Chapter 56 - Survival

Bernadette laid in the bed at her mom's home, wide awake, she couldn't be more lonely and was unable to sleep thinking about Howard, she had no idea where he was and it was killing her. She had horrible a helpless feeling, that she wasn't in control of anything in her life anymore and she felt so alone, like she was the only person in the world. No one had been able to help her, the Army, her parents, her friends and not even Leonard, she couldn't help the fear that Howard was really gone. Bernadette had been crying on and off the whole day, and as she laid there cold fear in her, alone, pregnant and barely sane, as she started crying again.

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

Howard made it to the hill, it wasn't much of a hill, it was really a rock formation that sprung out of the earth probably a million years ago, during some volcanic activity back then. He looked over his shoulder and could now make out the headlights of a distant vehicle coming his way, they were following his tracks, there was nothing he could do. Suddenly Howard thought about something that really ran a chill down his spine, he was a Jew in a place he shouldn't be, the sudden thought of being captured now became terrifying to him. Howard looked for somewhere to hide in more earnest, knowing in his heart he only had a few more minutes left of freedom.

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

Leonard had gotten dressed in the car as it ran through the streets of the base, lights and siren going, until it arrived at the Command Post, a Captain running out to greet it. "Lieutenant Colonel Hofstadter?" the Captain asked.

"Yes." Leonard showed the Captain his identification card.

"Follow me sir." The Captain helped Leonard through security and led him through the checkpoints, until he was at the entrance to the Command post. "Sir this is far as I can take you."

Leonard stood there confused for a second before the door opened and an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel came out to get him. "Lieutenant Colonel Hofstadter, Please sit here." Leonard was positioned on a console and given a headset, looking at General Turner on the screen.

The next couple of minutes Leonard was given a quick concise briefing on the situation and Howard's predicament, it was unbelievable, and Leonard just shook his head in disbelief. "Leonard, we are going to put you on line with Howard, his call sign is Tin Man and we are Crystal Tower. Any help you can give him, based on your experience, would be very useful."

"Yes Sir."

The Major at the Pentagon Control Room hit some switches, "You're on sir."

Leonard took a deep breath, "Crystal Tower to Tin Man."

Howard's eyes went wide. "Leonard?"

"Yeah buddy, I'm here, hopefully to help."

Leonard looked at the display on the console, it was now a satellite view of the area Howard was in, he could see the heat signature of Howard and just entering the view was the first of the vehicles chasing him. It made Leonard wonder why he was looking at heat signatures instead of visual, until it dawned on him. "Tin Man is it night there?"

"Crystal Tower, it is just starting to get lighter, dawn will be here soon."

"What weapons do you have, Tin Man."

"Just Laser and dazzlers, and only a six-pack." Howard was wondering what Leonard was on to.

Leonard saw a little hope, "Tin Man, use the dazzlers, let them get close."

"Roger Crystal Tower." Howard was behind some of the rock watching the vehicles approach, trying to calculate their speed. After about a minute he felt they were close enough. "Dazzlers on."

DAZZLERS ONLINE

"Dazzlers quick charge."

DAZZLERS COUTDOWN ABORT

THREE ABORT

TWO ABORT Howard stepped out from behind the rock as the vehicles were less than three hundred yards away.

ONE ABORT The driver of the first vehicle saw Howard, an expression of shock crossing his face and terror at what he was seeing, immediately hitting the brakes to his vehicle, not wanting to get closer. They were now less than two hundred yards away and Howard just flipped down his protective visor.

The armored flaps over the two dazzlers opened.

READY

"Fire." Howard said the word with a little relief.

Suddenly the whole area was brighter then the brightest day, it was like looking into the sun while in space. Every man outside their vehicle temporarily blinded, by the sudden intense light. That light went off for less than a second then again the area was filled by intense light, which happened one more time. All the vehicles came to a stop, a couple of them hitting each other, as the soldiers in them tried to recover from what happened.

Howard pushed up his visor and saw the stopped vehicles, a small smile on his face, until one of the vehicle turrets turned to him and its machine gun started to fire around him. Howard quickly moved away to get to the backside of the hill out of the line of fire. "Crystal Tower, I think I just pissed them off."

Leonard looked at the screen, the vehicles were stopped, but he knew it probably wouldn't be for too long. He quickly looked at the Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, "Can you connect me to General Turner?" The man nodded hit a button and handed Leonard the phone.

The major picked up the phone and listened for a second before turning and handing to phone to General Turner, "For you Sir, Lieutenant Colonel Hofstadter."

"Yes, Leonard."

"Sir are you sending anyone to help Howard?"

"Yes, helicopters are on their way, but they are still 10 minutes out."

Leonard looked back a the screen, slowly shaking his head, "Sir he may not be able to keep them away for 10 minutes."

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

It was really an accident that happened, then anything really planned, because all the helicopters were heading to the same place, and all were trying to stay low, using ground to mask their presence, so they all tried to approach the facility from the same valley. With all the concern about Tin Man and how soon the helicopters would be there, plus the two Hind helicopter pilots' skill at flying low close to the ground, the AWACs aircraft never spotted them and it was a fluke that they intercepted the rescue helicopters, at all. The rescue helicopters were never informed of any danger so had flown in a loose formation, more concerned with staying low and getting to the landing zone as fast as possible, so when the Hinds appeared they were taken by complete surprise.

Unarmed rescue helicopters jumped by two helicopter gunships was the beginning of a disaster, the rescue helicopters breaking formation and flying off in a starburst trying desperately to escape the Hind gunships. The Hind gunship crews took a couple seconds to recover from the surprise, but now were beginning their attack phase picking up the closest targets, the gunners choosing the most appropriate weapon to attack. It was a melee, helicopters flying, trying to escape and not hit each other, while the two Hind gunships started to target their enemy, and it would have been a massacre if not for the four Marine SuperCobra gunships popping out the mess.

Among the large rescue helicopters the small Marine gunships had been hard to see, so the just when the Hind gunners were about to fire, the SuperCobras appeared in view. The beginning battle now took a huge twist, for a second the Hinds had been the hunters, but now they were the prey, as their pilots now were ones taking evasive action their gunners trying to target the fast small targets swarming around them. The first Hind was hit by a stinger missile, right on one of its engine intakes, suddenly wounding the huge two engine beast, leaving it hanging in the air on only one operating engine, a situation that it could not continue in, the pilot now occupied in trying to crash land the heavy helicopter with only the half the power he had a moment ago. The second helicopter wasn't so lucky, two SuperCobras flew past on each side of it, slightly above, their gunners raking Hind with 20 MM chain gun fire, their gunners knowing just where to hit the heavily armored beast. They concentrated their fire around the rotor and the blades and were rewarded when the rotor shaft broke off the top, taking all the blades with it, the Hind helicopter pilot feeling the loss of lift, the first to know him and his crew were now dead.

However the damage was now done, as the SuperCobras verified the crater from the second Hind and watched as the first now started to burn on the ground, its crew still running from it, they then moved off to search and secure the area. They had lost time, the gunships would now spend time to make sure there were no more threats then round up the rescue helicopters, it would put them behind schedule, which would not hurt the Rangers but would be the difference for Tin Man, and Howard.

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

In the Pentagon control room the disaster had been watched by all, and although they were relieved they lost no men, the precious short time they had was now gone. Turner still had Leonard on the phone, "Leonard there has been a problem, the helicopters are going to take longer."

Turner barely heard the word Leonard muttered on the other end, "Crap."

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

Howard looked around from the rock he had moved behind, the enemy were moving again and closing in on him, men moved around the vehicles, so many men with guns, he never felt so scared. "Tin Man to Chrystal Tower, I think I am in big trouble."

Turner looked at the screen, he could see the movement around the armored vehicles and he watched as they started to move again. They were now splitting up, one group going around the right side of the hill and the other the left. Even Turner understood the suit laser had only five shots left, there were too many people and machines for five shots to do any good and the dazzlers would not be as effective as it was getting lighter now and enemy knew what to expect.

Leonard saw the same thing as Turner, Howard could not fight his way out, the only way Leonard could see him getting away was if something happened that the suit could survive and the enemy couldn't. What Howard needed was someone to drop a big bomb on everything, so he would be only survivor, that would be the only way for him to escape. Leonard then got an idea, getting back on the phone to Turner, "Can I talk to him?"

Turner told the communications officer to make sure Leonard was on the radio again. "Okay, Leonard". he told him on the phone

"Tim Man this is Crystal Tower."

Howard was now really scared as he understood what was happening, they were coming at him from both sides they were going to trap him and there was nothing he could do. "Leonard, I'm screwed."

"Yeah buddy. I have an idea, but you are going to have to trust me."