Chapter 8: A Rescue

Kim and Rob Reynolds’ home
Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
Wednesday, May 19, 1999

The rain had started before dawn. Jess, Tom, Beth, Rob, and Kim with baby Alice were sitting at the kitchen table discussing how to approach the US government. They didn’t have contacts high enough in the government to cut out the days of delays that they expected to before talking to the president. Tom and Beth’s son-in-law’s sister, Sandra, was a first-term congresswoman, but she had been unable to supply a contact. With all the levels of government that would be involved, they knew that word would leak out.

When Tom had contacted TI about increasing production of the controllers again, he had found that it was already underway. The engineering samples had caused a number of companies to realize the breakthrough that the AJ Power Generator was. There were also requests from half a dozen government labs for small orders. TI planned to start production at two of their other fabs. It would take a while to get up to speed, but the two fabs would be in production in less than a month. Tom mentioned that the UK and Australian governments were expected to be very interested in procuring the controllers and that S-I and MME would be working with them. He stated that he expected that the orders would be larger than even the increased production could handle, so he suggested getting fabs in Europe and SE Asia set up to build the controllers. Steve Cole, president of TI and Tom’s boss, had asked if he had known that the demand would be this high. Tom said that Jess and his expectation was that it would be even larger, which is why Jess had bankrolled the special equipment that would be needed, without which they would have been even further behind. When Tom had told Steve that he wouldn’t have believed them if they had said that sales would be this high, Steve had laughed and said that he still found it hard to believe, but there were plenty of PO’s to show him differently. Tom mentioned that they were trying to meet with the President or some other high-ranking official, and he expected that they would then be having orders from the US government. His boss had said he would see what he could do, but he didn’t like to push business through his political contacts.

Everyone else but Edna had been in the garage. The Australians had gone out to exercise and practice hand-to-hand combat. The Steeles had decided to join in. The boys had insisted on watching.

As those that had been out of the house returned, Rob answered the phone. “Good morning, Tom Reynolds. The White House. Yes, he is right here.” Everyone was looking at him. He handed the phone to Jess. “Brad Henley, the President’s chief of staff.”

“Good morning, Mr. Henley. Yes, Tom is here. Yes, we would look forward to meeting with the President at 10 on Friday morning. Yes, the AJ Power Generator is a revolutionary product. Yes, we understand that it will impact industry. In fact, we have been looking for a way to discuss with the US government another invention that will have an even larger impact. Yes, we would be able to discuss this on Friday. We would like to bring some additional family members. My cousin, William Maclaren, and his wife Leslie Macphater Maclaren of Macphater Mining Equipment. Yes, the Australian company. MME has been doing work with the power generator for the last seven months. Yes, they are one of the three companies that we had licensed preannouncement to do development. The last person is my daughter, Doctor Kim Reynolds. Yes, she is a geneticist. Yes, her expertise is related to the other invention.” There was a long pause. “What is happening? God be with them.” Jess hung up the phone.

“Turn on the news. The President’s daughter has been kidnapped.” Jess hurried to the garage to inform the others.

Rob turned on the kitchen TV. The regular news continued on for several minutes, but then it was interrupted by a report on the kidnapping of the president’s daughter. Armed men had entered the school and killed her Secret Service detail. Claire Clarke and another unidentified girl had been taken. There were others wounded, and possibly more were dead. Police were looking for a white van. There was also a report of an attack directed at the president’s son, Tommy. Luckily, the kidnappers had been killed. An off-duty detective who had a meeting with his daughter’s teacher had seen the men enter. The kidnappers had been caught in crossfire and killed. A second white van had been seen leaving the school.

Everyone was watching the TV. Robert noticed Jason staring in the direction of the house with the men. “Jason, what is going on over there?”

“While we were in the garage, three men left the house. They had the Uzis and left in the van. They took the bombs with them. Now all the men over there are excited. They are also watching the TV when they aren’t at the windows.”

Will had heard what Jason had said and realized that the men in the house had something to do with the kidnapping. Their van was dark blue, so they weren’t the kidnappers.

The news anchor announced that both vans had gone to the Jordanian embassy. There was gunfire when the men and hostages entered the building. After the police arrived, a hostage situation developed. Claire Clarke was seen entering with the men.

Jason was looking at the TV and saying “No ... No ... No...”

“What’s wrong, Jason?” Will walked over to where the young boys sat before the television.

“Claire’s not there. She is in the van with the three men. They’re heading back here.”

“How do you know Claire?”

Rob interrupted. “He met her at the White House at Easter.”

“Everyone, get their guns. David, break out the tactical radios. Rob, do you have four rifles?”

“I have six.”

Jerome, do you agree that two of the bombs are still in the blue van with Claire? Robert sends a mental message to his cousin.

Yes. The other two are in a building with a lot of cars. Jerome, Eric, and Jason joined hands as they had last night when they taught him. Their thoughts and abilities strengthened as they worked together as one.

Will looked at Robert who had told him about the bombs leaving with the van. “Two bombs are still in the van. I believe they are using the others as a diversion.”

“Robert worked with the boys last night. They were able to figure out that one of the men in the house had made some bombs. The boys have been tracking them.” But they just gave him an update. Robert could hear his father’s thoughts as they looked at each other. Robert gave a slight nod.

Will started to issue orders. “Rob, Tom, Jess, and Linda should have one of Rob’s rifles.” Kim shook her head no when he looked at her.

“Edna, take the boys and hide in the basement. Mary Steele and Beth, take one of the rifles and a couple of handguns, you will be with the boys in the basement but come back to the kitchen first. Kim, get your medical kit in case anyone is injured. All of you will be in the basement protected from the gunfire.”

Edna grabbed some snacks for the boys before taking them to the basement. Kim and Mary Steele gathered Kim’s home medical bag and other medical supplies.

The rest of them went to get their guns. A while later they gathered in the kitchen.

“I am glad I brought these headsets for TDI. Everybody take one and put it on. The earpiece goes in either ear.” Will and Nev handed out the headsets.

Jess had seen these radios when Will had given John a box of them for S-I. They were intended for exploring the other worlds and would come in handy here.

“OK, everyone will be on channel one. On-Off switch and volume control.” Will pointed to each as he mentioned it. “Dave’s in the next room. Listen to him talk and adjust your volume. Any problems? There are three things to remember. One, you talk only when you have important information to give. We are all on the same channel and if everyone is talking then no one can be heard. Two, keep what you say short. And three, don’t let the radio distract you from the men out there with the guns.”

“Any questions? No. Good! From Robert and around, say your name in order so we make sure you are transmitting and to help us recognize your voice.” They sounded off in order.

“OK, now your assignments.” He looked at Beth and Mary Steele. “The boys will be able to give us information about what the men are doing. Beth will work with Jason. Let us know where the men with the president’s daughter are and when they are getting close to the house. We will time our actions to that information.” He looked at Mary Steele. “Mary will work with the twins. Get Edna’s help. They have RPGs, a rifle with a telescope, and Uzis in the house. We need to know when they may be brought into play. Don’t worry about the guns in the van or the pistols and rifles in the house. We will be expecting them to be in use. When the van returns, Kim should call the police. OK, go talk this over with the boys. Listen over the radio to what I tell everyone else.”

“Jess and Tom, I want you to go around the garage on the left. You are the left flankers. Brenda and Linda, I want you to flank from the right. Go around the building in the back of their lot on the right. Flankers, the most important thing to remember is not to go so far forward as to shoot at each other. You have three jobs. One, you look for armed men coming around the house. Two, you fire at the house and the men outside from the sides so they cannot hide behind things. Three, you keep an eye out for anyone that wanders into the field of fire. Let us know if they do. That is the order of importance of your jobs. Linda?”

“What do we do about the non-combatants?” she asked.

“We don’t know that they are non-combatants. They might have someone else nearby that we don’t know anything about. It could be a young girl with a grenade. Use your judgment but don’t assume that they are a non-combatant.”

“Leslie, I want you to take your rifle and Mary. Go to the second-story window in the end of the garage. You are to take out the man holding Claire. No scope. Mary, you are her spotter as well as guarding her. You are primarily not a shooter.”

“Rob, your job is to grab Claire as soon as the men in the van are down. She has met you, and you don’t have a foreign accent. The rest of us will attack from up the middle. David and Kevin, you have the driver. Nev and Robert, you have the third man. I’ll watch for problems and back you up on the takedowns. Flankers start shooting at the house when Leslie shoots. We all stay back out of sight until we are told the van is pulling in the driveway.” Will looks around and sees no questions. “Then let us go, people.”

Behind Kim and Rob Reynolds’ home
Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
Wednesday, May 19, 1999

Beth gave Jason’s first report as the rescuers exited the house. “The van is coming, but it isn’t close. In the house, no one is at the back windows. They’re at the front windows or the TV.”

“Copy,” Will replied.

They took up their positions. A minute late, Beth reported that the van had turned down the road towards the house. They made ready to move out.

“The van is turning in.”

“I see it,” added Mary.

Beth told Kim to call 911.

As the van pulled up, the side door slid open. The first man stepped out and reached back in as the second man handed Claire to him. Leslie fired as he took hold of Claire. The first man’s head exploded, splashing blood on Claire as he fell down with Claire on top. This exposed the second man that Nev and Robert both shot. The driver had started to get out of his door, but he turned around when he heard the first shot. This allowed David and Kevin a good shot at him. The flankers were shooting at the house. Will waved Rob forward, then shot a man at a back window. Rob gathered up Claire and carried her behind the building.

The flankers killed the first two men that came out of the back door of the house.

“RPG, backdoor!” reported Mary Steele. Eric had sensed the man with the RPG moving towards the door.

“He is going to shoot through the screen door.” Mary tells her mom. Leslie tracked over and killed him.

Claire had recognized Rob. She had almost become hysterical, but then her gaze turned toward Robert. Rob saw the fear leave her and a smile come to her face. He kept her low behind the building as he wiped blood from her face. The rain helped by wetting her face. He wrapped her in the blanket that they had brought to keep her warm.

Sirens were heard in the distance.

Robert found that being able to track the men the way Jason could allowed him to shoot just as one of the men appeared at a window.

Mary Steele reported that the sniper rifle was at the middle upstairs window. Brenda and Leslie both shot. It was so close that they both thought that they killed him.

Beth reported, “The last three men are by the back door.” Everyone took aim at the door. The men rushed out firing, but they were cut down immediately.

Kevin had been shot in the shoulder.

“No one is alive in the house.” Beth reported.

Dave was looking at Kevin’s shoulder.

Will checked over the men outside. They were all dead. He looked over to Dave and Kevin. “How is he?”

“Minor flesh wound.” Dave said with a smile.

“Everyone else, come on out. Tell Kim that Kevin is wounded, but it is minor.” Will ordered as he looked up at Leslie in the window and shook his head, no.

“The twins say that the only guns nearby that are moving are ours.” Mary Steele reported.

Claire and Rob stood up and joined the group growing in the driveway. Mary brought some water and a towel from the garage and helped to clean up Claire.

Robert was staring at the men he shot. His face was pale, but that was his only reaction to his first human kills. His father put his arm around him and turned him around. Robert clearly saw Claire for the first time, and a smile came to his face.

Will saw Linda start towards the backdoor. “Linda, leave that for the police. I don’t want to mess up the evidence. Everyone put on the safeties and put all the rifles and pistols over there on the pavement.”

Claire combed her hair with her back to the van and the men that had recently held her. She was thinking about one of her rescuers. Did I really hear him in my head, telling me to be calm? He’s just a boy, only a couple of years older than me. He’s big enough to play either football or basketball. “Who’s that?” She asked Mary as she nodded towards Robert.

“My baby brother.” She had a twinkle in her eye. Yes, I can see where Robert would have all the young girls after him. “Robert, come here.”