Star Missions - Book One - Part IV

Chapter 30 - Special Secret Mission

SPECIAL SECRET MISSION

14:00 Hours, Hydra Base Detention.

Ricardo Lopez might not be 'Top Dog' for the moment, but he was still Colonel Hand's man. He felt important again and rightfully so. The Colonel ordered him to hand-pick men from his squad to move the Alien from the brig to the Colonel's office. That was no small affair, given the fact that no one was allowed to have contact with the Alien until his story checked out. Lopez arranged to eat with his sidekicks, Walters and Felix. Though Amanda and Avalo were at the next table, he did not clue them into his 'special mission.'

Over spaghetti and meatballs, Lopez proudly let his buddies know they were fortunate to be one of his dogs. To Lopez, top dog Specialist Tucker seemed keenly interested in his conversations with them. Felix didn't necessarily agree.

"She is probably wondering why you keep looking over her way," he said.

"Shut up, Felix. You don't know anything. She's nothing. I don't care what anyone says. She still wants what I got!"

"And what is that?" Carmichael asked, seated next to Felix and across from Walters. By special invitation, he got to sit with the 'boys' that day.

"The Colonel's trust," Lopez said with confidence. "Major Lee is our commanding officer, but he answers to Colonel Hand, right?"

They all answered, "Yes."

"So there you have it. Major Lee gets orders from the Colonel, and the Colonel also gives orders to me," Lopez reasoned.

Felix said, "So, what?" to understand what Lopez was getting at.

"So, stupid," Lopez continued, "we're practically the same."

Carmichael chimed in and wondered, "So, Hand gives us all orders sometimes. That doesn't mean we're all Majors in Hydracorps."

"You don't get it. Major Lee doesn't know about my secret mission. Nobody does." Lopez greased their curiosity.

"You got a secret mission?" asked Walters.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, homeboy. That's why chica over there is trying to get the scoope." Lopez lowered his head while leaning in toward the group seated across and next to him.

Walters, seated next to Lopez and Carmichael, seated across from him, both turned to look in Amanda's direction. They saw her eating her lunch, seemingly minding her own business. Then she caught sight of them staring at her.

They didn't know for sure if she was trying to figure out what they were talking about, but soon figured she must have given up. She just gave them a dirty look, stood up, and took her tray of food and went to sit at another table—this time with her back to them.

The two others were still gazing at Specialist Tucker when Felix took Lopez' bait.

"OK, are you going to let us in on the 'special secret mission'?" he asked.

They all turned their attention and leaned over in a sort of huddle over the cafeteria table. Lopez lowered his voice and had a stern expression as he told them that the mission was top secret and that, under normal circumstances, if they had learned about it without his permission, they could be shot.

With that warning in the back of their minds, he told them that at exactly fourteen hundred hours, he and his hand-picked soldiers would proceed to the extremely dangerous Alien's holding cell and escort him to Hand's office. If necessary, they would be allowed to use deadly force if the Alien resisted.