DEAD AMERICA - THE NORTHWEST INVASION
BOOK 5
SEATTLE - PART 3
BY DEREK SLATON
© 2020
CHAPTER ONE
Day Zero +23
David walked across the crowded airport, still teeming with life despite the nearly five AM time. The planes from the Mercer Island mission had landed and were being refueled and checked in a few of the hangars.
He stopped on the runway as a large group of heavily armed soldiers walked across, pausing to give them space. Most of the men looked barely awake, still rubbing their eyes as they matched towards the commuter buses.
There were hundreds of soldiers dropping their gear by the side of the bus, stretching and taking a seat on the ground. David shook his head, worrying about what those men were heading in to, and how many more were on the way to join them.
Best trained military in the world. But they’re really up against it this time, he thought bitterly. If I’m going to have faith in anyone to pull this off, it’s them.
The last few soldiers in the formation passed, looking over at him with curious eyes. It was a strange sight to see a civilian in shorts and a t-shirt carrying mugs of coffee casually int he middle of a military zone. He nodded politely, prompting friendly nods in return. He couldn’t expect all of the general soldier base to know who he was, considering most of his work with Captain Kersey was behind the scenes.
He headed for the small office at the base of the control tower. He checked his watch, reading 4:58 A.M. He sighed, knowing he was early. He didn’t want to bother the Captain even a second earlier than he was supposed to, making sure he got the proper recharge time he needed.
He turned around and continued surveying the sights for a little bit, sipping at his fresh coffee. He checked his watch again, and when it clicked over to 5:00, he carefully transferred both mugs into one hand, juggling them to open the door.
The office was dark, with only stray rays of spotlights from the hangar piercing through the cracks in the blinds. He set the mugs down on a desk and gripped the pull cord on the blinds, opening them up fully, flooding the room with light.
He looked around, brow furrowed with confusion, not seeing anyone around. “Captain Kersey?” he called. “It’s David.”
A groan sounded from behind the desk, and the sound of cracking bones and shuffling.
“It’s five A.M. and I have your coffee,” David declared, “like you requested.”
More groaning and a hand emerged from behind the desk, fingers curling over the wood to haul up the rest of its body. Captain Kersey peeled himself off of the floor and immediately flopped into his desk chair, rubbing his forehead.
“Five A.M. already?” he asked hoarsely.
David nodded and picked up the two mugs, approaching the desk. “Afraid so,” he replied. “But I did bring you coffee.” He wiggled the mug back and forth a little, the hot brew sloshing around inside.
Kersey reached out without even opening his eyes, and when the porcelain pressed against his palm, he took it and downed half the mug in a single gulp.
David blinked at him. “Be careful, it’s fresh,” he said, even though it was too late. “Might be hot.”
“Nothing enhances caffeine like second-degree burns,” Kersey replied, finally peeling his eyes open and even managing a small smile.
David cocked his head. “Are you sure you got enough rest?” he asked. “I can keep things rolling. I’m used to being up at this hour anyway.”
“Nah, I got my thirty minutes of beauty sleep,” the Captain assured him, shaking his head. “I’m good for the day.”
His comm expert raised an eyebrow. “Talk about burning the candle at both ends,” he said dryly.
“Forget that,” Kersey replied, rubbing his cheek. “I’m pretty sure at this point I’ve just chucked that whole motherfucker right into the fire.”
David chuckled as he watched Kersey down the rest of his coffee in a single Gulp and set the cup on the table.
“So, what’s the status?” the Captain asked.
David took a slurp of his own brew, “The Mercer Island planes have returned and are getting prepped for when we need them next,” he replied.
“Any word from the Mercer Island team?” Kersey asked.
His companion shook his head. “Not yet,” he said, “but I really wasn’t expecting to by this point. The first boats aren’t scheduled to hit the island for another couple of hours. If they haven’t made contact by then, I’ll start reaching out.”
“Good,” Kersey replied with a nod, and swiveled in his chair towards the window. “So, how are we looking outside?”
David pulled a rolled up stack of papers from the side pocket of his pants. “The attack force for…” he paused to check over his notes, “the Redmond suburb on the far east side of things are gearing up. Buses looked primed and ready to go, so it isn’t going to be long before they head out.”
“Were you able to locate the people Corporal Bretz needed?” Kersey asked, taking another long sip of coffee.
His companion nodded. “Yes, but it wasn’t easy.”
“What is these days?” The Captain sighed.
“I was able to find three Privates, Hess, Short, and Kent,” David explained. “All three have seen combat either in Spokane or the last week as we moved up here. And all three have truck driving experience.”
Kersey nodded. “That’s…” he paused, stifling a huge yawn and shaking his head to fight it off. “That’s fantastic work.”
“Captain,” David said slowly, lowering his papers, “I know all the details of the mission for Bretz and his team. I would be more than happy to present it while you find your legs there.”
Kersey stared down into the empty bottom of his mug and shook his head. “Yeah, let’s find a refill and then go talk to him.”
“Don’t worry,” his friend replied with a smirk, “I got the pot hidden.”
The Captain laughed and wagged a finger at him. “I knew I liked you for a
