The other men had run the detonator cord and PE-4 to several other spots at the base of the obelisk.
Rodriguez signaled to the other men before screaming at Reno. “Do it!”
Reno pushed in the timed detonator and looked at Becket.
“Thirty seconds. Let’s go!”
The four men turned away from the chasm and ran, climbing through the debris as quickly as they could. Reno wasn’t confident that thirty seconds would be enough time for them to get back to the transport and he had no idea how much damage the generator would cause when the explosives hit it. But if Reno died while in the process of bringing down the dome, then so be it. It wasn’t like he had a choice.
It was as if the aliens knew what Reno had done because they’d all taken flight now, buzzing through the sky and surging into the aperture of the ship docked at the top of the obelisk.
That strange feeling came over him again—the same kind he’d experienced while standing on the edge of the chasm a few minutes before. The aliens knew what was about to happen and that Reno was the one who had caused it. Somehow, they knew.
Reno grimaced as he reached the transport, trying to keep the countdown timer in his head.
Ten seconds? Maybe less?
He threw himself into the vehicle, his ankle hot and swelling tightly against the wrap as John and Beckett pulled him fully up into the seat.
“Everyone’s here!” Gibson said. “Go! Go!”
Five seconds?
The transport sped off, heading back toward the National Guard checkpoint. All of the soldiers looked out the back of the vehicle, staring at the obelisk and waiting.
Zero?
Shit. The explosives didn’t—
The ground shook the transport and Reno saw the flash before he heard the thunderous concussion. At first, the top of the obelisk broke away from the ship, and then the bottom of it collapsed into the depths, burying the destroyed generator beneath tons of rock and debris.
The transport stopped as all of the soldiers inside it watched the obelisk collapse to the right.
The darkness above flickered, and then, as if God had hit the light switch, Reno saw the golden light of the rising sun on the eastern horizon. It had already begun to paint the sky in wide, luscious brush strokes of crimson orange. High, fluffy clouds floated overhead and the sight of them made Reno cry.
The aliens who had been in mid-flight when the dome dropped fell from the sky, plummeting back to Earth like hunks of a splintered comet. The mothership hovered, and for a split-second Reno felt as if it had marked him. It knew he was the one who’d brought down the dome over Nashville. And it wasn’t happy about it.
The soldiers cheered, a few jumping up out of their seats and others high-fiving and hugging each other.
Reno exhaled as the mothership ascended, presumably returning to deep space or whatever distant galaxy it’d come from.
Beckett put his arm around Reno. “You did it! You son of a bitch, you did it!”
Reno shook his hand, then turned to John. John winked at him.
Exhaling again, Reno sat back against the wall of the truck and closed his eyes.
5
The transport arrived back at the National Guard checkpoint to a chorus of cheers and smiling soldiers—a different scene from the one they’d left only a few hours before.
When the transport stopped, other soldiers rushed up to it. Reno had had a few minutes on the drive to catch his breath and get himself together. His hands had been shaking and his face numb after watching the obelisk collapse to the ground. He could still see the belly of the mothership as it rose into the sky and out of sight, and that made him shiver. He felt a pat on his shoulder and looked over.
“That’s all you,” Rodriguez said. “Go get ‘em, rockstar.”
Reno looked around and noticed everyone else staring at him, grins spread across their faces. Rodriguez was the first to start clapping, and the others quickly joined in, standing and pumping their fists into the air.
Reno smiled and stood up. The soldiers patted him on the back and ushered him out of the back of the transport, where he was greeted by more National Guard troops. They smothered him with high-fives, slaps on the back, and even a couple of bro hugs.
Then a tall soldier came over and, without asking Reno, lifted him up. The soldiers crowd surfed him like he was a teenager at a rock concert. He couldn’t help but laugh, trying to relish the moment.
They’d done it.
They’d destroyed the obelisk. Destroyed the dome’s power source, freeing Nashville. They’d defeated the aliens.
In that moment, Reno thought about Jack as his hand wrapped around the token still in his pocket. He should have been here to bask in all the glory. All Reno had done was follow his instructions.
He would find a way to honor Jack. It was the right thing to do.
He also thought of Maya. He hoped she had found her kids. Hoped she was safe. Reno wanted to see her again, and with this victory, he hoped it would be possible.
When his feet hit the ground, Reno stood face to face with Rupp. The Master Sergeant glared at him, the same disgruntled look from before plastering his face. Reno wasn’t going to kid himself. This man intimidated him. And he didn’t seem to give a shit about what Reno had done.
Reno looked down at his feet and, when he looked up, he was greeted with a wide smile and an extended hand.
“Good job, soldier.”
Reno looked around, then smiled at Rupp. He accepted the man’s firm handshake.
Rupp then raised Reno’s hand in the air and pointed at him. The other soldiers erupted in applause, hooting and hollering as they continued to celebrate.
Car horns sounded, and Reno turned to see three transport vehicles pulling up to the checkpoint. They parked at the edge of the growing crowd, several of the soldiers carrying boxes of wine and champagne.
“Looks like Army,” Rodriguez said.
“I’m going to go talk to them.” Rupp turned to Reno once more. “Really, you did good. Your bravery is admirable.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Rupp walked over to meet with the newly-arriving infantrymen.
Reno scanned the crowd again, making eye contact with John. The cop extended his arms and laughed. Reno went to him, and the two men embraced.
“You weren’t lying, you son of a bitch. You’re a goddamn hero.”
“You trusted me and got me over here. You’re just as much of a hero as I am. Besides, Jack is the real hero. And I’m going to make sure people know that.”
“They will.” John stepped back and looked over Reno’s shoulder. “Just enjoy the moment. We don’t have to worry about those bastards anymore.”
Reno heard a pop then, and turned to see where it had come from. Beckett stood nearby with a bottle of champagne, the contents flowing down the side of the bottle. He raised both arms in the air and then, looking to the sky, pressed the bottle against his lips and guzzled.
As he watched everyone celebrate, Reno’s eyes drifted to where Rupp was talking with one of the Army soldiers. His hands sat on his hips and he was looking at the ground, shaking his head. Reno’s own smile disappeared.
Rupp kicked at the ground as he turned and made his way over to where Reno and all of the other soldiers were still celebrating.
This isn’t good.
Pressing his fingers into the corners of his mouth, Rupp whistled. Most of the soldiers turned to him. His somber expression caught everyone’s attention, and many of them quit smiling and stopped cheering.
Rupp cleared his throat. “Put down the fucking champagne, Beckett.”
Beckett turned more slowly than the others had, foam still sticking to his chin. He glanced at the soldiers on both sides of him, shrugging in confusion as to why he’d been singled out.