“Don’t be too sure. Why does she come back here? What’s wrong with Russia, Europe, or Australia? No, she comes here because she knows here very well. I think our angel is American.”
Colonel Robertson made his way back to his room in the officers’ quarters. He called his wife, and spoke with her for half an hour. He could sense the strain in Shelly’s voice, but he now regretted his commitment to the project. He often thought he should never have got married, but he had, and he was honest enough to try to make amends.
He showered and went to bed, reading a little before turning his light out at a little after midnight.
He awoke with a start, and lay there curious to know why he had awoken. He listened and heard nothing, but then he sat up and put on the light. He looked round the small sparse room and relaxed. He went to the bathroom and relieved himself, returning to his bedroom, but almost died of shock.
For there, sitting on his bed was Michelle.
<<Hi Colonel. Forgive this intrusion, but it’s time we had a talk.>>
Her lips never moved, so he realised that he had underestimated her hugely.
“Miss Cz…”
<<Call me Michelle. It saves a lot of tongue twisting,>> she thought, and smiled.
“Okay, Michelle. You certainly know how to surprise a man.”
<<You do not have to vocalise, as I can read your mind. If you simply project what you want to say as your thought pattern, then I can pick it up. The advantage is that I’ll know when you are lying.>>
<<Okay. How’s this?>> he thought, very slowly and loudly.
<<Pretty good, but I’m neither deaf nor stupid.>>
I can’t believe that this is happening. He thought to himself.
<<Believe it, Jim. Things are going to change. As you guessed, I’ve had enough of being on the outside, so I need a place to rest my head.>>
<<What do you mean?>>
<<You need me, and I need to find some form of stable existence. Oh, I could have settled down with a nice guy like Gordon, and would have done, but I have to admit, I believe that I’m destined for better than that.>>
<<What can you give me?>>
<<I can bring your project credibility and evidence. The aliens are not our enemies, and they need to coexist without fear. You can make that happen, with my help.>>
<<You’ve met them?>>
<<How the hell do you think I got the skills that I now have?>>
<<How did it happen?>>
<<One day I may tell you.>>
Jim was planning and she started to laugh.
<<Don’t you get it? I’m not coming to you for help, you need my help, not the other way around. I can exist without you. I can disappear, and you would never find me if I didn’t want to be found. You just have no idea what I’m capable of,>> she thought at him.
She gave him just a glimpse of what she could do with him. He saw into the mind of Conrad Delaney, and Winston and poor dead Ryan. He realised that he was way out of her league.
<<So, what do you want from me?>>
<<I want to be legitimate. I want to be one of the good guys, and not some faceless comic strip character.>>
He chuckled. <<You created the Angel.>>
She smiled. <<Yeah, it was fun for a while, and no doubt she will come out again. But I want to come home.>>
<<Home?>>
<<Yeah, home.>>
<<Where exactly is home?>>
She thought for a moment, and smiled sadly.
<<Home is where my heart is.>>
<<And where is that?>>
<<When I find out, I’ll let you know.>>
Jim laughed.
<<Okay, Michelle, what do you want?>>
9.
Jim was up at six, so Kyle was surprised to see him in the office so early.
“Sir, you’re very early. Is everything okay?”
“Close the shop, Kyle, we’re going home.”
“Sir?”
“You heard. Shut down everything, we’re going back to Base X.”
“But sir, the girl?”
“Believe me, she’s no longer a problem. Just be ready to move by 12:00,” Jim said, standing up.
“Yes sir. But, where are you going?”
“I have some business to deal with. I’ll be back at 12:00,” he said, putting his cap on, leaving Kyle staring after him.
Kyle brought the teams back, and ordered the recall. He was confused and not a little pissed with his boss for not letting him know what was going on.
By 12:00, everyone was back on the chopper, and the pilot was waiting for the colonel.
A car approached and pulled up by the hanger. Kyle was standing by the helicopter, and watched as Jim got out of the car. He then watched another person get out from the other side. The driver saluted the Colonel, and the car took off.
The two figures approached the helicopter, and Kyle noticed that the other person was a female dressed as an Air Force officer. As she got closer he saw the oak leaves on her shoulders, signifying that she was a major, like him. She was very tall and had her blonde hair up. She was wearing a skirt, and was very attractive. The pilot started the engines, so the rotor blade started to turn slowly, picking up speed with each revolution.
The girl held onto her hat with one hand, and handed her bag to Kyle, giving him a huge smile as she did so.
He almost dropped the bag, for this tall Major was Michelle.
The Colonel helped her get into the chopper, while the crew stared at those legs. They all grinned and she smiled at them in turn.
“Gentlemen, meet the latest member of the team, Major Michelle Carter,” Jim shouted as the engines picked up speed and volume.
Further discussion was not possible, as in a few moments they were airborne.
Michelle found the whole situation highly amusing. For as Mike, she had spent seven years in the Air Force as a Security Policeman. So once she had dressed in this particular uniform, with the oak leaves on her shoulders, it gave her a terrific buzz.
If the guys in the Sergeants’ club could see her now.
Kyle stared at her, disbelieving his own eyes. She smiled back, as he felt curiously at ease with having her on board. He wondered what sort of deal was done.
<<A good one Kyle. A good one,>> he heard her voice in his head.
He stared at her in shock, but she smiled at him.
<<Don’t look so worried, believe me, I’m a good guy,>> she thought, and he heard her chuckle inside his head.
He looked at the Colonel, but he was looking out of the small window.
<<Don’t worry, no one else can hear. So, what do you think, does the uniform suit me?>>
He nodded, unsure how he should respond. But the thoughts he had were unprintable.
She blushed.
<<Why Kyle, you wouldn’t want to do that, really?>>
It was his turn to blush.
<<You can read every thought?>> he thought back, nervously.
<<Yup. Even those naughty ones.>>
He looked around wildly, but no one was paying much attention. A couple of the men were staring at her legs, and she noted they were wondering what happened at their junction, but for the most part they were resting with their eyes closed.
<<How?>>
<<How what?>>
<<How come you’re here, now, like this?>>
<<I have a destiny, and I cannot do it alone.>>
He nodded and grinned. Life was looking up, he thought, and she smiled at him.
They landed back in Nevada, and for once Jim was relieved to return to his office. Michelle collapsed into an easy chair and crossed her legs. Jim watched the team disperse, as Kyle knocked tentatively on the door.
“Come in Kyle. Take a seat.”
Kyle entered and smiled at the seated Michelle. He sat in one of the four easy chairs, so Jim sat in another.