Never-Ending Nightmare (AIR Book 5) Page 3

  At least Rider had more room here. Even with over a dozen people, we weren't crowded and I shouldn't have worried about awkward questions.

  Mostly because Rider fell asleep when we were only a few minutes in the air and he sprawled out, taking up a lot of space. I envied his ability to sleep. Too many unanswerable questions were running through my mind. Hopefully Boone had an answer for most of them. Logan stayed alert and watchful—appearing almost nervous about the people around us.

  Thankfully, the trip was only about two hours, but I was feeling grungy and tired by the time we landed.

  This time, when we got off the plane, there were armed guards. It was a military base, so I guess it had to be expected, but considering the people on the plane, especially the generals, I wouldn't have expected the escort to be quite so large. Each one of them looked ready to fire the weapon they were holding as well, which wasn't a great comfort.

  The small building they led us to had two men behind a tall desk. They checked IDs and also read from a list of people who were expected. It took more than five minutes to process each person. The new arrivals had to sign forms, and some of them were escorted down the halls or out of the building with soldiers that—even though they were armed—looked less likely to expect trouble.

  Our team gravitated toward the back of the queue. I took special note of the officers that walked away without people tagging along. Logan seemed to be keeping a close eye on certain people as well. No doubt, he was hearing the low conversations held between the new arrivals and those behind the desk.

  Rider was trying to look everywhere at once.

  When it was our turn, we approached the desk as a group.

  "IDs," the man said.

  As I handed mine over, I saw that his nametag read Simms.

  He studied each agency ID, front and back. "Driver’s license."

  We handed those over as well.

  Once again, he checked front and back. He compared faces in the pictures to each other and to our faces.

  "We have a few questions before you move on," Simms said. "Travers over there will take you down the hall and someone will be right with you."

  A soldier stepped forward. "If you'll follow me this way." Then he left, disappearing down a hall.

  "We need our IDs back," I said, feeling anxious that Travers had already walked off.

  "I'll bring them to you," Simms said.

  I glanced at Logan, who shrugged. It didn't seem normal being someplace like this without any form of identification, and I didn't like it.

  "It might be better if we at least had one of our IDs," I said, not moving. "Just in case someone asks us along the way."

  "I assure you we'll bring them back," Simms said.

  I stood my ground and said nothing. My partners stuck by me.

  Simms seemed to hesitate, but then he picked up one of our work IDs, which very clearly had Department of Treasury written on it, along with A.I.R. "I guess it wouldn't hurt, just in case anyone has any misunderstandings. Just a moment." He quickly put our drivers’ licenses on a little scanner one at a time, then handed them back.

  I frowned at my civilian form of ID. Once again, I felt uneasy. It wasn't as though I was hiding behind the AIR ID, but it held a kind of weight that a simple license didn’t have.

  Travers cleared his throat. I glanced at Logan once again, and he took the lead and followed the guard.

  My uneasiness grew when Travers asked each one of us to step into different rooms. First Rider, then Logan, and finally I was led into a small room, where I was left alone.

  I dropped my bag onto the table. At first, I couldn't sit down due to the nervous energy coursing through me. Reminding myself that this was probably normal and that I hadn't done anything wrong helped me, at least after the third or fourth time I told myself.

  Not long after I sat, the door opened. Two men entered and I noticed another man outside the door. He appeared to be guarding the room, which I didn't care for.

  One of the men, a soldier, stood in a corner close to the door.

  The other man, dressed as a civilian, sat across from me. "You are Ms. Heidrich, correct?"

  I looked from one to the other. "That's correct."

  "My name is Chris Jones. I have a few questions for you."

  I shrugged by way of an answer.

  "Where did you get this ID?" Chris asked holding up my AIR identification.

  It was hard not to roll my eyes. "The agency gave it to me."

  "Which agency is this?"

  "I'm pretty sure it's written on the card." When the man raised an eyebrow at me, I sighed and filed in the blanks. "The Department of the Treasury. Specifically A.I.R."

  "Which stands for?"

  "I'm afraid I can't help you with that." It's true I could probably get away with telling the man, but I was starting to get aggravated by this hold up. "If you don't know what it stands for, then I'm not the one that can tell you."

  "Why would that be?"

  "I don't know what your clearance level is. Or his," I added, nodding at the soldier.

  "Anyone at this particular base has a high level of clearance."

  I shrugged. "I can call my boss and have them run you through the system. My superiors will then have to approve it. That's the best I can do."

  "I happen to know the different departments under the Department of the Treasury. It's my job to know. Your department doesn't exist."

  "Then you better go talk to your superiors. Maybe they can help you out."

  "I'm not sure you understand your position here, Ms. Heidrich. You are not on our list of approved visitors. Your trip here isn't logged with anyone, and the department you claim to be involved in is fictitious."

  I frowned and silently vowed to give Boone a piece of my mind when I saw him. "Someone has their wires crossed somewhere. I think you better check again."

  "We have. Several times. Now, once upon a time you might have received a slap on the hands for playing a prank like this and trying to get on base."

  Prank! I was seriously beginning not to like Chris.

  "But we no longer live in times which would allow such a thing. Trying to get onto this base without permission equates to a prison sentence. It's as simple as that. Now, how long you go will depend on how well you cooperate with me."

  If he had looked smug when he said it, I probably would have yelled at him. Instead, he just looked like someone doing his job.

  "Now," Chris continued, "tell me why you're here."

  "Sorry, I can't do that." I crossed my arms on the table and leaned forward. "You need to go find your superior or anyone on this base that actually knows what's going on and speak with them."

  Out of the corner of my eye, it looked as the soldier was trying hard not to grin, but the look only lasted a moment.

  "Why are you here today?" Chris asked.

  "Can't tell you."

  "Everyone in this room has a confidential clearance or higher."

  "You might be right about that, but only an idiot would take someone's word for their clearance level. Besides, confidential isn't going to cut it.”

  "The name of your department would at least be considered Unclassified information."

  "And it's listed right there on my ID."

  "If you are uncooperative, Ms. Heidrich, you will start being treated as such."

  The fact that he was trying to intimidate me really pissed me off. "Until you go find someone that knows what the hell they're talking about, I will continue to be uncooperative."

  Chris shook his head and stood up. "Ms. Cassandra Heidrich, you are being detained for further questioning. You will be cuffed by my associate here and will be held in a cell downstairs."

  My mouth dropped open. "This is crazy, just go find someone else."

  "My superiors will be notified by this evening, as well as the base command."

  The soldier next to the door moved forward and I tapped my fingers on the table. He pulled out a pair of ha
ndcuffs and I shook my head.

  "We will be talking to your associates as well. I'm sure they understand the benefits of being more reasonable." He moved toward the door.

  "Wait," I said.

  Chris and the soldier stopped. There was no way they were putting those handcuffs on me, but I had to weigh my options.

  "Crap. Sorry, Logan," I said quietly, hoping the elf was listening. Louder, I said. "Here's the deal. You aren't restraining me in any way."

  From the look on Chris's face, that was the wrong thing to say to the man.

  Chapter Four

  I rushed on, "I'm going to sit here quietly, and you're going to go find someone who can chat with me. Preferably someone who can check with Agent Boone, who is the one that requested us to be here."

  "You can wait in the cell." Chris said, cracking the door open. To the soldier, he said, "Go ahead."

  Sometimes, I closed my eyes before reaching toward the Path, but that seemed like a mistake here. Within seconds, I had stretched my mind to its limits of what I knew of the world, and then made the jump beyond that to the Path.

  Rushing more than I expected, I grabbed hold of the swirl of color between the soldier and me and froze it, effectively making a wall between him and me. At the same time, I grabbed the Path of the door and shut it.

  I had meant to shut it anyway. It was more of a slam.

  The soldier bumped into my wall of air and he was forced to stop moving. He tried a few more times, and then reached out to touch the invisible barrier.

  "What the hell?" Chris turned the doorknob, then rattled it when it wouldn't work.

  "Now," I said. "Anything you see or hear at the moment is confidential, and in fact, what you can't see is as well. If you take a moment to think it over, you'll understand why."

  The soldier glared at me and pulled his gun.

  "You really don't want to do that," I said.

  "Stand down," Chris said. He appeared to be processing a lot of information all at once.

  The last thing I wanted to do was push him.

  After a moment, Chris moved slowly to the table. "I think it might be better if you and I talk alone for the moment. Mind if our friend here leaves?"

  I shrugged. "Sure."

  "You trust him not to say anything?" Chris asked, frowning at me.

  "I said this is confidential. It's his job on the line if he talks, not mine." I dropped the door's Path.

  The hairs on the back of my neck rose as the Path around me stirred. Trying not to move my head, I glanced around the room. There was something else here with me in the Path.

  To the soldier, who still hadn't holstered his gun, Chris ordered, "Go find Captain Stone. Request that he reach out to..." Chris looked at me. "Agent Boone, was it?"

  "Yes." I crossed my arms to hide the tremor in my hands. It felt as though something brushed by me and I almost jumped.

  "Request he reach out to Agent Boone to obtain information about his guests," Chris said.

  Once the soldier was gone, I dropped the Path and closed it off. The bright colors faded to the dull bleakness of the normal world.

  When Chris sat down opposite me, I took the opportunity to do the same. Thinking about what else might have been in the Path with me made me shiver. I hoped that the movement hid the tremor.

  Chris looked as though he had a million questions, but he either didn't know how to start or didn't know if he was even allowed to ask.

  "You're in a specialty branch, I take it?" Chris finally asked.

  "Yes. My partners and me."

  "And they can do what you just did?"

  "I hope no one was stupid enough to try to 'detain' them," was my only response.

  "We spoke with you first."

  "Lucky for you." At this point, it was all bravado and nothing more. I knew my partners wouldn't have done anything. In fact, they probably would have been more reasonable than I had. At least it might make Chris think twice about bothering them.

  The seconds seemed to click by audibly.

  "I've never seen anyone... um..." Chris cleared his throat.

  I raised an eyebrow at him expectantly, wondering where he was going to take that sentence.

  "But I've seen other things."

  "Really?" I asked, mildly interested despite my agitation.

  "Around here, most people have. Sometimes that's even why they’ve been stationed at this base."

  Curiosity overtook my mood and I leaned forward. "What type of—"

  There was a knock at the door, and then it was immediately pushed open.

  "I'm told we have some guests here!" The man was a bit taller than I was and had hair that was turning—what I assumed to be—prematurely gray.

  The odd thing was he wasn't upset or excited, just loud. Very loud.

  "I'm Major Buchanan! Mr. Jones, I'll take over from here!"

  "It was nice to meet you," Chris said. "I'm sorry for your delay." He hurried out of the room.

  Major Buchanan opened the door wider, and with a wave of his hand, invited me out of the room. "You have some friends here as well! Let's spring them to get you where you need to be!" When he said it, he motioned to a soldier.

  Logan lacked his usual cheerful attitude when he joined me. I tried not to catch his eye, worried that I was the one at the root of the temper. Instead, I looked over his shoulder to see Rider approach.

  "Look at that! The gang’s all here! Here are your IDs! Now, let's get moving!" Major Buchanan set a quick pace, but not too quick for me to keep up.

  When I stepped outside, I had to blink in the bright sun. The temperature was also heating up.

  "It's going to be a scorcher of a day!" Major Buchanan said.

  Rider winced.

  Probably because his ears are being assaulted.

  "Sorry for the mix up!" Major Buchanan said, taking off across the concreted landscape. "Sometimes it takes longer to sort out the paperwork, especially with guests that are added at the last minute!"

  "I understand," I said, trying to convey that while I was forgiving, I was still aggravated.

  "I've heard almost nothing about you! But what little I have heard has been good! We're going back to research hanger D-2!"

  "Hanger?" Logan asked.

  "Yes! Lots of coming and going! It's mostly a small hanger with a research facility built onto the side!"

  "What type of research do you all do here?" I asked.

  Major Buchanan's bark of laughter was just that. Short, loud bursts. "Just about everything you can think of—and some things you can't! It makes giving tours, even rudimentary ones, impossible!"

  "I can imagine so," I said, taking off my jacket. I noticed Logan twist his head, probably trying to listen into some of the buildings.

  "They usually go along the lines of there's building B-5! There's A-7! There's a dining facility and there's the exit!" Agent Buchanan barked out another laugh. "We'll take this!" He pointed at a vehicle that looked almost like a golf cart, but it appeared to have some major modifications. "It takes forever to get from point A to point B here," Major Buchanan said. "And usually B isn't where you expect it!"

  Once again, I sat in the front while my partners sat crowded into the back, facing the opposite way.

  "Hold on!" Major Buchanan said by way of warning.

  We were off like a shot. I had to grab my bag and a handle to keep from tumbling out.

  Every now and again, Major Buchanan would point out a building and yell out the name. It was rare for him to say what was going on inside.

  When he pulled to a stop in front of a white building sticking out of the side of a gray hanger, I was more than ready to get out of the little vehicle. Major Buchanan might have been a better driver than Rider, but they both seemed to share the idea that you should get from A to B in the fastest way possible.

  "I can let you into the outer room, but that is as far as I go!" Major Buchanan slid an ID into a slot and yanked it back out. A buzzer rang somewhere inside the build
ing and the door opened. "Good luck to you!" Once we were inside, he closed the door.

  The thunk told me the door was locked securely in place, which wasn't well received after the day we'd had.

  "This isn't a room so much as a box." I found that I was talking softer as a way to gain back some part of my hearing after the torment of listening to Major Buchanan.

  "I am not comfortable being locked into a small place," Rider said, moving to stand so close to me that he was almost leaning on me.

  "I'm sure someone will let us out soon," I said.

  "I hope it's someone who can explain a few things." Logan looked up into a corner of the room when he said it.

  When I followed his gaze, I noticed the security camera.

  "I don't like being this much in the dark," Logan continued, talking to the camera.

  My guilt levels grew significantly. I had agreed to help Boone. Rider and Logan may have felt the need to follow, just for my sake.

  "Boone will fill us in," I said. I hope.

  A few minutes ticked by before Logan mentioned that someone was on their way.

  There were a few clicks in the interior door and then it swung open.

  I smiled when I saw Boone, although something seemed different about him.

  "Logan, Cassie, and Rider, it's good to see you all," Boone said. "Thank you for coming. We appreciate the help on this."

  "It sounds like an interesting case," Logan said. "What little we know of it, anyway. Hopefully we can be of some help."

  "Come back this way," Boone said. "We're in a bit of a time crunch, so forgive me for not giving you the tour. Follow me. We can meet and debrief after I’ve introduced you to the team."

  He hurried away before we could say anything. The hall was stark white with no windows. We passed wide metal doors that looked like they had more security than the office.

  Boone stopped in front of one door that looked like all the others, where he swiped his security card.

  "This is our general prep area," Boone said, pushing the door open. "In here, we have basic munitions, lockers, general supplies, and my office."

  The room was large and rectangular, and unlike the hallway, it was full of light. There were windows up near the ceiling. Across one wall were cages that held guns of various sizes and the far wall held a few lockers. There were benches and a conference table surrounded by chairs.