Royal Hues of Blue: Book One

by Greg Gotti

  One significant complication was the strict prohibition of any sort of powered flight in the zones. American cruise missiles would be launched to take down absolutely any aircraft picked up on radar. It was the one thing the American government still strictly enforced. When the timers went off in Facility 4 and its Soona counterpart, the explosions had to be simultaneous for the plan to work; otherwise, the helicopters would be detected and shot down. He sighed and turned away from the displays. There was no turning them off or delaying them. He had a little over a half hour to find a way to free his people and be in the air before the charges detonated.

  Just another day at the office, he thought.

  John watched as the chopper carrying his son flew off towards the golden horizon in the east as his own turned towards the south. Both choppers flew just a few feet above the treetops to avoid radar. John had nothing to compare it to, but Williams assured him this was a specially made helicopter that made very little noise compared to normal models. The Ristas would not be able to hear them unless they were almost directly overhead. As long as they avoided visual detection, they should arrive at the rendezvous with no problems. John sat in the back of the chopper while Schwarz sat next to Tex up front. Two M60 machine guns stood ready, one at each door, to fight off anyone who gave them trouble. Tex had said this chopper came equipped with something called “missiles” that could destroy an enemy aircraft, but he said it wasn’t enemy helicopters or planes they had to worry about. He said there were missiles the enemy could fire from very far away, and they’d never see them coming; they’d just be flying along one second and blown away the next. He’d said it with a laugh, but John didn’t see why that was funny. He looked out the window to his left where the sun was preparing to climb over the top of the distant mountains and wondered what else was out there he had no idea about.

  He felt like a fool as he thought about how sure he had been about the cause he was fighting for all those years. He had been willing to die for that cause; only to find out it didn’t actually exist. Nothing made sense to him anymore. He was through with war and death and causes. He had seen enough of these things to last a dozen lifetimes. He didn’t want to see anymore. Before he could walk away, he needed to complete one final mission. He needed to go save the woman who had saved him. She had saved him in so many ways, and he would get her out of here no matter what it cost him. They had a child to raise now. He wanted to be together with her and their son more than he wanted anything in the world. In fact, it was the only thing he wanted.

  “So what do you think of flying?” Williams asked as he leaned over and half-shouted the words over the sound of the rotors.

  “Flying is just fine,” John replied with a nervous laugh. “It’s these ‘missiles’ I don’t like.”

  “Oh, don’t listen to Tex; he’s just having some fun with you. They’re not going to shoot any missiles at us.”

  “Those aren’t real?”

  Williams laughed. “No, they’re definitely real, but they have to be looking for you to even know where you are in the first place, and they aren’t. And even if they were, their radar can’t pick us up flying this low.”

  John shook his head in confusion. “Okay, what’s ‘radar’?”

  “Radar is basically waves they send into the air to see planes and stuff. The waves hit the planes and bounce back; this tells them where the planes are, and they can shoot missiles at them if they want to. It doesn’t work this low to the ground. Relax,” Williams said with a reassuring smile.

  John smiled back and actually did relax a bit. He trusted Williams. He might be the only one he did fully trust, and he needed someone he could believe in right now. He rubbed his eyes with his fingertips, and Williams put a hand on his shoulder.

  “You okay, John?”

  “I’m just a bit overwhelmed. I’ve spent the last year living underground. A few hours ago, Martinez takes me outside through a hidden tunnel, I find out Maria is alive, and I have a son. Now, I am in a flying machine going on a secret operation. I feel like it’s all just this big dream. It’s like I don’t even know which way is up now.”

  “I get it, man,” Williams said. “You find out the whole world isn’t what you thought it was, and you start questioning everything. That’s exactly what I went through. I got back to America, and they acted all happy to see me at the borderland center. They took me inside, gave me a hot meal and a shower; gave me clothes and a bed to sleep in. It wasn’t until I realized they weren’t letting me leave the building that it sunk in: I was being held. Someone was on their way to come get me, and something told me I wasn’t ever going to come out of wherever they took me. I don’t know how I knew; I just knew. I acted nonchalant and oblivious, but when nobody was paying attention, I slipped out the door and into the yard where everyone was going about their business. I was looking for a vehicle to steal when this guy comes up and tells me I needed to go with him if I ever wanted to see my family again. What choice did I have? I was in the middle of nowhere, and what was I going to do if I did manage to escape? So I get into the back of a truck, and this guy drives me away from the border to a spot in the desert somewhere. That’s where Tex flew in and picked me up. I’ve been with the resistance ever since.”

  “This radar… it didn’t see your helicopter when Tex got you?”

  “No, he flew low, and there is also a hole programmed into the system by a resistance operative that allows us to fly through a narrow corridor undetected at certain times. The resistance is bigger than you’d think, John. We want to reunite our people and restore true freedom. We need to overthrow the whole corrupt system.”

  “I don’t care about anybody’s systems. I just want to get Maria and go someplace with our baby where everyone just leaves us alone.” John sounded cold and defeated as he stared blankly out the window, and Williams felt for him. He looked at the bushy-haired redhead in silence for a few moments before turning to look out his own window.

  “We will be there soon, John. We’ll get her; don’t worry.”

  John watched out the window. The treetops seemed like a sea of green just a dozen feet or so below them as they crossed the Arcangel River and headed into Rista territory. The sky overhead was completely clear; a canvass of blue upon which they would paint the events of this crucial day. It wasn’t that John didn’t care about the world; it was just a matter of perspective. To John, Maria was his world. He would bring her back with him, or he would die trying. He would not leave Rista territory without her; no matter what it cost him.

  Diego Fuentes stood watching Maria through the one-way glass as she sat at a table in Room 52 of Facility 4. He was still trying to process her being alive. He had believed her dead for so long. He had moved on and found comfort in the arms of some of the many women who threw themselves at him whenever he wasn’t on missions. Now, his fiancé sat before him wearing the clothing of the hated Soona and sipping a mug of hot coffee as she waited for him. He had freed her from her captors, and she would no doubt shower him with affection as soon as he entered the room. He was simply taking a minute to prepare himself for their reunion. Just hours ago, he had been roused from his sleep in the arms of another woman to come and deal with this situation. She had lamented his leaving, and he had assured her he would return. He knew he would break that promise now. Maria needed him, and he would make right all the pain and injustice the Soona had visited upon her. Vengeance could wait; however, waiting any longer to hold her could not. Fuentes opened the door and walked into the room with the strut of a conquering hero.

  Maria saw the door open as Fuentes entered the room. He had the perfect posture of a Special Forces soldier, and he flashed that dazzling, confident smile at her as he approached. Maria huddled over her coffee, keeping both hands tightly gripping the mug; hoping he would not try to touch her. He stood before her smiling. She felt her anxiety increasing rapidly, and she began to tremble. She hunched over the table and breathed deeply.

  “It’s okay, Maria
,” Fuentes said. “They can’t hurt you anymore. You’re safe here.”

  She said nothing as he put one hand on the table beside her and leaned in close.

  “My men are interrogating your captors as we speak. They will never lay a hand on you again. They will wish they’d never heard of you by the time we are finished with them. They are refusing to tell us anything, but that will not last long. They will tell us everything we want to know before too much time goes by. Did they hurt you? Did they touch you at all? I will break every finger they used to touch you if they did.”

  Maria said nothing. Tears began to stream down her face as she could no longer control the torrent of emotion she was feeling. Everything was just so overwhelming. The thought of her fiancé touching her was bad enough, but the thought of never seeing her beloved baby again was unbearable.

  Fuentes took her tears to be a confirmation that the men had molested her in some way, and he wrapped his arms around her as she broke out into sobs. He held her quietly for a few moments as he thought of the words he wanted to say. He felt his anger growing within him as she sobbed in his arms. He hugged her firmly but gently, and he could feel her almost melting into his strong embrace as she cried. She needed him to be strong for her right now, and he was determined to give her the strength she needed.

  Maria felt like she was going to smother as Fuentes wrapped himself around her. She went half-limp as she tried to hunch over farther to escape his touch, only to have him hug her tighter. The familiar scent of the musky deodorant he used filled her nostrils, and she felt a sense of nausea growing within her. Of all the places in the world she wanted to avoid, she found herself in the worst imaginable one.

  Fuentes realized she was waiting for him to say something comforting; something reassuring that would make her feel safe and protected. She had been apart from him for so long. He felt bad for her; knowing how badly she had to have missed him all this time. She had likely wondered if he had given her up for dead and moved on to someone else. He realized he would have to ensure none of his female companions ever had the chance to tell her they had consoled him during his time of grief. He had made women disappear before when they became a problem for him, so it wouldn’t really be an issue. What was important was making sure he was whatever Maria needed him to be. Her father was sure to guarantee his rise now. He would reunite him with his beloved daughter, and he would be a national hero for a second time. The thought made him smile.

  Maria needed him to get off her like a drowning woman needs air. She felt nauseous and began to have difficulty breathing. She didn’t care what happened to her, as long as he wasn’t touching her anymore. She felt herself gathering her strength and tensing up to lash out just as the door opened. Fuentes let go and stood up to whirl around and face the poor soul who had interrupted their reunion.

  “Excuse me, sir. I apologize for the intrusion, but Colonel Garcia is on the phone for you,” Diaz said with a cringe.

  “Thank you, sergeant. I will be there in a minute or two,” Fuentes said icily.

  “With all due respect, sir, he has called four times, and I already told him you just got back. He wants an update, sir.”

  Fuentes glared at him for a moment before taking a deep breath and exhaling. He knew the man was just doing his job. If it was that important, he would go give Garcia a report and get him off his back for a while.

  “Very well, sergeant, I will be right there.” Diaz nodded and hurried from the room; closing the door behind him as he left.

  Fuentes leaned over to look at Maria. Her tear-stained face was filled with something he couldn’t decipher, and he put a hand on her shoulder.

  “I won’t be long, my dear. Duty calls. Will you be alright waiting here until I am back?” he asked in a soft voice.

  Maria nodded quickly as relief washed over her, and Fuentes patted her on the shoulder before turning to the door.

  “I will be back in a few minutes. Don’t worry,” he said as he pulled the door closed behind him.

  Maria exhaled loudly and took a series of deep breaths. Her nausea was subsiding, and she felt her pulse slowing. He was gone, but he would be back. She needed to find a way to play along with him until she could make contact with her father. Until then, she simply had to survive. She didn’t know what that would entail, but she would rather throw herself off a cliff than have Diego take her to his bed. She would die before she allowed that. She bowed her head and began to pray.

  Martinez crept quietly down the secret passage built into Facility 4. Nobody else on-site knew of its existence, so he wasn’t worried about being discovered. He had set a timer on his watch to countdown in sync with the detonator timers, and he took a quick glance at it. Less than 17 minutes before this place was a massive fireball. His whole plan was in disarray now. He would simply have to act now and think later. He had to get Maria and his men out of there and off to the rendezvous, which they were never going to make in time now.

  He arrived at the back wall of the interrogation room and slid open the small access door. He saw Perez and Finkes with their wrists strapped to the armrests of their chairs, and syringes arranged on the table before them. Martinez knew immediately what that meant: They were being given the mindbender; a drug cocktail so powerful that it totally removed any semblance of free will. Within an hour or two, they’d tell them everything they wanted to know. But they didn’t have an hour or two. In a short time, they would all be dead, and so would he if he didn’t get Maria out of here in time.

  He hurried off to the communications center and slid open the small door. Fuentes was on the phone with someone and using the handset so Martinez could only hear his end of the conversation. He was speaking in a respectful tone, but his body language screamed impatience and annoyance.

  “Yes, Colonel… Yes, I understand. We will be ready for them… Yes, we have the equipment… Sir, of course we have trained with it. Respectfully, sir, we are the elite unit in the entire Federation… Sir, nobody is underestimating him. I am fully aware that he was Special Forces himself… Yes, sir, I will report back as soon as I am finished interrogating them… Oh, what time should we expect him, sir? We are just giving the drugs a chance to take effect… Okay, thank you, sir.”

  Fuentes placed the phone back in its cradle and described his feelings about his conversation with a stream of military-grade profanity as he left the room. Martinez slid the access door closed and hurried back to the interrogation room and slid the door open just as Fuentes walked in. Finkes and Perez were sweating profusely as they resisted the effects of the drug cocktail they’d been given. Martinez tried to think of a way he could get to Room 52 and free Maria while Fuentes was here, but there was no way to get there without having to pass the interrogation room. He doubted either of his men would be able to follow him out, even if he did manage to free them. As far as Martinez had been able to tell, the only people in the black level were Fuentes and four others. He might be able to use the element of surprise to take all of them out, if he had the time. But time was the one thing he didn’t have. He checked his watch again; twelve minutes and counting. He was going to have to do something soon.

  Fuentes leaned over to stare one of the perspiring men in the eye.

  “Do we really need to wait for the drug to take full effect before you tell me what I need to know?” Fuentes asked him. “We both know how this works. You are going to tell me everything I want to know regardless of how this plays out. The drug will rob of you your ability and even your desire to resist. Even if your training allows you to stave it off, the pain to follow will be too much. You will beg me to let you tell me everything. Why resist it, soldier? You were just following orders. If you help me, you can be back on duty in a matter of weeks.”

  Liar, Martinez thought. He knew they would be executed as traitors.

  “The woman you took prisoner in the exchange; do you know who she is?”

  Perez stared silently at him through his glazed eyes, and Fuentes smirked a
s he shook his head.

  “You really know how to dig your grave deeper, my friend. You made the mistake of choosing to take prisoner the very worst possible person in the entire Rista Federation. Why not cooperate with me? You were only following orders. You’ve done nothing wrong…so far. It is Martinez who has betrayed the Federation. Just tell me where to find him, and we can stop him from inflicting harm upon our people. Why be a prisoner when you can be a hero?” Fuentes smiled at Perez as he finished speaking. He studied him closely and saw no sign of receptiveness to his charm offensive. He stood up and gave an exaggerated sigh.

  “Well, how about your friend here? Maybe he is more of a patriot than you,” he said as he took a few steps and smiled at Finkes. “Do you even know who it is Martinez tricked you into holding at gunpoint? I am sure you are just an unknowing victim of his treachery. Why else would you be willing to rescue High General Rodriguez’s only daughter from the Soona and not bring her back here to a warm welcome that included her father?”

  Finkes’s eyes focused momentarily as he looked up at him, and Fuentes smiled warmly.

  “That’s right, my friend. You brought Maria Rodriguez back from the Soona; a woman we thought dead since last year. The High General should have been here to personally receive her, but Martinez had some duplicitous purpose in mind for her. Why else would he operate in such secrecy? He didn’t tell you, did he? Of course he didn’t. You’d have never gone along with it. So tell me… where is he now? Where is he going?”