“There is something out there that wants to kill you and me. It knows us, and can smell us. If we stay here, it’ll break in and hunt us down. When we leave, we’re dead. If you can still walk, follow me out.”
I gained my composure and fought to stand up. One step forward and I fell hard. I couldn’t make it, I was going to die, either way.
Grady lifted me up and carried my limp body like a sack of potatoes. He was always the brawn of our duo. Not able to see anything, I relied on my ears to inform me of the freighting happenings. Screams emitted from the cells all around us. The creature’s feet pounded at the stone floor, I almost mistook it for my heartbeat.
The ambient hallways, dark and damp, were frightening. And the creature toyed with us. Steps came from every direction, our heads in a constant twirl. I closed my eyes tighter, to avoid the pain in my vision. Grady was exhausted, and I knew if he had to carry me, it would be the end, for us both.
“Leave me, and find a way out!” Grady ignored me.
“Listen Sean, no one gets left behind! You saved Samantha’s life I now it’s my time to save yours, buddy.”
“No Grady, you listen to me! I’m as good as dead! … It’s been a good life and a long fight. Just put me down.”
I thought immediately of Sam. I did save her life, but I ruined theirs. I needed to be left behind, I needed to save my friend whom I betrayed. So I told him.
“Grady, I never told you about the night I saved Sam. I was confused, she was emotional and lonely. She didn’t know if you’d be back, neither did I. It happened one night, and then you showed at her doorstep the next. We promised we’d never tell. But we still love each other! Give me what I deserve, let me be, I’ll fend him off long enough. Just go. Go!
By this time we were in an unfamiliar place. Grady gently set me down; my wound was still bleeding. The screams were distant but still active and the creature was nowhere in sight. Perhaps it had stopped to munch on the prisoners. I wish I had been one of those prisoners. I would have chosen that fate over the look my best friend for nineteen years was giving me.
The light through a barred window half lit his face, his broken image, matched his heart. I couldn’t see it, but I felt it. He drew no tears, nor did speak. I pleaded with him to speak, he just turned his head, and walked away. I watched him round a corner not twenty feet away, then I heard it. A faint whimper.
Grady shot back around the corner, his feet making splashes. Before I knew it I was slammed against the wall just barely missing a jagged spike the protruded out.
“F#$k!” Grady shouted; I had never seen him like this. “No! Sh… ShShSh..Sean.. Not now! Why the f#$k did you have to tell me now? NOW!?”
“Because you need a reason to let me die. We’ve been the best of friends, and I f#$k it up, I f#$ked her. Now you have a reason, I said it, just let me redeem my life by saving yours. Please.”
I watched his eyes close. His head must have been spinning from the tortuous thought of his wife with his best friend. He fell flat on his face, passed out from sheer mental exhaustion. I felt a sudden rush of pain and fear when I heard footsteps approaching. I grabbed the lead pipe Grady had been carrying, and composed myself for a final stand. I saw one foot step around the corner.
The beast gracefully glided through the air and zipped at me and then seemed to move in slow motion. It had wings that appeared to be made of bone. It let out a piercing high pitched scream without opening his broad jaws. Blood gushed from all orifices of its face as it grinned a jagged grin. This was the end.
Grady laid face down, and pathetic. Without even thinking, I charged the beast. My fears subsided, and knew only that I would kill him. As we flanked toward each other, he seemed to grow smaller, though closer. My weakness faded with each step I ran, I grew calm, fierce. The beast charged on, and strong arms from his back gripped spears and hurled them at me. The animal was stunned at his inaccuracy, I picked up pace a slung my pipe to his neck. He howled and struck back, his wings slapped my aside, he was headed for Grady.
Grady snapped just as his training had taught him to. Just as the beast was about to behead him, there was a bright light and everything disappeared. There we stood fatigued and beaten… Grady had failed his training mission. We took off our sim helmets.
“What the heck is going on? The mission isn’t done yet! I’ve still gotta kill this scrawny mother******!” Grady was confused.
Professor Childs stepped from behind the plexy glass wall. “You cracked, Grady. You let Sean get to you.”
Sean looked to Grady. “I had to do it, man. It’s part of the training.”
“Sean, you said you slept with my wife! All you can say is ‘my bad, it was part of the training’?”
Prof. Childs interrupted, “Grady, that simulation only lasted 5 days. Imagine if it were the real thing.”
Grady had calmed down a bit. “Yeah, you kind of forget that it’s only a training simulation.”
Sean and Grady walked by the external module and saw the mess that became of both of them. The internal beast won, Grady’s training was definitely lacking.
Grady viewed the last frame of the sim, and walked away, disbelieving. I stayed and watched the end. The screen was still, but I saw the ending. I saw Grady, shredded, half of a man, defeated by the creature-beast. I approached the spoiling beast with his lead pipe and delivered a fatal blow to its neck, and it fell convulsing to the ground. The beast defeated, I drew a hidden pistol from my belt, eyes shut, and delivered a single shot into my skull.
I opened my eyes, and returned to the real world. I knew what the truth, and what I deserved. The simulation got the best of me and it was almost revealed. ‘How long?’, I thought. There was to be no end.
After a hot bath and a good meal, Grady and I found ourselves outside together.
“Can I bum a smoke?” I made it point to never have my own.
Grady didn’t offer the cigarette. “I didn’t know you were such a good actor.” Grady let out a puff of smoke effortlessly and stared straight forward, never making eye contact with me.
“Grady… Childs instructed me to wait until the fifth day of training and drop something big on you… I… “
Grady interrupted me. “What exactly happened back then, Sean? The day you saved Samantha’s life.”
“It’s a long story. Gr…….”
I was interrupted by the inquirer, “We’ve got time. I’ve never really heard it completely.”
“Well, 9/11. It’s scary to relive. The whole operation in WTC was scary to begin with. The corruption stealth, and power of the enemy made it tedious. We knew we all had to do our jobs, no matter what the costs. Dannnnit, you had to be the hero!?! It made it complicated. The building crashed, and we thought you were gone. We met back at hq that night. She was hysterical.”
Grady wasn’t impressed. “I’ve heard that part, Sean. Tell me what REALLY happened. Jesus, Sean… she’s never been the same since I came back.”
“There’s not much to tell. She was headed up the stairs when the first plane hit. We were on the 5th floor. The stair case collapsed, I caught her and jumped out the window with her in my arms. That’s all I really remember. A lot was going on and it was three years ago.”
“Sean, Samantha’s in the same business we are. She’s had all the same training and she’s had as many brushes with death as we have. Do you mean to tell me that my wife hasn’t been able to look at me the same way because of the story you just told me?”
“Hey, Grade,… why don’t you calm down a bit and let me bum that smoke?... Is that what this is about? I’ve been your best friend for nineteen years, Grady…”
“Sean, enough of the bullshpoop! You’ve given me a runaround story for 3 years, and I don’t want to say what I think happened.”
“What do you think happened Grade? The two people who cared more about you than anyone else in this world, thought for a moment they had lost you. We felt lost, we had no hope, we cried on each other. She was about to break down, and so was I . . . I guess you want to know why we didn’t look for you?” I searched the ground for a logical answer, it couldn’t be found in the dirt and stones. The truth had to be known, there couldn’t be another explanation. I stared Grady deep in the eyes, he knew, I just had to confirm his suspicions. “We h—“ Grady stopped my words.
“It’s quiet out here, Mike hasn’t made his rounds and we’ve been here for a good hald an hour.” Before he could start his next sentence, the flower pot next to him exploded from a shot, and the ricochet cracked a window behind us. I tackled Grady, and we rolled behind the cement picnic table. “We’ve got problems, Ditto’s back!”
I knocked over the table for cover. The thugs were omni present. They were everywhere, we had to move fast. Grady spoke in between shots. “It was no… training ex…ercise, … was it Sean!?”
The concrete chipped of little by little. “We’ve gotta move, Grady! Ditto’s tearing up HQ.”
“Did you really sleep with my wife?!? I have to know!!!” He was on the edge, any second his heart could explode from anticipation. He was waiting for agreement, a yes, a nod.
I was dodging bullets from within and without. The insurgents continued fire, and Grady wouldn’t back down. I felt a bullet approach slowly, I knew it where it was aimed, Ditto wouldn’t have me. Grady waited for his sign. I felt my head inch downward, avoiding the hit. Grady took it for his confirmation. He turned pale, and clutched his chest. The bullet Ditto had meant for my head, was in Grady’s chest. I caught him as he fell.
Flashes of blue and red lights, sirens, blood all over; no training could have prepared me for this. SWAT had showed up a split second too late. Not only was Grady bleeding to death, but Ditto and his men where no where in sight.
“I need a medic over here! I’ve got a man down!”
Grady was choking on his blood and his words. “Tell me now, Sean… I have to … know…”
I held not only a dieing man in my arms, but a brother. “Grady, I’m in love with Sam. We slept together three months after you disappeared. We had no idea that you had gone on that classified mission. Jesus, Grade… they told us you were dead!”
Grady Fitzgerald turned his head away from his betrayer. “Leave me here. You piece of s%^&, leave me here.”
Grady continued, “I am dead.” Gradies grip loosened. EMT’s rushed to his side, covered by the SWAT.
A tall man cut open Grady’s shirt, and tried his best to stop the bleeding. They hooked an IV, threw him on a stretcher, then rushed him off. Several Archers escorted them in dark Suburbans, as the rebels were still hidden. The caravan headed out as SWAT and Archer squads secured the land. Grady and I would settle later, if he was still alive.
“Ditto has our location. He could jeopardize our entire operation, we have to move tonight.” Professor Childs spoke calmly.
“What about Grady? We work together, I can’t work Ditto with just rookie Archers. He was the best!” We started walking towards TRG, the base was barely touched by the attack, but the attacks were increasingly frequent, and wouldn’t be long before a major strike.
“Don’t worry we have a reserve. I’ve noticed tension between you and Grady care to explain?” He seemed to already know the problem, and the answer. I remained silent, so he continued the debriefing. “0300 we strike. We’ll have twenty-three Squad AA Archers, led by you and Sam of course.”
“Sam?” I was stunned.
She came come out of nowhere, a tall and beautiful redhead. Already dressed in her uniform, she seemed to know about the attack before it happened.
I nervously spoke. “Sam, I didn’t know you where back from the Congo.
“I wasn’t supposed to be back yet, but Childs said he needed me.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you mean he needed you? Childs, what does she mean ‘You needed her’? Ditto just attacked fifteen minutes ago and Gra…”
Professor Childs had no time for conversation. “Look, there’s no time for details. Ditto’s well hidden by now and planning another attack. We’ve got to get you two and your Archers briefed immediately. After that we’ve got to move the goods.”
I said nothing to Sam, my eyes hid from hers. It hurt, I still loved her. Her husband was dying, and I was tearing good people apart. I hadn’t been able to move on after her. I knew and loved more than anyone, and no one else measured up.
Down the longest hallway in TRG we turned into a hidden room. The Squads were there, and we took our places. Childs unbuttoned his suit coat, and threw it on the credenza beside him. “I am disappointed in our Squad. We have given all the best training, we only chose the best, yet you all show weakness in your emotions!!!” He looked right at me.
“This, of course, is unacceptable. When you dawn your uniform you become emotionless, you become a program, you become… unhuman. Is this understood?”
All twenty- three Archers nodded and replied with a roar of a “HUH, sir!”
“Then let’s see too it that’s how we conduct ourselves during tomorrow morning’s mission. At the end of this briefing you will have thirteen minutes to gather up a weeks worth of supplies, kiss your wives and husbands goodbye, and get your @$$’ in your designated transport vehicles. Our target, ladies and gentlemen, is none other than code name: Ditto.”
All twenty-three, filed swiftly out of the room, quietly, and were followed by the Professor. Sam and I both stood up to leave. We both caught each others eye at the same time. I broke the silence. “I hope that what happened to Grady doesn’t affect your duties tonight.”
“Will you for once put aside your feelings for Grady and your job, and stop ignoring us! We were real, we were perfect. How can you keep denying that?” She grabbed me and kissed me. Fighting every urge in my body, I threw her aside.
“You can’t keep doing this. What we had was real, but you’re another man’s wife. You’re killing me, you’re killing Grady!!!”
“Ah-hem.” The professor was leaning against the door frame. “Sean, Samantha… eleven minutes… with or without you.”
Sam and I each went to our respectful lockers to gear up. “Sam, we’re going to be in out in the jungle and in charge of twenty- three Archers. We cannot let what we have or don’t have interfere.”
“I am a professional, always have been.”
“You could have fooled me.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, who’s acting childish now?
“I never said anything about being childish. Let’s go.”
We both ran out to the docking area with a swiftness. I had just a few short minutes to change, and be at Zero. I picked up pace.
Zero was busy. The mechanics were microadjusting the precise specs on Red Star. It was a beautiful machine, it’s smooth round shape made it foreign, and aided in the element of surprise. It was the fastest aircraft in the world, it contained enough weaponry to annihilate Great Britain in a single blast, it was the deadliest weapon the world had ever known. Actually only Archers and Slades had ever seen it, and it’s sheer speed and power for sure would already be known by Ditto.
“The mission is simple,” the Professor started, “Tonight we break Ditto’s back. We can only get within 2.5 miles of Gomer undetected, and Ditto will be swarming.”
“What about the goods, Sir?” One of the higher ranking Archers asked.
“Good question St. Pierre. The completing goods have already left ahead of us in a heavy armored ground convoy straight through the heart of the forest. Not only does Red Star have a target, but we have the pleasure of defending this convoy. Each mission is of equal importance. Now, Red Star will obviously not be using its top speed. The way I see it we should be at the rendezvous point in about an hour in forty- five minutes. There we will meet up with the Slades personnel who will provide cover, intelligence, and protection on the goods. From there, we will fly ahead of them towards Gomer. Once we are settled we will receive further instructions. We are elite… let’s act like it out there.”
“JD cracked during tech warm-up.” Prof stated. The twenty-three were now twenty-two. “Can you do it without him?”
“One more rookie, this mission is gonna be great.” The remark was awarded a stern look by the Professor. “There is going to be a replacement right? Are they fresh from Sagal Prep?”
“You are their leader. You cannot waver, even if one falls. You must succeed. Sean, we can’t make this mission without you, we knew Grady wouldn’t make it, that’s why ...”
He paused, and saw my shock. I held my tongue, I knew he was testing me.
“We have a suitable replacement, Darge. First in his academy, three years CIA, one year in the Blacks. Never lost a mission.” Prof talked proudly of him. “Wanted this job because he wasn’t challenged enough.”
I watched a shadowy figure fall in line, to complete the twenty-three.
We all filed into Red Star as instructed. During the first part of the convoy I had a chance to reflect on the past 24 hours. Why did it seem like the professor knew about the attack? What was the significance of that final scene on the simulator? Why was Samantha being so wishy washy all of a sudden, and Grady, oh my God, Grady! What have I done?! Was he okay? D.a.n.m, did I need a cigarette. There was a corporal Archer sitting next to me, his name tag read St. Pierre.
“Hey buddy, you got a square on you?”
The lanky soldier coughed. “Just one, I’ll split if that’s cool?”
He had a cool steadiness, definitive of a true-born Archer. He offered me the first drag.
“Thanks. Are you ready for the take out? This is the first time we’ve used more than one Target Archer on a mission, it won’t be an easy hit.”
He took the cigarette from my hand. “I’ve been trained well, I’ve aced every sim they’ve thrown at me. All three T.A.’s trained on the same module, Me, Ussrie, and Darge.”
“What do you know about him?” The cig was almost gone as he handed it to me.
“Who, Darge?”
“Yeah, I’ve never seen him around.”
The corporal had to think for a second. “He’s a quiet one, that guy is. We never really saw eye to eye. He was always more of a by the book kind of soldier and I’ve always been more on the laid back side. You know, I’ve got my way of doing things. Anyway, he’s not one to open up. You try to get the guy to tell a story and he looks at you like you just killed his mom. He just kind of came out of nowhere and started target training with us a year ago in the middle of everything.”
“What happened to his face?” I flicked the butt to the ground, and glanced at the dark soldier. He went out of his way not to be seen, and the dim lighting from a control panel illuminated his horribly scared face, half reconstructed with skin-toned plastic and metal. A phantom. Darge felt the stare and turned to look back. Man he was ugly. After about a minute of a cold stare, which could have lasted the full ride, Sam stepped in the line of sight.
“Sean.” There was a look of concern that made me feel a little uneasy.
“Samantha.” She sat down in the seat adjacent from mine.
“Man, boss lady sure is a looker, eh Sir?” St. Pierre said.
“Oh, uh, yeah…”
I was stuck in a daydream. I flashed back to that night that it all went tumbling down… the towers… my dignity… mine and Grady’s relationship. I was a poor b@stard. I felt so low I could have jumped out of Red Star without a second thought. I felt like I was truly in hE!! That’s when all hE!! broke loose. There was an impact and a bang that made my ears ring. St. Pierre wasn’t strapped in so he went flying into some oxygen tanks that were stored up front. We were hit and going down with a quickness. The G forces were so powerful that a few Archers threw up.
“Assume Z-positions!!! Ricker, Smalls get your arses up front and check on the crew, the rest of you . . . secure the goods at all costs.” Twenty Archers, including a hobbled St. Pierre, marched against gravity to the rear of the ship and gathered around a small iron clad box, which was now shaking uncontrollably, four archers dove on top of the box to weight it down, then four more on top of them. 12 others drew weapons, and aimed it directly at the box. Darge never moved. “Darge! You are directly disobeying my command, I said protect the goods! Unless you want to lose your position, I suggest that you MOVE YOUR ARSE!!!”
He remained still. His one good eye staring right through me.
“Did you hear me TA!!!” Darge was motionless.
Smalls yelled from the front, “Navigator #1 suffered a major heart attack, the second navigator is covering well, we need an emergency stop at the nearest Slade base. About 5 minutes away.” The urgency in his voice made it apparent that the navigator’s time was at hand.
“I’ll take care of you later, Darge.” The plane leveled off, and the goods seemed to be settling. “Alright, I want no less than 7 soldiers watching the goods the whole time we’re on the ground. Smalls tell the navigator to land and keep the ship fired. I want lift off in 12 minutes. Ricker get the navigator to a secure position, and Samantha and I will find a suitable Slade replacement. Once we touch down, all sorts of Ditto will be swarming, I want the rest to guard Red Star. That includes you Darge!” Darge didn’t reply.
I jogged toward the disobedient Target Archer. I wasn’t going to have some out of control sniper ruining the mission. About half way down the isle another blast sent me flying towards the front. This was no misfire, we were hit hard. It seemed like only seconds had past and I was doing a head count on the ground.
“Navigator 2 is fine, landing in 90 seconds!!!” Ricker quoted mechanically.
Tweny-one, twenty-two, twenty-. . .one was missing. “Darge!!! Where did he go?!? Cover the goods at all costs. Ricker, Smalls diagnostic checks for the remaining. “
“Sean!!!” Samantha cried. “The goods have been lifted! “
I turned to see all 7 guarding Archers knocked to the ground, unconscious. “Smalls over here! Grogers, Broughton come with me. We’re searching the lower levels. Hill and Stephens back us up. The rest of you guard the plane at landing. Darge has the goods, and we can’t let him get away, we need the pair to complete the mission. How far are we from rendezvoux point?”
“Navigator 2 says 1 hour.” Ricker rattled off.
“Sam, take your team and surround the Star at landing and don’t let Darge escape, we need this mission accomplished. We’ll smoke him out.” I krept to the crawl space at the rear of the plane, and slowly made my decent. I turned to see a broken hallway of wires and cable that hung from the wall and ceiling like tentacles and cobs. Broughton crouched down to release the light bug. A small ball of blue light spun quickly down the pass, hit a wall than exploded in a thin sky-colored gas. I led the team around the corner. Hill and Stephens swung their guns high and low, and crept forward with overly-careful steps.
Broughton was a newer recruit. A short man, very muscular in build. He was as sharp as a diamond and reminded me of Grady when we first graduated from the academy. Hill was a twenty something year old blonde who didn’t take any s^!t from anyone. She was an expert in poisons and stealth. Stephens was a nineteen year half Asian man with a fierce sense of humor and honor. Stephens was the kind of guy that you loved to be around; you couldn’t be in a bad mood in the presence of this guy. He was also the best darn TA I had ever worked with. Grogers was the quiet type. He was the result of a brief love affair with a Gray male and a human female. An outcast since birth, Grogers was adopted by Professor Jonathan Groggers who is believed to be the co founder of the Archers along with Professor Gregory Childs. Grogers has limited telepathy which came in handy from time to time.
This was my team. We had a target and limited supplies to reach the target. My mind was suddenly flooded. “Why did the Professor bring Darge into the mission? Were WAS the professor? What the hE!! had hit the Star?”
https://www.angelfire.com/film/podmatrix/index.html
