23: Lock Down

S E V E N T E E N  M I N U T E S  E A R L I E R , back in Virginia, the whole of the Pentagon together with the rest of the world leaders from the UN Summit were about to witness the planet’s aerial combatants deployed by the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force under the command of the Secretary of Defense; take on the looming threat that had already wreaked havoc in places like San Francisco and Berlin.

The command from the Secretary was received immediately on an island military base located on the Atlantic, several miles away from the mainland of New York.

Lieutenant Terence James, the Ace of the deployed unit, got into his own craft, did a system routine check, put on his oxygen mask and helmet then brought the craft’s engine to life.

The Lieutenant’s jet cruised along the runway, quickly picking up speed before leaping into the air not less than ten seconds later and was followed by six ot