Overlord Read online

  Jack Collins and Carl Everett watched from seats situated along the wall with military assistants from the other nations. Every man knew the efficiency of the Russian assault and feared for the men involved. They had watched the entire assault without comment.

  As Everett watched, his breath hitched in his chest when the all-clear was announced. The assault had been an overwhelming success. Carl saw Jack tense when he recognized the faces of Ryan and Sarah as they entered with the rest of the United Nations technical team who were there to secure the alien technology. It was Carl who wanted to stand when a face he recognized came into a soldier’s camera view: Anya’s. He looked at Jack with an almost panicked look. It was the president who eyed the two officers that offered an explanation.

  Another monitor along the wall sprang to life and the prime minister of Israel appeared. The Intel chiefs of the varying nations knew the man next to him was the head of Israel’s intelligence agency, the Mossad. General Shamni was being viewed publicly for the first time as a good-faith measure for the peace of mind of the gathered nations.

  “Mr. Prime Minister, is your government satisfied the rogue element inside Iran has been curtailed, to the point that you can stand down your military forces and recall your strike elements?”

  The small and elderly prime minister closed his eyes momentarily, then looked into the monitor and just nodded his head.

  “Yes. As of one minute ago, General Shamni has recalled all Israeli forces and lowered our alert status. Do we have reassurance that former president Ahmadinejad’s forces have been neutralized, and that there will be no reoccurrence of hostilities from the new Iranian government?”

  It was Rouhani who answered from his monitor.

  “I can assure the State of Israel that not only will there be no occurrence of hostile intent, but also that Mr. Ahmadinejad and his cohorts in crime will not see the light of the dawning day. Furthermore, with the agreement of the clerics of our nation, Iran is prepared to offer this sign of peace and friendship. We are prepared to publicly announce that we as a people recognize the State of Israel’s right to exist, and I am prepared to offer full cooperation in our new and hopefully continuing relationship between our two nations.”

  The many varying national personalities of the world’s most powerful nations rose as one around the large conference table and applauded the most decisive decision in the history of the Middle East. At long last the coup not only failed, but ushered in a new age of cooperation between the two nations of Israel and Iran.

  “We are most pleased to accept your very kind and genuine intent of friendship across the board,” the Israeli prime minister said with a nod of his head. “I am sorry for your losses in this sordid affair. May I offer assistance to not only the Iranian nation, but also the gathered nations planning for what is to come?”

  “Thank you, Mr. President, and you also, Mr. Prime Minister. I will be in contact very soon so your governments can liaise with our military forces for training and instruction,” the president of the United States said with a grim smile and nod of his head.

  Rouhani nodded and his monitor went dark. He had a new government to form and a very long explanation for the people of his country on how close they had come to war with the rest of the world. He should have no trouble with the changing of power from his people. The Israeli leader removed his glasses as his monitor also went dark.

  The president nodded toward the opposite end of the table and the president of Russia.

  “Our assault division will remain on station until the technology is crated and moved to Overlord’s transit location. This will be confirmed by members of the assault team under United States control.” The Russian turned and faced the leader of America and shook his head. “I fear with the reports from Great Britain and France that we may have run out of time.”

  “First we have to confirm that the Iranian scientists have actually managed to power up the alien power plant and have succeeded in creating their wormhole.” The president looked at Niles Compton, who stood and went to the large monitor. He held the phone in his hand as he connected with his element in Iran.

  “Lieutenant McIntire, have you procured the test sequences from the Iranian experiments?”

  There were several beeps and static sounded over the speaker system in the situation room. All eyes watched the strange balding man as he waited. Soon the image of Sarah came into view. Jason Ryan was standing near her.

  “Yes, sir, what we have thus far is their experiments were charted into five differing areas of Earth’s past.” She held up a printout and pointed to several lines of code. The view changed on the Russian-supplied camera to show one of the leading Iranian technicians as he confirmed the time differential. “The first wormhole created a tunnel that accidentally targeted an area of northern Europe right around 38,000 BCE. This is verified by charting the skies and various planet locations. The second was 117 AD, location was the Scottish highlands. This corresponds with the disappearance of the famous Ninth Legion.” Sarah looked at the camera. “It seems the Iranians were responsible for this and several other incidents of mass disappearances over the course of history. The next was 1558 near Roanoke, Virginia. It is estimated—”

  “Very good, Lieutenant. Then we can confirm that the alien technology has been successfully powered up, and that an immediate transfer of the unit can be accomplished as soon as it’s dismantled and crated for transport?”

  “Uh, yes, sir,” Sarah said as she knew the president had cut her short on the report.

  “Lieutenant, you and Commander Ryan will stay with the power plant until it arrives at its final destination—is that clear?” Niles Compton said.

  “Yes, sir.”

  The picture went dark and Niles returned to his seat.

  “Mr. President, the People’s Republic understands the need for the alien technology, but I believe the time has come for the United States to”—the Chinese president looked around the table—“as you Americans say, ‘come clean.’ We need to know the source of your planning. We, the many nations represented here, have invested our entire treasuries to something that may or may not work, as this has turned into the most expensive project in the history of the world. And now the peoples of our nation are starting to become very anxious over the unbridled spending. We are going to lose the confidence of the people, and then all will be lost.”

  “Gentlemen, many of you have wondered about my friend and colleague sitting with our group today. May I introduce Dr. Niles Compton.” He nodded at Niles, who made his way to the podium at the front of the room. “Dr. Compton is the head of a think tank, or advisory group, located within the borders of the United States. Operation Overlord was conceived in part by him and two other men. Doctor, you may start at the beginning.”

  Niles nodded his head, removed his coat, then took a sip of water. He glanced at his oldest friend, the president, who nodded and smiled as the truth the United Sates had held in secret for sixty-five years was about to spill forth. Niles pushed a button and a view of vault number 28967, buried deep inside the Event Group complex, appeared. A giant black tarp was laid over an object of tremendous size. It was pulled away by several men. The round, broken, and incomplete skeletal remains of the two Arizona saucers appeared and the leaders of the world sat forward in their chairs as the sight amazed them. Only the British prime minister did not seem shocked.

  “1947, Roswell, New Mexico,” Compton began. “A flying saucer was indeed captured, just as many of you have speculated. The incident was covered up by then President Harry S. Truman. We had been attacked. In the summer of 2006, it happened again…”

  Jack and Carl listened as Niles spilled the secrets of the Event Group and the United States, baring the soul of secrecy that had been hidden since the end of World War II. The leaders of the world’s most powerful nations had been told about the attacks and shown proof earlier after the moon missions to uncover alien technology, but never the source. The two officers lis
tened for an hour as the story was related. When he was done, Niles looked at the faces staring back at him.

  “We inside France knew the United States, and to some extent Great Britain, had some valuable information they hadn’t shared with the world, but we also have belief inside our intelligence community that perhaps you are still not being truthful to the full measure. Since the British find in Antarctica, you have yet to explain the way in which you devised a way to power up the device discovered. Who has been assisting your government, Dr. Compton?”

  Carl Everett looked at Jack and mouthed the question “What device?”

  Jack raised his eyebrows and shook his head, indicating he had no idea what the president of France was referring to.

  The American president nodded toward Niles, then looked at his colleagues and laughed. They looked at him confused.

  “Dr. Compton has been in control of an asset we have been hiding since 2006. Yes, it is the very same incident that he described concerning the attack in the Arizona desert. Thus far the need to know the whole truth of the matter has only extended to Her Majesty’s government, due to their extraordinary find in Antarctica.” The president again smiled his strange little smirk. “Niles, please make the introductions.”

  Jack and Carl saw the familiar face of Virginia Pollock come onscreen. She sat next to a chair that was turned away from the camera. She smiled at the gathered men in the situation room and as she did she turned the swivel chair. The faces around the table drained of color.

  “Good God,” the president of France proclaimed as he rose in his chair. The president only smiled wider.

  “Gentlemen, may I introduce our friend. This is Mahjtic. Along with the late senator Garrison Lee and Dr. Compton here, this being is responsible for the planning of Operation Overlord.”

  Jack had to join the president and smile as he watched Matchstick blink his large, black eyes at the camera—and then wave to the gathered men with a quick, childlike gesture.

  It was the French president who summed it up for the world leaders.

  “Incroyable!”

  Jack had to admit as he looked at his small green friend, that yes, it was incredible.

  * * *

  The president of the United States stood, placed his hands inside his pants pockets, and walked to the front. He nodded at Niles, who replaced his coat and seated himself between Jack and Carl. He looked at them and winked, knowing that he had just introduced to the world the most important being on the planet since the arrival of Jesus of Nazareth. Jack pursed his lips in a silent whistle, showing that he had been impressed with the information about Matchstick being finally out in the open.

  Before the president could speak, the German chancellor rose to his feet. “I may assume we can have access to this … this … being for questioning?”

  “No. Mahjtic is in a secure location that is inaccessible to the rest of the world, even myself.” The small lie came easily to the president. “If the enemy knew we had a Green being in our hands they would search until they found him and eliminated our only asset. Mahjtic is the only advantage we have in the coming days. If we lose him, we lose the war.”

  “And this being is trustworthy?” asked the president of the People’s Republic.

  “Mahjtic has proven himself over and over again in the past. It was he who led us to the discoveries on the moon and the technology found there. But for argument’s sake, the man your military leaders chose to lead the combined Special Forces Fast-Reaction Force, Colonel Jack Collins”—the president gestured toward Jack, who just looked on as he still didn’t know what he was there for, and was hearing certain things for the first time—“has worked with the asset many times and will vouch for his commitment to our fight. Gentlemen, Mahjtic was a slave to the beings threatening us; there is no love between the two races. He is reliable.”

  A member of the Secret Service knocked and entered the room.

  “We have a communication directive from China for the president … err, Mr. President.”

  The president nodded his head as the agent delivered the flimsy communication teletype to the small and portly leader of China. The man read and then frowned as he turned to the agent.

  “Please have your communications people verify this and inform us right away, please.”

  “Is there a problem?” the president enquired.

  The man cleared his throat, then slowly placed the communication on the tabletop.

  “We are starting to get confirmed reports from Japanese sources that we may have indeed had several instances of downed civilian airliners off their coast.” The Chinese president motioned for an assistant to distribute copies of his Intel report. “It seems that if we couple this report with the incident in the North Sea concerning our friends the French and British, we must assume we are facing the initial stages of war.”

  The American president lowered his head and then looked up at the gathered men.

  “Thank you Mr. President.” He knew the man he had helped gain power inside China was right. “Gentlemen, I think we can all concur: it has started. And may I suggest we waste no more time.”

  “Yes, I believe we should initiate Operation Cut and Run immediately,” the British prime minister announced.

  “Very well. Then we are all in agreement?”

  One by one each member of the world council raised their hands and lowered their eyes. France, Great Britain, Germany, China, Russia, and the United States all voted together for the first time in military history. The president moved to the door and opened it to allow the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to enter. General Maxwell Caulfield stood rigid as he came face-to-face with former enemies and allies alike.

  “General, please alert your counterparts across the board, Operation Cut and Run has been initiated as of this date and time. Start hiding them.”

  With one last look at the men at the table the general nodded and then left.

  In the next fifteen minutes every army, naval, and air force asset in the world would go to Red Alert. Every warship assigned to a fleet would take to sea and every warplane the world over would be dispersed to undisclosed airfields in every country that was part of the alliance.

  Jack looked at Niles, still not understanding what his and Everett’s parts in this plan would be.

  “Gentlemen, let us prepare to defend ourselves,” the president said.

  Jack wanted to ask Niles about their role but kept quiet as the world spiraled toward a war of the worlds—the like of which had never been thought of before, in life or in their worst nightmares.

  The world was about to change forever.

  CATOCTIN MOUNTAIN PARK

  THURMONT, MARYLAND

  Hunting Creek Lake was located inside the confines of Cunningham Falls State Park and was situated only fifteen miles from the fortified residence of the president at Camp David.

  The sun was just beginning to set behind the trees as Jim Macdonald and his two sons, Bobby and Brandon, twelve and ten years old respectively, were just starting to pack up from their end-of-the-month hike through the lake country of the park. Ever since Jim had been coming here, he and his boys had occasionally run into either Secret Service or State Park employees making routine sweeps over the area even when the president wasn’t in residence at the Camp David Retreat. This day had been different as they had come across not only the Park Service and the Secret Service, but also full combat-dressed Marines. Needless to say the heavy presence had put a major damper on the day for him and his two sons, even though they had shown nothing but excitement at seeing the Marines in the woods.

  Jim admonished the boys to hurry packing the remains of their lunch and hiking gear, as their mother expected them home for dinner before the sun fully set. The father was also in a hurry because the security people they had run into had advised being out of the area due to the heavy police and federal presence surrounding the parks.

  They had just finished packing when a small rain squall wash
ed over the area. The man and his boys looked around and up as the sudden wind and rain caught them off guard. The small storm lasted only a minute and the skies quickly cleared.

  “Well, that was different,” Jim said as he tousled the now wet hair of his youngest son.

  “Now I’m all wet. Mom’s going to have a hissy fit,” Brandon said as he shook off his father’s hand.

  Suddenly a shrill whistling was heard from the twilight sky above them. Jim looked up and saw at least a thousand large balls of silver falling toward the small lake and shoreline. At first he thought it was an optical illusion and he was watching a bizarre meteor shower that just looked as if it were heading straight toward them, but then the whistling became loud enough that his two boys placed their small hands over their ears.

  Jim realized they were indeed falling objects and they were definitely heading straight for them. He grabbed his sons in both arms and sprinted straight into the trees lining the lake. He was nearly out of breath as he pulled up and turned in time to see the first of the objects strike the water and the shoreline. He tried to count them as the hissing orbs struck, the splashes rising high into the air. The objects that struck the small shoreline also hissed in the wet sand and threw up a plume of steam. Jim had to stop counting after he hit over a hundred of the silverish objects, and still more pierced the sky and landed anywhere from the lake to the forest surrounding it.

  Brandon grabbed his father’s legs in a hard hug as Bobby hid closely behind the tree. The objects came to rest; some sank in the cold water while others struck trees and careened off into the woods. They heard a loud crack as one of the strange balls came down near them and crashed against a tree. The eight-foot-in-diameter spherical object left a scorch mark on the bark of the tree, and when it rolled twenty feet and came to rest it started the loose pine needles on fire.

  Jim took hold of both of his frightened boys and drew them close. Brandon whimpered as the silver ball started to slowly open along its center-line mass. Jim gagged as a horrid smell struck his nostrils as the ball split open. The three started to slowly back away from the grounded object just as a pole-like device came up from the center. Steam slowly rose and the hissing sound; the small ball was hot enough that Jim felt the heat from ten feet away.