“Mark,” he says matter-of-factly as he comes in, alone and with no base guards with him.
“Carl,” Mark replies, using that same cold and emotionless tone. Carl comes in and heads for the desk, taking the chair and then leaning back to put his hands behind his head. He sits there a moment, staring at Mark. Then he speaks.
“Why’d you do it, Mark? Why’d you kill Ellis?”
Mark rolls his eyes. “You and I both know that never happened.”
“Do you really think it’s going to be that easy?” Carl asks with a laugh.
“Easier,” Mark says with a sneer.
Carl chuckles, then starts shaking his head. “You are stubborn, aren’t you? Just as stubborn as your father was.”
“The truth of his death will come out.”
“What… that a jealous son finally got his old hatreds out by offing the old man?” Carl scoffs. “Your prints are on the gun and my men are heading-up the investigation. It’s an open and shut case.”
“You killed him,” Mark says, looking straight in Carl’s eyes. “You killed him and you covered it up… but like all cover-ups, there’s someone who knows, something you didn’t think of.”
Carl cocks his head to one side, as if acceding the point. “You’re right on the first part, or at least you were right.” Mark’s eyes narrow in confusion, and Carl can see the first hint that the man’s confidence is beginning to falter. “Don’t believe me?” he continues, and walks over to the desk and retrieves a small rectangular control of some sort. He points it at the wall, clicks a button on it, and a panel on the wall begins to slide away to reveal a large TV-like monitor. “Don’t take my word for it,” Carl says as he pushes another button and a video begins to play, one showing General Anderholt and Aaron, “take a look with your own eyes.”
12 — Allies
Jake bursts into the rec room and comes to a stop, his hands on his hips. He’s breathing hard, for he’s just run down several of the Blue Lake hallways to get here. The rec room was in a different area of the base than the officer’s quarters were, and the latter had been the place that Jake had seen Mark at when he’d been taken away. He knew he had to do something about that, even if ‘doing’ only meant telling someone.
“Whoa there,” a voice calls out to him as he stands there, “where’s the fire, eh?”
Jake turns his head and sees Bobbie sitting over at a card table on the side of the room, a few of the regular base guards with him. By the looks of it they’re in the middle of a game of poker or something, chips piled up in front of them… though most seem to be centered in front of Bobbie.
Without a word, Jake nods and starts that way. Besides the four at the card table, the room is empty… of people, that is. There’s an old pool table in the center of the room, a pinball machine on one side. A ping pong table takes up another good portion, and then it’s just some old couches and chairs in front of a TV that looks to be from the 50s. Jake doesn’t register any of it as he heads to the table.
“Listen, I gotta find Donlon,” he says as he reaches it. His words are for everyone, but mostly directed at Bobbie.
Bobbie’s face screws up. “Why Donlon?” He scoffs. “Hell, that guy’s about as dry an’ borin’ as they come!” That elicits a few chuckles and nods from some of the base guards.
“Knows his stuff too, and doesn’t let his mouth get in the way of him doin’ a good job.” Jake casts a narrow-eyed look Bobbie’s way as he says that, raises an eyebrow to accentuate his words. Bobbie just smirks and dismisses the comment with a wave of his hand.
“Alright, fine, have it you’re way… last I saw Donlon was in the debriefing, same as you.”
“Didn’t see where he went? He’s not in the officer’s quarters.”
Bobbie laughs and throws up his arms in the classic ‘I dunno’ gesture.
“Well, hell!” Jake says, and with a sigh and a roll of the eyes, he turns around in frustration, slapping one hand against his thigh.
“Jake, what’s up?” Bobbie says now, a bit more concern in his voice. When Jake turns back around he sees that the young super soldier has even put his cards down to look up at him concernedly.
“Can I have a minute?” Jake says, and after narrowing his eyes for a moment, Bobbie nods and starts to get up from the table. The two men move across the room to stand near the pinball machine, a large window looking out onto one of the base’s tarmacs giving them ample light.
“What’s—” Bobbie starts, but Jake cuts him off.
“Mark’s been taken and the Dutchman is dead,” he says.
“What the—” Bobbie starts to say, and loudly, but then he glances around and lowers his voice “What the fuck?”
“Carl was there in Mark’s room when I just happened to walk by,” Jake continues. “Carl says that Mark killed his father.”
“You believe that?” Bobbie asks, his face screwing up in disgust.
“Not for one second,” says Jake.
“Then that means we’ve got a setup here, and though I hate to say it when aliens are involved, a conspiracy as well.”
“And that’s why I gotta find Donlon.”
“Why not Chargin’ Charlie… or even General Anderholt?”
“Because I don’t know who to trust, that’s why!”
“But you know you can trust Donlon?” Bobbie chuckles. “Hell, Charlie was there in the thick of it with us too, ya know.”
“Yeah, I know, it’s just…”
“Just what?”
“I dunno, Bobbie, it’s just… I dunno!”
Bobbie rolls his eyes to that, but seeing how much pressure and anxiety Jake seems to be under, he holds his tongue, and instead puts his hand forth and claps his friend on the shoulder.
“Take it easy, Jake — Donlon’s around and you’ll find him. Until then… mind if I get back to my game of cards?” Jake looks over and sees some of the base guards giving the two of them funny looks, and he nods. “Great,” Bobbie continues, turning away and starting to walk back to the table, though he says over his shoulder, “I’ll keep my eyes out for Donlon, get word to you as soon as I do.”
Jake nods to that, and then a moment later heads back out into the hallways, back out into the troubled world of the Blue Lake base.
13 — Past the Stars
Carl sits at the desk in the small room, frowning at Mark. So far the man has said nothing… likely because of what he just saw on the video monitor, the conversation between Aaron and General Anderholt. Looking at Mark, Carl knows he can’t believe it, but he can’t discount what his own eyes and ears have just told him, either. Clearly, there are traitors at the top. Carl knows that’s what’s going through Mark’s mind, and that’s what’s keeping him in quiet contemplation. Still, Carl has ways of making him talk.
“Now, before we get much further,” Carl says, leaning forward once again to look at Mark, “there are some things I want you to tell me.”