Did you see anyone else go for thirds?
“Well, Uncle Marco, Faust, and Dad had some scotch before they got on the transport. I’m guessing that’s probably not very good for them.”
That is a different story.
The platform came into view a few minutes later. Four grayish metal beams were sticking out of the center of the lake, making up the corners of a large metal platform. The three transports circled the metal towers a few times, closing in until they were following each other in a tight triangular formation, with each front of one transport pointing at the tail of another. Then, synchronously, they lowered and came to a rest on the platform. All the agents jumped out into the middle, using the three transports as a barrier.
Cameron stepped out onto the platform and was hit with a blast of Arctic wind. He inhaled the chilly air into his lungs, shaking himself out of his numb stupor. This was the real deal. He was going to go fight the Genjix, not just tag along, hide in the woods, and snipe at federal agents with a hard-shell tranquilizer rifle.
He watched as his dad greeted a chubby red-faced old man. It took him a few moments to realize it was Uncle Dylan. It had only been two years since he had last seen Uncle Dylan, and retirement did not suit him at all. He had gained some weight, and his face was an unhealthy shade of red and purple. He carried a limp, and waddled almost as if he were pregnant.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Roen cried, throwing his arms around Dylan, giving the big man a rough embrace. Dylan, now well into his sixties, was Roen’s only surviving mentor. The others – Sonya, Stephen, Paula – had long fallen in battle. Each of their deaths had hurt Roen very badly, and he had been particularly happy when Dylan had announced his retirement.
Dylan tousled Roen’s hair. His father would never allow anyone else to tousle his hair like that. “Meredith gave me access to mission updates. Saw you were going on a batshit suicide mission. Couldn’t let my boy do that alone, could I? Pulled in a ton of favors and got smuggled back into the States. Had to fly across the Pacific on a cargo plane and everything. By the time I got here, the whole fiasco was called off, thank God. Was an awful plan to begin with. Anyway, then I caught wind of this little operation, so I thought, hell, I’m already here, might as well.” He spread his arms out and beamed at Jill. “My girl, you look finer with every passing year. I’m still gobsmacked this guy landed you.” He gave her a bear hug, lifting her off the ground and twirling her. He turned, and his wide grin brightened even more when he saw Cameron. “Well fuck a duck, Cameron!” Dylan exclaimed holding his arms out. He wrapped Cameron up as well. “I can’t believe your ma let you come.”
“She didn’t,” Jill said, her eyes darkening. “And I’d appreciate you watching your language around my son.”
“The whole damn crew off to see an old mate on his last hurrah, eh?”
“It’s not always about you, Dylan, no matter how much you wish it were,” Marco said.
Dylan nodded and shook his hand. “And always a stuffy one to ruin the festivities.”
A heavily-armored agent – one of several from Dylan’s transport carrying riot shields – approached. “Insertion points are ready, Colonel. All the doors are cut open. Even if these columns could lower, the Genjix wouldn’t dare anymore. Ready on your go.”
Dylan nodded. “Split into your teams. Coordinate through all the hosts. Operation Saeftinghe is a go.”
Cameron looked at his mother; she and Marco were team leaders. Dad was probably going to be with her as well. For a second, he considered asking if he could go with Dylan instead. His mother probably would put him in the far back. He hadn’t come this far not to see any action after all.
You have so much to learn.
Roen came up to him from behind and put a hand on his shoulder. “Listen, pal, I have an important job for you. We need to make sure our exit points are secure and open at all times. The squad assigned to guard the transports is a little short-handed. I want you to shore up their ranks.”
Cameron’s heart sank. He wouldn’t be allowed to participate in the attack after all. He wasn’t even going to make it down into the base. Might as well have just stayed at home. “Dad,” he pleaded. “Come on. Let me prove to you I can do this.”
“You already have, son. I’m tremendously proud of you.” Roen’s voice caught a little. “Being a soldier requires being on the front line and also taking care of the rear. I need you up here. It’s an important job.”
“But the Adonis…” Cameron stammered, trying to weasel any excuse to join the main attack.
“I will call for you if we encounter Adonis Vessels,” Roen said.
“Tao, do something! Order him to let me go down with the others. You know he’s not going to let me do anything.”
He is right. This is a lesson I had to teach your father as well. Guarding the escape point for the entire mission is as important as any job.
“What happened to all that big talk about me being ready?”
This is all part of the experience. I agree with your father sliding you softly into these roles, especially with your recent distractions.
Cameron swallowed the retort he was about to throw at both his father and Tao. “Fine, Dad.”
Roen put his hand on Cameron’s shoulder. “I couldn’t wish for a better kid. I can’t say it enough. Keep your ears on the comms. If things go poorly, get out of here and live to fight another day. Got it?”
Cameron bit his lip and nodded. Roen pulled him in and squeezed tightly before walking away. Just then, his mother blindsided him with her own hug, her face moist with tears.
“You are so grounded when we get back, but I love you, Cam. Listen to Gwenda. Do whatever she says. I’ll see you topside in a few.”
Cameron watched as, one by one, the Prophus agents entered the four metal columns. The bulk of the teams went down the three sets of stairs while a smaller team rappelled down the elevator door they forced open. In a few moments, he was alone with the pilots and the squad of three agents guarding the helicopter.
“Commander,” Gwenda approached, bowing. “It’s an honor to meet you and Tao, sir.”
“Uh, thanks?”
A host is always a commander. Act your rank.
“I’m stationing you at the elevator doors, sir. Keep on comm channel nine, and please follow my orders at all times.”
Cameron nodded and watched as she left him to relay instructions to the pilots.
“Some commander I turned out to be.”
One day, you will learn that assignments like this usually are the best. Let us just hope that today is not that day.
41 The Attack
The Quasing have always been able to predict the future. Time is cyclical, and for thousands of years, events have regularly repeated themselves. As much as humanity has changed, it has for the most part stayed the same. The way we treat humans now is similar to how we treated them when they first discovered fire. The power struggles, strategies, and manipulations we ran during the Mesopotamian era were similar to the ones we ran during World War II. That has always been the key; humans were always a constant.
This is no longer the case. Now they know us. The pattern has been broken.
Zoras
Enzo watched the red blip approach from the south on an intercept course toward the Four Towers, which was what the base workers called the landing pad. It was soon joined by two additional dots heading from the east. Soon, the three dots moved into formation and closed in on the loyalty haven. Enzo was willing to wager that it was the Prophus.
He didn’t know how they had found this base, but it couldn’t have been a coincidence that a Prophus attack force appeared shortly after the bulk of his operatives left to reinforce the catalyst facility, especially since Jacob had just delivered the scientist here. It could be the Canadian military, though the last time he had had a strength analysis done on North America, Canada’s armed forces ranked just slightly below the New York City Police Department. In any case, shooting these invaders down over the water would be a simple task. Far easier to destroy and cover up than bury knowledge of the haven’s location.