His journey into the field of metaphysics began in college when some guys in his dorm were fooling around with an Ouija board. Although he wasn’t well-liked by the other students he was moving it on purpose, but when one of them got scared because the words spelled out the way his brother had died in the war, he began to wonder. He started collecting every book he could find on the subject from E.S.P. to out-of-body- experiences to UFOs Especially interesting to him was trance channeling, which he tried to train himself to do by himself with no luck. He tried developing his supposedly innate psychic powers, still with no success. The one subject that was exciting to him and he was no good at it, until one night when he was trying to leave his body he heard his name called out. “Alan,” it said, “let’s be friends.”
That first time it happened scared the shit out of him, and he was unable to sleep for days afterwards. Then it happened again two weeks later while he was sleeping. At first he thought it was a dream, but he found he was completely alert and aware. The entity told him he wanted to be friends again. Beckham asked it why it should be friends with it when it didn’t even exist outside his overactive imagination. It said it could show him things and do things for him. All he had to do was call its name– Seta. At first Beckham didn’t know what to do about this new “friend.” Then it brought him beautiful women at night that would do things to him that had never been done to him before. He would wake up in the throes of orgasm, groaning and sweating. He thought nothing in real life could possibly compare to these almost nightly visits.
As time went on he realized that Seta was an earthbound spirit. It told him of its life when it lived on the Earth. It had been a henchman for Hitler during the Second World War. It had been a metaphysician who researched for Hitler how to make his armies perform at peak levels, how to kill millions of Jews with no remorse. It had used a form of group hypnosis on the troops. They were stronger, didn’t need as much food or water, and were practically invincible. It also used subliminal programming on them. In other lives it had done similar things and worse, usually not participating as much as moving things in a certain destructive direction. Beckham knew this entity was not a good one, but if it could help him get what he wanted then he would use it as long as it took.
It was Seta that pointed him in the direction of the research of Hawkins and Troy. It told him that they must be successful or all it had worked for in so many lifetimes would be ruined. Seta would never be able to incarnate as a human again if the world was heading for major disaster and possibly the end of all life. Beckham had his own reasons for wanting to keep the Earth whole. He felt that with Seta’s help he could get all the way to the top. He was already one of the top ten billionaires in the world. He had much to lose unless he could keep the status quo.
He got on the phone again to his men and told them to gather the rest of his men, twelve in all, and get Shauna Troy at any cost. But keep her alive. Hawk didn’t matter anymore. Neither did any of her other fellow researchers. Just get that woman! When he hung up he went over to his leather couch and laid down so he could have a word with Seta about the next step in the plan. He closed his eyes and instantly fell into a deep trance.
– – –
Hawk and Shauna made their way through the rubble back into her flat. Hawk went to get some peroxide for her cut. He tenderly dabbed at it with a wet cloth. It didn’t look bad enough to need stitches and, even if it had, all the medical workers in town had much worse to deal with tonight. They decided to go over to the Creamery building and see if it was okay, thinking it might be a better place to spend the night than Shauna’s place. They packed a couple of bags, and some food and water and headed out.
It was dusk. Nobody was on the streets except for one dread-headed young man in the park who was sleeping on one of the benches, probably stoned. Humboldt County was the marijuana capital of the country and attracted many young hippies as well as older ones who never came back from the sixties. Anyone could get a prescription for pot just by saying it helped their headaches, stomach aches, or just about anything that could ail you. Once you had your 215 card you could grow a hundred plants, for your own consumption, of course. Or you could lease out your 215 and have someone else grow for you. What else is there to do when there are no jobs and the economy is a mess?
It took them a half hour to get to the Creamery, but they made it without mishap. When they went inside they were greeted by Susan. The rooms were swarming with people. Apparently the old building was well built and had withstood much worse than this. Hutch and Fern were there, too, but the rest of the team was unaccounted for. Shauna was worried about them. She and Hawk grabbed a cup of coffee. It smelled good and was nice and hot. They felt they could talk freely amongst the crowd and not be heard if they kept their voices low.
“We can't stay here long, Shauna,” said Hawk. “They'll be looking for us, or you, I should say, and this will be an obvious place to find you. This is getting way too serious.”
“I know, Hawk. But where can we go? Any idea where we can go that Beckham and his men can't find us? And what about the rest of us? We can't just leave without them or at least telling them where we're going.”
“I have an idea. There are some cabins in the woods way out on highway 36 past Hoopa. We can lie low there for a while if we can get through.”
“Okay. How about we leave instructions here upstairs in the office so if and when they
get here they'll know where to go?”
“We'd better not take the chance Beckham could find them.”
“You're right,” she said. “We could leave instructions with someone we trust to give them only to our people,” Shauna looked around. “Mrs. Walters over there is a good candidate. First we can tell Hutch and Susan what we're doing, then we'll give Mrs. Walters the notes. One for each of them.”
They gathered up Susan, found Hutch upstairs, and explained their plan. There were three little guest cottages along the river on an organic farm about two hours northeast of Six Rivers. They would all hold up there and decide what to do from there. Shauna couldn't imagine what kind of plan they could possibly come up with now that Beckham knew what she was. She only knew that if she had any chance it would be these colleagues of hers she had come to know also as friends.
The four of them stayed together as Shauna typed up the instructions, putting a name on each envelope she put them in. Then they went back downstairs to find Mrs. Walters. She was more than happy to hold the letters until the others arrived.
“My house is crumbled to the ground,” she said, “so I have nowhere else to go anyway until the town figures out what they're going to do with us.”
“I'm so sorry to hear that Mrs. Walters,” said Hawk. We really appreciate your help.”
“Oh I'll be alright. I've been through worse than this. You just be careful.”
“Thanks,” said Shauna. “We will.”
The four of them walked outside. The sun was shining brightly and they could hear birds singing. They also heard the sound of tow trucks moving vehicles out of the road to clear it. Hutch said he had his truck a couple blocks down and it was fine. No damage from the quake. Shauna knew her car was okay, too, so they decided to bring them both if they could get through. Shauna just wanted to go into her house and gather a few things for the trip. Hawk was against it, but went in with her to make sure it was safe. Hutch and Susan went to get Hutch's truck and hopefully drive it over to Shauna's place. Shauna and Hawk crawled through the wreckage of her house to get what she wanted and got out safely. Hutch had made it over with his truck, but couldn't get through to Shauna's street. They agreed to meet at the highway on-ramp at Sunset however they could get there. Hutch took off and Shauna and Hawk got in her car and looked around. She'd have to turn around to evade the gaping hole in her street, so she drove back up on her lawn and drove slowly down the cross street. They had to wait as a tow truck was removing an SUV from their path, but after that it was pretty clear as they made their way to the highway. Hutch
was right there waiting for them and they took the lead. Several cars were on the side of the road, but the highway seemed passable. They got onto highway 299 without much trouble, but this road had a lot of curves and twists in it. It was probably going to take them all day to get to the cabins. There were places where only one car could get through at a time, with some blind turns. Shauna's nerves were getting frayed.
“If you want me to drive, just let me know,” said Hawk. Shauna said she would and kept her senses heightened. They finally made it to Willow Creek and made the turnoff onto highway
36, which would take them past Hoopa, and the rest of the way to their destination. It looked like the damage from the quake was much less severe here. They stopped for gas and some coffee to go. Then they followed the river as it curved this way and that. It was beautiful. Lots of trees and the rushing sound of the water. They met very few cars along the way. And thankfully there were no cars behind them, making them feel safe from the threat of being followed.
The further away from Six Rivers they got, the better Shauna felt. She even started to feel a little relaxed as she drove the twisting turns. The coffee was wearing off, though and she was beginning to feel the weariness settle in. There were only a few miles left to go or she would have turned the wheel over to Hawk. Neither spoke much during the trip; each lost in their own thoughts.
When they arrived at the farm they were greeted warmly by Penelope, the owner. It was off season and she wasn't really renting the cabins, but Hawk persuaded her to with a story he concocted on the spot. He basically just told her the truth, except the part about hiding out from hired men with guns who wanted to bring Shauna to a guy named Beckham because she was half Starborn, and he thought she could save the world from itself. He thought that was better left unsaid and left it that they needed to get out of town until the quake wreckage was taken care of. Hawk rented all four cabins, which came with cooking facilities. They were also right next to the river where they could swim if they liked, although it was a little late in the season. It was a lot hotter here, though, than back where they came from by the ocean. At least ten degrees warmer.
While Hawk and Hutch unloaded their meager supplies, the two women went down to the water's edge. The river was lazy this time of year. Swirling pools collected near giant boulders. Shauna stripped down to her underwear and dove into the cool clear water. She came up with a hoot from the shock of it. Susan smiled at her. Shauna invited her in. At first she wouldn't, but with a little coaxing she got into the moment and got down to her panties and bra and jumped in. It felt so good and relaxing. Shauna always believed in the Aquatic Ape theory that said sometime in our evolution we lived in the seas. That's what caused us to become almost hairless and made our nostrils face downward like sea otters instead of others in the ape family, whose nostrils are front-facing. We also have the same kind of fat layer as sea mammals all have instead of the kind land animals possess. She felt she could live in the water forever.
Fern was the first to arrive and met them at the river. She stripped down to nothing and came in laughing. This was therapeutic for them all. Finally the guys came down and were persuaded to get a little wet themselves. They found the best rocks to jump from, making loud splashes as they cannonballed into the water. Noah and Peter followed the path down to the shore, but couldn't be persuaded nor taunted into the cold water. They had brought some supplies of their own they wanted to unpack. Rob showed up two hours later saying that his car had been so trapped they had to move several cars on his street before he could get away. He gladly shimmied out of his jeans and sweatshirt to join in the fun. By this time everyone had found a nice rock or patch of sand to lay on and warm up. They watched Rob swim around and jump off the rocks. It was late afternoon and beginning to cool off now. Thoughts of Beckham seemed far behind them.
One by one they each got dressed and went back up the path. Shauna was the last one up and found Noah preparing them a feast of macaroni and cheese with tune and frozen peas mixed in. Susan had started on a salad, the ingredients which she had gotten from the large organic garden. They ate in silence. Nobody had had anything to eat all day. They even had strawberries with clotted cream for dessert.
“I hope we're not eating everything we brought with us at once,” said Shauna.
“Don't worry about that,” said Noah. “We went shopping before we came and got enough for an army. They lost their lights and electric at the store and they were giving things away. It's a good thing these cabins come with kitchens. I think this will be a good place to stay for a while.”
“Yeah, but then what?” Shauna asked worriedly. “We can't stay here forever. And frankly I'm more worried about all of you. Beckham is only after me. God knows what he would do to you guys to get to me.”
As Shauna was expressing her concern for her friends, Beckham's hired men were at the old Creamery building trying to find out where the group had taken Shauna Troy. Mrs. Walters played dumb when they questioned her. She brazenly told one of them to go to hell. The group of thugs ransacked the upstairs office and the techno wizard of the group got into the computer. No problem there, though. Peter had wiped it as clean as a baby’s bottom.
Chapter Twenty Three
After dinner Hawk invited Shauna for a walk in the woods nearby. The light from the setting sun glowed through the trees, casting long shadows in front of them. They walked quietly hand in hand past the big organic garden which was encircled by tall fencing to keep out deer and other critters who might like to partake in the harvest of the delectable goodies. A slow wind was blowing through the trees as they walked near the river for a while.
“What are you thinking about?” asked Hawk.
“Actually, I'm trying not to think of anything at all. My mind has been on overload.”
“I know what you mean,” he said. “I want you to know I don't feel any different about you, Shauna. I don't care what your ancestry is. I'm just glad I met you and get to be with you.”
Shauna smiled and squeezed his hand. “Me too,” she said. “It's been a rough ride, I know. But I'm glad about us.” They continued walking on a narrow trail next to the river.
Shauna heard it first, the low rumble of an engine coming up the road. At first she dismissed it, but a tingling sensation crawled up her spine. “Do you hear that?” Hawk tilted his head. “Yeah. It's probably nothing, but we'd better get back to the cabins.” They walked quickly back from where they came. Back through the trees and past the garden. Then they saw the big SUV drive around the corner and up next to the cabins. Two men got out and pulled out their guns as they approached. Hawk and Shauna held back and hid behind the old outhouse with a little carved moon in the door. They were about 20 yards from the cabins. One of the men ordered those inside to come out. But a shot rang out from inside. There was shouting. Shauna couldn't tell who it was, but the two men clambered to get behind their vehicle. Just then another car came around the corner and down the drive. Hawk and Shauna ducked to the side so as not to be seen.
“Shit!” said Hawk. “What do we do now?”
“Maybe it's best I'm not in there. Obviously they think I am. Maybe we can hold them off until we can call the police. Do you have your cellphone on you, Hawk?”
“No, but I'm sure one of them in the cabin has one and is hopefully calling them now.”
“Lucky I brought my gun with me,” said Hawk, “did you?”
“No, I didn't dammit”
“That's okay. They don't want you hurt. They need to keep you in one piece, and as long as they think you're inside they should be safe in there.”
“I hope you're right. I hope nobody lets on I'm not there.”
“They're not that dumb,” said Hawk. Although he was hoping they wouldn't think of just telling these men Shauna wasn't here at all to get rid of them. That might be a big mistake. They might just get themselves tortured or even killed so they could locate her.
Shauna started to get even more worried when a third car
pulled up the drive. This was overkill. The first two guys snuck carefully over to meet up with the others, apparently to confer. Shauna couldn't believe what she was seeing. Beckham himself stepped out of the third car. How the hell had they found her so quickly? No time for wondering about things she could do nothing about now. She wanted to cry. It was getting dark now and the moon was rising to the East. Shauna thought maybe Penelope had gone somewhere since they hadn't seen her. Finally they began to hear the whine of a police siren coming closer. Thank goodness.
Beckham started walking towards the main cabin where everyone was. He calmly went up to the door and knocked. He looked too confident. Someone was yelling through the door for him to get away. He yelled back that he wanted to speak with Shauna. He said there was no reason for anyone to get hurt.
“If you would just be reasonable about this then we could all just go home,” said Beckham.
“No way!” shouted a woman's voice from inside. “We know what you want and you're not getting it so you might as well leave.”
The sirens wailed and the police were almost there.
“Alright, but we'll have to do this the hard way then,” said Beckham. He turned and walked back to his men. They conferred, and several of them split up and tore off into the woods. Beckham got into his car and drove around to the back of the cabins. The other two vehicles were also moved. Then the police showed up, lights flashing. They kicked up the dust, which made it hard to see.
“Should we go out there now?” asked Hawk.
“No. We better wait until we see what Beckham is up to. I'm worried he's going up against the cops. I don't like the fact that he went to hide and his men went into the woods. They could be sneaking up on us right now for all we know.” She looked around apprehensively. “Let's get inside the outhouse.” They stepped inside and latched the door. There were cracks in the back side of it they could peek through. They saw the two sheriff's deputies get out of their car and start to walk toward the cabins.
Quantum Earth Page 17