Chapter 30

ID: 1762291   (Rated: 13+) Artifact Man  A thriller, new age, sci-fi novel about a strange man found in the desert. by Hyperiongate

ID: 1828613   (Rated: E) Chapter 29  Jack tells of his near-death experience. A fortune teller surprises someone. by Hyperiongate

Enroute to Camp “Lanier”, Nellis AFB, Nevada
1:30 am, April 4th.

For Jack, the rest of the night was a trip down déjà vu lane. Everything from the whop-whop of the helicopter blades to the stone-faced armory sitting across from him reminded him of this very same trip, a lifetime ago with Sam Tucker. The memory of Sam brought a melancholy smile to Jack’s face. However, there was no grief. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he retained a vague memory that told him Sam was just fine where he was.

Amazingly, Lise slept for most of the trip. It was one of those “doctor” things that Jack had come to learn about through her. Doctors were never sure when they would be able to sleep, so most eventually learn to get it where they could.

Her softness as she laid against him belied the fire that she’d flashed only an hour ago. She’d somehow managed to back a Gibralter-like marine out of her front door and backwards into the front yard. How dare he come in demanding they provide and “audience” with his military keeper. Colonel Lanier could take a flying leap if he thought that he could just order people around like this. By the way, it would only take a call from her to let the world know what really went down at the hospital the other day. If the colonel wanted to talk to her, he could take a number and she’d get around to him eventually.

The marine placed a quick call. A minute later, he handed the phone to Lise.

She took it with dramatic indignation, expecting Lanier to be on the other end.
Instead she heard a soft voice say, “Dr. Marshall”

Lise froze. She’d never met the man on the on the other end of the line; never even heard his voice before, but she knew immediately who she was talking to.”

“JD11…yes…yes, this is Dr. Marshall. Where are you? How are you?”

“I’m with Colonel Lanier. I need you to come down here with the marine. I apologized for the inconvenience, but everything will be made clear once you’re here.”

Now, just over an hour later, they were airborne; enroute to a reunion of people that have never met.

Camp “Lanier”, Nellis AFB, Nevada
1:30 am, April 4th.

Colonel Lanier listened on a second line as JD11 reassured Lise.

After the conversation, both men hung up. Neither said a thing for a few moments. Lanier suspected that lack of conversation put him at a distinct disadvantage. Somehow, speech seemed to be optional when it came to the strange young man sitting across the kitchen table from him. Analysis of recorded video showed almost subliminal interaction between JD11 and Annie that could only be explained through some level of mental interaction between the two.

Clearly, they had tried to hide this ability. But the evidence was there, if not overwhelming. A raised eyebrow from him results in a slight nod from her. She then passes the salt across the table. Maybe this could be explained between a couple that had been together for years; but these two supposedly barely knew each other.

Lanier needed to bring the conversation out into the open; to level the playing field.

“You know I can’t let you leave here; ever.” he said provocatively. “Once I have Mr. Barton and Dr. Marshall on site, I have complete containment over…whatever it is you represent.”

“I know that you think, at this moment, that what you say is true. However, if you care to look more closely, you’ll see that my leaving this facility is what you want most.”

Lanier took that as a challenge and immediately dug in his heals to prove the younger man wrong. After all, he was Colonel Wesley Lanier. He’d spent his entire life chasing down monsters that crept through the nights, spaceships that crashed into isolated mountain tops. The things he’d seen would make the X-files look tame by comparison. And he always came out ahead.

To Lanier, coming out ahead meant that his country was safe. After that, nothing else mattered. His job was to do whatever was best for his country. No one was better at that than he was.

Now he was being told that the outcome was outside of his control. The young man sitting across the table had no resources to back up his claim. He was telling Lanier, rather of matter-of-factly that the man in control of seemingly unlimited resources would be powerless to stop JD11, should he decide to leave.

Lanier wasn’t a proud man in that he took no offense at JD11’s assertion. However, the colonel was exceptionally in tune with his intuitive side. It was what made him so good at his job. Logic was not always his best friend. As often as not, the little voice whispering into his ear was better counsel.

“What makes you think I’m going to let you go of my own free will? Do you think you can control my mind? I know you “influenced” me earlier. I assure you, that’s not going to happen again.”

“Colonel, I assure you I can’t control your mind. I know you think I did earlier, but the fact is that I have no special talent; at least nothing that I know of.”

“Then how can you explain how you and Annie are able to communicate without talking? How was she able to get a response from you while you were in a tank unable to hear her reading aloud to you? Why is it the even as we speak, I feel like you already know what I’m going to say?”

“The short answer is, I don’t know. To me, it’s simply the way things are. Try to imagine you are me, just for a few minutes. You wake up in a hospital room, facing an assassin down the barrel of a gun. Without trying, you suddenly know everything there is to know about that man. You know his fears, details of his childhood; everything you want to know, you know. Then later, you’re rushed off to a military base where every move you make is watched and analyzed. Armed me escort you everywhere, by which I mean, everywhere you allow me to go. Then a military guy, you, come in and tell me I have to convince Dr. Marshall to come to the base. Until that moment, I’ve never even heard of her. You tell me her name and I suddenly know all about her. Now you’re telling me you can’t let me go. I instantly understand why and at the same time, I know that you’ll change your mind.
Colonel, I have no idea how I know these things but I do.”

The colonel had watched the young man intently as he spoke. Reading people was an easy skill to be good at, but hard to be very good at. Lanier was an expert. He knew JD11 was telling him the truth. Still, that didn’t change anything. He could not be allowed to leave.”

“Sorry son, but you can’t get them all right. You cannot be allowed to leave; at least not until I know what the hell you represent. It’s been a long night. Get some sleep. Tomorrow I’ll introduce you to the man and woman that each saved your life.”

Senator Nelson’s Office, Washington D.C.
5:30 am, April 4th.

The senator stared unbelievably at the priest standing across the desk from him. The smallish religious man and been sent to call in a marker. The senator owed his current position of power, in large part to the church. They knew it, although it was never brought up. When the church backed you, your future support for them was understood.

Still, he couldn’t help but let a little bit of his indignation show. After all, he’d been awoken in the middle of the night with the simple message, “Be at your office in one hour.”

They called and he came. However, this had better be good.

“Senator, the church is very grateful that you were able to meet with me this morning. I hope that I have not caused you any undo trouble.”

“Yes, yes Father, it’s no trouble at all. To what do I owe this visit?”

“I’m sure you’re aware of the recent events in Reno, Nevada. Nasty stuff that. Imagine, some crazy man going in and blowing up a hospital. I understand some of the staff and at least one patient were killed.”

The senator was immediately on edge. He knew that his information to the Church had played a role of some sort in the entire debacle. The fact that this priest was bringing this up now could not be good news.

“Yes Father, I read all about that in the news. Terrible times we live in, no?”

The priest put his hands on the table and leaned over and spoke with a voice so menacing, the senator found it almost hard to believe it had come from a man of the cloth.

“The Dark Angel was no killed during the attack. Our best intelligence says that if this is true, then your Colonel Lanier probably had him. I’m assuming you know where this Lanier might be found. In know he’s located on or near Nellis Air Force Base.”

“That’s not possible!” said the senator, unable to believe what he was hearing. There had been massive damage and a significant body count. Even the hospital had provided positive identification. A patient, known as JD11 had died that day.

“Senator, I’m not going to argue about what is or is not possible with you. The Dark Angel is clever does not lie down easily. I can assure you he is alive and well. I need you to secure him for me. I’m flying out to Las Vegas in two hours. I’ll be at Nellis by noon. At that time, I expect Colonel Lanier to meet me at the gates of Nellis where we will arrange for his “guest” to be transferred over to me.”

“Father, I think you may overestimate how much influence I have. The colonel does not report to me. So far as I can tell, he doesn’t report to anyone; at least not to anyone that I have any sway with.”

“In that case senator, I suggest you get to work and find out who he does report to. I can’t imagine he’ll give up his prize willingly. You may need to look for ways to “convince” him to cooperate. If he’s at Nellis, that shouldn’t be too hard to do. After all, the military still works for the government doesn’t it. If he goes rogue, then I suppose you’ll just have to resort to force.”

“I’ll do my best, Father. That’s all I can promise.”
The priest smiled and said, “I’m sure you will, Senator. Your job depends on it.”

Without further comment, the priest turned and left the office. He had an airplane to catch.