Butterfly Dreams (13)

(A sequel to The Strange Story of Mr. Black and Ms Gray.)

They had died when helping thwart a plan to undermine the government of the United States. Now Ben and Susan have returned from the dead and they must bring that government down. Standing in their way are Michael Black and Michelle Gray, the bodies of whom they now occupy.

-(The Story begins HERE)-

Of Mind and Body
Sergeant O'Day studied us for a moment and although we appeared stunned by his revelations he noted, "None of this is really a surprise to the two of you, is it?"

I shook my head and responded, "No more than it was to you, Brock."

He raised his cup of coffee in front of his lips and blew across the rim. "Yeah, after seeing Ben and Susan on that security tape ...," his words trailed off as he drained the contents of the cup in one gulp. He crushed the Styrofoam cup in one hand and motioned to us with the other, "Look, I've got questions coming out of my ass, but I'm getting no answers. Please tell me you know something ... anything!"

"Sergeant," Michelle said trying to add a voice of reason to our discussion, "somebody has set into motion a series of carefully orchestrated events, all of which I believe are part of their master plan."

"Diversions?" O'Day growled, "You're suggesting that all the shit, all of those things ... have been only diversions?" His brow furrowed and his countenance became pensive, "The best you can come up with are pronouns? Their master plan ... they ... them!"

"Brock," I said trying to soothe his frustration, "The Feds, the military, a covert agency that doesn't exist ... pick one." I shrugged and spread my arms in resignation and added, "Might I suggest ... all of the above?"

O'Day harrumphed, "The same players as last year."

Michelle raised her index finger and said, "Yes, but there seems to be a new player in the mix, one Professor Jordan."

"Jordan," O'Day mused rubbing his chin, "Bernard Jordan. I haven't given a thought to that old man in well over thirty years." He cast glances at the two of us and queried, "How does he figure in all of this?" He turned his attention to Michelle, "You went to meet with him but he never showed up. Any idea what he may have wanted?"

She shook her head, "No. I didn't speak with him directly. He left a message with our receptionist that it was imperative that I met him at the university quad grounds. She did say that he sounded rather agitated."

"I would say that he was desperate. He might not have shown up to meet with Michelle, but the professor was at the Globe to meet with Stu Jankowski and then he showed up in our garage waiting for me by my car."

O'Day sighed, "He was being followed. He knew it and he was on the run." He looked me in the eyes and noted, "That Army HumVee was on your tail as soon as you left the garage." He stared at the two of us for a moment as if looking for the answer to his question before he asked it, "What do suppose they want with him?"

Michelle's lips pursed before speaking, "Professor Jordan was the head of the Science department when Michael and I were conducting our research." She shook her head, "But, he wasn't involved with our work. Because of the security that King and the Feds had in place, and it was strictly enforced, he was not allowed access to any part of the research."

"...And yet, he told me he was responsible for the accident that inadvertently caused the transfer of ... our minds," I added glancing at Michelle, "into each other's bodies. I'd say that the professor knew a great deal more than he ever let on about our research."

"If you've come to that conclusion," O'Day asserted, "then I'd say that they must think the same thing."

"Sergeant," Michelle said, "there's something bothering me. It was something you said a few minutes ago about not thinking about that old man in over thirty years. What did you mean by that?"

He leaned back in the chair and locked his fingers behind his head. "Crap, I guess I just can't escape the past, can I? You know about our unit's mission in Vietnam ..."

I gasped and leaned forward, "Are you going to tell us that Jordan was there? He was a part of that operation? He was working for King and General Gates?"

"Yeah, he was there," O'Day replied. "Whatever happened inside those tents ... he was in charge. I remember that he and Gates came to loggerheads on more than one occasion."

"How so?" Michelle asked.

"Dr. Jordan, as we called him then, wanted no part of the Army presence there. He told old man Gates that he was keeping his nose out of the General's military business and that he wanted the General to leave the science and research to him. He said to Gates that while the military knew about fighting and killing, his expertise was about everything of mind and body."

"Interesting," I mused, "I wonder why the sudden interest in Jordan now? Why not a year ago?"

"Isn't it obvious?" O'Day said, "He knows too much."

"That means we have to find him before they find him."

( To be continued ...

Into the Labyrinth )
№ 1961