Overrun Read online

"And what about those in the bunkers?!” Tuttle’s temper flashed hotly. “Where his goddamn daughter most likely is. Is that what everything has come to? Are you really going to do it? Kill all those he was with?”

  “If they were above ground in the city and not down there, they would have been dead already. Orders for their sacrifice and the thousands of those like them were already given a long time ago. Before Kirken ever set foot in that city.”

  “That doesn’t make it right,” Tuttle said his stomach hitting the floor.

  “What’s right is finishing what was started. That is what makes these sacrifices justified.”

  “It can’t be,” Tuttle said softly mostly only to himself. “None of this can be justified now. It never can be.”

  “General Tuttle,” Faulken said matching Tuttle’s stare along the ground. “What you now need to do is reacquire contact and send him back out.”

  “He won’t go. Not now. Not without his daughter. Especially not if he finds her dead.”

  “He will meet her same fate if he returns,” Faulken’s voice was now cold. “We risk internal uprising if what is known by Kirken and those in that city ever got out. If word of it spreads, the country will divide. Opposition, war, chaos will mount against this government. Against everything that has been put into motion and designed. Everything will fall apart.”

  "That’s because it should," Tuttle returned quietly. “God knows it should.”

  "Send Kirken back out. Immediately. There is no reason to tell him anything. Just send him. It will all be over before he ever finds out."

  Tuttle stared long and hard at the man before him. He felt the skin below his eyes sag as if it would go all the way to his knees.

  "General, the fate of the world rests on the outcome of this war. We are at the brink of the worst crisis this country has ever seen. The Beam Cannon Hardware in Science Dome 15 must be protected at all costs. The future of the Earth depends on that. Sacrifices must be made to ensure its secrecy and security are maintained."

  Tuttle again sensed Piper's posture stiffen behind him.

  "Commander Kirken is to be kept from returning to those bunkers," Faulken finished. "Dispatch him at once to the next target. It soon will not be possible for the J.G.U. to continue its control. We will launch an air and ground offensive at the proper time and wipe this godforsaken city from the face of this planet before anyone discovers the location of the dome.”

  Tuttle whirled around and grabbed the closest thing to him, the crew’s new coffeemaker, on a stand near his desk. It sailed with his newfound fury across the room where it smashed into a million pieces against the wall. Hot coffee splattered about the room. The shattered remains of the coffee pot fell softly to the ground.

  A steaming puddle of the spilled liquid formed near Faulken's shoes.

  Tuttle glared into Faulken’s eyes. Jagged breaths seared in and out of his throat.

  “This can not happen,” his voice rasped. “Not like this. I will not allow it to happen like this. You do what you need to do. But it will not happen like this.”

  “General Tuttle,” Faulken spoke very slowly. "None of this is for you to or not to allow. You have an order directly from the President of the United States to continue as planned. Refusal to obey these orders can and will result in your court martial and removal from command. In a state of war such as we find ourselves in now, charges such as these can lead to execution. Execution for treasonous acts. I swear it to you personally, Tuttle. It will happen. I will make you die a pathetic disgrace.”

  Tuttle wedged his fists tightly together at his sides.

  "If the existence and activities of the Vulture squads and Plan Zero become known to the American public either within or outside the domes, the country will divide and the J.G.U. will quickly destroy us.”

  Tuttle did not move or speak.

  "General, despite this conversation, I am comfortable in allowing you to continue command. I believe that in this fight we need and must have the effort of every last good man. I believe you are a good man. Good men make the correct choices, and we will save this country."

  Tuttle looked away from Faulken and dropped his eyes to the ground. The whites behind them still hotly burned.

  "I want contact with Kirken reestablished before nightfall. Get him going to the next target. Immediately.”

  Faulken turned to walk out the door. Before he walked completely out, he stopped to speak one last time. He kept his back to Tuttle and his face towards the outside of the room.

  "Tuttle,” Faulken then turned slightly around. “Remember what you are here for. What you protect. You are here to defend a way of life here in the United States. A whole new world will come to be with this technology you have been entrusted to protect. Those in that city, in all our cities, would choose to die for that. And so would you. When it's over, those people will be known for what they've done."

  With that, Faulken walked quietly out.

  Tuttle leaned wearily against a wall while his men began to file back into the command room. He stayed there for a long time inhaling deeply and trying to calm his tortured mind and soul.

  He walked slowly back to his large office window. Leaning his face against the glass, he gazed at the monitor screens across the command room.

  "See if you can locate, Kirken," he said to his communications chief standing behind him.

  Like Faulken, Piper turned and left the room.

  Chapter 18

  "How long are we going to stay down here?" a timid voice brought Mel from her thoughts.

  She looked over at the small boy whose arm she had bandaged. It had been almost an hour since she had put him down on a rickety cot and covered him with dusty blankets. She sat on a stool by his side. Through vacant eyes she kept vigil over him while he slept, absorbed completely in the terror of her own thoughts.

  "Are we going to stay down here forever?" he asked innocently. Mel smiled at the slight pressure with which he squeezed her hand. "And hide from everyone that’s up above?"

  "No, sweetie,” she sniffed and ran her sleeves across her tear-soaked eyes. "Not forever. It won’t be forever. We won’t be down here forever.”

  “You know it would be o.k.,” the boy said somberly and lowered his own eyes to the ground. “I don’t think I’d mind it if we would be down here forever.”

  “Forever’s a long time, sweetheart,” Mel said wiping her face one last time with the back of her hand. “I promise you it won’t be that long.”

  Mel stood slowly from her stool and gently held the boy's hand. Leading him slowly behind her, they walked to the large door separating the bunker from the outside corridor. He hesitated slightly when she tried to walk him out.

  “It’s alright,” she said softly. “It’s alright. We can go out here. We’ll be alright…at least for a little while. We need to wait for someone.”

  “Who are we waiting for? Somebody coming from back above?”

  “Yes. They’re coming from above. My dad and brother. They’ll both be back here very soon.”

  The boy then stopped suddenly, but didn’t let go of her hand. He clung to it tightly and stepped in closer to her side.

  Mel looked down at his stony expression sickened at what thoughts were now most likely racing through his head. Images of the fate of the father he never mentioned. Thoughts of his mother most likely shot in front of him and lying dead somewhere in the heat and dust above.

  “Honey, it’s going to be o.k.,” she said struggling to ignore her own thoughts and choke back her tears.

  She tried to walk him further out into the corridor.

  “Come on,” she said. “Come with me. It’ll be alright. We’ll only wait for them for a little bit. A little bit and they’ll be here. I promise. You’ll see.”

  They turned a corner, and the corridor around them became even more dark. He grasped her hand tighter in the murky gloom and stood close to her by her side. The skin of his hand felt cold against hers. His grip was the on
ly sign of his presence in the blackness surrounding them. He didn’t utter a word.

  Mel strained her eyes to see further into the smothering shadows ahead. She tried to pick through the faint sounds coming gently from within for any sign of Brandon and her father’s return.

  The young boy’s grip became harder around her hand. Mel looked down only to see the frightened whites of his eyes while they continued to walk.

  They took a few more steps and then stopped. The sounds had become slightly louder. They were still very quiet, but they were now more distinct.

  In a quick flash of mind-numbing terror, she knew they did not come from Brandon or her father. She took in two shallow gasps and fought hard to keep the panic away.

  Without saying a word, she slowly turned around and gently led the boy back the way they had come down the corridor. Not letting go of her hand, he followed obediently after her.

  In a few short minutes, they covered the return distance back to the bunker. They were almost to the door when Mel felt a strange and disconcerting feeling starting to settle about. She whirled her head around in the darkness. She felt like she was stepping out of her body and entering a terrifying dream.

  Her heart pounded, and sweat rolled down her slender neck. More noises came from the dark up the corridor near the bunker door. She reached down and put her arms around the boy's shoulders to stop his walk.

  They stood at the center of the passage and strained their eyes to see into the shadows ahead. She prayed to learn the secrets they kept hidden within.

  Short seconds later, she wished she hadn't prayed so hard.

  * * *

  They came quickly and effortlessly through the dim corridors. They moved through the gloom like ghosts slipping in and out of the dark.

  Vulture Squad Member Scott Hartinson stepped quietly through the passageway. Matt W. Kastoric, another member of the demolition squad, walked silently at his side.

  Hartinson couldn’t see Kastoric through the darkness, but he could hear his steady breaths. And he felt the man’s shoulders holding his weapon tautly ahead of him brush lightly against the side of his arm. Their team followed close behind. They had been traveling through the underground tunnels for the better part of the day.

  They turned another corner. Everything was pitch black. Another ten steps and they would be at the target. The “target” was all it was called. No one discussed much further what in fact it actually was.

  Hartinson reached over and grabbed Kastoric’s arm signaling him to stop. When he did, Kastoric raised his weapon out into the dark while Hartinson crouched down and pulled out a very small dim light.

  “We’re here,” he whispered quickly unfolding and refolding a rough schematic they were able to obtain of the winding tunnels.

  He turned around on his haunches and clicked the thin beam twice behind. When he did, the rest of the team made their approach and fanned out along the sides of the wall.

  Hartinson slowly stood while they prepared.

  Setting the explosives would take about an hour. An hour to do it up and get it done right. He took a deep breath and signaled Kastoric to follow him straight ahead. Slowly, they moved side-by-side further down the corridor. Both tried hard to not think about what it was they were there to do.

  * * *

  When she saw them, she felt her heart stand still and her blood run cold. She gulped in a panicked breath and covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the noise.

  She also gently cupped a hand over the boy’s mouth and pulled him back with her into the shadows. She held him in close and did her best to swallow her horrified screams.

  Except for his hurried breath against her skin, the boy felt dead in her arms. He didn't move. He didn't talk. All he did was breathe.

  * * *

  Hartinson and Kastoric stood in the murky blackness while their team went to work setting the explosives along the wall. With weapons raised and fingers tensed, their hearts hammered hard in the silent gloom.

  “Preset near complete,” Hartinson heard someone whisper through the tiny receiver wedged in his ear. “We’re almost done. Demo team prepare to fall back. We’re about to let it go.”

  * * *

  The two soldiers were close. Almost right on top of them. They were so close, she could have easily reached out and placed a hand on either one of their arms.

  * * *

  “Team, stand clear,” the voice whispered again in Hartinson’s ear. Tapping him twice on his left shoulder, he motioned Kastoric to follow him further ahead into the corridor. He could hear the soft footsteps of the rest of the team retreating back the other way.

  “Stand. And clear,” the voice said again.

  Hartinson and Kastoric turned a corner, crouched down and covered their heads with their hands.

  “Let it go.”

  And then the dark corridor lit up like it was the middle of the day. The boom from the explosives thundered hard across their ears.

  * * *

  Choking back her sobs and tears, Mel watched the spreading fires from the exploded bunkers and the two soldiers moving slowly away from them. Even in the bright light of the blast, the soldiers did not see them. Not even once did they cast an eye their way.

  The boy remained motionless next to her. His eyes were open wide and unblinking as he watched the mammoth flames.

  * * *

  Hartinson and Kastoric trudged slowly back with their weapons now hung loosely at their sides. A few people inside had made their way out but collapsed in the flames before they got too far past the ruined bunker door.

  Hartinson looked away and tried to concentrate on the transmission signal coming from the receiver in his ear.

  “No apparent detection from outside. Begin the fallback. Hartinson. Kastoric. Bring us back the other way.”

  Hartinson and Kastoric started to walk by the bunker when something flashed out at them from the flames.

  Whatever it was cracked hard against the side of Kastoric’s skull knocking him down to the ground. Hartinson ran quickly over and stood protectively over him. He raised his weapon into the flaming passageway and crouched down across Kastoric who was sprawled out on his back.

  “Fuck,” Kastoric yelled loudly while writhing dazedly around. His voice was barely audible over the loud crackling flames. He rolled over onto his side and tried to pick himself back up to his feet.

  “Command Leader, Command Leader,” Hartinson spoke quickly and quietly into the transmitter around his neck. “Man down. And we’ve got one loose.”

  “You, o.k.?” Hartinson asked crouching down close to Kastoric’s chest while still training his assault weapon out into the flaming corridor. The heat building up in the enclosed passage was now starting to burn uncomfortably about his neck.

  “Roger,” a transmitted voice answered quickly back. “Confirm. Man down and one on the loose. What’s his condition?”

  “Fuck!” Kastoric screamed louder this time. He moved his feet from a section of the corridor floor now on fire from the blast and looked at the blood he had just wiped from the back of his neck. “Goddamn fuck!”

  The three-foot metal pipe that had been slammed into his head rested against his leg near his knee.

  “Hurt. But not injured. Preparing to go again now.”

  “Copy that. Take up pursuit. Return to the front to lead us back out when you’re through.”

  “Copy,” Hartinson responded while grabbing Kastoric by the gear across his chest and hauling him back to his feet.

  Kastoric winced and pressed at the back of his neck. He reached down and picked his weapon up from the flaming ground.

  “Fuck,” he said one more time and shook his head trying to clear away the bright blurry spots in front of his eyes.

  He kicked the pipe through the doorway of the burning bunker before turning and following Hartinson down the passage.

  * * *

  Mel’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the soldier closest to them crumple and
fall. The man that had hit him quickly dropped the pipe and darted toward them. She tried to press herself and the boy as far back into the shadows as she could hoping he would just run by.

  But it was too late. By the light of the raging flames, he had already seen them. He sprinted over and soon stood above them.

  “C’mon, c’mon,” he whispered loudly and grabbed the boy by his arm.

  Paralyzed for the moment by incredulousness and fear, Mel allowed the man to pull the boy from her grip. She stretched her arms out to reach for him but her legs didn’t allow her to get up.

  The man gripped the boy’s arm tightly and pulled him roughly after him down the corridor. The boy gave out a shriek when Mel didn’t follow after them. He flailed his arms back towards her, but the man scooped him up and carried him frantically away into the darkness.

  Looking back towards her with scared frightened eyes, the boy pleaded for her to follow. But Mel still couldn’t get her body to rise up. She could barely move.

  “No, not that way," she found herself trying to yell after them. Desperate tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. “Please not that way. We have to go above. We have to go above if we want to get out.”

  “No!” the man yelled hysterically back trying to hold the frightened squirming boy against his chest. “They’re all over up there…we have to stay down here!”

  His voice trailed off as he ran further away. Mel chased after him into another winding passage. But she couldn’t keep up, and he soon disappeared from view.

  She was about to call out again when one of the soldiers appeared behind her.

  She stopped in her tracks and her breath fell short. The soldiers hadn’t seen her yet and steadily approached. She took a step back and tried to wedge herself into the darkest part of the corridor wall.

  The soldiers soon reached her. The first stopped about two feet in front of where she stood. The other moved up just along her side. He was so close she could hear his breath moving quickly in and out.

  Mel closed her eyes and tried to will her thundering heart to be quiet and still.

  * * *

  Their ragged breaths and heavy steps echoed through the darkened corridor. The light from the flames was starting to fall far behind.