by Gary Striker
“How I wish that was my fishing hole, Bill! Right now, the place scares the shit out of me”.
“Very well, Dave. I’ll call you in the morning, if not sooner”.
Colonel Harris signed off with the U.S. Army Missile Commander at Redstone Arsenal. Phase-1 of the mission plan was completed with surprisingly little effort. This alone was a bit unsettling to the Colonel. Darren’s report was reviewed by a personal friend of General Thompson. He happened to be the Coordinator of the Space Exploration Group at NASA. This group already had evidence of extraterrestrial life forms not released to the public. The photos and evidentiary analysis mirrored a specific genus that was known since the Raegan days and classified ‘extremely dangerous’. It’s no secret that Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative had the media tag, ‘Star Wars’, with China and Russia collectively identified as public enemy number one. At least that was the intent. What is not commonly known was the Research and Development designation for the ‘seventy thousand foot and above’ air combat requisite. The project code name was ‘Outer Air Battle”. The General chose not to disclose this information to his friend and subordinate officer, Colonel Harris.
In Wallagrass at eight o’clock on Monday morning, the temperature was a balmy thirty-nine degrees under clear skies. Conditions were ideal for satellite surveillance of the Ben Lake Watering Area.
Steve and Jane were expecting Darren for breakfast as the grill was being heated and the coffee was brewing. All was calm in the cozy confines of Eagle Lake. Jane was busy preparing the mixings for an Acadian favorite known as a ‘Ploye’. This was a unique buckwheat griddle cake unlike any other type of pancake or flan. Acadian festivals featured this delicacy along with other local favorites.
“How do you come up with all these things”, Steve asked in amazement as the aromas came to life?
“Oh, I just look out the kitchen window and it comes to me”, Jane answered sarcastically.
Steve laughed and gazed out the window himself, hoping that enlightenment and a new point of view would shower down upon him. What he did see was Darren pulling up to the house.
“Here comes the mad scientist”, Steve announced, “He looks like trouble. You don’t know the real Darren. He’s a piece of work”!
“I’ll take my chances”, Jane answered cynically.
“Good morning, guys”, Darren said as Steve closed the door behind him, “I’ll just follow my nose to breakfast. It’s so good to see the American way of kitchen life in action”!
“C’mon in Darren”, Jane said casually as she looked over her shoulder and noticed his feisty mannerisms. “Are you here for food or fight, big fella”?
“I’ll just make like I’m at home and hush up”.
“That’s a good boy, Darren”, Jane said, “Your wife has you well trained”.
“That’s right! I learned early on that silence is golden”!
“And how did that work out for you”, Jane asked with a bit of curiosity?
“Real good! Sometimes I don’t talk to her for hours”.
“Isn’t that a bit rude”, Jane asked?
“It would be if I interrupted her”, Darren countered with a laugh so boisterous that he fell off his chair.
“Would you like me to set you a place down there”, Jane asked without so much as a smile? “It seems appropriate”.
“Oh, hell no”, Darren said while wiping tears from his eyes, “I’m only the second generation in my family to walk up right. I’m still getting the hang of stairs and chairs, as you can see”.
Steve had enjoyed the duel, knowing that more was likely. He especially appreciated the fact that he was an innocent observer!
“Who’s the impersonator that you hire for the lab scenes”, Jane asked as she set the steaming ploys in front of them?
“That’s my other brother, Darren”, he said while leaning on his ‘Daryl’ humor, “and he’s a schizoid”.
“You certainly have a legacy to uphold”, Jane observed, “and who does your wife get to clean your cage”?
Darren roared and choked on his ployes.
“Oh, she’s a killer, Steve”, Darren exclaimed with animation! “Just make sure the chain’s long enough to get from the stove to the refrigerator”!
Darren and Steve were holding their stomachs in fits of pain.
“If you and Steve are identical twin brothers, don’t you have to be of the same species and the same sex”, Jane asked emphatically?
Steve’s dial tone from the world beyond interrupted the tears and jeers from the ‘twins’.
“Hello Cruz”, Steve answered, “Where are you”?
“We’re in Detroit. The pilot wants to go direct Presque Isle and then see if we can make it to Caribou, depending on the weather. Either way, we should be in around 2 PM”.
“This is Jane. We can’t wait to see you. Call as soon as you can. We’ll come get you”.
“Thanks for the backup plan, sweetheart! If we get stuck, you’ll be the first on the list. Adios for now”!
“There’s something about that guy I like”, Jane said in mild amazement as she rarely gets that impression from anyone.
“I don’t believe he’s ever told a lie in his whole life”, Steve said, speaking from experience. You just have to be careful with what he isn’t saying”.
“I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for now. I’m going to get his room ready. He’ll love it”, Jane said with confidence!
“Before you go, Jane”, Darren began, “You’ll probably not want to hear this”.
“What’s going on”?
“We don’t have much time left with our visitor. ‘Duty’ has the deputies on a high risk alert status. They have also been observing some strange luminescence coming from the Ben Lake area. The activity level measurements from our creature are very high. I just wish that I knew what all that means”.
“You be careful around that thing”, Jane ordered.
“I don’t think it’s going to make much difference whether we’re around it or not”, Darren said with an ominous expression. He bid them a good day as he took in the quiet scene from the porch.
“If there was ever a calm before the storm, this has to be the mother of all calm”, he thought to himself!
“General Thompson, this is Captain Richards with S.E.G. Good morning, Sir”.
“What do you have, Captain”?
“Sir, the first infra-red images from your observation area are showing substantial amounts of thermal energy production. The heat signature fluctuates from frame to frame in a consistent pattern. But that’s not what has us concerned”.
“What’s going on, captain”, The General queried as he turned on his bedroom light?
“Sir, we also have visible imaging from the available light. There is presence of a large number of unknown life forms moving about. They appear to be engaged in some type of unified activity, but we have not determined what that is. It is very peculiar that they have no infrared signature as a person would display. At this time of the morning, it should be quite visible”.
“Keep me advised of any change of status immediately, Captain. Forward any relevant info and reports as they become available”.
“Yes sir, will do”!
The General’s first course of action was to find out exactly who or what was amassing deep within the Allagash Wilderness Area. Whether it be alien or domestic presence was a secondary issue. The immediate threat to national security, if there was one, needed to be understood and resolved.
“Colonel Harris, this is General Thompson”, he said as the introductions were formal. Dave Harris was no stranger to military rank and file.
“Good morning, sir. What do we need to do”, the Colonel asked?
“I need you to get a crew airborne up over the target area as soon as possible. We’ll need live video feed with all the bells and whistles”.
“Sir, we have a C-21 Alpha aircraft configured for our coastal surveillance operations. It has th
e necessary detection, monitoring, and data streaming equipment on board. I believe this platform will meet with the General’s expectations”.
“Very well, Colonel. We need everything and anything that it can give us”.
“Understood, sir. I’ll contact you as soon as she’s airborne, which should be within the hour”.
For General Thompson, too many pieces of an abysmal puzzle were fitting together. Colonel Harris, without knowing, presented a problem of magnanimous proportions. The C21-A overflight mission would confirm or deny the General’s worst fears. Secondary issues would be difficult to implement without cause for widespread panic. A declared state of national emergency would surely result in a Presidential order for implementation of Martial Law.
Cruz Benavidas and a surprise guest were nearing their destination in Northern Maine as an emergency no-fly zone was declared. The flight crew received an order to immediately descend to the Northern Maine Regional Airport in Presque Isle, but negotiated Caribou Municipal Airport instead, thanks to a helpful Air Traffic Controller. No further flight operations were permitted until further notice.
“I just received a text message from Cruz”, Steve informed Jane as they were expecting some word of his arrival schedule. “He’ll be in Caribou in fifteen minutes. He will advise us of his rental car status at that time”.
Steve received several text messages within a few minutes, which in itself was unsettling.
“I got another message from Dave Harris”, Steve said, “It looks like things are happening”.
“What’s he doing”, Jane asked?
“He’s sending a reconnaissance plane to overfly the Lake area. It looks like they found a few things out of order with the satellite images.
“You told Dave that wasn’t a good idea”, Jane confirmed.
“That’s right, but I’m not the General”, Steve conceded.
“I got another text message from Darren”, Steve announced, “and holy shit, it looks like they had a near incident at the police station. Let me call him”.
“Hi Steve”, Darren answered, “we got lucky, partner”!
“What happened”?
“Apparently Cheyenne’s Martian friend sucked the air out of the room, at least the oxygen. One of the deputies passed out and another one managed to drag his ass out before they both became fixated. They’re ok, but any further surveillance is limited to the cameras”.
“I think we lost this battle, Darren”, Steve concluded. “We’ll know more shortly”.
Steve informed Darren of the overflight mission and military involvement.
“I think they know way more than they’re telling us”, Darren contemplated, “Hey, I almost forgot. Those two inspectors showed up, Jake and Elliot. Jim brought them over. He handed Elliot a stick and told him to go into the containment room. He took one look through the window and beat it”.
“So much for macho man”, Steve alleged with a laugh!
“Gotta go, talk later”, was Darren’s sign-off.
Cruz and his surprise guest made it into Caribou without incident. They were one of the first to make it down and the limited resources at the car rental agency was not a problem. Other flights that diverted to Caribou were arriving. The talk was thick concerning another 9-1-1 incident, but it was pure speculation. Temporary Flight Restrictions were limited to the Northeast flight corridor. Apparently, General Thompson was taking no chances with commercial aviation, in addition to having the latest intelligence reports from the area. Ground reserve units were also being mobilized. The C21-A reconnaissance aircraft from the Bangor 222 Mobility Wing was in route with a ten minute E.T.A. The General was plugged in to all the resources at his command.
“Cruz is at Soldier Pond”, Steve announced, “He should be here in fifteen minutes”.
“Let’s meet him at the Bald Eagle”, Jane suggested.
Steve sent a last text message followed with, “Done! Let’s go”!
Jane and Steve were relaxing on a bench in front of the Eagle when Cruz pulled in.
“I never saw him drive his own car”, Steve commented with surprise! “He’s travelling light, for sure”.
“Well, I’ll be…look at who he has with him”, Steve said in utter astonishment. “It’s Lucy”!
“Hi Steve”, Lucy greeted him with a big hug and a push off, “and you must be Godzilla”!
Lucy needed no one to do introductions as she and Jane got immediately acquainted. All the questions and answers were exchanged about the flight experience, the trip, as well as the current flight restrictions that Steve was not aware of.
Cruz had a big smile on his face and a relaxed look unlike the demeanor he portrayed back in the city with Kong and all of his servants.
“This environment agrees with you, Cruz”, Steve asked with genuine interest?
“Very much, Steve. It reminds me of being a kid back in Encinitas when it was a small fishing and tourist town”.
“Let’s get you guys off the street and moved in”, Jane invited with enthusiasm! “Just follow us”.
“Oh, what a pretty place”, Lucy exclaimed, “It looks like a post card. It’s beautiful”!
“Cruz”, Steve began, “In all the years that we’ve known each other, I never thought I would say, ‘it’s a pleasure to see you’”!
“Life does have its twists and turns”, Cruz affirmed with a grin, knowing that the welcome was genuine and mutual.
Steve’s phone lit up with a call from Darren immediately followed with another from Dave Harris.
“Hold on one second, Darren, I’ve got Dave on the other line. Don’t go away”!
“Hello, Dave”, Steve said as he answered the call waiting line.
“We’ve got big problems! The reconnaissance overflight mission failed, but not before getting some very disturbing footage”.
“What happened”, Steve asked as everyone was center forward to the speaker phone?
“We have very clear images of those creatures in brigade strength. The surface of the center of the lake is evacuated and what appears to be a developed habitation zone and launch center is evident below the surface. The last image was an obscured green light and then the aircraft disappeared from radar”.
“So what’s the next move”, Dave”, Steve asked?
“The General requested several operations from Joint Services, including pre-positioning of tactical combat assets to Presque Isle. He’s bringing in the 27th Fighter squadron from Langley plus ground support. We’re at war”!
Steve relayed the news to Darren and requested from ‘Duty’ that any and all available assets be put in the field for search and rescue. A crew of four were aboard the aircraft. The last radar contact was two miles north of Ben Lake. Everyone looked at each other in disbelief!
“Cruz, I’ve been contemplating a way to tell you this…”, Steve began as he got cut off.
“Just put it on the line like you always do, Steve, with no bullshit”!
“We have overwhelming evidence that points to Marie’s abductor. I can’t explain further, except that what we need to do is urgent. We’re out of time”.
“Well, let’s do it”, Cruz requested, “and what did you have in mind”?
“The abductor is at the Fort Kent lockup. Darren is there now. We don’t know how much longer we will be able to contain him. And one more thing; be prepared for the abnormal. We don’t know where Marie is but the son-of-a-bitch in the lockup should help us to bring closure to her disappearance, one way or the other”.
It was not like Cruz to feel out of his element. He was now completely subservient to one of his former most hated and respected enemies. His only solace was knowing that they had never, not once, lied to or tried to deceive each other. For the sake of Marie, he was committed to taking whatever risk was necessary. He was also keenly aware that the man in front of him had already taken much greater risks on behalf of his sister, however driven he was.
“Let’s go meet this thing, whatever it i
s”, Cruz requested with a conviction of determination.
“You must be dead on your feet”, Jane said as Ming yawned and then smiled.
“It was a long day, but I’m tough”, Ming laughed while receiving no arguments to her statement.
“Let’s go do this”, Jane said, “and then have a very relaxing dinner right over there at Fiddleheads”.
Jane pointed out the window toward the restaurant on the lake while Lucy heartily accepted the idea of being served dinner for once in her life!
Aliens in the Allagash
Chapter 24
Communication
As Steve pulled into the Fort Kent Police Station parking lot, people were streaming out of the building.
“I wonder what’s going on”, Jane asked? “There’s Richard Gard and what looks like a group of reporters”.
“The cameras are a giveaway”, Lucy commented with a smile.
“Hi Jane”, Gard said as he greeted her in the lot.
“What’s going on, Mr. Shutterbug”, Jane asked her reporter acquaintance?
“The building is being evacuated per ‘Duty’s orders. We’re going to be on the nine o’clock news with a special announcement at six”.
“They’re all going to think you’re crazy”, Jane responded. “Actually, they’re going to think we’re all crazy”!