by RWK Clark
She could smell his skin and his hair, and suddenly she was hit with the reality of her feelings for this man. He had always been obviously good looking, but his smell now incited her to be aware of the contours of his body, the tautness of his muscles, and she subconsciously found herself pressing her body against his.
They both jerked apart, blushing and flustered. She knew her face was red, and keeping her eyes to the ground, said, “We need to see Wells right away.”
“Let’s go up,” he responded. She grabbed the tablet and pen, and he did the same with another legal pad from his desk. As they walked out of the office he took her hand. She looked him in the eyes and smiled shyly.
She could sure use another of those hugs, and much, much more.
Chapter 10
Wells was out to lunch, so they decided to wait on him. They really couldn’t proceed without giving him a heads-up and getting his input. He would need to talk to President Mason’s team somehow and find out how they wanted her and Josh to move forward. Things would have to be lined up if they were going to try to shut out the alien signal. It would be pointless to shut it down without having a plan of attack established.
Peter Wells returned at one-thirty, and seeing the looks on both of their faces as they sat on the leather sofa was enough for him.
“Come on in,” he said, and they jumped up and followed him into his inner sanctum.
As soon as they were seated Kamryn put her finger to her lips in what was becoming an all too familiar sign to exercise verbal discretion. Wells nodded, holding her eyes as he did so. She handed the same piece of paper to him across the desk which she had written for Josh explaining what she had found.
He read it silently. When he was finished he looked up at her, his eyes betraying his excitement.
“And?” He asked.
She put her pen and paper to use, writing, “We need to confer with the other powers. We need to determine a specific signal blocking method, and we need to have an attack strategy in place. I have ideas regarding the blocking, but I need to know what resources are at my disposal so I can develop something effective.”
She turned that note over to Wells and they both waited impatiently for him to read it. He looked up at them, resting his chin on his fist. He was thinking hard. Finally, he picked up the phone and punched in a few numbers. After a moment he spoke.
“Matt, Peter here. We need to reconvene as soon as possible. Good. You make the calls. See you soon.” He hung up the phone and sat back in his chair, fingers laced behind his head. “Nice job, Kamryn.”
She finally spoke. “Do we have access to an old school overhead projector, by chance? It would make the meeting go a lot more smoothly if we did.”
“Excellent!” He pushed his intercom button and said, “Sharon, get maintenance to bring a working overhead projector up from storage stat.”
“Yes, sir.”
Josh asked, “Should we come back when they get here? I mean, there really is nothing we can do until we confer.”
“No, no, no. Stay here. Make small talk. Maybe it will… you know… cause a distraction,” replied Wells. “So, what did you two have for lunch?”
They all burst out in laughter, mostly from the tension, but also from relief. “To be honest, our lunch is sitting on my desk in my office. I had just returned when she shared her ‘good news’, Josh replied.
“Well, we can’t have that. Run down and grab it. You can eat while we wait. I had prime rib at Morton’s; simply dynamite, but I likely gained five pounds. Good thing the wife likes me thick.”
Josh smiled. “I could eat, and I’m sure this wisp of a girl needs to. I’ll be back in a flash.” He rose and left the office feeling light on his feet.
When he was gone Kamryn looked at Wells awkwardly. She had never done as well alone with strange men as she did with a monitor and keyboard.
“You two are hitting it off nicely, I’d say.” Wells was grinning at her like a father might a daughter who he had accepted as grown.
She felt the blood rush into her cheeks once again. “I don’t know…” She trailed off, embarrassed by the question.
“No need to flush. I can see it. If I may speak freely, I think you two make a heck of a team.” He was smiling slightly in an effort to make her more comfortable. They were all under extreme pressure, and this young girl had the full weight of it. “How old are you, Kamryn?”
She replied, “Twenty-three.”
Wells chuckled, and then shook his head for a change. “Regardless of all this, you’re human. It’s okay. If everything works out you might be surprised at the future potential the two of you have.”
She smiled again, and allowed herself to entertain the thought that everything just might work out. What would it be like to be with Josh? She was more than afraid to hope.
“You know, Kamryn, if this plays out you are going to be a hero.” He looked at her seriously. “Contemplate the weight of what you are doing. It’s huge, girl.”
She nodded and shifted in her seat. She wanted to live, of course. It would be great to have a future. The fact was she had no idea how to make that dream become a reality, at least not yet.
Josh was back sooner than they thought, and she was relieved. She felt her smile spread across her face when he came into the office, and she took great pleasure in the fact that hers were the first eyes his sought out. He smiled back.
He was so proud of her, of what she was doing. He couldn’t believe he had been lucky enough to be the one to almost take her out with his car. He wanted to get her alone badly and show her how he felt. He wouldn’t be any good saying it.
The two ate while Wells spoke of his grandchildren, wife, and the house they were buying in the Hamptons. His eyes lit up when he talked about Mrs. Wells, or Pamela as he called her. You could see he loved her deeply, and fretted terribly over the welfare of his family at this time.
Before the food was gone the men began to shuffle in. President Mason and Carson Wood were first. Within minutes Matt Johnson followed suit, and seconds later Henry Whitaker, accompanied by the skittish Miles James, entered as well.
Wells began. “Gentlemen, we’re waiting on an overhead projector.” With that thought he buzzed Sharon. “Where is my hardware, Sharon? What’s going on?”
“Maintenance is here now, sir. Be right in.” Sharon sounded very tense.
Within ten minutes the projector was set up, and an old fashioned portable screen on a tripod was set up, the screen extended upward.
One of the maintenance men asked, “Is there anything more, Mr. Wells?”
“That will be all, thank you,” he replied, then continued to those in the room as the men left. “Kamryn needs to make a presentation which requires visuals.” He held his finger to his lips, and the men all nodded in understanding. They turned to her. She was on.
Kamryn stood and smiled nervously. All eyes were on her, and their faces were stern. “Do you have an overhead marker I can use, Mr. Wells?” He got Sharon to bring one in, and after a bit she was able to begin.
“I had a ‘revelation’, so to speak, I guess.” She began to write on the projector’s plastic film, taking the time she needed to ensure she left nothing of importance out. When she was finished she flipped the light on, casting the message onto the screen. She took her seat.
After only a couple of minutes all eyes turned back to her. Homeland Security director Miles James was the first to speak. “Are you sure about this, Kamryn?”
“Positive, Mr. James,” she replied. “I just can’t proceed without the following.”
She stood once again and cranked the film on the projector until it was blank. She began writing. She needed to know what they thought, what resources were at her disposal for use in blocking the signal, and they needed to have an attack plan ready. She wrote that whatever she used to block the signal, Josh would write the code to implement the Process effectively. Essentially, the ball was in their court. Before turning the light back
on she made sure to let them know to be cautious of their words, if not silent. She wrote, “Careful what you say” at the bottom of the film.
After they read this message Henry Whitaker asked Wells for paper and pen. He produced four additional tablets and four sharpened pencils for their use. The written conversation began.
Whitaker: How can you be sure this ‘signal’ is the real deal?
Kamryn: Absolutely. I have been doing this a long time, and this is a completely foreign signal which is being sent from a region of space not compatible with any of the Earth’s own satellites. I know these and their signals well.
Wood: What type of plan do you have in mind?
Kamryn: The ships have a number of ‘personal weapons, a force field, and one I would compare to a single shot weapon capable of nuclear-type destruction. Total annihilation, I would say. If we find a way to block the signal it would render all three of these, as well as the computers themselves, impotent.
President Mason: Do you have any ideas how to go about this?
Kamryn: I need to know what our resources are before I can even begin to put two and two together, and it would be pointless to implement a block without an attack plan in order.
The men all looked at each other, then Miles James began writing on his own tablet. He passed it to Mason, and it made its rounds to all the men in charge. Finally, they got back to Josh and Kamryn.
President Mason: There is no way to have all this together by tomorrow morning.
Kamryn: I wouldn’t think so, but if we are all the last to be herded we don’t have to worry about it. With the right resources, planning, and implementation we can get this done before testing is complete and transport begins, no problem.
Woods: It’s obvious we will not be able to entirely avoid the herding process, but we must do what we can to fight back and maintain our right to life and freedom against these interlopers.
Mason: We need to meet secretly and figure out the best course of action. This needs to be done with military heads, and we need to determine how we will block, or even eradicate, the Oppressors signal. Kamryn and Josh, take the next couple of hours to yourselves. Shower or do whatever you need to do. We will confer, carefully, and call you back up soon.
Whitaker: Yes. We need to begin ASAP.
With that, Josh and Kamryn rose to leave.
“Thank you, gentleman. We will talk to you soon,” he stated. Taking Kamryn by the elbow he guided her out of the office.
Once they were in the elevator she breathed a sigh of relief. “That went better than I’d planned. I figured they would be so doubtful that they wouldn’t want to listen.”
“No one can risk it by not taking the chance. It sounds incomprehensible, even to me, the fact that you tracked the signal the way you did; I am so impressed, Kamryn.” Josh looked over at her. She was looking at him in a way that simply captured his heart, her eyes soft, and full of love.
He moved closer to her, and taking her face gently in his hands he tilted her head back, lowering his mouth to hers. Her lips were soft and tasted sweet. His tongue made its way into her mouth and found hers. Her arms went around him, and she seemed to completely melt against his body.
The elevator door opened. He pulled away from her without looking up, and realizing he had an erection he used his tablet of paper to cover it. He smiled at her and took her hand. She smiled back and wrapped her fingers around his hand.
They made their way to the office, making small talk along the way. “I need to get a shower in the gym facilities before we get back to work,” he said.
“Me too. I wish I had some clean jeans to wear, but it looks like we are going to be up all night anyway, what, with the Oppressors emerging in the morning. I have sweat pants clean, so that will have to do.” They entered the office and both grabbed their clothing and, with cell phones in hand, made their way to the gym and showers.
Twenty minutes later Kamryn was back in the office. She had grabbed the wrong t-shirt; the one she took had been too dirty to wear again, so she wore it back and was in the process of changing into her clean one. She left her bra off; it too needed washing.
Suddenly Josh entered the office. Startled, Kamryn spun around, covering herself with her t-shirt. He looked at her, and she recognized the look in his eyes. She made no effort to turn around and put the shirt on. With his eyes glued to her Josh gently shut the office door behind him and turned the small lock on the knob.
“Kamryn…” Josh didn’t know what to say, but his eyes were saying it all. She slowly lowered the shirt, baring her breasts before him. His gaze drifted downward, his eyes lighting up as they went. She dropped the shirt to the floor without even realizing she had done so.
Josh slowly walked over to her. He put one hand on the back of her neck and began to gently kiss her once again. She responded to his lips eagerly, almost as though she were starving. His right hand found her breast, and his thumb stroked her nipple in circular motions. Goosebumps broke out all over her body.
Her hands found their way under his shirt, and she caressed his back. He lowered her to the floor to find a more comfortable position for them both. They lay there kissing passionately. He stopped only to kiss her forehead, then her cheeks, her chin. He made his way down her neck, taking his time and enjoying her scent. She let out a gentle sigh of pleasure which only served to drive him on.
Soon his mouth was on her nipple, gently nibbling and licking it until it was rock hard. Her hand found its way between his legs and stroked him. He was as hard as her nipples. In seconds he could barely contain himself. He sat up on his knees and pulled his shirt over his head, not bothering with the buttons. She reached for the fly of his jeans, smiling up at him.
Within seconds they were both completely naked, and they kissed, their bodies moving together in synchronized mutual passion. Small moans escaped her lips, and her hips began to grind and arch against him. He could take it no more. In one movement he was inside her, and she let out a small cry of pleasure.
Soon they were meeting each other stroke for stroke. His hands were tangled in her long hair, his lips glued to hers. Her breathing became heavier and heavier, and suddenly her body went rigid. Her hips arched violently as she came, and she grabbed him, pulling him deeper into her.
That was all it took. The feel of her, the sounds she made, and her scent set him over the edge. He groaned loudly as he climaxed, thrusting himself into her over and over again, until they were both spent. Their sweat mingled together as he collapsed on top of her.
They lay like that for a few moments before Kamryn began to giggle. He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “What’s so funny?” He asked.
“Absolutely nothing. I’m just happy. Funny that I could be so happy at a time like this, isn’t it?” Kamryn smiled at him and blushed. “I only wish I could have known you before all this.”
Josh smiled back. “I understand everything you just said. I’m pretty damn happy myself right now. I don’t want to waste a minute of the time we have together Kam.”
After a while they separated and pulled themselves together. While they were dressing the intercom on Josh’s desk buzzed rudely.
“Josh, Kamryn, Wells here,” came the voice of their boss. “I have a bit of information the two of you will be needing. Can you come up to my office pronto?”
Josh answered, “Yes sir. Be there momentarily.”
Chapter 11
Once they had sat down Wells began to fill them in.
“We are trying to move as quickly as possible, as time is of the essence. The men are putting together a strategy,” then he stopped and reached for his tablet and pen. He pulled his desk chair over to the two of them and began to write. In a few moments he handed the pad to Josh, who leaned closer to Kam so she could read it as well.
He had written: Men putting together battle plan. Since the signal is coming from space, other side of the ship, we are sort of at a loss as to what could be used to block it, or even s
hut it off entirely. Our lack of ideas and thoughts is heavy and mentally confusing. Getting desperate. Any ideas?
When they were done reading Josh looked at her. She seemed to be staring at the floor, and she showed no sign of giving an immediate response. He began to write that they would diligently look for an option, but suddenly she put her hand over his and stopped him.
“Confusing…” was all she said for a moment.
Wells spoke. “What is it, Kamryn? What is confusing you? Do you not understand what I said?”
“No, no, I understand your words completely, but I think you just gave me the solution, or at least the beginnings of it.” She took the tablet and pen out of Josh’s hands and, lowering her head over it, began to write feverishly.
Momentarily she looked up. A smile was spread across her face, and she said, “I think I have it, guys.” She handed the tablet back to Josh, and the two men shared it as they read.
Soon Wells looked at her. Josh soon followed, and they were both grinning.
“This sounds feasible, Kamryn, even to a layman like me,” stated Wells. “This genuinely sounds like something that can be realistically done. Do you think you can pull it off?”
She nodded vigorously. “With Josh doing his thing for me, I know I can. I’m not sure how long it will take, but I can do it.”
Her idea consisted of not blocking the original signal; rather, Kamryn wanted to provide a decoy signal. This new signal would scramble theirs while giving the appearance that things were business as usual for the ships and their systems. In reality, Kamryn would have complete control, or at least, the government would. The only foreseeable obstacle would be any firewall the Oppressors were using, and overcoming it would be the biggest task. Certainly they had one, particularly since they knew the level of technology available on Earth. Basically, it was her plan to infiltrate their system by disguising a hostile signal as their own. They wouldn’t even know what hit them, and it would enable her to keep their ships in the air while disarming their weapons and dropping their force fields. The best part was that it would require nothing as far as equipment or resources. Nothing except the skills and experience she and Josh already possessed.
