Chapter 26 Death From Above

Thermal Imaging TV Operator

July 21st, 2017

4:22 AM

Canyon Springs, Idaho

AC-130H Spectre Gunship (Codename: Wildfire)

LOCKED: AC-130 SPECTRE

Weapons:

25mm Gatling Gun GA12

Rate of Fire: 1800 RPM

40mm Bofors Cannon L60

Rate of Fire: 100 RPM

105mm M102 Cannon

Rate of Fire: 10 RPM

I activate the thermal imaging for the guns to get a black and white visual on the ground below us. Reports of ConDef activity advancing on the Canyon Spring Christian Church called us in. Our ground combat was going to need air support from us to advance against enemy ground combatants. A radio transmission from a Captain Cage come on for orders.

"Cage to Wildfire. We're protecting civilians inside the church. Confirm you have a visual on us."

I move the camera to where I see the church and spot some strobe lighting on friendlies protecting the chapel outdoors.

"Got eyes on friendlies," I respond.

"Crew, do not fire on any target marked by a strobe," said the pilot of our gunship. "Those are friendlies."

"I see them, pilot. No engagement on the strobes."

"Uh, TV," said the navigator. "Confirm you see the church in the town."

"We see it. Start the clock."

"Roger that," said pilot. "We're there. Start talking."

"You are not authorized to level the church," said navigator. "Do not fire directly on the church."

"Got a vehicle moving now."

I see an armored truck on camera with personnel hopping out as the vehicle stopped. Then a couple more vehicles on route to assault the church. Possible ConDef approaching.

"The vehicles have stopped," I said. "Personnel coming out of the trucks."

"We have armed personnel approaching the church," said pilot. "Request permission to engage."

"Copy," replied navigator. "You are cleared to engage the moving vehicles and any personnel outside the church you see."

"Affirmative. Crew, you are cleared to engage but do not fire on the church."

I fire the Bofors Cannon on the ConDef infantry exiting the truck and pop them like firecrackers. Giving them a death from above. Shooting them down on the streets of the town and on the hayfield next door. My fellow operators and pilot react to the shooting and kills I make. Commenting on how good the kills were.

A lot of other enemy personnel were surrounding other corners of the church. Our pilot orbited the gunship in a circle to oversee the plain of the neighborhood of the church overrun by ConDef. I fire the cannon a bunch more times to pick them off one by one. Whether it'd be twelve-o-clock north, three-o-clock east, six-o-clock south, or nine-o-clock west around the church, I made sure all enemies were neutralized for our guys in the church protecting the refugees inside. There was ground support engaging ConDef in all directions of the church, whether it'd be with turrets or rifles, our AC-130 was going to be their best pal.

While our eye in the sky continued engaging, more radio chatter from inside had spoken on our channel. Another transmission from Cage.

"Look who decided to show their faces," said Cage. "ConDef is outside!"

"What do you need from us, Captain?" A soldier on the channel asked.

"Heard and I will protect the church with Logos, Newblood, and Mason along with our outdoor defenses. Take Wheeler with you three and keep them off our asses from up here."

"Yes, sir!"

As I kept engaging ConDef around the church with my firing crew, we get a transmission from a Commander Madsen from inside.

"Wildfire, this is Commander Madsen. I'm with Valor Two. Captain Cage and Valor One are defending the church with our ground support outside. Keep up the fire! Valor Two out."

"Roger that," replied pilot. "Engage anything without a flashing strobe light. Those are all hostiles."

"Recalibrate azimuth sweep angle," said navigator. "Adjust elevation scan."

David

July 21st, 2017

4:27 AM

Canyon Springs, Idaho

Canyon Springs Christian Church

As I'm fighting with my usual compatriots on the upper floor of the church shooting up ConDef with my rifle out the windows, Richard Marsh is up here defending his church with us. Using his pump-action rifle and sniping down enemy infantry. I've never seen a pastor like him as the combat type for situations like these.

"You're a pretty good shot for a Preacher, you know," I said to him. "I hope you won't have to sin for it."

"It's called hunting practice, Commander," replied Richard. "And self-defense. Which neither is a sin to be forgiven."

Suddenly, an unidentified noise is heard from the sky. A noise that certainly didn't come from the gunfire up on the AC-130. It was another screeching and roaring sound the matched the one I heard before in San Francisco back at SF Spectre. Everyone stopping firing their ammo. Chrysalis and ConDef included. A chill ran through my spine know what this noise belonged to.

"Wildfire to all ground teams. We're picking up an unidentified flying object coming east of the church. Please advise."

I get a good enough look up in the sky to confirm what I already knew. Every boot on the ground including my team and Cage's are mesmerized at the sight of the flying creature in the night sky. Even the ConDef troops on the other side stood down for what was coming. Which was nothing more than Ares's dragon descending from the stars in the moonlight. With Ares himself riding on.

"Commander," said Cayce. "Is that what I believe it is?"

"Sweet Jesus, Mary, and Joseph," said Richard. "What is that?"

"Wildfire to ground teams. We see whatever we're seeing descending to your positions. Do we engage?! Respond!"

"Hold your fire, Wildfire," I respond. "Do not fire until I give the order. This is about to get ugly."

Without another moment to spare, Ares lands his dragon in front of the church with a thud on the ground caused by the dragon's hands and feet and a loud roar that echoes inside that everyone can hear. The refugees panic and holler. Including the Marsh family. Mary hugs her youngest daughter Lynn in the middle of the panicking crowd and Kate holds hands with Laura.

The defending Chrysalis teams out in the front yard of the church, including Valor One, march towards the sandbags and hold their ground with their rifles as well as turrets aimed directly at the god of war himself. Marching over to the church for confrontation. Captain Cage orders his men to prepare to fire on his command. I tell Cage to let everyone cease fire until it was safe for weapons free. If we had tried anything, the situation could get just as unattractive as it was back at SF Spectre. Ares stops in his path to speak.

"David Madsen," said Ares. "I know you're in there. We meet again at last."

"How do you know my name?" I asked communicating with Ares in the distance. "What do you from me?"

"I know a lot of things about you since we last met in San Francisco. The Mind Shard read your memories when I had you in my grasp. What I want is that script you've found in that church. I understand you have some kind of relationship with the traveler as the Mind Shards tells."

Logos and Newblood turn their heads at one another while standing their ground and their guns aimed at Ares. Wondering how Ares knows me so well of all the soldiers in this refuge that aren't anyone special to him. Heard and Mason do the same.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I replied. "Whatever this traveler is."

"Lies that defy the Mind Shard will be tolerated no longer," said Ares. "To clarify, the one you call Max Caulfield, the traveler of Arcadia, the savior of Portland, is the girl you have memories of."

My body is frozen. Did he just say Max Caulfield? What about her? Why did he refer to her as the traveler? Kristine turns her head to me. Shocked to hear Max's name too. I know Kate in the crowd had to have overheard her name too. And she did. She was shocked to hear her name too.

"Your traveler believes she could challenge me into winning this war for your so-called Chrysalis army," continued Ares. "She believes she could assemble every Eternity Shard, find the Ark of Genesis, and thwart me of my plans to bring balance to the universe. To bad my ConDef army has Max in their capture to ensure otherwise. Eon auternum."

"You're bluffing!" I snarled. "The Max I know would never just get herself involved in this war for whatever reason you think she has! The Max I know is out there finding a better future than risking her life the way she did in Portland!"

"It would seem you aren't aware of Max's current actions at all. It matters not. I need more than just my Eternity Shards to keep my war plan in motion. I need that script you have in that church. Hand over the script and will assure you the lives in the church will be spared. Both soldiers and refugees."

"Don't do it, David!" Cayce warned. "It's a trap! You give that script to him and he'll just stab you right in the heart!"

"If I come out there and give you the script," I said. "How do I guarantee you'll leave everyone out of harm's way?!"

"My guarantee means nothing to you, Commander," said Ares. "What matters most is that script is with me and your people will indeed be left out of harm's way. Your men open fire, they die. You call in your air support, they die. The lives of your men and refugees are in your hands. The choice is yours."

"Wildfire to Madsen. Do we engage on whatever's down there? Over."

Just fantastic. Now that I've some sort of attachment with Ares, he knows about Max. I don't know what Max has to do with this, but if Ares ever laid one finger on her, it would be the last thing I'd forgive myself for. And worst of all, the lives of everyone in this church are on me. Including the Marshes. I almost costed Kate's life once, I won't cost hers again. If I go out there and surrender the script to Ares, maybe he'll spare everyone else. But might also kill me as soon as I do.

If I call in an airstrike from the gunship a thousand feet above, the next thing I know the dragon will breathe fire on this church like a smore. No one will survive. The fate of these innocent lives rest upon my valor shoulders

X/SQUARE/LM – SURRENDER THE SCRIPT

B/CIRCLE/RM – CALL IN AIRSTRIKE

"Madsen to Wildfire," I whispered on my comm. "On checkmate, engage on the UFO."

"Copy Madsen. Standing by for orders."

I really hope I don't go to hell for this. My plan was to pretend to surrender the script to Ares and as soon as I'm out in the open, I say checkmate and then bang, bang, boom, boom. Whatever the cost.

"Alright, Ares!" I called out. "You win! I'm coming out! The script is yours!"

"David, what are you doing?!" Kristine snapped.

"Trust me."

I walked straight out of the church with the book with the whale symbol in my hand. Pretending I was surrendering as the friendlies outside watched. Including Cage and Valor One.

"David, what are you doing out here?!" Newblood panicked.

Everyone stood down and kept watching. Assuming I knew what to do. Ares kept standing in front of his dragon. Waiting for his prize and reaching out for it with his up in front of him. As soon as my feet reach between the church and the dragon, dead in the center, I call it in.

"Checkmate," I whisper on comm.

Then I immediately make a run back to the church and order everyone to hit the deck.

"Everyone get clear!" I alerted. "Move! Move!"

Ares noticed my trick and turned his head up to see missiles descending from the orbiting gunship. The missiles plummeted onto Ares and dragon into combustions of explosions. Minorly damaging the dragon and pissing it off with a painful roar. But a 100 RPM canon wouldn't harm the god of war himself. As he emerged from the explosion that made him furious, having been made an ignorant out of himself by me, he hadn't forgotten his word.

"You just signed your death warrant, David!" Ares thundered. "My ConDef army will finish you!"

As soon as Ares fled back into the night sky with his dragon, I keep the script safe in my hands while the Chrysalis soldier and Valor One open fire on the fleeing dragon carrying ConDef's deity. More radio chatter from Wildfire came on.

"We got a moving vehicle here," said Wildfire's FCO.

"Negative, negative," warned another FCO. "Do not engage. I repeat do engage vehicle on the main highway."

I think I knew what these vehicles were. They were the evac trucks picking up the refugees. That's a relief. More so just after Ares was out of the picture. That being the idea.

"Wildfire," said Cage on comm. "We're going to commandeer civilian transports on the main highway. Cover us!"

"Crew," said the pilot on comm. "Do not engage any vehicles traveling on the main highway. Those are civilians. Ground units are acquiring alternate transports at this time. Do not engage any vehicles on the highway unless cleared to do so."

"I bet that guy's pissed!" An operator joked on comm. "That's a nice truck!"

"Nah, hehe. He's scared shitless."