Scrapyard Ship by Mark Wayne McGinnis

Author:Mark Wayne McGinnis [McGinnis, Mark Wayne]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: Avenstar Productions
Published: 2013-09-25T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Jason left word with his XO to move the 0600 meeting to 0900 that morning. After a quick breakfast, Jason and Mollie left the ship, ready for some fresh air and exercise. The Lilly had been set down between two granite ridges, three miles east of their previous position in the Chihuahuan desert. He’d scrounged up his old backpack and they were exploring near-by cliffs when two large Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters approached from the east and set down behind the ridge.

“Looks like we have company. What do you say we head back?” Jason asked Mollie, already heading down the rocky landscape.

Mollie shielded her eyes from the bright morning sun and looked down at the helicopters. She scowled and said, “We sure get a lot a of visitors lately, Dad.”

“Well, The Lilly is going to be pretty popular for a while,” Jason told her, not liking the looks of things below; armed soldiers, piling out the rear of both crafts, were in assault formations. The Army helicopters had tried to come in fast and quiet. Out of habit Jason held two fingers to his ear and accessed his NanoCom. “Captain to XO.”

“Go for XO, Captain.”

“Secure the ship and put up the shields. We’ve got assault teams approaching from behind the ridge,” Jason commanded.

“Already done, sir. We’ve also got multiple missile locks on us coming from land and air-based vehicles. Orders, Captain?” the XO asked. Jason had a hard time connecting the actions unfolding before him with the sincerity he’d felt from General Carter and Vice-Admiral Brightman.

Jason and Mollie quickly crouched down on a rocky ledge: a perfect perch to view the action below. “Who’s on comms this morning? I need to talk to Secretary Walker.”

“I can patch you—give me a quick second, Captain,” the XO replied. Jason watched as four ten-man Army assault teams converged, breaking into two larger teams. They were still several hundred meters away, but he judged by their crouched, weapons held high forward movement, that they would reach the ship in just a few moments.

“This is Walker,” the deep voice of the Secretary of Defense boomed in Jason’s ear.

“Secretary Walker, this is Captain Reynolds, and I’m currently watching as an Army assault team converges on The Lilly, not to mention there are missile locks detected from multiple sources. I thought we had an agreement, sir.”

“We did, Captain. What you are seeing is the U.S. military at odds with itself. Not quite a coup, but close.”

“How is that even possible? It’s not like we’re a third-world nation.”

“You’re preaching to the choir. For now, you’re on your own. Army Chief of Staff, General Slayton, apparently had divergent views last night. As of right now, the U.S. Army has every intention of taking that ship of yours. As far as they’re concerned, it’s just too valuable of a resource to be left in your hands. The good news is your requested Navy pilots, as well as a Company of Navy SEALs, are cooling their heels at Air Station Meridian out of Mississippi.

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