A Time of Deceit: Revelation

by William Cushing

  Mike. “We were unaware that Higby was an alien. He was not on our radar before.”

  Bill. “Does that mean you are aware of an alien presence on our planet?”

  Mike. “Yes. We have been monitoring them for 6 decades. They do not seem to be aware that we are monitoring them. We want to keep it that way.”

  Dick. “So, what now?“

  Mike. “You forget what you saw and leave the rest to us.”

  Tom. “Sounds good to me.”

  Dick. “Wait a minute. We did all this work. I want to see some results.”

  Mike. “You are out.”

  Bill. “OK.”

  Dick. “All right. But, why?”

  Mike. “Too dangerous. You are amateurs. You might do something that will indicate they are being observed. We cannot have that.”

  Winston. “We have Higby’s residence under observation now. It may lead us to our missing agent. We thank you for that.”

  Bill. “OK, we forget Higby.”

  Tom. “It will give us more time to concentrate on Feldman the reporter.”

  Mike. “Don’t waste your time. He is not a problem anymore. And remember you are out. No further investigations. Understand? We can put you away in a remote rendition center and no one will be able to find you.”

  Bill. “That settles it for me.” Tom and Dick simply nodded in agreement.

  Winston, Mike and Jack got up and left without a handshake or goodbye.

  They and their men got into the vehicles and drove off.

  The three remaining in the barn were happy they were gone. What they had just experienced was unsettling.

  Tom. “Guess Feldman was an alien also. This is bigger than we originally thought.”

  Dick. “This is too important for us to just back off and take a pass.”

  Bill. “I agree.”

  Tom. “Let’s go inside and give Higby’s ex-wife a call. She may take the call. I can only hope.”

  SCENE 26: MEETING WITH UNDERWORLD LEADERS

  Sara, the Leader, Asa, and their four guards landed just outside of the walls surrounding the Queen’s palace. It was an impressive complex of buildings surrounded by a dense forest. But, the Leader knew that only a small portion of the complex was above ground. The vampires preferred to live and manage their enterprises below ground level. It has proven to their advantage for thousands of years. A small group of vampire guards came through the palace gate to escort them in. The Queen was not among them. The Leader took personal affront to this. He would enjoy destroying the Queen.

  A short rotund vampire waddled over to the Leader and said. “Welcome, the others are currently working their way to the meeting room. You are the last to arrive. The meeting is scheduled to start as soon as you are in attendance. Please follow me.”

  The Leader nodded and the group proceeded toward the palace gate. The gate was impressive. It went up 30 feet and matched the height of the palace walls. It had stood for centuries. The Leader knew it would not stand much longer. Just inside the gate, the rotund vampire directed them to an elevator. The Leader nodded and directed the vampires to enter first. Always an imperative to be safe. Putting the vampires at their back and he in an elevator with nowhere to hide didn’t make sense. The rotund vampire and his group walked into the elevator. Then the Leader and his group followed always facing the vampires.

  The vampire directed the elevator down to level 5. The elevator opened into a mammoth room. It looked more like a subterranean cavern and probably was before the vampires decided it should be a meeting room. The room was filled with noise. The underworld leaders were at a round table in the center of the cavern. They each had a much larger contingent of followers with them than the Leader’s small group. The Leader was becoming angrier now. But, now was not the time to be angry. He had to perform.

  The Queen rose, silenced the room and welcomed the Leader. She pointed to a seat. The Leader sat down. Asa and Sara stood behind on each side of his seat. The Queen started by welcoming each leader to her palace and thanking them for agreeing to attend.

  The Queen, looking at the Leader, said to him, “You wanted the meeting so you have the floor.”

  Leader. “Thank you Queen Madeline. Thank you to each of you for agreeing to meet. There is a problem that tears at the fabric of our Alliance. An Alliance that has stood for a thousand years. This must be corrected. The Alliance has to continue. That is why I am here. To beseech you to help me address this.”

  The Jinn leader was quick to respond. “You have known of our anger for the last year. You have acted unilaterally in demanding tribute from us. When it was not paid on a timely basis, you sent you warriors to take our children instead. How do we get our children back? We know what your kind does to children they take. That has never been done before and is against the accords of the Alliance. It is not we who have violated the Alliance. It is you.”

  The Lycanthrope leader, sitting at the table in his wolf form, agreed with the Jinn leader. The Orc leader, a goblin of immense size, interrupted. “You cannot fix this. You have gone too far. The presence of Asa indicates so. He was the one who you sent to demand the tribute. He is the one who was responsible for the theft of our innocent children.”

  Sara looked over to Asa. He was nervous now. Sara was ready to act on the Leader’s cue. The Queen could never be given Asa. He knew too much. The Queen would get every bit of intelligence that she could from him. So, how to give Asa to the Queen and not compromise the Leader.

  The Leader quietly raised his hand to silence the Orc.

  Leader. “Asa was not acting on my instructions. He was acting on his own behalf. I have not figured out why and I may never. But, I will give you your revenge now.”

  Sara quickly stepped behind Asa. With a pen-like laser she sliced Asa’s head completely off Asa’s body. Asa’s head fell to the floor and tumbled along the floor. Sara picked up the head and handed it to the Leader.

  Leader, as he placed the head in the center of the table. “Queen Madeline, as promised I give you Asa.”

  Stunned silence was all that could be heard.

  Leader. “The Alliance must be maintained. The taxes are no more. I cannot bring back your children but know I had no part in this. The Alliance must be maintained intact. Anything else cannot be tolerated.”

  At that point one of the Leader’s guards approached with a large sack. He handed it to the Leader.

  Leader. “Attacking the humans and risking exposure of the Alliance is also a violation of the Alliance. It will not be tolerated.”

  The Leader then lifted the sack and dumped Greer the Ghoul’s enormous head onto the table with a loud thud. Silence was now gone and loud cries of horror echoed throughout the cavern. No one had ever killed a leader of the underworld during the Alliance.

  Sara was beginning to wonder if they would get out of there alive.

  Leader. “Queen Madeline, you have guaranteed our safety.”

  Queen, loudly so that her voice could be heard throughout the cavern. “Yes, I have guaranteed your safety.” Then the cavern became silent.

  Leader. “Thank you.”

  Queen. “You are evil.”

  Leader. “Yes.”

  Queen. “The meeting is over.”

  Leader. “I think not. We have to get an agreement that the Alliance will remain intact. Let us take a vote. The tax issue has been addressed and the Ghoul leader who violated the Alliance has been punished. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?”

  Queen. “All in favor of maintaining the Alliance say yes.”

  The underworld leaders knew what the Ghoul head meant. It meant that they could be next.

  The underworld leaders all said “Yes.”

  Queen. “This meeting is adjourned.”

  The Queen and the other underworld leaders rose and left the cavern with their entourages. The rotund vampire appeared in order to accompany the Leader and his team to their craft.

  Vampire. “Will you be taking Asa w
ith you?”

  Leader. “No. I promised the Queen she could have Asa.”

  Vampire. “Greer the Ghoul?”

  Leader. “Yes. He goes with us. I have use for him.”

  Vampire. “As you wish.”

  As they got ready to make the jump back to the office the Leader asked Sara. “Is everything ready to execute?”

  Sara. “Yes.”

  Leader. “Let’s get back so we can monitor it.”

  SCENE 27: UNDERWORLD PLAN

  Queen Madeline and the other underworld leaders had decided that they must continue their meeting once they were confident that the aliens had departed. They knew that things would never be the same. They knew that the aliens’ Leader was evil and untrustworthy. The Queen’s spy network had received information that the aliens were planning to treat each of them as they had treated the Ghouls’ leader.

  Queen. “We are at risk. The aliens intend to terminate each of us as we return to our homes and offices.”

  The Jinn leader. “Doesn’t surprise me. Their leader thinks that he can intimidate the underworld tribes by eliminating us. It won’t work. First, we must put a plan in place to save our lives and second, destroy those who would come to take our lives. Any suggestions?”

  Fairy leader. “I can send some of my people to find out what they have planned. That is if there is still time to act.”

  Queen. “If no leaders leave the safety of my palace’s underground, the aliens will not be able to attack any of us. My sources tell me that they plan to attack each of us separately as we retrace our routes home.”

  The Orc leader. “I think it might be wise to ask the Elementals to participate in finding out their plans. The Air Elementals could certainly get into their office unnoticed and find out what their specific plans are. No disrespect to the Fairies. Just another way to insure that we get what we need.”

  Fairy leader. “None taken. I think it is a sound idea. Between us we should be able to get what we need.”

  Queen. “Good. How long will it take?”

  Fairy leader. “My Fairies can be there in the snap of a finger.”

  Elemental leader. “My Air Elementals have already been dispatched and are currently in the aliens’ offices. I thought it best to send them as we discussed the need for information.”

  Queen. “Excellent. We shall reconvene in one hour to discuss what they have found. The aliens have underestimated us. They were not a problem that concerned us until now. They should have honored the Alliance. Now they will have us to contend with, in addition to the humans.”

  The Queen departed to insure that all was being done to defend the palace from a possible attack.

  In the aliens’ office building the Air Elementals had found their way into the room in which Sara and the Leader were working. The room was a beehive of activity. The walls were completely covered by screens that showed the Queen’s palace and each route that the underworld leaders would normally have taken to their homes and offices. Red circles indicated the exact place where the aliens would attack each returning leader.

  The aliens had dispatched teams of warriors to each location. They were waiting to be told when the underworld leaders would be approaching.

  Leader. “Haven’t they left the palace yet?”

  Sara. “No. Not a one.”

  Leader. “I wonder why?

  Sara. “Your performance may have unnerved them enough that they decided to reconvene to discuss what had transpired at the meeting.”

  Leader. “Possibly.”

  Sara. “We have to wait. We have no choice. The palace is a difficult target. We have to get them out in the open for the plan to be successful.”

  Leader. “Patience then.”

  The Air Elementals had all the information they needed. They informed their leader and recommended that the Fairies not be dispatched. No need to risk exposure. The Elemental leader confirmed receipt of the information and relayed the information to the Fairy leader. The Elemental leader considered how little of the underworld creatures the aliens knew. That may be their downfall.

  The Queen and the leaders were called back to the meeting hall earlier than they had scheduled. They were surprised that the Air Elementals had been so successful so quickly. They were impressed.

  Queen. “Our concerns have been verified. The chart on the table shows the exact locations where they intend to attack each of us.”

  Jinn leader. “Each of us must come up with a plan to neutralize their attacks and to destroy the attackers.”

  Orc leader. “That will be difficult since they seem to have aircraft or drones overhead at each location. That makes the element of surprise more difficult to attain.”

  Elemental leader. “You seem to forget about us. Air has already demonstrated its effectiveness. Fire, Water and Earth can also be as effective. We know that craft are in the sky observing the routes. They are hanging in Air. An Element which we control. We know that alien warriors are on the ground in specific locations waiting to attack us. Earth is an element we control. There are be streams and lakes that bound these locations. Water Elementals can direct these to our advantage. Fire Elementals can also be used to our advantage.”

  Orc leader. “Today, I have gained a new appreciation of the Elementals. Also a new fear of them. I knew you were powerful. But, I didn’t think that such spiritual creatures would be capable of violence.”

  Elemental leader. “We are the basics in nature. Nature can be very violent. That should be no surprise to anyone. You are confusing us with the spirituality of the Fairies. They would rather not act violently toward another.”

  Fairy leader. “The exception is when our existence is at risk. As it is now.”

  Elemental leader. “Learn something new everyday. It seems that the two powerful spiritual entities at the table will be able to handle this.

  Fairy leader. “Correct. But, what do we get in exchange for our efforts from the other leaders? There is a price for the work that we will do.”

  Queen Madeline. “You shall be rewarded. I give you my word as Queen of the Vampires.”

  The other leaders also agreed with the Queen.

  Fairy leader. “Normally I like to know what the reward is before I act. But, time is critical and that time cannot be spent negotiating payment. Just remember, the payments we want must be paid.”

  Queen. “My word.”

  The other leaders all agreed again. They had no choice but to agree.

  SCENE 28: ALIEN FBI LEADERS

  A tired Winston, Mike and Jack finally arrived at FBI headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue. They were expected. The trip back to D.C. had taken longer than they wanted. They took the elevator to the seventh floor and walked to a conference room. Two men were sitting at the conference table. They were discussing an issue and did not acknowledge the three men as they entered and seated themselves at the table. The men, the FBI Deputy Director and his Chief of Staff, finished their conversation and then turned to the new arrivals and simply said in unison. “Report.”

  Jack, as the FBI agent, obliged. “The individuals in North Carolina have been interviewed. They are aware of the consequences if they share what they have found. It seems they will be silent.”

  Winston. “The issue of Higby and the missing secret service agent needs to be addressed.”

  Deputy Director. “She is probably not alive. You know what they do when they take humans. Particularly, when they take them into their homes.”

  Jack. “Yeah. They disappear.”

  Deputy Director. “Yes, as nourishment for the aliens in the residence.”

  Winston. “There is always the chance that she is still alive. Even a small chance. We should act on it.”

  Deputy Director. “No. It would make Higby aware that he is being observed. Can’t chance it. You know that. I would like to do what you suggest but we cannot. There is too much at stake. Higby is oblivious to the fact that we have his number. His arrogance and stupidity allow us to id
entify other aliens. He is ignorant of his value to us. We have to keep it that way.”

  Mike. “His driver is not stupid. He would pick up on anything we did that was out of the ordinary. So, we cannot change how we are approaching Higby.”

  Winston. “I know.”

  Mike. “The CIA agrees. Sorry, Winston.”

  While Winston, Mike and Jack were being debriefed by the FBI Deputy Director, the men at Bill’s barn were planning a different approach. They had assimilated what they had been told by the Government agents but had decided that they could not abandon their efforts. This was too big to ignore. As most people in the Country, they did not have confidence that Government agencies would actually address the threat with any success.”

  Tom. “I think we must continue our surveillance of Higby.”

  Dick. “ I agree, but we have to be smarter from this point on. We have to stay under the radar. The feds and the aliens cannot find out what we are doing. The aliens are a danger. The feds have told us they would also be a danger to us.”

  Bill. “So, how do we proceed?”

  Tom. “That is the question.”

  Dick. “We should blow the lid off the whole thing. There is an alien presence on the planet. There are aliens planted in the Government and media and who knows where else. The American public is not being told about it. Why?”

  Bill. “The Government is in on it. What else can it be.”

  Dick. “Maybe. Makes sense.”

  Tom. “Whatever we do, we are risking everything.”

  Bill. “Correct, but what choice do we have?”

  Tom. “None. We have to move forward.”

  Dick. “But, armed to the hilt. Agreed?”

  Tom. “Yes, you have to show me how to use a gun.”

  Bill. “How are we going to do this without being caught? We can’t share this with the rest of our group. No need putting them in harm’s way.”