Chapter Nine: The Search

Claire and Sarah had been released from the Hospital wing that morning and had stumbled into their quarters with Jason and Celeste, who were sitting at the table contemplating their new duties.

‘Hey’ they both said as they entered. Jason and Celeste looked up.

‘Hey’ Jason said and Celeste replied together. Sarah’s leg had been put in a cast and she was given crutches. Claire’s leg was heavily bandaged and she too was on crutches. Jason got up and approached Claire.

‘Claire’ he said.

‘Yes’ she replied.

‘I know you used to be good with computers, are you still good with computers?’ Jason asked.

‘Yes, of course I’m still good with computers’ Claire said, a little annoyed.

‘Good. Take a seat. I need you to do something’ Jason said. Claire hobbled over and sat down at the table while Jason walked over with the envelope.

‘What’s this?’ Claire asked.

‘That’s what I was hoping you could tell me’ Jason said.

‘Why do you need me to find out?’ Claire asked him.

‘After my meeting with the General, Celeste and I went to my dad’s old quarters and found this,’ Jason said opening the envelope and showing her the contents. ‘Letters, numbers, forms that make no sense to me. All I know is that they’re important and that someone else is after them. If I know what they are, then maybe I can figure out why someone’s after it’ Jason told her.

‘So you’re asking me to-‘

‘To look into it, yes’ Jason said.

‘You’re sure?’ Claire asked.

‘Yes. Just do it quietly’ Jason said.

‘We’d better go’ Celeste announced. Jason looked up.

‘Yes, we should’ Jason replied.

‘Go? Go where?’ Sarah asked.

‘Well, Celeste has been put in the Research Lab, and they’ve got me in a search team to look for survivors’ Jason said and he left with Celeste. When the door was closed behind them, Celeste spoke.

‘Wanna fill me in?’ she asked.

‘Claire and I went to the same school. She was one of the best hackers there’ Jason answered.

‘And why do you need a hacker?’ Celeste asked.

‘Well, the only thing I’ve been able to come up with is that the details of those papers are not something that I’m supposed to have access to. Dad will have encrypted them to protect himself, but the unencrypted version will still be in the military network’ Jason said.

‘Are you insane?’ Celeste whispered. ‘If Claire gets caught, she will go to jail for the rest of her life’

‘Right now, I doubt being free is safer than being in jail. If anything it’s more dangerous. Besides, she won’t be caught’ Jason told Celeste.

‘Ok then, if that’s what you think. Anyway, I’d better go’ Celeste said as she turned on her heel and left.

‘The General doesn’t want you handling a gun, other than your own, outside of the firing range. You’re going to be up in the air, so your Aug A3 is useless or not as efficient. Instead you’re going to be our eyes. Not only will you be looking for survivors, but you’ll be guiding ground forces around Tallentiri patrols. They know we’re active now, so they will be looking for us’ Sergeant Williams told him. ‘And don’t worry, you’re not the pilot, you’re just a spotter’ he added. Jason had arrived at the Helipad and was given the job of watching over the ground forces. Jason clambered in and the 5300X powered up and took off. The landscape surrounding the Barracks opened up around him. The helicopter flew off, ahead of the ground teams.

‘Falcon Three, come in’ said a voice over the radio.

‘Command this is Falcon Three, over’ the pilot said.

‘We’ve received confirmation that there is a Tallentiri strike force en route to the Barracks. We need you to turn your ground forces and yourself around and head back to the Barracks’

‘Hang on a sec’ Jason said.

‘Command, Stand by,’ the pilot said before turning to Jason. ‘What is it?’

‘I think I see survivors. Two clicks, dead ahead’ Jason answered.

‘I don’t think so. Too many of them. Way too many of them’ The pilot said.

‘Then what are they?’ Jason asked. They watched the group and the pilot gasped.

‘Command, we have Nexus forces en route, approximately two kilometres, directly in front of us. Request permission to engage’ the pilot said.

‘Negative Falcon Three. You and your ground forces must return to the Barracks. We’ll deal with Nexus later’

‘Copy that. Falcon Three out,’ The pilot said, before turning and nodding at Jason. ‘Pass the message on, leave the Nexus forces out of it’

‘Sergeant Williams, do you read?’ Jason said into his radio.

‘We read you Jason’ Williams replied.

‘Command wants everyone to return to the Barracks. They’ve received confirmation that a Tallentiri strike force is en route’ Jason said.

‘Copy that. Returning now, ETA three minutes’ Williams replied.

‘So what’s the Nexus?’ Jason asked. The pilot sighed.

‘They were originally a Peacekeeping force. Formed in secret by the Federal Government shortly after the National Riots of twenty fifty-eight. Two years later, they were sacked by the same Government. It was suggested that some of their agents were passing information to the Saudi Arabians. Now they’re a private military. Killers for hire’

‘Who hired them?’ Jason asked.

‘We don’t know. All we know is they have very deep pockets. They’ve got billion dollar weaponry. Better weapons than what we have. We’ve had skirmishes with them before, very few of our people have survived them’ they were almost at the Barracks now. Then they heard the sound of metal hitting metal.

‘They’re firing at us. It’s ok, we’re going to make it’ the pilot said. Suddenly there was an explosion and alarms.

‘I thought you said we were ok’ Jason said.

‘We are. We’ve just lost tail rotors, but I can still land’ the Pilot said.

‘Why do I sense there’s a “but”?’ Jason asked.

‘This is the first time I’ve tried it’ The pilot said.