by Terence West
Davis stared him right in the eye. "Bullshit. You know as well as he does that sending troops into a heavily populated area is extremely dangerous."
"As I said before, Sir, General Perry was just acting in the best interest of—"
"How the hell am I going to explain two dead soldiers in a hotel room and another one flattened on the ground after a six story fall?" He rubbed his hands through his gray hair.
"I don't know, Sir."
Davis stood up. "How did he get the information before I did? This is my project!"
"Again, I don't know Sir."
Walking around the desk, he stood in front of Hunter. "I want you to talk to every man on this base who has access to this kind of information. I want to know if we have a plant, someone who is circumventing the chain of command. I want them in my office so I can rip their God dammed heads off!" Davis kicked his desk full force.
"Yes, Sir."
"Dismissed, soldier."
Hunter stood up, saluted, and exited the room.
Returning to the rear of his desk, Davis seated himself. He sat quietly for several minutes trying to curb his anger. Reaching down, he opened his top desk drawer. He removed a small gold-framed picture. Lifting it up, he sat it facing him on his desk. It was a picture of a beautiful woman with long curly brown hair. He had known this woman what seemed to him like a lifetime ago. Before he had entered the military he had loved this woman. He still did.
* * * *
The room was buzzing with activity. Several men in lab coats checked and re-checked their computations. Some of the researchers were busy attaching several wires to the base of the object just below the glowing. One quickly stood up and walked over to one of the computer banks. Tapping several keys, he was satisfied with the chart he was seeing on his screen.
He turned to the others. "The device is ready when you are."
The main researcher nodded. "Very good. Let's proceed with the test immediately."
The soft white light filling the room switched to a harsh red warning light. The men quickly finished their final tasks and hurried out the door. The final man out of the room hit the door controls, slamming it shut with a thud.
Most of the researchers had joined the control team in the observation room that was directly above the artifact's room. Looking down into the room through several sets of windows, they watched as the red light was again replaced with a soft white light.
The main researcher stood over the control panel. He turned around to face a room filled with some of the top military and political brass in the country. He cleared his throat. "I'm glad you could make it to S-4 gentlemen." He hit a button on his control panel. A large TV screen lowered from the roof of the room. An image of the artifact appeared on the screen. "What you're seeing now is the device that was recovered recently in Egypt. We've tried to get an exact age on it, but that has proven to be an extremely difficult task. We do know, though, that it must be at least a thousand years old."
An older man in an Army uniform leaned forward. "What do you think it is?"
"We believe that it's some kind of a power generator. What we're trying to accomplish here is to find out if we can tap this huge energy source inside. From our estimates, the energy in this one artifact could power the Western United States indefinitely."
The old man though for a moment. "What are its military applications?"
The researcher thought for a moment. "If we can harness the energy in this device, we would have a weapon capable of wiping out the populations of entire continents."
The old man gasped, "My God."
He pointed to the large screen. "Now if you'll watch the monitor, we'll begin." He checked several items off on the clipboard he had been carrying under his left arm. Keying his control pad, he turned back to the room. "I'm starting the experiment," he hit the final key, "Now."
Everyone in the room watched the image on the screen intently. The artifact's pulsing orb became a steady glow. The main researcher turned to another man standing next to him. "Readings?"
He checked his many computer monitors. "It seems to be working. We are indeed siphoning off energy from the device." The orb began to glow a bright red. "Something's wrong."
The head researcher began to panic. "What's wrong?"
"We're taking in too much energy. The device is overloading our circuits!"
"Shut it down!"
The man's console exploded in a shower of sparks. "I can't!"
The room watched in horror as the banks of computers in the room with the device began to smoke and explode. The orb changed from a light red to a deep blood red. A huge wave of energy flowed through the device into the computer system. The lights in both rooms exploded. The TV screen blinked off and started to smoke. The windows separating the two rooms shattered allowing the high pitched squealing of the device to permeate the observation room. Everyone in the room scattered. Another wave of energy slammed through the wires sending shock waves through the two rooms.
The main researcher turned to look behind him at the chaos that had ensued in the observation room. The researcher standing next to him grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. "If we don't stop this we're looking at a total melt down of the facility!"
The main researcher knew what he had to do. Stepping up to the shattered windows, he leapt down into the room with the device. He heard cries of 'no' coming from above him. Pure energy was permeating the room. The hair on his body stood up on end and he felt his heart begin to beat irregularly. He knew he had only one chance. Grabbing the wires with both hands he pulled with all his strength to disconnect them. Electricity surged through his body knocking him away from the device and slamming him against the wall. He felt himself slipping away. Looking over at the device he saw that he had succeeded in unhooking the cords. The orb atop the device was returning to its normal white color. He closed his eyes and faded off.
* * * *
Susan was sobbing uncontrollably. Christina was holding her in her arms trying to be strong for her mother's sake. Jake was sitting on a couch opposite theirs in the Anderson's large living room. The first time he had entered the house it had seemed more vibrant than it did now.
Holding his hands in his lap he tried to understand the pain they were feeling. He had never lost someone so close. "Mrs. Anderson, I will find the people who did this to your husband."
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"I have recently discovered that your daughter was telling the truth about her experience. I have also learned that I have had similar experiences." Both women looked up at him. "I have a personal stake in this now, and I am devoted to bringing the men who did this to justice."
Susan wiped her eyes, smearing black lines of mascara down her cheeks. "Who did this to my husband?" She looked at her daughter. "To my family?"
"The people he worked for." He stopped. "I don't want to tell you anymore because of the danger it could possibly pose to your lives." He leaned forward and lowered is voice. "All I can tell you is that I will find the men responsible for this."
Susan stood up and walked over to where Jake was sitting. Taking a seat next to him, she placed her hand on his leg. "I appreciate all you've done Jake."
"It's what I do."
"I know, but this time you're going to have to go above and beyond the call of duty."
He nodded. Touching her hand, he slowly stood up. "I have to go, are you two going to be all right?"
Susan smiled her best smile at Jake. "Yeah, we'll be fine."
Walking toward the door, Jake stopped to look back at the two women. Tears were again rolling down from their eyes. Stepping through the door, he pulled it closed behind him. Staring up at the gray overcast sky, he closed his eyes and felt the raindrops hitting his face. The rain felt refreshing. He had been up all night with the two, trying to console them as best he could. He needed to get some rest before his meeting later that night, but his hotel room had been blocked off as a crime scene. Hopp
ing in his car, he slammed the keys into the ignition and started up the engine. Pulling out of the driveway, he headed downtown.
* * * *
A long black sedan slowly pulled into the alley. It was littered with boxes and filthy trashcans filled with puddles of rainwater. Steam rolled out of several grates in the cold rainy air. Two ancient warehouses rose magnificently from either side. A man in a black trench coat stepped out of the sedan accompanied by a tall man with short-cropped hair in a black leather jacket. The two shadowy figures walked toward the side of the alley. The man in the leather jacket stepped forward and opened an old wooden door.
Stepping inside, the two shadowy figures were immediately accosted by two well-built men in full Marine attire. "Sir, General Perry is waiting for you inside."
The man in the trench coat nodded and began to follow the two soldiers. The inside of the warehouse was strewn with boards and steel pipes of all shapes and sizes. Windows at the top of the walls created checkerboard shadows on the floor with the moonlight. Stepping through an archway that used to contain a door, the four men emerged into a large room. Inside, a lone lamp stood behind several wooden chairs created long eerie shadows across the floor. The two soldiers directed the men to be seated while they summoned General Perry.
The man in the black trench coat seated himself in the chair closest to the door. The light danced across his gray suit and shone brightly off his blue eyes. His gray hair was neatly combed and his long slender face was crisply shaven. The deep lines in his face showed the long history of a man in his seventies. His companion, by comparison, was a young man. His face un-tattered by time and his brown eyes still sharp with youth and vigor. His black leather jacket hung loosely off his broad shoulders and around his slim torso. He was young, but by no means naive.
General Perry strode into the room followed by the two marines. Seating himself in a chair opposite the two figures, he reached into his breast pocket and removed a pack of cigarettes. Pulling one out of the pack, he lit it with a short square lighter he had removed from his other pocket. Taking a long drag off the cigarette, he exhaled the smoke toward the two men allowing it to linger in the light.
The man in the trench coat spoke first. "Why have you summoned me here, General?" He spoke with a gruff tone in his voice.
"I have found information that I think you will find very interesting." Perry took another drag off the cigarette.
The man in the trench coat stared intently at Perry. "You presume to know something that we don't?" The younger man studied Perry's two guards.
Perry shifted in his seat. "One of our main researchers has of late decided to take his work at the facility public."
"How?"
"His daughter had been placed in the project. Afterwards he feigned ignorance of what happened to her trying to play it off as a rape." Taking another long drag off of his cigarette, he continued. "He hired a Private Investigator, who had also been involved in the tests, to look into what had happened."
"He told this man about the project?"
"Yes."
"How has this situation been resolved?"
"We dispatched a team to deal with the problem. We eliminated the scientist, but missed his daughter and the PI."
The man in the trench coat stood up and approached Perry. His voice was low and filled with rage. "We were already aware of your ignorance in this matter. You have three dead soldiers scattered around Las Vegas." He was in Perry's face. "You have overstepped your boundaries on this one General. You will be reprimanded by the Assemblage when you return to Washington." He took a step back. "In the mean time, what do you plan to do about the Private Investigator?"
Perry crushed out his cigarette on the arm of his chair. "He has connections in the bureau. If he vanishes, someone will miss him. We've decided to make it look like an accident."
The man in the trench coat began to walk toward the door. "Perhaps you're not as ignorant as I first assumed. Make this happen." Turning to his companion, he motioned toward the door. "David, please ready the car." He nodded and walked away. "General, one more thing." Perry stood up. The light cast a strange shadow across his face. "Deal with this correctly and immediately, or we will handle you." Turning around he walked out of the building. Perry re-took his seat in his chair. Lighting another cigarette, he watched as the smoke flowed around his head. Reaching over he grabbed the small string hanging from the lamp and gave it a slight tug. The lamp clicked off filling the room with darkness.
* * * *
Jake found himself sitting at on a bench at the city park. A large tree behind him was sheltering him from most of the rain. His eyelids were heavy from the lack of sleep, and his body felt heavy and lifeless. He desperately needed to get some rest.
His mind began to wander. He kept flashing back to the dream he had the night that he took the case. The inhuman figure that he saw in his dream was haunting him. Was Jonathan Anderson telling the truth? Were there actually no aliens abducting people? Could it be that the government was actually behind the whole project? He tried not to trust his thoughts when he was in this tired. Lack of sleep made a person think unclearly, incoherently.
Pulling a cigar out of his jacket pocket, he licked the tip and put it in his mouth. Lighting the cigar, he took a long puff off it and slowly exhaled it. Leaning back against the table, he looked up into the overcast sky. The clouds rolled together with swatches of black, gray, and white. Commenting to himself, he really found it quite beautiful. Taking another drag off his cigar, he stood up and began to walk toward his car.
Opening the door to his car, he slowly stepped inside. Closing the door, he rolled down the window so the crisp air could flow inside. Resting his hand on the edge of the door, he watched the cigar smoke mingle with the raindrops. Leaning back in his seat, he felt his eyes slowly close. He began to drift off to sleep.
He awoke lying on a hard metal table in the middle of a rectangular room with no visible doors. The table was cool to his touch. This place reminded him of pictures he had seen of the inside of a human's body. Dark strips of material ran in asymmetrical patterns across the walls, with flesh-like webbing in the middle allowed light to flow into the room. He swore he could see veins running through the walls. He was still fully dressed, but somehow immobilized. Looking up he saw a fine mist rolling out of a circular hole in the ceiling above him. Trying to lift his head, he found that he was still unable to move.
Resting his head back on the table, he noticed something emerging from the hole in the ceiling. Its chrome skin was glistening in the dim light as it lowered toward him. He could see several moving arms attached to a central cylinder. An arm on the right side of the device began to creep toward his face. He watched as a needle slid out of a tube at the center of the claw-like device. The claws slid back as the arm inched toward his face.
From out of the corner of his eye, he could see several shapes moving toward him out of the mist. The two in the front immediately took flanking positions on each side of him, while the third stood silently at the foot of the table observing. Jake caught a quick glance of the two figures standing next to him. His heart began to pound. Their huge black lidless eyes reminded him of an insect's. He began to panic as both of them grabbed his head and held it firmly to the table. Their skin felt cold and moist, but smooth to the touch.
Jake strained with all his might to catch a glimpse of the figure standing at the foot of the bed. He could tell he was different from the others. He was tall and appeared to be normally proportioned to a human. He wasn't sure, but it looked like he was wearing a military uniform of some kind...
The beings tightened their grip on Jake's head, pulling his attention back to the lowering arm. It was almost on top of him now. He was using all his might to try and break free, but an invisible force was keeping him firmly atop the table. The being to his right reached up and grabbed the gyrating arm, slowly moving it into position above Jake's right eye. Terror welled up inside of him as the needle edged clos
er and closer to his eye. He tried to shut them, but couldn't. The being on the left leaned in close enough Jake so that he could feel its terrible breath on his face.
Sitting straight up, he found himself still in his car seat. A cold sweat had broken out all over his body. Leaning forward on the steering wheel, he wiped the sweat off his face. Peering out the windshield, he noticed that a group of people had gathered around his car. They were all staring intently at him. He knew he was just having a dream, but it somehow felt very familiar and very real to him.
Chapter 10
Hours later, Jake found himself wandering through a nightclub dubbed 'The Factory' by its inhabitants. Blaring industrial music began to assault his senses as soon as he walked in. It was packed with people of every shape and size dressed mainly in black and other drab colors. The main room was decorated to look like the inside of a steel mill. Everything from the tables to the bar was built using steel pipes and huge iron plates. Multi-colored lights flooded the hall, while powerful white spotlights careened off the walls and the band playing on the front stage.
Cutting his way through the mob on the dance floor, he found himself standing in front of the bar. Stretching to both ends of the room, the top seemed to be constructed of steel girders complete with rust colored paint and rivets. Standing next to him was a tall black man with dreadlocks that hung to the middle of his back. He was sipping on a beer while smoking a cigarette. He dwarfed Jake in height by at least a foot.
Turning toward Jake, he gave him the once over. Taking a drag off the cigarette, he crushed it out on the bar. "It's not polite to stare, mon," he warned in a thick Jamaican accent.
"Sorry. I didn't realize I was staring."
Stepping back from the bar the Jamaican turned around and began to walk away. Jake shook his head. Great, he thought to himself. That's all I need is to get in a bar fight. Lifting his hand he signaled for the bar tender. She was of medium height and had a very athletic build. She was wrapped in a tight black leather vest and a pair of black denim jeans. She seemed to have several piercings through every part of her body. Her hair was brown with blonde highlights. It hung messily down to the center of her back.