Free Beyond the Shroud of the Universe by Chris Kennedy Page A

enter the cabin, his right hand tucked into his left armpit. Blood was splattered across his entire front.
    He dogged the door shut and sagged against it, his face pale. Master Chief released his seat belt and sprang to the man’s aid, helping him to a seat on one of the web benches. “Let me see it,” Master Chief demanded.
    Petty Officer Johnson removed his hand from the protection of his armpit and Master Chief could see he was missing most of the little finger. Blood continued to well up from the stump. “What happened?” Master Chief asked, pulling gauze out of his pack.
    “You know how they say, ‘beware of rotating machinery?’” Johnson asked in a weak voice. “They really mean it.” He coughed and winced. “Hurts like a son of a bitch too. The good news is the fourth motor is running.” He nodded toward his seat. “Give me the headset please.”
    The headset’s cord was long enough to reach where he was sitting, and Master Chief put it on the loadmaster’s head, adjusting the microphone so he could speak into it.
    “ Duke, Smoke, we’re all set back here, ” Petty Officer Johnson said. “ No, there’s no chance. He went overboard at about 30,000 feet. I saw him go. ” He paused, listening, and then moved the microphone to talk to the soldiers.
    “Stand by; they’re about to blow the box!” The LCAC’s engines screamed as the ship’s craftmaster brought the engines and lift fans to full power. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The explosive bolts holding the LCAC to the bottom of the box were fired and the LCAC’s fans blew the rest of the box down and away from them. The boat lurched, and Master Chief could feel the craft drop as the parachute was jettisoned immediately afterward.
    “Hang on!” Johnson called.
    Master Chief didn’t think the engines could get any louder. He found he was wrong, as the engines were brought to full power. The ship shook like a wet dog, seemingly trying to tear itself apart, and then slammed into the water of Parishan Lake. Miraculously, nothing further broke and the craft lifted back off the water to its operating altitude of six feet. The craftmaster spun the craft around to the southeast and began accelerating.
    “The navigator sends her compliments and says we’re 40 miles away from the target. We will be there in 39 minutes.”
    Master Chief looked at his watch and nodded to Night. “Right on time.”
     
     

Chapter Eleven
     
     

Lashkar Abad, Iran, October 6, 2021
    The nondescript man looked over the crest of the hill at the warehouse three miles away. It was well lit, and he could see activity throughout the compound. Trucks continued to come and go, all day and night, as they had for the last week. Everything was normal.
    He looked up and saw a flashing light high above as an aircraft flew over. Pushing himself back from the crest, he stood up and struggled into his suit. He hated wearing it, but it was necessary. He only had 43 seconds to get it on and sealed, but he had grown up on the Lebanese border. He could suit up twice in that time. He smiled to himself as he closed the last seal.
     
     

Aircab 207 , Enroute from Baku to Abu Dhabi, October 6, 2021
    “Coming left five degrees,” the pilot of the Gulfstream G550 aircraft said.
    “Think they will notice?” the copilot asked.
    “Unlikely,” the pilot replied. “They are lazy bastards.”
    “Aircab 207, this is Shiraz Approach Control, ” a voice crackled over the radio, “ We show you deviating left of course. Come back right 10 degrees to resume track and avoid restricted airspace. ”
    “Aircab 207, roger, coming right 10 degrees, ” the pilot replied without touching the controls.
    “This place must be important to them,” the copilot noted.
    “It must be,” the pilot agreed. “Too bad they won’t have it much longer.” He switched to the plane’s intercom. “ We are within range. Deploy the weapon. ”
    “ Roger, deploying the weapon. ”
    The pilot felt the plane shudder