Chapter 50 - Miles and Miles from Home

Howard stared at Turner, not knowing what to say, he just couldn't believe the man was serious, no check that, he prayed the man wasn't serious. It was a couple of moments before he could speak, "I am not a soldier, Sir."

"I know Howard, that is what makes it harder to ask you to do this."

"Ask me?" Howard was baffled, he just wanted to say no.

"Yes." Turner sighed, "We are sending men into an unknown facility, we can give them good intelligence information to the facility but we know almost nothing once they go inside. We are taking good men, family men, and asking them to do their job, a very dangerous job. How can we not give them the best support we can, we owe them that, we owe them the MASS."

Howard just stared at Turner again, now torn, he had wanted to build the suit to protect soldiers, like Dr Hogan's son, and now they needed it for just that, but they needed him in it. Of course those men had families just like him, why would he ever think they didn't, and their families wanted them to come home alive too, just like Bernadette wanted him too. That was the problem, Bernadette, she needed him and he promised, and the thought of what this could do to her, tore at his soul.

"Howard?"

Howard now saw he was looking at his hands as he rubbed them together, his mind had been in a different place and he hadn't even realized he was doing that. He looked back up at Turner, in defeat. "When do I leave, Sir."

"There is a plane standing by, so get your stuff together and the suit moved out. I have a man waiting outside to take you any place you need to go. We need to hurry, though." Turner stood up and Howard followed.

"Yes Sir." Howard turned to leave.

"Howard." Turner waited for Howard to look back at him. "Thanks."

Howard nodded, "Yes Sir."

-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-

Two hours later Howard was sitting with one of the technicians, Technical Sergeant Reed, in the back of a C-17, with the suit and his equipment. It had been really easy to pack up, they had just took everything they brought to the demonstration site. The plane they were in had very long range capability and could be in air refueled, which was good because they were crossing the Atlantic to another country where everything was being staged. In addition, the other of the two Army technicians had gone back to Cal Tech, to pick up the dazzlers and their control wiring, Major Lee waiting at the lab, in his wheelchair, to show them what to take. That equipment would then go on a KC-135R Tanker, at Edwards Air Force Base, with the technician, Master Sergeant Smart, and fly non-stop to the staging base. Howard wanted more than just the laser and he knew he could jury-rig the dazzlers in a couple hours, plus they would brutal inside a building.

However, Howard's mind was not on the mission, it was on his wife and how he was breaking his promise to her. He had tried to call her a couple times the last two hours, but every time he picked up his phone, he realized he didn't know what to say. He would have to lie to her and he didn't want to do that, he didn't want his maybe last conversation with her to be a lie, but he so wanted to hear her voice. However, he knew if he called her, she would know something was up and it would upset her again, he didn't want to do that again.

Howard looked at his phone, it was smart phone and it had an APP for notes, so he opened that up and started to type.

My Dearest Wife

He looked at his phone, the words seeming so lame to him as he looked at them, so he erased them and started again.

Bernadette, you are the most amazing person I have ever known, and I love you so much it hurts sometimes, so please believe me I didn't want to do this, but I had to. If you are receiving this, then you know I am dead, and I broke my promise to you again. Honey, saying I'm sorry is meaningless now, so I won't insult you, because you are the smartest person I know. I didn't want to leave you alone with our child, and I don't know how much they will tell you what happened to me, but understand this was important and I had to do it. I just want to tell you my life was so great after I met you, I never imagined I would met an angel in my life and she would want me, stupid me….

Howard wiped his arm across his eyes to get the tears out of his eyes, then kept writing. He wrote for two straight hours, before he was finally finished, he knew it was probably not enough, he knew Bernadette would want more, but his mind was now tired and he couldn't think of any else to say. So he put his phone in his pocket and laid down on the paratroop seats he was on, immediately falling asleep.

-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-

Howard didn't wake up until the crewman shook him. "Sir we are landing now, you need to put your seatbelt on."

Howard nodded, "Thanks."

They were no sooner on the ground and parked, when the ramps, in the back of the C-17, opened for a covered truck backing up to it, armed guards very visibly stationed around it and the airplane. Everything was quickly unloaded, then the truck left the plane, Howard and Sergeant Reed were put in a HUMVEE that immediately followed the truck. It was only an hour later when Howard and Reed were standing in front of the suit support rack, running diagnostics on the suit, together. Howard was surprised when the Naval Captain walked into the lab, walking directly to him. "Lieutenant Colonel Wolowitz?" the man put his hand out to Howard.

Howard knew a Naval Captain was equivalent to a full Colonel in the Army, so he shook the mans hand, then saluted him. "Yes Sir."

Captain Nelson was in charge of the SEAL teams, he saluted Howard back, then smiled. "We aren't real formal in Special Ops, so please stay at ease Lieutenant Colonel. I was just wondering if you could tell me about it." Nelson nodded towards the suit. Reed walked over to the corner to check something letting the officers talk alone.

"Well sir the Army calls it MASS, Mobile Armored Soldier System, but to be honest we call it Tin Man." Howard started to explain.

"Wait, Tin Man, like in the Wizard of Oz?" Nelson asked.

Howard nodded, "Yes Sir, inside joke." Nelson nodded.

"Basically sir it is bullet proof Kevlar with ceramic armor plates, enhanced for strength with a mechanical exoskeleton and armed with a laser."

"So flack vests with plates, not much more then the men wear now." Nelson was disappointed he had seen Kevlar fail when hit with high velocity heavy bullets, like from a machine gun.

"No sir not like flack vests, have you ever seen a flack vest that can stop a 50 caliber aircraft machine gun, round." Nelson eyes showed surprise.

"But it is fabric, you can't really believe it will stop a heavy machine gun."

"No belief sir, it has, with a man in it. The man was hit repeatedly, by 50 caliber rounds and walked away, with only bruises."

Nelson shook his head in disbelief, "It that is true, this suit is astounding. You said you have a laser too."

Howard nodded. "It is a high energy portable laser, the kind used for tank defense against incoming missiles. We have upgraded it and this suit has ten shots."

Nelson nodded, "Good. I was a little worried when they told me they had a special support device for my SEAL Team, but this may work." Nelson then looked at Howard, "Are you the one who operates it?" Howard nodded, "Okay, well you need to be briefed then. If you can right now, can you come to the command post?" Howard nodded, looking at Reed who nodded back to Howard, that he could finish the checkouts.

"Yes Sir, Now is good." Howard followed the Captain, he really wasn't scared, there was so much to do, he didn't have time to think too much. His mind was now fixed on getting the dazzlers on the suit when they arrived and finding out what they wanted him to do. He would worry about other things later.

-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-

It was actually now only 8 hours before departure, when the SEAL Platoon was brought into the room, for their final update, to find their briefing team talking to a short thin Army Lieutenant Colonel, who was nodding as he took in their briefing. The SEAL Commander, Captain Nelson, was there also, talking to the Army officer too, every few seconds. Lieutenant Parsons, the Seal Platoon Leader was the first to speak. "Sir, you wanted us here for some additional information."

Captain Nelson, turned and nodded. "Parsons, you and your men take a seat." He waited for them all to sit down, it wasn't a request and they knew it. "Gentlemen, this is Lieutenant Colonel Wolowitz, US Army, he will be going on this mission with you."

Parsons was shocked, as were his men, bringing a new man into a mission before jumping off was never done, plus this guy looked like a weakling, however what was more disturbing, he outranked everyone in the team, especially Parsons who was the Team Leader. "Sir, this is very wrong, to bring some one in on the mission now." SEALs always spoke their mind on operations, no matter what their rank.

Nelson nodded, "Lieutenant Colonel Wolowitz, is going to provide you support, Parsons you are still in charge, he will be taking orders from you." Parsons watched as Wolowitz looked at him and nodded.

"Sir still, he is late to the game and we don't need his support now, it is too late." Parsons argued.

Nelson chuckled, which surprised Parsons, "Believe me, this kind of support you need. Lieutenant Colonel Wolowitz has some unique training, which you will see when you get there. There wasn't enough time to brief you or your men, so you are going to have to wing it with Lieutenant Colonel Wolowitz. Anyway there is no option here, your mission is too dangerous already and we cannot accept failure, so say hello to your new team mate."

Parsons nodded and stood up, then extended his hand to Howard, "Welcome aboard, Sir." Parsons didn't like this at all, he felt that his Commander and this Lieutenant Colonel he was not going to have to baby-sit, had just made his mission harder than it was already.

Howard nodded and shook the mans hand which reminded him of a steel vice, suddenly intimating him, until he thought of how the SEAL would feel shaking hands with Tin Man, making him smile back at Parsons, "Thank you."

-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-TIN MAN-

When Howard got back to the lab, the dazzlers where there and so was Master Sergeant Smart, who had everything laid out, making things easier for Howard. It only took him a little over an hour to jury-rig the dazzlers to the suit, with Reed and Smart's help, smiling at getting done so quick, knowing it took him so little time because he put them together exactly like he did on the old suit. He looked at the other men, "Well we are leaving in about 6 hours, so get some rest."

Howard was on a bunk with his eyes closed less than a half hour later, the suit was now ready for use, and he would put the suit on when they got to the base before he transferred to the helicopters. He didn't think he would sleep, but he dropped off almost as soon as he closed his eyes, the adrenaline he had been running on all used up, his body now tired. He did feel a little bit rested when he was woken up 4 hours later.

Howard spent the next hour doing a wake up routine then going to the lab and getting in the coveralls, as the suit was loaded into the truck again. He then got into the truck, with Reed and Smart to ride to the plane, his two men would help him suit up before he went to the helicopter. Captain Nelson who, had just walked in before Howard stepped into the truck now hopped in with them to talk to Howard. The two Sergeants moved to the other side of the truck again to let the officers talk. "This is the first time in combat for you?" Nelson asked but really had a good idea he was right.

"That obvious, Sir?"

"Yeah, you don't look like a killer to me." Nelson nodded and smiled.

"Any advice." Howard asked, hoping Nelson would tell him something that would help him.

"Not really, you don't really know how you will act till they shoot at you. Just do what Parsons tells you, don't try to be a hero and things should be okay. That is all I can tell you."

"No problem Sir. I'm no hero."

Nelson looked at him, "Sometimes the most unlikely people are heroes, Lieutenant Colonel, remember that if the thought comes to mind, then don't do it."

Howard nodded, "Thanks Sir."

"Good luck, listen to Parsons, do what your told and do you best to protect my men." Nelson shook Howard's just as the truck reached the aircraft.

The truck backed up to the C-17 aircraft, it was all loaded and the SEALs were waiting for the Army Lieutenant to arrive with a little aggravation. They watched the truck stop at the ramp and the back open up, curiosity motivating all of them as they watched the cases, rack and big case loaded in the plane. They also watched as the Army Lieutenant Colonel walked in the plane with coveralls with wires coming from it, followed by two Sergeants also in work coveralls. The also watched their Group Commander stop to talk to Lieutenant Parsons for a few minutes before they shook hands and Captain Nelson left.

Once the equipment was secured, the crew chief stepped back and looked at Howard "Sir are you and your men all set."

"Yes Sergeant, I'm good, everything looks good."

"Okay Sir, we'll take off in five minutes." The crew chief then walked back to the cockpit of the aircraft, and as he walked between the still standing and staring SEALs, "Gentlemen please strap in we will be rolling in 5 minutes."

The SEALs all started to sit down, still staring at Howard, and his men, Howard looked over Parsons who was also staring at him. They sat that way all through take off, then as soon as they could walk around Parsons got up and walked up to Howard, asking him to go to the back of the airplane to talk. The man obviously was unhappy with the situation, but Nelson thought Howard could help so Howard was not going to be intimidated by this man.

"Sir, as you know I am not happy with this, but orders are orders, so first I need to know, will you obey my orders?

"Yes, Lieutenant. You are in command, I'm just going to support you."

"How!" Parsons couldn't see anyway this man could help.

"I have equipment in those boxes that can help you enter the facility and get you through it." Howard started to explain.

"We know how to get into the building, it is inside that is the unknown. How are you going to help?"

"I can lead you through the building."

"You?"

"With my equipment."

"You are not going to tell me what it is?"

"It is hard to really comprehend until you see it. Believe me everybody says that. When we land you will see."

Parsons shook his head, "Okay if you want to play games." Parsons started to walk away then turned back to Howard. "They didn't designate a call sign for you, did they give you one."

Howard nodded, "Tin Man."