As I was cleaning my room last week I stumbled across an old notebook. Flipping it open, I saw it contained a story I had started writing when I was just a wee little boy. I didn’t get very far into the story, and I’ll almost certainly never finish it, but I want to save what I do have. The pen and pencil marks are fading, so I figured I’d type up what I have, and may as well store it on my blog!
The binder it’s in mentions “Happy Eyes”, a cat I had when I was very young, so I think I started the story when I was no older than 10. But then about halfway through the “prologue” it switches from pencil to pen and I think that’s where I took over when I was older. From my knowledge of military ranks in it, I would imagine I was in Cadet Corps at that point, which would make me 12. I vaguely remember finding this notebook way back in the day, and rediscovering the story I had started even further back in the day, and trying to continue it.
Read on if you want to hear the start of a tale full of daring and intrigue that will leave you hanging…
Prologue
“Do you understand what you’re supposed to do?” Captain Rieekan finished his overview, and now began the specifics. “You two” — Captain Rieekan indicated two of the Special Forces Group — “will infiltrate the rebels’ base, avoiding being detected at all costs. Do you understand?” he asked again.
“Yes sir!” Sergeant Lance answered.
Clifford Lance was his full name, but he was less formally known to everyone as Cliff. He was born in 1985 and is now in the army at age 22. He understands everything but he doesn’t always go “by the book.” He will be with Private Jackson on this mission. All he ever told Cliff about his name was that it started with an A.
Although Cliff was one of the most valuable people to the Special Forces, he only had three stripes to show for it. He didn’t like being with A Jackson because he was one of the most incapable people he had seen yet.
“Information on this place is scarce,” Captain Rieekan began. “The rebels built this thing with whatever they could scrape together … [illegible/faded] … they stole a bunch of valuable electronic things from the company J.N.D. Electronics. [Switches at this point from 9 year old me to 12 year old me] We were lucky when we managed to steal that jeep. It gave us 3 important facts: number one, the base’s walls and top are guarded with LLP protection. That means Laser-Light Projection. We can’t simply beam it with a laser light that a sky-released missile would go to. Second, you two,” Captain Rieekan nodded his head toward Private Jackson and Cliff, “cannot kill anyone. We don’t know how they did it, but they somehow have sewn heartbeat and respiration monitoring equipment into their clothes. If either function stops or falters, an alarm will sound. And third, they have shielding on their walls powerful enough to withstand missiles. It can also withstand air-dropped bombs that have missed their target by only 10 feet. Under all circumstances that would be asking an awful lot of our pilots. What we need are two people, Sergeant Lance and Private Jackson, to sneak into the rebels’ base, planting the tagger in the ammunition and weapons room, if they have one. We can’t give you a whole lot of info Sergeant Lance. Sorry. You’re brave going in like that.”
Captain Rieekan turned his attention to everyone else. “You will wait a good distance away from the base and stand as backup to Sergeant Lance and Private Jackson. You will also stand as his mode of transportation and medical care when he comes back, so don’t leave.”
“Any questions?”
“Yes sir,” said a soldier Cliff recognized as Private Jones. Cliff remembered him from a previous mission. “Why don’t we just keep on making runs over the base until one of the bombs hits their mark?”
Captain Rieekan answered, “Well, first of all, from previous run-by’s we found out the base is undetectable by any type of radar. It was lucky one of our patrol men spotted the base. Out here in this Arizona heat he could easily have taken it as a mirage. So the main pilot, Major Rodriguez, and his crew will have to get a visual to be able to hit the base. Also, I want this strike to be quick and clean. One good shot and the base will be gone. My second reason is that we must get them on the first try. We can’t risk giving them any evacuation time. They built this base up from scratch, remember. They could do it again. Does that answer your question, private?”
“Yes sir.”
“Ah, good. Any more questions?” The captain folded his hands together, letting only the bottom of the palm and fingers touch. “No? Very good. You’re dismissed. This mission starts tomorrow at 1300 hours.”
Chapter One
At promptly 1100 hours Private Jackson heard a knocking on the door of his room.
“Coming,” he called out. He walked over to the door and opened it up. “Oh, hi Sergeant Lance.”
“Hi,” Cliff said. “How you feeling today? You ready?”
“Yes, Sergeant.”
“C’mon, let’s go see Captain Rieekan. You know we are going to finish off the rebels today.”
“I know, Sergeant. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“OK. See you then.” Cliff walked off to Captain Rieekan.
“Hello, Sergeant, can I help you?” Captian Rieekan said as Cliff walked in.
“Yes sir. It’s almost time for the mission and I would like to know any last minute details.”
“Well, Sergeant Lance, we pretty much went over everything last night. Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you, the bombing will begin precisely at 2200 hours tonight. If you feel pressed for time I could delay it.”
“No, sir, that’s fine.”
“Also, our guys came in with a map this morning. They said they found it.” Captain Rieekan shrugged and said, “Who knows how. Last night after you left, the patrol men came back. Corporal Onsurez was missing and he hasn’t shown up since.”
“Better get your stuff together, Sergeant. I’ll send out word for all the members of this mission to wait just outside the East Gate. So long Sergeant Lance.”
“Bye, sir.” Sergeant Lance turned around and left.
Cliff didn’t have a lot of stuff and he didn’t need a lot of stuff. So when he got to his room, he searched the room and succeeded in finding only a small compass, a ball of string, and a magnifying glass and mirror. He then slipped on a bullet proof vest and he holstered his gun. He looked over the room and grabbed his binoculars and left.
Chapter Two
Cliff made his way to the east side of the gate. A few other soldiers and Captain Rieekan were there to greet him when he finally showed up. Other soldiers slowly drifted in. Finally A Jackson showed up. Captain Rieekan then moved to the front of the crowd.
“In front of me are the jeeps. You will drive about 13 miles out. Everyone will then set up camp there. Private Jackson and Sergeant Lance will walk the remaining 3 miles. They will take everything they need and won’t return until the tagger is in place. Major Rodriguez will release the bomb at 2200 hours tonight. Good luck.”
Everyone started going to the jeeps, but Captain Rieekan signaled Cliff to come over to him. Cliff obeyed.
“I have the utmost confidence in you. As soon as you return, you will get another stripe, and Private Jackson will get promoted to Corporal. Once again, good luck.”
“Thank you, sir. And I appreciate your confidence.”
“Here, take this, and study it before you hit the base.” Captain Rieekan handed Cliff the map.
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir.” Cliff turned and hurried off to the jeeps. By now, everyone was ready, so as Cliff climbed into the jeep, the whole group moved off. In the desert, the jeeps did about 40 miles per hour, so it only took about 20 minutes to reach their destination.
Cliff was relieved when they passed the monotonous sand and cacti and pulled into a clearing. Everyone unloaded the jeeps. They set up their camp, and then wandered around their small area. Cliff climbed a small sand dune. He pulled out his binoculars and glanced around. He thought he saw a small glint of metal. He put the binoculars to his eyes and looked. Yes, out in the distance he saw the rebels’ base. It was kind of a circular shape, and closed up almost all around it. The sergeant pulled out the map and looked at it. On the overhead view, sure enough, it was a circle. He put the binoculars in front of his eyes again, and swept his view across the ground. To his relief, there were no approaching troops or anything. He went back to the clearing and studied the map. Halfway around the base there was a lookout station.
And there you go… what will happen next?! Why didn’t I finish this engrossing story!? 
Thu, Sep 10, 2009 | For updates follow me on twitter