Written for Steemit: A love story occurs during a time anomaly. A woman from today somehow steps into an

anomaly and meets a cowboy asleep on his ranch, in his bed, in the 1850's. ©Jeff Kubitz 2016 - 2017 All Rights Reserved.

Bunkers - Chapter 23 - Song of Angels, Book III

Mindy Woczlewski courtesy of Nastya Muratokova

Song of Angels - Book 1 - Table of Contents
Birth - Book II -Table of Contents

Book III Previous Chapters:
Table of Contents,

General Ricks and Colonel Cannon were in Ricks' office examining the newest intelligence reports.

"Sir, we have it in a room with a glass door that happens to be surrounded on three sides by three feet of concrete." The captain in charge of moving the box said.

"The box?" Ricks asked.

"Yes sir, the box and Sir, it grew while we moved it. It is about 20" by 20 inches by 6 inches now." The captain reported.

"Go back to your duties, captain." Ricks ordered. The captain accepted and left the office.

"We have that temple secured, right? What do you think Cannon?" Ricks asked.

"We still have people inside the house, along with a psychiatrist examining them, keeping watch. I think there must be another temple." Cannon said, "And somehow whatever goes into the box, probably souls, according to several Coptic monks and some Islamic scholars, those souls are somehow directed to that box and are trapped in it."

"Then they are transferred to Asmodeus."

"That is what our holy advisers think, Sir."

"So, then they think the followers of this religion are building an army of those spawn for Asmodeus?"

"Sir, they suspect that is what is happening."

"Cannon, since we have the box, there is a good chance Asmodeus might try to make it here to gather the rest of his army. We can use it to set some sort of trap but not here at the base."

"According to Tom, there is no more activity of any more vortexes, so Asmodeus will have to transport himself here by some other means."

"Unless, another one of his minions was able to come here and set up a new set of vortexes." Ricks voiced possibilities.

"Why do you think Nelika Mashgahdi did not give him the box? If everyone is correct and it is a storage container for the spawn, wouldn't he want to have it in his possession so he could give the spawn to himself?"

"I don't know. I don't think anyone does. The question is how did those archaeologists figure all this out? What do they expect to gain from it? Maybe Asmodeus, greatly weakened fled forgetting to take the box because he returned long enough to gather the spawn and maybe he did not think we could capture Nelika Mashgahdi."

"Sir, she did something to cause that cop to turn on the other two and kill himself, probably with the box. Maybe Asmodeus truly did think she would not be caught."

"What is the status on our ten new piece force?" Ricks asked changing the subject.

"They are ready sir."

"Get at least three over there to the box storage in case Asmodeus shows."

"Yes sir," Cannon walked out the door and sent someone to set up a rotation of guards with the piece and protocols for responses.

"Cannon, can Rephael get over here yet?" Ricks called out the door to Cannon. Cannon responded he would find out. Ricks got on the red phone, "Sirs, he reported to the joint chiefs, we think that Asmodeus might try to come here and retrieve the box. We think it contains recruits for his army of spawn. We would like to set a trap with it and see if he comes for the bait but not here on the base. I need some planning help for every contingency."

"General Ricks, this is the President."

"Yes Mr. President."

"We are working on a plan at this moment. What is the status of our capture team?"

"Everyone except Rephael is ready but we are checking on his status at this moment. We are using members of the capture team to help guard the box. We think there is a possibility Asmoseus will show and try to take it."

"We have nearly everything planned out, as soon as Rephael is cleared, maybe even if he is not; we are going to take it to Asmodeus. Put your troops on 'GO' status. Have them ready at a moment's notice. We have a few more minor details to work out and you will face him. This is your operation. We will be sending plans as they are finalized. This mission is TOP SECRET. Be prepared to go within the next day or so."

"Yes Mr. President."

"General Ricks. The first sets of details are being sent now. Get your planners on it."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"May God assure the success of this mission."

"Thank you, Mr. President." Ricks heard the phone click. He rose from behind his desk and went out into the operations room to address his staff. "Attention. Our combat mission is being sent as I speak. Everyone to their stations. Every last member of our force is GO and ready to deploy in a combat zone ASAP! Get it done. Get it right. Get it perfect to the last detail. We are GO as soon as we get the order and it will be no more than 48 hours and could be less. That box is going with us. I want a task force to figure out how we can move it without it affecting us. Good Luck. God speed. That is all."

The staff cheered! And then they jumped to their tasks. Ricks went back into his office and looked at what is on the table.

"General, sir," a captain said.

"Intel?"

"No sir," the captain handed Ricks several sheets of paper, "It seems they have been able to duplicate the material of those pieces and have turned them into weapons, ammunition, and something to bind Asmodeus." The captain handed the material to Ricks.

"Excellent!" Ricks said as he flipped through the sheets, "Where is Cannon? What is Captain Rephael Week's status?"

"I will find out Sir." The captain turned and left.

Ricks sat behind his desk and examined each sheet. They had done some fast work. It was good work, untested but good. There were several different types of ammunition and plans to modify weapons to accept the ammunition. There were also nets and chains made of the material and the nets could be fired from anti-tank weapons. Some could be shot as missiles from aircraft. Each piece of new hardware was designed to drain Asmodeus or bind him and keep him weak. "Where is Cannon? Where is Weeks?"

"Sir, Captain Weeks says he can come over here. He feels well enough. I have not been able to find Colonel Cannon, Sir and Captain Weeks says Colonel Cannon has not contacted him. Colonel Cannon has disappeared sir."

"Get me an immediate status on the box and the guards. I am the only one who is authorized to have access to it, NOW!" Ricks ordered. The Captain replied and ran out the door. Ricks stood up and ran to the door, "I want Cannon found immediately! Start a search NOW! Notify the MP's to find him using all base surveillance, NOW!" Within 30 seconds, soldiers set up a command for the search and sent others to look in and outside the headquarters building.

"Sir, the guards at the box report nothing out of the ordinary and no contact with Colonel Cannon. The box guards have received and acknowledged you are the only authorized person to approach the box." The Captain stated.

"I want status reports every 5 minutes and a response team in place."

"Yes sir." The captain left.

Deep within the no man's land of the Kalahari Desert, Asmodeus spoke to his priest, "Khalid."

"Yes my lord."

"We must leave here very soon or we will be attacked and I am not fully recovered. They know we are here."

"There are several places we can go to, oh great lord."

"I wish to go where the box is. We need it to recover it immediately."

"The nearest place we can set up for you to move is in Texas which is a great distance away from where we know the box to be my lord."

"Do it immediately and then gather all things here and take them to another land."

"Yes, my lord. Within the hour, you will be able to move to Texas."

"Excellent Khalid, you will be greatly rewarded. Make certain you are nowhere near the temple when you set up the transports again."

"Yes my lord."

"Before I leave, I shall cover this land so they cannot see from above. You may then escape."

"Yes my lord. The name of the person you wish to speak to in Texas is Abdullah al Faz."

"Thank you Khalid. Now prepare to move the transports as soon as I leave."

Asmodeus willed clouds to begin to sweep over the desert and a fog to rise up as well. And then, as the cloud cover thickened, he spoke to Abdullah al Faz, in Texas.

Back in the office of General Ricks, "Sir, we have found Colonel Cannon, he collapsed. He is on his way to the hospital." The captain in charge of the search said to General Ricks.

"What happened?" Ricks asked.

"Sir, they think he had a heart attack while using the latrine."

"Keep me informed of his status. Get Colonel Prescott in here to replace him."

"Yes sir." The captain left and Colonel Prescott reported two minutes later.

"Ready for duty, Sir." Ricks looked over Prescott. He was six-five, blond, broad shouldered, and five years younger than Cannon.

"Have you been briefed?"

"Yes sir."

"Okay Prescott, you are replacing an excellent, professional soldier, and a good friend of mine. Come look at this."

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