Eventually, at two o’clock a.m., Paige was able to sleep.
At six o’clock in the morning, Paige’s mother, Sandi, and twin sister, Brooke, woke up early to make coffee and breakfast.
The aroma of the coffee and the quiet familiar voices of the two women easily woke Paige. She moved her blanket away from her and sat up in the middle of the sofa. Isaac slept under her feet, at the center of the five kids. After quietly gazing at his peacefully sleeping face, she carefully knelt down and kissed his forehead. Then, she stood and made her way to the kitchen, in her pink pajamas with tiny blue giraffes.
In the kitchen, Sandi and Brooke sat across from each other, at the table. Both were wearing bathrobes and warming their hands with their coffee cups.
Although Paige was tired, she was giddy. “Good morning!” she said quietly but excitedly. She took short hopping steps toward Sandi and pressed her cheek against her mother’s cheek, and then she skipped to the other side of the table to Brooke, and greeted her the same way. The two women were just as giddy and happy.
“I’m so glad to have my twins here again,” Sandi said with a mother’s joyful smile. “And to have my two boys back sleeping the morning away again - just like when you were kids.”
The twins laughed.
As Paige made her way to the coffee maker, Brooke looked at her saying, “Yeah, we even look alike again, since Paige and I decided to cut our hair the same way…just for this occasion, Mom.”
“And I thank you,” Sandi responded, with a smile and a nod. “Your dad was so funny when he joked around yesterday, pretending he couldn’t figure out who’s who.”
Paige chuckled, “Mom, I don’t think he was joking.”
At that moment, Isaac walked into the kitchen. “Momma,” he said, in a tone that was soon to ask a question.
“Wow. Hi, baby!” Paige said surprised, “You’re awake! Say ‘good morning’ to Grandma and Auntie and give them a hug.”
Isaac trotted to his grandmother and with a smile said, “Good morning, Grandma.”
Sandi leaned from her chair and replied, “Well, good morning, sweetie!” She kissed him on the forehead and hugged him tightly. She asked, “How can you be so awake so early?”
Isaac didn’t answer, but just immediately trotted to his aunt.
Paige answered, “I know why, mom.” She smiled and nodded. “Wait for his question.”
“Good morning, Auntie!” he swung his arms around his aunt, and she picked him up.
“Good morning, cutie!” She put him on her lap and turned to Paige. “Yeah. He’s wide awake, Paige.”
Having performed his mother’s request, Isaac asked, without hesitation, “Momma, where’s that game box we brought over?”
Sandi laughed, “Oh, that’s why.”
“Yeah, I just got it for him last week, because he got good grades at school,” Paige said, and then turned to Isaac. “Baby, it’s in the backpack at the side of the sofa I was sleeping on.”
Isaac immediately jumped from his aunt’s lap and ran to the sofa.
“He’s so funny,” Paige said, “He’ll pull out the game, take out all the wires, and then try to figure it all out by himself, on how to plug it into the TV. He doesn’t want my help. But he can’t figure it out yet. He’ll turn on the TV, turn on the game, and it won’t work. Then, he’ll switch the wires around, and it still won’t work. But then, finally, he’ll give up, and he’ll call me to help him.”
Brooke chuckled, “Hey, he’s a self-starter, wants to figure things out on his own, but willing to ask for help when he needs it. That works in the corporate world. And he’s got good grades. Put him to work already!”
“Yeah, I should, huh? But there are those pesky child labor laws that get in the way.”
They laughed, amused.
After taking a sip from her cup, Brooke asked, “Well then, did you get any sleep with the kids watching movies last night, Paige?”
Paige stirred in sugar with her coffee. “Hmm…I think I was finally able to sleep the same time they conked out - around two-ish.”
“Thanks for letting us have the room,” Brooke said, and then offered, “Well, remember that we booked that hotel room, and tonight if you want to spend some ‘me-time’ all by yourself, you can take that room. We can keep an eye on Isaac.”
Sandi added, “Yes. And Isaac just loves being around his cousins. He’s having so much fun. And I’m sure it’s been a while since you had some time just for yourself. You can relax, maybe go to their spa.”
“The spa is on us!” Brooke interrupted.
Sandi continued, “Well, see! And you can certainly catch up on your sleep. And then the next morning - or afternoon - just come back and spend time here again. You’ll be so refreshed.”
Paige made her way to the table, with her coffee, and sat beside Brooke. Before taking a sip, she raised her eyebrows, smiled, and said, “Oooh, tempting.”
“It’s really not costing us anything,” Brooke added, “Since my wonderful hubby works for the hotel chain, we’re getting the room dirt cheap.”
“But I’m gonna miss Isaac,” Paige said, with an exaggerated frown.
Brooke put her arm around Paige and leaned her head against her sister’s head. “Yeah, Isaac is having so much fun. And he’ll miss you too…but only for about five minutes.”
The women laughed. They knew it was all too true, since Isaac seemed to be spending every minute playing with the other kids.
Sandi then said, “So, spend the night at the hotel, relax, and come back. And when you do, you’ll be rested enough to take on your mean brothers again for harassing you about the football game.”
“Oh, I’m ready now, Mom. Remember, Brooke, when we were kids, we used to make them cry like girls when we wrestled ‘em?’ Paige asked.
“Yeah, even in high school too,” Brooke smiled and added, “Paige learned a lot of moves from her many wrestler boyfriends.”
“Well, I had one wrestler boyfriend,” Paige corrected.
Expectedly, Isaac’s voice called out from the living room, “Momma!”
Paige tilted her head to the side and grinned, “What’d I tell ya?”
It was almost five o’clock p.m. when Paige walked into the lobby of the posh Marsters Hotel, within the city of San Francisco. She looked forward to an early and quiet night’s sleep by herself. When she left for the hotel, Isaac told her that he would miss her. But then, he promptly forgot about it the second he began to play with his cousins.
The automatic doors of the lobby opened to a sprawling marble floor and a wide greeting area with plush chairs and sofas trimmed with gold and beige, decorative plants, and an ornate fountain at its center.
The registration desk was at her left, but Paige didn’t need to check in, her sister had previously done that. Now the keycard was in her purse. Straight ahead and to the right, she made her way to the elevators.
As Paige walked across the lobby, she passed a man on her right, sitting on a chair, facing the lobby entrance. The dark suit made him look handsome and professional. He wore sunglasses and busied himself with a mobile phone, seemingly browsing through messages.
After Paige walked by him, the man stood, put his phone in his front pocket, and made his way to the elevator as well.
At the elevator, a couple and another man in a sweater joined them, as they waited. The elevator doors opened and the couple walked in first, selecting the elevator button for one of the top floors. After them, the man in the suit - Sik - followed, pressed the seventh floor, and then stood at the side of the elevator door. Paige entered next. She glanced at the buttons, and seeing that the seventh floor was already selected, she turned and scooted herself backward, in order to stand at the back of the elevator. The last to enter was the man in a sweater. As he came in, he pushed the button for the fourth floor. He stood in front of Paige, facing the doors.
The doors closed, and after a few moments, they had reached the fourth floor. The doors opened, and then
the man wearing the sweater exited.
When that man left, it gave Paige a clear view of Sik, in the pinstriped suit. He was leaning against the elevator’s front panel, with his head down and his eyes covered by sunglasses. As the elevator doors closed, Paige gazed at him for a brief moment, noticing his height, noticing he had a nice build, and noticing the casual way he leaned with his hands in his pockets. She thought he was cute.
At the seventh floor, the elevator stopped, and Sik looked up. Paige immediately took her eyes off of him and stared directly ahead, to watch the doors open.
Sik walked out and turned to the right.
Paige stopped briefly in front of the sign that posted room number ranges. She turned to the right and took a half step. She saw Sik walking ahead of her. Immediately, she stopped and looked back at the sign, thinking she may have mistakenly read it. She quietly blurted, “Oh!” and then turned to the left and began to walk in that direction.
The elevator door closed.
After three steps, Paige quickly glanced back. Sik had turned to face the door of a room. Then, she turned her head to see the way to her room. It was the one at the very end of the hall.
When she reached the door, she opened her purse to find the keycard. For a moment, she fumbled through the items in the purse, but then eventually took the card out.
She slid the card into the card reader. With a short beep, the small LED light on the door turned from red to green.
Paige put her hand on the door handle and pushed it down.
As the door began to crack open, she heard a rapid shuffling of feet behind her. Someone was rushing toward her.
* * * * * * *
After healing Gul in the cave, the longhaired man took Gul to the safety of U.S. soil. He rested Gul on the green grass a few steps away from the Washington Monument in D.C. With Gul sitting, he knelt in front of him and asked, “So, how’s that feel?”
“Oh, so much better, my friend,” Gul replied as he examined the dried blood in his hand and at his side. “All the pain is gone.” Gul fixed his eyes on his friend’s eyes and somberly stated, “Thank you so very much for saving my life. I owe you my own.”
He looked down, pulled at the grass, looked back up, and said to Gul, “Well, thanks, but no need to say that. I’d prefer you stick around and stay alive so you can tell me all I need to know.”
Gul smiled his characteristically large smile, “If that is what you want, then I am here, as you need.”
He chuckled, “Well, I think we’ll start with cleaning you up a bit, though. There’s someone I want you to see and your rugged mountaineer look isn’t gonna give you much credibility. Unfortunately, these days almost everything is all about appearance and perception, my friend.”
Quickly, the blood disappeared from Gul’s hand and side. Gul’s camouflage pants, jacket, and boots morphed into a dark suit and shiny black shoes. Gul looked down at himself, impressed.
“Dude, your hair is like three feet thick. How about a haircut?”
Gul straightened his back and got ready, approvingly he said, “Yes a haircut, please. But not too short…the women they like to run their hands…”
“Right, sexy pants,” he laughed and shook his head. “And your beard is so long, you’re about to step on it.”
“It is not that long, is it?”
“I’m just joking, man,” he slapped Gul’s shoulder. In no time, he made Gul look presentable.
Then, after panning his eyes across the surrounding area, he decided he should take a moment to point out the sights immediately around them. “So, that, my friend, over there,” he gestured his head eastward, “is our Capitol building where Congress meets.”
Gul turned quickly, surprised by his statement. He said in awe and wonder, “No!” His mouth stayed fixed in the letter O.
“Yes, actually. And somewhere behind me - I’m not sure if you can see it - is our White House where the President stays.
Gul jerked his head to see out in front of him. In amazement, he said again, “No! Is that where I am?”
“Yes, actually. And yes. And standing tall right behind you is our Washington Monument.”
Gul whipped his head around. In disbelief, he said, “No!”
“Yes, actually. And,” he gestured his head westward, “over there past the World War II Memorial is the Lincoln Memorial. You probably can’t see it.”
Gul snapped his head to his left. Again, he said in awe, “No!” He added, “Well, yes, I do not see it, but I am in shock and so happy to know I am here in the center of this country!” Gul felt the need to ask, “Do we have time to look?”
“Well, I don’t know. Those shoot ‘em up bang-bang missiles are gonna be up, up, and away soon, right?’
“Oh, yes, yes,” Gul shook his head to clear his mind. “You have healed me very well, and I have forgotten so quickly in this beautiful place.”
“Yes. That it is. This is a great country, Smiley. And many, many people have given their lives for it and for our freedom.”
Gul became pensive, and then stated, “The price of freedom is the shed blood of many.” He added, “Malik and I were in your Los Angeles many years ago. We enjoyed our visit…yes, this is a wonderful country.” He raised a finger but pointed in no particular direction. “Do you know the…the, uh, Ghetri Museum?”
“Yeah, in L.A. Yeah.”
“Malik and I, we were archeologists, do you know?”
“Really? From what you were telling me the first time I met ya - you said a lot about scientific and physics stuff - I wouldn’t have guessed you were an archeologist.”
“Yes, but I love to learn about our past. As humans, it is our doom that we do not remember it.” Slowly, Gul’s smile returned, with his eyes twinkling. “Malik and I, we visited with others to show…an, exhibit, yes…to exhibit very great, very old Babylonian treasures.”
“Really?” Gul’s words triggered something in him. He looked out in the distant horizon, silent.
“Yes.” Gul gazed upon the green grass. Smiling fondly, he said, “My brother Malik loves the beach. There in Los Angeles. We all put our bare feet on the warm sand of the beach and in the water, lifting up our pants and dancing on the shore. We were so happy.”
Still thinking and looking afar, he responded to Gul quietly, “Hmm.” Then turning to Gul, he finally said, “I was trying to remember something because of what you said. So, the Ghetri, huh? How long ago?”
“Five. Five years. I believe.”
“Five years ago,” he whispered. “We were going to the Ghetri five years ago. My wife wanted to see that very same exhibit.” He looked down and pulled on the grass. “There was an accident. I lost my wife and son…if that accident didn’t happen I think we would have met.”
“I am sad to hear of that - of your wife and son, my friend.”
The two were silent for a moment.
Gul quietly added, “Yes, Malik and I were informed we were to meet you then. You would have known your role and mission. We all would have had time to prepare.”
“Hmm.” He looked back up. “Anyway, never mind.” Patting Gul on the shoulder, he said, “Well, we better go.”
“Yes, where are we going?”
“General Parsin, my friend, General Parsin. Some time ago, I listened in on a conversation he and a captain had with a congressman. They had a picture of you - you’re popular. And I looked him up - I mean, did some research on the General. He’s a big dude in an important place called U.S. Strategic Command.” He continued, “And now that I’ve got you looking pretty. I’ve gotta make myself look cool too, but I’m not sure with what yet. I’ll need to get some ideas. And for that, we need to get out of here. Ready?”
Gul sat up straight. “Ready.”
“I couldn’t find the General anywhere here. But he’s in a state called Nebraska. And I’m guessing since he’s there, he has some idea about those shoot ‘em up bang-bangs. The command center is over there - Offutt Air Force Base.’
&
nbsp; An instant later, they stood in between cars at the northwest end of a parking lot, a distance away from the entrance to the General LeMay Building, at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, the headquarters of United States Strategic Command - USSTRATCOM.
They could see two, tall prominent upright missiles, in the walkway, in front of the entrance of the building. Both were white with large, black, vertically aligned lettering: one said US NAVY and the other, US AIR FORCE. The building itself was wide and very long, with three stories and additional underground levels. On this day, military guards actively patrolled the grounds. There was an increased level of security.
The two men were ensconced in between two SUVs in the parking lot. With Gul peering out behind him, the goateed man surveyed the building and quietly said, “I just needed a closer look. I wanted to pick out a uniform they’re wearing inside…just need to concentrate a bit.”
Inside, he sensed many people filling conference rooms, rooms for tactical surveillance, and rooms for strike coordination and integration. Others walked the hallways in hurried strides.
“I like Air Force blue,” he finally said. Quickly, his clothes transformed to that of an Air Force Major. On his head appeared a blue hat, and under it, his hair shortened down to a crop.
A pair of uniformed guards walked in their direction, out a ways, through a row of cars parallel to theirs.
He asked, as he pulled the lapel of his jacket and straightened his back, “Do you like the Major look? I picked a rank that wasn’t too showy and not too high, but not too low. I wanna be able to throw some weight around. Anyway, do I look decent?
Gul approved with a smile, “Just like an officer.”
“Some people are walking around with badges hanging from their necks in there.” One such badge appeared around Gul’s neck. The goateed man lightly tugged on it. “So, you get one, I guess. I’ll get one too, just for kicks.”
RB 01 Through Flesh & Bone Page 45