Chapter 20: Winging It Part 2

Pilcher, struggling with his thoughts, feeling his blood pressure rise and desperate to save face in front of his peers said, “That is out of the question. Why would they listen to you? Forgive me, but the Trimadians do not hold the female in high regard. Regardless of the Cantal’s reports, I think the threat of the Locum is a bluff. They are only using you to get to us, surely—”

“Look, Paul, have you ever had a feeling that you couldn’t describe? You knew you were the person that had to do something because you knew you had to do it?” Kate pulled a face at the screwy sound of it.

“I gather you can’t elaborate.”

She lifted her eyebrows at him in acknowledgement.

“What I do know is the Trimadians have a connection with those stones and my visions. I’m not sure if they know there are two, but I think I’d better take both to be on the safe side.”

Before there was any more protest she added, “I know those stones are a big part of something, and I am a part of them, too. I’m sure you are all aware of that.” She stared at Calham, willing him to see her point of view.

Pilcher felt angry and cheated. Pete Reynold’s reports never elaborated on her developing telepathy, or any in-depth details about her connection with the stones. Now she brings this all up in front of Calham, of all people. Made me look like an inept idiot! Reynolds was probably protecting her. I should have seen it, the way he acted around Kate. The fool has fallen in love with her.

Kate jumped as she heard his thoughts but concentrated on what she had to say.

“Their fleet leader, Talokta, treated me quite cordially. Totally different to how he treated the Cantals, well, from what I witnessed. I think he is under orders to do his duty and start recruiting his numbers in order to fight the Locum, and that includes humans.” Kate felt like she was grasping at straws.

With a sigh, Paul continued as if he had ignored her pleas. “I am also worried about your random visions. Do any of them make any sense to you?”

“I’m fine. They seem to have faded away for now. However, while I was on Ahmadeus I had a vision, as you would have read in my report, of a device to detect spies in the Trimadian ranks. Which means the Cantals need help fast.”

“And that vision caused you to fall into a coma,” Paul reminded her.

“I know, but you did your standard brain scan and checkup and I passed with flying colors.”

Calham interjected, “You are certainly a unique individual, Ms. Willard.” Kate winced at his use of her surname. “I am sure you are hiding something. Maybe you have methods to override our scans and computers. For all we know, you could be a spy from the Trimadians implanted with a virus or bomb, maybe even mind control. You did see day to day events happening on the base here.”

“Oh, get real, you buffoon!” Kate shouted. “Talokta’s forces could have invaded Earth, if he wanted, ages ago, you know that, Pete Reynolds has shown you proof of their first invasion. You guys scanned me when I came though! USE ME AS A BOMB!” She paused, taking a breath. “He’s after numbers, and I will try to get you time, gather some information. Plus, how would you like it if I brought home one of those rings to open up any BSP, at any time.”

Calham locked eyes with her and felt a shiver ride up his spine. He broke the lock and looked down at his hands. “Your call, Paul,” was all he said.

Paul felt his face reddening. Damn them, if she is not successful they will blame it on me.

He knew Calham wanted her to go back; the last comment was the one that would clinch it.

“Look, Paul, let me go. Let me take the stones. They belong to me. You know that. I think I derive power from them. They may help me. We don’t have much to lose at this point. Talokta’s forces will attack, if I do not comply. And, well, if it wasn’t for me contacting you, you wouldn’t know anything about the stones and their power. Hey, this is the closest anyone has got to the Trimadians.”

Pilcher sighed and looked her up and down. “So you really don’t know what you are going to do?”

She grinned. “Nope, guess I’m gonna wing it.”

Kate was sent back to her room while the big wigs, as she termed them, finalized their decisions. No matter what, she had to carry out Pete’s request. After seeing how much cover up his bosses would do to hide the truth, she decided she would do this come hell or high water. No one was guarding her, she guessed there was no need. So slipping into Pete’s study was easy, he had given her his code and she would be long gone before they did any checking. She headed to his huge desk. Sure enough, in the bottom draw, was a false bottom. She pulled out the book, glanced at the title, opened and flipped through it. Yes, she had to send this. At least someone out there would know the truth. She slipped it into a bubble wrap envelope and wrote the name and address he had made her memorize. He said he was a trusted friend and colleague in London. “If anything happens to me, he’ll know what to do.” She wondered how much he had written about her. But there was no time.

She looked at her watch. Pete told her they were always on time.

Kate headed to the administration area. She hid around the corner away from the camera view. Anytime now.

“Back in five,” she heard the cheerful voice of Darline, the kind, elderly office woman who was also Pilcher’s secretary. As she exited out of the office and rounded the corner Kate made her move—colliding with her, sending a stout, four foot eight tall Darline and her load crashing to the vinyl floor.

“Oh my, I am so sorry. Please allow me.”

Kate helped the woman up and began picking up the letters, packets, and parcels that just happened to be what the startled woman was carrying in a large basket.

“Kate, goodness, I thought you were—”

“I was, and, I may not see you for a while Darline,” she said handing the woman back her mail.

Darline stared at her. She liked Kate and had managed to share a few cups of tea with her in the dining area. “I—I must get this lot out, the new driver is a bad tempered so and so. Have you time for a cuppa before—”

“I don’t know, Darline. You better go.”

“Yes, I—well, I hope I see you soon,” Darline smiled, clutched her full basket and waddled down the corridor to the mail dispatch room.

“Phew, mission accomplished.” Leah sighed as she packed a backpack of belongings and survival supplies, then settled down for some much needed sleep.

Pilcher and the representatives of the S.U.E.P. had discussed, yelled, and thrown alternative ideas around the table over the next thirty hours. All knew it; she had to go. They needed to call an emergency meeting of the full S.U.E.P. members and a few out of town colleagues for help. They needed time. Yes, they needed Kate Willard.

Calham, the overseer of Divisions, was the leader and co-founder of the S.U.E.P. He was behind the decision to make her part of the Odyssey Bourne Force project.

Since the very beginning, Denver Calham wanted to know if she was a fraud before he had met her. Was she a reincarnation of Queen Leah, or was that just a fairytale? Calham was a hard-nosed businessman, a man of science and a strong believer in extraterrestrial life. If he had not been, he certainly would not be where he is today. He held firm the doctrine of logical positivism close to his heart, which also made him an agnostic. Anything tangible can be explained by science, everything else was mumbo jumbo bullshit. Up until now, he only held onto these tangible beliefs. With the discovery of the BSP and even more, meeting this Kate Willard, he did not know what to think. It made him burn with curiosity. He already knew about the reputation of this infamous warlord Talokta through his own contacts. But apart from what he had learnt through covert means and the Cantals of Ahmadeus, in truth, very little was known about the Trimadians; a very guarded, fear provoking hybrid species. He understood they had unsurpassed technologies—Sataal was proof enough of that. Now the pot was getting closer to the boil. They could be on his doorstep tomorrow. He needed any advantage he could lay his hands on, and through any means.

With all the reports and meeting her in the flesh, he knew Kate was not a fraud, but at the same time, she was not telling the whole truth about everything and suspected she was being used as a pawn. He envied her mind reading skills.

He had to put his hard edged beliefs on the line and rely on this woman. He was also governed by other considerations, especially regarding his OBF team. Time was crucial, he had little choice, and good, loyal men were hard and expensive to find. She was right. He knew full well if Kate did not go, true to Talokta’s word, they would be killed, and Earth would be under attack. What would he have gained? Could this one woman make a difference? Was he willing to sacrifice her if need be? Fuck knows! It was damn frustrating they knew so little about the BSP and its origins, even with his contacts’ help. He remembered he laughed when his top scientists wrote a report: “The science behind the Door.” It should have been renamed, “We know diddly squat,” a view that would have been shared by Tremaine. Here an opportunity, though downright dangerous was before him. If she could get her hands on one of those rings that open the doorway—that was indeed the clincher for him.