6 Hours Earlier at Fort Sam Houston San Antonio, Texas.
Colonel Doug Barrett was in his office dressed in camo fatigues with a black t-shirt shredding a few files when there was a knock at the door. He barely looked up as he continued shredding and said, "Enter." Walking through the door was Captain Rachel Alvarez who snapped to attention and said, "Sir, the Tower Chief called he said the Colonel's plane is ready for takeoff at the Colonel's discretion." Barrett looked up at Alvarez and said, "Thank you Captain contact the Tower Chief and tell him…" He looked at his watch and said, "I'll be ready for departure at 2100 hours." Alvarez nodded and said, "Yes sir" and she just stood there for a moment. Barrett didn't look up as he continued shredding the papers and asked, "What's on your mind Captain?" Alvarez shifted her stance briefly but continued standing at attention and asked, "Permission to speak freely sir?" Barrett stopped what he was doing and cut off the shredder. He sat on the corner of his desk and replied, "Granted. What's on your mind Captain?" Alvarez said, "Sir, for the last three months since you accepted whatever this assignment is you haven't been yourself." Barrett asked, "How so?" Alvarez replied, "You've been withdrawing from us. You're being excessively secretive despite and now you're shredding files. You're acting like a man desperate to hide something sir." Barrett replied, "What I am doing now is a classified assignment Captain. That's all you need to know." Alvarez asked, "How so sir? There have been no confidential communiques, no curriers, no encoded messages on the Sat-Com?" Barrett let out a sigh and shook his head as he stood up and began to slowly pace. He said, "You've always been one of the brightest officers under my command Captain, and I'm sorry for all the cloak and dagger non-sense but in this case Captain it's necessary. This one is off the books and it's all in the name of National Security and Plausible Deniability." Barrett looked at her and said, "What I'm involved in even I'm not sure I believe it, but if it works I assure you its gonna change our world forever I can promise you that Captain. Do you trust me?" Alvarez nodded and replied, "With my life sir." Barrett said, "All right then Captain then trust me when I tell you the less you know the better." Alvarez said, "Thank you sir for your apology and I am sure that whatever the Colonel is involved with it's in the best interest of our Country." Barrett smiled a bit and replied, "Thank you Captain." Barrett's expression changed to a much more serious expression and said, "There is one thing you should know Captain." Alvarez asked, "What's that sir?" Barrett walked over to a walk and tapped on a picture of himself, the Captain and six others in black ops clothing. He said, "Behind this picture is my safe the combination is 1-26-25 my first day of sobriety. In there is my will if you get a briefing saying that I have been killed I want you to deliver it to my ex-wife in San Francisco personally." Alvarez looked visibly shaken as Barrett approached her and she said, "I hope it doesn't come to that sir." Barrett chuckled and said, "I hope so too, but if it does I want you to know…." He smiled a bit and said, "Rachel, you're one of the finest officers I've ever served with and you've got the potential to be one of the best the Air Force has ever seen. Just remember to have a happy life along the way." Barrett looked around and said, "All of this is great for the moment, but one day it's all gonna be gone and all you got are memories." Alvarez replied, "Thank you…" she smiled and said, "Doug. It's been an honor for me sir." She saluted Barrett with a single tear running down her cheek. Barrett snapped to attention and returned her salute. He replied, "Likewise Captain." They dropped their salutes and Barrett said, "Inform the tower twenty minutes." Alvarez gave a single nod and said, "Yes sir."
After Alvarez left Barrett finished shredding his last two files, and then stared at his phone for a moment. He checked his watch and then sat his desk. Barrett dialed a number and after one ring a female voice said, "Hello?" Doug took a deep breath and said, "Hi Brenda it's Doug. Hope I'm not bothering you and Josh. Do you got a few minutes? I just need to talk to you." Brenda replied, "Sure yeah it's okay Doug. Josh isn't here he's in Philly for a medical conference for the next week." Doug nodded and replied, "All right umm I really don't know where to start." Brenda said, "How about what's on your mind. That usually works best for you." Doug asked, "What we had, our marriage and everything it wasn't all bad was it? We had some good times, didn't we? It was real, right?" There was a pause and Doug could hear Brenda smile as she said, "Yeah Doug it was real and we had our issues, but I'll admit I'm not innocent of all the charges. We have two wonderful kids together and we actually get along better now than we did the last two years of our marriage." Doug smiled as well and said, "Thanks Brenda I just needed to hear something real about my life outside of my work before I take off for something classified. One of those the less said the better situations." Brenda replied, "Got it. I just know whatever it is you'll be all right. I have no doubt about it." Doug let an exhale and said, "I hope so. Just so you know I told my sub-ordinate Captain Rachel Alvarez where my will is, and spoiler alert…" Doug shook his head and said, "I didn't change it everything goes to you Brenda." Brenda replied, "Doug even when you went into North Korea on the op three years ago, you didn't sound like this." Doug took a long pause and said, "Like I said the less said the better Brenda. Promise me that if things don't go well and I don't make it back promise me one thing." Brenda replied, "Sure name it." Doug said with a slight tremble in his voice, "Tell Caroline and Thomas I love them and I hope that you all forgive me for the harm I caused the last couple of years of our life together. I am so sorry it was all my fault, and I love you all." Brenda replied, "Douglas Peter Barrett, we forgave you a long time ago. Caroline asked me not to say anything yet, but I think you should know something. She was going to tell you at her Graduation in June so you better look surprised when she tells you. Doug, she is going to the Academy because she wants a career in the Air Force like you. Not to mention two years ago, when Tom hit the game winner in the State Junior High School finals, who was the first person he sought out in the crowd and charged towards to hug? Not me or Josh, but the guy who taught him how to hit a jumper. Otherwise known as his dad, and if you believe his coach that jumper is his ticket to a scholarship anywhere in the Country." Doug bowed his head and Brenda said, "Josh is their step-father and they love him, but you Doug are their dad and nothing will ever change that." Barrett looked his watch and said, " I have to go now." Brenda's voice choked as she said, "Be careful Doug, come back safe and God be with you. I love you Doug." Doug replied, "I love you too Brenda. God Bless you, Josh and the kids." With that Doug hung up his phone and just stared off into space for a moment.
Doug shook his head twice and a steely resolve crossed his face. He stood up and cut off the equipment and lights in his office. Doug walked out to the runway to a waiting C-147 two men saluted him as he entered the plane returning their salute. Doug approached the cockpit and said, "Colonel Doug Barrett authorization Alpha 44 Gamma 33Beta 88." The pilot looked over his manifest and said, "Copy authorization welcome aboard Colonel. Strap in and we'll be underway in less than five minutes." Doug nodded and walked to the back of the plane and strapped in. Barrett closed his eyes as the plane taxied and finally took off. He started to doze off and then four hours later there was an alarm. The pilot said over the intercom, "Colonel we're approaching your drop zone. ETA five minutes out sir." Barrett pushed a button and said, "Copy that pilot." Barrett stood up and grabbed a parachute as the ramp slowly yawned open. The red light turned green as the pilot said, "Clear for jump Colonel. Good luck and God Speed." Barrett took three steps forward and hurled himself out of the plane.
The Machine
After landing Barrett burned his parachute and jogged five miles to an unmarked building in the middle of nowhere. Barrett stepped up to a wall where stood still and a door opened seemingly out of nothing. Barrett entered where he was led down a long hallway with various computers. Barrett made no expression as he allowed some headgear to be strapped to his head. The only thoughts he had were of Brenda and his children. Then in the blink of an eye, like magic, the screen glowed and he was looking at the old west. Doug wasn't sure if it was real or not but it was real enough for him. Just then there was a searing pain like he had never known and then a bright flash.
Arrival
After what seemed like hours later Doug woke up. He looked around at all the sights and sounds and smells of a town in the old west. Doug blinked twice and shook his head slowly as he stood up. Doug looked around and his logical rational mind was starting to spin and Doug didn't like what it was coming up with. He knelt and picked up a handful of dirt. He looked at it in his black glove and dropped it. Doug noticed there were still parts of the dirt on his glove. Doug studied it for a moment and then said looking around, "Holy Mother of God. How? What? Oh my God."