5 - Getting The Horse Back In The Barn - DEADLAND

Artwork for podcast DEADLAND

5 - Getting The Horse Back In The Barn

Episode 5 • 31st January 2021 • DEADLAND • Philip A. McClimon

0:07

it's a blast making it and an even

0:09

bigger blast knowing you are enjoying it

0:11

if you are enjoying the podcast please

0:14

consider supporting it with a one-time

0:15

donation of three dollars which is about

0:18

the price of a cheap cup of coffee

0:21

the link to do that is in the show notes

0:23

right there at the top I am usually

0:25

drinking coffee when I record the

0:27

podcast so it kind of makes sense

0:30

okay thanks again for listening on to

0:33

the next episode and the next cup of

0:35

coffee

0:37

human

0:44

[Music]

0:50

extinction level Plus

0:59

a decision to make and a story to make

1:02

up

1:03

daroni hey delroni

1:06

you owe me 50 bucks you bag

1:09

private first class Matthew walkenkowski

1:12

chased after Del Roni he was brought up

1:15

short by the booming voice of his

1:18

sergeant

1:19

wagonkowski back to work

1:22

PFC walkenkowski slowed his Pursuit

1:24

giving up the chase entirely after

1:27

another bellowing shout from his

1:29

sergeant

1:30

Francis delrony heard his name but he

1:33

didn't stop

1:34

he kept his arms tight to his sides

1:37

hands jammed in his pockets head down as

1:40

he mixed in with the crowd of government

1:42

contractors and military personnel

1:45

streaming through the massive doorway

1:46

leading out to the parking area

1:49

he had to get away

1:51

screw them and screw this place what the

1:54

hell was that locked in that cage

1:56

he remembered that crazy of a

1:58

doctor saying something about the guy

2:00

being dead before

2:02

delrony quickened his Pace even as he

2:05

checked the bite on his shoulder

2:07

it wasn't too deep superficial really

2:10

but it had broken the skin and it hurt

2:12

like hell

2:14

if he had thought about calling his

2:15

Congressman before it was a freaking

2:17

certainty now

2:19

he was going to blow the lid off this

2:21

place freaking false imprisonment mad

2:23

scientist and he would be a

2:26

national hero when he finished with them

2:28

leaving out the part about almost

2:30

pissing himself naturally Dill Roney

2:32

tried to keep a low profile as he fast

2:34

walked to his car

2:36

it would be a little while before they

2:38

figured out he had made his getaway the

2:41

next time they heard from him it would

2:43

be on one of those news shows where

2:45

somebody was blowing the lid off some

2:47

and were shoving mics out

2:49

of their faces

2:52

Dr krenner leaned against the table with

2:54

one hand with the other he dabbed a

2:56

bleeding cut on his forehead with a

2:58

white cotton cloth

3:00

for perhaps the tenth time he glanced

3:02

over at the phone mounted to the wall

3:04

he knew what he should do but he also

3:07

knew what it would mean

3:09

his experiments his life's work were

3:12

already hanging by a thread

3:14

his next words must be chosen carefully

3:18

he had to get his story straight

3:21

he took a deep breath and walked over to

3:23

make the call

3:25

a single ring later the Colonel's

3:26

secretary Kathy Meadows picked up

3:29

Dr crenner tried to keep his voice

3:31

steady as he spoke yes a good day Ms

3:35

Meadows this is a Wilhelm credit I need

3:38

to speak to the colonel if he is in it

3:40

is a matter of some importance to you Dr

3:43

krenner feigned a smile at the

3:45

secretary's pleasantries and waited

3:47

while she connected him

3:49

three rings later Colonel Bennett picked

3:51

up the phone

3:52

yes hello Colonel I'm afraid we have a

3:56

problem that individual you sent down

3:58

here he attacked me and has fled

4:01

Dr krenner said

4:03

he waited as Colonel Bennett vented his

4:06

frustration before continuing

4:09

yes well that's not all I'm afraid the

4:12

source of our contention was his failure

4:14

to obey certain protocols in the

4:16

disposal of the test subjects

4:19

I think he may have been infected

4:23

Rogue asset

4:26

Colonel Bennett rushed into the room

4:28

those closest to the command station

4:30

turned first and their curiosity spread

4:34

soon everyone was looking to Colonel

4:36

Bennett

4:37

he had ascended the carpeted steps of

4:39

the command station that overlooked rows

4:42

of computer stations above them all the

4:45

massive screen displayed a map of the

4:47

world with various incoming data streams

4:51

he wasted no time

4:53

we have a priority A1A security breach

4:56

whatever you are working on whoever you

4:58

are working on it for just took a back

5:01

seat people

5:02

Colonel Bennett pushed a button and the

5:04

file photo of Francis delrony displayed

5:07

on the massive main screen and on all

5:10

the individual terminals

5:12

this is our Target he was working with

5:14

Dr krenner down in Special Projects

5:16

disposal unit he failed to heed protocol

5:19

and when Dr krenner attempted to correct

5:21

his behavior dalroni attacked him and

5:24

fled but not before possibly becoming

5:26

infected with an agent that poses

5:28

extreme danger both to National Security

5:30

and quite possibly the world

5:33

I have already wasted precious time

5:35

telling you what I have but you need to

5:37

know nothing else matters but getting

5:39

him back we have every resource at our

5:42

disposal to both track the subject and

5:44

to retrieve him

5:45

Colonel Bennett pushed another button

5:47

and delrone's face vanished internal

5:50

security Colonel Bennett said so yes sir

5:54

a marine major three rows in into the

5:56

extreme left of Colonel Bennett came to

5:58

attention

6:00

Colonel Bennett looked over at him I

6:02

want you to start running facial

6:04

recognition on all the video feeds of

6:05

everyone who has left the base in the

6:07

last three hours and copy your search to

6:10

the big screen

6:11

that goes for everyone mirror your data

6:13

streams people I want to see it all he

6:16

said

6:17

the major turned and began frantically

6:19

typing away at his station

6:21

seconds later the upper left of the huge

6:24

screen showed video of everyone coming

6:26

and going through the entrance of the

6:28

facility

6:29

graphical white boxes appeared around

6:31

people's heads as the facial recognition

6:34

program began searching for Francis

6:36

delrony

6:38

where are my satellites people Colonel

6:40

Bennett said his voice booming over the

6:43

low Rumble of frantic labor the entire

6:45

fifth row of personnel stood and looked

6:48

towards him right once we locate Del

6:50

Roni I want eyes on him we know he left

6:53

the base I want to know what he's

6:54

driving and where he's going we have

6:57

security teams locked cocked and ready

6:58

to rock weapons set to red and free

7:03

no sooner had he finished speaking than

7:05

the major and internal security called

7:07

out we have him the major typed on his

7:10

keyboard and the facial recognition feed

7:12

filled the main screen

7:14

a timestamp on the feed indicated they

7:16

were viewing images from two hours ago

7:19

they watched as delrony rushed from the

7:21

huge entrance of the facility and made

7:24

his way to his car

7:26

sat logged that time stamp and give me

7:28

the feed from when he emerges from the

7:30

tunnel put it on the big screen I want

7:32

to know where he went

7:34

Colonel Bennett said

7:36

without wasting time with a verbal

7:37

response a young Lieutenant to the right

7:40

of Colonel Bennett hammered away at his

7:42

keyboard

7:43

seconds later a video feed filled the

7:45

screen and everybody watched with

7:47

wrapped attention as the video played in

7:50

fast forward

7:51

what appeared to be the Southwest United

7:53

States filled the screen once pinpointed

7:57

the lieutenant zoomed in to feed on

7:58

delroni's car and tagged it on the

8:01

screen with Target Alpha

8:03

Lieutenant Colonel Mullins tell your

8:05

teams to be ready Colonel Bennett said

8:08

Lieutenant Colonel Mullins popped tall

8:10

from the front of the room near the big

8:12

screen

8:13

yes sir the Eagles are ready to fish sir

8:16

the seconds ticked by as everyone in the

8:18

room watched Del Roni's car drive the

8:20

winding road away from the base and

8:23

through the town of government secrets

8:25

the car left town and headed north as

8:28

the satellite feed caught up to real

8:30

time they watched delrony pull into what

8:33

appeared to be a trailer park

8:35

several house trailers were arranged in

8:37

rows all around was open land hemmed in

8:40

by Tall Pines

8:42

an access road LED away from the park to

8:44

a small commuter Airport

8:46

as they watched an Airbus a319 made its

8:50

Final Approach and landed a taxi to the

8:54

terminal and parked

8:55

on the big screen the words live feed

8:58

flashed an ant-sized figure ran from the

9:02

car into the trailer

9:04

sir we have an address for Target

9:06

Alpha's location

9:07

1967 Moon River Drive that is still

9:11

Roni's last known civilian address sir

9:13

the young Lieutenant Manning the SAT

9:15

station said

9:16

Lieutenant Colonel Mullins this is a bio

9:18

emergency is Dr krenner in position with

9:21

your teams Colonel Bennett said

9:23

Lieutenant Colonel Mullins looked to

9:25

Colonel Bennett Dr Kerner is on station

9:27

sir

9:29

deploy your men with extreme prejudice

9:31

Colonel Bennett said

9:33

Lieutenant Colonel Mullen suggested the

9:35

mic on his headset and gave the order

9:37

Delta Echo foxtrot Golf Hotel you are go

9:40

deployed to this location one nine six

9:44

seven Moon River Drive acquire any and

9:47

all Personnel found therein with extreme

9:49

prejudice

9:50

Colonel Bennett turned to Lieutenant

9:52

Colonel Mullins

9:53

Colonel Mullins tell your teams this

9:55

mission is Charlie Echo

9:57

the two officers shared a tense look

9:59

then Lieutenant Colonel Mullins spoke

10:01

again into his mic

10:03

attention all teams this operation is

10:05

Charlie Echo I repeat Charlie Echo

10:09

Colonel Bennett looked up to the big

10:11

screen comms give me the live feed for

10:14

the team leaders he said

10:16

seconds later feeds from helmet-bounded

10:18

cameras appeared they gave point of view

10:21

perspective of the fast attack teams

10:23

lifting away from the mountain in black

10:25

helicopters

10:27

below them driving out of the mountain

10:29

base and heading east leaving the base

10:31

and the speed limit far behind them was

10:34

a convoy of four black 18 wheelers the

10:37

room again grew silent as all eyes

10:39

watched the operation transpire on the

10:41

screen above them

10:43

Colonel Bennett placed both his hands on

10:45

his desk and drew a deep breath the

10:48

irresponsible actions of a single

10:49

individual had caused a domestic threat

10:52

of the highest order and now an airport

10:54

a trailer park and everybody in them

10:58

would have to disappear