A New World: Return (4 page)

“Okay, here’s the deal.
 
We’ll be landing at Lajes in about an hour.
 
Well, hopefully anyway.
 
If no one is home, it’ll be a search for the field at night.
 
Our GPS should be right on but if it’s not, well, let’s just hope it is.
 
We won’t have a lot of gas to play ‘find the field’,” I say opening the brief.

“I’m not sure of what kind of reception we’ll receive given, um, the last conversation I had with the base commander.
 
I assume you’ve been told I’m not exactly on his best friends list.
 
I can tell you that I don’t expect to get the other half of a best friend’s forever bracelet from him,” I add evoking more than a couple of smiles.

The smiles tell me I may have been elevated to a god-like status by pissing off a general.
 
This has always been the way in the military, well, at least in the circles I ran with.
 
Where conformity and cohesion is the need and the way, individualism in that regard has always been revered.

“At any rate, we’ll know soon enough.
 
I’ll be radioing as soon as we finish here.
 
At no time will we engage or threaten unless it’s against any of the creatures.
 
When I was here last, they had taken care of that problem so I don’t anticipate any problems in that regard. However, we need to be ready for any possibility.
 
We’ll conform to whatever their instructions are.
 
My plan is to continue along with the charade that I was sent on a mission to bring you back to McChord and my mission isn’t over until I arrive back.
 
Are there any questions?”

“Sergeant Connell, have the teams been assigned?”
 
I ask after no one responds.

“Yes, sir.
 
Sergeant Drescoll, Corporal Horace, you and I are the team leaders,” Lynn says and I shake their hands.
 
“Do you want to meet your team?”

“Yeah but let’s do that and talk more when we get on the ground.
 
Busy time is starting up front.
 
Plug in and you can follow along on the radio and keep everyone informed as we go,” I say gathering up Nic and Michelle and turn for the cockpit.

“Yes, sir,” Lynn responds.

I sigh thinking we are going to have to change that.
 
Well, maybe not right away as we will need to introduce some changes gradually.
 
Besides, I may be able to use that to my advantage later and smile at the thought.
 
Hmmmm, maybe not
, I think as the story in my head continues.
 
The story that continues ends with a loud growl and a knee to a very tender place.

“Oh,” I add.
 
Everyone turns their head back in my direction.
 
“This is off limits,” I say pointing to Nic and Michelle.
 
This, of course, invites a punch in the arm from Nic and a, “Dad!”

Back in the cockpit, we start our checks and begin a slow descent into Lajes.
 
I call on the approach frequency we used previously but without a response back.
 
That’s odd
, I think.
 
It’s only been two days
.
 
They should still be there
.
 
I switch over to the guard frequency and call again.

“Lajes approach, this is Otter 39 on guard.”

There is a pause before my headset fills with, “Otter 39, this is Lajes approach on guard.
 
Welcome back.”

That’s reassuring
, I think.
 
“Otter 39, altimeter is 29.96. contact approach on 385.40.

The altimeter has fallen substantially since we left.
 
Hope bad weather isn’t on the way
, I think switching frequencies.

“Lajes approach, Otter 39, 150 miles east descending through 17,000.”

“Roger.
 
Winds are 190 at 15.
 
Lajes landing runway 15. Squawk 0371 and ident.”

I reach over to switch the IFF code, flip the switch momentarily to ident and hear shortly after, “Otter 39, radar contact.
 
Fly heading 290, vectors for the ILS Runway 15. Descend and maintain 5,000.”

“Roger that Lajes.
 
290, passing through 16 for 5.
 
Are the lights on?”
 
I ask.

“Lights are on, however, standby,” answers Lajes approach.

What is that about
?
 
I think setting up the approach and coordinating the flight with Robert.

A few moments pass.
 
“Otter 39, standby for Colonel Wilson,” I hear in my headset.

Oh boy, here we go.
 
This can’t be good
.

“I assume I am speaking with Captain Walker,” a voice I know comes over the radio.

“Yes, sir,” I answer.

“Captain, be advised our circumstances have changed since you were here.”

“Go ahead, sir.”

“General Collins left yesterday with most of the base personnel.
 
We only have a skeleton crew here and our containment measures failed in the meantime.”

“What do you mean he left, sir?”

“He found a pilot and they took off in a KC-10 for the states in order to get some help.”

“And the containment?”
 
I ask.

“Apparently we missed some of the infected from the city and they showed up after he left.
 
We are holed up in the tower during the night and won’t be able to meet you.
 
Be aware that the creatures are out there and may be attracted by the runway lighting,” Colonel Wilson answers.

“Are you getting this, Lynn?”
 
I ask into the intercom.

“Yeah, Jack. I hear it.”
 
I notice she is calling me by my name when we are private like this even though I am quite sure there are soldiers around her.

“Make sure everyone knows.”

“I will.”

Back on the radio, “Roger that, sir. We’ll land, shutdown and hold up for the night.
 
Can you see if the runway is clear, sir?”
 
I ask.

“From what we can see from here, it’s clear.”

“Let us know if you happen to spot anything out there.
 
That could sure ruin our night if we happen to hit anything at the wrong time.”

“We’ll keep an eye out for you.”

We make several heading and altitude changes and line up for the approach.
 
The runway lights are visible in the distance as we start on the approach but are surrounded by an inky blackness that makes it difficult to judge distance and height.
 
A momentary sense of vertigo comes over me.
 
I must be more tired than I thought
, I think doubling my attention on the instruments and the approaching lights.

“Help me watch the airspeed Robert.
 
If I get too far off 155 knots, tell me.”

“Will do, Dad,” Robert replies.

“Bri, make a final check that we are on the main tanks.”

“We are, Dad,” she says.
 
I would double check but I don’t want to be moving my head around much given the feeling of vertigo I just experienced.

“Gear down and verify three green for me Robert.”

I see his hand appear in my range of vision and move the gear handle down.
 
A vibration rumbles through the aircraft as the gear are released and forced into the slipstream.

“Three green,” Robert says as the rumbling comes to a stop.

“Lynn, make sure everyone is strapped in please.”

“Already done, Jack.”

“Thanks,” I say to her.
 
“Robert, flaps at 50 if you please.”

The aircraft starts to rise up as the configuration is changed.
 
I compensate by pulling the throttles back a touch and push the nose down, retrimming the aircraft as I do.
 
We continue down the flight path with only a few bumps of turbulence, the ILS needles perfectly centered.
 
I’m tired and things that were normally done by rote become almost a chore.
 
The lights come ever closer.
 
Why did this have to happen?
 
I could be home right now playing Xbox
, the momentary stray thought runs through my mind.
 
Focus, focus
.

“Full flaps.”

I again change the throttle and pitch as the aircraft responds to its configuration change.
 
“We’re looking for 135 knots,” I say to Robert.

Into the radio, I say, “Lajes approach, Otter 39 on short final.”

“Roger Otter 39, cleared to land.
 
Remain on this frequency.
 
Runway looks clear.”

“Roger that Lajes.
 
See you on the ground,” I say pressing the transmit button.

The tendency at night is to flare high so I hold the nose down a moment longer than what would normally seem right after we pass the threshold lights and our landing lights pick up the runway markings.
 
I pull the throttle back while raising the nose.
 
Low and slow like this is the moment I hope to God that we don’t hit something.
 
Even something small will throw us off our flight path enough so that we would become a flaming wreck and a memory.
 
Something to talk about for a week and then forgotten.
 
The right wheel contacts the runway first, then the left as we rock slightly and the aircraft settles to the runway.
 
The nose comes down as I apply reverse thrust, slowing the aircraft rapidly. Approaching taxi speed, I ask Robert to bring the flaps up.

“Lajes, we’re clear of the active and taxiing to the ramp.”

“Roger Otter 39, taxi to parking.”

It is amazing how some things like proper radio communication remain when everything else is gone.
 
Just a product of nature I guess or maybe we are just trying to hold on to something.
 
There was no need for us to carry on like that.
 
Those radio communications were introduced for brevity and to control vast amounts of aircraft in a short period of time.
 
As far as I can tell, we are the only ones, possibly in the world, flying.
 
Yet here we are practicing standard radio communication when we could have just been talking normally.
 
Go figure.

Just as these thoughts are crossing my mind and we are taxiing in, a shadow runs across the taxi way in our lights.

“Is that what I think it was?”
 
Michelle asks.

“I think so,” Robert answers her.

“Lajes, be aware that we may have visitors.
 
I just saw one cross in front of us,” I say into the radio.

“Roger Otter 39, we see several of them heading your way across the ramp from the base.”

“Okay, we should be fine in here as long as they can’t figure out how to open the doors,” I reply as we come to a stop on the ramp.
 
“We’ll shut down here.
 
Once we shut down, be aware that we won’t have our radios on so we can conserve our battery.”

“Copy that.”

“See you in the morning Lajes,” I say and begin shutting down the engines.

“Did you catch that we might have company, Lynn?”

“I did.”

“Okay, I’ll be back there when I finish up here.”

“See you the..”
 
That’s all I catch as the engines wind down and the cockpit plunges into darkness.

Damn, I forgot to switch to DC power
, I think reaching up to turn the switch.
 
I’m too tired to think
.

The internal lights come back on the moment I click the switch over.
 
“Let’s head into the back,” I say to everyone in the cockpit after removing my helmet.
 
I get no response.
 
The only indication I have that they heard me is their movement out of their seats and down the stairs.

“Robert, put the blackout covers on the windows,” I say once we are in the cargo compartment.
 
The blackout covers will prevent any light from escaping outside and therefore drawing more attention to ourselves.

“There are creatures around and they’re most likely heading our way.
 
We should be safe inside here unless they’ve figured out the secret of opening the doors,” I say gathering the group around.

Noticing some startled and worried looks, I add, “Not to worry, I don’t think they’ve progressed to that point yet.
 
We’ll settle in for the night keeping a watch, meet up with the folks stationed here in the morning and go from there.
 
Silence is our best friend so limit movement and keep talking down to whispers.
 
We need to become a deep, dark, black hole.
 
Let’s settle in and lights out in five minutes.
 
Sergeant Connell, will you see to the watch schedule?”