FORTY-ONE
The truth is more sinister. In 1978, a team of
government engineers was drilling through rock to expand the giant
secret underground base at Dulce, New Mexico, when they opened into
a cavern containing dozens of the Greys. A firefight ensued, with
sixty-six Secret Service and FBI agents killed before a “high-level
government operative,” supposedly answering only to the president
himself, managed to restore order (according to my sources). Some
“alien experts” or “paranormal investigators” will tell you the
Greys, like the Reptilians, are actually aliens, sent here to
colonize and subdue the planet Earth. This is disinformation. As
their presence underground indicates, they are actually the ancient
adversaries of man who have plagued us for generations. That the
U.S. government has reached accord with these things tells us all
we need to know about who is actually in charge.
—Anonymous website
Zach sat in the car in long-term parking at
LAX. The smart thing to do would be to follow Cade’s advice and go
home. He never wanted this job. It wasn’t in the plan. He had spent
so much time planning and maneuvering, getting into exactly the
right position.
And it wasn’t like he was running away. Cade told
him to go. He’d done his best. His ribs hurt like hell. He still
smelled smoke and concrete dust from the explosion. People were
trying to kill him. That definitely wasn’t part of the plan.
He checked his phone. Still plenty of time to catch
the red-eye to D.C.
So now that he had an escape hatch, why was he
hesitating to use it?
Maybe because something rankled in the way Cade had
dismissed him. Zach had never been fired from any job. He’d never
failed at a task before. He didn’t like the idea that this was too
much for him—even if it was painfully true.
He got out of the car, one hand clutching the wad
of cash. In the car window, he caught a murky glimpse of himself.
He looked like hammered crap. Zach focused on the idea of a hot
shower and a fresh suit. Even the idea of stretching out in a
business-class seat with a cold beer sounded like pure luxury. That
helped quell his misgivings.
Sure, he might get some strange looks from airport
security, but he had his government ID. He could talk his way
through any questions.
He started for the terminal. Then stopped
again.
What if this really was part of the plan? What if
he was supposed to be here? If he could help nail Konrad, even when
he’d been told to quit, then he could probably name his job in the
White House. Maybe Cade was testing him, seeing if he’d quit when
things got rough.
Then again, maybe he was just stubborn.
He got back in the car and took out his sat-phone.
With a tap of his finger, he lit up the GPS screen. Konrad’s
address was easy to find. The phone even offered him turn-by-turn
directions.
Zach twisted the wires and started the car again.
He wasn’t done yet. He was going to show Cade, and everyone else,
that he wasn’t just baggage on this trip.
Zach was going to prove he could be a hero after
all.