thebrotherhoodoftun

CHAPTER 26

 

Doctors Linda and Evan Porter sat with their students around one of the larger round tables eating their meal of watery oatmeal, and a stale but sweet tasting bun. In the last few days most of the others people that were kept here had been shipped out to other locations only a few remained.

This morning the dining hall was basically empty.

Linda sipped her tea as she listened to Doctor Stiles describe his latest find. Stiles like she and her students were forced to work for the general and his cronies. Linda absently stroked her husband’s back as Stiles continued on in every detail concerning his latest dig.

Doctor Hauer, Doctor Stiles were partners and both had just returned from a small trip from the northern region of Mongolia. Evan was doing his best not to laugh as Huaer told a story of what happened with the small horses and one of the guards.

The students from both groups sat at the tables around them adding to the stories and have their own chats. Most of the students were discussing the fireworks from the night before. Last night the base had lost power and was running on backup supply for the last several hours.

Linda looked around the dining hall. She missed seeing the others. She knew that like her, they were being held and forced to work for a man that the general and his cronies worked for but whom she had never meet.

The students knew something was up also. They like the professors or the experts in a wide variety of fields did not talk about it. Each and every one of them was brought here through false pretenses. Their deaths faked and the world was none the wiser. All of them could see that the guards were keyed up about something. The prisoners just did not know why

“Doctor Stiles and Doctor Huaer, my husband and I need discuss a few things concerning site 45 b,” said Linda with a smile. Her husband returned the smile and gave her a wink as a way of saying thank you.

“What have you found?” asked Stiles has he twisted one of the handlebars on his mustache.

“Yes, what have you found?” said Huare. His thick German accent layered over his English.

“I am glad you asked. I had these printed up last night,” said Evan as he reached down to the handbag at his feet. He unrolled the two large pieces of paper. “We found these anomalies at site 45 b. Now what are your thoughts as to just what are these things?”

The debate was lively. They all knew what the general and the man that the general and his inner circle called the chairman, wanted. What these men wanted to find and own the lost treasure of Attila the Hun, and any other find that the doctors and student could find.

“These objects are rectangular, they could be boxes.” said one of the students working with Doctor Stiles.

“They could also be jars lying on their side,” said another student.

“Look at the size of that void. It’s what, almost ten feet long, by what?” said a third student.

“It looks like eight feet at one corner and maybe five feet at the opposite side corner,” said Even. “But look at this,” he placed his finger on the printout. “Here, we have a group of voids and then the large void. The space in the large void goes from four feet to what maybe five feet to contact with the floor of the void.”

“What does the computer say about these items?” asked Stiles pointing to some smaller items in the printout.

Linda answered back. “Some sort of crystal according to the density readings.”

“And just to add a little more mystery, the magscan picked up these. What these are is anybody’s guess,” said Evan.

As the group sat at the table discussing the possibilities of the, the lieutenant that all the captives called Diablo marched in. His battered baton swaying in time to his steps.

“You are ready to go, we leave in five minutes, do not think of trying to escape. I have place extra guards to go with you.” said Diablo with a sneer. The people close enough to smell the man’s breath pulled back their heads. Flecks of frothy white spittle leaped from the man’s mouth as he spoke.

Doctor Evan Porter took his eyes from his battered laptop to look at the vile man that was addressing the group. Through the doorway to the mess hall Doctor Evan Porter saw the general walking down the hall towards the mess hall and realized that here and now was his chance to get back at Diablo, if he could just get the vile creature to strike him in front of the general. “I say when we are ready, not you, you vile little man. We will be ready in ten minutes. We are currently discussing the best way to start the dig. I would suggest that if you want this done right you leave us alone while we do it. And if you think that you can beat us willie nillie, I believe I shall have a little chat with the general about how we can’t work due to the beatings that you keep giving to the ones doing the work. You can come back in ten minutes to get us,” he said as he stood up.

The lieutenant, was stunned, no one dared speak to him in that manner. Rage was building inside of him. The lieutenant was literally shaking as he fumbled to get his baton out. He raised it to strike the old and frail looking Evan Porter. Just as he was about to bring the baton down on the skull of the old man he heard the general’s voice command him to stop. He stopped just in time. The general had his pistol out and aimed straight at Diablo’s head.

“What do you think you are doing lieutenant?” asked the general in English.

Diablo explained in Chinese what had just transpired between him and Evan porter. The general listened quietly as his chief of security explained. When the man had finished the general barked his answer back in Chinese at the lieutenant.

Doctor Evan Porter and the rest of the people near him got the jist of what the general had said. The lieutenant was not to harm them, until they had found the lost treasure of Attila and verified it. Then the lieutenant could do as he pleased. Diablo just turned and smiled. The man’s evil and vileness showed in the smile on his face.

“You have your 10 minutes, but I will have my time soon.” Diablo said as he started to gloat his victory over the doctor and his friends. The lieutenant followed the general out of the mess hall.

“Well that did not go as I had intended,” said Evan out loud. Looking to his entire group, he continued “I want everyone on their toes. Do nothing to anger that man. Understood?” he asked the group. “Now let’s get going.”

 

“Robin Hood, this is Sherwood Forest, come in. Robin Hood, This is Sherwood Forest, come in, Over.” came the voice of Smitty from the radio.

“Sherwood Forest this is Robin Hood. Over.” replied Tex in to the handset.

“We have news about last night’s events for you. Check side band for the information. Inform us when you are ready to receive. Over,” said Smitty.

Tex made sure that he had his PDA plugged into the radio before sending Smitty the okay to send the information. The transfer took less than five seconds. Tex let Smitty know that the file came through and was going to give the information to Diesel. Smitty informed Tex that the Big Rig was going to be calling in thirty minutes to get a sitrep.

Tex brought Diesel the information. Diesel transferred it to his PDA and read it over. It appeared that this highway and the rail line got hammered and not just near his position. It seems that various highways and rail lines were hit at many different places and several interior base and depots were hit also. It looked as if the Chinese were going to have to reroute a lot of their reinforcements heading for the coast.

Eyes and Diesel were sitting together discussing the matter of the airstrike when Tweedel Dee and Tweedel Dumb showed up.

“What happened last night?” asked Tweedel Dee.

“It seems that the Chinese got handed a giant shit burger to eat last night. Allied force advanced another 20 miles on the southern front and 30 on the northern front,” replied Diesel.

“How is this going to affect our time table to get to the objective?” asked Tweedel Dumb.

“It’s not; we are so far behind enemy lines that anything that happens on the front should not have any effect on us directly. Right now I have a fire team looking for a place where we can ford the river later today and Tex is checking on the weather,” said Diesel

“So if the coast is clear we move out tonight, right?” asked Tweedel Dee.

“I don’t know about you but I’m sure as hell don’t fancy crossing a river in the middle of the night and then go traipsing through the blast zone of an air strike covered in possible live rounds,” replied Diesel with a small smile to Eyes.

“Why would there be live rounds?” asked the other imposter.

“Think about what’s going on, China has just been hit with a massive attack on one border and twenty four hours later Russia attacks on another boarder. China was in the midst of moving troops from one place to another. With those troops were their weapons and ammo. Now we have no idea what troops were on that highway and rail line when they were hit, but we know those fires burned for hours after the air strike. Now if I were you I would get some shut eye.” Diesel paused before he continued.

“There is no way I want to try that at night. I am also waiting on a weather report before we can go through or around that blast zone. Hopefully with the amount of damage done to the rail road and the highway it will be a few days before anyone can get here. It seems that more than a few bridges were knocked down last night also,” said Diesel as he showed them a picture of one of the blown bridges.

“So if the coast is clear we move out tonight?” asked Tweedel Dee.

“You do not want to cross a river and then a blast zone with live ordinance spread about it at night. I plan to cross the river just before nightfall and then skirt the blast zone in the morning. If I were you I would get some shut eye. Because once we get to the objective we will be very busy,” said Diesel.

The two imposters shuffled off to their assigned fire team.

“How’s your arm doing Eyes?” asked Diesel.

“It hurts and it’s starting to annoy the crap out of me. The pain is a dull ache; your man static won’t give me heavy duty pain killers.”

“He doesn’t want your head all muddled on drugs. The annoying pain will keep you focused.”

“I thought it was because he did not like me.”

“No, if he did not like you he would be at your side poking you in the arm.”

“That makes my arm feel so much better.”

“You will have to just learn to use your other hand for a while.” Diesel said with a grin. That got a chuckle out of Eyes and a few of the men that were nearby. “Well I have a sitrep to give Big Rig. If you see Gunny, tell him I would like to see him and those who he sent out on the scouting missions when they return.”

“Will do,” said Eyes as he got to his feet.