Chapter One
Major Mason Nowland monitored the formation of his unit. The new planes were maneuvering well. After repeated drills and tests, a smaller crew had been granted permission to take them for a little run locally. They’d been put through the paces over the southern Nevada desert, and it was time to call it a day. He gave the command to head back to their home base in California. The three others acknowledged, and they set the course.
The new aircrafts were great for stealth fighting, but Mason couldn’t figure out their exact purpose. As with most things government, it was need-to-know only. His team had the best pilots on the west coast so if anyone could fly these babies, it was them. They’d certainly tested well in the field. The new aircraft were powerful and heavily shielded, but their weapons were minimal. Perhaps, that part was top secret and would be added later. The military did things for their own reasons, and he’d long ago learned to keep the questions to himself.
Watching the other three, he couldn’t wait to get back to base and have a little R&R with his team. As long as Sammie, the only woman in the unit, didn’t go finding a boyfriend the group was happy. He felt guilty for not being able to tell her the truth about him and the other guys being of non-human origin, but the government had its reasons and ways. None of them were fair. The three men didn’t have girlfriends either. Loyalty was first to the flag then to the unit and so on. Not that it stopped the connections and passions from happening, but so far the men hadn’t acted on their feelings for Sammie. How would they be able to explain things without telling her the truth?
A quake in the atmosphere bounced the plane slightly. The radio buzzed with attempts to identify it. His flight team was on their toes and doing their job. Then Mason saw the UFO behind them. Identification was pointless. Escape was vital.
“Full speed! Out run it.”
Mason radioed the base for backup and help, but the communications were cutting in and out. The Keelon’s alien technical superiority could not be discounted. A shockwave could knock the Air Force planes out of the sky, and Mason wanted to avoid a body count. Alien sightings, mostly Keelon vessels, were up. However, why they’d chosen here and now to make an appearance baffled Mason. It’d been over twenty years since he’d seen a ship like that. The six-year-old in him worried.
Now, he was no longer a child. Flying to save his life, Mason watched the alien ship keep pace. What did they want with four Air Force pilots on a test mission? There was no way Mason and his pals were going back. Mason had many theories, but in his career, this was the first time he’d had an alien encounter. What did they want? If it were nothing more than abducting humans, military personnel with weapons and witnesses seemed like a foolish target.
Their planes gave all the speed and power they could, but there was no outrunning a Keelon vessel. The closer it came, the more Mason recognized the alien ship from his nightmares. Abductions had been up. He’d heard that through the UFO watchers grapevine inside the military. The men always kept Sammie out of the loop as much as they could. She didn’t need to know the truth about aliens yet. Today, the truth had found them. No more denials or speculations for her. Aliens were real, and she’d have to believe it now.
As the group tried to out maneuver the larger vessel, Sammie’s voice cut through the static asking what the hell it was. Mason couldn’t answer. He had no idea if that ship was out to attack, abduct or observe. She didn’t need anyone to confirm it was a UFO.
A beam of light caught Sammie’s ship first. Why her? They were all about the same distance from the UFO. She wasn’t lagging behind at all. Mason worried about the aliens’ choice. Clearly observation wasn’t on the mission docket for the Keelons today. The beam
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