Maxwell released Smoltz’s arm and in a frenzied blur, wrapped his head in a headlock. She bent the sergeant over backwards as far as she could before she jerked his head sharply to the right and then, straight down.
The POP from Smoltz’s neck and brain stem made his shoulder sound like a child’s cap gun in comparison.
Elijah Smoltz crumpled to the ground and laid still.
December 24th, 2355 hours: Base Commander General Henry’s office
“Inside these files are all the answers you’ll need to carry out your mission. Keep in mind, Jack, this information is classified.” Henry slid three manila folders across the desk to me.
The first file I picked up was labeled PROJECT CAPTAIN AMERICA: Specimen #2. I flipped the folder open and saw two 5x7 Polaroid’s of Major Maxwell stapled to a type written form. My heart skipped a beat as I examined the first picture. Maxwell was dressed in a University of Kentucky cheerleader outfit and had a wide grin across her face. The second picture showed Maxwell’s naked torso on a stainless steel examination table. The purple rings around her eyes and the white-gray lips told me everything I needed to know about the photo—somewhere along the line, the girl had died.
“I-I don’t understand.” My hands shook too hard for me even bother trying to read the forms. I felt sick, as if nothing was real and everything put in place to only simulate reality.
“Haley Jane Maxwell was a senior at UK when she fell to her death while performing some insane three-tiered cheer pyramid. And they say we Green Berets are hardcore…” Henry lit a cigar and leaned back in his desk. “Anyway, her parents were killed in an automobile accident the previous year and her only kin was some old coot hillbilly living on the eastern side of the state. Maxwell was an organ donor, so I pulled some strings and had her corpse shipped here for experimentation.” Henry smiled wide and gave me a wink.
I wanted to puke.
“Her Granddaddy was told that Maxwell’s organs were needed to save a bunch of cancer stricken kids or something – minor details that aren’t important. However, after we repaired Maxwell’s broken neck, she would be the perfect candidate for the Captain America Project. I think you’ll agree; she is a success.
“Her age made her the perfect candidate for reanimation—fewer memories engrained in her mind to be dragged up at the most inopportune times. Plus, the fact that she wasn’t riddled with bullet holes helped a lot.”
“So this isn’t the first time?” Despite the morbid nature of it, I found myself curious, almost fascinated.
“No. The first experiment wasn’t nearly as successful as Maxwell. Number one functions properly and doesn’t have a bloodlust like Smoltz, but he also isn’t command coded like Maxwell. This leads to the occasional insubordination or questioning of orders in general. He is still a viable soldier, just not, what we were hoping for. In fact, the first experiment is in the field now.”
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