Chapter 16

Jimmy Chan runs down the corridor of the American Falls Hydro Plant to where Adam Chou sits placing another bomb and setting the timer. By the time he reaches the spot he is nearly out of breath.

“What’s going on?” Chou asks absently.

“We’re surrounded,” Chan replies in a huff. “The police just arrived.”

“What?” Chou asks incredulously as he stands and glowers at the other man. “Do we have an escape route?”

“The whole place is surrounded,” Chan reiterates.

“Tell the rest of the men to continue with the explosives,” Chou orders, starting to walk away to set another explosive.

“What are we going to do?” Chan cries out after him. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

Chou spins around, grabs and lifts the other man and then slams him into the wall. Chou’s muscles ripple beneath his shirt as he holds Chan against the cold wall. “We will finish our job, for the glory of China. Then we’ll use these creatures to help aid in our escape.”

“And ... and if that doesn’t help?” Chan dares to mutter out.

“Then we will die for the cause,” Chou says with a smile. “Our sacrifice will aid in our conquest.” Chou releases his grip on the man. Chan drops into a heap at his feet. “Tell the men to finish up.”

Doug is impressed with the display of police when they pull into the operation that has been set up outside the power plant. SWAT is deployed and awaiting orders while a SWAT helicopter hovers overhead at a distance with its search light gleaming over the area. He gets out of the truck and walks straight for the sheriff.

“Mr. Wiltkins, thank you for coming,” Croay says, smiling and offering his hand to shake.

“Glad to be here and thank you for notifying us,” Doug says, taking the man’s hand and shaking it vigorously. “And call me Doug.”

“Alright, Doug,” the sheriff replies. “You can call me Jonah. My men and the SWAT team are at your disposal,” he says, sweeping his hand over the area.

The tactical commander spends the next several minutes greeting and becoming acquainted with various people before gathering them all together along with his own team around the strategy table in the semi. “Here’s how we are going to handle this situation,” he says looking at each person in turn. “Jonah, your men will cover the front, handling the crowd control and ensuring none of the terrorists escape that way. Robert,” he says to the sergeant and leader of the SWAT team, “on my signal, your team will enter through the back and flush them toward my team. We will take one floor at a time until we have all of them captured.”

“Are we aiming to take them alive or shoot first, ask questions later?” the SWAT leader asks, grinning slightly.

Doug chuckles. “As much as I’d prefer the shoot first, we need to attempt to take a few alive. There is at least one more terrorist cell out there and we will need information to find them.” He looks around, taking on a serious tone again. “Any more questions?” No one seems to have any. Their assignments are simple. “Alright then, let’s do this and try to come out all safe.”

The explosives are all set up and the men are ready. Chan finds Chou on the top floor of the plant. Two of the hideous creatures that call themselves the Goji are with him and a smile is spread across the man’s face. “Everything is done. We await your orders,” Chan informs his superior.

“We have quite an operation against us,” Chou says offhandedly. “I have a task for you though. There is an emergency set of stairs that lead to the front of the plant. Once the police have entered, you will take four soldiers and four of the Goji and attack them there.” Chan is surprised and a bit scared at the same time to have this task thrust upon him. The mixed emotions must show on his face as Chou notices it quickly before Chan has a chance to hide it. “This is important. I will hold them here until you give me a signal that it is clear. Once you do so, we will follow you out and blow this place. Understood?”

“Yes,” Chan says boldly.

“Good,” Chou nods. “Now go.”

Chan bows and then takes his leave.

Doug leads his men through the front door. They don’t meet too much opposition, not like they expected. He figures the enemy has planned to dig in, so the most likely will place their leader at the top and most likely some idea of an escape. Doug sends his signal over the radio, alerting Robert to bring his team in. Their job will be to comb through each floor, flushing out any terrorists Doug and his team miss. The power plant is big with five floors. Though not too tall, the floors are spread out considerably. And that is the trouble that they truly face. The plant’s floors are spread out over a fifteen thousand square foot area per floor.

When they enter the second floor, they never see Chan’s team with the Goji enter the first and head straight out the front.

The police covering the front of the plant aren’t surprised when a group of soldiers come rushing out, guns blazing. What surprises them is the four Goji that accompany them. The creatures leap, attacking the closest of the police. The officers hold their ground, quickly taking out two of the men Chan leads. Chan and the remaining soldiers take cover behind a car. They immediately decide to wait unto the creatures take out most of the force before them.

Doug’s team sweeps through each floor, easily dispatching any resistance. With the SWAT team seeping in behind them, he has no worries about any of the terrorists escaping. So far though, they haven’t had the opportunity to take any captives.

When they enter the final floor to find Chou standing in the center of the room, without a weapon and only with what appears to be a detonator, Doug is surprised at the lack of fighters. A terrorist cell doesn’t have to be big to do damage, but where are the damn Goji?

“I will blow this place sky high,” Chou shouts, interrupting the man’s thoughts’ “I suggest that you leave the way you came and let me do the same!”

“You know that isn’t going to happen!” Doug shouts back.

“If you don’t do as I say, then we will all blow up!” Chou warns. “I am prepared to die for our cause, are you?”

“I didn’t sign up to sit on the sidelines and watch,” Doug says. And before the terrorist leader has time to process the words, Doug squeezes the trigger. The bullet goes through Chou’s head, brains splattering out the back. His body hits the ground, the detonator sliding safely from his cold, lifeless hand.