Samantha's Talent (55 page)

"We don't agree completely but we're on the same page," Samantha said. She produced the mischievous, imp-like smile that Juan was so fond of. "What I believe should be kept extra-secret is the requirement for the fantastic level of tolerance required during the machining of the parts and fittings of the lander and especially the interstellar ship for any real speed out of either of them. Reddy says it's crucial and I believe him. And by the way, that thought was inspired by my devious, sneaky, underhanded father."

"Who learned it by keeping some of Samantha's exploits with animals secret from me," Elaine said with a laugh.

Anton smiled beatifically. "I agree with all of you. What wonderful ideas." He looked up at the ceiling with raised brows then back at his guests. For a change, everything seemed to be coming up roses but there was always that damned old Murphy Gremlin who just loved to put in an appearance under just these circumstances. He hadn't shown up lately but that was certainly no indication that he wouldn't! In fact, he might be here already, unseen, but rubbing his hands together in gleeful anticipation.

The discussion went on for another hour or two but finally broke up. Juan and Samantha were the last to leave. He watched them until the door closed then leaned back in his chair and reflected on things that had been left unsaid.

Jennie would love publishing her book about Sammie. And these two kids? They didn't realize it yet and probably wouldn't for some time, but they held the future of the human species in their hands. How well they performed, how well they got along with the aliens if they showed up and how they got on with Reddy was paramount. The human race might live or die, depending on their actions. He didn't intend to tell them that, though. Let them keep their innocence, their bright, optimistic outlook of the future as long as they could. In the meantime, he could only wish them well.

***

Samantha took her Juan's hand as they walked slowly away from the office section of the project. "Ready for our last night sleeping alone, honey?" It hardly seemed possible that the next day, at long last, they would actually be married.

He squeezed her hand and kissed the top of her head. "I'm always ready for whatever you want, sweetheart. Always."

The wedding ceremony was held at the non-denominational chapel of the university, with only the members of the inner circle present. Anton was best man and surprisingly, Betty Orleans was maid of honor. Soon after Elaine and Ronald gave their blessings, an opening for a new counsel for the agency became available. Ronald recommended Steve for the position. Anton accepted him mainly on the basis that he and his family were already well acquainted with Samantha's talent. That, and the fact that his association with the Douglas family and the unexplained deaths surrounding their disappearance had cost him his two biggest corporate clients made him the first choice. Anton felt obligated to help him if he could and the sudden job opening provided the perfect opportunity.

"Have a great honeymoon, Sammie, and you know I wish you and Juan all the happiness in the world. I can still hardly believe I'm here and you're getting married," Betty said with a big smile.

"Right now I'm having a hard time believing it myself," Samantha told her. She was excited and ready to leave with her new husband. They were going to a secluded resort which wasn't all that elaborate, but the privacy would make up for it. Shufus and Sheik were also going with them. If nothing else, they would provide some extra security that Gene worried incessantly about.

Juan appeared by her side after thanking the guests, officials and family. Samantha was dressed in an off-white suit that fitted her perfectly, the only really expensive outfit she had ever owned. Ordinarily she cared little for clothing as such, and went for comfort more than style. She had to admit she liked her wedding attire, though.

"You look beautiful, Sammie. And if you've said all your thanks and good-byes, I guess we're ready to go."

She stood on tiptoes and pressed her lips to his for a brief kiss. "I'm ready," she said simply, but with a beautiful, heartfelt smile.

All the way to their destination they were followed by two extra security agents Gene had hired with his own money, in addition to a contingent who were already in place at the resort. They had checked out the other guests in the few nearby cabins and had rented adjoining places for themselves. The newlyweds were watched constantly while they were at the resort, although they knew nothing of it. The guards were ones they had never met. Gene cared a lot for both of them and wanted them to have as care-free a honeymoon as possible.

***

Being wedded to Juan was all she could ever want, she decided as one gloriously happy day followed another. The little cabin on the beach was just right for them and they had only to walk a hundred yards to a dockside twenty four hour restaurant to eat. A store beside it sold liquor and mixers and snack food. Juan stocked some rum and vodka the first day but at the end of two weeks hardly any of it had been used. One drink and Samantha was usually ready for bed, although not to sleep. Not immediately, anyway.

The sex was even more wonderful than she had expected and Juan was always considerate and thoughtful. They ate and swam and made love, but talked about the future only in general terms. It was still unpredictable. In the meantime she loved the way he touched her and moved his hands and mouth on her and cuddled and told her how beautiful and wonderful she was. She loved every inch of him, physically and mentally, and sometimes wondered how they had ever waited. She didn't think she could possibly be happier.

The only thing that marred the perfect period away from responsibility and study was that they were called back after only two weeks instead of three.

***

Samantha woke during the night to the sound of yells, screams and several gunshots. She sat straight up in bed and ran for her suitcase where she had already stowed her gun. As she plucked it from the pocket of her bag she saw Juan with his automatic pistol already in his hand.

"Stay here, Sammie!" he called from across the room. He opened the door to the outside world. He stayed low and cautiously looked both ways down the beach. To his right, where usually there was nothing in sight but more sand, a large rubber raft had been pulled up onto the beach. Several figures were clustered around it, some upright and others slumped into the sand in unlikely-looking poses. Three men were standing over them.

Samantha had an even better view. She had gone to a side window and peeked through the blinds. She saw the upright figures talking but couldn't make out the words. All she could tell from the distance was that the voices were male. One of them sounded strangely familiar.

She heard the cabin door to the outside close and turned from the blinds. Juan still held his gun but was just as completely bereft of clothing as she was.

He shrugged. "It looks as if there was a gunfight down the beach. I don't know what it was about."

"Should we--" The sound of her phone's ring tone interrupted her. She raised a brow at Juan, shrugged and answered it. "Who is this?"

"Gene. Are you and Juan okay?"

"Gene? What are you doing here?"

"My job and be glad I was. Our old friends from the Middle East came calling again, or at least these three were speaking what sounded like Arabic."

"You mean... ?"

"Yeah. They thought they could grab you while you were having a good time and wouldn't be watching for them. Too bad for them we were."

"Who's with you?"

"Just some friends. If you're sure you're okay go back to sleep or to whatever you were doing. I've made arrangements to keep anyone from disturbing you or asking questions. And Sammie, I'm sorry to have to tell you but you need to pack up and head back home. There's a new development that's occurred and Anton wants to see you both as soon as possible. I'll be watching out for you so don't worry."

"God, Gene. If you hadn't been here... "

"I was, so forget it."

"I doubt I can do that but we thank you. Juan says thanks, too."

"Glad to be of service. I'll see you back home. G'night."

Samantha dropped her gun onto the bed and hurried to Juan's waiting arms. A delayed reaction to what might have happened had her whole body shaking and she wanted his comfort.

Eventually she slept the few remaining hours of their honeymoon but Juan never closed his eyes. He didn't intend to be sleeping in case any others with similar intents came looking for them.

***

Samantha and her new husband returned to set up housekeeping in his apartment. She was so happy that when they stepped inside she felt as if she had been poleaxed. A quick check with Gene told her no more. He wasn't taking calls at present. She could hardly believe what had happened while they were gone. They had spent all their time at the resort concentrating on each other and hadn't been following the news.

"If I had known about this I would have said let's not come back at all," she said as she looked at the chaotic state of Juan's two bedroom apartment. It had been trashed. Clothes and broken dishes were strewn on the floor of every room. Phone wires had been ripped out. His desktop computer was missing as well as a separate collection of hard drives where he had stored what he thought was vital data. Those had been well-hidden but whoever had gone through the apartment were obviously professionals because they had been found. Fortunately, another set was stored in the cloud but now someone had a lot of data she and Juan had worked so many extra hours to develop. On one on the coffee tables Samantha saw a newspaper headline. It didn't register immediately but finally the words penetrated.

NSA AFTER ALIEN?

"I'm calling Anton on his personal phone now," Juan said after she showed it to him, not bothering to read the details. The state of the apartment had told her almost everything she wanted to know already.

Samantha only nodded. She had her phone out and had punched the icon for her mother's phone. She promptly received a "not in service" message. She felt the fear she had held in check since coming through the entrance beginning to break loose. Her father's phone gave a similar response. The couch had its cushions ripped to pieces but she found one of the plain chairs and sat down shakily.

She kept her eyes on Juan who was still standing. He was speaking to someone, Anton, she hoped. Presently he said, "Yes, sir," and hung up.

"Did you find out anything?" she asked.

He came to her, grabbing another chair in the process and sat down beside her. He took her hands. "Sweetheart, I'm sorry. Ron and Elaine are missing. So is Liadra. He says we need to come to the office right now and he'll try to fill in what's happening. He also said to try not to worry about your parents. He knows they're alive."

Samantha sucked in a deep breath of air. She had been holding her breath ever since he told her both her parents were missing. At least they weren't dead. But... she couldn't imagine what was going on. Why would the NSA want her parents? Oh! The thought struck her. If they have Mom and Dad in custody they'll think they can control me and Juan.

Juan stood up and offered his hand. He gently helped her to her feet and kept his arm around her as they returned to his car. She noticed that he still had a very worried expression on his face, as if he were withholding something of importance, but she couldn't imagine what it might be that he wouldn't share with her. Probably she was only imagining it, she thought.

***

Anton was waiting on them but as it turned out, he wasn't alone. Instead of Elaine, who had been handling his office administration, there were two men in her place. Contrary to the usual casual dress within the project, they wore suits. Samantha, by now used to carrying a weapon, took note of suspicious bulges from beneath the suit coats. Neither said a word nor introduced themselves. Instead, one pointed to Anton's office while the other moved to block the only exit, the door they had come in through.

Juan started to say something but Samantha squeezed his arm. She didn't like the looks of the men, nor their actions. He shrugged and knocked.

"Come on in," Anton's voice invited.

Juan pulled open the door and held it while Samantha went inside. He followed, stopping behind her while she took stock of the situation. Anton was at his desk but another office chair had been pulled up beside his. Another of the ubiquitous suited men sat in it, silently.

"Welcome back," Anton said. "You may as well sit down. I imagine you're going to be here for a while."

"What's happening, Mr. McAllister?" Juan asked. His voice held concern for his boss, as well as everyone else associated with the project.

Samantha could see why. Anton wasn't looking well. His face was paler than she had ever seen it and she had never seen him unshaven but he obviously hadn't touched a razor this morning.

"It seems there's a jurisdictional disagreement. Homeland Security, in the guise of our very own National Security Agency, has taken over jurisdiction of DARPA. Or think they have, at any rate."

"We have," the man beside Anton said positively. "You two are under our authority as of this moment. We'll have an interrogator here presently and I'd advise you to come clean."

Samantha saw that he was examining her as if she had some kind of disability or more accurately, as if she belonged to a species of human he neither liked nor cared what happened to.

"Come clean about what? And who are you to be giving me orders?"

"Kid, you'd best listen to me. We don't know whether you can talk to animals or not but we damn sure know you've been talking to a fucking alien when the whole thing should have been turned over to Homeland Security years ago. Whether you know it or not, your boss is in a hell of a lot of trouble and so are you and your boyfriend."

Shufus let loose a low growl of discontent.

"He's not my boyfriend. He's my husband. And so far as I know this is still a free country. I can talk to anyone I want to."

"Not when it's inimical to the country's security, you can't. And if you don't want a bullet in that dog's head you'll keep him in control."