by Randal Sloan
Turning to address the full group, Carla began her VR presentation. The VR displayed a detailed map of the capital city of Kinza and the surrounding area. “As we discussed previously, the coup in Kinza is being controlled by a single warlord who is supporting the Organization. That is why your negotiations are not going anywhere. He is just stalling for time while he consolidates his position, which he accomplishes by threatening anyone who opposes him, and killing them if necessary. As I mentioned the last time, our best solution to the problem is to find a way to take him out with a covert team.”
Carla zoomed in to a location near the southern edge of the capital city in Kinza, “The warlord seldom leaves his compound just outside the capital. The compound itself is heavily defended.” Carla indicated the location of the compound. “When he does leave, he travels in an armored caravan, and would not likely be vulnerable to attack while doing so. However, Kinza has a national holiday coming up to celebrate the date of the formation of their country by the United Nations. He should be in his compound during the holiday, and his defenses will be weakened by the loss of a number of men due to the celebration.”
Carla displayed a detailed view of the warlord’s compound. “A small covert team should be able to come in from the desert area to the west of the compound, neutralize the guards here and here,” she pointed to the two guard posts near the western edge of the compound, “and infiltrate the center building area to take out the warlord.”
Carla went on to give them more details on the warlord and his link to the Organization. She had discovered a lot about him in her weeks undercover in Kinza. He had been building his power for some time. To help them understand, she displayed pictures of the warlord and his immediate staff. She told them everything she knew about their activities, including the atrocities they had committed. She spoke of the many rumors describing how he had gained his power within the country’s politics by killing anyone who disagreed with him, and the information she had found backing up those claims. Finally, she had pictures of each of the other men involved in the coup, explaining their political viewpoints. Reaching the end of her formal presentation, she asked if anyone had any questions.
As leader of the task force, Phillip waited a moment to see if anyone might have questions. Carla had covered the material so well that no one did, so he told Carla to wait outside. As soon as she left the room, he said to Colonel Landon, “James, if you don’t have this woman assigned to your staff, she’s mine. That was one of the most organized presentations I have ever seen. It gives us the exact amount of detail we need to make a decision.”
“Sorry sir,” James answered him. “I sent the request for her transfer before we entered the room. I know potential when I see it. I would have said she was wasted out in the field until I saw this presentation, but this brief contains as much information as we have seen on this country during their short history.”
“Lucky man. If you hadn’t already sent the transfer, she would have been mine. However, as the case may be, expediency probably dictates that we assign her to the infiltration team if that is the decision we reach. Not that I see we have any other choice.”
The group discussed the pros and cons, but there really wasn’t any other decision to be made if the President agreed. Their plan would be just as Carla had laid out, with a covert team sent based on Carla’s suggested timetable, timing their attack with the local holiday. As Phillip had suggested, the plan included making Carla part of the team as a resource.
As the task force meeting broke up, Phillip pulled aside Carla’s new superior officer, requesting that Carla be sent to his office. He told him, “Let me talk to her to be sure she is willing to go before I send the plan over to the President. After all, she has recently escaped from there while under considerable duress, and she may not be mentally or emotionally able to return. I believe she will possibly be more forthcoming with me. Plus, I still need her testimony regarding the young lady involved in their escape. I am preparing the paperwork for the Medal of Honor we are to present to her.”
Carla had been waiting outside the conference room, nervously wondering what they were talking about. When Colonel Landon came out of the meeting room, she quickly saluted him.
The Colonel returned her salute, pausing to speak to her. “Thank you for your most excellent report. The whole room was highly impressed by your presentation. I can tell you that those men are not easily impressed. Luckily for me, I submitted the request to transfer you to my command before we went into that room. Otherwise, the Presidential Chief of Staff would have stolen you away from me.”
Carla did not know what to say. Her career had taken a sudden change. “Sir, I only did what I thought was appropriate for the situation.”
“But you took that initiative without any explicit orders from a poor chain of command that I must accept responsibility for. And, you completed it all with your own limited resources, but with superb detail. No. I’m lucky I got you, and I’ll be even luckier if I keep you.”
“However, we will deal with that as it comes. Our most excellent Presidential Chief of Staff has requested that you visit his office to talk about a possible mission, and to talk about that extraordinary young student who assisted in your escape from Kinza.” He tapped his VR controls on his arm band. “Good, I see your escort is awaiting you outside our door. We will talk again soon. Dismissed.”
When Carla exited the room, she did indeed find an escort waiting. The escort this time was a young woman. Giving her a big smile, Carla couldn’t resist telling her, “Lead on, my fair maiden.”
That brought a smile to the young lady’s face, but her only response was a professional, “This way, please.”
After a number of corridors with mostly silent people passing, they came to another set of offices. “This is your destination. You are to enter when ready. They will provide you with an escort to return.”
“Thank you,” Carla told her. Carla was feeling quite generous today, hence the extra courtesy.
That got a response at least. “You are most welcome.” The young lady turned, hurrying back down the hallway.
Suddenly a little nervous, Carla checked her hair and her uniform. Still ok. She couldn’t keep from wondering what this was all about. In some ways she wasn’t worried. The leader of the task force had been kind and fair in all his dealings that she had seen. All the information, she had found on him told her that he was known for his sense of integrity and honesty, unlike many in this city of politicians.
When Carla opened the door, she found a very large room waiting on the other side, a room that was a beehive of activity. She stepped up to a dispatch desk and was directed to an office at the far end. Everyone was busy, but a number of the people working spoke greetings to her as she walked past. They were all working hard, but they mostly seemed happy. Hopefully, that was a good sign.
#
Philip Madison, the Presidential Chief of Staff, was having another busy day. They were all busy, but he really enjoyed his job. Phillip very much admired the man he reported to, and he strove to do his dead level best in his work and then some. He had already sent the President a secure VR with the basics of the recommendation of the task force, but he expected at some point the President would want to question him personally, and he would need to submit the full details by the next day.
Speaking of that task force, his aide had VR’d the arrival of Carla Davis, the woman who had given such a superb presentation at the task force meeting that had just ended. He needed to squeeze her in now, since her response would affect whether or not she was included in the formal plan.
Stepping across to the door, he said, “Please come in. I appreciate you coming to talk with me.” He led her into the office and indicated a chair for her. “Please have a seat.”
Once she was seated, he went on, “In private, I would prefer that you address me by my first name of Phillip. We stand on way too much ceremony around here.
“I know you are w
ondering why I have invited you to come see me. You see, your most excellent presentation, which I know you did all on your own, provided our group with exactly the intel we needed to plan our mission, but we still have to complete it. I want to talk to you about the mission, but I want to be sure we are clear on the intent. We need to know if you would be willing to go on this mission with our team—” Carla started to react to his statement, but he held up a hand. “But I want you to understand this. I know you just escaped from your undercover assignment there under a considerable amount of duress. If you feel that you cannot return again so soon, we would all understand. The aftereffects of that amount of stress cannot be trivialized.”
Carla took a deep breath as she thought about her feelings. “Yes, Phillip, I will admit I am still a little shaken up from having such a close call. But if I can really contribute to this mission, then I would be glad to assist. This mission is of great importance both to us nationally and to our friends at Space Tech. The failure to obtain zechronium could shut down any further space development for our country and would be a disaster for Space Tech.”
“Well, just in case you change your mind, I will wait until tomorrow for you to submit your decision. But that brings me to the second reason for you being here. Please tell me about the remarkable young lady who assisted you in your escape from Kinza.”
“She is indeed quite remarkable. She is very young but very capable. What makes it even more remarkable is that just a few months ago she was in a coma. When she woke up, she had no memory, and yet when our situation developed in Kinza, she was a leader among her group during the crisis.”
When Philip nodded, she went on, “We know that she has unbelievable ability. She took out those five guards with five precisely fired shots in as rapid a sequence as I have ever seen. A pretty good sharpshooter too apparently, since she managed to take out all their vehicles. Then somehow she defeated those four ninja lookalikes. But afterwards, while we were flying to the military airport, she told me she had been really scared the whole time, but she had done what she had to do. I don’t know what better qualifies one to be called a hero than that mindset, do you?”
“No I don’t. From Hernando Gonzalez’s testimony, we believe she wasn’t entirely sure she could defeat the four men, but she fought them anyway. So what else can you tell me about her?”
“I honestly believe that she is still working to find herself. Partly the missing memory, and partly I had the distinct feeling that she had been learning the ninjas as she fought them. What do you think she will do when she finds herself?”
That brought a smile to them both. Phillip thanked her for her time, reminding her once again that he was waiting until the morning for her decision. But deep down, he knew she wouldn’t change it. She was also a special lady. Maybe she would deserve a medal too, when all was said and done.
CHAPTER THREE
The Island
Julie’s flight on the helicopter was a quiet one, not withstanding the noise from the helicopter engine and the air rushing past. She easily tuned those out. She was considering her first lesson. However, when they crossed over the water headed toward the island, she saw a brief vision. It was as if she was on the island, a considerable distance up on the mountain looking down at the sea where it crossed a narrow channel between their island and the next one, which really was an extension of the main island. It was a terrifying vision, with the water moving violently between the two islands, white froth atop huge swells of water. In her vision, she was contemplating having to swim across it. She was supposed to swim across that? She was a really good swimmer, but that looked impossible. Nevertheless, that was the impression she received in her vision.
She had to know if that was really what it meant. “Master, the water. It is beautiful but so deadly. Do we really have to swim across the channel between the two islands?”
The Master looked at her intently. “The second sight is strong with you, dear one. You are only beginning to use it. Someday you will really be a force to reckon with when you have your full vision strength.” He paused a moment and seeing the question still in her eyes, he went on, “The only ones who must swim the channel are those who wish to become highest monk. It appears perhaps you will do so.
“I will tell you a secret. When I first saw you, what I saw was the strongest monk candidate that I have ever seen. Which is good but not certain. You are the youngest recruit ever, and the first woman ever to compete within our ranks. Even my mother, Elder Kash, was forced to take a different path. So your road ahead isn’t going to be easy. Those that can see will not care, but the blind, like the former student sent by the council, will try to stand in your way, and some of them you will have to remove from your path.”
Julie decided it was time to go all in. “You do understand why I am here? I don’t care about what position I have. I need to learn to control this, this force I have inside me that I can only barely manage to keep leashed. I will not want to oppose those you speak of, but I will do it if I must. Just like I had to do with your poor, sad student.”
“Yes, dear one. I see the monster that you could be. You must very soon deal with the anger you are feeling right now or you will become that girl. But, I also see the flower that you can become, a rose among thorns. Just like with the taxi driver. I suspect you had to fight your anger even there, but you chose to do what was right. Even more so than most would have done.”
He smiled at her in silent approval. “Although I tell you the journey you must take will not be easy, it is the ones like you that we want to become high monks. I think you will be ready by the time you must be. Also, while you are on your journey, you will bring change to us that we have needed for a long time. Too many traditions without truth or reason behind them.”
He just looked at her for a moment. Seeing the slight smile on his face, Julie wondered if he was seeing her and the resulting chaos in their midst. Maybe he really is seeing it, Julie thought, just a feeling that his sight strength was even stronger than the power she could see within him, which was saying a lot based on what she had already seen.
His look turned a little sad. “I must warn you now before we reach the island. Even though I have claimed you as my student, you will have to start at the bottom and work your way up to me. But to control that beast of yours, you have to work even harder at the meditation than anyone else. It will be well for you, I have no doubt, but I didn’t want you to feel abandoned.
“I have done what I could to help. For the morning classes, you will have my mother, whom those on good terms call Mama Kash. She will teach you well I know. In the afternoon, you will train with the other monk candidates that have just come in so you won’t be alone there either. Mama Kash will also help you with your second sight, which is just beginning to manifest itself in you.”
Smiling again, he went on, “I believe you will also have the help of my assistant, who I have requested for your beginning meditation training. Later he will be involved with your training in other ways.”
Julie realized she had not thought about what would happen when she got there. “You’re right, Master. I must not think of myself so highly just because I have become your student. I need to be more humble. It seems I have to keep learning the same lesson.” Julie’s time as Miranda had taught her a lot, but it was so easy for her as Julie to become too proud of her standing.
“Such is the fate of all of us. Even my own. Seeing you has taught me a lesson, the same one I have had to learn more times than I want to admit. But it is time, the island approaches. Be well. I will keep my eye out, so if you do need help, just know that I am watching.”
Julie was surprised to see they were coming in for a landing. “My many thanks, Master.” She then began preparing herself for the upcoming reception she now knew to expect.
At least the island was as beautiful as she had expected it to be. She could see the trees and buildings as they approached the landing area. Everywhere she could see the land wa
s lush, and the monk compound seemed to blend in with the land. It helped that there were no vehicles, of course, but she didn’t see anything that even resembled a sidewalk. Well traveled but natural paths wound between the buildings and a few led off to other areas. And the temperature felt almost perfect!
Having psyched herself out for trouble, everything started out without any problems. Still carrying a little of the dharma center within herself, she was able to manage the process of exiting the helicopter with little difficulty. She knew her high tech transport stood out, but she didn’t have any choice in the matter.
The landing site was on the edge of the monk compound, a small plateau that dropped off behind her in cliffs all the way to the sea. That made landings and takeoffs easier she suspected. Moving toward the compound, they were met by a monk wearing a red robe. The way he rushed to help the Master, Julie knew he must be the Master’s assistant. He stared in surprise when he saw Julie, but before he could speak, the Master told him, “Look well, my son, before you speak.”
He looked again, this time using his second sight, and his eyes widened. “Is she the one foretold?” he managed to gasp out. If she didn’t know better, Julie would have thought that he started to give her a bow of servitude, the bow arrested just as he started to move.
The Master turned to look at him. “There will be no more talk of that. We will know when it is finished, and to do anything more will be a disservice to my dear child here. But my newest student must start at the beginning, just like everyone else. Please give her a tour of the compound, and tell her about the training and competitions, and about the levels within the monk order, all of them. When you are finished, lead her to the Admin Building. They are to process her in as a student. She will be staying with Elder Kash. And tell them the decision to accept her has already been made. Also, tell them to start her in the accelerated program. I can verify she has passed the first level.”