Chapter One: Hellish Daze (Seven years later)
He breathed deeply of the mountain air; so different from almost anywhere else he had been stationed. He adjusted the cover on his head as he got out of the car and slung his duffle over his shoulder. He paid the cab driver and walked to the guarded gatehouse at the Creek Mountain Base entrance, otherwise known as CMC, Cheyenne Mountain Complex. He kept his wallet out for his ID as he approached.
After almost three hours of waiting and signing papers, and listening as MilPo called several people to verify his clearance, he was finally in. He walked along side a Sergeant Phelps, through the bright concrete halls. "Wow, love the décor. Who's your designer?" Harris commented with out thinking.
Phelps chuckled, knowing already that Captain Harris would fit in with the crowd that worked here. "We're still trying to figure it out, sir, it was like this when we got it."
Harris laughed along with him, glad to know that at least one person here had a sense of humor.
"Here are your quarters, sir." Phelps opened a metal non-descript door and klaxons began wailing. The sergeant looked up as if waiting for something.
"Sierra Golf Charlie, Foothold training teams to preset positions, all non-essential personnel please evacuate to the designated holding platforms. Sierra Golf Charlie, Foothold…" the message repeated itself a few more times.
"Sergeant?" Harris questioned.
Phelps looked around for a moment as if to get his bearings. "This way, sir." Then he started jogging down one of the halls.
Harris stood in confusion for a moment then began to trail his guide. Other people ran too and fro, and soon Xander lost site of the man he was following. All at once the warning lights and message shut off, and everyone disappeared into different doors. He was left standing in another hall that looked like every other passage he had seen in this maze. Leaning against a wall Harris looked up and down the corridor with a smirk. He was SO gonna shoot someone for this and right now, Phelps seemed like the best candidate. He could have heard a pin drop, the complex was so quiet, as it was his excellent hearing picked up a sound coming from behind one of the many doors. His mind quickly reviewed the options available.
The door opened as he ducked around a corner. He heard the voice of a man speaking with authority and decided to have a peek around the bend in the wall. There were five of them. Three men, two women, the man speaking was tall and obviously a high ranking officer, though Harris couldn't see exactly what rank from his distance. The one that caught his attention was a young lady, wearing green fatigues and cover like the rest. Wisps of blond hair fell off of her head and onto the neckline of the flack jacket she wore. A menacing looking weapon was held easily in her hands. Under different circumstances Harris would have been happy to walk up to the beautiful woman and introduce himself. He pondered the thought briefly but decided against it.
He watched as she turned to survey her surroundings and caught sight of something in his direction. He looked in the same area she did and noticed his duffle bag still next to the wall he earlier used as a leaning post. She tapped her CO on the shoulder and pointed silently to the discarded container. Harris stole out of site quickly wondering what he had gotten himself into this time. Obviously it was some sort of training exercise, the voice that echoed through the base earlier had said as much. Yippee, he thought.
Near soundless footfalls walked guardedly closer to the corner. The brim of a hat showed itself first and Harris did the only thing he could think of, he surrendered. With his hands out to the side in a fashion that illustrated he was unarmed he stepped out so the others could see him. He let out a breath through pursed lips as he stood there. Their weapons rose at him, he was about to speak when a jolt of energy hit his back. It filtered through his body and he felt himself falling. He heard yelling as the ground quickly met him.
He barely noticed as the blond knelt beside him to check his pulse and breathing. He saw her mutely mouth a 'sorry' before he blacked out.
