It is said that no good deed goes unpunished, is this because it means the recipient feels beholden to the giver?
It was once said that France never forgave the Americans for liberating them at the end of World War II.
“Doing good”, as some people put it can seem a thankless task Even the expression “Do-Gooder” is seen as a pejorative description. Maybe this is because these people are just seen as meddlers and constantly interfering in other people’s lives? Maybe it is because others look at them and assume that they are thinking that they are “Holier than Thou”
Whatever the cause, those who serve others, sometimes are met with resentment and ingratitude.
That fate has befallen some of those who served with Inter Dimensional Entity control three years ago, before the separation of the worlds. Most members of the IDEC team scattered to the four winds and some like the former Commander Mark Johnston were forced out of previous careers they loved, to make a living in the private sector.
Meanwhile in their prison of an artificial universe, Celeste has told her former nemesis Doctor Charlene Henshaw how the US authorities following a change of policy attempted to force Celeste abort the baby she conceived with her husband Simon Hargreaves and how she and her husband had been forced to go on the run. Meanwhile the former commander of the IDEC Taskforce Brigadier General Samuel Peters has been arrested at Dullos Airport in DC, charged with what amount to be capital offences
+ + + +
Residential area of the marine base at Quantico
Virginia, United States of America
Simon nervously sat on the settee in the lounge looking at Sue-Lim, “You must be due any day Mrs Smith” he said trying to make conversation.
“I went on maternity leave today” Sue-Lim said in reply. Sue-Lim had long given up trying to get Simon to use her first name, which seemed odd as he had no problems using Pete’s first name and of course Celeste’s.
Simon looked down at the floor and then up at sue-Lim with tears in his eyes, “Celeste didn’t have to take maternity leave, because she was my wife and I supported her”
“She never got a job with the NSA?” Sue-Lim asked
Simon shook his head, “I don’t think they trusted her because she was the Spirit of Second chances and I think because she once worked for that evil man in England”
Sue-Lim briefly shook her head in despair at this news. She had heard through the grapevine about the problems Simon and Celeste had encountered when Celeste had fallen pregnant by Simon. She initially had thought it was because they did not think that Simon with his high functioning autism would not cope with becoming a father. She had thought his marriage to Celeste was just allowed to humour him, and keep tabs on the one who had captured his heart. Then she had heard about the change in policy regarding all former spirits of virtue and the sterilisation initiative.
Sue-Lim was so glad that she and her husband Pete were born as normal human beings so that this new oppressive policy did not apply to them
“I’m never going to see them again” Simon blurted out before breaking down into uncontrollable sobs.
Sue-Lim pulled herself from her chair and sat next to Simon to put an arm around him, to comfort him. Her fear was that Simon could be right. What if their own government had gone further than the sterilisation initiative and adopted the former British position of incarcerate, interrogate and exterminate?
“I’ve put Simon’s things in the spare room” Pete announced as he came in with Walter.
Sue-Lim pulled herself up and looked daggers at Walter, “Can we have a word in the Kitchen vice Admiral” she said with a hint of anger in her voice.
“Ok” Walter said in a worried tone
“What’s on your mind love?” Pete asked
Sue-Lim made a furious nodding motion towards Simon. Pete and Walter realised that she wanted to talk about Simon without him being present, if that were possible.
“Do you need me?” Simon asked as they headed out of the room.
“Just stay here Mr Hargreaves” Walter instructed
“Yes sir” Simon replied.
Pete, Walter and Sue-Lim entered the kitchen and closed the door. Then to make certain Sue-Lim headed for the back door and turned around to face Walter.
“Celeste’s disappearance with Ashia” Sue-Lim whispered, “Any chance this was an official action?” she asked with venom, “With the way Commander Johnston was treated and the way they persecuted Simon and Celeste during her pregnancy, I wouldn’t put it past them” then with her voice unexpectedly breaking with emotion, “They murdered Miss Cooper Vice Admiral, are we going to be next?” she sobbed, “Is that why they sent me that scarf?” she added accusingly, “Are they going to deep clean us like that aid of my father tried to do to Jenny and I at the Annexe that one time?” Sue-Lim went on
Pete rushed over and embraced his wife, he too remembered how a Mr Davies had ordered a clean up squad to kill Sue-Lim to cover his tracks when he tried to drag the IDEC back to the old ways. It had only been the intervention of the late Mr Vee that had saved her, “No dear” Pete whispered, “They’re not going to do that”
“Let’s get one thing straight” Walter cut in, “I am normally aware of the chatter regarding IDEs and as far as I’m concerned what happened to Celeste and her daughter was not an officially sanctioned operation”
“And the scarf?” Sue-Lim said through her tears, “They wanted me dead Vice Admiral, just like last time”
“Sue-Lim, there is no official action being taken against former members of the IDEC that I am aware of” Walter pressed, “The NSA was once a sponsoring organisation, and I have enough informants that would let me know if any of the other agencies got ideas”
“What about those rogue IDEC units from England?” Pete then asked, “They were never happy when America took over from the British after the Spirit of Fidelity incident”
Walter sighed. “With regard to Kathryn’s murder that is an avenue I’ll be pursuing, possibly with Jack Maddox of the FBI, but I am officially retiring, so what I can do is limited. I know you had your run in with Jack Sue-Lim, and I know what a stubborn mule headed fool he can be, but he’s the only one I can trust”
“But why after all this time Mr Quentin?” Pete asked, “It’s been three years since separation, so they effectively got what they wanted, an end to IDE involvement in our affairs. Celeste’s hardly been trying to get involved with anything”
“Unless it’s just revenge” Sue-Lim suggested, “They will just see her as an IDE like they did the minors spirits, even though they had human parents”
“But then they would have just killed Celeste and her baby” Pete objected, “Not abducted her, that doesn’t make sense”
“Unless their interrogating her” Sue-Lim countered
“There’s one thing about that abduction that’s worrying” Walter interrupted, “a witnesses, who luckily is classed as unreliable talked of a swirling red light”
“You mean like a vortex to an artificial universe?” Pete asked
Before Walter could reply, his cell phone went.
“Yeah” Walter said to Pete and pulled out his phone and answered it. After a few seconds Walter swore and closed up the phone.
“What’s the matter?” Pete asked
“It seems like our Brigadier General has run into some even more stubborn mule headed fools than the FBI” Walter answered
+ + +
Dublin
Late evening
Gregory O’Doyle nervously looked around as he walked through the Dublin streets. He had finally managed to find the address where the O’Docherty twins were living in digs.
But if he could find them, so could the colleague of that dead American CIA agent and those who had hired and silenced him
Gregory spotted a car in the street that did not fit. It was not in the state of cleanliness that the other cars in the street were which was not very.
Gregory felt for his
Glock he had concealed on him and approached the car
Sure enough there were two men inside.
Gregory was about to pull out his gun when he identified the men in the car, so he merely tapped on the window, expecting them to jump
“Sean and Jason” Gregory said to the two men, “Why are you staking out these to fine lasses, has Kelly McLaughlin seen sense at last?”
The driver rolled his window down, “We were expecting you an hour ago” he told Gregory, “Miss McLaughlin though you might come by here”
“So you’re not staking the O’Docherty twins out but waiting for me?” Gregory demanded to know
“The commander said you would spot a tail so she sent us here” the passenger added.
“Well she’s right about that” Gregory retorted, “And if I was still in charge I would send you two back to training school. You stand out like soar thumbs”
“You were meant to see us sir” the driver snapped back, “The Commander insists that you desist from going on any private missions. She sent us here because she knew you would come and visit the twins”
“So are you going to do something about protecting them then?” Gregory asked, “I mean the yanks have already sent one person after them”
“We’ve not been given any orders about them” the passenger told Gregory bluntly.
“We’re here to make sure you follow the commander’s wishes” the driver added
“I thought I had retired” Gregory replied, “I didn’t think I was under her thumb like you two are”
“Once a G2 officer” the driver replied
“Yeah right” Gregory retaliated, “Two young lasses are followed by a foreign intelligence service and all your commander cares about is that I don’t show her up by doing the job you are supposed to be doing”
“Please just get in the car sir” the driver said drolly, “And we’ll take you home”
Gregory shook his head, “Or what Sean?” he asked contemptuously
“You don’t want to find out” the front seat passenger told him
“And who may I ask will be protecting the O’Docherty twins?” Gregory demanded to know of the front seat passenger
“That is none of your concern” the front seat passenger told Gregory, “just do it”
“How dare you speak to me like that?” Gregory retorted angrily “I’ll have you know Jason I was a G2 officer before you were out of nappies, so show some respect”
“And you have become a loose cannon” the front seat passenger retaliated, “You were told not to get involved”
“Please sir” the driver repeated, “We need to keep things low key sir. We have been put in an awkward position already today by the death in custody of that CIA agent”
“Well that’s very rich I must say” Gregory replied, “He was the one tailing two innocent girls, on our soil without our permission”
“He was still murdered in G2 custody” the driver answered back.
“I hope you’re not blaming me for that Sean Johnson” Gregory said as he narrowed his eyes.
“I’ve had enough of this” the front seat passenger announced, opened the door and got out and looked at Gregory over the top of the car. “We have orders to bring you in should you turn up here” the man said angrily, “Now get in the car or we will have you arrested for obstruction”
“And you would have these fine lasses at the mercy of a foreign agent to save face Jason McDougal”
“Like we said” the front seat passenger said firmly, “It’s no longer any of your business, now get in” At this the man opened his coat up, just enough to show Gregory that he was armed with a standard issue G2 side arm.
Gregory shook his head in despair and climbed into the back seat of the car. The front seat passenger also got back in the car, and the driver drove it away from the flat.
+ + +
Central City
The Mystical Realms
Lachesis woke with a start and in a panic
The Spirit of Death stirred and sat up beside he in bed, “What is it my dear?” he asked as he put an arm around the fate.
Lachesis looked up at the ceiling of the house in Central City they had been living in since the trolls lifted the rule about major spirits having relationships.
“Something’s wrong with our daughter” she uttered, “I felt it in my dreams”
The Spirit of Death shook his head, “There is no way we can know this my love” he told her, “it has been a long time for us since our worlds were separated, and who knows how the flows of time between our two worlds have diverged. Maybe it’s your imagination playing tricks”
Lachesis shook her head, “I wish you were right my dear” she replied, “I just feels that something is wrong, but the barrier between our worlds will not let me see what ails our daughter”
“Look my dear” the Spirit of Death went on gently, “Even if our daughter is in trouble, she is beyond our assistance now, and besides, she is with the humans now and hopefully that Colonel Samuel Peters is an honourable man, he would sort this out”
“Oh how I hope you are right my dear” Lacheses replied, “but call it a mother’s intuition, I just can not shake a feeling that something is wrong and a feeling of what the humans call
Déjà vu”
+ + +
A dark plane in an unknown artificial universe
Celeste suddenly woke with a start and yelled out “Mum?”
She had not realised she had fallen asleep while cradling her baby daughter
Baby Ashia started to wail at being woken up.
Celeste sniffed the air
Ashia predictably had soiled the top Celeste had been forced to wrap her daughter in.
“No!” Celeste moaned slowly as she removed the top and rolled it up and tossed it to the other side of the glass cell.
There was nothing in the cell for her to change her baby with in the bare and empty glass cell. It was not enough that her former boss wanted her to suffer, but he wanted her child to suffer too.
Obviously repayment for her treachery when she switched sides after being released from his artificial universe he had trapped her in
Celeste was shivering slightly in this technological prison, so for her daughter it would become worse, but what could she do? Her jeans would not really be warm enough to wrap Ashia in, what would happen when she soiled that?
A dark thought started to cross her mind and it made her sick even contemplating it. This b*****d wanted her baby to suffer, so would the kindest thing be
for Celeste to kill her own child so it would not have to suffer any more?
“Celeste?” Charlene called out, “You awake?”
Celeste looked across the way at her fellow prisoner, “Yeah” she answered weakly and stood up carrying Ashia in her arms.
“It’s just that you called out for your mother?” Charlene asked
“I had a strange dream” Celeste replied, “It seemed like my mother was calling out, trying to reach me”
“But she lives in the Mystical Realms Celeste” Charlene said shaking her head, “There is no way she could. Maybe it was because both of you were held here once”
“Yeah” Celeste agreed, “This little one has wet my top Doctor Henshaw” Celeste complained, “She’s going to get cold”
“They should be delivering food soon I hope” Charlene replied, “I wonder if he will deliver any fresh clothes or anything like that for you”
Celeste shook her head, “He hates me Doctor Henshaw. I swapped sides and betrayed him I mean you even have a bed in your cell, I don’t. Maybe you should have let us die Doctor Henshaw, like you said he’s going to kill us all anyway”
“He wants my co-operation Celeste” Charlene said from her cell, “He told me your welfare depended on it”
+ + +
Headquarters of the
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Washington DC
United States of America
Brigadier Samuel Peters sat at the wrong side of the table in the interrogation room, his hands still cuffed behind his back.
He was not sure exactly what the charges were. They seemed vague at the time, withholding information on the whereabouts of a known terrorist? High Treason? Homicide of an agent in Paris
The only thing he could think of was his mission to Europe and the Sarah Bentley case, the former minor spirit of luck.
But she was harmless now she was fully human with a human soul and had got rid of her ability to affect probability. She was no longer a threat to anyone?
Samuel remembered how his own government had turned around and refused to clear Sarah of the involvement in the death of her brother and a number of British police officers. At first it seemed that they did not want to read in the new administration in on the former work of Inter Dimensional Entity Control, even if a large portion of it was originally carried out in England. Now it seemed that they wanted Sarah, to possibly extradite her to Britain to face charges, just to show that the extradition treaty between the two countries was fair.
But why describe her as a terrorist? – Was it because the teenager, a former minor spirit of virtue, whose biological father was an inter dimensional entity, was pregnant with her dead boyfriend’s baby? The change in policy under the new American administration to electronic tag monitoring and sterilisation seemed like a step towards the old UK policy piloted by the infamous Mr Blue of incarcerate, interrogate and exterminate, but only so slightly sanitised. To them a former hybrid entity who was having a baby was obviously a terrorist!
Unless the powers that be that wanted her had just described her as a terrorist to NCIS to get them to do their dirty work
As Samuel sat in the interrogation room thinking, it had been the very refusal of the US government to clear Sarah that had led to Samuel not telling his former boss where he had placed Sarah when he brought her out of Europe. Miss Cooper had appeared to have gone over to the dark side, and he could not risk even telling her. That would have to be the withholding part
Maybe it was all too late, they had sent an agent to Wichita to try and befriend him, the same place where his former right hand man, Mark Johnston lived with his wife Jenny, whom he had recruited to the IDEC in England after she proved herself against doppelganger assassins, and their young son. It would be obvious that would be where they were looking for her; he had no idea if Mark had got her out in time.
What about this homicide in Paris
That was a CIA agent he was working with who had been murdered by the former head of containment services at the UK IDEC, Mr Reed. So why were they charging
him with that murder?
The door opened and in walked Anne Perkins, the female NCIS agent who had tried to pose as the daughter of one of Samuel’s former marine comrades.
“Let me guess” Samuel began, “Is this your first solo interrogation?”
Anne glowered at him and sat down, “I ask the questions” she told him bluntly
“I’ll take that as a yes” Samuel replied
“You take that anyway you want, you are still going down” Anne snapped back as she banged a file on the table.
“Did you think you could hide a wanted fugitive with your former marine buddy?” Anne asked, “We can have both him and his wife arrested on conspiracy charges and their son sent of to a foster home unless you co-operate”
Samuel glowered back, “Which wanted fugitive would that be?”
Anne banged on the table, “You know very well which fugitive” she shouted, “That Bentley girl who is wanted by the British for several murders and dealing in crystal meth”
Samuel paused for a moment before answering calmly, “Like I said, this must be your first time doing a solo interrogation Special Agent Perkins, so let me give you a tip, never loose your temper like that at the beginning of an interrogation”
Anne narrowed her eyes at him and then continued and then pulled out a number of photos and slammed them down on the table.
Samuel looked at them; they were of the front of Mark’s house in Wichita and they included shots of Sarah with Jenny and Mark
“This woman is a wanted fugitive by the British.” Anne went on pointing to the image of Sarah, “You were asked by a senior officer from the National Security agency to turn her location over and you refused. Yesterday this senior officer was murdered by a terrorist bomb”
“And you are linking the two?” Samuel asked incredulously
“We have you and your former marine buddy on harbouring a known fugitive” Anne retorted
“So have the British made a formal extradition request?” Samuel asked
“Like I said I ask the questions Brigadier General” Anne replied
The door opened and Anne looked up angrily, as someone was interrupting her interrogation.
It was a balding man in a dark blue suit accompanied by an African American.
“What’s going on?” Anne demanded to know
“Took your time Walter” Samuel remarked.
The balding man ignored the remark and spoke to Anne, “This one’s ours, so you’re being relieved, that’s what” he told her. The balding man then looked at Samuel and instructed Anne to remove the handcuffs.
“On whose authority” Anne challenged the balding man.
“Let me hazard a guess” Samuel interrupted with a sarcastic grin, “National Security”
The balding man briefly glanced at Samuel before showing the NCIS agent a badge.
Anne peered at it and looked up at the man with hate in her eyes, “NSA!” she exclaimed, “No way, this is my first collar and NCIS has jurisdiction so I’m taking him down”
“Sorry Special Agent Perkins, not this time” the balding man retorted, “You’ll have plenty of chances to take down others”
Anne then looked at the other man who had come in to the room, “Who is that, is he NSA as well?”
“Need to know basis” the balding man replied, “And you do not need to know”
“You have your orders Special Agent Perkins” the African American told Anne, “Now release the Brigadier General and leave, or do I need to get the director of NCIS to come down here?”
Anne glowered at all three men and took out the key to the handcuffs and unlocked them.
“We still have enough to go after former Colonel Johnston” she growled at Samuel
“I’m afraid they are currently off limits to NCIS as well” the balding man told Anne.
“But they are harbouring” Anne tried to object
“The Vice Admiral said they were off limits Special Agent Perkins” the African American reiterated before adding, “Now make sure those behind the glass leave as well”
“Yes Sir!” Anne spat out before leaving the room.
“Do you think we can talk in here?” the balding man asked the African American
The African American man shook his head, “I think we need to go to my office, it is more secure there, after all we don’t know what is going on behind the glass”
“Where are we going?” Samuel asked, “The NSA?”
“For the moment that’s on a need to know basis” The African American replied, “And I’m afraid Vice Admiral, you don’t need to know either, so we have to part company here”
This time the balding man glowered at the African American, “Look here John” he said angrily, “it was our agency that helped get your predecessor agency started”
“That was under the Department of Defence” the African American replied, “This operation comes under Homeland Security now”
“What are you talking about” Samuel interrupted, “The link to that other place was severed three years ago and we were canned almost immediately”
The African American turned to Samuel, “You are heard what I said Brigadier General, not until we get to my office”
Samuel looked at the balding man and then at the African American, something did not seem right, but he could not put his finger on it. NCIS came under the department of defence, just like the National Security Agency, so that was why the retiring director of it was drafted in, to get him out, he was from the navy and had clout, and now his usefulness was at an end, this mysterious African American was dispensing with him.
Samuel was now worried, it seemed that he had fallen from the frying pan of NCIS into the fire of Homeland Security, the very department that had instigated the persecution of former minor spirits of virtue, with the notorious sterilisation initiative.
+ + + +
Residential area of the marine base at Quantico
Virginia, United States of America
“But we need to be doing something” Simon protested, “They have my wife and baby”
“We know” Pete said in an exasperated tone, “As I said, whoever did this, murdered Miss Cooper and possibly tried to kill Sue-Lim here just to divert attention”
“That means she must be important to somebody Simon” Sue-Lim added, “otherwise they would have just killed her like Miss Cooper”
“I don’t have any money” Simon sobbed
Pete for a moment did a double take, and then worked out that Simon was also considering if this was a kidnapping for money.
“Maybe they’re not after money” Pete suggested, “Have you checked your emails, voicemail, facebook account or twitter?”
Simon shook his head
“Are you thinking that whoever did this are after NSA secrets?” Sue-Lim asked
Pete shrugged his shoulders, “Possibly” he mumbled before asking Simon, “I realise you may be privy to stuff you can’t tell us now, since we’re just CSI’s now, but could there be something your involved with that might be useful to an overseas interest?
Simon shook his head, “They just have me supporting the HR’s IT systems Pete” he replied
“What!” Sue-Lim exclaimed, “A man with your talents looking after the admin systems? That seems a waste”
“After we got back from San Francisco I was told I was lucky to get that” Simon whined, “In fact they started restricting me when Celeste and I got married”
Sue-Lim glanced at Pete, it seemed scandalous that a loyal worker such as Simon was treated with suspicion because his wife was not originally born on Earth, even though she had helped saved countless lives by preventing the detonation of a hydrogen bomb in the heart of Washington DC.
To Sue-Lim it seemed that she and Pete had after all got the better jobs as working as lowly CSIs for Metro PD, although she suspected that career was now over.
“So” Pete continued, “That might rule out extortion, but you still need to check email’s, twitter and Facebook.
“OK” Simon said in his characteristically abrupt manner and pulled out his Iphone and tapped on it.
After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Simon shook his head, “No” was all he could squeak out.
Pete swore, “If only it were something so simple as a kidnapping” he said angrily
“What about the red light” Sue-Lim asked
“An artificial universe” Pete replied, “I know Sue-Lim, but the last one was in England three years ago” he objected, “The people who set it up are dead”
“Maybe not” Sue-Lim replied, “There was that female PA who got life when Sir Sidney’s empire was brought down. I believe her name was Janine Dobson. Maybe we could use our contacts with the department to find out if she is still in prison”
“Well I’m not so sure we will be flavour of the month at Metro” Pete replied, “As you said, Iain Davy was not too chuffed that he had to be excluded when the feds claimed jurisdiction”
“But we need to do something” interrupted Simon, “They have my family”
“We could try and examine the location where Celeste was grabbed” Sue-Lim suggested, “Our old artificial wormholes leave some residual gamma radiation, which could be detected by Sky Guard, but it only lasts about a day before dropping back down to background levels, and that could be the case with wormholes to artificial universes”
Pete shook his head “Your forgetting something, we are supposedly in protective custody here at Quantico. If we leave they probably will start tailing us, or ask us what we are doing. Someone knew what our routines were Sue-Lim, which was why they instructed the courier to come so early with that scarf, so you can bet they will be wary of letting us out of here”
Sue-Lim looked at the floor, “You’re right” she sighed, “It’s like we are being held in a prison here. If only dad were still alive we could have got out of here no problem”
Then a thought struck Pete, “Your due date is just two weeks off isn’t it”
Sue-Lim nodded, “I would have worked up to birth Pete you know that, but departmental regulations”
“I know” Pete replied, “But if you were to go into labour early say, they would still take us to Bethesda wouldn’t they?”
“I don’t think we still have that medical plan Pete” Sue-Lim replied
“If they take us to a hospital, does it matter which one?” Pete asked
“You’re not having your baby now are you?” Simon asked Sue-Lim
“I haven’t started any contractions” Sue-Lim answered looking momentarily confused, “I thought that was two weeks off”.
“Then maybe it’s a false alarm” Pete smiled, “Better safe than sorry. How good are you at acting?”
+ + +
A dark plane in an unknown artificial universe
Charlene watched as the red swirling dot grew outside her glass cell
She stepped back, in case this vortex was going to deliver food by going through her cell wall, but no. it stayed outside.
Finally out stepped Sir Sidney Gerald, the hated industrialist who had imprisoned her Celeste and Celeste’s child.
“Good evening” Sir Sidney said with his characteristically smug voice, “Dinner will be slightly delayed tonight” he went on, “The pizza delivery boy seems to be encountering severe delays in London. Burst water main I believe”
“You came to tell us that” Charlene sneered angrily.
“I’m a bit understaffed at the moment” Sir Sidney replied, “So I thought I would pop down myself, and let you know. But you’re right Doctor Henshaw, I am here to discuss other things”
“Well before you do” Charlene interrupted, pointing to Celeste shivering naked in her cell, trying to somehow keep her daughter warm by wrapping her in Celeste’s trousers, “You said their welfare was dependent on my co-operation, well why don’t you give Celeste and her daughter her other clothes and baby stuff”
Sir Sidney looked at Charlene with contempt. “They’re alive, and that’s it” he sneered back, “Anything else, like their clothes and baby stuff, you have to earn, Doctor Henshaw”
“So this is not all about making me do your bidding is it Sir Sidney” Charlene snapped back, “You just want to see Celeste over there suffer because she happened to switch sides on you when you betrayed her first. You are nothing but a vindictive snivelling little man”
Sir Sidney took from his pocket a small black box and held it up, “Don’t forget Doctor, I have the power of life and death in this realm. This device gives me the ability to delete all the air from their cell if you do not start showing respect”
At this Celeste started pleading, “Please Doctor Henshaw, don’t upset the boss”
Charlene ignored Celeste’s pleas and glowered at Sir Sidney, “If you want respect Sir Sidney, you earn it. There’s a difference you know between fear and respect. Prove you’re not taking revenge on Celeste and her child”
“I don’t have to prove anything to you Doctor Henshaw” Sir Sidney retaliated, “Not while I am on this side of the glass. As for fear Doctor Henshaw, the Roman emperor Caligula had a favourite saying,
Oderint dum metuant, do you know what that means Doctor Henshaw?”
Charlene continued to glower at Sir Sidney and growled, “Let them hate us, so long as they fear us”
“Close enough Doctor Henshaw, I see you know a bit of Latin as well” Sir Sidney said with an evil laugh and then with anger added, “As I said earlier, I can easily dispatch that traitor and her little brat here, and then bring in someone else to make you co-operate Doctor Henshaw”
“I don’t see why you need me” Charlene snapped back, “You seem to be quite adept at creating artificial universes if that was what you needed me for”
“You’re right” Sir Sidney replied, “I don’t need you to do that, my former associates left behind adequate plans on how to set this place up. I even improved on it so I can open up a portal to this place from anywhere on Earth. How else was I able to capture Celeste and bring her here and then dispatch a careless CIA agent who happened to get himself caught on a mission in Ireland?”
“Then why have you got me here?” Carlene asked, “If you wanted to take revenge on Celeste you could have just had her killed like you had that Bentley girl’s brother killed”
Sir Sidney stared at Charlene and then smiled in a disconcerting way, “Yes I could have done. I could have had her and her child terminated like I had that former head of Inter Dimensional Entity Control, who went over to the American’s National Security agency, terminated”
“Kathryn?” Charlene interrupted in horror
“You killed Miss Cooper?” Celeste chimed in.
For a brief moment Charlene saw a flash of hate in Sir Sidney’s eyes as he glanced at Celeste. She was right, Sir Sidney had imprisoned Celeste and her baby in a bare glass cell devoid of the amenities she had in her glass prison, because this pathetic excuse of a man wanted both mother and child to suffer.
“Yes I did” Sir Sidney snapped at Celeste, “I had her blown to kingdom come so those stupid Federal agents would be too busy investigating her death which allowed me to get you and your snivelling little brat here. I even made sure the local plods would be occupied by having a certain scarf sent to the home of a Mr and Mrs Pete Smith.”
Celeste shook her head, “No, not again” she whimpered, “I never would have taken that other scarf to her if I had known what it was”
“Yes I know my dear” Sir Sidney said in a quiet yet chilling voice, “I never realised she was the daughter of my former colleague James, but that’s by the by. He is long dead now, and it amazing what compounds you can find from our very own world here that can kill a man and make it look like a brain aneurism. As for his daughter, unfortunately the scarf was not enchanted, otherwise I could have got two for the price of one, as she is due to give birth to another screaming brat.”
Sir Sidney then turned back to Charlene, holding the black box in his hand “Maybe I should just delete Celeste and her brat out of existence and get your former colleague down here? What do you say Doctor Henshaw? Shall I get rid of this waste of space along with her brat and bring that other scientist down here. She might even help you our with our little project”
The colour drained from Charlene’s face. This former MI5 agent was clearly a sociopath, and thought nothing of cold blooded murder, even of supposed close friends. Nothing she could say it seemed would make this man treat Celeste or her child with any humanity.
“Just let Celeste or her baby go” she pleaded anyway, “I told you Sir Sidney I would do what you wanted; at least please let them have their clothes and baby things while you have them here”
“When you have earned them” Sir Sidney replied without flinching
“OK, so why don’t you kill them now and have your vengeance just like you really want” Carlene suddenly shouted, “It would be kinder and there is no way I will do what you want while you make an innocent child suffer the way you are doing here, and you obviously need me since you have kept me here for so long”
Sir Sidney once again stared at Charlene and slowly brought up his black box in his right hand and pressed a few buttons.
Suddenly the cell with Celeste and Ashia in glowed blue as small dots of light started tracing shapes in their cell. Celeste did her best to get out of the way and in seconds her cell was just as equipped as Charlene’s cell, along with a draw of clothes and baby items.
“Doctor Henshaw just to show I am not totally motivated by vengeance, but be warned, I can just as easily remove those items I have now placed in Celeste’s cell or her air.” Sir Sidney began with a smirk, “So are you still accusing me of being purely motivated by revenge?”
“Aren’t you?” Celeste responded, “You murdered our former boss because she was in charge of the one agency you never penetrated. You murdered your friend Mr Vee because he helped close you down, and until just now you were making Celeste and her daughter here suffer and calling her a traitor”
Sir Sidney shook his head, “My dear Doctor Henshaw, revenge may be sweet and best served cold, but I am a business man and I intend to make a lot of money.”
“How?” Charlene asked
“With your assistance Doctor Henshaw” Sir Sidney went on, “We are going to reunite Earth with the Mystical Realms. Not only is it an untapped market but foreign governments will pay handsomely for the ability to travel there and back. Some will pay to make sure others can not go there. Imagine Doctor Henshaw, it’s military potential available from my phoenix empire to the highest bidder”
“You’re mad” Charlene replied shaking her head, “It’s impossible, it can’t be done”
“Because of the radiation barrier” Sir Sidney interrupted, “I know all about that and how Celeste here caused that. From my unique vantage point I told you about Doctor Henshaw, I have seen it and I also saw the mother of all work arounds. You will give me back access to the Mystical Realms. I have already sent out my sales pitch to various governments and I would hate it if I were unable to deliver on what I have told them, and I suspect so will Mrs Hargreaves here”
Suddenly a bleeper went in Sir Sidney’s jacket pocket, it was a mobile phone. Sir Sidney took it out, looked at it and smiled.
It seems the pizza lad has arrived at last, so I will arrange delivery of dinner in the usual manner.” Sir Sidney told them, and then called up another red vortex and stepped out through it.
“He’s mad” Charlene whispered as the vortex vanished
+ + +
Dublin
Late evening
Gregory O’Doyle stood in the hallway of his house fuming at his treatment. They had even taken his gun away, even though he was permitted to have one.
It was obvious that this Kelly McLaughlin did not care about the safety of the O’Docherty twins, or to think about it any of the former minor spirits of virtue. They represented a time when Ireland was also dependent on non humans in the form of leprechauns for its security. Oh how humiliating that must have seemed to them, no wonder they wanted him out the way they did and history of G2 Special section virtually erased.
Gregory suspected that a couple of officers would be staking his house out, to keep an eye on him.
He took his coat off, hung it on the coat rack and went into the living room and peered through the curtains.
He was right.
They were not even concealing what they were doing.
No point, Gregory would spot them a mile off anyway Kelly wanted to send him a message, he was not to cause any bother, and if anyone harmed the O’Docherty Twins, so be it, what was it to anyone now what happened to them?
“Oh Maria” Gregory muttered, “if only you were still here” he said sadly as he looked at a framed picture of his dead wife.
Gregory closed the curtain and wondered what to do; he did not feel like listening to the radio or watching the television, not while he knew that Fidelity and Caer were possibly in danger, that his own former service did not care and even worse prevented him from protecting or warning them.
Then he had an idea, if he could not go to their aid, he knew someone else in Ireland who might, and he had had experience of adventuring, even though he was now happily married with four children, the eldest being adopted. Unlike him, he had never worked for any of the security or intelligence services
Gregory picked up the land line phone from its cradle and went to dial the last number he had, assuming they were still at the last known location.
Then he stopped and listened to the line and the dialling tone
Something did not seem right about it, but only with his knowledge of signals intelligence and how they did things in his day, could he spot it.
His line was being monitored, most likely by Kelly McLaughlin and her sorry excuses for G2 officers.
“I know you’re listening Kelly, you don’t bloody care about them do you” he yelled into the phone, “What are you going to do next, have them extradited to the yanks on spec?” and then he slammed it down on the cradle, and thumped the wall
Gregory took out his mobile phone and went to dial the number on that, but spotted that it was now saying that the SIM was invalid.
Kelly McLaughlin again no doubt, wanting to send him a message, he was no longer to be a nuisance
They were determined that Gregory was going to behave himself that night. Kelly obviously cared more about the fact that a CIA agent, doing something he was not supposed to, had been murdered at G2 headquarters than the safety of those two lasses.
Now it was as if he was being held under house arrested without ever having committed a crime, just for showing his former agency up and possibly causing his former service G2 to loose face in the eyes of the Americans
For all he knew, his entire house might be bugged.
What a come down?
In former times he had been the human in charge of the elite squad of leprechauns, pledged to work for Ireland, and now he was being treated like a terrorist.
Gregory thought for a moment and then headed for his bedroom to find his “just in case” bag, a suitcase that had been pre-packed in case he had to leave his house with minimal notice.
There he also noticed his dead wife’s “just in case bag” He had never brought himself to unpack it when he disposed of her other items shortly after her funeral. He stopped for a moment and stared at it. Again it seemed so awful, that he
a once loyal G2 officer was forced to go on the run like a common criminal
“You fool” Gregory swore and grabbed his wife’s “Just-in-case” bag and emptied it onto the bed.
Sure enough there in the packing was his dead wife’s emergency mobile phone. It was a simple pay as you go phone and was meant to be used should his phone have been compromised. It had been paid for in cash making tracing it almost impossible, well that had been the theory.
Slowly Gregory picked up the phone and tried to power it up.
It had only a few bars in power left, after all it had been a while since it had last been used.
Gregory wracked his brain to try and see if he could remember either Fidelity or Caer’s mobile number from the old case files, but it was fruitless. Even if he still had access to his normal mobile, he had never stored their number on that one either.
This seemed like a hopeless situation, who knows what other agents were out there to carry on the work that dead CIA officer had started, and he had no way to protect or warn them
+ + +
An office in a secret location in Washington DC
Samuel finally arrived at some office in Washington DC, where, he had not a clue as he was still handcuffed and blindfolded, as he sat in the office after being taken from the NCIS headquarters.
Samuel could still sense the two escorts standing either side of him. His escorts he noted before being blindfolded had been two heavily armed men, kitted out like secret service agents but with less personality. Neither had spoken to the Brigadier General.
This may be a highly secret office of Homeland Security, but blindfolds and handcuffs seemed so over the top, especially when he had once been entrusted with the secret of the existence of The Mystical Realms.
Maybe this was the price of falling out of favour
Samuel heard the door open and then the voice of the African American who had who had got him out of NCIS head quarters. The man instructed the escorts to remove the handcuffs and the blindfold and then leave.
The escorts were rough in complying; they did not like Samuel one bit!
Samuel looked up at the African American as he sat down behind his desk.
“May I know whom I’m addressing?” Samuel asked.
“For the moment I am to be referred to as Mr Doulble-You” the African American replied
“Oh come on” Samuel complained, “I thought we got past that crap when Mr Vee died”
“That is how I am to be addressed” the African American insisted, “Miss Cooper allowed her private life and identity be known and look what happened to her”
Samuel shook his head, “Ok Mr Double-You” Samuel asked, “What is this about? I assume it was you who had NCIS set on me”
“You’re right” the African American said abruptly, “We needed you and we needed to let you know that we knew all about your insubordination.
“Insubordination” Samuel snapped back with venom, “You mean my hiding her away because of your refusal to have an innocent girl cleared of murder with the British authorities for a crime we all know she did not commit”
“You were told to hand her over Brigadier General so she could be extradited” the African American replied with equal venom, “As far as the Brits are concerned she is a wanted murderer and drug dealer”
“She is an innocent girl” Samuel interrupted
The African American shook his head, “For the sake of national security she is to be considered guilty as sin and handed over”
“National Security my a**e” Samuel swore, “You just don’t want to tell the British administration what the previous one knew all about, the existence of IDW01”
“Exactly” the African American replied coldly
“And you don’t care if the person is innocent?” Samuel asked
“If it came to it Brigadier General” the African American persisted, “for the sake of National Security, I would hand over innocent men women or children over to be tortured and executed. It is the duty of the state to protect its citizens and it’s borders from threats both foreign and domestic”
Samuel found this incredulous, that their own government would even consider sacrificing innocent people for some twisted notion of “national security. It was obvious now, to clear Sarah Bentley or at least refuse to extradite her may have required explaining to the British Administration all about that strange other world, filled with creatures from folklore, myth legend and fantasy literature. Something, now that it was out of reach, some felt pointless, even if under the previous administration, the British once took the lead.
“Well your too late” Samuel said quietly, “I already warned those she was staying with to get her out of where she was staying and if they have the sense I believe they have, they would be gone too, so charge me with treason”
The African American picked up a file from his desk, opened it and handed a large photo to Samuel.
Samuel took it and looked at the photo.
“We’ve tracked them down to their current location” the African American told Samuel, “Our people are waiting orders to move in and make arrests using maximum force”
“Why don’t you?” Samuel asked, “Why are you telling me”
“Leverage” the African American said snidely, “We want you working for us”
“And you’re doing this because I turned down an offer to work for the NSA?” Samuel asked
“We need you because of your expertise with issues surrounding IDW01 among other things”
“What?” Samuel asked
The African American picked up another file and opened it and read through it before looking back up at the Brigadier General, “Do you remember a British industrialist by the name of Sir Sidney Gerald?”
“Yeah” Samuel answered, “He was responsible for the deaths of a number of people including a chairman of the old IDEC and he tried to kill one of my people as well. He’s effectively dead.”
“Well Sir Sidney is back” the African American abruptly replied
“No!” Samuel countered, “I was there, I saw him die, his essence spread throughout the universe when he tried to ice the Spirit of Lust”
The African American shook his head, “He is very much alive”
“Then have him arrested” Samuel insisted, “Not some innocent girl who was targeted because”
“No going to happen” the African American interrupted, “Especially with what he has to offer us
Samuel looked at the African American with incomprehension, “That dirt bag is a killer and you’re doing a deal with him?” he asked with astonishment.
“We have no choice Brigadier General” the African American replied, “He has proved to us that he has the capability to restore the link to IDW01 and he will be selling that ability to the highest bidder, including our enemies if it comes to that”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing” Samuel snapped back
“Believe it Brigadier General” the African American replied back, “And you are going to be leading the negotiating team to get us that ability and make sure it does not fall into the hands of a hostile power. Just think what could happen if a state friendly to organisations like Al Qaeda got hold of that technology?”
“Send a team in and shut that dirt bag down” Samuel pleaded
“No” The African American insisted, “He has made it known that he has a back up plan should anyone try and have him arrested. We can not risk that and so we will be playing it his way this time”
Again Samuel shook his head, “Then I resign, find another patsy”
The African American looked at Samuel sternly, “That is not an option either” he said with determination, “Sir Sidney has asked for you specifically, and any reluctance on your part will force us not only to have the Bentley girl arrested along with the Johnstons but we will use one of our special operations squads to extradite a certain Rebecca Sands and Mazy Schneider from Toronto, to ensure that they are sterilised, all in the name of National Security. It’s your call”
To be continued