Umbra Ortum

by Q Allen

  Look around, Tammy. Find out where I am.

  Tammy looked around the room. On the opposite side of the room from the woman in the bed and all of the equipment, there was a wide door. Although Tammy could see through the thick heavy glass door it was apparently intended to keep people out… or in.

  Outside the door, Tammy could see two uniformed guards. One on either side of the door. Two women in long white lab coats walked up to the door and stared through the glass. Tammy thought that the two would see her standing right on the other side of the clear glass door. Almost standing face to face.

  Tammy, they can’t see you now. You can walk through the door. Go down the hall and up the elevator. You must get outside, look around. Look at the building from the outside. Find me, Tammy.

  After walking out of the room through the glass door, Tammy went down the long hallway to the elevator doors. She walked past the two doctors who were oblivious to her presence. As she stood in front of the elevator, the ground started to vibrate violently. Even the walls began to shake.

  Tammy, you must move faster. I can’t keep you here much longer…

  Tammy was barely able to press the button for the elevator due to the intense trembling. The whole building was shaking so fiercely she could hardly stay on her feet. Looking back she noticed that she was the only one being affected by this sudden earthquake.

  I have… to… rest…

  Primis’ voice faded and so did Tammy’s vision as she was ejected back into her current reality. Right at the end, there was a flash of something else. A garbled bunch of images. Images of her past, but they were too crumpled together for Tammy to discern anything from them.

  The flash was so quick and then she was back in the car with Sophia sobbing and squeezing her hand.

  “Come on Tammy, come back,” Sophia repeated.

  Tammy blinked her eyes as the light brought Sophia into focus. She looked around and remembered where she was.

  “I’m here, Sophie. I’m here.” Tammy said petting Sophia’s hands. “Primis took me somewhere. I think it’s where she is. Where she wants us to go to find her.”

  “You didn’t go anywhere,” Sophia asserted. “I thought you were having a seizure!”

  “It’s ok. I’m ok,” Tammy reassured. “Primis was showing me how to find her.

  After taking a deep breath Sophia composed herself, “So, what did you see? What did she look like? What did Primis look like?”

  “I think I saw her, but I’m not sure. It was like I just woke up in this hospital room. It was a big clean room. The lights were down low so I couldn’t see very well, but there was a person there in the bed. They were hooked up to all of these machines,” Tammy said illustrating her vision. “She told me to look around the building so that I could figure out where she was.”

  Excitement pervaded Sophia’s whole person. Now the pair might finally be able to find this mysterious entity that had been guiding Tammy through some kind of dark susurration.

  “What were you able to see?” Sophia continued to catechize Tammy.

  “There were some guards dressed like the ones that were at The End Timers bunker with me,” Tammy imparted. “I walked out of the room past two doctors then down the hall to an elevator. That’s when everything started shaking and vibrating. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I was back here.”

  “So, where is she?” Sophia asked. “I mean, I guess in a hospital, but where?”

  Tammy replied, “I didn’t get to see the outside, so I don’t know where she is. All I know is that it’s some kind of hospital. The strange thing is that there were no outside facing windows.”

  “That could be anywhere! She could have been in an interior room,” Sophia said frustrated.

  “Well, she was on a floor by herself. What kind of hospital does that?” Tammy offered.

  “Alright, that would be unique but it still doesn’t help us. Are you ok to drive?” Sophia asked. Their Ford Adrenalin had been sitting on the side of the shoulder of the road for a little while. To avoid arousing suspicion and get closer to locating Primis, they needed to get back on the road.

  ***

  Fake Special Agent David Roland sped quietly north along the highway. He looked out of his windows at all of the other cars on the highway. He gazed at all of the houses and buildings. He gave thought to the sheepish lives they all led. Not at all aware of the master plan that he was following in Slither Eye. Not at all aware of the disaster that would shortly come upon them all.

  He needed to get to the Slither Eye facilities before Tammy and Sophia showed up there to rescue Primis. He called ahead to put the facility on high alert. He had to assume that Primis was in contact with Tammy. With that contact, there was no doubt that she would teach her everything again. Make her stronger and more powerful.

  Ever since the Tammy Abdications, as Slither Eye members referred to the event where Tammy and the other subjects escaped, the Slither Eye organization tried using combinations of sedatives, hypnosis and dampening devices to maintain control over Primis and keeping her from making contact with the others.

  Their techniques had been working successfully for months until the unfortunate unpleasantness at The End Timers’ facilities. Before that, Tamara Umbra took her medication daily and believed everything they wanted her to believe. Slither Eye had total control of her. They needed to keep it that way until they were able to figure out a way to totally control Primis.

  Control Primis, control the future. That was the mantra that the Unseen Man kept repeating.

  Three other Slither Eye agents meant to look like FBI agents met Fake Special Agent Roland at a small house in the middle of nowhere some miles north of the lake house. The little house was no more than 700 square feet, but for some reason had a three car attached garage and spaces for three more cars to park.

  The four fake FBI agents loaded into one vehicle and pulled into one of the three garage doors. Once inside the garage bay door closed behind them. Then, the floor tilted steeply down revealing a hidden passageway beneath the deceptive little house.

  The driver had to keep his foot on the brake until the floor had descended all the way. The large SUV carrying the fake FBI agents went down through the tunnels until they reached an underground parking lot. It was large enough to fit six or seven vehicles.

  After parking the SUV, the four fake agents approached a panel next to an enormous set of doors that sat on the edge of the parking lot.

  “Alpha Track Prime Seashore,” Fake Special Agent Roland spoke into the panel while pressing a panel with his whole palm.

  There was long silence before the reply came out of the panel speaker, “Pineapple Beta Jones King Cake.”

  Fake Agent Roland pressed the panel once more, “Ovation.”

  With a rumble that broke the cold silence of the underground parking lot, the large doors began to open revealing the imperceptible danger concealed within.

  Twelve armed Slither Eye operatives, like the ones at the End Timers Facility, rushed out and secured the area outside the doors. This was no surprise to the fake FBI agents. It was the standard protocol for entering the Slither Eye facility. The agents were searched and their true identities checked before they were allowed to enter.

  The facility really belonged to some small pharmaceutical company. A company owned by some other company. It was a facility that Unseen Man controlled through certain channels.

  Inside the facility, fake Agent Roland was greeted by a woman in a long white lab coat. One of the doctors Tammy saw in the vision that Primis gave her.

  “Looks like your face is ok,” Dr. Keoni said poking the agent’s face curiously with her finger tips.

  With the most arrogant smirk ever he replied, “I can tell you like it.”

  She smirked right back at him, “Just don’t get it shot off out there.”

  The two walked side-by-side keeping their hands to themselves all the way down the long hall to the lone silver elevator door. They
entered and turned to wait for the doors to close. It felt like an infinity. Finally, the heavy elevator door shut and sealed. The decent began.

  As soon as they were veiled by the heavy door, the couple quickly embraced one another and merged in a passionate kiss. They didn’t give it a thought that there might be cameras watching them aboard the elevator. The lovers hoped not, but couldn’t care enough to pause. He was a Slither Eye operative and she was a Slither Eye research scientist. Both had busy, dangerous positions. This rare moment together could be the only one they would share for a long time, but it was all theirs and theirs alone.

  Soon, the Slither Eye would achieve all that the organization had been planning for and working for over the past four hundred years. Soon, this would be a world where fake Agent Roland and Dr. Keoni would have all the time they could desire and more. All that was needed, was to capture the Umbra and regain control of the Primis.

  For now, he and she both knew that only this short time would be theirs to spend together. This short burning instant to share. In a moment the couple would have to separate and go about their work. Every time he left her side he left with her heart. Each time he left she knew that there was a chance it could be the last. Both longed for the new world in which they could just be together. Hold one another for all eternity, but at this time all they had was now. In a minute there would be business to attend to.

  Fake Special Agent David Roland and Dr. Bellisa Keoni stepped off of the elevator. Silent now as they walked to the only room with large glass doors. The only room being guarded. Together the two stood before the dimly lit room peering in at the solitary occupant lying apparently helpless in a hospital bed.

  Fake Agent Roland finally broke the silence, “Has there been any heightened brain activity?”

  “Yes, some. There was a huge spike the other day. It didn’t last long, but we could tell she was trying to do something. For a little while she actually opened her eyes,” Dr. Keoni replied. “We had to pump her full of Dr. Coles’ sleep solution.”

  “Maybe all of this glass wasn’t such a good idea?” Fake Agent Roland said in a snarky tone.

  Dr. Keoni turned her eyes toward him, “It was my idea. Remember, in the beginning she was a volunteer. We were supposed to be helping her.”

  Fake Agent Roland glanced around to see if anyone overheard Dr. Keoni’s remark. He leaned in, “Well now she’s helping us. Keep it together.”

  “It’s just…” Dr. Keoni started.

  Fake Agent Roland clinched his eyes and put his hand up, “No! Don’t. I’m doubling the guard here. You use hypnosis or whatever is necessary to regain Primis’… cooperation.”

  Dr. Keoni pulled herself together, “Ok, ok. You’re right. I was hoping not to get to this point, but we do have the little sister. She’s cooperating.”

  “Good. Use that. We’ll have the Umbra shortly,” Fake Special Agent Roland walked away. “Let’s check in on the others.”

  Dr. Keoni followed him. They walked to a room down the hall from where Primis lay. This room was brightly lit. The walls were covered with computers and monitors.

  Two Slither Eye techs were working at desks while another doctor from Tammy’s vision watched and directed over their shoulders. She held a clip board and occasionally jotted something down about each person they were observing on the computer monitors.

  “How are these doing?” Fake Agent Roland asked.

  Turning her eyes up from her clipboard and over the eye glasses sitting just at the tip of her nose, Dr. Tiffany Coles, Dr. Keoni’s partner, gazed with badly veiled content at the fake agent.

  “These are doing just fine,” Dr. Coles answered unwillingly. She had hoped to never have to speak to him again. When she heard that he was being sent into the field she thought she would never have to work directly with him again. Yet, here he was. She took a jab at him, “I see you have a new face? Still doesn’t change who you are.”

  Dr. Coles didn’t like Fake Agent Roland, whose real name was Michael Madgik, because he was a company man. He would do anything to help Slither Eye reach their end goal, but Bellisa wouldn’t see it. Nothing came before his oath to the organization. Not even his fiancé Dr. Keoni who was Dr. Cole’s partner and best friend.

  When Dr. Coles and Dr. Keoni started with the organization they believed that they were helping the organization change the world for good. For the betterment of mankind as a whole. But the higher up they moved within the organization the clearer the truth became. They were dark and had more selfish and sinister plans for the world.

  Dr. Coles and Dr. Keoni started looking for a way out, but once the blood oath was taken there was no real way out apart from death. The two had eventually given up hope until Dr. Keoni had an idea. What if the organization lost its control of Primis and others? What if Primis exacted her revenge and destroyed the centuries-old organization? Maybe then Dr. Coles and Dr. Keoni could flee.

  The two agreed to secretly help Primis and subvert the organization's grand plans, but something went wrong. Dr. Keoni met Michael Madgik and fell in love. Now her heart was torn between her belief in what was right and her love for the Slither Eye agent.

  Michael almost snarled back at Dr. Coles, “Good to see you haven’t failed again since that last disaster.”

  “Michael, take it easy. I work here, too.” Dr. Keoni interjected trying to avoid a major blow up between her best friend and her love.

  Michael and Dr. Coles broke the fierce eye contact battle they were engaged in. Both took deep breaths and moved on.

  Dr. Keoni walked with Michael out into the hall and down to the elevator. The two stood facing each other not saying a word. They were each captured momentarily in the deep gaze of the other. Wanting to say so much. Wanting to make contact and share at least a brief intimate touch.

  “Well, expect extra security,” Michael said and brusquely began walking away. He didn’t want to leave so quickly, but if he didn’t he would take hold of her. And if he held her he had trouble believing he would be able to let go. He had work to do.

  Radio silence

  T AMMY LET SOPHIA take over driving for a while. She leaned her seat back and relaxed. She didn’t actually admit that she might not be ok, but neither of them wanted to take the risk of her going into another vision like before.

  Mentally she reached out to try to reconnect with Primis. The way her voice faded away felt like a bad omen. Like she might have slipped away. Maybe for good. Was that the last she would hear from the mysterious voice?

  Primis? Are you there? Are you still there?

  North, Tammy. Just keep. Going. North…

  Ok.

  “Sophia, we need to head north,” Tammy said in a drowsy whisper.

  Are you ok?

  I just need… rest.

  Ok, at least I know you are still there.

  Tammy peeked one eye open at Sophia, “We are going to find a place to sleep and tomorrow we will gather some supplies.”

  “Okay,” Sophia said. “You get some sleep. I’ll wake you when I think I found someplace safe.”

  As Tammy drifted off to sleep Sophia continued North through the quiet back roads avoiding the main roads and highways as much as possible. She drove until she started to feel tired. Moving toward the next city she found an old apartment building on the outer part of the city. A ghost of its former self the building sat in disarray. It was just before dark.

  The area looked like it used to be the exciting part of town back in its day. Now it was an aging, crumbling reminder of how things were in a time long past.

  Sophia drove slowly around to the back of the building. Softly she nudged Tammy into consciousness. Drawing her out of the disturbing images that flashed over and over.

  “Hey sleepy town,” Sophia kidded. “I think we are home for the evening. Take a look. What do you think?”

  Tammy stirred from her comfortable folded jacket to look out of the truck window. She looked over the derelict apartment building sitting
in despair in the middle of the block like a downhearted person hiding from the pressures of life.

  “Looks like a long dark nightmare. We should be able to hide out here for a while. The apartment doors are inside so it should be easier to defend,” Tammy mumbled barely audible.

  Sophia looked over at Tammy who had pulled her hood down over her face and snuggled back down into her folded jacket. She considered getting some sleep herself, but there were too many people out and walking around and she didn’t feel comfortable. They would probably draw some unwanted attention if both of them were asleep inside the truck.

  “So…” Sophia started slightly louder than before. “We’d better head inside, right?”

  Tammy reluctantly sat up in the passenger seat, “I was trying to contact Primis, but I fell asleep.”

  “I see that,” Sophia said with a smirk.

  “We should park over there in that parking garage. That way if anyone finds the truck, they won’t know exactly where we are,” Tammy said.

  Sophia drove over into the parking garage. They took a few weapons and supplies with them leaving their bug out bag on the floor in the back seat of the Adrenalin. Weary from the road, the two trudged down the street from the truck to the dilapidated apartment building being as watchful as they could be.

  They didn’t go straight across to the building. They walked down the street and then around and crossed the fence behind the apartment building. They sat there a while to see if they were followed before going in. Finally, they went in through the back so that no on the street could see them go in. Inside there were people of all kinds camped out in a lot of the rooms.

  “I didn’t realize there would be people in here,” Sophia said. “Should we go somewhere else?”

  “No, this is fine. This is perfect. Just keep your head down and keep moving,” Tammy told Sophia. “Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t even make eye contact.”