Yield (102 page)

“
We
’
re almost to the Astoria Bridge! Just keep watching those skies!
”

Smaller Korean and Chinese landing craft are beaching under heavy fire from entrenched U.S. forces along the coastline. Their machine gun fire lights up the twilight. Artillery shells launch huge plumes of sand into the sky.

Random bullets cut into the truck from below. Devin can feel the hollow sound of puncturing metal, as well as the sickness of waiting for one to make it through. The horrific moans of their injured chill the fireman to the bone. Red hairs at the nape of his neck jump off his skin.

He digs under the seat with his right hand. Yanking at the white handle, Devin shoves the medical kit behind him.

“
Somebody, take this!
”
he yells into the bed.
“
Help whoever you can!
”

Several willing hands grab the metal box. They begin performing triage even as bullets continue to shred apart the truck
’
s fabric canopy.

The transport rumbles as fast as it can, southeast over the pavement.

Devin cranks the wheel right then left, swerving around burning cars and trucks caught within World War III
’
s anonymous crossfire.

Parts of the coastal highway are completely broken away. Landslides cave earth and rock down onto the left side of the road. On the right
,
the asphalt is split, tumbling into a steep cut of land and water almost 200 feet below.

Pedal still floored, Devin moves into what remains of the narrow oncoming lane to pass the gauntlet.

Debris closes in on both sides, but they
’
re almost through.

Suddenly, the right rear tire dips. A chunk of the roadway breaks off, slamming the undercarriage of the truck onto a lip of concrete. Momentum carries the rig
’
s body to the right, causing it to roll.

The weightlessness is nauseating. In a split-second, Devin lets off the gas then guns it. The right rear tire barks out as it pops above the pavement.

“
Bloody hell!
”
Devin yells. His arms twist, trying to stop the tall truck
’
s dangerous swaying. The left tires lift up, then the right. Smoking rubber screeches against the road.

Fiercely gripping the steering wheel, Devin
’
s hands slowly bring the massive beast under control. His breath explodes out.

“
Hot damn, son!
”
Jacob roars, firing again through the open window. He pauses briefly to slap Devin
’
s shoulder.

Looking back to the battle for new targets, the general shoots a tight burst across a landing craft
’
s bow. He smiles when several bodies double over into the bay. Jacob
’
s eyes open wider, noticing an unusual ripple in the water almost two clicks past the blockade line. It
’
s moving farther in from the large battleships and destroyers, closing on the Astoria Bridge.

A dark shape with squared hulls slowly rises out of the water. The pitch-black metal is barely visible as the light continues to fade. A red flag is painted on top of a rectangular mast
’
s plated surface, surrounding stars of yellow.

The colors of China seem to shimmer,
water falling away from them in the wind. Doors on the stealth submarine
’
s stern begin to open. The bright yellow tips of
nuclear
warheads are visible just inside.

“
Is that
…
”
Devin asks.

Jacob rips the military radio handset off its base below the dashboard. He twists the dials, trying to find a working frequency.

“
Mayday. Mayday. Mayday,
”
Jacob barks.
“
This is a U.S. spotter at mile marker 4, Highway 101 along the Washington Coast. There is a nuclear sub in friendly waters. I repeat. A foreign submarine between the Oregon and Washington coasts. Approximately three clicks west-southwest of this position. Please respond.
”

SHH
…
.
T
he hiss of static eats through his stomach.

The two ground-assault MIGs launch
another
volley into America
’
s battle line. Firing missile after missile at the U.S. ships, they switch to guns, strafing up across the beach and highway. Soldiers on the coast disappear under the clouded sands.

SHH
……

“
Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
”
Jacob yells, switching to another frequency.
“
There is a foreign sub
, possibly
readying to fire on Portland
,
in the waters a mile and a half west of the Astoria Bridge! Close proximity, weapons cold. Take them out now!
”

SHH
………
..

“
Come in, damn it!
”
he yells.
“
This is Brigadier General Jacob Leder. Do you read?!
”

The MIGs fire again at the green bull
’
s-eye of the military truck. Bullets tear up the highway, obliterating trees before adjusting aim into the cabin. Glowing rounds buzz through the air, cutting past metal and glass.

Devin
’
s window explodes. Shrapnel flickers in the half-light. The dimming
colors are
caught by the glass, launching sunsets all across the truck cabin.

Out of nowhere, a squadron of jets screams over the hills from the east. Just 20 feet above the truck, the roar of their turbines is deafening. Displaced air from their engines shoves the truck effortlessly into the left lane.

Still over the water, the foreign planes disappear under a rain of fire from U.S. and British F-22s. An American sidewinder tears through the lead North Korean jet. Flaming remnants of the plane fly just over Devin
’
s truck, landing in a ball of fire in
the
trees above the highway.

The second MIG
’
s wing shears off from a glancing missile as it tries to bank away from the assault. The plane begins to roll uncontrollably towards the coastal road, plummeting through the sky ablaze.

Devin floors the rattling diesel. His eyes dart up through the shattered window at the falling jet
’
s trajectory.
“
Hold on!
”
His impulses suddenly tell him to pound the brakes. The rear tires lock up, jumping and stuttering across the pavement.

The spiraling aircraft accelerates as it falls, slamming onto Highway 101 just feet in front of the truck. Igniting jet fuel instantly engulfs the road. A brilliant line of fire shoots up into the night.

The jet
’
s momentum slides its wreckage off the road just as their truck enters the flames. Tongues of fire push into the broken windows.

The heat is hell itself, sucking all oxygen from the crackling air. Devin lunges to the side to escape the wrath jumping towards him. He holds Sierra
’
s head down. The green metal around them blisters from the superheated jet fuel, turning to an ashen black.

Gaps in the flame twist and spread in front of them.

“
Come on!
”
Devin shouts
, slamming the gas pedal down
.

Reluctantly, hell loosens its grip. Redemption shoots from its burning cage
,
the metal hissing in the ocean air.

Devin leans back up, looking at the Astoria Bridge in the distance.

Another piece of falling debris smashes into the rear of the truck, throwing the rig into the steep rock face on the left.

The passengers under the canopy are screaming. The green tarp is on fire above their heads, dropping hot shards into the clustered bodies.

“
Hand me the extinguisher!
”
Devin shouts next to him.
“
Jacob?
”
Looking over, his stomach drops.

The general
’
s frame is slumped forward.

Devin grabs the fire extinguisher off the floorboard next to Sierra and throws it into the back.

Stray bullets again hit the side of the truck, chewing past the softened metal.

“
Jacob!
”
Devin yells. Mist from the extinguisher blasts begins to fill the cabin.
“
Jacob!!
”

*  *  *

The decorated general blinks in confusion. He starts to look around before he feels it.

“
Papa
…
”
Soft tears roll down Sierra
’
s face.

The warm pulse of blood flows from Jacob
’
s right side. A steady stream runs down his body and onto the door of the truck. The heat is somehow calming. It quiets his mind. Everything is suddenly so clear.

A hard-fought peace spreads across his steely blue eyes.

Sierra pulls her legs tight to her body, beginning to rock back and forth.

“
It
’
ll be okay, Sierra,
”
he whispers. More than ever before in his life, Jacob is certain of every word. The grandfather smiles lovingly down at her. He wanted so badly to see her grow up, to be there when she changed the world
…

His eyes blur as he applies pressure to the wound. The general looks back out to the ocean and the sub
’
s missile platform. Slowly, the yellow warheads begin to rise. Duty fights back the cloud of serenity inside him. Jacob fumbles for the radio handset, unable for some reason to lift it.

“
Jacob!
”
Devin yells again. The cry falls deafly upon the wounded soldier as if struck down by some silent grace.

*  *  *

A single nuclear missile fires from the sub. It inches upward, beginning to accelerate. The orange glow of ignition shines brightly in the darkness. Exhaust flames flicker above the sub as the missile gains speed.

Several feet above the stealth sub, the missile is suddenly obliterated. Machine gun fire and fast-attack missiles rain down upon it from the converging U.S. and British jets.

Explosions blot out the metal with vindictive flame. They light up the dark waves where death
’
s carriage had just been.

A giant splash of water falls back to the bay through bullets and fire. It hisses, bringing a shaky calm to the waves once more.

The F-22s bank quickly and take off toward the enemy ships. A storm of missiles launches into the sky. Trails of smoke space out evenly from dozens of rockets hurtling through the air. They scream into the distance, the sound like a choir of patriots.

Missiles slam into the foreign ships in rapid succession. Groans of crumpling metal echo out with explosive bursts of light. Massive detonations rip through the Chinese and North Korean warships.

Deafening booms roll up the bay, even as the violence fades behind the military truck.

Devin slams on the brakes, skidding to a stop once they reach the other side of the Astoria Bridge. He looks over at Jacob
’
s slumped body. The handset cord dangles limply from his hand.

“
Give me some g
auze!
”
Devin shouts into the cabin. The fireman wraps a bandage around the general
’
s stomach.
“
I need help up here!!
”

“
General Leder,
”
a gruff voice barks from the radio.
“
Message confirmed. Repeat. Message confirmed. Target eliminated.
”
The communication officer
’
s voice softens with gratitude.
“
God speed, General. Out.
”

Sierra
’
s shoulders shake. Her tiny body racks with confusion and a crippling fear. She watches the color drain from her Papa
’
s face, tears pouring down her own.

The last rays of red and pink dip below the horizon. The world goes dark all around them, bringing with it a mournful silence.