slowly nodded. "Sometimes. Sometimes here in the real world. And sometimes when I'm out on the psychic plane, I feel her spirit. It's not like we can carry on a conversation; more like I can pick up her emotions, her feelings."
Dalton's voice was low. "I feel Marie just like that at times. I sense she's out there."
Jackson leaned forward and reached out with her hand, grasping Dalton's in hers. "She is. She's out there and she'll always be with you. The world is a much bigger place than that which we pick up with our five senses. You and I-- we have the inner eye."
“I’ve been learning that," Dalton said. "So what didn't you want Hammond to hear?"
Instead of replying, Jackson asked a question. "What do you think happened to the first PW team?"
"They got cut off.”
"But why?"
"I don't know," he lied.
"I think it's because they saw something they weren't supposed to see," Jackson said.
"What did they see?"
"If we knew that, we'd have a chance of knowing who did it to them."
"Raisor said he knew."
"And look where he's at now," Jackson pointed out.
"I'd say the fact someone was monitoring Sybyl and they got cut off right after asking for information about the Air Force Space and Missile Systems is significant," Dalton said.
"I agree."
"I've also got a feeling you know more than you're telling me." Dalton felt bad knowing that the opposite was true. He knew exactly why the first team had been cut off, but telling Jackson about Nexus would endanger her. Of course, not telling her could be just as dangerous. But if she came to some conclusions on her own, that couldn't hurt. Besides, Dalton wasn't one hundred percent sure he believed what Eichen had told him.
"It's foolish," Jackson said.
"Why don't you let me determine that?"
Jackson shook her head. "Old tales. That's all I was thinking about. They have nothing to do with this." She lay back down on her bunk. "I'm tired. I need some sleep."
Dalton walked out of the bunkroom to the male latrine. He felt like a low-rate spy as he went into one of the stalls and sat down. He opened up the phone and punched two. There was a short buzz. A second. And then Eichen's voice:
"Go ahead, Sergeant Major."
He updated Eichen on the current inactive status of Bright Gate, Eileen Raisor's request for information about the Air Force unit, Hammond finding the virus in Sybyl, and Hammond's concern about the development of the Bright Gate technology, which echoed what Eichen had told him the previous night.
"All right. I’ll check out the Space and Missiles Systems Center. Keep an eye out for anything else."
"What about whoever is replacing Raisor? Is he or she one of yours?” Dalton asked.
"Negative. I have no idea who is coming to take over Bright Gate, but I'm relying on you to keep things under control there."
"What about Lieutenant Jackson, sir? Can I bring her in on this?"
"No. The fewer who know, the better. And Jackson was with Bright Gate. If I were you, I'd keep an eye on her too."
But you aren't me, Dalton thought. "Yes, sir."
*****
McFairn leafed through the documents she’d had her people intercept from the Pentagon. As deputy director of the nation's primary communications security agency, McFairn could access any communications, no matter how highly classified. After all, it was her people who designed the secure systems all government agencies used.
A Task Force Six team was en route to Colombia to interdict a drug shipment and kidnap a cartel member to try to find out what happened to the Coast Guard cutter. Exactly as she had arranged. She hit the autodial for Boreas and faced the windows, noting the large flag on the pole outside the building flapping in a stiff breeze.
He answered immediately and her message was succinct, informing him of the team's itinerary.
"I'll have HAARP on line to help locate Aura," Boreas said in response.
"What makes you so sure that Aura will be used?"
"Because you’re going to have one of your agents
Dalton's voice was low. "I feel Marie just like that at times. I sense she's out there."
Jackson leaned forward and reached out with her hand, grasping Dalton's in hers. "She is. She's out there and she'll always be with you. The world is a much bigger place than that which we pick up with our five senses. You and I-- we have the inner eye."
“I’ve been learning that," Dalton said. "So what didn't you want Hammond to hear?"
Instead of replying, Jackson asked a question. "What do you think happened to the first PW team?"
"They got cut off.”
"But why?"
"I don't know," he lied.
"I think it's because they saw something they weren't supposed to see," Jackson said.
"What did they see?"
"If we knew that, we'd have a chance of knowing who did it to them."
"Raisor said he knew."
"And look where he's at now," Jackson pointed out.
"I'd say the fact someone was monitoring Sybyl and they got cut off right after asking for information about the Air Force Space and Missile Systems is significant," Dalton said.
"I agree."
"I've also got a feeling you know more than you're telling me." Dalton felt bad knowing that the opposite was true. He knew exactly why the first team had been cut off, but telling Jackson about Nexus would endanger her. Of course, not telling her could be just as dangerous. But if she came to some conclusions on her own, that couldn't hurt. Besides, Dalton wasn't one hundred percent sure he believed what Eichen had told him.
"It's foolish," Jackson said.
"Why don't you let me determine that?"
Jackson shook her head. "Old tales. That's all I was thinking about. They have nothing to do with this." She lay back down on her bunk. "I'm tired. I need some sleep."
Dalton walked out of the bunkroom to the male latrine. He felt like a low-rate spy as he went into one of the stalls and sat down. He opened up the phone and punched two. There was a short buzz. A second. And then Eichen's voice:
"Go ahead, Sergeant Major."
He updated Eichen on the current inactive status of Bright Gate, Eileen Raisor's request for information about the Air Force unit, Hammond finding the virus in Sybyl, and Hammond's concern about the development of the Bright Gate technology, which echoed what Eichen had told him the previous night.
"All right. I’ll check out the Space and Missiles Systems Center. Keep an eye out for anything else."
"What about whoever is replacing Raisor? Is he or she one of yours?” Dalton asked.
"Negative. I have no idea who is coming to take over Bright Gate, but I'm relying on you to keep things under control there."
"What about Lieutenant Jackson, sir? Can I bring her in on this?"
"No. The fewer who know, the better. And Jackson was with Bright Gate. If I were you, I'd keep an eye on her too."
But you aren't me, Dalton thought. "Yes, sir."
*****
McFairn leafed through the documents she’d had her people intercept from the Pentagon. As deputy director of the nation's primary communications security agency, McFairn could access any communications, no matter how highly classified. After all, it was her people who designed the secure systems all government agencies used.
A Task Force Six team was en route to Colombia to interdict a drug shipment and kidnap a cartel member to try to find out what happened to the Coast Guard cutter. Exactly as she had arranged. She hit the autodial for Boreas and faced the windows, noting the large flag on the pole outside the building flapping in a stiff breeze.
He answered immediately and her message was succinct, informing him of the team's itinerary.
"I'll have HAARP on line to help locate Aura," Boreas said in response.
"What makes you so sure that Aura will be used?"
"Because you’re going to have one of your agents
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