Mr. Raymond Eller
ULTRA TOP SECRET
LEVEL — 9
Raymond Eller. Raymond Eller, she repeated several time. How in the heck did this get in my pocket? Who was Raymond… wait? Raymond Eller. He was the guy who got lost and was eaten by coyotes. The one Dr. Yurris was talking about. How did she end up with his card in her pocket? This was too weird she thought as she walked back to the infirmary to look for her car keys.
She opened the door and turned the lights on. There on the desk were her keys. Lord I’m forgetful she muttered as she locked back up. Raymond Eller. Why would his security badge be in her coat pocket? She was flipping it back and forth as she walked to her car. It hit her like a ton of bricks. The man held at Beacon. The one she went to get blood from. What was going on? Why was he reported as missing or dead, when he was being held in a cell at Bacon?
She shuddered as she climbed in her car and started the engine. She could see the main security building from where she was sitting. She needed to tell them that they were wrong. She stated her car and drove to the security building and went inside.
“Hi Angie,” the man behind the glass booth said.
“Oh, hi Billy. Listen, can you tell me about that guy that got lost in the desert? Did they ever find out what happened to him?”
He looked at her for a second. A frown flickered across his face for an instant.
“Why do you want to know?”
Immediately from his looks and tone, the hair on the back of her neck started to stand on end. Bad question, Angie thought.
“I was just wondering. I need to submit an accident report to the State whenever someone is seriously injured or dies,” she replied.
“Hum. Well, I guess that makes sense. What I have heard is that he is being considered officially deceased at this point,” he said.
“Oh dear. That means a lot more paperwork for me. Crap. Now I have to notify the State Coroner’s Office as well. I was afraid of that, but I thought I had better check to be sure,” she said.
“Sorry,” was all he said. He had stared at her intently the whole time they were talking.
She got back in her car and tried to think what she should do. Something wasn’t right. She couldn’t drive out to Beacon and check. They would never let her get close to the place. Was Jon in on this? He had to be. What the hell was this all about? She kept asking herself these questions as she sat trying to figure out her next move. She was startled when one of the guards tapped on her car window. She rolled it down part way.
“Anything wrong Angie?” he asked.
“Oh no. Not really.”
“Why are you sitting here?”
“I was just trying to decide if I should fill out the death reports now on the guy that was eaten by coyotes, or just wait until tomorrow. I guess it can wait. I know there is some kind of time frame for reporting deaths but I can’t remember the amount of time allotted,” she said, trying to sound convincing.
“Dead is dead. Tonight or tomorrow. I don’t see how it could hurt much to wait,” he said.
“You know, I think you’re absolutely right. I think I’ll go home, have a good stiff drink and call it a night,” she said rolling up her window and waving as she drove off.
What in the world should she do, she thought as she backed out of the parking space and started toward the home plate, which was the name for the main gate. It was the first time she had ever been worried about passing through the security gates. She had worried for nothing as the guard waved and motioned her through like every other night.
As she drove toward her place at Rachel, a small town just across the way from Area-51, she tried to think of her options. She could do nothing and just get rid of the badge. Two, she could go to security and say she found it. Or she could tell them what she saw at Beacon and confront them with the Badge. None of them sounded very positive.
She considered going to the Lincoln County Sheriff but he wouldn’t do anything but call the base and she would be right back to square one. Whatever action she decided to take, she needed to be careful. If something was going on and she told the wrong person, she could end up in the cell next to Raymond Eller. It was obvious that whatever was taking place, General Devin was in it up to his eyeballs.
The next morning when she arrived at the infirmary a patrol car was sitting outside. She got out and opened the door and a few seconds later two of the guards came in. She had seen them around but wasn’t sure of their names.
“Can I help you?” she asked as she took off her coat and hung it up.
“General Devin would like to speak with you,” the tall one said.
“Oh? Well I need to get everything set up for today. I’m giving flu shots this morning. Would you like to get one now?”
“No thanks. The shots will have to wait. The general wants to speak with you immediately,” he said.
“I guess it’s Okay but this is most unusual. People will be coming in expecting me to be here. Do you know how long it will take?”
“As long as it takes,” he said.
“I’ll leave a note on the door then,” she said, quickly scribbling out a note and sticking it on the door with tape.
They walked with her out to the Jeep and drove her to the security building. General Devin was sitting behind a desk when she was shown in.
“General,” she said, nodding at him.
“Ms. Angelina Beck. Have a seat,” he said, not getting up.
“General, I need to get the infirmary open. We are giving flu shots today,” she told him.
“Yes. Yes. That will all get done in time. I want to ask you a couple of questions. You were here last night asking about Raymond Eller, were you not?”
“Who? Is that the man that they said was dead? Eaten by coyotes?” she said looking puzzled.
He looked at her for a few seconds before answering, “Yes. His name is Raymond Eller. You were asking about him.”
“I didn’t know his name, but I did ask if he was officially dead. I have to submit a report to the State with the cause of death. It’s required by law,” she replied.
“So you said. Are you sure about that?”
“I most certainly am,” she said, frowning. “Why? What’s this all about?” she asked trying to cover the fear that was creeping up inside of her.
“I believe that is the job of the Chief of the Medical staff. Not the nurse,” he replied.
“Maybe you forgot. He is in Las Vegas at a medical convention. He isn’t due back until Friday. The State requires notification within forty-eight hours in the event of a death,” she said.
“I see. So you were just making sure we were within the confines of the law, correct?”
“Absolutely. Why else would I bother to ask? I didn’t know him,” she replied.
“You have never seen him before?”
“Heck no. I wouldn’t know him if he was standing next to you. I mean, our paths may have crossed but I have never treated him. I really don’t know him,” she said.
“That’s what Peter said,” the general replied.
“What?”
“Never mind, it’s from the Bible,” the general replied.
She wanted to stick as close to the truth as possible and what she had said so far was mostly true. She only suspected the man at Beacon was Eller.
“Thank you for your time Ms. Beck. You can go back and attend to your flu shots or whatever you were doing,” he said.
She got up and started to leave but turned back.
“Why are you asking me this? I don’t get it. The law requires me to file a death report and all I am doing is keeping us within the framework of those provisions. I’m trying to do my job and you are grilling me. What do you really want?”