by Lesley Davis
“So, second star on the right and straight on to Mirror Base East?” Emory pulled out from the barn.
“I advise you keep your foot on the gas because that saucer couldn’t have been on its own. Let’s get to the base ASAP. Have one eye on the road, the other trained on the clouds. The GPS will guide your route, but it won’t warn against saucers.”
“No, that is Dink’s job.” Emory picked up her phone again and dialed Dink’s number. It still didn’t connect. “What the fuck is going on with this?” She resisted the urge to throw the phone in a fit of annoyance. “We need him.”
“You have a lot of faith in him.”
“He’s never steered me wrong so far. He’s my partner and I trust him with my life.”
“Partner in crime, is that?” Sofia gave her such an innocent look Emory had to smile.
“Yeah, I guess so. He’s always the first one I call when I’m arrested. He calms my brother down a lot faster than I can.”
“Have you been arrested much?”
Emory shrugged. “Once or twice. I had to learn the hard way how close was too close when parking out by Area 51.”
“And then there was this latest brush with the law you were telling me about. You were heading to court over not revealing your sources, correct?”
“Something like that. I may be guilty of sneaking into government buildings or the occasional military base, but the only person I put into danger is myself. The people that Dink and I talk to have to know we will keep their identities safe. They are sometimes leaking highly classified information for us to expose. I don’t want their blood on my hands if I let myself run off at the mouth and reveal them.”
“What was so important about this disclosure that you were willing to lose your liberty over it?”
“We were going to expose the boss and his minions of the highest level cover-ups. It was to be a career building exposé and would have finally proved what we’ve said all along. There are people behind the scenes pulling the strings that make the government and military perform to the tune they are playing.”
“What made you believe in this person telling you these so-called secrets? They could have been feeding you false information. Seducing you with exactly what you wanted to hear to have you tangled in their web of lies and get you prosecuted to shut you down.”
It galled Emory to have to agree with that. “You’re right. There’s always that risk, but this time they were supplying names and faces to the players. If nothing else, I could have caused a big enough rumble to shake the ranks a little.” The silence from Sofia was telling and Emory looked over at her. “You’ve worked at Area 51, Captain. You can’t tell me you weren’t aware of how many secrets were covered up there.”
“The base was huge. Sometimes I wasn’t even aware of what was going on in the next hangar.”
“Nice deflect there, sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart?”
“Well, you did kiss me. I’m seeing that as a positive step up from you threatening me with the brig.”
Sofia laughed at her. “No matter how many times I kiss you, you have to know I can’t tell you everything my job entails. If I did…” She purposely let the sentence dangle.
Emory finished it for her. “You’d have to kill me. Like you need any more incentive for that.”
Sofia was quiet. “I worry about you.” She reached to put her hand on Emory’s thigh. “You keep looking into things where you have no business to be looking. It will come back to bite you in the ass in time.”
Emory didn’t miss the thinly veiled warning in Sofia’s tone. “You know that stern voice of yours turns me on, don’t you?” Sofia dug her nails into Emory’s leg. The sharp pain made Emory jump and let out a yelp.
“I’m being serious. I need you to tread carefully at the next base. I can’t have you pulling a disappearing act again to go Nancy Drew-ing around locked doors. You’ll endanger both of us if you follow your usual M.O.”
“You know having to be good is going to kill me.”
“Better that than them actually doing it.”
Sofia wasn’t joking. Emory’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you serious?”
Before Sofia could answer, the sound of Emory’s phone ringing frightened them both. Emory nearly drove off the road in her shock. She fought to keep the van straight while she fumbled for the phone to answer it.
“Emory!” Dink’s voice came over loud and clear through the speaker.
“Dink! Where the fuck have you been? Are you okay?” Emory had never been happier to hear his voice.
“Something strange happened. The Dark Net got corrupted right after chatter started about an alien hit directed on Geneva. We’re talking about an Area 51 kind of hit. As word spread, we started losing phone lines, and then the Internet connections were mysteriously wiped out in a domino effect. I was watching the connections fail in a cascade, winking out across the planet. Then mine died too. Damn weird.”
“Was it specifically Geneva or was it the whole of Switzerland targeted?” Emory was worried about Dink losing communication with his contacts scattered around the planet. That’s all some of them existed for. The theorists, the watchers, and the activists, all poised to do their part in uncovering the truth. They were all each other had to stand up against a disbelieving world. She turned to Sofia. “Had you heard about this cascade?” Sofia shook her head. Emory decided to think about those implications later and just be thankful Dink was okay. “So, how’d you get back in touch with me?”
“I put my faith in the hands of the Lord,” Dink said.
Emory smothered the smile that would have made Sofia all too suspicious. She knew exactly what Dink meant. “Have you lost all Internet connection?”
“It’s patchy, but I have friends working on it. I have a feeling someone didn’t like what we were finding out.” He paused. “Sofia, back at Euphoria, did you by any chance tell anyone about me?”
“No. Under different circumstances I would have, but nothing about now is normal. You’re somehow keeping us safe so I’m selfish enough to want to keep you on my side. However much I despair of your methods.”
“Well, someone reached out and pushed all of us out of the Dark Net and off the airwaves completely. I’ve never seen that happen before,” Dink said. “And I don’t think it was the aliens.”
“Dink, you know the old saying when you look into the abyss, the abyss looks back? If you keep delving into governmental and military software, sooner or later, you will be found. You hack those systems, they will turn the hack back on you. Dark Net or not, there’s nowhere to hide online,” Sofia said.
“Now there’s a sobering thought. Good thing I’ve learned not to leave footprints leading back to my own door.” Dink could be heard clattering away on a keyboard. “So, ladies, catch me up on your news while I was M.I.A. What did you two get up to?”
Emory tried desperately not to look at Sofia who was blatantly staring at her, daring her to tell her best friend exactly what they had been doing. She hesitated. “We saw a saucer and had to take shelter.”
“Damn it. This is what happens when I’m not available to give you guys a heads-up.” Dink sounded furious and a little frazzled. “You’re okay though, right?”
“Yes, still all in one piece. Oh, and we had ice cream,” Emory grimaced at how lame that sounded.
“You had a close encounter and you had ice cream? Man, I leave you alone for a little while and you’re tucking into the sweet treats like you’re at an amusement park. On the next adventure? I’m riding shotgun.”
“Let’s live through this one first and then you’re on,” Emory said. She didn’t look down as she felt Sofia’s hand on her leg, not wanting to give Dink fuel to his fire. But she covered it with her own hand and squeezed. “We’re heading to the base now.”
“The base that doesn’t exist on any map. Wish I could see it, but your feed is down.”
Emory saw Sofia react to that nugget of information. Dink’s view
on the world through Emory’s eyes was out of commission. Emory wondered at the relief she spotted on Sofia’s face before she quickly masked it.
Just what in the hell are we heading to, Emory wondered.
*
Huge warning signs were liberally spread around the perimeter of the largest military base Emory had ever seen. It was a weird oasis stuck in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by a massive mountain range that shielded it from view. It appeared to be twice the size of Area 51. It housed many more hangars, triple the amount of buildings, and more security measures than Emory had ever witnessed. Every guard was armed with machine guns. Sentry posts had gun turrets poised and ready. Armored tanks flanked the fencing as an extra show of force.
“Let me guess. If none of this hardware is a deterrent, they send out a squad of guys to piss on you.”
Sofia was not amused. “Stop gawking. You’re supposed to be a CIA trained official, not some crazed fangirl jonesing at all this.”
Emory grinned and smothered it quickly at Sofia’s look of displeasure.
“Best behavior here. I’m warning you, Emory.”
“Then you’d better start calling me Ellen Mays because she has the credentials to be professional.”
“No! You are not going in there pretending to be your CIA alias.”
“That’s who’s going to get me through the gate. You’ve got to have me identified as her. I have to be her. I have no business being here as a civilian known for having a dubious background in causing trouble in places such as this. You need me to be seen as Ellen. Besides,” she added flippantly, “Ellen rocks. You’ll totally dig her. You forget, I’ve played this game before. I can pass as an agent and have.”
“That remains to be seen. I should just leave you out here for my own sanity.”
“What? And leave me to the mercies of the aliens? I don’t think so. You kissed me, Captain Martinez. You know you’re not letting a gorgeous gal like me out of your sight after we shared that tender moment in a dank and dark storm cellar.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight, period,” Sofia said. She pulled up to the front gate and dutifully showed her information to the guards. With a brief moment of reluctance, she accepted Emory’s falsified ID and passed that over too.
“We don’t appear to have Agent Mays on our list, Captain.” The guard ran his eyes over his tablet again.
“You won’t. She was at Area 51 and saved my life there. I’m returning the favor.” She accepted their paperwork back and listened while he gave instructions as to where they were to park.
“Unusual mode of transport, Captain,” he remarked, smirking at the Volkswagen Bus with some distain.
“It got me here in one piece,” Sofia said. Emory saw her stare down the guard until he took a step back and waved for the doors to open. Sofia drove them through with barely a word.
“Wow, get you pulling that old Jedi mind trick on him.” Emory waved her hand as if employing the Force. “This is not the conspiracy theorist you’re looking for.”
Sofia smirked. “He maligned your Bus and I’m growing quite fond of it.” She cut Emory a look. “You, not so much.”
Playing to her audience, Emory clutched at her heart. “You wound me. But don’t think I won’t try to run him over on our way out of here.” She switched her attention to where they were going. She was astounded by how immense the base was. “They’re a cautious lot here. Anyone would think they had something to hide.” Sofia’s silence tempted Emory to take a further dig, but she resisted. After all, Sofia was risking everything bringing her here. “So, what’s the deal with there being no name over the door? I’ve never known of a base not even getting a number attached to it. Or is this place so secret it’s the Voldemort of secret bases? No one dares speak its name.”
“Maybe they like the anonymity.”
Emory eyed her suspiciously. “Have you been here before, Sofia? Do you know its proper name?”
“I’ve never seen this base, and I’ve visited quite a lot in my service. I know it only as Mirror Base East. Imagine that though, a base that has slipped under your guys’ radar. Someone must be doing something right here.”
Emory wondered how that had happened. She heard a noise in her ear, but before she could speak Dink spoke instead.
“Do not react to my voice. We’re deep into unknown territory here, Em. This base does not exist to the outside world. One of my sources says a mirror base means it reflects what’s seen on another. He speculated it’s a mirror to Area 51 considering all the secrecy. Add to that, an Area 51 officer has been called to it. As much as I like Sofia, she’s a part of what we’ve been seeking to uncover. She worked on the saucers; she has to know more than what she’s revealing. She’s now working on their security. Security means you have something precious to protect. Clear your throat if you understand what I’m saying.”
Emory coughed and purposely turned out of Sofia’s eye line.
“There’s so much to see here,” Emory said, hoping Dink got the hint.
“I can see it. I’m back online and your glasses are broadcasting. I will see whatever you show me. Keep that quiet too for now. I’m back in business and watching over you.”
Emory let out a quiet sigh of relief. She caught sight of the building Sofia had been directed to and they soon pulled up in front of it. Before Emory could do anything, Sofia reached over to touch her face. Then she kissed her. Emory blinked in surprise when Sofia pulled back.
“What was that for?”
Sofia wouldn’t meet Emory’s curious gaze. She hopped down from the van and only then looked back at Emory who was still seated, stunned from the gentle kiss.
“You might not be so inclined once we go inside and I have to do my job.”
Emory froze. “You’re not going to arrest me, are you?”
Sofia shook her head. “No. But I’m military born and bred, Ellen, and orders are orders. I’ve been playing by your rules and mine on the road. In here, I have to follow someone else’s. It’s my job and you might not appreciate what that exactly entails. And you might not like what you see.”
Emory nodded, not understanding but trusting Sofia enough to want to be very vigilant among the other officers and mindful of what Sofia might have to do.
She was about to set foot inside a top secret military base, one that was invisible to the outside world. She didn’t want to be someone who disappeared right along with it.
Chapter Twenty-one
Emory knew she was no safer from the threat of aliens on the base than she was driving on the highway. That didn’t stop her from being relieved to finally be inside again in a building surrounded by people with a multitude of weapons at their disposal. She stuck close to Sofia’s side, watching as she ran the gauntlet of officers all coming to ask her questions about their journey and what she had witnessed out there. Emory was surprised how cut off from the outside it made them sound.
She tuned their repetitive queries out and fixed her attention on the myriad of wall mounted monitors. Each one showed a key area in a different state. So many landmarks had been destroyed, the devastation a stark vista. The one black triangle craft that had been shot down was looming large on one of the screens. Emory counted at least three different agencies, judging by their uniforms, clambering all over the unsubmerged part of the downed craft. They appeared to be trying to break their way inside the ship. Nothing they were attempting seemed to be making any difference to the impenetrable shiny hull.
“I could have told them using those tools wouldn’t make a dent on whatever material that craft is,” Dink said quietly in Emory’s earpiece. “If it takes a barrage of ballistic weapons to shoot the thing down, it’s not going to take something akin to a can opener to pry the metal open so we can take a sneaky peek inside.”
Sofia tugged on Emory’s arm to capture her attention away from what she was seeing. They barely took a step before Sofia was waylaid again.
“Captain Martinez, glad you mad
e it out of Area 51 alive.”
Sofia smiled at his earnest relief. “Airman Douglas, nice to see you again. Can you tell me how many saucers we have shot down since the attack began, please?”
“The saucers are proving quite tricky to pinpoint. You know all too well the speeds they can generate. We’ve tried to get a missile lock on them, but they have incredible maneuverability.”
Emory looked back and forth at them both. “Why are you even considering shooting the saucers down when they might have humans on board?”
The officer stared at her. “And you are, ma’am?”
“CIA Agent Mays. I’ve seen what these saucers can do, both in firepower and in abduction techniques. I’ve lost family on one of those saucers. I, for one, would appreciate they’re not shot down if there’s a sliver of a chance they can be rescued.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, ma’am, but in all wars there is always some collateral damage.”
Emory saw red. Her instant rage blinded her to everything in that room but the face of the officer as she lunged for him. Dimly, she could feel someone fiercely trying to pull her off him. Sofia was wrenching Emory’s arm back, stopping her from punching him in the face.
“Agent! This won’t bring them back. Stand down.” She struggled to keep Emory back.
Judging by the look of surprise on his face, Douglas hadn’t expected quite the reaction his words received either. “I apologize,” he said, sounding sincere, but Emory wasn’t mollified. She jerked her arm from out of Sofia’s grip. She took a step forward and got into Douglas’s face.
“If a saucer comes flying over this base, I will personally push you out the door to meet and greet them.”
His eyes widened a fraction at the threat. Sofia tugged Emory away a little harder.
“Agent.”
Emory stepped back, but she didn’t stop glaring at Douglas who looked at a loss as to what he should do now. “I could make you disappear, and I wouldn’t need a fucking alien beam to do so,” she said with a snarl in her tone. She looked around the room at everyone watching them. So much for keeping a low profile. “Do any of these monitors reveal where the saucers are taking their abductees?”