Liberty - Legend of World War II #3 (of 5)

Liberty - Legend of World War II
June 1999 - Issue #3 of 5 - "The Day Which Will Live In Infamy"

Scott Phillips sat on a bench outside the military compound he had been living in. Everyone was taking a must needed rest. They had been cramped in a small building, which to outsiders would seem like an ordinary warehouse, for nearly a year now. Resting on his shoulder was Teresa Nelson. Teresa is Scott’s nurse, now his girlfriend as well. They had known each other for quite along time. Teresa’s job was to help take care of Scott, as he was being tested and transformed into a new soldier over the last twelve months. The two began dating, if that’s what you call two people who love each other but are trapped within the same building for continuous training, a month ago. Teresa was very beautiful, with her wavy red hair. Phillips wasn’t sure if he loved her, or if it was just that she was the only woman he’d been around for a year.

Before becoming Liberty, he was in love with Carla Stephens; they were engaged to be married. But after Phillips was recruited to be Liberty, he never heard from her again. He thought it was because she no longer loved him. Three months ago he found out that she was now married to his best friend, Walter Peterson. He didn’t know, however, that she had not received any of his letters. Instead, she was told he had died.

Scott and Teresa were now sitting outside, looking up to the sky and listening to music, when they heard the most memorable words they ever heard come from the radio:

"Yesterday, December 7,1941 - a date which will live in infamy -- The United States was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan"

"Oh my God..." Phillips mumbled. Then he looked over to his companion. "I... I have to go!"

Teresa watched as he ran into the building. It finally happened. She knew the time of war would come, but she was wishing it wouldn’t come so soon. Originally it was just for the "mission," but she now had grown a real attachment for Phillips.

The house of Walter and Carla Peterson was like the house of many on that exact time in history. Carla Stephens laid on the floor, weeping. She had just heard the words of President Roosevelt on the radio, telling the people of the tragedy at Pearl Harbor. She couldn’t get herself up from the ground.

Soon after, Walter Peterson came home. He saw his wife was crying. It had been a difficult time for them. She had just received her husband back a couple of months ago, after he had been imprisoned by terrorists for three months. Now she feared the inevitable...

Carla looked up and began crying again. Their marriage has been through a lot of struggles in the last months. After learning her husband was alive, she learned her true love, his best friend who they were told died a year ago, might be alive as well. They tried to get classified information about his "death," but were told all information was sealed, due to continuing investigations surrounding the events of his death. She wondered if she’d ever see her husband after today. And if she would ever see her love, Scott Phillips.

Everyone was tense at the small, secret compound outside Philadelphia where they had been working for nearly a year in training one man for this moment.

Scott Phillips had finished packing his stuff. He would soon be moving out to Washington, DC, where several members of the Military Intelligence would receive their war orders.

He wanted to see Teresa again before leaving but was having a hard time finding her. He looked inside different rooms through out the halls of the small compound. Suddenly, he heard a noise from one of the rooms.

Tears began to run down her face. "I’m so sorry..." She was holding Dr. Lowell by the arm and had a gun against his face.

"I’m sorry, Scott, but I have to do this. I didn’t want to... but I have to kill you now."

"Shut up!" She hit the doctor on the back of his head and he fell to the ground unconscious.

He couldn’t believe it. He felt as if his heart was ripped open. He trusted her.

"I’m so sorry." Just as Teresa began to direct her gun at Phillips, Jim Medison entered the room.

Teresa quickly turned her weapon to him, surprised that he entered. She shot him in the shoulder, as he fell to the ground, she turned her attention back to Phillips. He remained there, frozen. As she began to pull the trigger, four consecutive shots hit her in the chest. She fell backwards and her shot flew into the air.

Scott looked over to see where the bullets came from. It was Jim. He was lying on the ground, with his pistol now on the ground and his hand trying to stop his shoulder from bleeding.

General Cunnings and two other men soon came to see what the shots were. He quickly sent men to attend to Jim Medison’s wounds. "Good job, Medison," he said, as Medison was carried off.

Scott was in disbelief. He was now sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. He didn’t trust Jim Medison before, but he had now saved his life. Teresa, the girl who he loved, was really the spy. "I trusted her..." he mumbled to himself.

"So... Teresa Nelson was our Nazi spy. Looks like she thought she would get rid of you before you became a threat to her friend in the East!" The general patted Phillips on the back. "Cheer up, son... Tomorrow is another day... you better make sure you are more ready for a combat situation though." With that, the general helped Phillips up. "Now come on, a chopper is waiting."

"You men are here, because you have served our country well over the past couple of years." The three-star general looked at the several dozens of men attending the special conference. "Now, we are at war, and the United States needs you again. Each one of you are experts at spying on the enemy. You will each be assigned missions. Important missions to spy on our enemy, retrieve enemy strategies, and take out key figures in the German army. Some of you may even die."

After the general finished briefing the men. He dismissed them to go back to their current living quarters. He stopped Liberty, however, who was the only one there dressed in a costume with a mask and armor. "Liberty..."

"I want you to know, that we are especially counting on you to come though for us.."

Phillips realized he now had abilities which could greatly benefit his country. He looked forward to using them.

General Thompson pulled out some war strategies. "We have another operation ready for you. You are to begin immediately."

"Yes, sir." Scott Phillips was eager to go after another assignment. None of his missions in the last year were very dangerous. The government was too worried that something would go wrong. German spies tried several attempts at stealing secrets about the Liberty project, but were unsuccessful. So was the government. Each of their endeavors to develop more Liberty soldiers went wrong. Something wasn’t working right. Three soldiers, that were to be Liberty soldiers, died in the last year, yet Scott managed to go through the program successfully. The government was unwilling to put Liberty’s life at much risk, yet American soldiers were dying every day. Scott Phillips knew he could have a strong impact on this war, and he felt he owed it to his country.

General Thompson revealed the plans to Liberty. This was going to be his first mission in command. He was to lead a group of five other men behind enemy lines. He was supposed to go to a village in Austria, which had been turned into a military camp. A meeting place for leaders and resting place for troops.

"Now listen, soldier, you have to be quick. This is a heavily armed area. You need to get in there, steal their battle plans and get out. There won’t be any time to wander. Don’t go out of your way to fight opposition, just worry about getting the material and getting out." The general looked Phillips straight in the eyes.

"Yes, sir. I’ve had similar missions in the past*, I’m sure I’ll do fine."

"This won’t be like before. This isn’t a concentration camp! It’s a military center. There’s going to be some fierce opposition. That’s why you will be accompanied by five special soldiers." The general then led Liberty into a special room. "These men will be assisting you. They are good soldiers, who have lots of experience in military intelligence."

Liberty looked around the room. They were just ordinary faces of ordinary men, until he came to the last face. "Walter?!"

It was Walter Peterson, his best friend, before everything happened. They were best of friends, until he was recruited to become Liberty. He wrote his fiancé that he would be gone, but she must not have been willing to wait. She married his best friend. Now they were face to face again, but he couldn’t let his friend know who he was. "Yes, I met him on a mission, dealing with Nazi Sympathizers before we entered the war*."

Walter listened to Liberty’s voice closely and studied his masked face. Could his hunch be right? Could this super soldier be his best friend? Could it be that his nation had lied to him all along about his friend’s death? Perhaps he would learn during this mission.

"This here is Adam Finley, Patrick Jones, Simon Burch," then the general came to the last man in the row, "and John Shepard." Phillips looked at them. He greeted them each, but he felt something special about the last one. There was something about him that was different than the others. He felt he’d remember that name for a long time.

Carla Peterson laid her son in a crib. Her son was now seven months old, but had not yet seen his father. She then went and got the mail. She was relieved when she received a letter from her husband.

"Honey, I love you. I hope to be home soon. Don’t worry about me, things are going great. Love, Walt."

Twelve men dressed in black snuck into the military compound where Liberty had been conceived.

"I’m not sure what the complications are, General Cunnings. I can’t explain it, but none of the other men have been able to withstand the extra muscle tissue and mutated blood being flowed into their body."

"Well you better think of something, doctor." The General was perplexed as to why Scott Phillips was able to survive the project. "We’ve put too much money into this."

Suddenly the alarm in the building sounded. "What was that?!" The General looked over to one of his security officers.

The officer took the other two soldiers with him and exited the door. They were quickly met with several rounds of bullets.

As the twelve individuals entered the room, General Cunnings pulled out his pistol. The leader of the twelve quickly took the general out. "Well, doctor, looks like it’s just you and us."

"There’s nowhere to go... I believe you know what we’re looking for. If you hand it to us now, you may live."

Doctor Lowell looked the men in their faces and responded, "I’d rather die." He then swiftly moved one hand into his jacket pocket while the other pressed a button on the table.

"What the hell is he trying to do? Soak us to death?" remarked one of the soldiers.

"Stop the jokes! Place your hands on your head!" The leader demanded. "If you don’t want to give us what we want, we have friends who will assist you. Either way, you will suffer dearly."

Then one of the other soldiers smelt his now wet arm. "Sir." The leader of the twelve quickly looked over to him. "I don’t believe this water."

"It’s not!" the doctor shouted, as he pulled a lighter from his pocket. "Long live liberty!" The doctor then lit the lighter, as the whole room became covered with flames of fire. It wasn’t water, it was gasoline.

Meanwhile, Liberty and his men entered a vehicle. They would begin a long journey toward their destination.

After a more than three years... the Legend of World War II mini-series is finally being completed. Check out issue #4 of 5 now!

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