. “I don’t want to take any risks, but I think I’ll take one last look around.”
“Isn’t that taking a risk?” Derek asked.
“Well, yes, but not so much if I go alone,” Xavier said.
“Alone?”
“Yes. Don’t you know how to drive the Land Rover?”
Derek nodded absently.
“Okay. Give me twenty minutes. If I’m not back by then, take the vehicle and get out of here.”
“But what if—”
“No buts.” Xavier went to the trunk, took two grenades, and pocketed them. He then took the sniper rifle and hung it over his shoulder. “I’ll whistle when I come back. If I don’t, it means it isn’t me.”
Xavier hadn’t wanted to tell Derek anything, but he had a feeling that he would find Logan and Kenneth at the lit up hangar.
That was the place they’d be taken to if they’d been captured, and if they hadn’t been captured, that was the only place at the airport that’d have intrigued them enough for them to miss the deadline. With a heavy heart, he hurried toward the hangar.
Derek watched him go. He sat and waited. Maybe it was because it was nighttime and it was time to sleep, but a
s he lay there, his eyelids got heavy and he leaned against the car door.
Before long, he had slumped to the ground and closed his eyes. He had no idea how long it had been, but awakened by a noise, he stood up, only to stare into the barrel of a rifle.
~*~*~
Xavier had been right to assume that Logan and Kenneth were in trouble. He could see them as they stood outside of the lighted hangar. Guarded by two men and with their hands high above their heads, there was no chance that they could escape by themselves.
He wished he had a better angle from where he was, but he was grateful for the ladder he had found, which allowed him to lie down on the nearby roof. Not once had he seen anyone look up, and he hoped that it’d stay this way until he left the area.
Xavier tensed as the hanger doors suddenly swung open and he was able to see what was in the building.
He had suspected as much, but he hadn’t really thought it would be there. Sitting in the middle of the large hangar was an alien craft, the same type that Logan had nicknamed the Striker. It must have crashed through the roof, judging by the marks on the ground and how the upper half seemed in relatively good condition. But the bottom half was another story. It was damaged, but exactly how much he couldn’t be certain.
Xavier hadn’t seen many of these machines—in fact, this was the closest he’d ever come to one—but he did know that, unlike planes, they didn’t have landing gear. If the rare survivors were to be believed, it landed like a helicopter and took off just like one. To him, it just looked like a classic UFO, as it was round in shape.
Xavier could see a number of men who appeared to be trying to fix it. He had no idea why, since he’d yet to hear of a human who could fly one, but it was now obvious why this airport was guarded like Fort Knox. Whoever had control of the airspace would control the land, and a craft like that would certainly go a long way in winning the war in the sky.
He looked at Logan and Kenneth and saw that they were being led to a truck. A plan began to form in his mind. Hurrying to the side of the roof that had the ladder, he spotted two figures through his night-vision goggles. He studied the figures and saw that one had his hands up.
As they approached, he saw that the prisoner was Derek. He cursed to himself. He would have to free the boy before he could free the others. Taking his pistol, he attached a silencer and aimed the weapon at the man’s head. He would only get one shot at this, so he couldn’t afford to miss.
He waited until they passed right below him before he fired. The man collapsed to the ground. Derek glanced around, wondering what was going on.
Xavier whispered to him, “Derek, up here.”
Derek looked up and gave a thin smile. “Thanks.”
“Go back to the vehicle and drive it here pronto.”
Derek nodded. “Will do.”
As the boy rushed off, Xavier went to work. Hurrying back to the other side of the roof, he peered at the hangar. He saw the truck was getting ready to go. He wished he had more than one option, but he didn’t. He had no idea how many guards there’d be in the back of the vehicle, but he had to take the chance.
The seconds ticked by as the truck got ready to depart. As the engine started, Xavier left his position and made his way off the roof.
As his feet touched the ground, the Land Rover roared up. Xavier jumped into the front passenger side. “A truck will be coming around the corner in just a few seconds. Give it five seconds or so before you follow it.”
Xavier placed the sniper rifle in the backseat, took the two grenades out of his pocket, and put them on the dashboard. “When I give the command, gun the engine and get me as close as you can to the side of the truck.”
As the vehicle roared past, Derek asked, “Why don’t we do it now?”
“Have to wait, otherwise we’ll have the soldiers right on our backs.” Xavier reached into the back and grabbed an AR-15. Logan had taken one, but luckily, he had another. He needed an assault rifle and this would do nicely.
After waiting a few more seconds, Xavier tilted his head down. “Go!”
The Land Rover roared after the truck. The vehicle wasn't going that fast, so it only took a matter of seconds for the Land Rover to pull up beside the front passenger seat.
Xavier pulled the pin on one of the grenades and threw it through the open window. Deciding to throw another one in for good measure, he did just that before he yelled for Derek to slow down.
Muffled shouts rang out, and then an explosion lifted the night’s skirt as the grenade detonated. The truck skidded to the left and smashed into the side of a half burnt–out hangar. A moment later, the second boomstick joined the party.
After pulling up a short distance away, Derek jumped out and watched as Xavier took the AR-15 and blasted the men as they climbed out the back.
As their bodies crumbled, Xavier tactically reloaded. “Logan! Kenneth!”
There was silence as two figures sprang out of the vehicle. As they trotted over, Xavier breathed a sigh of relief.
“Good to see you, Xavier. I was getting a bit worried,” Kenneth said.
“Hurry and get in the Land Rover. It won’t be long until someone discovers what’s happened.” Xavier hurried back to the vehicle and sat in the driver’s seat. Derek jumped in the back while Logan took the front.
Xavier gunned the engine. “I’ll go through the same hole we came in through. Hopefully there won’t be anyone there.”
For the next minute, everyone was on alert. But as the Land Rover left the airport, they started to relax. There was still a roadblock in place near the entrance, so Xavier drove west, hoping to go north as soon as the road was quiet enough.
~*~*~
Xavier stopped the Land Rover as he reached the outskirts of Daly City. He looked back at Derek. “Do you recognize where we are?”
Derek looked out of the window. It took a few moments, but then he nodded. “Yes. If we continue going straight for a few blocks or so and then turn right, we should reach the house.”
Xavier looked in the rearview mirror. Nothing could be seen, so he put the car in gear and drove off. It was an anxious few moments as the blocks ticked off. As Derek shook his head every time they passed an intersection, Xavier wondered if he was lost.
A moment later, Derek grinned as he saw a signpost. “Turn right, here.”
Xavier headed down the road and stopped outside number forty-two. Everyone climbed out and stared at the darkened house.
“It looks empty,” Logan said.
“It isn’t as though they’re going to be waving a light around.” Kenneth turned to Derek. “How do we get in?”
Derek walked toward the house. “We’ll go in through the back.”
Xavier reached inside the car, took out a pistol, and put it in his pocket. He then pulled out two flashlights. He handed one to Logan. “Let’s go.”
Logan followed the two across the street and down the path alongside the house, stopping when he got to the back door. He put his head up against it and listened. No sound could be heard. He was just about to ask Derek if he had a key when the boy reached underneath a flowerpot and pulled one out.
Derek walked up the steps and put the key in the door. Turning the knob, he slowly creaked open the door.
With the AR-15 held tightly in his hand, Logan stepped inside. It was completely dark, so he switched on the flashlight. “So now what? Sweep the house first?”
Xavier nodded. “We’ll split up. Derek, come with me.”
While Logan and Kenneth searched the ground floor, the others went upstairs. They’d just finished searching most of the rooms and had regrouped in the dining room, when Kenneth paused. “Do you hear that?”
Logan nodded. The faint noise had come from somewhere in the room. As it sounded again, he realized what it was. “It’s a cat.” He strode forward and shined the light behind a sofa. There was a white Persian cat. “I was right.”
Derek walked over and saw the animal. “Hey, that’s the cat from
two doors down.”
“I wonder what he’s doing here.” Logan bent down and picked up the furry creature. Stroking the fur, he noticed that the animal was in pretty good condition. “Someone must be feeding it.” He placed the animal back down and walked back to the basement door. He tried to open it. It was locked.
Derek’s face lit up. “Someone must be down there. That’s why the door’s locked.”
“We’ll soon see about that,” Xavier muttered. “Move away,” he said to Logan. Once the door was clear, he tried kicking it open. It didn’t budge, so he tried again. Same result.
“Maybe we need some firepower.” Kenneth aimed his weapon at the door. Once Xavier was clear, he fired. A line of bullets swept across the door, right where he hoped the lock was.
Logan strode forward and kicked at the door. This time it opened. Leading the way, he shone the flashlight in front of him as he went down the stairs and into the basement.
Suddenly, a mocking voice whistled out, “Hold it right there!”
Chapter 6
Logan froze. In the glare of his flashlight, he could see the man who had shouted and saw that he was holding a sawed-off shotgun in his hands. “Don’t shoot!”
“Quiet!” the man snapped. “What do you mean by barging in here? Speak fast, or I’m liable to get trigger happy.”
“Joseph!” Derek rushed past Logan and stood in front of the man.
Joseph stared at Derek. “I never thought—”
“Derek!” a voice suddenly called out from the back of the basement and a slim girl of about fourteen with curly, blonde hair rushed forward and into the glare of the flashlight.
“Molly!” Derek hugged his sister. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”
“Me neither,” Molly replied.
Derek paused and glanced up at Joseph. “You can put the gun away. These men are here to rescue us.”
Logan held out his hand. “Logan Pollack.”
The man shook it. “Good to see you. I’m Joseph Fallon. So, how many men have you brought with you?”
Logan stood to one side as the others walked forward into the light. “This is my brother, Kenneth, and a friend, Xavier.”
