by Lesley Davis
“Captain Martinez, if you’d care to bring Agent Mays with you I might be able to give you some more information.”
Sofia’s head shot up at the sound of the man’s voice. Emory quickly read his name tag. General Russom. He was an inspiring figure. His gray hair belied his youthful appearance, and for someone who probably spent a great deal of time tied to a desk he looked as fit and lean as the younger officers in the room.
“Ohh, that’s none other than Ronald Russom. He’s the big man on campus. I bet you that’s Sofia’s boss,” Dink said.
The look Sofia shot her warned her as much. Great, Emory thought, and he’s just watched me trying to tear the head off one of his men in the war room. Emory sighed. Maybe Sofia should have left me in the parking lot after all.
Emory tried to pull herself together and walked away. She couldn’t help but direct one last dirty look in Douglas’s vicinity. Sofia discreetly nudged her to stop it and pushed her forward, striking up a conversation with her superior to no doubt deflect the attention Emory was on the receiving end of.
“Sir, it’s nice to see you, though I really wish it was under different circumstances.”
“Yes, it’s strange to see you out here. You’re usually firmly entrenched in Hangar One.”
“I was lucky to get out alive, sir. I have Agent Mays here to thank for that.”
Russom looked Emory over. “CIA, right?”
Emory nodded and held out a hand to shake his. “Ellen Mays, sir. It’s quite the setup you have here.” She smiled a little. “And well off the beaten track if I may say so.”
Russom smiled back. “It’s very much a ‘need to know’ base. Once Area 51 was outed, we decided to find somewhere else to camp out of the sight of prying eyes. It’s amazing what a natural mountain range and a big ass exclusion zone above can hide.”
“Well, I thank you for your hospitality. We’ve been on the road since Area 51 was hit. I just hope that exclusive zone keeps the aliens at bay as well.”
Emory was aware Russom was sizing her up. She let him, even though the blatant stare was riling her.
“What took you to Nevada, Agent?” He gestured for them to follow him down the hallway.
“Softly softly, Em,” Dink whispered, “He’s trained to spot a lie at fifty meters.”
“I was sent there by my boss,” Emory said, which would have been kind of true if she thought of Dink in that way.
“Jack Carter sent you,” Dink supplied. “His is a name that’s come up in conversation with our source and, according to word on the Net, he was in Las Vegas when it got hit. Chances are he’s dead and we can use him.”
“Jack Carter sent me the order. Whoever I was supposed to meet never turned up, and I was left hanging.” She feigned annoyance. “Then the attack started, and Captain Martinez and I managed to escape before they blew the base to pieces.”
Russom opened his office door and ushered them into the room, gesturing for them to sit. “Why were you still there, Captain? Why didn’t you evacuate with the rest of the base?”
“Lieutenant Colonel Jones ordered me to make sure the base was clear.”
Russom frowned. “You’re not security.”
“I know that and he knows that, but I’d received an order from a superior officer to clear the underground base. I never realized what was happening topside because I was too busy making sure everyone got out.” Sofia’s smile was more of a grimace. “You know he’s never wasted an opportunity to put me in my place, sir.”
Emory decided she hated that man as much as she detested Douglas back in the war room.
Russom shook his head in disgust. “Jones always did know how to push your buttons. The bastard put you in danger. Where’s the old misogynist now?”
“Either under the rubble that’s all that’s left of the base or maybe abducted.”
And hopefully getting anally probed, Emory thought unkindly but with an inner malice reserved for men who treated women like dirt.
“I heard from a reliable witness that when the evacuating staff tried to escape they were taken up into one of the saucers.” Sofia didn’t look at Emory, but Emory was pleased to be described as reliable.
“What’s happening with that, sir?” Emory interrupted because she needed that information. She wanted to get back out there and find her family as soon as possible. “Is there any word of where they’re being taken?”
“What is your division saying?”
Dink made a noise. “Deflection. That’s not a good sign. Tell him you’ve had no contact with your cronies at the CIA.”
“I’ve had no contact with them, which is why I’ve stuck to Martinez like glue. I was hoping for a sharing of information here between agencies. Especially after we witnessed my nieces being abducted right in front of us. I need to know we’re going to do everything we can to bring those abductees home.”
Russom was silent for so long Emory almost started to fidget. His hesitation was making her anxious. It was never a good sign when someone stalled.
“Who was your boss again?”
“Agent Jack Carter, sir. I reported directly to him alone. I was his special project.” Our source of information called himself a special project agent. Let’s see if you recognize that title. She was praying Dink was busily adding to the Agent Ellen Mays info-bot that lay undetected in the government’s databases. Because on occasions like this, it kept Emory safe while people questioned just who the hell the unknown agent was.
“And you were at Area 51 for what purpose exactly?”
“Like I said, I was supposed to be meeting someone. The rest would be classified information, sir, and not something I should probably divulge at this stage.” Emory wasn’t sure, but she thought she heard Sofia make a slight choking noise.
“Did the name of an Agent Truno come up in any of those conversations before you were called to Area 51?”
“Ooooh, he’s revealing stuff first to see how much you know. Tell him yes.” Dink chortled. “It’s like being Jane Bond! But does that make me Q or M?”
“What do you know about him, sir? Last I heard he was M.I.A. which is probably why I was called in.”
Russom nodded. “Funny. I heard the same rumor. He was…a liaison, of sorts, to the air force. It always pays to have friends in the CIA, I’ve found.”
Emory nodded slowly then looked at Sofia who had been watching the exchange with some interest. “That’s what I told the captain here, right after I pulled her ass out of the rubble. Then she saved me in turn when my family was taken out of their home and up into a saucer.” She switched her gaze back at Russom. “As a friend, General, please tell me we’re working on this problem together because I don’t want to have to do it all on my own.”
Russom smiled. “I like you, Mays.” He leaned back in his chair, getting comfortable. “How about you tell me what you saw at Area 51 and on your way here. I’ve been watching via our satellites, but that doesn’t give me all the story. I’d like to hear it from those whose boots have been on the ground.” His gaze shifted to Sofia. “I want details. Let me know exactly what you think we’re up against, and I’ll tell you what we’ve seen and know.”
The smile he gave Emory reminded her of a crocodile right before its jaws snapped on unsuspecting prey. Russom gestured around him.
“And forgive me for not introducing you to your new home for the duration. Welcome to the government’s and military’s best kept secret. Welcome to Tesla Falls.”
*
The mess hall was busy, but Sofia managed to find them a seat far away enough from the general noise. Emory sat and began digging into the food on her tray as if she were starving. Sofia ate from her own tray with a lot less gusto.
“Tell me,” Emory said around a mouthful of whatever she’d picked to stuff her mouth first, “What do you know about Tesla, Sofia? I mean, it’s got to mean something for this hush-hush, top secret, hidden from the world base to have been named after such a genius.”
; Sofia shrugged her off. “I know the car.”
“Oh my God. Do they teach you nothing in military school? Nikola Tesla was the epitome of the mad scientist. He was the genius behind electricity. The AC alternating current instead of the DC direct current?” She gave Sofia an encouraging look.
“I’m a trained engineer. I know about not crossing the streams, dear.”
Emory grinned at her joke. “Glad to hear that. He had his glory stolen by Edison and still today not many know that it’s thanks to Tesla you can power your iPad to watch endless cat videos. His patented work formed the basis for radio and our wireless communication systems. He had a hand in remote control devices. He even came up with free energy, the way to deliver electricity to the world at no cost. You can imagine big business wasn’t very keen on that idea so it was another invention of his lost in time.” She speared a piece of broccoli on her fork and checked it over before taking a bite. “Oh, and he’s the genius behind the death ray.”
Sofia rolled her eyes and concentrated on her meal. “You just had to go spoil it, didn’t you? Is no one safe from your damn theories?”
“It’s also known as the directed energy beam?” Emory smiled as recognition dawned on Sofia’s face. “He developed an energy weapon that was designed to bring down enemy airplanes right out of the sky. Some believe, if it exists, it could have the power to reduce anything it touches to dust and then it could all just blow away on the breeze.”
“Sounds like science fiction to me,” Sofia said.
“So did an invasion by aliens just a few days ago.”
Emory’s look gave Sofia pause. She kept quiet for once and considered the fantastical weapon Emory was describing and wondered if any of it could actually be true.
“Did you know Tesla was also thought to have been in contact with extraterrestrials? He had this ability to meditate far beyond what we mere mortals could do to reach our Zen.” She scooped up a big forkful of green beans and waved them at Sofia. “It’s speculated that’s where he got a lot of his invention ideas from.” Emory filled her mouth and chewed. She wasn’t finished. “How ironic that in the midst of an alien invasion you bring me to a place curiously named after a guy believed to have communed with aliens.”
Sofia had to admit she was totally intrigued now. Emory really did seem to have a theory for everything. The trouble was, to Sofia, they no longer sounded quite so crazy.
“So, Captain, does this mean that in one of those hangars out there is housed a directed energy beam control center by any chance?”
“No comment.” Sofia hated that Emory had now planted that seed in her mind and had gotten her more than a little curious. A whole lot more. “You know I can’t discuss our secret weapons with you. I’ve never set foot on this base before today, so I have no idea what is here other than what I’ve seen since we’ve been here.”
“I’ll count that as a ‘maybe’ then. It’s funny how energy in Tesla’s hands was to be used for the benefit of mankind. Free energy, after all, would have been a tremendous gift. Instead, all his hard work was stolen from him for others to take the credit, and all his paperwork mysteriously vanished at the end of his life.”
“And then there’s the other reasoning that the base got its name simply because there might be a waterfall nearby,” Sofia said with a sigh. “Not everything has to have an ulterior motive.”
“In my line of business there’s always more than originally meets the eye.” Emory had switched from her main meal and was unwrapping a muffin for dessert. She sniffed at it appreciatively. “Ooh, blueberry.”
Sofia shook her head at her. “You sit there spouting off your theories and then wax lyrical over baked goods. You are a strange one, Ellen.” She took a sip from her coffee. She was glad to be among the other military personnel. Safety in numbers. Though Sofia wondered if they could ever be truly safe again. She thought about the brief meeting with Russom before he’d dismissed them to go eat and freshen up. She knew exactly why he’d cut the meeting short. He was checking into Emory, or more exactly, Agent Ellen Mays. Sofia had never been much for prayer, but she was praying Dink had managed to plant something somewhere that Russom’s mind would be put at rest to.
“You’re fretting. I can feel your worrying from here.”
Sofia leaned across the table to her. “I’m worried your alias will blow up in our faces. Russom has ways and means of finding out the truth.”
Emory nodded and polished off the last of her muffin. She gestured to the one on Sofia’s tray. “Are you going to eat that?”
Sofia handed it over, wondering why she was surprised by Emory’s nonchalance. “You’re not even the slightest bit concerned?”
“I told you; I have a Dink.”
“Just what kind of computer whiz is he?”
Emory smiled like a proud parent. “The best kind.” She ripped open her second treat and bit a large chunk out of it. “These are really good,” she mumbled through the mouthful.
“So I gather. I’ll be sure to pass the message on.”
“How long do you think it will be before Russom calls you back to have a more intimate chat?”
“Once he’s verified your lack of credentials? Not long.”
“Oh ye of little faith. What do you think he’ll tell you?”
Sofia had no idea. What could he say? They were being invaded. They couldn’t stop the saucers, and bringing down the black triangular ships was foolhardy. The saucers she’d worked on were gone, lost under the ruins of Area 51. Sofia had no idea what they could do. She’d have to start all over again to build the crafts, and she had no idea where they’d get the materials from this time. The saucers had taken decades to perfect. All that research and development lost in the actions of the ones whose designs they were in the first place.
She shrugged in answer.
“What are the chances of me getting a tour of this place?” Emory was washing down her muffin with a mouthful of coffee. Sofia despaired of her ever eating like a normal person.
“I’d say slim to nonexistent.”
Emory pouted. “Pity.”
Sofia saw “that look” settle on Emory’s face. It was subtle, but she’d been around her long enough to spot the signs. “What’s he saying?” she asked.
“He’s one step ahead of Russom’s foray into searching for the rogue agent that’s landed on his doorstep. I have to say I’m a little hurt Russom didn’t accept me on face value. I mean, I’m totally agent material.” She hushed, and Sofia watched Emory’s face grow impassive. Then she smiled. “When all this is done, Dink recommends you employ a better security on your military computers. In one of his forays he’s found the launch codes for certain earth shattering missiles. Your guys really shouldn’t leave such things just lying around.”
Sofia was horrified, but all Emory did was flash that annoying grin of hers at her. It drove Sofia crazy, but it was also too damn attractive.
“Now, aren’t you glad he’s on your side?”
Chapter Twenty-two
Russom called Sofia back, alone, to his office just as she’d expected. Not having to guard her tongue quite so much this time because of Emory’s absence, Sofia was finally able to ask what had been on her mind. The second she was seated she did so.
“Why was Area 51 the point of the first attack?”
Russom stared at her pensively. “Is this where I finally tell you there’s more going on than you were originally told?”
“I’ve worked that out myself in the last few days. After all, I was told by you, that all the aliens had died in the initial crash, and all we’d done was use the technology that had been salvaged. I worked on the ships that were going to be used for our own reasons. I built on what the original design was, refining that which had been started so many years before me. Now I find there are aliens who are very much alive, numbering way more than the initial visitors, and they obviously have been here for a very long time. Respectfully, sir? Where the hell did they come from and why
wasn’t I informed there was a chance of this happening?”
“Where they came from doesn’t matter now. What matters is they are here and we need to stop them.”
“What of the other Damocles members? Was I the only one kept in the dark on this matter?”
“I’ve unfortunately lost a few of them in the attacks. Damocles One has been lost in CERN. Damocles Six died a week ago due to his own carelessness. And we nearly lost you at Groom Lake.”
“I’m wondering how deliberate my being ordered to stay behind was, sir.”
“Jones wouldn’t have the balls to challenge me,” Russom said, straightening his shoulders as if preparing for a battle.
“But he can if he eliminates your players, leaving you vulnerable. Then he could bring in his own people and take control.” Sofia was trying not to think about the fact she had very likely been deliberately left to die by one of her superiors. One of the few who knew of her allegiance to Russom because he had a peripheral liaison to the group. “I’d have liked to have been forewarned that there was someone with enough of a grudge against you on site that could endanger me.”
“He hadn’t rung any alarms, and besides, I had my attention elsewhere. There have been leaks coming from the agency. Things have been filtering out that only certain people would and should know about. We were being compromised. Everyone came under suspicion.”
“And you thought I could be the traitor?”
“I had to wait and see. Too much information in the wrong hands leaves us open to being exposed. That is why none of the Damocles guards have ever met the others. That is why each of you were selected for your specific talents and had no knowledge of the others’ work. And that is why you were kept in the dark about so much other than what you were assigned to do. It was need to know and you didn’t need to know it all.”
“And now I do?”
“Damocles Two is stuck in New York. He wasn’t entirely sure he was going to get out of the city alive. There’s nowhere to run with the skyscrapers falling like dominos.” He shook his head. “Like that city hasn’t suffered enough. The Statue of Liberty is floating in the bay. She was ripped from her base, broken into pieces. All that’s left is her torch sticking out of the water like Excalibur in the hands of the Lady in the Lake. I last had word from Two just before the attack there began. I have no way of knowing if he has survived. You are the only one who could get here.” He gave her an oddly amused look. “I’ve seen what got you here. I have to admit, I was surprised by the choice of transport.”