“Mom, what’s happening?” Justin was insisting on an answer and continued pulling at Krysti’s arm.
“I don’t know, Honey,” Krysti said, somehow managing a smile.
Marix confronted Admiral Garrett. “Sir, I think we should proceed—”
“Sorry, Marix. My decision is final,” said Garrett. “Until we learn more, or know the extent of this thing, we’re staying put. We will not continue until then.”
“You don’t really believe Commander Gex’s story?”
“That’s all, Marix.”
Sullivan and Warren cornered the admiral.
“There’s trouble, isn’t there?” Sullivan asked.
Garrett watched the two men and then let out with a heavy sigh. “We’ll know soon. For now I need your help keeping this group together.”
“Yes, Sir.”
The unsettling calm was broken when Robby yelled. Near the van he was jumping up and down and yelling at Admiral Garrett. “Sir, I have them! I have them on the radio!”
The two planes flew cautiously, protecting each other as they neared San Antonio and the Lackland Air Force Base. Caution was their main concern as they tried to raise the tower on their radios but failed to receive any response. Back and forth Beau and Ruben discussed their alternatives. Low on fuel and with virtually no more firepower, they would be helpless in a fight against the enemy should Lackland also be overrun like Corpus Christi. An empty feeling gripped the two men when they realized they had nowhere to turn, with no safe avenue of escape. With only speculation for hope, the radio came alive.
Instantly Ruben responded. “Read you loud and clear; this is Moon Shadow requesting your location for a fly by.”
The radio clicked on as Robby unknowingly squeezed it in his excitement. Both Ruben and Beau could hear as he yelled to the others.
Robby steadied himself and responded. “We’re about thirty miles west of San Antonio on Highway 90 where it crosses the Hondo River.”
“We’re less than ten minutes away,” Ruben said.
The two pilots were twenty-five miles south of San Antonio when Ruben answered Robby. Immediately both men set a course northwest to a point where they would rendezvous with their team.
Time passed quickly, as did their fuel, and it was with a bit of relief they spotted the waiting caravan along the seemingly deserted highway. The rolling hills posed a tricky problem for the well-trained pilots, but with no parachutes bailing was out of the question. The years of training and experience paid off in their landing as it had in their escape from the invasion. The stretch of highway was relatively flat and both jets came to a safe stop less than a hundred yards from the caravan.
Everyone raced forward to greet Beau and Ruben, and to learn the truth. The severity of their current situation was undeniable. After all, how often did two F-15s land on a state highway? Never. Instinctively they already knew the truth. Still, they would not let their last bit of hope die.
With tears in her eyes, Sunday ran to Ruben and pulled him to her.
The others congregated around the two men hoping something would happen — hoping things would change and return to the way they had been. It all seemed unreal but it wasn’t.
Beau threw his helmet aside and walked straight toward Ted, at the same time pointing and yelling to his brothers. “Jack, take the buggies down.”
The three men responded immediately and moved to unload the cars. Beau stopped in front of Garrett. “Ted, I’m taking the buggies and my brothers to San Antonio to see what’s happened to Lackland. Find the next side road and pull off the highway. If we’re not back tonight, break out the gear and spend the night there; we’ll return by morning. Crank up the radios and see what you can find out.”
“What about Corpus?” Garrett asked.
Beau grimaced and shook his head no. “Ruben will give you the details.”
Garrett clasped Beau’s shoulders. “You and the boys be careful.”
As Beau started to leave, Garrett pulled Ruben, Sullivan, BJ, Schmitt, and Mullholland aside to discuss plans. The others stood in shocked disbelief, unable to comprehend the concept of war. War on American soil!
Jack and Danny unloaded the dune buggies while Beau and Brook took their guns and rifles from the truck and car. With the task finished, they loaded the buggies with their rifles and were ready to go.
Krysti stopped Beau, not believing, but wanting to know, and asked, “What’s happened? How bad is this?”
Beau responded with a reassuring smile. “You’re safe here. I’ll find out exactly what has happened and be back soon.”
His calm words afforded some comfort to Krysti and eased her mind somewhat, but when he turned around to walk away she saw his shirt was torn and soaked in blood. She reached forward and grabbed his shirt.
“You’re hurt,” Krysti exclaimed.
Turning to her, Beau reached back and felt with his hand. “It’s just a little more than a scratch. Don’t worry.” Then anxiously he said, “I have to go but I’ll be back.” He turned and continued to the dune buggies and had gone only a short distance when Ruben, who had pulled away from Garrett, stopped him.
“My buddy,” smiled Ruben. “You want all the fun.”
“I thought you’d had enough fun for one day,” Beau said. “Hold down the fort while we play a little hide and seek.”
“Good luck. Don’t let them catch you with your pants down.”
With a silent prayer for Beau’s safe return, Ruben watched his friend drive away.
Schmitt made an attempt on the portable phone, but the effort to contact Laughlin accomplished nothing. Next, he tried Lackland Air Base in San Antonio, but again no response. He managed to reach the Naval Air Station but the line was unexpectedly disconnected.
As everyone prepared to leave, Schmitt and Garrett opened the back of Schmitt’s van where he kept his powerful combination radio/short wave. If they could contact no one with the phone, maybe they could rouse some of the short wave radio operators.
The year 2016 was a cycle year when sunspots were high, which meant radio waves would bounce all around the atmosphere and all around the country. With this knowledge, Robby thought he would pick up something on the radio.
Although everyone was obviously shaken by the strange events, they were trying desperately to maintain their composure. Garrett readied everyone for their departure to find a safe place to hide and wait for Beau and his brothers to return.
A few miles down the road they turned off and went over a rise. The highway behind them disappeared from view. After traveling but a few miles, they parked the cars and vans in a little circle much like the old wagon masters did with the Western wagon trains. Within view of their camp a large spring-fed creek trickled along on its way to the nearest river. Everyone was lethargic except Justin. He enjoyed his surroundings like a small boy would. The rest made sandwiches and took drinks from the iced-down coolers. They tried to make themselves comfortable in the backs of the truck and van and in the seats of the cars. Ruben, Garrett, Kipp, and Blackman remained awake well into the night discussing the problems they faced and the options before them. Their final decisions would rest on the information Beau and his brothers would bring back.
Chapter 10
HIDE AND SEEK
Sharafan’s force arrived against little opposition. He intercepted a lone American F-15 fighter jet in flight, and after he engaged the Eagle, it took only a few moments before he realized it was unarmed. Hurriedly he dispatched the jet before it could escape. Already on the ground at Laughlin was the false passenger jet. The Coalition had the base under control. Dead Americans sat in the cockpits of their jets or lay on the runways nearby. This attested to the accuracy of the well-placed snipers, who were once aliens granted blanket amnesty from the bleeding heart Americans.