DEADLY DILEMMA by Dan Stratman (story read aloud .txt) 📗

and shook her head in disgust. “Look what I’ve done.”

In only a few hours she’d managed to expose a thermonuclear missile to the outside world and destroy millions of dollars’ worth of Air Force hardware, not to mention both of their careers.

Some role model she was.

She could see her father’s face. Disappointment was written all over it. The stern voice he’d used when he taught her to fly repeatedly played in her head. Your plane is out of control. You’re diving at the ground. What are you going to do, just give up?

Chapter Thirty

Cyndi stood up with a fresh look of resolve on her face. She edged closer to the door. “I don’t recognize your name, Major Pierce. Are you the commander of the 91st or 92nd Security Forces Squadron?”

“Stop stalling, Captain.”

“It’s important to know who I’m dealing with before I make any decisions. Which squadron, Major?”

“What difference does it make which one I command? The reason you don’t recognize my name is because I just transferred to Warren.”

Lance looked over at Cyndi and smiled.

She winked at him. “Well, Major, the reason it matters is because there is no 91st or 92nd squadron at Warren.”

“Shit,” Pierce mumbled under his breath.

“I’m guessing from your guns you guys are SEALs? Maybe Delta Force?”

“Enough!” Pierce jumped up. “There’s no way out of here except past us. You’re trapped and you know it. Come out with your hands up, and you won’t be harmed. That’s an order, Captain.”

“You’re not in my chain of command. You might outrank me, but down here I’m in charge. I say what goes. Not you.”

“General McNeil sure as hell outranks you. He gave me direct orders to bring you two back to the base, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“Strike two, genius!” Cyndi yelled mockingly. “I just talked to the general on the phone. He said you’ve gone rogue. He said he didn’t authorize any of this.”

Pierce went silent as he reassessed his adversaries.

“That prick sold us out,” Jackson growled to his leader.

“McNeil is probably sending a security team to the site right now,” O’Brian stated nervously. “These two get out of here, and we’re headed to prison.”

“Shut the hell up,” Pierce barked. “The missile is still in the silo. We’re gonna finish what we came here to do. Follow my lead.”

“What about McNeil?” Lopez questioned.

“Like I said, no survivors.” A chilling smirk spread across his face. “He’s mine.” Pierce slipped his Glock 17 into his waistband behind his back. “Hold your fire! I’m coming out!” he yelled down the hallway.

A shape appeared in the smokey hallway.

Cyndi gulped when she saw the size of the man. His hulking frame was silhouetted against the smoke by the ceiling lights behind him. His face remained hidden in darkness. “Drop your weapon!” she yelled.

“Yes, ma’am. It’s your show down here.” Pierce put his rifle down and kicked it away. “I’m unarmed. Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Tell your men to toss their rifles into the hallway,” Cyndi ordered.

“Like hell I will,” O’Brian said.

Pierce looked back. “Do it!”

His men reluctantly slid their HK416s into the hallway.

Pierce moved forward in a casual, friendly gait toward the LCC. He flashed the wide smile of a used-car salesman. “Look, I don’t know what General McNeil said, but obviously there’s been a huge misunderstanding. Let me in. We’ll get him back on the phone and get all of this straightened out.”

“Stop where you are!” Lance yelled.

Pierce stopped.

Lance leaned back away from the opening. “He’s not getting in here.”

“Lance! We’re outnumbered and outgunned,” Cyndi shot back.

She had no illusions they could successfully take on four Delta Force operatives with only their Berettas and no close-quarters combat training.

“What other choice do we have? Even if McNeil is right about Pierce going rogue, we can still use him as a bargaining chip to get out of here alive.” She turned and spoke to the shadowy figure in the hall. “Keep your hands where I can see them. You’re going to come into the LCC alone, then we’re closing the blast door.”

“Smart decision, Captain. In a minute, this will be all over.” Pierce started forward.

“Turn around,” Cyndi said. “Put your hands on your head and walk backward into the LCC.”

“Crap,” Jackson murmured as he looked around at his teammates.

Pierce raised his hands. His jaw tightened. “Relax, Stafford. You can see I’m unarmed.”

“Do what I said! Turn around!”

“Get ready,” Lopez whispered to the others.

“How do I know you won’t just shoot me in the back?”

“If you don’t turn around, I’ll shoot you in the front,” Lance declared, hoping to intimidate the trained killer.

Pierce slowly lowered his hands toward his back. “I’m going to get a radio so my team can stay in contact with me after you close the door. They need to know that I’m safe.” Pierce flashed a hand signal to his team as he turned.

Lopez stood and removed a radio from his vest. He held it out for Pierce.

“No! Slide it to me!” Cyndi shouted.

Lopez looked at Pierce.

He nodded.

Lopez slid the radio down the hall and up to the blast door.

Cyndi leaned out to pick up the radio.

With impossible speed, Pierce reached behind his back.

“Gun!” Lance screamed.

Chapter Thirty-One

In a blur, Pierce snatched his pistol from his waistband. As he drew a bead on Cyndi, Lance catapulted across the opening and pushed her back behind the door.

A shot rang out.

The slug from the Glock hit Lance instead.

He collapsed on the floor.

Cyndi drew her Beretta, stuck it out around the door, and unleashed a volley of cover fire. With no idea where she was aiming, bullets ricocheted off the concrete floor and walls. Ceiling lights in the path of the bullets exploded in a white-hot shower of sparks.

“Cover me!” Pierce dove for cover.

His men crawled into the hallway and grabbed their rifles, ignoring the deadly projectiles. As soon as they got back behind cover, they switched their HK416s to full auto.

All hell broke loose.

Ten rounds a second gushed from each of the three weapons. The deafening sound of gunfire reverberated