The Last Flag, page 17
part #2 of EMP Survivor Series
“No,” Cash said, exasperated.
Shelly didn’t react to Cash’s annoyance. She was too focused on the dark waters ahead of them. “Stay alert out there. There might be something coming.”
Cash frowned. “Are you serious? Who?”
“The kids I brought back with me told me Asian soldiers killed their parents,” Shelly answered.
“What the hell does that mean?” Cash asked. “You’re saying we’re being invaded?”
“I don’t know what it means,” Shelly answered, eyes still glued to the darkened waters. “All I know is that something out there threatens this island’s security.”
Cash almost spoke up, telling Shelly that the only thing threatening this island’s security was her and her family. But he knew that would have been petty. Her family had come here to help them make something of themselves. Deep down, Cash suspected they both had the same goal, despite his misgivings toward her family.
“There,” Shelly said, pointing out into the water.
Cash followed her finger but couldn’t see anything. He frowned. “What is it?”
“You don’t see that movement on the water?” Shelly asked.
Cash took one step closer toward the shoreline, concentrating as hard as his eyes could. He’d always had good vision and never had needed glasses or contacts. “I don’t see—” He stopped when he saw the faintest outline of a boat. “Wait. I do see it.”
“Get a light on it,” Shelly said. “Now.”
Cash instinctively reached for his flashlight, but Shelly stopped him.
“No,” Shelly said. “That would be able to see anything far enough. Pop a flare.”
“But the flare is only to alert everyone to trouble,” Cash said.
“I know.”
Cash might have had reservations about the Owens family, but he didn’t doubt their desire to stay alive. He reached for the flare and aimed it up and out toward the boat still heading toward them.
When Cash pulled the trigger, shooting the red flare in a brilliant arc, he watched as the red light from the flare traveled like a spotlight over the water, inching closer and closer to the small boat he’d spotted. But before the flare even highlighted the soldiers heading in their direction, the enemy Cash and Shelly were trying to expose retaliated with a barrage of gunfire.
25
It was hard for Charlie to concentrate after the realization of Sir’s plan finally wore past the shock of the news, but Charlie reasserted his focus.
“The enemy should be arriving there before nightfall, and when they do, they’ll raze Beckett Island to the ground,” Sir said. “Unless you give me what I want.”
Charlie looked at Sir, angry and afraid, laid bare by the threat against his family.
“All I want is the device,” Sir said. “If you give me what I seek, there will be no problems for you or your family.”
Charlie knew it was more complicated. He lost every bit of leverage when he gave up the device. But he also knew that Sir understood Charlie would never let anything happen to his family.
“There is still time to save them, Charlie,” Sir said. “Don’t let your pride get in the way of saving your family’s life.”
Charlie locked eyes with Sir. “You’re smart. Smarter than me, that’s evident. Everything you’ve done, planning, building, and scheming, led you to this moment where you control the narrative.”
“It’s important for you to understand your place, Charlie,” Sir said. “You’re a skilled asset in the field. But you’re not untouchable and not smart enough to catch me.”
“You’re right,” Charlie said. “But maybe I don’t have to catch you. Maybe I just need to trap you.”
“What?” Sir asked.
“In less than thirty seconds—give or a take a few—an explosion will destroy the elevator,” Charlie said. “Locking you and me in here alone.”
Sir’s smug smile vanished.
“Your men were so happy to see that I was alive that they didn’t do a thorough search of my person,” Charlie explained. “When that explosion happens, it’ll lock down the facility, sealing that door behind us and locking me in the room with you.”
“And is that supposed to frighten me?” Sir asked.
“Considering you just sent a deadly force to kill my family, yes,” Charlie answered.
For the most part, The Bunker was completely autonomous, the facility the first of its kind, and built to the specifications of Sir himself. A low rumble preceded flashing red lights, and the entire facility was locked down after the explosion.
“Clever,” Sir said. “But this still doesn’t help your family. And after they’re dead, I’m going to kill you.” He leaned closer. “And do you want to know the most beautiful thing about all of this?”
“What’s that?” Charlie asked.
“You’ve given me everything I need to pin this mess on you,” Sir said, pointing at Charlie. “Everyone will be looking for a reason why all of this happened, and now I’ll be able to direct all that anger and attention right back to you.”
“That won’t happen,” Charlie said.
“No?” Sir asked. “Why not?”
“Because you’ll be dead by then,” Charlie answered.
“Is that so?” Sir asked.
“It is,” Charlie said.
Before Sir could do anything, Charlie lunged forward, close enough to feel the brunt of the head butt that knocked him back on his ass. Charlie’s head was ringing from the blow, but he still removed the rest of his restraints. The small pocket where he’d hidden the blade was more than just a weapon; it also made for an excellent lock pick.
With Sir struggling to recover from the blow to the head, Charlie removed the rest of his restraints and was up and out of the chair before Sir fully recovered, then brought the blade to his throat.
“You’ll ruin everything I’ve built,” Sir said. “The greater good will be sacrificed for a few insignificant lives!”
“You don’t have a crystal ball,” Charlie said. “And I’m tired of your pretending you can predict the future when the truth is you can’t. Because if you did, you would have been able to stop me.”
The commotion on the other side of the sealed door pulled Charlie’s attention away from Sir, but he smiled when he looked at the man again.
“You haven’t thought this through, have you?” Sir asked. “You’ve bought yourself a little time, but the ending I’ve constructed is inevitable. Even if you can fracture the forces I have here and split their loyalties between me and someone else, you’d only achieve half of your goal. There are people here who are loyal to me, not The Bunker, and those people will hunt you down after you kill me.”
“I’m not going to kill you,” Charlie said. “Right now, you’re far more useful to me alive than dead. But the moment that changes, I will kill you myself.”
The noise on the other side of the door grew louder again, and Charlie glanced around the room.
“So, what now?” Sir asked, taking a seat in the chair where Charlie had been restrained. “Have any more bombs on you?”
“You built this place,” Charlie answered. “I know there isn’t a single room in the facility where you haven’t put a failsafe.” He looked to Sir. “Where is it?”
“Why would I tell you?” Sir asked. “All I have to do is wait you out. I’m in no hurry to give you what you want.”
“I figured as much,” Charlie answered. “But you’re forgetting one thing I have that you want more than anything else.”
Sir’s smugness faded.
“You want that device?” Charlie asked. “You want to ensure it gets into the hands of the people you want it to? Then you need to help me get out of here. And, if by some small chance, they do find the device, what then? I doubt you told anyone else about your plan. So, I kill you, and your plan and legacy die.”
“Then so does your family,” Sir said, countering with contempt.
“Maybe,” Charlie said. “But they still have a fighting chance. But you won't if your people breach that door.”
Charlie walked closer and placed the tip of his blade against Sir’s throat. “They get through that door, and I’ll kill you,” Charlie said. “And then your plan dies.”
It was a gamble that Charlie wasn’t sure would pay off, but at least this way, his family still had a chance of survival. They could potentially repel the Chinese forces, and they'd move on once the enemy realized what they sought wasn’t on the island.
Red lights flashed again, signaling the lockdown was nearly over. Sir glanced around, nervous and questioning whether or not Charlie would go through with this. Eventually, the man came to his senses, and his survival instinct kicked in.
“The panel behind the desk there,” Sir said. “There’s a lever. Pull it.”
Charlie worked quickly to remove the panel. When he found the lever, he pulled it, and another door opened, revealing a small dumbbell elevator.
Charlie collected Sir and brought him over to the escape route.
“It’ll only carry one of us at a time,” Sir said.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight,” Charlie said.
Charlie shoved Sir in first and then crammed himself inside. He barely fit, his spine curved in an unnatural position. “Where does it take us?”
“Into the woods a mile from The Bunker,” Sir answered.
“No one else knows about this?” Charlie asked.
“Would you believe me if I told you?” Sir asked.
Charlie shook his head, and then he hit the button, sealing them inside, and they were whisked away from The Bunker. The carrier moved quickly; Charlie listened to the machine's sounds gliding through the tunnel.
Neither Sir nor Charlie could move even if they wanted to, but Charlie kept a close eye on Sir the entire ride. The man was far more clever than Charlie wished to admit, and the last thing he wanted was to have the rug pulled out from under him now.
When the device stopped, the pair were frozen for a moment, crammed into that tiny box, and the hot panic of the tight space took hold. But the top finally opened, and Charlie sprung up and out, immediately checking his surroundings before moving forward. He had already experienced one ambush today; he wasn’t risking walking into another.
But it was just how Sir had described. They had been dumped into the middle of the woods, and no one was around them. Charlie pulled Sir up and out of the capsule and shoved him forward.
“So now what?” Sir asked.
“Now, you come with me,” Charlie answered.
“You’re not going to kill me?” Sir asked, surprised. “I don’t have any more use to you.”
Charlie didn’t expect the man to understand, and the fact that he didn’t provided Charlie with a unique opportunity to have the intellectual upper hand. “You still have some use to me,” Charlie said. “But you don’t need to be in one piece to be alive. So, if you try to do anything stupid or refuse to do exactly what I tell you, I’ll cut a small piece off of you and then another until I’m certain you’ll do what you’re told.”
Sir smiled. “Still the savage, despite everything you’ve spoken about wanting to preserve life. We’re not as different as you think.”
“Yes, we are,” Charlie said, shoving Sir forward. “Move.”
26
Once the gunfire started, Shelly and Cash sprinted for cover. They were pinned down behind a fallen tree, torn to shreds by the hail of bullets from the approaching enemy.
“We can’t stay here!” Shelly shouted.
“And where the hell are we supposed to go?” Cash shouted back.
Shelly didn’t have a good answer for him, but she knew if they stayed there, then they’d be dead within minutes. At least if they moved, they’d be harder to hit.
“We don’t know what kind of hardware these guys are packing, so we need to move fast,” Shelly shouted over the noise of the gunfire. “We must head to town and prepare everyone who can fight!”
“You want us to try to make it to town with them shooting at us like that?” Cash asked.
“If you have a better idea, I’m all ears,” Shelly replied, but Cash only nodded. “On three. One, two, three!”
The pair jumped up from their cover and sprinted away, plunging into the forest. Neither Shelly nor Cash dared to look behind them out of fear of losing a step, and both needed every advantage to evade the enemy.
It wasn’t until Shelly and Cash reached the dirt path that she dared to glance behind her. She couldn’t see the enemy, but she heard more gunfire around the island as the remaining watchers fired their flares into the night sky. But as Shelly watched the rising arcs of the flares stretch out into the island, Shelly skidded to a stop.
“What are you doing?” Cash asked, slowing down.
“They’re coming from every angle,” Shelly said, and she realized one of the flares was signaled near their cabin. “I need to get my children.” She was already backpaddling toward the house. “Go warn Thompson! Anyone who can fight needs to be ready, go!”
Cash sprinted for the town while Shelly ran back toward the cabin. Gunfire rang out in sporadic pops, like the start of a thunderstorm threatening rain. But Shelly feared these were the same enemy forces who had killed Harry’s parents. But Shelly had no idea how they had found them here on the island.
The pitch black of the night worked in Shelly’s favor as she sprinted back to the cabin. The noise of gunfire grew louder, and when she finally reached the house, she was glad to find that the kids had had enough sense to turn off the lights.
But twenty yards before she reached it, she skidded to a stop.
A handful of fighters had already reached the cabin and circled for a point of entry. Shelly knew Kayla could handle a weapon, but she wouldn’t be able to fend off all of them.
Now that she had a closer look at the enemy, she saw they had night vision goggles, which would make escape nearly impossible at this point. She would only stop these monsters if she killed them herself.
Without a proper plan in place, guided by the simple instinct of protecting her children, Shelly emerged from cover and opened fire. Shelly brought down one fighter, but the other five quickly pounced on her position. It was all she could do to duck behind a tree for cover as bullets splintered the trunk. It wouldn’t be long before the shots eroded her body and she was killed.
Knowing her time was limited, Shelly resigned herself to bringing down one more before being killed. At the very least, it would give her children more of a fighting chance. Hell, maybe the fighters would just continue forward into town after dealing with her, thinking the cabin held no significance.
But just before Shelly spun around, an explosion rocked the forest. She didn’t know who had caused it, but it provided enough distraction for the enemy for Shelly to press another attack. Two quick shots brought down another fighter before he had a chance to turn around. The following three bullets missed, but the fourth landed on a soldier's shoulder, and the fifth put him down for good.
The remaining two soldiers had recovered from the blast and opened fire, forcing Shelly behind cover again. She waited until they reloaded, and then Shelly emerged from the tree trunk, sprinting toward the enemies outside her cabin doors, and six shots later, the fight had ended. Six bodies lay scattered about in the front yard, two in the vegetable garden.
Shelly hurried toward the cabin, the sound of more fighting echoing around the island, but all she was concerned about was getting to her children and making sure they were okay.
Shelly burst through the door, her heart hammering. “Kayla! Benji!”
“We’re okay!” Kayla was the first to emerge.
Shelly rushed forward, hugged her daughter, then grabbed hold of Benji when he revealed himself, the dog following him. “Thank God.”
“Are you okay?” Benji asked.
“I’m fine,” Shelly answered, regaining control of her emotions as she inspected her children for any injuries. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Kayla answered.
“Good thing the grenade worked,” Benji said.
Shelly paused. “That was you?”
“We had to do something,” Kayla answered. “We saw you were in trouble.”
Shelly shook her head. “Listen to me—both of you. You are to stay here and not move. I want you both in the basement, understand? You stay here until your father or I come back. Do you understand?”
“Mom, I can help,” Kayla said, stepping forward.
“I need you to stay here and look after your brother and the other children,” Shelly said. “I’ll feel better knowing you’re safe here.”
“But, Mom—”
“Please, Kayla,” Shelly said, exasperated. “Please.”
Shelly hadn’t intended to beg her daughter to stay put, but she wanted to keep her children alive after they’d come so close to losing everything. Things had turned south, and she wanted to ensure everyone would stay alive.
Kayla finally nodded, and Benji did, too.
“I’ll be back,” Shelly said.
“Promise?” Benji asked.
Shelly had never wanted to lie to her children or give them false hope. She understood the threat they faced and how they were most certainly outgunned. But she couldn’t bring herself to put doubt in her children. They needed reassurances.
“Yes,” Shelly answered.
“We’ll hold you to that,” Kayla said.
“Stay here,” Shelly said, retreating toward the door before looking at her children and then sprinting outside.
Shelly passed the dead bodies around the cabin, running toward the fight converging at what sounded like the harbor. She hoped they would survive because she intended to keep her promise to her children.
When her mother was gone, Kayla grabbed her bow off the wall.
“What are you doing?” Benji asked. “Mom told us to stay here.”
“She wants you to stay here,” Kayla answered. “I can fight.”
“I can fight, too,” Benji said, defiant.
