“I’m sorry, people were dying out there. We were under attack. We didn’t have weapons. We couldn’t fight, Donny. I’m sorry. You think I wanted to run like a chickenshit? We barely made it out of there,” pleaded Lee.

  Donny looked to Ross and could see him nodding in agreement with his brother.

  “They did well to get out of there. Can’t have been a walk in the park.”

  “I know, but it’s hard, you know? All this training I’ve been through, to go and fight where my country needed me. I never thought it would be right here, at home, you know?”

  “None of us could have seen this coming,” replied Ross sympathetically.

  Donny looked over Ross’ shoulder to his brother once more. He didn’t need to say a word. The apology and acceptance was in his eyes. He’d let his temper get the best of him, and that was why he was glad to have Ross there. A calm voice of reason in the worst of times he’d ever known.

  “This thing, it’s a machine,” said Kim.

  In the time they’d been arguing, she’d carried on the investigation Donny had started. She’d lifted off the top of the soldier’s steel skull. Inside were mechanical and electronic component parts.

  “So, a drone?”

  “Not like anything we’ve seen, Bobby. Don’t you think we’d know if this kind of tech was available?” Ortiz asked.

  “If one of our enemies had been planning this for some time, who knows what they could have been hiding.”

  “So you do know a little bit about machines, Max,” Ross smiled.

  Kim nodded. “I don’t think it’s a drone. Maybe it has some means to communicate, but I don’t think it’s being controlled remotely.”

  “So what are you saying? That this thing thinks and acts on its own?” Donny asked.

  “I’m saying it’s a soldier like you, it just isn’t biological.”

  “That is some serious tech you’re talking about, way beyond the mechanics of it all. You’re talking artificial intelligence!” Ortiz yelled.

  “Not necessarily. A programme could run a soldier like this. Something sophisticated, of course. But with parameters and simple order functions, I guess it could work.”

  “You’re saying you’ve seen things like this before?” Ramos asked.

  “Sure, but in testing for equipment that we might see in ten, twenty, maybe thirty years. It’s all possible. We just aren’t there yet.”

  “And who in the world is? If we don’t have it, who does?”

  “Don’t underestimate the world, Donny. I doubt you’ve even seen enough of it to really know what it’s like,” replied Ross.

  Ortiz laughed at the not so subtle burn. Donny didn’t look impressed, yet knew it was largely true.

  “So some other country cooks up a robot army, and this is the first we hear of it? No way, I don’t believe it.”

  Ross shrugged.

  “He’s right. It’s all pretty far-fetched.”

  “Yeah, it is. But have you got a better explanation for all this?”

  Kim went blank, realising she didn’t even have another theory. Ross slumped down near the body of their enemy, and they all took a breather, trying to understand what it is they were going through. It was almost too much for most of them.

  “It’s crazy, all of it,” said Lee.

  “He’s not wrong,” added Kim.

  “I don’t get it, what are we dealing with here? Why are they even here?”

  Donny looked to Kim as the last one to have entered the town’s area.

  “Don’t look at me. Ask him.” She pointed to Ross.

  Donny didn’t look convinced.

  “Seriously?” Kim went on, “A team of the most highly trained Special Forces operators turns up in a small town, and you don’t think that’s odd?”

  Donny nodded in agreement.

  “It is odd. For all we know you brought these things here,” added Lee.

  “You arrived right in the middle of this,” Emma joined in.

  “Not before you, Donny,” replied Ortiz.

  “We were sent in to die, and you were sent when which ever idiot planned this realised he’d screwed up!”

  “What? You knew these things were here? That we were under attack?” Lee shouted.

  Ross shook his head as the arguments raged on. Ortiz was his usual fiery self, and Ramos tried to calm the situation down.

  “Enough!” Burns roared.

  It was enough to silence them all for a moment.

  “This ain’t doing us any good. Not one bit. So whatever you think someone else might have done, forget it. All that matters right now is us figuring out how we are gonna go forward.”

  “And if they’re the reason for all of this?”

  “You really think they are, Emma? These guys came here to do a job. They just ended up in the same shit as the rest of us. And we’d be a damn sight worse off without them.”

  Donny didn’t look convinced. He was still furious at the loss of his team.

  “Something you want to say, say it,” said Ross sternly.

  Donny looked to his brother, who simply nodded.

  “All right. These things that attacked our town, did you have anything to do with them?”

  “No.”

  “Did you know they were here?”

  “Nope.”

  “Is there anything you know that you haven’t shared with us?”

  Ross took a deep breath. He didn’t much like being put on such scrutiny or having to justify himself, but he owed it to them.

  “We knew your team had lost contact or had gone missing. We also knew there were other reported incidents. Unexplained incidents. We’d just come off an op when we were sent to Wood Point.”

  “Why you?” Emma asked.

  “Because the rest of the teams were already deployed. We were all that was left.”

  “What did you expect to find here?” Burns asked.

  “Honestly? Nothing. There are incidents that get reported and don’t come to anything every day. Sure, the communications loss was a concern, but with the volatile weather we’ve seen lately, that could be explained.”

  “You weren’t expecting a fight?”

  “Hell, no, Donny. You think we’d have rolled up in a couple of Suburbans if we thought we were entering a war zone?”

  “So, you’re just as in the dark as the rest of us?” Burns asked.

  “That’s not exactly good news,” said Lee.

  “That’s it? Everyone’s caught up? Everyone is up to speed?”

  “Unless you have anything else to add, Kim?” replied Ross.

  “I wish I did. This is as crazy for me as the rest of you. I intercepted UFOs and engaged them. I fought a good fight, but we were outclassed up there. Outclassed in what is supposed to be the most advanced fighter the world has ever seen.”

  “So we’re all in the shit?”

  “Yep, Lee, that’s about it.”

  “So, what now?” Ramos asked.

  “The town. At the school they were rounding people up. Maybe they didn’t kill them? That thing seemed to want us to surrender. So maybe people are still alive back there?”

  “And, what are we supposed to do about it?”

  “Something, Miles. Anything. We have to go back there and help,” pleaded Lee.

  “Son, we can barely keep ourselves alive,” said Martin Burns.

  “But, you’re a teacher. You’re supposed to look out for us?”

  He looked away as the guilt trip was working, and Lee moved on to Ross.

  “Please. We have friends and family back there. We need your help. Your team, you’re made for this.”

  “We’ve been into town, and nearly got our asses blown off!” Ortiz yelled.

  “Yeah? And how do you think it’s gonna be for the folk down there? They aren’t soldiers with all your hardware.”

  “We are one team that carries out specialist jobs. We can’t fight a war alone,” replied Ramos.

  “Neither can the people in town.”

  They were at loggerheads, and both sides turned to Ross for a resolution. He looked pained to be put in the situation.

  “I know this sucks, and if this was my town, I’d want to go down there and kick ass, too. But we have to put our emotions aside and be smart about this.”

  “So, you won’t help?”

  “If the folk in Wood Point are dead, then there is nothing we can do.”

  “And if they are prisoners?”

  “Then we have time, Donny. We do this in our own time. We play it smart.”

  “And if they don’t have that much time?” Lee demanded.

  “I don’t know what else I can tell you. You’re lucky to be alive. We all are. But that won’t last if we ride into town looking for trouble. Face it. The town is lost.”

  “Then what do we do? Try and get out of here?” Kim asked.

  “The canyon is blocked. The only way out is by air, or on foot,” replied Ramos.

  “Get out of here? This is our home. We can’t just leave it, and everyone still down there!”

  Ross looked to Donny and could see he felt the same way as his brother.

  “I told you, we aren’t an army. We can’t fight an entire war by ourselves.”

  “Except you aren’t alone.”

  “So, Kim, you’re with them?”

  “I thought we were all on the same side?”

  “Right now we have no idea what is going on outside of this place. We need to reach out, find out what the hell is going on. See what the country is facing.”

  “And get help?”

  “If we can, Lee.”

  “What do you mean if? We’ve got the most powerful army on Earth.”

  “Yeah, and if we’re dealing with this much trouble in a small town, how do you think it is around the cities?”

  “You think it’s that widespread?” Burns asked.

  “I think if it wasn’t, somebody would have come looking for us by now.”

  “Then we go looking. See what and who we can find. Who can help, and who needs help,” added Burns.

  Chapter 3

  The Tuckers' truck screeched as they took a bend. Burns and Kim were in the back with packs on their backs, ready for a trek. Ramos and Dunn sat at the tailgate on the lookout.

  "Don't make me regret this," said Kim.

  "You're the best person to get out there and make contact."

  "Really? I fly for a living. I don't do ground work," she replied with a smile.

  "These boys are needed where they are, we'll do just fine," said Burns.

  "You serve?" Ramos asked.

  "Fifteen years in the Corps."

  "Yeah? You don't seem stubborn enough."

  "Spend long enough in Wood Point, and that'll do it. That's why I came here."

  He tried to smile, but it was clear there was a story behind his statement, and sincerity in his voice.

  "We're gonna get your town back, you get that, right?"

  There was a deathly silence.

  "Right?" Kim asked Ramos.

  "That's a promise he can't make," said Burns solemnly.

  She looked to the soldier; surprised to see he was in agreement.

  "What are you talking about? You've got this, right? This is what you’re here for?"

  "We came to investigate, and extract a unit if necessary. I like to think we prepare for anything, but nothing could have prepared us for this."

  "So what are you saying?"

  "That they're out of their depth. We all are," added Burns.

  "What? No, that's imposs..."

  She stopped. He was right.

  "I thought all that was a story to tell those kids?"

  "No, Ma'am, things are as bad as they seem. Maybe worse than you realise."

  She slumped back down. Her face was pale, and she looked distraught. Ramos was shaking his head, wishing he hadn't given it to her so straight.

  "It's all right. We all need the truth sometimes," said Burns.

  "So you really are out of your depth?" Kim asked with a shaky voice.

  He didn't need to say a word. The answer was all over his face.

  "What will you do, then?"

  "We'll do what we always do. Fight, and find a way to win." Ramos sounded surprised she even had to ask.

  "You think we can reach the next town?" Kim asked Burns.

  "Sure. I've walked it a dozen times."

  The truck drew to a close at the same dead end Ross and his team had come across when they tried to skip town. Burns leapt out quickly, but she hesitated.

  "You'll probably be a damn sight safer where you're going than where we are," insisted Ramos.

  "He's right. These boys are gonna raise hell, and bring it all right down on top of them, too. Not that they shouldn't," replied Burns.

  He held out his hand to her, not that she needed it, but because she needed a friend. She was the only one among them who was alone among strangers. But she took it and leapt off the vehicle. Ramos handed her a rifle, a Kalashnikov from Miles' stash. She looked at the weapon and smiled.

  "A decade of training to take to the skies in the most advanced machines you could ever see, and this is what I am reduced to? Guerrilla tactics using Communist era equipment, who'd have thought it?"

  "It's not the gear that does the job. It can help. But in the end it's down to what's up here," Ramos pointed to his head, "Whoever these assholes are, we are gonna deal with them. You think the whole country is just gonna lay down and take this? We've already proven they aren't untouchable. I bet you'll find plenty of folk fighting back, civilians, too. There are strong folk in this country, and they'll fight for what is there's. This town you're heading to, I bet you're gonna see some of that there. We aren't the only ones fighting this, I promise you."

  "You promise what you cannot know. You've lost contact out of this valley. You don't know any more than the rest of us."

  "I don't need to see it to know that people out there are fighting back. Generations have fought to keep this country safe, and that ain't gonna change any time soon."

  "You've got a lot of faith in people."

  "I've got a lot of faith in our people. I'll see you in a couple of days. Take it easy out there, and don't go looking for trouble. We need info and communications. You aren't going out there to hunt, you hear me?"

  "We got this, don't you worry," Burns slung his trusty bolt-action rifle onto his back.

  "What are you gonna do now?" Kim asked Ramos.

  "Our job is to fight, and we're gonna find a way to do that. Those kids believe there are survivors from town, and it's our job to do what we can to keep them alive."

  "Your job? Based on what? Those weren't your orders."

  "Orders mean nothing out here. Wood Point, it might as well be my hometown. I'd want to think whoever happens upon my town they'd help out in any way they could, too."

  "You have family in whatever that town is?"

  "Sure, my wife."

  "You think she'll..."

  "She'll be fine."

  Kim knew there was no point pressing any further. None of them were getting out of there anytime soon.

  "Good luck," said Ramos.

  "And to you, too."

  They left without another word. The engine roared at their backs, but they didn't look back to see their new friends vanish into the distance. It was soon awfully quiet. Eerily quiet as they began their trek. They started to ascend steep ground with no clearly defined track.

  "You really know where you're going?"

  "Sure. It's not the journey that bothers me. It's what we're gonna find at the other end."

  "Why? What do you think we'll find?"

  "I've no idea. That's the problem."

  "This thing, this attack. It could be localised, an isolated incident."

  "You really believe that?"

  "No, but I can hope, can't I? What's the alternative? That our country is overrun, and we're on our own?"

  "We don't know much yet, but I intend to find out," Burns said, trying to reassure her.

  "Those kids back there, they seem to respect you."

  "I'm a teacher at their school."

  She smiled.

  "And I bet you’re a real hardass."

  "Damn right, I am. These kids don't need coddling. They need to know what life is going to throw at them. Prepare them for the hardships, the obstacles, the pain."

  "Is that what life is for you?"

  He was taken aback for a moment, surprised to have the topic brought back to him. The subject he least liked to talk and dwell on.

  "It was, until I came here. Wood Point, it's a paradise."

  "Really?" Kim laughed.

  "Okay, so there are no sandy beaches and cocktail bars. But it's an honest town with good people. Bad things don't really happen here. Well they didn't anyway. The people around here, they're good. They aren't the most complex folk, but that's a good thing you know."

  "I get it, I really do. I've thought about leaving it all behind sometimes. Get a small piece of land somewhere quiet."

  "Why haven't you?"

  "Because I'm not done yet. I was born to fly, born to fight up there. Don't get me wrong. I had to work my ass off to get here."

  "And you think that's how we're born? Destined for some particular path?"

  "Maybe, sure."

  "So you think I was destined to be a Marine? Destined to go to war?"

  "Maybe you were always meant to be a teacher."

  He frowned for a moment, and yet he could see the sincerity on her face.

  "And then I'd never have been ready for whatever this disaster is, would I?"

  "I think maybe you got it ass backwards."

  "Really?"

  "You think the things you've seen and done and lived through. You think they were a mistake. But they've made you who you are today. Those years in the Corps, they have shaped the kind of teacher you are, haven't they? Emma told me when her boyfriend went missing you were the only one who really took her seriously. Isn't that right?"

  He groaned in agreement.

  "And that you were the one that went looking for him, alone? That you saved her brother, too."

  "I wouldn't go that far."

  "Her words, not mine. So, how many other teachers were out here trying to do good by her?"

  He shrugged.

  "The Corps didn't break you. You didn't run away to become a teacher. It built you to be who you are today."

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23