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)-
There is only so much one man can take before reaching the point where reality and sanity diverge. I was on the cusp of that breaking point.
Until a year ago all of my life, as I knew it, I was one Ben Bering. Then, before I was declared clinically dead, I woke up in the body of Michael Black. A year later, a man claiming to be my twin brother, was telling me that I was not who I thought I was.
I once thought that things like mind reading, remote mind control, and mind transfers were merely fantastic concepts of science fiction novels. Yet, I was living in a nightmarish world where they were only too real.
My jumbled thoughts were interrupted by the movement of the vehicle when it turned right and then came to a stop at a guard post. Two armed Airmen approached, one to the driver side window while the other stood in front of the idling SUV. Baxter produced an I.D. and a folded sheet of paper and handed them to the Airman looking into the window.
He returned the items and signaled to the other sentry who promptly disappeared into the guard shack. Moments later he reemerged and nodded to the first man.
"Mr. Baxter, Colonel Allison is on his way to escort you to your plane and to present you with further orders." He stiffened, saluted and then assumed a parade rest stance.
Brock O'Day scratched his head and addressed Baxter, "Since when do Airmen salute Army Corporals?"
He shrugged and replied, "I suppose he figured that since a Colonel is coming to personally meet me, I must be someone important."
I cleared my throat and asked, "Are you ... someone important?"
His only response was, "Ah, here comes Allison now."
A jeep came to a stop nearby. It was obvious from his gait as he approached us that the man who stepped out of the jeep was a high ranking officer. The two Airmen snapped to attention and raised their hands to the their heads to salute their superior officer. They rested at ease only after the man nodded to acknowledge their actions.
The Colonel leaned against our vehicle and looked upon each of us in turn. He peered at O'Day for a moment before addressing him, "You must be the police officer who once in Nam under Julius Gates for those early mind control tests?"
"Yes, sir," Brock answered, "but I never knew exactly what they were working on."
He sounded agitated when he spoke to me, "So, you're half of the Mr. Black and Ms Grey team Bishop King financed? Thanks to the two of you, we have a serious crisis on our hands."
Wide-eyed I exclaimed, "What? You're blaming all of this on us? Our research was purely for medical applications. Mind control never entered into our thoughts."
"I'm sure of that, Mr. Black. You had no way of knowing that you sold your souls to the devil. It was King who saw the financial rewards and it was Gates who saw its potential for military applications." He glared at me a moment before continuing, "It's like this, you threw a monkey wrench in the works when you sent that e-mail to that newspaper reporter!"
"Think about it, Michael," Baxter interjected, "you don't honestly think that Ben Bering was the only one who read that e-mail?"
Colonel Allison turned his focus to Baxter, "Ever since Gates went rogue, I knew the shit was going to hit the fan one day." He passed a sheet of paper through the window. "These orders are for your eyes only. Read them and then burn them."
Baxter read the few typed lines and removed a cigarette lighter from his pocket. After setting the paper afire he reached through the window and let it fall burning to the ground. The Colonel, satisfied that the document had been reduced to ashes stomped on the burnt remnants.
"Follow me to the south hangar. A KC-135 is fueled and ready for takeoff as soon as you're aboard," he snapped. Before walking away he added, "Good luck."
"A KC-135? We're flying on a refueling plane?" O'Day queried.
"No," Baxter said, "it's a Stratolifter. It's basically the same aircraft, but it was modified into a flying command post. They're also used for electronic reconnaissance. Most of their missions, including this one, are classified."
I made an attempt to ask Baxter about his orders and our mission but he told me that he couldn't reveal anything until after we were airborne. Accepting his resolve to obey orders, I began to press him about the conversation we were having before reaching the airbase. To my chagrin, his answer was again that we would talk on the plane.
I lapsed into sullen silence and sat back in my seat. Next to me, Susan was beginning to stir. I said nothing to Brock or Baxter in the front. I didn't wish to see her knocked out with that taser again.
When we arrived at the hangar we were hustled out the vehicle and herded posthaste onto the awaiting plane. Carrying the barely conscious Susan, Brock and Baxter preceded me up the lowered ladder into the craft. When I was about to enter the plane I caught the movement of two men approaching the stairs behind me. I should not have been surprised to see that Professor Jordan and Captain Wingate would be accompanying us on the flight.
I shook my head and groaned, "Aren't we one happy family!"
Until a year ago all of my life, as I knew it, I was one Ben Bering. Then, before I was declared clinically dead, I woke up in the body of Michael Black. A year later, a man claiming to be my twin brother, was telling me that I was not who I thought I was.
I once thought that things like mind reading, remote mind control, and mind transfers were merely fantastic concepts of science fiction novels. Yet, I was living in a nightmarish world where they were only too real.
My jumbled thoughts were interrupted by the movement of the vehicle when it turned right and then came to a stop at a guard post. Two armed Airmen approached, one to the driver side window while the other stood in front of the idling SUV. Baxter produced an I.D. and a folded sheet of paper and handed them to the Airman looking into the window.
He returned the items and signaled to the other sentry who promptly disappeared into the guard shack. Moments later he reemerged and nodded to the first man.
"Mr. Baxter, Colonel Allison is on his way to escort you to your plane and to present you with further orders." He stiffened, saluted and then assumed a parade rest stance.
Brock O'Day scratched his head and addressed Baxter, "Since when do Airmen salute Army Corporals?"
He shrugged and replied, "I suppose he figured that since a Colonel is coming to personally meet me, I must be someone important."
I cleared my throat and asked, "Are you ... someone important?"
His only response was, "Ah, here comes Allison now."
A jeep came to a stop nearby. It was obvious from his gait as he approached us that the man who stepped out of the jeep was a high ranking officer. The two Airmen snapped to attention and raised their hands to the their heads to salute their superior officer. They rested at ease only after the man nodded to acknowledge their actions.
The Colonel leaned against our vehicle and looked upon each of us in turn. He peered at O'Day for a moment before addressing him, "You must be the police officer who once in Nam under Julius Gates for those early mind control tests?"
"Yes, sir," Brock answered, "but I never knew exactly what they were working on."
He sounded agitated when he spoke to me, "So, you're half of the Mr. Black and Ms Grey team Bishop King financed? Thanks to the two of you, we have a serious crisis on our hands."
Wide-eyed I exclaimed, "What? You're blaming all of this on us? Our research was purely for medical applications. Mind control never entered into our thoughts."
"I'm sure of that, Mr. Black. You had no way of knowing that you sold your souls to the devil. It was King who saw the financial rewards and it was Gates who saw its potential for military applications." He glared at me a moment before continuing, "It's like this, you threw a monkey wrench in the works when you sent that e-mail to that newspaper reporter!"
"Think about it, Michael," Baxter interjected, "you don't honestly think that Ben Bering was the only one who read that e-mail?"
Colonel Allison turned his focus to Baxter, "Ever since Gates went rogue, I knew the shit was going to hit the fan one day." He passed a sheet of paper through the window. "These orders are for your eyes only. Read them and then burn them."
Baxter read the few typed lines and removed a cigarette lighter from his pocket. After setting the paper afire he reached through the window and let it fall burning to the ground. The Colonel, satisfied that the document had been reduced to ashes stomped on the burnt remnants.
"Follow me to the south hangar. A KC-135 is fueled and ready for takeoff as soon as you're aboard," he snapped. Before walking away he added, "Good luck."
"A KC-135? We're flying on a refueling plane?" O'Day queried.
"No," Baxter said, "it's a Stratolifter. It's basically the same aircraft, but it was modified into a flying command post. They're also used for electronic reconnaissance. Most of their missions, including this one, are classified."
I made an attempt to ask Baxter about his orders and our mission but he told me that he couldn't reveal anything until after we were airborne. Accepting his resolve to obey orders, I began to press him about the conversation we were having before reaching the airbase. To my chagrin, his answer was again that we would talk on the plane.
I lapsed into sullen silence and sat back in my seat. Next to me, Susan was beginning to stir. I said nothing to Brock or Baxter in the front. I didn't wish to see her knocked out with that taser again.
When we arrived at the hangar we were hustled out the vehicle and herded posthaste onto the awaiting plane. Carrying the barely conscious Susan, Brock and Baxter preceded me up the lowered ladder into the craft. When I was about to enter the plane I caught the movement of two men approaching the stairs behind me. I should not have been surprised to see that Professor Jordan and Captain Wingate would be accompanying us on the flight.
I shook my head and groaned, "Aren't we one happy family!"
Family Secrets
№ 2057
4 comments:
Questions and more questions. Anything could happen at this point. I can't wait to find out why all of this happened and for what purpose. I've a feeling there is much more to know.
Have a terrific day. :)
Sandee,
On this flights - answers and more answers will now be coming at a fast pace.
If Michael/Ben is having an identity crisis now, he hasn't heard anything yet....
Well, what a tale you are weaving. Can it get anymore convoluted? Probably. I can hardly wait for the next installment.
I had a feeling that this was going to go in a direction that I'd not thought of and now I'm sure of it. If this turns out to be a dream. Just saying.
I'm with Jack...I can't wait either, but we have to.
Have a terrific day. :)
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