Chapter 15: Raid
“We must be getting close to her,” Marsha said, studying the map on the console. They were flying across central Oregon.
”Yeah,” Jay said. “She’s running out of continent and I don’t think that even she would try to swim the Pacific Ocean.”
Suddenly a klaxon rang out, jarring everyone in the airbus out of their slumber. “Emergency locator beacon, Scott,” Captain Jones yelled out. “Tracker’s ID! We’ve found him! Hang on, everyone!”
Kicking the airbus to full throttle, Captain Jones banked it around in a hairpin turn, then silenced the alarm. “Team Leader. We’re picking up a Defenders Emergency beacon with Tracker’s call sign. About fifty miles back, looks like we overshot.”
Scott smiled thinly. “Great! Let’s go get him. Captain, call FORCE and alert them, if the beacon hasn’t already. We don’t know what we are getting into here, so stay alert, and stay alive. I’ll blackmark any heroics. Jay, Louis, Marsha, our primary job is to get in, get Tracker, and Antoinette if she’s there, and get them back to the airbus, preferably before FORCE arrives.
”Captain, you and your men provide covering fire, suppress ground fire, and control the air. Targets fleeing on the ground are strictly secondary.
”Sasha, you are backup. Since we don’t know what we are in for, you will have to be everywhere. Don’t get tied up. Cover us, cover the airbus, take out any major forces. Sasha, do you understand?”
The felinoid alien nodded, tail twitching. “Yess. Cover airbuss, cover you backss.”
”Right. Captain, when we get within five miles of the beacon, let me know. Jay, I want you to scout and report back.”
After a few minutes, Captain Jones spoke. “Coming up on five miles, Team Leader.”
”Thank you. Stop the airbus. Jay, go take a look.”
”Gone,” he said, opening the bailout hatch and diving out.
”Guide him in, Captain,” Scott said. Captain Jones nodded and began murmuring into his mike, eyes on the radar screen.
Jay sped in at just under the speed of sound, the noise of his passage like the wind in the trees. After a moment, his voice came over the radio. “Hovering over a clearing now. Fourteen buildings, surrounded by a chain-link fence. Lots of troops running around and sporadic gunfire. Looks like a major panic. No sign of EPs or heavy weapons.”
”Hold, we’re coming in. Captain, take us in and touch down beside the building with the beacon in it. Louis, hop out and knock a hole in the wall, Jay, Marsha and I will follow you in. Where’s FORCE, Captain?”
”ETA ten minutes.”
A few moments later, the installation came into view below. Sasha sprang to the airlock. Outside, in response to her telepathic command, her grav-sled released its magnetic grip on the side of the airbus and slid sideways to parallel the airbus. She leaped out of the open door, her grav-sled swooping out to catch her as she fell. The restraining beams snapped shut around her thighs, hips, and shoulders as she buried her fingers and toes in the control sockets. The force field sprang up around her. She arrowed away, then flipped over and back, to hover above and slightly behind the airbus.
”Captain, give me the external speaker, please, full volume.” At Captain Jones’ nod, he raised the microphone to his lips.
”ATTENTION!” his voice boomed out. “This is FORCE! You are all under arrest. Throw down your weapons and surrender. Anyone carrying a weapon will be shot on sight. This is your only warning.” He racked the mike and nodded to Captain Jones. “Take us in.”
