Chapter 21

Just after dawn of the following day the plan created by Ashley and Max was ready to be implemented. Every member of Galaxy Guardian’s security forces that could be mustered on short notice lay concealed a few hundred yards from Eli’s compound. They had arrived by stealth under the cover of darkness and now, as the sun’s rays began heating up the day they made their move.

“Margo’s about to take control of the computers so move out now, but you have to make it so damn quick you can be almost into the hostage compound before Eli realizes what’s happening. Remember you gotta have some people covering the area between the two bunkers as soon as possible because sure as shit as soon as Eli realizes he’s under attack he’s gonna try and blow up the hostages with the computer. When that doesn’t work he’s gonna be sending men across that open space to blow them up manually. You make sure you gotta enough people to defend it until all the hostages are free?”

Ashley nodded at the last minute instructions from Max, then stood up, made a forward gesture with her arm and broke into a hard run. Thanks to endless array of pictures taken by the drone she knew exactly where the outer entrance to the hostage bunker was located. She headed straight towards it followed by a dozen of her crew. Their harsh gasps for breath and the sounds of their boots pounding on the hard earth sounded deafening as they raced towards their objective. Right behind them were another group whose job was to overcome the guards guarding the hostages. They would then begin ushering them out of the bunker and taking them over to a designated spot where Donna’s medi-vac helicopters would be waiting. In addition, Donna would also be sending armed troops to help destroy Eli’s hideout. They wanted him trapped in there with no chance of escape as his kingdom fell down upon his head.

As Ashley raced towards the compound she realized it wasn’t much of a plan but it was the best she and Max could come up with on short notice. And of course, everything depended on Margo, but with her controlling the computer system she thought they had a pretty good chance of success.

When she found the entrance to the bunker and yanked the door open she was thankful Margo was doing such an excellent job. As soon as she took control of the computers she immediately blanked out the cameras that acted as an advanced warning system by monitoring its perimeter. As a result the surprised guards were completely overwhelmed and ruthlessly shot down before they realized what was happening. That task completed, Ashely’s crew immediately took up positions to defend themselves against the expected onslaught from Eli’s men who would soon be rushing across the open space between the bunkers.

Meanwhile the group right behind her were dealing with the guards inside the hostage room. They used a hastily created ruse to gain entrance to the locked door. Several men in ragged clothes made a show of dragging a disheveled female crew member towards the secured door. They pounded on it and demanded entrance.

When one of the guards stared at him through a window, the men manhandling her demanded he open the door.

“Look, we found this bitch wandering around outside. Did you lose one of your girls? You’d better hope Eli doesn’t discover how lax you’ve been.”

When the worried guard opened the door, the trio suddenly barged through it, drew their guns and shot the startled guards. Their timing was perfect because by that time the first onslaught of Eli’s men burst out a door and began running towards the bunker. Since Ashley’s people began mowing them down like they were in a 10 pin bowling alley, any element of surprise would have dissolved and they never would have gotten to the hostages in time.

“First load coming out and they look in pretty bad shape. Some of them we put on stretchers because they can barely walk,” Travis clicked his mic to inform those waiting at the rendezvous point to be ready.

Moments later a steady stream of barely mobile hostages, aided by a Guardian security crew began staggering out the door. They formed a long ragged line as they began stumbling across the field. Behind them could be heard the steady sound of gunfire as Ashley and her people continued to mow down anybody foolish to try and race across what had become no man’s land.