“Yes Colonel Peters what do you have to report?” The woman staring back at Peters from his small computer screen had long since given up on wearing long hair. She held no pretense of false youth, allowing the natural grey to show through creating an almost steel color of short trimmed hair in what might be called a maaculine style. Her face still held uniquely feminine cheek bones and a petite nose as well as a sleek neck line. Her eyes were the only things that gave a window as to how tired the woman must feel.
“Good morning General Pontous. We had to abort the operation this morning. A technical misinterpretation of the data signaled we were under attack. It turned out to be a previously unseen type of reading. We’re studying it and recalibrating to make sure the problem doesn’t occur again,” Peters reported.
“Fine. What about the target?” General Pontous asked .
“The target is out of pocket and we believe in possession of an active detonator. We don’t know what the target is, what the bomb type is, or any other data. We had to abort shortly after Guardian eight pushed the target to reveal the detonator,” Peters said.
“You’ve taken proper steps to reacquire the target I presume.” It was a statement not a question.
“Yes, ma’am, we are efforting that as we speak,” Peters confirmed.
“Good, brief me on the op when you find him. Pontous out,” the general said.
“There’s more ma’am,” Peters said reaching for the screen as if he could forestall the disconnection.
“Yes?” Pontous said visibly sitting back in her chair.
“I’m sending you the raw footage of fifteen seconds of the operation. We’ve identified two new players we’ve never seen before,” Peters said.
“Whose are they?” General Pontus asked, sitting forward with her interest peaked.
“We don’t know that either,” Peters said, sounding dejected.
“You don’t know much today, do you Peters?” General Pontous asked. “How about if I tell you?”
“Ma’am?” Colonel Peters said. He didn’t think he would like the next few minutes of this conversation very much.
“You think they’re demons and angels come to wage holy war on earth for our immortal souls,” General Pontous stated flatly.
“How…” Peters was at a total loss for words.
“Senator Radcliff called me not ten minutes ago screaming that he was going to launch an inquiry to get Guardian three off the team. He demanded her removal. Said there was no place for such superstitious nonsense on this project,” General Pontous said shaking her head clearly exasperated with the whole affair. “What I want to know is what are you doing with her now?”
“Ma’am I have no idea how that man is getting sensitive information out of my facility. We have top of the line counter surveillance equipment and detection gear. None of our computers are connected to the outside systems except for several secure locations that are manned twenty four…” General Pontous interrupted Peters.
“Secure the leak Peters. We can’t have something like that getting into civilian hands. If he can get it someone else can too. Now, is what he says true? Do you think these things are demons and angels?” she asked.
“Ma’am I have no definitive information one way or the other at this time,” Peters said very noncommittally.
“I didn’t ask you what definitive information you have. I asked you what you think,” she said a little more softly.
“Ma’am, the circumstantial visual evidence does seem to match that descriptor, yes. Guardian three is trying to compile empirical information from the mission tapes to back up her opinion,” Peters admitted. In truth his mind had already labeled them as demons and angels he realized as he spoke.
“So you are allowing her to purse that avenue?” the general asked.
“Yes ma’am. I am not ruling anything out as of yet.” Here it comes, Peters thought.
“Good. I don’t give a rat’s ass what that fat talking blowhard-head has to say about my operations,” Pontous said.
“We’ve also seen those technical glitches grow into something significant,” Peters added.
“Oh, how so?” asked the general.
“We’re seeing data on the olfactory, tactile, and gustatory tracks. This data was not present before we lost Guardian two,” Peters said keeping the emotion he felt off his face.
“That event is going to haunt us for a long time, I predict,” Pontous said. “We’ve been having all kinds of technical problems with the equipment since we lost him.”
“There’s more,” Peters said.
“Of course. Go on,” Pontous said throwing up her hands and sitting back.
“Those golden ropes or threads we’ve been reporting, well, it appears they affect the demon-like creatures some how. The fifteen second snip from the raw data feed I’m sensing you shows two of those creatures trying to attack Guardian eight’s avatar with bolts of fire, but it appears those golden threads stop the attack,” Peters said.
“I didn’t know that. Any casualties?” the general inquired.
“None, though I’m not sure what would happen if an ethereal attack struck an ethereal object?” Peters wondered.
“Do not squander an asset just to find out. We’ve only got seven left now, and the recruiters don’t have any leads at present,” Pontous said.
“Yes ma’am,” Peters responded out of habit. “Wasn’t considering it. We have some solid intel on the building location though. We’ll have a lead on the target again, I promise.”
“Good. The op is approved when you do considering it is the same mission objective as the one you botched this morning,” Pontous said. Peters mentally ticked off a strike against him on that one.
“I’ll let you know when we’re a go, and I’ll have the Senator’s leak locked down before that time. You have my word,” Peters said emphatically.
“Look, you figure out how that windbag is getting intel out of our instillation. I don’t care what you have to do, consider it authorized,” Pontous said clearly upset about the whole affair, then she rocked forward and stabbed a finger at the screen as she finished. “Then you get me some definitive answers before he gets them! Pontous out.”
Guardians of the Herald is a weekly serial published and copyright by The Cavalier, Mark Malcolm. For more information about this story please join us on our Facebook page community at www.facebook.com/firstchevalierbooks.
