by Gary Striker
Rudy examined several burn areas on Chad’s arms and chest and recommended the same.
“We’ll make it a twosome tonight, boys! At least you won’t get lonely”, Rudy assured them with a smile.
“We have another reservation that needs a ride”, Chad informed Rudy.
Rudy glanced up as he was attending to the first aid issues in front of him. ‘Duty’ smiled and pointed out to the woods. Several officers arrived back on scene as ‘Duty’ requested that they go retrieve their visitor.
Rudy jumped back as the deputies dumped their alien visitor in front of them.
“What the hell is that”? Rudy asked as he stared transfixed at a pile of pulverized hide in front of him.
“I’m not sure”, Chad said”, “but I’d say he’s a dead ringer for Richard Gard”.
The officers relaxed a bit as they enjoyed the humor and wrapped the dead warrior in a body sack.
“Are all of the neighbors accounted for”, duty asked one of his deputies?
“Yes, sir! We’re escorting the last one out now”.
“Very well, we need to get out of here pronto! We need to post two deputies at the road entrance”, ‘Duty’ instructed.
“Aye, Sir, but look behind you”, the deputy requested.
Back in the Ben Lake area of the Allagash, an iridescent glow could be seen above the trees.
“Them ain’t the Northern Lights”, one of the officers observed.
“Let’s wrap it up”, ‘Duty’ commanded, “We’ll get this mess cleaned up tomorrow”.
Jane’s house phone was ringing as Steve snapped out of a deep sleep. Jane stirred and reached over to answer it via the speakerphone.
“Hi ‘Duty’, she said in a groggy tone, “what’s going on”?
‘Duty’ conveyed the events of the evening as he and Chad were being treated for burns at the Fort Kent Hospital. He apologized for the late night call, but wanted to pre-arrange a morning meeting away from the headquarters building.
“Hey ‘Duty’, Steve said, “Let’s try for nine o’clock at Jim’s office in Wallagrass. I’ll alert Darren and let him know that you will be picking him up. I want to bring Cheyenne and the boys in on this. We have some hard decisions to make”.
“Sounds good, partner”, ‘Duty’ said in a relieved tone, “We’ll see you there”.
Steve dropped back to his pillow with a sigh.
“It’s starting”, Steve said with a confirmed expression.
As usual, Steve awoke to the morning kitchen sounds he had grown accustomed to.
“Back in L.A., breakfast is a quick trip through the drive-thru for a McMuffin”, Steve said in amazement as Jane was conjuring up biscuits and gravy with all the trimmings. “How do you do it”?
“Which do you prefer, Muffin Man”, Jane asked?
Steve was evaluating the aromas that he never got with his quick meal. He was also submitting to his own reality check. Steve Slattery had been cruising down a one-way street for the last week with no way back.
“I think I can hang out here and allow you to cook for me. It will greatly help your sense of worth and well-being as a woman, for which you will obtain a profound feeling of self-accomplishment, not to mention…”
Without a word, Jane put her finger to Steve’s lips as he mumbled, “This is the best friggin’ grub I ever had in my life. If you ever stop cooking, I will probably shoot myself”.
Jane smiled while recollecting a bit of pre-Cambrian Slattery philosophy that appeared to work out very well on her own behalf, much like a booby trap.
“‘The way to a man’s stomach is through his mouth’ will live forever in the annals of great dim-witted philosophers”, she thought!
“You’re a world class moron, Clarence, which indicates that there is obviously something very wrong with my selection process. But there is one thing I know for sure; if you every break your contract, you won’t have to shoot yourself, I’ll do it for you”!
Steve sat at attention with a big smile and a mouth full of home-made biscuits.
“You haven’t lost your touch, Slattery, you old chick magnet”, he said to himself as Jane planted a kiss on his forehead.
Jim Gagnon’s office was stirring with activity as Jane and Steve made their grand entrance. Cheyenne and Jim were trying to come to terms with a course of action that would move the whole situation ahead without acquiring a one-way pass to the asylum. Steve was busy preparing two priority coffee cups of Columbian nitro, which was guaranteed to wake up the dead, if necessary. Darren was discussing the previous night’s events with Cheyenne and the boys. All of Darren’s equipment was setting on a work table, in fair to tattered shape.
“Are you aware of the responses that we got back from the State and other agencies”, Jim asked ‘Duty’? “They think we’re a gang of royal space nuts trying to generate tourist business, which is probably why they haven’t locked us up yet”.
“We have another problem”, Gary added, “There are pilot reports from the airlines stating that that they have seen the woods glowing while experiencing navigation equipment failure at the same time”.
“Some Area-51 UFO group in New Mexico wants me to do a radio talk show interview”, Steve said as he supplemented his media request to the growing pile of concerns.
“Gard told me that the National Inquirer wants to run a feature story”, Bob said with a grin.
“Don’t forget about the two State Inspectors, Jake and Elliot. They’re due back in town on Monday”, Jim said as he reminded the crew.
“Maybe we should throw another earthquake party, complete with earthquake”, Darren said with a smirk.
“Ok, ok, let’s put our heads back on! We have real problems to deal with, “‘Duty’ said as he reunified the group. “We keep adding to the list of dead and seriously injured folks. This needs to stop, now!
Duty displayed bandages on both arms as a reality check ensued.
“We’re either gonna find somebody that can help us and take this mess seriously, or we might as well kiss our butts goodbye.
“Let me see if I can call in a favor”, Steve offered as he found a directory name on his alien communicator device. Everyone listened to the speaker phone dial routine.
“This is Colonel Harris of the United States Air Force two-two-zero Mobility Wing Command Headquarters in Bangor, Maine. How may I help you?
“Hey, you old coot, how long did it take you to memorize that greeting? This is Steve Slattery”.
“You know Slattery”, Dave began, “you’re the only person I ever met who reads the obituary page looking for his own name. How the hell are you”?
“I’m fine Dave. I consulted my ‘People-to-Annoy’ list and your name floated right to the top. I wouldn’t be calling you if I didn’t need you for something, big boy. I didn’t even make any senior citizen jokes, so you know this must be important. How are you”?
Jane smiled as she absorbed the Slattery charm machine in action. She acknowledged that Steve had used the same tactics on her with great success.
“I’m with the Air Reserve Technician program. They don’t care how old you are, just so you can breathe on your own without an oxygen bottle. I retire out next year. What can I do for you, Steve? God knows I owe you one”.
Lantz Corporal Slattery was responsible for pulling a certain young Airman out of a burning cargo plane wreck after being shot down near An Loc, Binh Long Province, South Vietnam, while supporting the 3rd Corps. Dave Harris was that Airman.
“I’ll be honest with you, Dave, I’m in trouble and I’m calling in a favor”, Steve said with a total absence of humor.
“Well, no favor is too big for you, Steve. Let’s see if we can wipe the slate clean. What can I do for you”, Dave asked?
“I’m located about one hundred and eighty miles north of you in Eagle Lake. I need you to pay me a visit, as soon as humanly possible”.
After a short pause, Steve’s phone came to life.
“That’s it? T
hat’s all you want? Hell, I was looking for an excuse to get out of town. How about tomorrow, Saturday? I could be up there around noon. What’s going on”?
“Let’s just say that it’s so damn important that the human race depends on it”, Steve said with no further explanation.
The group in Jim’s office smiled at the efficiency of getting the United States Air Force engaged with their outer space monster problem. So far the best that they could do was the National Inquirer!
Steve sat back while commanding a look of amazement from the whole group.
“Hey guys”, Darren said while shifting everyone’s attention to his problem, “This spectrum analyzer looks like somebody got pissed off at it”.
Sure enough, Darren’s pricey piece of test and analysis equipment was totally non-functional and looked the worse for wear.
“What happened to this thing”, Darren asked?
“Cheyenne filled it full of buckshot from his soup can grenade”, Bob said, “I got some, too”! He showed Darren his battle scars.
Cheyenne stood back with his Wiley smile while accepting full complementary responsibility.
“I don’t pretend to understand what you just said”, Darren responded with a sigh, “but at least he didn’t get the memory card”!
Darren pulled the card from the analyzer and put it in his shirt pocket for safe keeping.
“I can play this back with the manufacturer’s software application on my laptop”, he said, as he accepted the good fortune that all was not lost.
“Well, everybody, what’s for lunch”, Steve asked?
Jane grabbed her man by the arm and led him toward the door.
“We’ll see you boys at the Swamp Buck”, Jane said, “and lunch is on us”.
A mad scramble ensued as Jim closed the office for midday duties at the infamous ‘Buck’!
Aliens in the Allagash
Chapter 21
Introspective Analysis
Saturday morning found Darren setting up a makeshift lab in a spare meeting room next to ‘Duty’s office at the Fort Kent Police Headquarters Building. Darren had consulted with his research colleagues regarding experimental techniques to be performed on their alien visitor. They collectively decided that transporting any sample part of the subject could prove to be dangerous business. As a result, additional equipment was forwarded to Darren to aid with the on-site investigative process. Jane had commented that Darren was like a little kid with a new toy. Steve was quick to point out one significant difference, however, which was how lethal his new toy chose to be.
Cheyenne’s space man had shown no sign of movement over the two day period since he was captured. The creature was heavily guarded on a round-the-clock schedule. The only indication of life was the continuous movement of the microbial cells in the eyes.
Steve and Jane were expecting Jim at their house in Eagle Lake by mid-morning. They tasked themselves with organizing a picture portfolio to be presented to Colonel Harris. He was expected at noon.
Jim had also arranged for the other members of their recon squad to be present when Colonel Harris arrived. Steve felt that the only way to capture the Colonel’s attention was to overload him with evidence. Jim suggested that it would be easier to kidnap him and simply drag his ass to the police station. As preposterous as it seemed, Steve considered this as a last option should Dave want to laugh himself all the way back to Bangor.
Jim had just arrived to see photographic prints of all the pictures that Jane had taken spread out across the kitchen table. The usual greetings of Jim’s arrival were dismissed in preference to the work priorities at hand. Jane set a cup of coffee in front of him as he picked up several pictures for a closer inspection.
“We have to be careful as to how we present this information to Colonel Harris”, Steve cautioned, “We must not attempt to explain anything to Dave, only present the facts. Let him formulate his own questions for which he’ll have a compulsion to seek some objective explanation”.
“So, if I’m understanding what you’re saying”, Jim began, “it would be in our best interest to overload him with the facts”.
“Exactly”, Steve said as he emphatically agreed with Jim’s strategy!
The last of Jim’s photographic evidence was being printed as the former recon squad members began arriving.
Cheyenne was waiting for his custom ordered pizza at the Bald Eagle Convenience Store when he heard a man ask for directions to Jane Lefebvre’s house.
“Sir, you must be Colonel Harris. I’m headed over to Jane’s house as soon as my pizza is done. We’ve been expecting you”, Cheyenne said as he introduced himself. “I thought everyone might appreciate some lunch.
Dave confirmed Cheyenne’s lunch suggestion and introduced himself with a big smile. Dave expressed concern for Steve’s well-being as the pizza was being boxed and delivered.
“We can better talk about this over at Jane’s house”, Cheyenne deferred and pointed, “She lives just over there by the lake”.
“I couldn’t have planned this better”, Dave said as they made tracks for their cars.
The entire welcoming committee was assembled in Jane’s kitchen as Cheyenne and Dave joined the party. They were surveying the many photos displayed in front of them.
“Cheyenne, you’re a hoot”, Jane exclaimed. “I was just on my way to the Bald Eagle”.
“Great minds think alike”, Cheyenne said with his big wryly smile as he set the pizza on the counter.
“Steve, you old coyote, how have you been”, Dave asked as Steve focused on his long-lost friend?
The whole crew welcomed Colonel Harris as Steve demonstrated a bond that could never be broken. He welcomed his friend with a big squeeze and a slap to the shoulder.
“You’re going to make me jealous”, Jane said with a straight face.
“Oh, sweetheart”, Dave exclaimed with a laugh, “You can have him now. I don’t need him anymore since he hauled my ass out of that downed transport”.
“Like I always said”, Steve reminisced, “easy come, easy go”!
Everyone enjoyed the Bald Eagle’s best fare, set off with Jane’s mountain spring carbonated lemon water. Steve and Dave caught up on times gone by until the pictures commanded attention of their own.
“Steve, what is so damn important that I needed to come all the way up here to save humanity? And what is all this”, Dave asked as he browsed through the sci-fi portfolio? “For you to call in a marker, which, by the way, I’m giving back, you must be in deep shit”.
Everyone looked at Steve for his first departure into the outside world of the unknown. Colonel Harris riveted his attention on Steve’s eyes.
“Colonel, we have a situation here that has already cost us casualties and undo stress, as well as an elevated level of risk and danger”.
Jane appeared to be very satisfied with Steve’s opening remark. It definitely generated interest with the colonel.
“Ok, give it to me straight”, the Colonel requested, “and I never liked the taste of sugar”!
“Very well”, Steve responded, “Let’s cut to the chase”!
Everyone anticipated a tactful investigative analysis, the type that would be presented in a court of law under oath. This was also the make-or-break moment for which failure was not an option. All eyes were on Steve.
“Cheyenne caught a Martian”, Steve said without the hint of a smile.
Colonel Harris opened his mouth, but nothing came out as he surveyed the faces in front of him as well as the photo gallery on the table. No one else was smiling, either. Jane cut him off with a simple question, “Would you like to see it”?
The Colonel was again side-stepped as Steve introduced him to Doctor Darren McCall.
“Darren”, Steve requested, “you know more about this alien life form than anyone on the planet. Would you care to share your findings with the Colonel”?
U.S.A.F. Colonel David Harris sat back and hadn’t uttered a word thus far. He was a
pprised of the circumstances leading up to his visit, beginning with the disappearance of Marie Benavidas, the night at the sawmill, and the exploratory missions into the Allagash. Jane pointed out the window toward the devastation and the construction crew at the lakefront.
Steve and Jim filled in the storyline with appropriate photos and assured the Colonel that this tale was no well-rehearsed joke.
“We don’t expect you to believe any of this”, Jane said apprehensively, “but we would like to indulge your patience with a bit of show and tell and let you draw your own conclusions. Would you please accommodate us, Sir? We’re in big trouble”.
Steve smiled in surprise at his honey as she delivered the catch of the day in the form of an Air Force Colonel. The group shifted its attention to Colonel Harris, who already made the assessment that he was outnumbered. Jim provided the specifics on the location and condition of two specimens for the Colonel’s inspection.
“So what are we waiting for”, Dave asked nonchalantly?
The Colonel could sense the tension defuse and his acceptance into the group. He was thinking about other elaborate hoaxes that went down in history, but if this proved to be one of them, it would surely set new standards for deception.
