The Encounter

by Donal Myrick

  “Holy crap, what have you all stepped in? Am I included in the circle of folks at peril?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I apologize to you and to you, Connie, as profusely as I know how. When I solicited your help, none of us had any idea of what was actually involved, and certainly no clue regarding what we have found. Yet, here we are, and now it is time for you both to know fully what we have stepped in, why you are involved, and why this knowledge is a danger to you as well as to us all.”

  For the next several hours, Scott and Sam told Glen and Connie every detail they could remember from the past several months.

  Connie said, “I knew something big was occurring from the things you were having me do. Even though I have been on the periphery of things, you have involved me in many of the details of the operation, so all of what you just said sort of makes sense now. I am not really surprised; actually, I am somewhat relieved and excited to know. I looked at some of the stuff you sent back for me to file away in a secure location, but I didn’t have time to look at any of it in detail. I missed the alien connection completely, which is probably a good thing.”

  “I am stunned!” Glen said. “I need to get my mind fully wrapped around all this. You say you have proof of all this stored away somewhere around here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can I see some of it sometime?”

  “Yes, you can see everything we have.”

  “And you have more stuff still in Venezuela that you need to smuggle into the states?”

  “Yes, and they are probably the most important things we have.”

  “Wow! Wow! Wow! I guess Geraldo knows everything?”

  “Yes, he has been an extremely important contributor to the team. It is safe to say that without Geraldo, none of us would be having this conversation.”

  “Well, where do we go now, and where do I fit in?”

  “Based on the cryptic conversation I recently had with Max, I surmise that the first thing we must do is get the items Max was referring to out of Venezuela and into our hands here. The rest of the team members are involved in active diversions, guarding the items, or trying to appear normal and unconcerned. Basically, the people here in this room need to develop a plan to smuggle the items out of Venezuela and to get everyone safely home. Sam is going back to Venezuela tonight to get information on what exactly what we are going to be smuggling.”

  Sam added, “Also, we don’t want the U.S. Government involved, we don’t want the Russians involved, and we don’t want the GMH’s involved. We need to stay independent.”

  Glen asked, “Do you have any idea what Max is talking about?”

  “Not really, but most likely, it is something he got from the aliens, and hence we must protect at all costs.”

  “I suspect,” Sam said, “that it is something somewhat large and bulky otherwise, he would have had Geraldo or Carlos involved. However, it must not be too big, because they obviously have managed to stash it at Canaima Camp.”

  Glen leaned forward, smiled, and said, “I don’t know if you all believe in serendipity or not, but I may have just the right solution.”

  “Oh, really? Enlighten us, please. You have my full attention,” said Scott.

  Glen explained, “My Dad has a seventy-two foot Bertram yacht. He and some of his friends are down in Costa Rica right now fishing. He has had the boat stationed down there for the past three or four months. He has his captain take it to various places around the Caribbean every year, and he and his friends go down and fish for a month or so. It is about time that he brought it back to the states and had it serviced. While it is down there, it would be easy to run the boat over to the ABC’s and then to Venezuela without arousing any suspicion. If the items could be sneaked on board, they could be brought back here, and no one would be the wiser.”

  Scott exclaimed, “That would be incredible! Can you start the ball rolling on that?”

  “Absolutely, and I even have my captain's license, so after Dad and his buddies fly home, I can go down and take over the boat. You all can be my crew.”

  “Sam, when you go to Venezuela, you can fill Max in. We can firm up plans on the fly. Sam, you probably need to get Max a dozen or so disposable burner phones so we can communicate more freely.”

  Sam arrived in Caracas late that same evening and was met by Carlos. When Carlos first started supporting Max’s group, he was reluctant to fly into Canaima Camp at night. However, of late he has made so many flights in and out at all times of day and night, a midnight run was no longer a big deal.

  Max and Peggy met them at the airfield and drove them back to their cabin in the ATV borrowed from the Park Director.

  Max said, “Carlos, I see you are spending the night here also.”

  “Yeah, it has been a long day, and I can use the break. Besides, I want to know what the latest thinking is anyway.”

  “Well, fortunately, we have four bunks in this cabin, so all is well.”

  Sam asked, “How securely can we talk here?”

  “I’m not sure. I know that there are eyes and ears here, so when we want to talk, we take a walk out in the open or take a canoe ride on the river so we can see if anyone is close. We should keep our voices low, and have some cover noise if possible.”

  “In that case, we need to wait until tomorrow to talk.”

  “Understood. Peggy and I have already claimed the bottom bunks, so you two get the top. I hope you don’t snore too loud.”

  Carlos said jokingly, “That sounds like your problem, not mine.”

  The next morning they all ate breakfast together at the camp cantina, and Sam assumed that there would be ears listening.

  Sam said, overtly handing Max the Foundation credit card, “Here is the company credit card you requested.”

  Max replied, “Thanks, I was getting strapped for cash, and we have a few big bills we need to settle up on, including two invoices to Carlos here.”

  Carlos said, smiling, “You needn’t hurry. I know Scott has always paid my bills, and I certainly have enjoyed working with you. I also hope to continue being at your service. You all have been the best customer that I have ever had.”

  “We absolutely love and appreciate how responsive you have been. You are definitely our number one airline.”

  Sam said innocently, “Max, I understand that you have some luggage you need to send back to the states?”

  Max replied, “Yes, I have three bags of rock samples that Ted collected on the bottom of the pit. He and Dr. Fred were going to analyze them in the Russian’s lab before they were kicked out. Ted wants them back in the states so he and Dr. Fred can finish analyzing them. They think they are important, but I have no idea as to how best to get them through customs and security without risking their being confiscated. The last time we entered the states, we got a good grilling by the DHS, FBI, and some other guys that didn’t seem inclined to identify who they were with.”

  “Oh, rocks!” Sam said, “I think Scott assumed it was something else you had found that you needed to get into the states. I don’t think a bunch of rocks will be too hard to smuggle out of here.”

  “Hopefully not, but remember, Ted and Dr. Fred think they are important, so we can’t afford to lose them.”

  Peggy said, “After we finish breakfast, would you all like to go canoeing? Max and I have been having a blast exploring the park and not having a schedule chasing us.”

  Carlos said, “I’d love to, but I need to get back to Caracas and process my invoices now that I have an account number to charge to. I have bills to pay also.”

  Sam said, “I’d love to go canoeing with you. I’m supposed to get back to Huntsville to help Scott with some stuff, but, what the heck, that can wait for a day.”

  “Great,” Peggy said, “Let’s grab some fruit and a couple of water bottles and go. There are some really neat places and fantastic views I’d like to show you.”

  Carlos departed back to Caracas, and Peggy, Sam, and Max picked out one of the
Park’s big four-man canoes and set out on the days’ adventure. When they were about a mile from the main camp area, the river ran through a wide grassy savannah.

  Max said, “This is a good place to stop.” Then he continued, “Sam, it is true that we have a lot of rocks that we sent back to Canaima Camp earlier by truck, but that is not what this is all about.”

  “Scott assumed as much. We figured you had something from the aliens that we need to smuggle out of this country and into the states.”

  “You are absolutely right. About five hundred pounds of stuff. We have two hoverbarrows out of which we, meaning mostly you, me, and Jim, are going to make into a hover sled. We also have one of the rock melting devices, which I have dubbed an RMD. This device can also double as an electric power source. You will be very impressed with its capabilities. We are going to need these devices to get to the spaceship, so they are critically important. Have you all come up with any ideas as to how we can get them home?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes, we have,” Sam was proud to say. “Glen Neely came to the rescue. His dad has a fishing yacht currently stationed over in Costa Rica. They will be through with it for this year in a few weeks, maybe more maybe less. When his dad and friends fly back home, Glen plans to come down and take it over. His dad employs a permanent crew, so Glen will send them home for a while under the guise that he wants to run the boat with some of his friends for a couple of weeks. Then he will take it back to the states for service. Glen has his captain’s license, so all of this will be perfectly legit.”

  “So what we need to do is work out a plan to get everything on board without raising suspicion. And, that is going to be extremely difficult considering that we are under constant surveillance.”

  Sam said, “I’ve got some thoughts on that also. Correct me if you think my ideas are too outlandish. To begin with, I don’t think Glen should dock in Venezuela. If Kuznetsov got suspicious, everything could be confiscated before we left the country. I think he should remain well offshore, and we should airdrop the stuff for him to pick up at sea. From what I’ve seen, Carlos could do that, and Geraldo and his crew have the expertise to rig the drops.”

  “I like your thoughts, and I am sure that Geraldo and crew could make that part work. But, once we get everything onboard the yacht, we still will have the problem of getting the stuff through customs and security back in the states.”

  Peggy joined the conversation at this point to propose her idea. “I have an idea. It is obvious that everything we do is likely to be tracked. Not up close necessarily, but also probably from not too far away either. So, we need a ruse. I propose that we be somewhat open and let them see our airdrop. They won’t for sure know what we are dropping, but they will probably assume it is the rock samples. They will also probably think we are a bunch of bumbling Americans who can’t even competently smuggle a bunch of rocks out of the country. After we get everything on board, we hide the alien devices in plain sight. Sam, you can put wheels on the hoverbarrows and make them into some kind of fish handling equipment. Get creative with that idea. You can make the RMD into an auxiliary power device and somehow mount it permanently in the boat, so it looks like it belongs there. Write some kind of manufacturing logo’s on them so that they appear ordinary and official. Smear some fish on the hoverbarrows, so they smell used. We can sort of hide the rocks, so they are our red herring. They can find and confiscate them if they like. We will object vigorously if necessary.”

  Max praised Peggy, “Peggy, as usual, you are brilliant. I don’t know how you come up with your ideas so quickly, but they are good. Sam, you will need to ply your trade and get whatever materials you think you will need to hide the stuff in plain sight and integrate the RMD into the boat’s power system. Peggy and I will meet you and Jim and maybe Ted in Costa Rica and get on the boat there. I’ll get Geraldo back here, and he and his crew can prepare everything for the airdrop and coordinate it with Carlos. Let’s make sure everyone has plenty of burner phones so we can communicate. I’m feeling pretty good about our possibilities. Let’s keep our guards up and make this happen.”

  Sam agreed, “That’s was a pretty good idea, Peggy. Are you sure that you hadn’t already thought this through before I got here?”

  “Thanks for the compliment. But no, it just came to me as you and Max were talking.”

  Max said, “Let’s get back to camp so I can get Geraldo and crew turned around, and Sam, you need to head back in the morning and let Scott know what we are thinking. He will probably have some good ideas to tack onto this plan. And Peggy darling, how would you like to spend a couple of weeks in Costa Rica before heading back to the states?”

  “Honey, I think that would be just lovely. When shall I start packing?”

  “Let’s see, Sam needs to leave in the morning, Geraldo and crew need to fly back here as soon as possible, and we need to plan a trip to Costa Rica. You don’t need to start packing until Carlos brings Geraldo and his crew back. After we coordinated with Geraldo, we can fly with Carlos as he returns to Caracas. Carlos is going to get dizzy flying back and forth.”

  Speaking sarcastically, Max continued, “I am so glad that for once we have plenty of time to carefully plan out these life and death decisions and are not being rushed by some arbitrary deadline.”

  CHAPTER 48

  Sergei Sends Another Warning

  It was early when, as Connie and Scott were pouring their first cup of morning coffee, the security system alerted them that someone was at the front entrance of the Mueller Foundation office. Connie went to unlock the door and was met there by a familiar face.

  “Good morning Miss Connie. Please give this directly to either Mr. Mueller or Mr. Meccum. Thank you.”

  As he turned to go, Connie said, “Mr. Mueller asked that if you ever returned that I ask you how we may contact you should we have a need?”

  After a short pause, the familiar face replied, “I’ll contact you again soon with that information.”

  Connie returned inside and quickly took the envelope to Scott. Scott opened it, and it contained another envelope bearing Sergei’s private seal. Scott opened the envelope and read the letter from Sergei.

  “Dear Mr. Mueller and Mr. Meccum,

  I hope all continues to be well with you and your associates. I have received numerous reports regarding your activities. Of particular interest was your explanation as to why you set off the large explosion that resulted in the closure of the passage leading out from the bottom of the pit. Your explanation has been viewed with extreme skepticism, and as a consequence, your activities are being monitored even more closely. As I explained to you previously, knowledge can be a very dangerous thing to possess. If you have found or have anything definitive, you must not be caught with it in your possession. Such a revelation would almost certainly prove fatal.

  Also, you may or may not be aware that someone activated a very unique beacon. Your team is the prime suspect for having done that, but despite a concerted effort, neither you nor any member of your team has yet been implicated. The beacon has caused quite a stir in some circles and has resulted in the activation of certain protocols which pose additional dangers to you. They are watching closely, so be warned, be alert, and stay safe.

  Regards,

  Sergei Vassilov

  Scott said, “Well, we anticipated the increased scrutiny, and we hoped the beacon would draw some of the attention away from us, not direct more attention to us. I am beginning to wonder if there are more players in this drama beside us and the two Russian factions. I hope Max and Sam are keeping a tight lid on whatever Max needs to be brought back to the states.”

  Scott continued, “Did the delivery person say anything?”

  “No,” Connie replied. “I did ask him how we could contact Sergei if we needed, and he said he would contact us again soon with that information.”

  “I’m starting to get really nervous about this whole thing. I have no clue as to how we smuggle anything of si
gnificant size back into the U. S. without a high risk of getting caught. Glen obviously thinks whatever Max has can be hidden securely somewhere on his dad’s yacht. I’m just not sure, but at this point, that seems to be our best shot.”

  “Who can we trust? Do you think our government is involved, and if they are, can they be trusted?”

  “I think we are in this all by ourselves. The interest our government has shown has been, well, very strange, to say the least. Sergei may be an ally, but we don’t know that for sure. He may just be playing us.”

  “When is Sam due back?”

  “I haven’t heard from him, but I expect him at any time. I’m dying to know what Max is thinking.”

  About then, Glen made his appearance. Normally, Glen would have been there promptly at eight, but he had a personal errand to run first.

  “What has happened? I can tell I have missed something already.”

  “We just received a message from our friend Sergei Vassilov. He is warning us once again to be alert and careful because we are under increased scrutiny. They feel but can’t prove that we are behind the activation of the beacon, and he implied that if they, whoever they are, catch us with some definitive items or information, it could lead to serious consequences for us.”