Flight

by Jason Cheek

  KKKAAABBBBOOOMMM

  Her head whipped around just as an expanding fireball enveloped the demon’s face!

  Chapter 21

  Location Earth / Florida present day:

  “I’m telling you something is wrong!”

  “Captain, Chief Darden and Mr. Ironwolf made it abundantly clear they wanted Charlie Team to wait for their signal, before initiating our attack run.”

  Annoyed, Captain Walker looked at the other helicopters hovering to either side of her, for a long moment, before once again checking the time in her helmet’s heads-up display. They’d been wasting fuel hovering here for over an hour now. The last update had come in when Alpha Team radioed that they were commencing landing operations, since then they’d heard absolutely nothing. By now the battle should have been over. Her sixth sense was tingling, and she had learned years ago to listen to its warnings. Shifting the tone of her voice, she spoke firmly into the mike at her throat.

  “Lieutenant Anderson, you are to immediately have Dispatch complete a radio check with both Alpha and Beta Teams.”

  “Ma’am, yes Ma’am!”

  Over the last four months, Lieutenant Anderson had learned the difference between when his Captain was thinking out loud, and when she was giving him an order. He didn’t even crack a smile as she challenged her current holding orders. She listened to Lieutenant Anderson’s voice as he radioed dispatch.

  “Charlie Team to COM.”

  “Go ahead Charlie Team.”

  “Captain Walker is requesting an immediate radio check for Alpha and Beta Teams.”

  “One moment Charlie Team.”

  The time ticked by as Captain Walker waited for the results of dispatches radio check. She was just about to break in impatiently, when she heard the crack of static of an incoming signal.

  “COM to Charlie Team.”

  It felt as if five minutes had passed before dispatch got back to them, but, checking the time once again, she realized it had only been a little over thirty seconds. For some reason, her sixth sense was operating in overdrive!

  “Go ahead COM.”

  “The radio check was a negative Charlie Team.”

  Alarmed, Captain Walker broke protocol as she jumped into the middle of the conversation. Wisely, Lieutenant Anderson kept his comments to himself. It was the Captain’s prerogative as flight leader.

  “What do you mean the radio check was negative? Use ‘Plain Talk’ COM!”

  “Captain Walker, we have received no answer from either Alpha or Beta Teams from our request for a status update.”

  She felt a cold chill pass through her as she listened to the dispatcher’s words. For a second, there were no other sounds except for the chop of the blades slicing through the air as she considered her next words carefully.

  During the time they’d been waiting for the signal to commence their attack run, Captain Walker had spent a lot of time thinking. She had come to the conclusion that, whether or not she wanted to admit it at the time, she now agreed with the reasoning Mr. Ironwolf and Chief Darden had given for holding Charlie Team back for an emergency situation. Having Agent Moss remind her of how effective the CTA’s M134 Viper machine guns had been against the creatures had gotten her attention. No matter how hard it was for her to get her head around the fact that their advanced weapon systems were not effective against these primitive looking aliens. Coming to a decision, she triggered her throat mike.

  “COM, Charlie Team is commencing its attack run now. I repeat, Charlie Team is commencing its attack run now.”

  “Rodger Charlie Team.”

  “Rodger COM.”

  Toggling her mike to Charlie Team’s battle channel, Captain Walker quickly began updating her team as she altered their initial attack plan.

  “Heads up Charlie team. The current situation is that dispatch has lost all communication with Alpha and Beta teams. I have made the command decision that we will commence our attack run now.”

  She waited, a moment, to let her words sink in before continuing.

  “Combat group one will head in first. Lieutenant Striker, you will lead combat group two in thirty seconds later. If you see that combat group one has been destroyed, you do one flyby for reconnaissance and scatter! You will return immediately to base, and contact Commanding General Horner at Eglin Air force Base to report the events that transpired here. Secondly, you will file an additional report with Florida Senator Jerry MacKay Office, giving him the same information. Have I made myself clear?”

  “Rodger that Captain Walker.”

  “On the flip side, if you see that combat group one is currently engaged with the enemy. You will assign one member of your flight to hold position at a point one mile out, while the rest of your group joins the fray. If we are taken out, they are to return to base immediately to notify command of our situation as I previously detailed. Is that understood?

  “Affirmative Captain!”

  Speaking to the entire flight, Captain Walker’s tone suddenly changed.

  “People, we are fighting for the future of the entire human race. We may very well be asked to give our lives here today, so that we can stop an alien invasion of Earth! This is what we are fighting for today, and I am proud to serve with all of you in this endeavor.”

  Outside of a movie, she’d never heard of anyone being in a position like this before, where their actions could make the difference between life and death of their entire race. She wasn’t sure if her words were worthy of being recalled by some future historian, but all that mattered was that they’d come from the heart.

  “Good luck and good hunting.”

  A moment later, she heard Lieutenant Anderson’s voice in the cabin.

  “That was powerful Ma’am.”

  Captain Walker felt herself blush for a moment as she turned her mike off, before answering.

  “Thank you Lieutenant.”

  Turning her mike on once again, she began calling out orders.

  “Combat group one, we are heading out now.”

  The cobra’s nose dipped forward as the bird began racing a couple feet above the treetops. She brought the helicopter to a cruising speed of 160 knots as her display showed the other three cobras moving into formation behind her. The ground flew past in a blur as the sky around them began to darken ominously. Suddenly, her “Top Owl” display system switched into FLIR mode. The vision technology essentially functioned as a type of sensor called ‘forward looking infrared’ used during night operations. Frowning, she triggered her mike to have the flight spread out.

  “Cobra flight, spread out for nighttime operations, copy back.”

  She listened to the swish of the blades for a moment waiting for the confirmations from her teams. Hearing nothing, she triggered her mike again.

  “Cobra flight this is Cobra Leader, all units check-in.”

  Again, she waited, and again she heard nothing. Checking her heads up display once again, she frowned as her systems still registered the other units on the radar.

  Triggering her mike again, she switched to internal communications.

  “Lieutenant Anderson, I need a visual confirmation for the other units.”

  “Ma’am, yes Ma’am!”

  She could hear the confusion in his crisp affirmative, but a second later she could see him craning his head over his shoulder as he looked to either side behind them. A second later, the mike cracked as Lieutenant Anderson reported in.

  “Ma’am all Cobra flight accounted for.”

  “Lieutenant Anderson, I need you to com the flight, and let them know my radio is out. I will be issuing orders via you. Make sure you get a verbal confirmation from each unit.”

  “Ma’am, yes Ma’am!”

  She heard the low mutter as the Lieutenant began broadcasting her orders as she waited for his confirmation. A moment later, her mike cracked again.

  “Ma’am, I believe my communication equipment is not functioning either.”

  Thinking quickly
, Captain Walker began to suspect she understood what was happening. Rapidly, she flipped through her communication frequencies broadcasting without any success, before switching back to internal communications once again.

  “Lieutenant, I believe that whatever this blackness is, it’s blocking all external radio communications.”

  “Yes Ma’am.”

  Movement on her display showed the other Cobras in her flight starting to spread out on their own accord. She imagined that they’d figured out the same as she had, that their radio communications were down. There was a part of her that was tempted to call off the attack run, but the tingling of her sixth sense was telling her that if she waited any longer. Alpha and Beta teams wouldn’t survive. They were five hundred yards away from the target zone. Squaring her shoulders, she triggered her mike.

  “Lieutenant, arm all systems, we are going in hot.”

  “Copy that Ma’am.”

  The Cobra climbed over the last trees as she brought the deadly machine swooping in low. Slowing down, she banked around the open field below as her heads-up targeting system began highlighting potential targets. Even from this distance, she could see the piles of dead bodies below. Zooming in momentarily, she recognized the figures moving across the field below as humans. Immediately, she had her targeting computers designate them as friendlies. Leveling out, she brought the Cobra to a hover as her mike suddenly crackled.

  “Captain, what the hell is that!”

  Frowning at the Lieutenant’s swearing, she toggled her heads-up display. Calling up the Lieutenant’s current target designation, she gasped in shock. Her targeting computer began spitting out information next to the oversized creature. Twenty-four feet tall and approximately eight feet wide, but the green tent of the FLIR system gave enough detail for her to recognize the shape, without leaving any doubt in her mind as to what it was.

  There were few if any non-religious active military personnel, which was common among people who daily put their lives on the line. She’d been a practicing Catholic for all of her life. In shock, she replied to the Lieutenant.

  “It’s a god damn demon Lieutenant!”

  Even from this distance, she could see the monster was severely injured. The targeting computer started putting identifying markers around the smaller forms of what, she decided, had to be what was left over from Alpha Team. Zooming in on the demon, she saw the thing carrying what appeared to be a large two handed battleaxe. Lifting the weapon over its head, the demon swung the massive weapon, attacking a large human standing before it. Even from this distance, she recognized the armored shape of Mr. Ironwolf.

  Unbelievably, she watched the young man catch the powerful blow, two handed, with his Katana. A second later, there was a blur of motion as the two combatants began pounding each other. It ended just as quickly as it had begun, with Mr. Ironwolf slamming into the ground thirty yards away, while the demon collapsed with the other half of its leg chopped off.

  She throttled the Cobra back into a hover as the demon began crawling on its hands and stumps, when Lieutenant Anderson report in.

  “Target locked Captain!”

  She heard the continuous tone of the laser targeting computer confirming a solid lock.

  “Lieutenant Anderson, com …” Seeing the teams of men on the ground, around the demon, suddenly charging forward, she screamed into her mike.

  “Hold your fire! I repeat, hold your fire! Friendlies are in the target area!”

  Incredulously, she watched the men charge the humongous demon. At first she thought they would stop at crossbow range, but her mouth dropped open a moment later as she realized their intent. Muttering under her breath, she watched unbelievably.

  The stupid fools were closing to melee range!

  It was like watching a slow train wreck as she watched helplessly.

  “Wait … they weren’t attacking.”

  Jerking forward in her seat, she watched the men suddenly stop at arm length from the demon. “They weren’t attacking, not exactly.” Confused, she watched the men run around the monster screaming loudly as they dodged the creature’s flailing handless arm.

  “It was all a distraction!”

  Scanning the area, she saw what she was looking for. Another small group of four was racing towards the crater where Mr. Ironwolf had come to a stop. She suddenly realized what was happening. The men attacking below were helping in the only way they knew how, by creating a distraction until Mr. Ironwolf could get back into the fight.

  They were buying that precious time with their lives!

  Her heart swelled in pride as watched the men throw themselves at the creature. They weren’t Marines, but it didn’t matter. She was proud to be serving with them.

  Checking the radar, she saw that her wing was following her lead as they all swung around to face the demon head-on, when her targeting computer started beeping loudly. A power source began registering off the scales almost directly below them. Checking the new targets location, she realized it was coming from the small group that was assisting Mr. Ironwolf below.

  Suddenly, a golden glowing ray lit up the darkness as the shit hit the fan!

  Whipping around, the demon froze for a second as it saw the bright light. On its hands and stumps, the demon charged the crater!

  “Lieutenant Anderson, you will fire on my mark. We’re going to hit it with everything we’ve got!”

  “Roger Captain!”

  Pushing itself to its stumps, the demon whipped the battleaxe above its head bellowing in anger as Captain Walker barked into her mike.

  “Mark!”

  “Guns, guns, guns!”

  Lieutenant Anderson slammed the trigger down on his stick as the three barrels of the Cobra’s M197 Vulcan cannon spat out a flame of pure fire as he heard the Captain call out her own attack.

  “Foxtrot three!”

  The entire Cobra shuddered as the LAU-61B/A launcher tubes hanging from each hard point began spewing out Hydra 70 missiles in ripple fire mode. A second later, the other three Cobras of her command opened fire following her lead!

  Captain Walker howled out her own battle cry as she watched the explosive missiles detonate in the demon’s face, at a distance that her old instructor would have called knife fighting range. Watching the men below run for cover as the fiery blast lit up the night, she swung her bird in a slow arc to get a better view of the target.

  SSSCCCRRREEEAAACCCHHH

  The cry of rending metal filled the air as the closest Cobra to her suddenly exploded in mid-air. As the large battleaxe cleaved through the center of the helicopter, the blast from explosion threw her bird into an uncontrolled spin. Yanking back, two-handed, on the control stick between her legs, Captain Walker barely managed to bring the nose of her helicopter up in time, before crashing into the ground.

  As another series of explosions blew metal fragments into the intake of her Cobra’s engine, the onboard computer’s alarms began screaming as her helicopter’s onboard display turned red with critical emergency warnings. Swearing, she felt her landing legs slam into the ground a second later.

  She was still moving too fast! Helplessly, Captain Walker watched as her chopper began tilting forward in an uncontrolled flip.

  CRUNCH

  The Cobra slammed back into the ground as the entire rear portion of the machine was crushed flat by the demon’s handless arm. Watching helplessly, she stared into the demon’s hate filled red eyes as it hefted its battleaxe into the air for the killing blow. Covering her face with her arms, Captain Walker screamed!

  Chapter 22

  Location Irlendria / Pack Shadowfang’s Winter Den:

  “ADFLICTIO!”

  RRROOOAAARRR

  Moonglow’s mind struggled back to consciousness hearing the demon’s cry of pain, a short distance away. Never before had she heard of anyone interrogating a creature from the Abyss.

  “You will tell me what has happened to the other Antitheus!”

  A deep rasping voice,
unused to speech, spoke beyond Moonglow’s vision.

  “This was not a part of the Pact between us, Acolyte.”

  “ADFLICTIO!”

  RRROOOAAARRR

  As the priestess released the seal of punishment, the demon’s shriek of agony ended as fast as it had begun.

  “Then tell me about the brethren that traveled with my Sisters. What have become of them?”

  GWAK GWAK GWAK

  Moonglow decided that the horrid gulping sounds coming from the creature could only be laughter.

  “They have all been returned to the Abyss.”

  The priestess’s sharp hiss gave Moonglow sudden hope. Demons only returned to the Abyss when they were destroyed or banished. Maybe her pups would survive this night yet. Somehow, she had to stay conscious if she were going to have a chance to save her daughters.

  “What do you mean they were all returned? Did your brethren betray my Sisters?” Clenching her fist before her, the priestess hissed at the top of her lungs. “Tell me now!”

  “ADFLICTIO!”

  RRROOOAAARRR

  Only the demon’s heavy panting could be heard as the priestess released the seal of punishment. Hoarsely, the rasping voice continued once more.

  “One of my brethren did break the covenant.” Enraged, the priestess raised her fist into the air as the creature hurriedly continued. “Only because the Acolyte that held him had become too weak to control the hunger.”

  The priestess’s fist paused as she considered the demon’s words.

  “And the other?”

  “The other was destroyed by those that you seek.”

  Concern flashed across the priestess’s face.

  “What do you know of Sister Dyniessus?”

  “The brethren that served her was sent back from here Acolyte.”

  This time the priestess did not hesitate as her clawed hand clenched into a fist.

  “ADFLICTIO!”

  RRROOOAAARRR

  The priestess’s hand waved, once again stopping the infliction of pain. Before she could ask her next question, the demon bellowed in fury.