The Veil

Chapter 8 The Messenger

Aubrey sat back in her chair, a sour taste lingered on her lips like biting into a rotten lemon, and sweat trickled down her neck as she wished the AC would restart and cool the stifling office as she let the phone drop back into its cradle. The conversation with Joshua had gone nowhere well. He was suspicious of her and everyone. She pulled her auburn hair off her collar to help cool her down. Her green eyes were sharp as cut emeralds. Many thought she was in her late forties, but she was almost sixty in reality. She played this game longer than most, yet she hadn't figured out Amy and Joshua's connection; why was the girl still drawn to Joshua? Until she answered that question, she needed to keep tabs on him. Maybe he was the key to Amy and her talents.

Amy's talents were far more complex and valuable than she had imagined. Aubrey's father insisted that she take Amy in as a child. Unlike most Phasers who manifest their abilities in their late teens to early 30s, Amy always had her abilities. Though they were wild and mostly uncontrolled as a child, she had made enormous leaps, but that all stopped when she became an errant teenager.  

She had sent Amelia to the White institute to isolate her, cutting her off from everything that tied her to this phase. She had hoped that Dr. White would accomplish what so many others have failed. But, as the year wore on and her ability to hold off the others waned, Dr.White was still unable to break Amelia's spirit. Today was an example of her continued rebellion. 

She hated not having the answers, and she was usually in control of the chessboard, but lately, it seemed like she had found an actual rival. As the game progressed, the number of unanswered questions grew, and the situation was reaching an untenable point.

The question she didn't have an answer to: Why had  Joshua called her? Why would he keep her updated on Amelia but refuse to help? What game is he playing? Why was Amy still refusing to do even the most essential phase transfers? Who was controlling the other side of the game?

  A soft knock at the door drew her from her thoughts, and her young assistant's head poked around the door, her gray almond-shaped eyes wide with concern. "Mrs. Strand. George Savoy, your 1:00 pm is here. What would you like me to tell him?"

"Show him in, Deidra. Can you see about getting the AC turned on?"

"Yes, Ma'am, I already sent a request this morning. They said that they would look into it." The assistant let the door fall shut, giving her a moment to straighten her hair and blot the sweat from her brow before the door swung open.

George Savoy was her age, but it was not evident from his looks like her. He stood over six feet tall, a slender frame still well muscled; the only thing about him that belied his age was the slight silver at the temples of his otherwise jet black hair. 

"George, so good to see you. It has been so long." Sliding into a soft cream-colored leather chair, he lent a familiarity between the two.

"Audrey, you look well. But today is not a social visit. I am here because of this mess with your girl, Amelia. You still have not found her since she disappeared from London on your watch. Certain entities claim to have made stark advancements in Phase travel and linked these advancements to Amelia." 

"Well, you know the gist of the problem. Did you have a question, or were you sent here to confirm what we already know?"

Eying the woman across from him, he wondered what she was hiding. "What is your plan for resolving this… situation?"

"Everyone was on board when we allowed Dr. White to study Amy. No one guessed he would change sides, at least not so quickly. However, there is a bright side. He cannot control Amy any better than we had. She is just as rebellious as ever. There was a sighting of her just today. As we speak, I have one of my best men on this." 

"The girl may still be rebellious, but it's clear these people have been able to move along with the experiment faster than anyone else. At this point, if we don't have her back in our research facility soon, we will have no option but to put an end to the program and anyone involved in this experiment. Phase travel is too dangerous for anyone but us to control." The man in front of her sank back into his chair. He didn't like the idea of eliminating so many people, but, on the other hand, she had never given it a second thought.

"Well, George, I don't think it would be advisable at the moment. Other countries are now very interested in Phase travel and researching the phenomenon. So, we need to keep things moving forward with research and development more than ever."

"That is even more of a reason to shut down the project before going further. Before, whoever has Amelia can gain control over her and her ability. They may very well be able to c***k our little problem. Unfortunately, we can not allow that to happen."

"I understand your feelings on the matter. However, I do not believe everyone in the group would agree with you. Unless the committee has decided something and not informed me of their decision."

"We have not made any decisions yet. I came to deliver the message, tread lightly and quickly, or the decision will not be yours to make. Audrey, you don't want to be disposed of with the program."

Looking up at the man, she knew his statement was not a threat but just a matter-of-fact statement. "I certainly don't. Please go. I have to get back to work. I'm now on a clock."

Standing to go, George looked at the woman. "Sorry, Audrey, you know I dislike being the messenger."

Audrey watched George leave her offices, glad that he had been the one sent. At least he'd given her a heads up on what the committee was thinking. As he left, the AC kicked on, standing. She walked to the window rubbing her arms with her hands, looking out at the sight of the National Monument usually would have rallied her heart, but today she was faced with many decisions she hadn't contemplated. Why, Amelia, did you have to be so much like your father? 

As she pondered her options, she smelled the electricity in the air. "Do you have anything to report?"

"Yes, he almost killed her today. No, I take that back. He did kill her today. She was flat-lined for four and a half minutes."

"What! I brought you in to control the experimentation and reduce the risk of harm. Now you are telling me this. Did we learn anything from this cluster f**k?" Aubrey vehemently chimed in.

"I warned you, Dr. White is pushing forward too fast. Since I moved to slow him down, he seems even more driven. I heard your conversation with Mr. Savoy. "

"You know it is impolite to eavesdrop on other people's conversations and could be hazardous to your health." 

"Yes, Ma'am, but we should still pull Amelia out. I'm sure our research facilities can take it from here. Maybe a softer hand would be a better approach. She was very close today: she was able to phase the walkie-talkie to London and make it work." 

"See, I was right. Dr. White can make it work. He's the only one crazy enough to do what is needed. Once he has gotten her to Phase shift a person, then and only then will we pull her out." 

The woman looks out the window behind Mrs. Strand. "There will be nothing left of the girl; she will be a mere tool. Is that what you want?"

"Stay at your post at the institute. Watch over Amy. And try to make sure Dr. White doesn't damage her to the point that we can't put her back together. That is all I ask."

With her back to her visitor, and the national park rolling out before her, she felt the room fill with heat and electricity, and in an instant, her employee was gone, though the woman's skills were a neat trick. It was nothing compared to what Amy was capable of doing; she could only hope that day would come sooner than later.