The Red Phoenix 12: Strength Comes in Numbers (32 page)

“Glad you made it on such short notice,” said Bauer.

“Do we have entry points located yet?” asked Braddock, setting his case on a table and opening it.

Bauer laid out a map on another table of the perimeter around the Red Phoenix.

“Our scouts spotted a definite entrance here at the southeast corner and a few possible entries in the northwest areas, here and here,” Bauer answered. “It’s a mountain of rubble and a huge mess.”

“What about a transit system or sewage system?” asked Braddock, putting an automatic weapon together, observing the map as his men assembled their weapons too.

“The transit system is buried under the rubble,” Bauer answered. “Despite the size of the place, there were only six exits for their trains to go. Four of the exits we know for sure are a dead end. The status of the other two is unknown but even if there were a way in, you’d be walking into a house-of-cards type death trap.”

“And the sewage system?” asked Braddock, rubbing his bald head, folding his muscular arms.

“No good, the scouts reported
things
in the water when they tried to enter the tunnels on the side of the hills,” Bauer responded.

“What kind of things?” asked Braddock, locking additional components onto his weapon.

“Let’s just say that whatever was in the water had three heads, sharp teeth and nearly bit one of the soldiers in half,” Bauer answered in a serious tone.

“Any idea what it was?” asked Braddock, attaching a scope with laser sighting.

“The vapor fallout caused all sorts of strange shit around here, Commander,” said Bauer. “This is unlike any tour you’ve served in. You and your teams are up against some bizarre opponents.”

“The directive I read stated there were to be
no survivors
,” stated Braddock.

“That is correct,” Bauer confirmed, laying down photos on top of the map. “Your two primary targets are these two, Dr. Alex Frederick Siddoway, the wacko scientist and weapons designer who caused this mayhem, and his assistant, Christopher James Michaels, a former Special Forces operative. They’ve been branded
Enemies of the State
.

“Hmph, traitors, huh?” Braddock mumbled.

“There’s more,” said Bauer.

“Go on,” Braddock replied.

“Aside from these two targets, we’re looking for this,” Bauer stated, putting a photo down of Siddoway throwing lightning at FBI agents at the motel in Tucson.

“What the hell?” asked Braddock.

“This Siddoway most likely has a small box, chest or something with him where he keeps this source of lightning he throws at people,” Bauer stated. “The White House wants it.”

“Understandable,” Braddock responded.

“On another note, Commander, there is something I wanted to tell you,” said Bauer.

“What is it?” asked Braddock.

“I lost a friend of mine in the Red Phoenix explosion,” Bauer replied in a hard tone. “A friend I’ve known for twenty-five years. We were in the Army together, served in tours overseas together. Hell, my wife and I have been on more boating trips with his family than I can count.

Braddock rubbed his goatee, listening.

“Now, you find Siddoway and that Michaels under that rubble of shit out there and you kill them for me, you understand?” Bauer asked in a stern voice.

“Loud and clear, General,” Braddock responded.

“Is any of this going to be a problem for you?” asked Bauer.

“A problem? Siddoway and Michaels might as well consider the Red Phoenix as their tomb because I’m going to nail their coffins shut,” Braddock answered, locking his weapon.

***

An hour later, military helicopters flew over the dark forest, surrounding the devastated facility. Braddock and his men watched the treacherous trees that passed beneath them.

“Good hell, look at all those black trees and hanging vines down there,” said Lieutenant Osborne, Braddock’s next in command, amazed.

“It’s incredible is what it is,” stated Lieutenant Astrade, sitting next to the open sliding door.

“All of that grew within an hour or two is what I’m told,” stated Osborne.

“This Siddoway did a good job in fortifying his fortress of death,” said Astrade. “The tree branches have razor sharp thorns sticking out of them and spiky patches everywhere. Who knows what types of poisonous plants exist in there?”

“Did you take a guided tour or something?” asked Osborne, cracking a smile with sarcasm.

“Negative, it’s just what I observed back at the North Base,” Astrade answered.

“The upside is the arsenal we’re after isn’t in the friggin’ atomic jungle down there or whatever the freak it is,” said Osborne.

“I was also told there were strange rumblings heard coming from the trees,” said Astrade.

“What do you mean rumblings?” asked Osborne.

“Like something is
alive
in there,” Braddock answered.

“Hey, Astrade, like what are you trying to do, man? Scare the hell out of us before we land? Ease up, bro,” said Lieutenant Ashment, rebuking him.

“Just keeping you boys updated,” Astrade responded.

“You see this?” asked Ashment, pointing at his Special Forces tattoo on his muscular forearm. “I didn’t get that from sitting on my ass, playing checkers in the bunker.”

“Impressive tattoo,” said Astrade. ”Where did you really get it? Prison?”

Astrade, Osborne, and a few others laughed.

“Hey! This ain’t no prison stamp, man,” said Ashment. “But I’ll tell you this, anything gets in my way, I’m going to cut it in half with this,” he added, showing off his tactical automatic weapon with curved-magazine, extra handle grip and hi-tech scope.

“All right, listen up!” said Braddock, standing. “It’s time to deploy. Whatever we run into down there, kill it. We make for the arsenal on level minus seventy, retrieve the packages and head back to the point of entry.”

“What about survivors down there, Commander?” asked Osborne.

“Any civilian found alive is deemed infected with a highly contagious virus and a potential threat in starting a worldwide epidemic,” Braddock answered. “Anyone we find will be quarantined. Is that understood?” he asked in a loud voice.

“Yes sir!” his men responded.

“Ready up, guys! We’re arriving at the drop mark!” said Braddock, slinging his weapon over his shoulder.

***

Ten helicopters encircled the mountain of building wreckage. Braddock and his platoon were the first to repel, landing on the endless heaps of rubble, cement and dirt.

“The zone is secure! Send in the rest!” said Braddock into his headset.

“Copy Delta Leader,” a voice responded.

The other soldiers repelled until there were three platoons of armed professionals standing on what was left of the destroyed facility.

***

Braddock led his battalion of fifty soldiers over broken walls, glass, rebar and steel framing, wearing tactical gear and carrying weapons, making their way to the southeast entrance.

“Just like Nine-Eleven, eh Osborne?” asked Ashment, right behind him.

“Nine-Eleven was a walk in the park compared to this,” Osborne replied, leaping down from a heap of broken wall.

“How so?” asked Ashment.

“Nine-Eleven was more of a clean-up detail and about finding a few people under some debris,” Osborne answered. “Here, we’re going seventy-nine stories beneath the surface in an unstable environment that’s surrounded by hostiles just to collect a nuclear arsenal.”

Braddock hiked over more broken-up pieces of building then leaped down.

“How much further, sir?” asked Osborne, leaping down behind him.

“The entry point should be on the other side of this rubble, according to my map and the scouts,” Braddock replied, climbing over another short wall then leaping down.

“Why didn’t we have the guardsmen scouts guide us to the entrance?” asked Osborne.

“The two guard pansies went home,” Braddock answered.

“Are you kidding me?” asked Osborne.

“I couldn’t believe they let those two clowns wear the American flag on their uniforms,” Braddock responded. “Friggin’ cowards.”

“They were that scared?” asked Osborne.

Braddock put his fist up, signaling Osborne and the rest of the men to halt as he came up to a triangular-shaped hole in between the broken-up layers of concrete.

“This is Fox Ninety-Nine, we’ve arrived,” said Braddock into his radio. “I want single-file behind me.”

“You got it. Line up, everyone! It’s follow the leader! Lock and load!” Osborne said to the soldiers behind him.

Braddock leaped down to an opening of a tunnel, formed by several layers of devastated building. He crouched, aiming his weapon into the cave-like entrance, turning on his light.

“Is this seriously the entrance, Commander?” asked Osborne.

“Affirmative,” Braddock answered, making his way into the dark tunnel carefully. “Let’s move.”

Osborne followed him into the entry as the rest of the men formed a single-file line, turning on their mounted lights as each of them entered the passageway. There was an eeriness about the diamond-shaped tunnel that led them into the facility and the way the steel framing and rebar stuck out of the broken layers of concrete.

“Watch yourselves,” said Braddock, continuing down the adverse, tunnel-like entry. “There are sharp edges everywhere.”

“I copy, Commander,” Osborne answered. “How far did the scouts get?”

“Far enough to know that this passage leads to level minus two,” Braddock answered.

“Why didn’t they go any further?” asked Osborne.

“They kept hearing
weird
sounds,” Braddock replied, maneuvering around a protruding block of jagged concrete.

“Weird sounds? Like what?” asked Osborne.

“Like something that should be dead was alive,” Braddock responded, ducking his head to avoid rebar that stuck out from the wall.

***

Siddoway led Eric, Ron and a few staff members down a corridor on level minus fifty.

“So where are the munitions, Siddoway?” asked Ron.

“There is a small depot for the security staff around the corner,” Siddoway answered. “The emergency supply room is just across the hall from it.”

They hurried around a corner, finding a door that stated Emergency Supplies.

“There it is!” said Ron, excitedly, rushing to the door handle, trying to open it. “Damn, it’s locked.”

“Step back, Ron. Watch what my weapon can do to locked doors,” said Siddoway.