Returned

The NewDirection

Eleven

The New Direction

The news seemed to change everything for Tile. But it was Jennifer who was hit most. She suddenly realized the precarious situation she was in. Despite her emotional attachment to Tile, she also understood that, should the Chinese get to discover that she was hosting individuals with an extra-planetary migration history, the CNISF would be knocking at her door, or worse, Boxide’s elite security unit, Tame Dragon.

Tile had already confirmed that he recognized the technology that was running on the news just now, as being from the planet he had lived on for the past thirty years. And now that he had confirmed to her that he had killed their queen before escaping, this sudden intrusion meant only one thing; the aliens were coming for revenge. From whichever position she considered the situation, Jennifer found herself at the centerpiece of the action. Was it worth keeping Tile anymore?

Tile too realized the position he was putting Jennifer in. But before he could say a word, Jennifer’s earlobe began to blink red.

“Hello Jon,” she said, answering the call.

Tile could definitely not hear what the person at the other end of the phone was saying, but he could try to decipher excerpts of the conversation from Jennifer’s replies and knew that the call was from the Chinese man, Jon Cho Tung.

“I just saw it on the news too,” Jennifer was saying. “Yes… I understand… that was a mistake on their part for sure… OK… I sure will.”

Jennifer had always admired Cho’s genius. She found his presence of mind legendary and his precision most commendable. Most impressive was the fact that Cho never relied on the government structures to execute his plans. He preferred using the contacts which he had recruited for such purposes because the government’s systems were always cumbersome and porous. But of all his contacts, Jennifer was the one he trusted most.

Cho had instructed Jennifer to get him information concerning the orb that had been picked in Plateau state. She was to deploy her contacts to mine information on the site of the discovery, as the interference of the media may have blurred the truth. He, however, wanted to have any other information connected to this recent discovery… any information at all.

Jennifer sighed heavily when she dropped the call. Her heart was beating fast and she was very confused. Was she to turn Tile and his friends in? Now that events were about to escalate, it was only a short time before the authorities found out she was deeply involved with all of this business.

“What do we do now?” Tile asked Jennifer. But Jennifer was surprised that there was no amount of worry or fear in his voice. Just a calm, bland expression of one who was ready to take action on an important cause.

****************

Director Bowden decided to take a risk. He was prepared to enter Nigerian territory on a chopper in the day’s glare. But he carefully crafted his entrance. A 3D printed wrap was produced with which the helicopter was branded in the colours and insignia of Boxide Internationale. Four agents were to join Prescott and Bruno, and all were costumed in Boxide kits. At least, the disguise would buy them some time and before the truth of it was discovered, they must have reached their target first before anyone else, or even the discovery of their entry into the country had been made. It was true that the Chinese security system in the country was top notch, and flying in without some cover gimmick was like walking with a bull’s eye on one’s back into the territory.

Prescott couldn’t help but admire Bowden presently. The man indeed displayed some genius. Even he, Prescott, had not yet figured out how he would reach central Nigeria in that short time and without interception. As they were about to go out to the helipad, Bowden walked majestically and tapped Prescott on the shoulder.

“So tell me,” he said. “What really is your name?”

“Does that matter now?” Prescott replied.

“It does to me.”

“Roger Prescott.”

“Prescott, eh? Now listen to me Prescott, you are under my command now. You report this mission directly to me now. Leave the Pentagon and Whitehouse to me as well. Good luck.”

Bowden left immediately, without giving room for any kind of protest from Prescott. Prescott stood looking at him askance as he walked back to his office.

“You will miss your flight Prescott, you’d better set to it,” Bowden called back.

Prescott shrugged and left. It didn’t matter to him whatever the nosy director wanted. Brannon was in charge of Sneaky Shadow and no one else. If Bowden didn’t like that, then he would have to follow him to Nigeria and squeeze the information out of him; he was not a CIA agent. He reported only to NASA.

Back in his office, Bowden opened his dashboard and encrypted a call. He scrambled the tracking signal that blinked under the destination on the screen which read – Moscow.

*************

The director of the SVR RF, Andreyev Klemenko sat alone in his automated driven Cadillac. He was not in the mood to talk to anyone now, having left President Andrei Chekov in a temper. He never liked anyone telling him how to do his job, but it seemed to be what Chekov loved doing most. Perhaps, it was his overdependence on Chekov while they were in the military school that gave him such entitlement to control him even now that they both were serving their country in their individual capacities.

The Intelligence unit of the SVR or Foreign Intelligence Service at Yasenevo Moscow, had analysed the strange orb the Russian Army had picked in the Sakha region and had found that it was actually an alien surveillance system. They had also found out about Tile and his friends. President Chekov had however, decided that since China was an ally, it was best to inform Jon Cho to handle the situation on the ground and share Intel. Their alliance with Cho in African affairs had always been resourceful and now was not going to be any different. But now that the same technology had been found in Nigeria, it was even easier to get Cho to act in mutual interest.

Klemenko had objected. He insisted that SVR agents were the best in the game and it was time to prove themselves yet again. But Chekov had maintained his stand. He was confident that in their alliance with Cho. Besides, instead of sending agents into the field, Cho’s proximity with the situation would serve them best, and they would still beat America to it, as they had always done in recent times. In his frustration, Klemenko had decided to rely on the only possible source to acquire his Intel outside Cho’s structure.

Even in his sour mood, the call he saw on his wrist was a welcomed event indeed. His contact in the CIA in Africa seemed to be about to prove himself once again. Klemenko had to agree that with the presence of mole agents like Bowden in the service, America would definitely continue to lose the grip on the world. People like Bowden were a disgrace to national service; those who were driven more by personal financial gain than the service to the nation.

“Hello, Klemenko here,” the SVR Director said in his heavy Russian accent.

Bowden didn’t waste time at all. He quickly went on to highlight his plan to Klemenko on how he intended to get the Intel he needed. But his price was going to be one hundred thousand in Bitcoin. He particularly refused to be paid in dollars, which would have amounted to one million dollars.

Klemenko thought the price was too high for Intel that its purpose was not yet clear. But in order to beat President Chekov’s speed, he agreed to pay. The fact that Bowden knew the location of the target and had already dispatched a team en route, required Klemenko to make an advanced payment.

He took out a silver card from his breast pocket and slot it in a space designed for it at the back of the front passenger seat of his car, close to the head rest. The screen attached to the head rest came on, and Klemenko typed in the required digits and made the transfer to Bowden. As the transaction went through, he grinned with satisfaction. He now knew exactly where the target was and would get his Intel in two hours tops.

***************

When the Tame Dragon agent, Ma Yanng finished watching the news, he took his coffee and strode to his window and looked across the street to Jennifer’s mansion. Somehow, his intuition was telling him that Jennifer needed serious surveillance around her house now. Three strange men had walked into her house yesterday morning. They had looked like something out of this world. They were human alright, but their mode of dressing was not contemporary. In fact, he had not seen such clothing in his thirty four years of existence. The visitors must have been living in some cave in the Antarctica or something. And now, there was this alien orb. Were those guys aliens disguised as humans?

More worrisome was the fact that a mobile hospital had later driven in after their arrival, and had not left until later in the night. Even if there was no connection between the orb and these guys, there was need for giving the report to the headquarters for their odd presence. Since he had been assigned to watch Jennifer’s premises two years ago, nothing suspicious had happened around her house until yesterday. It was quite a shame, Cho had instructed Tame Dragon to disable electronic surveillance from Jennifer’s premises when she was deemed trustworthy. But Yanng now thought that it had been a mistake. They needed that surveillance now more than anything.

He dialed Cho directly as he had been instructed.