THE IRON SHIELD

Chapter XXIII

XXIII

The four men made their way out of the room and into the control room to subdue the guards. Crost shot both of them, leaving them on the ground. They made their way topside so they could go back to base, but not before setting charges inside destroying the snakes, the laboratory, and the drums full of poison. They would need to charter a plane to take them to WashingtonD.C. Shorrock did not have any passport to fly commercially, so that plan was no good. The four made their way through the jungle to the nearest town.

"When you said there were eleven of you, how many are still alive?" asked Ackerman.

"At the time I was frozen, none," replied Shorrock. Ackerman stopped in his tracks to think on what Shorrock had just said. None. Ackerman, Crost, and Hawke did not want that to happen with them. All twelve of them now were going to make it.

The nearest town was several miles away. The group decided to go back to the shore and ride the dinghy along the coast until they came upon a town. The dinghy was still in its spot all covered up by palm leaves and branches. The four pushed it into the ocean and made their way to the nearest town. The first town they came upon was located on the edge of the land making it feasible to have a dock for boats and a seaplane. There at the dock was a seaplane. There was their ride.

The four made their way to the dock. Shorrock pulled his knife out and sliced a gaping hole in the boat. They would not be needing it anymore. The boat sank to the bottom of the dock. The four walked on the dock towards the plane. Carrying weapons, they looked very conspicuous. The locals thought they were mercenaries. To avoid trouble, the four waved and smiled at the locals to let them know they were friendly. It worked for the most part. They approached the owner of the plane. The man put his arms up, but Crost who could speak Spanish assured the man that they were not going to hurt him. They just needed a ride to WashingtonD.C.

Obviously, a seaplane could not go that far, but far enough that they could find a ride to WashingtonD.C. Crost offered the man a large sum of money to get them as far as he could take them. The man agreed after he saw the money and knew that they were not going to hurt him. The five boarded the plane and took off towards the Bahamas. It was the farthest the man could take them without running out of fuel. He would be basically running on fumes by the time they landed.

Crost gave the man half of the money to ensure they got to where they were going. The flight took longer than it would if they were traveling in the stealth plane or even the George W. Bush. The four did not mind. Shorrock had never been on an aircraft carrier like the George W. Bush. He would soon get the full surprise of it. Although, they had just met the man, Crost, Ackerman, and Hawke felt comfortable with him because he was the same as them fighting for the same cause against the same enemy. They knew they could trust him. Despite being betrayed by someone they thought they trusted at Phoenix, they were leery, but could tell when someone was being truthful or dishonest. Shorrock was an ally.

The pilot did not talk much to the men for the less he knew about them the better. He did not wish to have to answer too many questions if anyone asked them. All he was going to do was fly them to the Bahamas, refuel, and go back home. The four men just slept in the back until they landed. It had been a long trip.