“I got it! Go!”
Stacy closed the heavy steel door and locked it. Taking the pistol from her coat pocket, she turned around and opened fire.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Mohammed Rahal awoke in his makeshift shelter two miles from the UAE compound outside Ocean City, Delaware. He had been watching the compound for months, learning the layout and taking detailed notes on the soldiers stationed there. The leader of his cell had armed him with the necessary equipment and had given him a solo mission to be completed at the designated time. Mohammed had memorized every detail.
His mission was to destroy the small UAE compound by any means necessary. The facility served as a communications base for over half The Pulse Zone and, more importantly, the navy securing the Eastern Seaboard from invasion. After the EMP was detonated in 2027 and fried every electronic circuit in most of the eastern United States, the Unified American Empire scrambled to restore communication in the region. Mohammed knew this was a suicide mission and had come to terms with his imminent demise. He was determined not to die in vain. He had two crucial advantages in his favor: the element of surprise and his willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice to accomplish his goal.
Mohammed moved carefully through the tree line fifty yards from the front gate and set up the first stage of his plan. He placed an automatic rifle on the ground, its barrel propped upright on a log. He placed a small contraption of his own making in the trigger guard. Once that was done, he set up two claymores spaced twenty yards apart. Satisfied that both were properly concealed, he made his way to the back fence of the compound, setting up two more claymores along the way. Once he was in position, Mohammed took two trigger devices from his front pocket. Pressing the button on the first trigger, he waited until he heard the rifle fire its first shot, knowing it would fire off a round every ten seconds. He pressed the second trigger and the claymore closest to the front gate exploded. As the soldiers in the compound scrambled to the front gate to return fire, two of them were killed by a claymore. The diversion worked perfectly. Mohammed used the wire cutters to open a hole in the fence. He produced a silenced pistol and moved toward the main building. Two soldiers came into his line of sight, their backs turned. Mohammed squeezed off two shots in rapid succession and the soldiers fell. Once the front gate was visible, Mohammed holstered his pistol and tossed two grenades in its direction, killing five soldiers.
By the time Mohammed entered the main building, three of the soldiers were already on their way back. With precious little time to spare, Mohammed reached into his jacket. With a satisfied smile, he jerked the cord on his vest to detonate the twelve bricks of C-4 packed within it. The main communications relay for the Unified American Empire was completely destroyed.
“All stop, bring the boat to periscope depth and raise the antenna.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Communications, open a channel with command.”
“Channel open, sir.”
“We are receiving your signal. Authenticate.”
The captain checked his tablet. “Authorization one-five-five-charlie-eight-three-seven-bravo.”
“Authorization code accepted. Report.”
“We have arrived at the designated coordinates and will remain on station awaiting orders.”
“Keep this channel open. Contact in three zero minutes.”
“Understood.” The captain motioned for his executive officer to step in close. “XO, I want an officers meeting. Make it happen.”
“Aye, Captain.” The XO had been wondering what all the secrecy was about. He’d never been kept in the dark about a mission before, but for some reason this time was different. The XO picked up the microphone in front of him. “This is the XO. All officers report to the officers’ mess on the double.”
In less than five minutes, twelve officers sat on the edge of their seats waiting to learn why they’d been sent so far from home. The captain stood at the end of the table demanding their undivided attention.
“Gentlemen, I am not a fan of keeping my crew in the dark, but when I’m finished here, all of you will understand why I’m the only soul onboard that knows our mission. We are currently three hundred nautical miles from the shores of the former United States. The bulk of our fleet is less than twenty-four hours behind us. When they arrive, the invasion of North America will begin.”
The men were shocked. Based on their course, they knew where they were headed but they never dreamed a full-scale invasion force was right behind them. Most assumed their mission was strictly for intelligence gathering.
“What are your questions?”
The XO spoke first. “What type of resistance are we looking at? We all know the Americans are crippled, but that doesn’t mean their navy won’t put up a fight.”
“They can put up all the fight they want; our navy is in much better shape than theirs. Ours subs are a decade more advanced. The only way they could detect us is if we rammed into them.”
“The Silent Warriors have done a wonderful job of keeping the Americans busy. Their latest distraction gives us the perfect opportunity to strike,” the communications officer added.
The captain smiled. “You’re getting ahead of yourself, lieutenant. You don’t even know what we’re doing here.”
“Sorry, sir.”
“Don’t be. Your speculation amuses me.”
“But this is an attack sub, sir.” The comm officer wasn’t willing to give up.
“I agree with you, lieutenant, I assure you. Our superiors have treated this operation with the utmost secrecy. Our orders were to proceed to these coordinates, wait for further instructions, and keep an eye on the shore. That’s what we’re doing - watching and waiting.”
“Captain, with all due respect, why tell us now? You could have waited until you received the final order,” said the XO.
“Preparation, Commander, pure and simple. I want the crew to be ready to execute whatever plan we’re given the instant it’s given. I want no surprises, no minutes wasted on chatter or confusion. Hesitation - even for a single second - could be fatal. I want all departments battle-ready when the order comes in.”
“Captain, what do you want us to tell the crew?” asked the weapons officer.
“Tell them we’re on the frontline for the invasion of North America.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
General Richard Dupree’s stealth jet touched down in a deserted parking lot near the Port of Seattle. Being completely invisible to the naked eye, one would have to physically touch the craft to know it was even there. Hal brought the craft out of stealth mode and it rippled into view.
“Sir, I’ve notified the president of your arrival. Director Harris is bringing a vehicle to pick you up.”
“Thank you, Hal. How long before he gets here?”
“Sir, I made the notification some time before we landed. He will be here in less than a minute.”
“Always thinking ahead, my friend.”
“I do try, sir.”
“Here he comes now. Thanks for the ride, Hal.”
“Thank you for flying HAL-9000 Airways. We hope you enjoy your stay in Seattle.”
“Hal, was that a joke?”
“Was it funny, sir?”
“Damn funny! I didn’t know you had a sense of humor.”
“Thank you, sir. I have been working on it.”
As he headed toward the approaching vehicle, Richard glanced back in time to witness the stealth jet’s ghost-like disappearance before his eyes. Max stopped the car a few feet short of Richard and got out. “Son of a bitch! That was something to see!”