X war infiltration, p.28
X WAR: Infiltration, page 28
"No," Piper insisted. "I have to go in with you. I can feel something nearby. It's very strong, like a ringing inside my head."
"If you're going then so am I," Jeff said.
"Alright," Ripley said. "Let's see if I can work out a plan here, let's—"
His words were interrupted when the streetlights lining the avenue suddenly deactivated, plunging the entire area into semi-darkness as a number of emergency lights from a handful of nearby buildings came online.
Jeff looked around in shock. "What was that?"
Ripley opened the car door. "I don't know but now's our chance. Let's go."
ELSNER STARED OUT INTO the night from the living room window. "Looks like the entire city's power got cut off."
Bielenda cursed as he kept slapping his smartphone. "I'm not even getting a cell signal. These things are supposed to keep working even during a power failure, man!"
Elsner scratched the back of his head in confusion. What in the world is going on?
His train of thought was interrupted when he heard sirens coming down the street.
"Attention—this is the police, please stay in your homes," an amplified voice coming from the road said. "I repeat. Lock your doors and stay in your homes. This is a citywide emergency. Stay off the streets."
Elsner just stood there, his mind going blank for a few minutes.
Bielenda walked over and stopped beside him before peering out into the dusk. "I think this is just the beginning, man. This is the first phase of the government's plan to shut our freedom down."
Elsner frowned. Oh shut up. This isn't the government.
"Even though I sweep this place for bugs every day, maybe I missed one or two this time," Bielenda said. "They must have shut down the whole city when we were just about to expose their dealings with the Etherians."
And then it dawned on Elsner. Wait, maybe it's the aliens. But why turn off power to the whole city? Unless...
He turned and shot a frightened look towards Bielenda. "Oh my god. They're coming after me!"
Bielenda was momentarily confused. "Who is after you? The Etherians?"
"Not just them, the real aliens want me now—I've told you too much," Elsner said nervously as he moved towards the door and began to unlock the more than half a dozen deadbolts in place.
The other man tried to stop him. "Hey, wait, man. Don't go out there. If you go out there it'll give the pigs full reason to shoot you down and then claim you were a looter! You're better off in here with me."
Elsner unlocked the last bolt. "I can't stay trapped in here, I gotta go."
Bielenda backed away, raising his hands in resignation as Elsner opened the door and ran out of the building.
53 Virginia
DESPITE THE WEE HOURS of the morning, the situation room at the CIA's Old Headquarters Building was filled with staff members looking nervously at the graphical map of Oregon. The president and the National Security Council were inside the White House bunker and remained in constant communications with Perry's team. Most of the people in the room spoke in hushed whispers or looked on in grave silence as more details began pouring in.
Mitchell Strunk was seated beside Jacob Baum on the main table. The former continued to monitor communications while relaying it to the others, while the latter was busy trying to analyze the constantly updating streams of information.
Jane continued to stand nervously beside her boss while looking up at the huge monitor screen as several green dots began to appear on the map. "Are those blips ours?"
Mitchell caught her question and nodded, despite wearing a headset through which he was getting personal updates from the White House, the Pentagon, and SOCOM in Fort Bragg. "Yes, those are three full squadrons belonging to SEAL Team Six—they're being flown into the area using helicopters."
Perry stood beside Jane, arms crossed. "If I were SOCOM I would have just sent in the 1st Special Forces Group from Fort Lewis up in Tacoma. They would have gotten to the area by now instead of having to bring the SEALs in from California."
Jane shook her head. "My sources told me SOCOM overruled the Green Berets and ordered DEVGRU sent in instead."
"Idiots."
"Yeah, their coordination isn't very good."
"We're getting reports of a citywide power failure in Portland," Mitchell said. "Even the cell sites are down."
Perry grimaced. It's begun. "What about radio communications?"
"Still working, but only those that have independent power supplies are able to use them."
He rubbed the back of his head. "Okay, so we know the enemy can't disrupt self-contained radio gear—that's a bit of good news."
"No lights in the sky reported as of yet," Jane said. "You remember the reports of the encounter the SEALs had in the Philippines?"
"Yeah. Everything was disrupted the moment the lights appeared," Perry said before glancing towards Mitchell. "Give us an update on the status of all our units—start with the air ops."
"The 142nd Fighter Wing of the Oregon National Guard in Portland attempted to scramble, but the power failure prevented most of their aircraft from lifting off," Mitchell said. "The 173rd Fighter Wing fared better since their base is in Klamath Falls, and they've got all their F-15s up in the air. All available fighter aircraft are now on combat air patrol over the entire state."
"Okay, what's the status of ground forces in the city?"
"The police were on high alert just before general communications went out," Mitchell said. "Most of the National Guard units were still in the process of assembly, but I doubt they'll be ready until morning. Only the 141st Brigade, which is a support battalion, is stationed in Portland, so the rest have to come in from the outside."
"What about Army units?"
Jane shook her head. "No bona fide Army or Marine bases in that state."
Perry cursed. "So they'll have to come down from Fort Lewis then."
"Yes," Mitchell said. "Elements of the 7th Infantry Division are still forming up. We just passed the word about the impending attack a few hours ago, so other than the units already on alert, I don't think the others will get there at least until tomorrow."
Perry looked down. This isn't going to work. We'll need a small, highly elite, rapid response unit that can go anywhere on short notice if we’re going to have any chance of winning this war. "I'll need to talk to Reese and the Secretary of Defense again, we have to—"
Baum snapped his fingers, interrupting Perry. "I'm getting a huge increase in Cherenkov radiation over a large part of the city."
Jane shuffled over and stood above the NSA tech's shoulder. "Can you pinpoint the exact location?"
Baum typed a series of new codes on his laptop. "One minute. Okay, I think I got it... based on the map it looks like the entire Northwest District of that city is about to have a strange encounter."
Perry pointed towards Mitchell. "Can you still coordinate with Portland's mayor?"
Mitchell nodded. "Yeah, he's got the police chief with him at the City Hall in Downtown. Their portable radios are still working."
"Okay, relay this to him and everyone else," Perry said. "Advise him to set up a perimeter around the Northwest District. Set up checkpoints and roadblocks. Then divert all available assault units to that area."
Mitchell spoke into his headset for a few minutes before looking back up to Perry. "They got your message, but SOCOM says they will be the ones issuing commands to the SEAL teams."
Perry clenched his fists. "Goddamn it! Tell them that's where the attack will be! This is no time for grandstanding or ego tripping—American lives are at stake!"
Mitchell spoke softly into his headset before locking eyes with him once more. "SOCOM says they'll take it under advisement... wait... The president at the White House was listening in too—he just ordered them to follow our suggestions."
Jane grinned. "About time!"
Perry retained his serious demeanor. "Tell all the units down there to expect a complete communications disruption at any moment. Order every air unit to find and engage any unidentified lights up in the sky."
Mitchell gave him an acknowledging nod before speaking into the microphone again.
One of the junior staffers gasped as she pointed at a surveillance monitor. "Oh my god, look!"
Everyone turned their attention to the large side screen by the corner of the room. A live camera feed from one of the military helicopters hovering just south of the Northwest District revealed a large, kilometer wide lozenge-shaped object now appearing over the target area. Massive columns of light began to emanate from its silvery underside, bathing parts of the city in almost solid shafts of illumination before the feed was cut off.
Mitchell frowned while tapping the sides of his headset. "We're losing radio communications all over the city. I can't reach the mayor anymore, and SOCOM just reported that their techs are unable to communicate with the SEAL teams in the area. I'm also getting secondhand reports from Air Force pilots experiencing engine and electronic failures with their aircraft."
Perry let out a deep breath. There's nothing more we can do. Now it's all up the people we've sent in there.
Jane had drifted back to where he was standing. Her voice had lowered to a whisper, so that the others standing nearby wouldn't hear. "SEAL Team Six is one of our best units. I'm pretty confident they'll give these aliens hell."
Perry wasn't so sure. "We're like a bunch of Neanderthals with spears going up against a high tech enemy force with ray guns and spaceships."
54 Portland
GOSSARD HAD BEEN SITTING comfortably inside the passenger section of the Blackhawk helicopter with the rest of his team when everything around him was suddenly flooded with a blinding white light.
Alarm bells started ringing and several of his colleagues muttered curses as the whole interior suddenly tilted sideways. Several of the operators by the open side doors had to hold on in order to stop themselves from falling out as the helicopter began to plummet towards the ground.
He could hear the Blackhawk pilot's strained voice on his headset. "Power's out. We're going down! Mayday, mayday! Brace for impact!"
Gossard clenched his jaw while grabbing onto any handhold he could. It wasn't his first time being inside a crashing helicopter, and he hoped it wouldn't be his last.
The Blackhawk pilot was doing everything he could to try and keep his chopper level as he attempted an emergency autorotation landing, but part of the aircraft's tail boom clipped the side of one of the buildings by the street, and the Blackhawk fishtailed into the pavement before crashing on its side.
RIPLEY STRODE IN THROUGH the double doors of the Geneticus building, followed by Jeff and Piper. He walked over to the deserted reception desk. The back portion of the hallway seemed mostly covered in shadow since the entire structure was being lit with emergency lighting only.
A uniformed security guard suddenly appeared from where the elevators were and made his way towards them. "I'm sorry, but we're closed. You'll have to leave."
Ripley pulled out his badge and ID, flashing his credentials to the other man. "I'm a special agent with the FBI. We need to search the premises."
The security guard eyed them all suspiciously. "Those kids are with you? Have you got a search warrant?"
"Here's my warrant," Ripley said as he drew his Glock pistol and aimed it at the surprised guard's face. "Raise your hands and get down on your knees."
The guard's mouth was wide open and he obeyed.
Ripley continued to point his gun at the other man while motioning for Jeff to come over. "Get behind him, take his handcuffs and bind him with them," he told the teenager before returning his focus to the guard. "Place your arms behind your back. Are there others in the building?"
The guard looked at him fearfully as Jeff began to handcuff him from behind. "I-I don't think so. I'm... j-just the night watchman here. T-they don't tell me a-anything."
"Take his gun," Ripley told Jeff.
Jeff pulled a nearly identical Glock pistol from the guard's holster. "Can I keep it?"
Ripley got closer and grabbed the youth's gun away with his free hand. "No."
Jeff had a slight look of disappointment as he made his way back to where Piper was standing. "Aw, man."
Ripley did a brass check on the guard's Glock, checking to see if there was a round in the chamber. After not finding any, he ejected the magazine and placed it in his jacket pocket before tossing the now empty gun along the carpeted floor.
Searching through the guard's pockets, he found a red keycard. "Does this give access to the whole building?"
The guard kept looking down at the floor. "Just to the upstairs offices. Only the top officers of the company are allowed in the basement area. N-never been down there. "
"That's good enough for the meantime since—"
Ripley quickly fell silent as the darkened street outside suddenly turned as bright as day.
"What the heck is that?" Jeff asked no one in particular.
"They're here," Piper said softly. "We don't have much time."
ELSNER'S HANDS FEARFULLY gripped the steering wheel as his Ford truck barreled eastwards along NW Wilson Street, before realizing that he had missed the ramp leading down to the highway when he turned into the wrong road. Cursing aloud, he stopped the vehicle before trying to make a U-turn, only to notice there wasn't enough room due to the abandoned cars blocking most of the lanes.
He tried to reverse all the way back out into the previous intersection, but another car turned onto the same street where he was trying to get out of and blared its horn incessantly, just as he applied the brakes and stopped less than half a meter from its front bumper. With no other choices left, Elsner decided to keep moving forward as he switched gears and stepped on the accelerator.
It looked like the entire city was in chaos. He could see people still in their cars trying to weave their way through a whole bunch of abandoned vehicles along the choked roads in a desperate effort to get back home to their families. The radio on his dashboard kept beeping the Emergency Broadcast System alarm followed by a voice recording, ordering everyone inside and to stay off the streets, but would not give any more details.
He had now driven well past the perpendicular highway, missing his original destination, and was presently moving along an industrial zone just east of the Willamette River, two other cars following behind him. Wait, I'm close to the Fremont Bridge, he thought. I just need to find an onramp to the freeway and I ought to be across the river by then.
Turning south at the intersection, his truck moved past the post office and he could finally see an adjoining street to lead him on a roundabout route back towards the highway intersection. A tiny bit of hope began to bubble up in his mind as he drove closer. All he could think about now was to get to Sally and Austin. His family was across the river, and he needed to make sure they were safe.
The street underneath the freeway overpass was largely deserted, and Elsner stepped on the accelerator, turning his pickup back in an easterly direction as he zoomed along Savier Street before turning north along 23rd Avenue. The freeway onramp should be just ahead, right at the intersection, he thought.
A roadblock loomed ahead of him. Several clumps of police cars and military trucks with flashing sirens had blocked off the intersection, with a long line of waiting cars in front. Elsner grimaced as he was forced to stop. He could see a large crowd of people surrounding a handful of cops and what looked to be National Guardsmen.
Getting out of his truck, he ran over to the crowd. A number of people were pleading with the onsite authorities to let them through, but it was clear that the ones manning the roadblock would not allow it.
This only just happened a short while ago, he thought. So it must mean that the government knew ahead of time that the aliens would come.
One man wearing a baseball cap waved frantically towards one of the cops. "You gotta let me through. My family is in Eliot, it's just across the river!"
The cop gestured towards the nearby hotel. "All the bridges have been closed. Head over to the lobby of that building and join the others until the emergency is over."
A woman in her late fifties wearing a white jacket and thick glasses gave them the finger. "You can't do this! It's our right to go as we please. I'm taking this up with the city council."
The cop made a calming gesture at her with his open palms. "Ma'am, please. This is a citywide emergency. We have our—"
His words were quickly silenced as everyone heard the immensely loud roar of jet engines up above. Several members of the crowd gasped and pointed to the cloudy night sky. The deafening supersonic booms of military aircraft seemed so close, as if they were all right next to it.
Less than a minute later, Elsner could see something dropping out of the sky. It looked like a jet fighter, and the aircraft rapidly spun out of control while plummeting towards the ground. He had just enough time to throw himself down onto the pavement before a fireball suddenly erupted from the side of the hotel, the pressure wave of hot air singeing part of his head. The fighter had apparently crashed into the side of the building.
People started screaming as most of the crowd dispersed in all directions.
GOSSARD UTTERED A SLIGHT groan as Suhey helped him out of the downed Blackhawk. His mind had gone blank just before impact with the ground, and he was somewhat thankful for it. He staggered while standing upright beside the wreckage, trying to get some feeling back into his legs.
"You okay?" Suhey asked.
Gossard rubbed the side of his neck before nodding. "Yeah."
The rest of the team looked alright. The Blackhawk pilot had a concussion and a broken leg, and his own aircrew was attending to him.
Ronson carried the team's radio, and he shook his head. "All I'm getting is static. No comms."
