Falling Skies : between friendship, love and fight [TOME 1]

Chapter 15 : The offensive

The aliens build a enormous structure and we still don't know to what it could serve them, so we have decided to destroy it. And for that, we need to know where to put the explosive charges. As a result, Tom and Weaver went to inspect the architecture of the structure to better destroy it. Tom went to see Weaver to announce him that the Colonel Porter was just arrived.

During this time, I was with Ben behind one of the bus parked to the high school. We were making skipping rope. We especially wanted to see how much time we could hold out, when Hal called to go eaten.

- Look at this. I remember when you idea of exercising was reorganizing dad's bookshelves, said Hal.

- Shouldn't be so easy, I laugh.

Then, Elisa arrived and took the stopwatch that was on the field.

- 2 hours and 40 minutes ? Was surprised Elisa. What, are you padding your stats ?

- It's not possible, panicked Ben.

- Yeah, we-we must have hit the button before we came out.

Elisa and Hal were definitively worried about us, but we went to eat in the canteen with the others.

On their side, Porter congratulated Weaver and Tom for their work in the 2nd Mass. But Tom said him that the skitters knew where they are now. And that's true, the last time that the skitters has attacked us, we managed against the attack but just. Porter asked to Weaver scout report but he didn't answer and that's Tom who said that the scout were went till Gardner and didn't see any alien presence. Seen Weaver's behevior, Porter and Tom were worried about sleep of the Captain. This last one ensured them that he was fine and that he'll take care of his sleep when each aliens will be exterminated. He also ensured the version that Tom have just said and that they weren't safe anymore there, and they should go.

Porter told them that the aliens regroup themselves around the structure, Resistance from Los Angeles and Chicago observe this exact same phenomenon and as Porter said it "we're not waiting for them to make the next move".

- The timetable for the coordinated attack on that structure has been moved up. In 4 days, we're taking this war to them.

- We'll be ready.

In the hallway, Elisa, Ben and Hal join the Colonel, the Captain and Tom who were talking about the offensive.

- 4 days ... that's really short notice, said Ben to the Colonel.

- Can't afford any delay. Every time these bastards change tactics on us, we end up getting hurt bad. Listen, Tom, I want you to take a scout into the city tomorrow. Identify secure routes for your vehicles, give me one last good eyeball recon on that structure.

- Downtown's a long haul. We've got to have units closer in.

- We did have units closer in. 7th Mass started to pull back, the aliens hit them hard, said Porter. Terry Clayton may have been a son of a bitch, but he wasn't lying about the 7th Mass.

- They're gone ? Asked Elisa.

- Yep, and we've lost contact with the 4th and the 5th. But the attack plan remains the same .... 4 units, one assigned to each leg of the structure. We blow those demo charges simultaneously, the structure collapses. Which brings me to the issue of demo and explosives charges. How we doing on that ?

- The raw materials aren't a problem, but we've stalled on the build.

- Our people don't have the most expertise in the making of bombs, remarked Hal.

- Something that I normally take comfort in. Said Tom.

Weaver told us that maybe he had a solution for the making of bombs. We went to the infirmary where Anne showed us where Pope was. I was with Anne when they arrived, and we showed them Pope who finally met the Colonel Porter. This meeting has been ..... memorable.