Magnitude: A Military Science Fiction Thriller (Multiverse Space Book One) by Dean M. Cole

Author:Dean M. Cole [Cole, Dean M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CANDTOR Press
Published: 2021-10-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 36

Thirty minutes later, they saw the next one.

It had taken them some time to return to the coast on their northerly track. While they no longer had sufficient fuel to continue their search around Geneva, Vaughn had reasoned that they could at least return to the point where they had encountered the enemy formation and then proceed west toward EP Omega. They’d have to hope that anyone who’d been downed and survived had already worked their way to their nearest extraction point.

After crossing the beach, they had proceeded a few miles inland and then headed west with all eyes scanning the ground beneath them, looking for any stragglers that might cross their path.

Presently, Mark leaned forward in his pilot seat. “What the hell is that?”

Vaughn’s gaze snapped up from his earthly scan. “What?”

Mark pointed. “On the horizon ahead … it looks like … Oh shit! It’s another one.”

A sinking feeling struck Vaughn’s gut. He raised the binoculars.

“Another what?” Angela asked.

Peering through the binos, Vaughn started cursing under his breath. Finally, he lowered the field glasses and looked back at Angela. “It’s another damned ring.”

Rourke studied his display and then nodded gravely. “It’s another ring, all right. I can see the Caterpillars supporting it.” The young man blinked and leaned closer to the display. “Wait … There’s something else.”

“For the love of God, don’t tell me there are more Caterpillars,” Bill Peterson said through a moan.

“There are,” Rourke said, still staring at the screen. “A lot more of them, but they’re busy carrying a second ring.”

“Listen, chap,” Bingham said. “I think you already covered that. This would definitely be a second ring.”

“No,” Rourke replied. “We have two rings in front of us. Right now.”

“What?!” Vaughn barked. Raising the binoculars again, he studied the distant formations. He adjusted the focal knob. “Son of a bitch! That makes three of them.”

“No, Colonel Sanders,” Teddy said. “If we’re keeping count, I believe that makes four, including the one we destroyed yesterday.”

“Hey, Two-Two!” Rachel called. “Contact! I’ve got movement dead ahead.”

Vaughn activated the laser link. “Yeah, we see it, too.” Without releasing the transmit trigger, he patted Mark’s shoulder and added, “Let’s stop here. We don’t need to get too close yet.”

Hennessy nodded as he pulled the stick back. The V-22’s engine pods began to rotate toward vertical as the tiltrotor transitioned to helicopter mode. Beside them, Rachel did the same.

The two aircraft came to a stationary hover.

Glancing at the Scorpion, Vaughn pointed through the windscreen. “We have two rings dead ahead.”

Rachel started to look away but then looked back at him. “Then let’s go get ’em.”

“Negative,” Vaughn said. As he spoke, he raised the binoculars and watched the formations fly from right to left. “These are moving south, like they might’ve come from the same point as the last one. I don’t think they’ve seen us. We need to pass behind them and get to the extraction point. This needs to be reported to Command.”

“Why don’t I just go up there and take care of them?”

Vaughn shook his head.

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