by James Harris
Harry was more of a people person than Joe. He wasn’t shy with the girls. He was a charmer who stayed in their heads. Harry was average in sports and played on Joe’s baseball team. He had a larger and stronger physique than Joe and played other sports as long as they attracted girls.
Harry was like the ultimate lie-detection machine. He could see right through people. If you tried to snow him, he would laugh goodnaturedly so as not to affront you. He was not offended when people tried to lie to him; he was amused. He never took it personally, of course. Adults found this trait infuriating. Adults want to shelter children from the grim realities of life and therefore tend to sugarcoat the truth. Even as a small child, Harry would scrunch up his eyebrows and question them every time – a bit like Shirley Temple when she confronted adults with a big pout, wise beyond her years. Evil-minded people gave a wide berth to both boys.
CHAPTER43
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1977
The setting sun danced off the Potomac River as Frank Grayer approached the North Mall section of the Pentagon.
Earlier that day, he had received the shock of his life.
He had been dashing up the Pentagon stairs – late for a meeting of the National Military Joint Intelligence Center – when the unimaginable happened. Like a dog catching a scent in the wind, he had felt a presence. His irises narrowed and his eyes looked blankly up and to the left. He saw, felt, sensed the aura of another human from Sargon. It was an old familiar feeling that felt comforting somehow after all the years.
He had sensed a strengthening of the other’s Signature pulse and knew immediately that the Being was now in the same sector of the building. Grayer was momentarily stunned. His heart skipped a beat. He was cautiously ecstatic. He had found one of his own kind at long last. After traveling for years around the globe, a scout ship survivor was in the same building at the same time. Their Signatures got closer and closer until they converged on the same floor.
He had emerged from the elevator and confronted a complete stranger. Stell’s Signature was pulsing from the body of a man whose name, Grayer would soon learn, was Corey Wixon.
The two otherworldly humans stared at each other, fascinated by the physical transition into these indigenous bodies. While their present physical forms were unfamiliar, their Signatures were not. Frank Grayer’s body gave off Kor’s Signature, and likewise Corey Wixon’s body pulsed Stell’s.
“Kor? Can that be you?”
“Stell! You’re alive.”
Stell realized he had overlooked the obvious. “It was your scout ship they found in the desert. They said no survivors.” Kor had somehow transitioned and survived and was now standing in front of him. Stell didn’t have a free reign anymore. He had competition on this new planet.
“Why are you here, now, at the same time as me?”
“There’s a meeting of the NMJIC to discuss …”
“… the disposal of the remnants of the spacecraft wreck found in New Mexico,” Grayer finished for him.
“Alpha I, the ship that crashed. What about your crew?”
“Still digital. The chamber fell apart after I transitioned. You must have read that in the report of the wreck,” Grayer said. “And you, have you transitioned your crew?”
Wixon flexed uncomfortably. “Look Kor, we should get something straight.”
“I’m listening.”
“Not here.”
The two stood feet apart by the elevators in full view of the security cameras. Stell nodded toward a back stairwell and the two disappeared from the surveillance camera.
“It’s about the prelaunch Directive.”
“You mean the allegiance treaty you entered into before we left,” Grayer said. “The treaty where you swore allegiance to the House of Narok in exchange for safe passage off the planet.”
“Look, Kor, that was an understanding based on a different set of factors. There are too many things that have changed since then. Your ship is wrecked and you have no crew. You’re marooned. Our ship isn’t capable of an extended space flight any more. We are all marooned here.”
“What about the third craft? What happened to it?”
“Unknown. We haven’t been able to locate it all these years and we’ve been here since 1949,” Stell said. “You know what, marooned is too strong a word considering that I think that this planet is ideal for colonization. I think this place is our new home.”
“I disagree.”
“Of course, I could expect nothing else from you. You would argue black was white against me.”
“This isn’t about you, Stell. It’s about the inhabitants. They aren’t as primitive a society as we need for successful integration. Our species can’t morally assimilate into a thriving evolved society. That directive has always been clear. It would rip their societal fabric apart. Surely you can see that.”
“I’ve been here at least twenty years longer than you have. I know these people better than you.”
“Stell, you bring the fleet here and it would be the same as an invasion. We would be relegated to nothing more than body snatchers.”
“Ridiculous. Look around you. Listen and observe. These humans are primitive by our standards. It’s not a crime to assimilate them. It’s for their own good. Think of the forward progress they would make under our stewardship.”
“Noble talk, but I suspect you are up to something.”
“You are both suspicious and stubborn. These traits come hand in hand like brothers. Reminds me of the brothers we once were.”
“Stell, I know them. Their minds are too advanced for assimilation. You would be condemning them to mental slavery for the rest of their lives.”
“I’ve lived amongst them longer than you have.”
“This planet was a mistake. We had no way of knowing what kind of society we would encounter. The fleet must move on past here.”
“We’ll be alone, Kor, trapped on this rock,” Stell said. “Think, will you. What could these people do? How could they stop us?”
“They could rebel. They’re prone to violence and unpredictability. They aren’t going to sit back and let spaceships full of aliens take over the planet.”
“You’re not listening to me! I wasn’t asking for your permission, I was warning you not to interfere.”
“What’s going on here? Interfere with what?”
“You’re not royalty here. You’re an explorer like the rest of us. You can’t give me an edict to do something or not do something. History and circumstance has changed us. Your family no longer rules a planet. They can’t protect you and you can’t tell me what to do.”
“So the allegiance treaty means nothing to you.”
“It’s no longer relevant. I was the first to land here and set up our people. I claim this planet for my family, the Abishot. Under the ancient laws of discovery, this planet belongs to the House of Abishot.”
“You’re crazy. The Narok sponsored this journey and paid for everything. We are the ruling family and you are the vassal as specified under the treaty.”
“Vassal! Ruling family. Get a grip on reality. Your family is gone. Your home no longer exists. Everything we knew is gone. If anyone rules now, Kor, it’s me. By rights, you report to me.”
“Over my dead body.”
“Whatever suits you.”
Just then, a voice crackled at Grayer’s belt. “Commander, the Joint Chiefs are waiting.”
“On my way,” Grayer said into his handset. Looking back at Wixon he said, “We’re not finished yet, you and I.”
“Yes we are, my little ex-prince. Only one of us can rule here and that person is me. Get in my way and I will hunt you down and wipe you out. You are expendable.”
“Don’t threaten me. I can protect myself. I will stop you.”
“You think so, do you. All our Gifts and powers are so diminished in these bodies we are practically at their level. Your great Gift is almost useless here.”
“Perhaps. On the other hand, maybe it
’s just you.”
“I have a full crew of loyal people that do my bidding. And the first order of business is to get rid of the competition.”
“This planet falls under my jurisdiction and you will do as I say.”
“You’re hard of hearing. This planet is mine. My people are strategically placed. Hidden where you can’t find them. Powerful people that can make things happen.”
“I’m warning you, Stell …”
“No I’m warning you, Prince Brat, We are five and you are one, keep out of …” Stell stopped in mid sentence. “What was that I saw? Deception? Are you trying to hide something from me?”
Kor quickly averted Stell’s gaze
Stell moved closer as if inspecting Kor’s mind.
“There’s something you don’t want me to know. It was when I said ‘one’ that you tried to hide your thoughts. Is it that you are more than one? But how can that be if the rest of your crew is still digitalized?”
“I tire of this banter; I’m leaving.”
Stell grabbed Kor’s shoulder and turned him around to face him.
“If you are no longer alone, it can only mean that you have reproduced. You mated with one of them.”
Kor’s eyes flared green and his anger betrayed his secret.
“That’s it. You have sired children. Now we have more Narok to deal with.”
Kor shoved Stell away with both hands.
“Get away from me.”
“This is your one and only warning, Kor. Don’t interfere.”
“And this is your warning: Give yourselves up to me and I won’t harm any of you.”
“I will contact the fleet and direct them here. We will re-establish our Abishot empire, and you can’t stop us. If you try, we will hunt you – and your family – down like dogs. See you inside. Wouldn’t want you to be late for the meeting.”
Stell spun on his heels and left for the meeting.
Grayer watched him walk out of earshot and spoke to his secretary. “Nora, please call David Bohr and have him call me ASAP.”
Grayer attended the meeting and kept a steady eye on Stell. It was obvious that Stell had not revealed himself to others. He reported to a man called H who ran the NMJIC. H might be aware of Wixon’s true identity, but no one else seemed to know. They sat as far apart as they could. The meeting was sparsely attended and top secret. The wreck was to be buried deep within the government’s secret underground warehouse in the desert. The project was to be shut down and Grayer was to be redeployed.
Grayer excused himself and left the meeting when the call came in. “David,” he said, taking the call in an empty side office nearby. “Complications. Huge complications. Stell, my brother from Sargon, whom you know about, has suddenly appeared at a meeting here at the Pentagon.
“He’s alive and has assumed the body of a man called Corey Wixon. He’s in the next room and he has insane plans for this planet.”
“Are we in any kind of danger?”
“He plans to integrate the planet with people from Sargon. He has threatened to divert the evacuation fleet to Earth. He still sees himself as my sworn enemy.”
“So you’re in danger?”
“It’s not me I’m worried about. It’s the twins. Stell has figured out that I have children,”
“And now you’re vulnerable because of them.”
“Exactly. I need you to help me get them away from Los Alamos right away. The boys trust you and will do what you ask without question. I must get back to the meeting. It’s 4:30 my time, what time do they get to your place from school?”
“They should be home any time.”
“I’ll try to call them and explain. In the meantime get them to the airport. I’ll have someone standing by to take it from there. Be careful, these people wouldn’t hesitate taking you out if you got in the way. Do you have a weapon?”
“No. But don’t worry. I won’t take any chances. You can always count on me, Frank.”
“I know that, David. I’ll call back when I can slip out of the meeting.”
“Hold on, Frank. They just walked in. I’ll go and get them.”
Just then Grayer felt a presence behind him. He turned, cupping the mouthpiece in the palm of his hand. Stell was standing there.
“Call who back?”
“None of your business.”
“They sent me to get you. This meeting is dragging on and everyone wants out of here before five. Come on, you and I have papers to sign.”
Grayer placed the phone back onto the cradle. He never heard the faint tinny voice of Joe saying, “Dad, Dad, are you there?”
CHAPTER44
After the meeting, Grayer called Bohr, but the boys had already left.
He left the Pentagon building, even though his office was just a few doors down from the meeting room. He thought it best not to disclose his whereabouts to Stell’s prying eyes. Let him and his spymasters work to find out about him if they could. Since Grayer was classified personnel, none of his records were open to the agencies. But Grayer realized that NMJIC was the agency that controlled Washington. It wouldn’t take Stell too long to get his hands on a dossier about him. Grayer exited by the river entrance and took off on foot along the road to do some thinking.
He was determined to track Stell and his crew. Grayer had used a wall phone by the exit to request a complete check on Wixon: where he lived, known associates, his life’s history. He would need the resources of a large databank to perform some of the tasks that lay ahead, such as linking Wixon to the other four members of his crew. The NSA had the largest, most powerful collection of computers in the world. Grayer knew that the report would be waiting for him when he got back to his office.
Now both men knew the true identity of the other. On the surface, they were on the same side working for the same government.
Both he and Stell had the intelligence resources to track each other. Stell could get his hands on field agents. He had many eyes and ears. The NMJIC collected data from all the other agencies. No doubt he also had H on his side and would have used his alien powers to bend the agency to do his will. Grayer, on the other hand, had the ear of the president and the resources of the Secretary of Defense and possibly the DoD.
Grayer felt confident that the third craft had landed somewhere on Earth. Probably it had crash-landed in some remote area and had not been recovered yet. If the Soviets had recovered it, they had done a marvelous job of keeping the discovery a secret. Kor needed to recover the third craft. He knew he could count on their loyalty and he needed them to help even his odds against Stell’s crew.
Grayer felt he had been smart to quickly evacuate his sons from Los Alamos. He knew his family was a weakness that Stell could exploit, so he had the boys picked up and whisked away before anyone, including friends, could understand what had happened. There would be no trail for Stell’s operatives to follow. His sons would vanish off the face of the Earth.
He checked his watch. He had arranged to smuggle his sons into Canada aboard an Air Force military jet. They should have landed at the CFB in Trenton, Ontario by now and from there were to be whisked to Toronto. An agent was to stay with them for a month in protective care until it was confirmed that they were safe. Sara’s sister was sworn to secrecy and would protect Sara’s children with her life. Falsified papers were being drawn up naming the twins as Dianna’s own children. Grayer sent some intelligence people to Los Alamos to methodically remove any evidence of the boys’ existence in Los Alamos. They were to pay special attention to the removal of photos of the twins from school files, yearbooks, and private homes. Stell’s people would be hard pressed to find the two without some reliable method of identification. Grayer expunged all mention of Sara from his personal file.
The boys were safe for now, but Grayer himself was under twenty-four-hour surveillance. He would have to be very careful about how and when he contacted them.
Grayer had circled the building and decided to re-enter and go to his office
. The entrance was guarded by several MPs, who saluted Grayer as he flashed his ID. Grayer ducked into his office and flicked the wall switch on. He noticed the orange knob of his phone blinking tirelessly. He removed his jacket and threw it over a chair before sitting down at his desk. With pencil and pad in hand, he went through the series of messages.
Eventually he found the one he had been waiting for.
“Commander,” the voice said. “We have a fix on your target. The department has approved three Watchers dedicated to this target as per your request. Reports will stream every twelve hours. My name is Hill, Jeremy Hill.”
Grayer picked up the phone and pushed a side button. It was a dedicated line to the Secretary of Defense. It was busy. Good – that meant he was still at the office working late. Grayer finished answering his phone messages and tried again, this time with success.
“Mr. Secretary, just called to thank you for the Watchers.”
“You’re welcome, Frank. Very delicate matter. Had to convince H. He was pissed, but finally relented. H works closely with Wixon.”
“How closely? I wonder what he has told him.”
“Can’t say. The committee isn’t aware of this surveillance. I am keeping this low-key. The fewer people that know the better. I think a team of three will be effective.”
“Yes, sir. We have to know where they’ve infiltrated us. We don’t know how far up the food chain they are. It’s a safe bet they are working within sensitive areas of the government. We have Wixon, he’ll lead us to the others eventually.”
“I agree, sooner or later he’ll slip up. Keep me appraised. Good night.”
CHAPTER45
In August, 1980, nearly three years after Stell and Kor had confronted each other at the NMJIC meeting, Grayer got the call he had been waiting for.
“Commander, this is Hill. We have a solid lead on your men.”
“Good work, Hill. Did you confirm a location where they meet?”
“Yes, sir. We’re certain that their base of operations is in an abandoned missile silo in Colorado. Every month the same men meet there. It’s the only time that Wixon and the other four men are together at the same place and time.”
