"Yes, immediately on our arrival. An investigation team needs to be assembled to take a closer look at these allegations. They could be related to what is happening."
"Why didn't we bring the agent along with us to personally explain what he thinks is going on?"
"Because he was killed shortly after transmitting the report," Calo snapped. "I still don't understand how he was discovered. He was a deep-planted agent with impeccable false credentials. Either this person or group has excellent intelligence or…" Calo paused.
"Or?" Krolugue asked, not liking the look on his colleague's face.
"Or we have a traitor in the UCDW," Calo sighed.
The ship suddenly lurched to one side, throwing the ambassadors from their seats. As they tried to stand they were thrown to the opposite side.
"What's going on?" Krolugue shouted into his communication device.
"Under attack," the pilot reported. "Trying to evade now!"
Another shudder shook the craft.
"Unknown craft! No markings! Refuses to answer our hail," the pilot shouted.
"Call for help," Calo ordered. "Call the Council!"
"Local communication channels jammed!"
"Krolugue, transmit the data to Leumas on the encrypted channel," Calo commanded.
"But it takes hours…" Krolugue stared at Calo, the realization of what was going to happen to them on his face
"Do it now!" Calo screamed.
Krolugue fumbled as he tried to place the transmission crystal into the slot of the transmitter while the ship shook violently. Finally, he managed to insert the crystal, key up Leumas’s code and press send. He smiled. "At least it's on its way to—"
The Arcturian ship exploded from a direct hit and disintegrated into space debris and tiny particles. The attacking pirate ship immediately turned and fled. Moments later, as they activated their hyperdrive, their ship, too, exploded.
Chapter Thirteen
“In life, there can be difficult and unfair choices to be made but nevertheless, they must be made, even at the cost of one you love.”
Sarah McClendon
"What's going on, Greg?" Sarah asked as she walked up behind him where he stood looking out the window. They had taken a break from their meeting after discussing the note and not really getting anywhere with it. Sarah thought this might be the only chance to talk with him for a while.
"You're acting like you're somewhere else," she continued. "And your health is suffering. You have sleep deprivation written all over your face and your weight looks like it’s dropping too. When was the last time you ate a normal meal?"
"I'm just tired," he said, not taking his gaze from the window. "I haven't been sleeping—"
"Come on, Greg, it's me, Sarah. You can't lie and you're starting to scare me. Talk to me. I know you've broken our connection. I feel so empty and alone."
He remained silent, still looking out the window.
"Greg, will you please talk to me?" Sarah asked raising her voice.
He turned toward her, but only to look to where Leumas and Edward sat at the conference table. They were still discussing the note and apparently had not heard Sarah's exclamation. He warned her to be quiet by placing his finger to his lips, then motioned her into the kitchen. She followed him, though she found it odd he would want to hide anything from the others.
"I don't want them to hear any of this," he said. "I don't want to worry them. They have enough on their plates already."
"What is it?" she asked, her face lined with concern.
"Sarah," Greg began, then paused as if searching for the right words. "You know the last thing I would do is hurt you or allow any harm to befall you."
She touched his arm gently. "Of course, I know that, Greg."
Greg stared into her eyes. "Well, these dreams I've been having are crazy! I don't know what's going on anymore. I broke the link with you because I thought they might filter through me and get to you. I didn't see any sense in us both losing sleep or maybe even our minds over whatever this is. They come any time they want; sometimes when I'm not even asleep."
Sarah reached out for his hand and raised it to the side of her face where she caressed it. "What are the dreams about?"
Greg shook his head. "I don't know. They're just images that don't make any sense. It varies immensely. Sometimes it's glimpses of places I've never been before, faces I've never seen before, and other times I'm right here in my quarters or in the UCDW chambers. There's no pattern to them I can make out. At least not yet anyway."
"Is that everything?" She looked deeply into his eyes. "No more heroics, Greg. Tell me the truth. Are there more changes you're undergoing from our original experience two years ago? Is it some delayed side effect of that process?"
He pulled his hand back from her and rubbed his face.
"I honestly don't know," he said. He shook his head and let the full extent of his fatigue show for a moment. "Look," he went on, "we have enough to worry about without dragging my dreams into this."
"Yes, I suppose we do," she sighed. "But I want you to let a doctor examine you. And tell me if these dreams get any worse. Okay?"
Greg didn't answer. He looked at Sarah and felt his burden lift for a moment.
"Okay?" Sarah repeated more insistently.
"Okay," he agreed as he put his arms around her.
Sarah hugged him tightly. "And I want you to call me whenever you have these episodes. Keeping it bottled up inside of you might drive you mad."
"You can be so determined when you want to be, can't you?" Greg smiled.
"Relentless," she answered, smiling back and kissing him.
They held each other for several moments. Greg enjoyed the feeling of holding her close; it was the best feeling he had had in quite a while. Her warmth seem to seep into his body, relaxing every muscle and giving him hope that maybe he could take it easy for a while as long as he held her.
"Do you ever wonder what our lives would've been like if we hadn't gotten involved in all of this?" Sarah reflected.
"Probably pretty dull, especially for me," he said. "I'd still be pushing boxes in New Orleans. Now, you—you'd be the up-and-coming marketing queen of the Big Apple."
"Maybe so," she responded, "but I wouldn't be as happy as I am right at this moment."
"We probably would have never met either." He smiled. "I guess we have a lot to be grateful for as far as the way things turned out."
They kissed again.
"How is he getting the information?" Leumas’ voice asked as he paced near the door, his voice dragging Greg and Sarah back into the present, though they still held their embrace.
"There has to be a leak somewhere," Sarah suggested loudly. "Someone is feeding this reporter information. The details of what we're doing are too accurate to be coincidental."
"And killing our agents. Why would anyone want to interfere with our planetary affairs?" Greg added.
"Greg, with all the abilities you have, can't you get a feel for what's happening? Maybe even a hint who might be responsible for all of this?" Sarah asked once they were alone again.
"No idea," Greg answered, turning away so she would not be able to see his eyes.
Then, anticipating she would move to confront him, he turned back to the conference room before she could ask any more questions.
She always could tell when he was lying.
"Greg, Sarah," Leumas called. "You'd better come and get a look at this."
Greg and Sarah returned to the conference room where they found Leumas and Edward watching the video monitor.
"What's going on?" Sarah asked, puzzlement on her face.
"It's your favorite reporter from the Washington Tribune," Leumas said sarcastically. "He's off and running again. This time he's moved on to television, instead of just writing for the papers."
Sarah and Greg sat down silently to watch as Leumas increased the volume.
Schume's smirking visage appeared on the TV screen as he ann
ounced, "I have learned from sources that the explosion at Walter Reed Hospital was caused by a type of explosive not known to any law enforcement official. Although when interviewed they say they are still ‘examining the evidence,' I have learned from a reliable source they will never be able to determine its type because it is not of this world."
"What intelligence do we have on the explosion?" Greg asked grimly.
"My agencies are totally stumped," Edward admitted, shaking his head. "We're waiting on the results from the test of the sample Agent Brahm delivered."
Leumas accessed the terminal near his seat and punched in some numbers. "It'll be a few minutes."
They turned their attention back to the video screen. The reporter continued, the smirk still lingering around his lips. "Ladies and gentlemen, as you may recall, I was the one who brought the issue to the president and his space advisor, Sarah McClendon, that there was evidence to support an alien collusion with the White House.
"Now, mysteriously, the evidence has been destroyed. Vanished from sight. I submit to you, does that not sound a little suspicious?" Schume paused for effect, then continued, "I vow to continue my investigation until the truth is out in the open for all to see."
"Well, that's just great, isn't it?" Greg groaned. He slumped back in his chair and rubbed his face with his hands.
"Right now, it's just unsubstantiated gibberish," Edward said through tight lips.
"That may be," Sarah acknowledged, "but he is getting information from somewhere."
A beep emanated from Leumas’ monitor. "It's confirmed. The explosive is of off-world origin," he reported. "There is not enough of it remaining to trace, but that very lack indicates it was a professional job."
"Which lends credence to the theory someone's trying to bring us into the open and expose what we're doing," Sarah concluded.
"And again, ‘who' becomes the main issue," Greg sighed.
"‘Why' is another question," Edward said.
Leumas’ monitor announced the receipt of another report. He quickly scanned the contents. "There's more," he said, looking grimmer. "And it's not good."
"What is it, Leumas?" Edward asked with obvious reluctance.
"The results of the examination of the agent I brought back with me from Beta-747 are complete. His mind was definitely tampered with."
"How so?" Greg asked. He drew himself up from his chair and looked intently in Leumas’ direction.
"He was influenced to kill himself."
"Influenced to kill himself?" Greg repeated in disbelief.
"Well, that certainly makes this whole thing much more complicated, doesn't it?" Sarah said with sarcasm.
"Okay, Leumas," Greg demanded. "How can this be?"
Leumas rubbed his brow. "Obviously, someone else is capable of high-level influencing. I find that hard to believe, but it must be true."
"But how?" Edward asked. "I thought you were the last fully-trained life form capable of applying more than basic influence?"
"As I believed also," Leumas said, shaking his head.
"This'll complicate things tremendously," Sarah added grimly.
"We have to find out who it is," Greg pronounced. "And before whoever it is gets too far."
A knock at the door halted their conversation. Reveb entered with a piece of paper in his hand.
"Leader of the Council, a message has arrived marked for your eyes only," he intoned.
"Who is it from?"
"I do not know. It came through the secure channel, but the communication watch officer could not determine its source." He handed the note to Greg, then turned and left.
Greg's eyes moved across the paper as he read. When he got to the bottom they returned to the top and began the process again.
"What is it?" Sarah asked, touching his arm.
Slowly, he withdrew his attention from the note and silently handed it to her.
"You might as well read it out loud, Sarah," Greg said, his lips in a thin line.
Sarah focused her eyes on the note and began to read:
"The time of the reunion draws closer
and trepidation is on the rise.
There are those who would seek to
ruin what is meant to be a surprise.
But they have met a horrible fate
in the cold vastness of outer space.
Their loss is but a trivial moment
in the overall scheme of things that
will soon undo what has been done,
and set things back to the way they were."
"More damn riddles!" Leumas slammed his fist on the table. "I hate riddles!"
"Someone's having fun at our expense," Edward said, the anger in his voice evident.
"Well, be that as it may, if we can figure out what they really mean, hopefully it will all become clear," Greg said. "Let's start looking for similarities between this riddle and the first one."
"‘Reunion,'" Sarah said after a moment. "It's listed in both."
"Okay, what does ‘reunion' symbolize?" Greg asked.
"Well, if it is a reunion, everyone knows each other already," Edward said.
"Good point," Leumas agreed.
"It's a start," Greg began. "Now, let's—"
The beeping sound of an incoming message on his communications unit from the security watch officer interrupted him. He pushed the receive button.
"Yes, Security Watch Officer?"
"Leader of the Council," the man reported, "we were tracking the Arcturian ambassadors on their approach to Earth."
"Yes," Greg said, impatient and anxious to get back to the note.
"Their ship has been destroyed by another vessel," the watch officer reported.
"Any survivors?" Greg asked, closing his eyes, already knowing the answer.
"Negative."
"Identification of the attacking vessel?"
"None. They blew up when they entered hyperdrive."
Chapter Fourteen
“On Earth, there are predatory creatures called wolves. They roam in packs and there is a dominant one they call Alpha. It is the strongest and smartest of the pack; such a simple rule that many species cannot comprehend, but I embrace it.”
Copolla
"I welcome you all to this little organizational meeting," Carnis said to the group that sat around the table in a secluded compound on the planet Acuba. He adjusted the hood of his robe so he could see them clearly while still hiding some of his own features.
The group consisted of twelve of the most ruthless aliens from throughout the galaxy who, for a price, would do the most cold-blooded work without a second thought. Some of them would do it just for the sheer enjoyment of watching others suffer.
"Why don't we cut to the chase of this little meeting, Carnis," said an alien whose face was scarred so heavily it was difficult to place his features in perspective.
"Don't be impatient…my friend," Carnis said as his eyes locked on the brash figure who had dared to interrupt him. "You are Suer?"
"That's right," Suer said, proud he was known far and wide as a formidable foe, someone not to be crossed. His time was valuable and he would not have it wasted. He sneered. "Your message said you have a mission that will pay extremely well, enough we all can walk away with so many credits we'll never have to work again."
"That's right," Carnis answered. "Just one little mission to be performed at a designated time, at a designated place."
"What about details?" Suer demanded, his impatience showing.
"All in good time," Carnis replied, ignoring Suer's demeanor. "You see, I don't want any security leaks of these details. There'll be no information until we're ready to go. I'll supply the necessary equipment, spacecraft and such for you to train on and become familiar with. No one will be allowed to leave the compound area. Living, eating and training areas will be provided. There'll be no communication with the outside at all."
"So what do you expect us to do in the meantime?" Suer asked. "Play games a
nd wait for your ‘permission' to do whatever? We don't work that way."
Murmurs of approval rumbled from the others around the table. Suer smiled with satisfaction at their support.
"You do now," Carnis said with a smile full of disdain. "You all do." He swept his hand in a wide arc to include everyone in the room. "When you came through that door today, you were committed to this project, whether you knew it or not. You can only leave this room by joining me or dying."
Silence ensued for a few moments as Carnis's remarks died on the air. Suer stood, a weapon pointed directly at his host.
"The hell with what you say," Suer said as he prepared to squeeze the trigger, his face set into a grin of pure satisfaction.
Unperturbed, Carnis focused his eyes on Suer. The smile on the scarred alien's face quickly began to fade, then he dropped the weapon as he grasped his head with his hands and fell back into his chair.
"What are you doing?" he shrieked. Carnis just smiled. "Get out of my mind!" Suer screamed as he reached under his robe and removed a smaller laser pistol he kept hidden as a spare. He slowly began to raise his arm to point the weapon at Carnis. Then, suddenly, obviously fighting his own actions and thoughts, he slowly turned the weapon toward his own head.
"Do we have an understanding, Suer?" Carnis mocked, his eyes glowing in the shadow of his hood.
Suer, unable to speak, nodded his head in agreement.
Carnis nodded. "Good. Now are there any more questions from the rest of the members of my merry band?"
Silence shrouded the table as the rest shook their heads quickly.
"Well, then, I have just one more thing," Carnis continued, still smiling, "I don't believe in mercy for those who don't follow my orders. There can be no questioning of what I ask and there'll be no second chance."
He returned his attention to Suer who sat with the pistol still touching his head. "Isn't that right, Suer?"
Suer nodded.
"I have a plan that must be followed right down to the minutest detail," Carnis explained. "There will not be the slightest deviation from what I say for you to do. Any such deviation will be dealt with swiftly and painfully. Those that do well will be rewarded for their efforts. Isn't that right, Suer?" Carnis again turned his full attention back to Suer, whose body trembled as his hand still held the pistol to his head. Suer again nodded his head and squeezed the trigger.
Alien Deception Page 31