SKY WOMAN OF GROOM LAKE

by Charlie Peart

  While Shelley was in the locker room, the security attendant had come around the hangar, desiring to escort Amie to her pod. He poked his head in the conference room, watching curiously as Carol scrutinized the contents of the trash can, flinging empty soda and beer cans into a trash bag.

  “Do you know where Amie is?” he asked, interrupting her.

  “Amie? No, she was at our party. But I haven’t seen her in a while,” Carol answered in an annoyed fashion, an empty wine bottle coated with cake frosting soiling her hands.

  The security guard moved on to the women’s locker room, where he met Shelley exiting from the room, her face red and her demeanor flustered. “Thank God you’re here. I think someone’s taken my coat, purse, and ID badge right out of my locker. It’s not there. I left everything there this morning. I’ve been so busy with this damned party!” Shelley’s voice hit a high pitch.

  “Okay, Let’s go check together, if that’s all right with you,” the attendant said in a calm, soothing tone. Together they walked into the locker room and Shelley showed him her now empty locker.

  “Did you have it locked this afternoon?” he asked politely.

  “I never lock it. In the five years I’ve been here, never once. Why should I? Everyone has a clearance. Never been a problem.”

  “Anyone in the lady’s room?” When Shelley replied negatively, he walked in and checked all the stalls. “When did you last see Amie?” he asked her, upon exiting the toilets.

  “Amie? I don’t know... she hugged me, all full of thanks for the wonderful party. Haven’t seen her since. Why?”

  “I’m here to escort her, and I can’t find her.” He exited the locker room and made a thorough inspection of the hangar area, checking inside the X-56 and opening a few janitorial closet doors. The women noticed him chatting into his radiophone.

  The security attendant returned to the women, telling them that he had reported the locker theft and that they should wait to talk to a back-up squad that would be coming to do an interview. The security man then continued roaming around, looking behind some desks and under several tables while calling out Amie’s name.

  Soon, a whole team of security officials filled the hangar. Amie’s pod had been checked. The two male extraterrestrials were there, but the female was missing. The males denied knowledge of where Amie could be, only mentioning that she had been looking forward to the big afternoon party with her team. An alert was immediately issued.

  In the years since the alien residences had been constructed, there had never been an incident where an alien had been able to escape. All aliens had been thoroughly indoctrinated concerning the myriad security measures in place, as well as the remoteness of Area 51. They had been warned that escape was impossible, that security and surveillance were too tight. They could never hope to make it past the gate. Security officials reasoned that Amie was probably outside the hanger, hiding in one of the dead spots where a camera might not see her. A team of twelve men was ordered to scour the X-56 hanger perimeter as well as the Seeker hanger. These were the only two areas Amie had ever been allowed to visit.

  But, of course, Shelley Carson’s ID and personal items were missing. Obviously, the female alien was suspect. A computer check was run on everyone that had gone into and out of the X-56 hanger that day. It was soon apparent that Shelley Carson had badged in at 1000 hrs and badged out at 1530 hrs.

  A check was made of the day’s camera recordings of personnel entering and exiting the hanger, starting at 1500 hours and ending at 1700 hours. At 1530 hours, a woman with medium-length blonde hair was seen leaving and going in the direction of Janet Terminal. As the video was zoomed in on the subject, the blue pants suit and jacket were noted, as well as the purse. A picture was shown to Shelley Carson, who confirmed that the purse and jacket were hers. A further computer-enhanced close-up revealed that the facial features, small nose and mouth, closely resembled that of the alien Amie.

  An Air Force security captain, assuming control of the investigation, concluded that Amie, an extraterrestrial being, had taken defense contractor Shelley Carson’s jacket, purse, and ID and, wearing a blonde wig as a disguise, exited the hangar building at approximately 1530 hours. He then ordered surveillance tapes for Janet Airlines Terminal and also the jitney bus stop. “She may have flown out of here, possibly to McCarran,” he figured.

  The captain sent several of his people to the terminal right away, to make sure she wasn’t hiding somewhere over there. In the meantime he reviewed the video recordings of people entering the terminal and boarding the Janet flights that afternoon. He ordered one of his sergeants to check the manifests to see if Carson was listed for a flight that afternoon. “Report back to me as soon as you have that information,” he demanded.

  Fifteen minutes later, a call from the sergeant came in telling his captain that Carson was listed as having taken the 1600 hours flight to Las Vegas. He confirmed that report a few minutes later with the video of Amie boarding the 1600 hours flight. The Area 51 commander was notified. The FBI was called in to assist, as well, on a limited “need to know” basis.

  Surveillance video of passengers disembarking the Janet Airlines Terminal revealed the short, blonde woman in a pantsuit boarding a jitney bus for the main terminal at the McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. The flight attendant on the 1600 hours Janet flight was called for an interview. Questioning concerned where the petite, blonde woman had been seated, who sat beside or near her, and whether the flight crew had noted anything unusual. Later, all passengers on the plane would be interviewed to glean every possible detail.

  Chapter 13

  Amie had drifted off to a state of meditation while Nick drove into Arizona and then had picked up I-40E heading to Flagstaff. He kept the Civic at 75 mph, a little over the speed limit, but based on the traffic that kept blowing by him, he felt like he was crawling down the straight empty road. Nick felt really tired now, drained by all the anxiety of wondering whether Amie would make it out of Vegas. But, her foray into the Excalibur Casino aside, it seemed to Nick as if everything had gone pretty much as planned.

  Because Nick figured that security would have discovered Amie’s absence between 1700 and 1800 hours, and all hell would then break loose, Nick kept his cell phone off and the battery removed. He knew that eventually, they would try to call him, if only because he and Amie had been seen together many times. He had bought a Tracfone with a built-in camera from Walmart before the trip, and he planned on using that if he needed to make any calls as well as to take pictures to document his road trip.

  His boss knew about his plan to buy a car in Las Vegas and drive it across the country. He told him it was one of those “bucket list” sort of things that he wanted to do before he retired or died.

  Nick’s boss had concurred. “Now’s as good a time as any, since it’s unlikely you’ll be doing any more West Coast traveling for us.”

  His boss seemed in a particularly magnanimous mood, Nick recalled, and told him to take it easy, as he had just a few months to go before retirement. “Take as much vacation time as you need, Nick. You know, to get yourself ready to retire.”

  Nick planned to stop in Flagstaff for one night. He wanted to stay overnight there, before driving the roughly 25 miles south to Sedona in the morning. There, they would cruise around to find an inexpensive place for Amie to stay. Then Nick would be on his way. He would leave Amie with enough money to get by for a couple of weeks, although she assured him that the Seeker craft would undoubtedly pick her up before then. He hoped she could order room service so she didn’t have to get out in public much. She was going to try contacting her people mostly during the night, when others were asleep. Nick almost laughed to himself when he pictured Amie, trying to do this spooky vortex energy thing, at 3am in some motel parking lot or on top of some of the large rocks dotting the landscape there.

  Nick looked over at Amie sitting silently in the passenger seat beside him; it was hard to tell if she was sleeping or just in a med
itative state. She hadn’t said anything for the last hour. He let her rest.

  Almost four hours later, Nick pulled into a Super 8 motel at exit 193 and stopped the car. Amie had, by then, roused herself from her trance-like state, but was still unresponsive as Nick drove the long, tedious miles, his oldies rock-and-roll keeping him awake.

  “Why are we stopping?” Amie asked, almost indignantly. “I am not feeling the energy vibrations of Sedona yet.”

  “I’m tired, you can’t drive, and we need to take a break until morning. Wait here, I’ll go in and get a room.”

  “I’m hungry Nick, can we get something to eat?”

  “After we get in the room, I’ll go over to the Cracker Barrel next door and order some take out, okay?”

  Nick checked in, got a salad for Amie and a chicken sandwich for himself, just in time before the restaurant closed. Amie was laying on her double bed watching TV when he came back to the room. They both ate greedily while watching the late news.

  Exhausted from the driving and tension of the day, Nick was about to turn off the TV and go to bed when the young, blonde newscaster switched to a breaking story about roadblocks that had been set up going into and out of Sedona. The TV screen filled with pictures of local and state police cars, flashing lights, barriers, and a few cars held up while going through the checkpoints. Police were searching for a possible kidnapping victim, the reporter stated. No other details had been given.

  When the story ended Nick turned the set off and looked at Amie. “I don’t buy it about this kidnapping story. It’s too vague. Do you think it’s possible they’re looking for you?”

  “Possibly.”

  Nick was stunned by her reply. “But why? No one knows your plans for Sedona but me, right?”

  “Mike and X-ray know. I imagine the security forces might have been harsh with them, after detecting that I had escaped. Just like the mean tactics they used when we were captured at Rendlesham. They probably forced info out of them.”

  “Oh God,” Nick thought, as he placed his hands on his face in dismay. “Thank God I didn’t push on to Sedona tonight. What have I gotten mixed up in?”

  “Nick, don’t be upset. It is fortuitous that we stopped here.”

  Noticing Nick’s strong, hostile vibrations, Amie tried to touch his hand to soothe him. He brushed her hand away, shouting, “Why in the hell would you tell them anything?”

  “I told you once before, we are all a family, a tribe. What happens to one of us, happens to all of us. I didn’t mean any harm to you, Nick, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

  Nick could feel fear and anger growing inside him. His big plan was blown, that was for sure. Now he was stuck with an alien woman for God knew how long. He hadn’t planned for that. He had thought it was all going to be so easy.

  “Amie gets herself out of Area 51. I take her to Sedona and leave. That was it, end of my responsibility. No one could pin anything on me, as long as they didn’t have any proof of me giving Amie a ride,” Nick voiced to her in a loud, aggravated manner.

  There was still no evidence of him giving Amie a ride, Nick thought, except for the casino cameras. “That was a bonehead act you pulled at the Excalibur,” he yelled at her, his anger about the previous incident returning. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what he should do next.

  They were silent for a long while. Nick just sat on the bed in a daze, confused, while his anger slowly subsided. Amie sat in a chair watching him. She had removed her sunglasses and her eyes were reflective dark pools, seemingly lit with a shimmering light from within. A strong energy vibration crackled around her.

  Nick finally spoke. “We can’t go to Sedona tomorrow, Amie, that’s very clear. They’re looking for you there. Is there another place? Is there somewhere, along the way back to Florida, that I can take you?”

  “Not really. It was either Sedona or the Bahamas. I know it’s a lot to ask, Nick, but I can’t go back to Area 51. I don’t want to die there and become just another laboratory specimen for your government’s research.” Amie moved to the bed and placed her hands on his. Nick could feel a strong, warm energy flowing into his body. It felt calming and reassuring.

  “Sleep on it, Nick. Maybe you’ll come up with some answers by morning.”

  Her energy helped Nick begin to feel better. “Most likely Amie is right,” he thought. “There is always another way, if things do not always go as planned.” The kneading of Amie’s warm hands on Nick’s back, as he stretched out on the bed continued as he laid thinking about their plight. “Whether I like it or not, I have taken her on as my responsibility. She’ll just have to come with me to Florida. Then I’ll have to figure out how to get her to the Bahamas, so she can escape. There must be a way. I’ll just have to find it.”

  Amie cradled Nick in her thin little arms, continuing to manifest positive thoughts and transferring these to Nick. He almost thought he heard her singing, although it had to have been her thought-music. He felt extremely tired. “I’m going to sleep, Amie,” he murmured. “You should, too. We’ll have a few days to figure out what to do.”

  Nick was soon snoring and Amie placed his head on his pillow, went to the bathroom, stripped to her special alien undergarment while still wearing her special vest, and turned off the lights. She climbed into bed and immediately fell fast asleep. Nick, however, spent a restless night tossing and turning, trying to formulate a plan for the next day, before finally drifting off into a deeper slumber.

  The next morning Nick ordered breakfast to go at the Cracker Barrel and brought it back to the room. Amie, an early riser, had been up and dressed for hours and was quite eager to start the day. She wanted to get away as soon as possible from Flagstaff. She could feel a negative energy emanating from the police presence in the area.

  Nick got out a map and showed Amie the route he planned to take on his road trip journey. “We’ll drive to Amarillo, Texas today. It’s a long drive, but we’ll go through some really nice country. I still don’t have a real good plan yet,” he confessed.

  Today, Nick felt strangely compelled to help Amie, as if an unseen force had taken control of his mind. He couldn’t discern if it was “he” that wanted to help so badly, or someone else urging him to carry on despite the failure they had already experienced.

  “I really appreciate this, Nick,” Amie gushed. She thought to herself that a less generous and kind-hearted soul might have dropped her at this motel, and told her to make her way on her own to Sedona once the police barriers disappeared. Of course, she knew the powers of her vest had helped in convincing Nick, last night, to be her savior.

  “We’re going to have to go to Florida and eventually get you to the Bahamas, that’s about all I can come up with,” Nick muttered, running his hands through his hair. “I have some ideas how we can do it, but a lot will depend on a few calls I need to make along the way. Amie, you need to do your part by listening to what I tell you. The government folks will be looking at every bit of information now. Any slip on our part, like you going into that casino when I asked you not to; that could trip us up. I hope you realize that.”

  Amie could sense anger and a feeling of the need to be in control returning and filling Nick’s mind. She knew she needed to stop the negative thoughts. These would block his positive energy. She needed him now, more than ever.

  “I’ll do whatever you ask, Nick. I’m sorry it turned out this way. Thank you again for but your help. I appreciate it so much.”

  They headed east. She said no more as they drove. Nick listened to his oldies rock station and gradually his feelings of confidence returned. Noticing his better mood, Amie ventured a question. “If Florida is days away, I will probably need a change of clothes, Nick. Don’t you think?”

  Hearing this, Nick realized that Amie was undoubtedly uncomfortable wearing the same clothing she had worn on the previous day. While he had remembered to bring along extra toiletries for Amie, he had forgotten she would need extra clothing as well. She wa
s right, a change of clothing was an obvious priority. He was surprised he hadn’t thought of it before.

  “Gallup, New Mexico would be our best bet. It’s not too far from here. There’s an old section of highway there called Route 66. Plenty of shops and cafes. We can try shopping there.”

  On the drive to Gallup, Nick explained more about their final destination in Florida, and what would happen once they arrived.

  “The thing is Amie, I may not be able to get you to the Bahamas for a while. We would have to go in a friend’s boat, if he agrees to it, and the weather might not be good enough when we arrive. You can’t stay with me, either, because they will be looking for you there. I need to call another friend of mine. I know he has a place that he rents out. It’s a possibility. If I can get you into this house of his you have to promise me you won’t leave it. I know it may sound like another prison to you, but this is the only way I can do it.“

  Nick pulled over at the next rest stop and used his Tracfone to call his friend Doug in Florida. Fortunately, Doug answered right away. Nick asked him about renting the secluded house they had visited over in White City. He said he wanted it for a month.

  “Well, it isn’t very clean or fancy inside,” Doug replied, much surprised. “I haven’t got around to a lot of maintenance yet except clearing up the landscape, fixing the bathroom plumbing, and patching a hole in the roof. If you want it for the next month, it’s yours at $500 a month. But why do you want it?”

  Nick explained he had a friend who would be in the area for just a short while and wasn’t too fussy.

  “Good thing,” Doug responded. “You know the only furniture over there right now is some of the old stuff the owner left. There’s a bed with a lumpy mattress, a kitchen table, and a few moldy old armchairs. I’ll get Terri to try and freshen things up a bit. I can bring over a small TV and get a cable hook-up and bring you some sheets, a few dishes, and pots.”