Episode Sixteen
Every Coin Has Two Sides

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    For Mashka to call herself merely stunned would be an understatement of gross dimension.  She was trying to ingest the idea that Evan was a father, and his son was older than her by over a year as she looked on dumbstruck as the two men caught up on times past.
     “E-Evan…”
    “Hmm?  What Tatiana?” Evan replied, being certain to cue Mashka to use her fake name.
     “I think we… I think I‘ll excuse myself for a moment.  Check up on Nikita,” She slowly rose and made her way towards the door.
     Jack looked at his dad giving a sideways grin.  “So, dating younger ladies now?”
     Evan sighed.  “I’m looking after her and her brother until their parents can immigrate.”
     “Ah, so "friends," but you have to have some benefits..."
     "Jack-" Evan chided.
     "Then why haven’t you just come and see me if you’ve been in Scotland all this time?”
     “I would have... but things got complicated.  Besides, I didn’t know whether you would like to see me that much.”
     “Really?  Evan, I would always be happy to see you.  Yeah you dropped off the map for a few years but I assumed it was just something involving your work.”
     Evan took another sip of his cold beer, and stared into the distance thoughtfully for a moment.  Guilt ate at him due to the tone of acceptance in his own flesh and blood's voice.  Jack knew he was a lesser priority.  “How is Gramps doing?” Evan asked, hoping to change the topic.
     “The old chap is doing well, it’s a chore to make sure he takes the medication, but I’m handling it somehow.  Besides that, he does more to take care of me than vice versa.”  Jack looked back towards the door.  “You should probably follow her.  In 'lass-speak' she was telling you earlier that she wanted to talk.”
     “And what makes you an authority on the subject?” Evan asked.
     Jack rolled his eyes, “I’m not the least popular guy in Edinburgh you know.”
     Evan rolled his eyes at his son. “We'll have stuff to talk about.” he said warmly with a pat on the shoulder, then he hurried outdoors.
~~~~~~~~~~
     The dark alley erupted as if from a silent bomb blast.  Dense, evaporated rain rushed through the network of alleys and shot up from between the buildings like a Maltese-cross-shaped geyser and tumbled into the streets and over rooftops.  The Messenger lost its grip of Aleksei in the blast, and sheltered itself, being weary that the Jinn could use the vapour as both sight and as a blade as he had back in Russia.  The world vanished into a grey void.
    Aleksei emerged from the billowing fog and dashed down the street, glancing over his shoulder to see if he was being followed.
     Within the fog, The Messenger sighed as it felt his way to a fire escape ladder and with cat-like speed it climbed up to the roof of the building and felt relieved to be back in clear air. It calmed its breathing and watch the vapours blow away in the wind.  “So the foolish ash raises his hand against the red earth giant.”  The Messenger smiled.  He vanished from the roof and sped as a mere black wisp across the rooftops.
 ~~~~~~~~~~
     Evan emerged from within the bar to be encountered by pouring rain, a shivering Mashka and an exhausted Aleksei huddling under the pub‘s canopy.  “What’s wrong?”
Aleksei gasped heavily as he replied, “The… Association… they are… here in Edinburgh.”
Evan raised his hand to his face in frustration.  “That’s perfect! Traffickers, manipulative ghosts, and now The Association, this day couldn’t get better!”
     “It gets worse,” Aleksei continued.  “Vladimir, our brother, is with them, and he’s Anya’s partner.”
     “Anya…" Evan seemed shocked to utter that name again,  "...is here?”
     “Yes, she is and they seem to be fighting another secret agency, they called it SICA.”
     The siblings felt even more nervous at Evan reaction to Aleksei’s latter statement.  “Are you certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that they said “SICA”?  You didn’t mishear?”
     Aleksei thought carefully for a moment, reliving the gruesome scene.  “Y-yes, I’m positive, they said “SICA”.  What’s the issue?”
     “Let me put it this way.” Evan pushed up his glasses, a gesture the siblings usually took as he was going into serious mode.  “SICA is to NATO what The Association is to the former USSR; and the former makes the latter seem like philanthropists.  Their method of solving the ‘Jinn issue’ is to kill them, rather than have them become pawns to the enemies of the West.”
     A stunned pause fell on the Sharovs.
     “So what do we-?” Mashka fell silent as she caught sight of Jack emerging from the bar.
    “Hey, lads,” Jack greeted casually.  “What’s with the glum faces, you look like you swallowed a bee each.”
     The three looked at each other and then back at Jack.
     Evan spoke up first.  “Jack, wait out here, get acquainted.  I’m going to finish getting the information we came for.”
     The three younger persons glanced at one another in silence, trying to figure out who was supposed to introduce who.
      “So, Tatiana was it?  Have any plans this weekend?” Jack asked giving a knock out grin, which rapidly disappeared before both siblings’ withering stares.
 ~~~~~~~~~~
     The Czech, Vlad and Anya entered the florescent lit warehouse outside the bustling night-life of Leith.  They walked down the aisle between the empty metal shelves towards the office-turned-temporary-headquarters.  The three of them simultaneously made a disdainful side glance at the approaching Dr. Kerry.  Despite all their differences they still found the same man most aggravating.
     “Oh welcome back!” Kerry exclaimed all too cheerily and high pitched for anyone’s comfort.  “I hope all things went well.”  The obvious insincerity of his voice made the corner of each of their mouths to twitch with angry unison.  They kept walking, attempting to ignore him, hoping to reach their fellow sympathetic, Bruno.
     “Oh and dear Vladimir,” The man raised a slender hand to rest on Vlad’s shoulder.
Vlad raised his eyebrow at the overtly familiar gesture, and heated the air just above his shoulder.
     Kerry‘s feminine “Ouch!” echoed.  “You’re so mean, I was just--” his voice was cut off by Vlad’s look of 'I-dare-you-to-get-close-again.'
     Kerry wisely changed the topic.  “The boss is on video call, he’s been waiting patiently, but you all took a long time coming here... and where’s the creepy one what’s-his-face?”
     “On surveillance, it’s what The Messenger does best.”  Anya’s voice had an odd sharpness, as if she was defending a compatriot against an insulting outsider.
     Kerry waved off the trio’s unanimously unspoken sentiments of dislike with a flick of his blond tresses.
     Entering the office they were confronted by the impatient gaze of the large, scruffy German, his tattooed, muscle-bound arms folded in front of him, his finger tapping on his bicep.  He wordlessly nodded to the screen.
     The three stood in front of the monitor of Bruno’s computer and a video of the Administrator in his office.  He was dressed in his suite, but the tie was absent and the top few buttons were undone of his dress shirt.
     He smiled warmly, and though his subordinates would never admit it, their boss’s smiles always made them feel a strange warmth in their chest, as if meeting with an old friend.
    “You look lovely Anya, red is definitely your colour.”  the older man grinned, spreading out his well trimmed facial hair and revealing equally white teeth.  “It was a good investment to update your wardrobe, very flattering.”
     Vlad pulled a face but stopped himself from gagging.
     Anya grinned back and replied with a hint of sultry in her voice.  “You should lose the tie permanently, makes you seem more up to date and attractive.”
     Vlad muffled a gag.
     “Oh Anya, you know how to make an old man seem young again.  Very well, but only for you, duscha.”
     Vlad not-so-quietly retched.  Thankfully for him, the flirtatious banter did not continue.
     “Now, on to business.”  The Administrator sat up straight and put on a emotionless face.  “You three have succeeded in raising gam, and without much to show for it.  It disappoints me.”
     The Czech responded matter-of-factly, “We have not come any closer to the subject, true, but we have greatly hindered the enemy--”
     Vlad spoke up rashly, cutting off his superior.  “What we have done is turn Edinburgh into a war zone. The authorities are edgy and our mobility is becoming more and more difficult. SICA just has too many people crawling all over the place and they keep cornering us, intentionally or not.  I’m fine with chasing down people, but I really don’t like it when the game turns around.  So how long are we going to be playing this little game?”
     “Good question,” The Administrator turned his gaze towards Bruno.  “Did you plug the leak?”
     "I am in the process, the bait has been taken.”
   “You will not need to worry further, I will take care of the leak myself.” The Administrator’s gaze shifted slightly to the left, looking at something beyond his computer. Returning his attention to the screen he smiled, “In the meantime, I want you to head uptown, there is someone who can lead you straight to the subject. She is a reliable source, so don’t worry.  But please, disguise yourselves, you have all become noticeable.”
     “No one in SICA has seen me yet, I could go.” Kerry offered.
     A very brief, bemused smile touched the Administrator’s lips, but it vanished as he replied. “Niet, I need you to stay here, keep researching that lead. Maybe some other time.”
Kerry seemed only a little disappointed with the decision, quickly recovering.  “Right away sir!”  He declared in an obnoxious singsong voice.
    The Administrator’s eyes roved through his group. “I’m counting on you all, and I apologise for the lack of direction. It’s only temporary, I promise.” His image blinked off the screen.
     “This isn’t good.” Anya said aloud.
     “What?” Vlad asked, “Besides the other ninty-five percent of our working conditions?”
    “The Administrator never apologises, even when the two of u--”  She cut herself off, receiving suspicious stares from the others.  “I mean, it’s just not in his character to feel sorry, something is really bothering him.”
     “Yes,” The Czech agreed.  “and it’s not something small.”
     After the three reloaded on spare ammunition they left.  As he drove, the Czech reflected on the Administrator’s face. There was only one thing in the world that would bother his long time employer that much, and it was the one thing he knew about his boss that Anya did not. For the first time in a very long time, the Czech felt something that might vaguely resemble worry.
~~~~~~~~~~
     Jack opened the door for Evan and the siblings.  “Welcome to my pad!  Grandpa is with my aunt for the weekend, so we’ve got the place to ourselves.  So charades? Movie? Take your pick!”
     “We are here to sleep, nothing else.” Mashka said politely with a smile that told Jack she meant business. “However, thank you for your hospitality.”
     He excused himself to the kitchen. 'What’s up with her?  She gives me the willies and then she thanks me so nicely? And that sexy Russian accent just makes the two acts all the more extreme.' He was actually relieved they were going straight to bed, otherwise he didn’t know how long he could put up with the bipolar woman.
     In the spare bedroom, Evan caught Mashka and Aleksei up to what he had learned. “After showing a few pounds to the bartender he told me he did know of a George Donnelly. He now goes by the name of Ravi Donnelly, and has been overseas for the last few months and just got back. Apparently he’s an urban real estate tycoon with a net worth in the tens of millions.”
     Aleksei’s eyes widened a little. “Then how do we get to that kind of guy?"
     “Well, he’s not exactly a celebrity.  He maintains a low profile and has not been involved in any financial scandals, so we just might be able to walk up to him.  Even better, he lives close by.”
     “This bartender is getting creepy.” Mashka butted in.
     “Relax, he knew which bank Donnelly uses judging by his debit card. Also, another small detail about him…”
     Several minutes later, down in the living room, Jack began to wonder when his father would finish saying good night.  He sighed and walked up the stairs but he stopped short of the guestroom door when he heard his father whispering something, followed by Nikita. Despite that they were speaking in Russian, he could tell it was not a conversation. He peeked in, surprised to see three bowed heads and six clasped hands. When he heard “Amen” he ducked back behind the wall, not wanted to seem like he was spying.  His guests continued speaking in Russian, then they bid one another goodnight and Evan emerged from the room.
     “Aye Jack, you wouldn’t happen to have some milk on hand would you?”
     “Of course, and I prepared the sofa for you.”
     In the small, pastel yellow kitchen Evan poured himself a glass of milk and placed it in the microwave, setting the timer.
    Jack raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Warm milk, really?  You have been tamed!  Whatever happened to a stiff drink?”
     Evan chuckled weakly.  “Alcohol does not agree with me like it once did, besides, Tatiana only allows low proof vodka and light wine in the house, she’s not fond of alcohol breath.”
     “Old man…” Jack rolled his eyes. “So much for being their guardian.  Besides, are not they both adults? Why are they still living off of you?”
      “It’s complicated…”
     “Augh! You use that answer far too often.”
     “Let’s just say they have nowhere to go.”
     “And you need them too.” Jack concluded.
     Evan shook his head.  “No, it’s not like that, I’m not picking them over you, they, I should say ‘we’, left Russia having made few friends and far too many enemies.”
     Jack smiled. "Now this is getting interesting. So what are they? Witnesses? Children of a defeated mafia boss?”
     “About as exciting but not quite the same. I can’t tell you without consulting them and I would not want to put you in danger.”
     “Ok, I hear you Evan, I will be as silent as the grave.”
     Evan rubbed his son’s shoulder proudly. “Thanks, I hope next time I can pay you back the favour, and depending on how the next few days play out, maybe we could get together more often and in a less covert matter.”
     “Something’s going on with your ‘work’, right?” Jack received the same cock-eyed smile that he had inherited in reply, telling him that Evan was not going to say anything else about it.  He wisely decided not to pry so changed the subject.  “So, anything you can tell me about them, like maybe what are the lassie’s hobbies?”
     Evan chuckled at his precocious offspring.  “I think I better keep my lips sealed there, Tatiana is going through a tough time right now, I don’t think she needs additional complications.”
    Jack’s face fell. “Rats, and she’s such a belle too. Unusual eyes, kind of an emerald green.”
     Evan almost corrected him that her eyes were blue, but he caught himself remembering the changes going through her body at the moment.  He missed her old eyes, the ones that reminded him of summer dusk.
     Parent and child leaned on the counter, the son staring blankly at the yellow cabinetry and the father staring at the grey living room carpet surrounded by the deep red easy chair, sofa, and Ottoman.
     “You pray now…” Jack stated flatly like a research fact.
     “Not really, they pray, I just join.” Jack’s head turned slightly at the somewhat guilty tone of his father.  “They desperately want my soul saved, just shows how much they care. Still, I kind of wish I was as childish as them, their faith has gotten them through thick and thin, and in a way, even I feed off of their intangible confidence. It’s something to admire in them.”
     “Must be tough, pretending all the time, in particular when they see through your façade.”
      Evan smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~
    Row after row of beautiful houses, gardens, and parks stretched out in Alexandria, Virginia, a wealthy city containing expansive suburbs, contrasting with the nearby, less prosperous District of Columbia.
     On one side of the green, manicured backyards, behind a large picturesque house, a man threw back the rubbery foam football to his spunky, dark haired son. The boy ran and leapt in an attempt to snatched the ball but stumbled and landed on the grass.
     “Oh!” The man exclaimed, his classically attractive face furrowing in concern.  “Come on Li, you can get up!”
     The boy sniffed, put on a determined face and rose, throwing the ball back straight and true, smiling because his dad had to leap to get it.
     “Victor!” his wife called. “There is a call for you.”
     “Yeah, thanks Ming,” Victor gave a one minute sign to the young boy and hurried over to his wife.
     “It’s from Mr. Carlyle,” she explained.
    Her husband’s grin twitched a little, but he accepted the cordless phone calmly and waved the small woman off affectionately as he walked to the corner of the patio and sat down.
     Though he maintained a relaxed expression the edge in his voice could have cut ice. “I thought I told you no calls today.”
     “Sorry,” Carlyle’s voice was urgent, “The agents we sent to England, a third of them have been...”
     “Killed?” Carlyle’s nervous pause answered for itself. “That is surprising. Usually the old fellow is more of a gentleman. We were playing this game tamely, no casualties, a few meagre shots fired, nothing more. What changed his approach?”
     “Three days ago, some of our own men acted unusually. They opened fire when they shouldn’t have.  Two civilians and an Associate were killed. We took the agents off duty, but the damage was done and The Association reacted with killing SICA agents on site rather than following the catch-interrogate-release procedure.”
     “And what about the agents who started this?”
     “The agents in questions all claim to not remember the incident. We polygraphed them, and they passed.”
     “There may be an abnormal involved.”
     “Maybe, but it’s not one of The Association’s. Before they cut contact with us, they seemed just as surprised as we are about the incident.”
     “Like Tbilisi all over again.” Victor mumbled.  
     “We need reinforcements. The Administrator has his best working here, and he brought along a new agent, an abnormal named Vlad. I’m emailing his M.O. to you.”
    Victor considered the situation calmly.  “I’m tempted to think it was a mistake stepping on The Association’s territory, it might have been too soon. The Administrator has stubbornly guarded Europe and the Middle East, allowing us free range of Africa and the Americas. But since we started the incursion, it’s time to end the games. I’m sending Nebuchadnezzar3 to assist, and perhaps Nyra, she’s always helpful in a pinch and works well with Nezzar.”
     “You sure, sir?  Don’t you need them looking for the targets on the West Coast?”
    “Relax Carlyle, I still have plenty of staff in those areas.  And Nyra would be very irritated if she knew you didn't want her.”
     Carlyle laughed nervously.
     “Oh, and one more thing, I know it might be a long shot, but take care of that lead we received from White Crow.  It’s time for us to pull a fast one on the old man as well.” Victor hung up before Carlyle had a chance to bid his polite farewell. He wanted to be sure that his subordinate knew that he was displeased with the interruption over something that could have been talked about later. Europe was not at the top of his priority list.
     However, he could not yet go back to his pleasant evening with his family.  That man, the Administrator, was an irritation.  He thought he had taken care of the last of the opposing agencies after collapsing both China's Great Tomorrow Project and the Russian Association from the inside. However, the old man simply used the collapses as a way to rid himself of the fellow bureaucrats at the cost of the sweeping influence the former Soviet project once held over the whole world, while NATO’s shadow organisation, SICA crawled behind.
     'It makes little difference now,' he thought smugly. 'Nezzar and Nyra will be more than he can handle.  This will be the first time he sees my fangs.'

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Episode II: Ground Zero

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One Week Ago, Military base outside Medao.
  Kahlen sat in his father's lab running tests on a troublesome communications console for a cruiser.  His father had rewired it to adapt to newer technology.  He was on the final automation pass, watching the packet verification data collate on the screen before him when his uncle entered.
   "Kahlen, we need you in the hangar.”
   “Yes... but why?”
   “The consoles have a few bugs and we need an extra pair of hands.”
   Kahlen raised his eyebrow.  He was well aware his uncle was lying; any pure-blood Sairen would have keen enough hearing to notice strange, so why bother with a lie?
   'Another surprise?' he thought as the gill slits on his neck flared irritably.  But he decided to play along.  It was also a possibility his uncle just wanted him out of the lab.  He was used to that since his uncle worked on other top secret projects.  He always did wonder though, the Yasha project was the most revolutionary invention for the past few hundred years, how could something be more top secret than that?  When he followed him Kahlen knew it had to be a surprise.
   He came down to the hangar and into the Yasha.
   “Uncle said you needed me.” Kahlen addressed his father.
   “We do,” his father nodded to his brother in law.
    Kahlen’s uncle closed the door.
   “What is going on?” Kahlen asked suspiciously.
   “You’ll see.” was all father said.
   He sat down in the control chair and opened a call.
   “Zhadu Rhora here, we are ready for maiden flight.”
   “Understood, Zhadu, Ura, and Kahlen Rhora, you’re authorised for flight number twelve.” the launch administrator said over the speakers.
   The hangar doors opened before them into a long upward sloping tunnel which was engulfed in darkness.  Kahlen bit his lower lip, trying to contain his excitement.  
   His father beckoned him to take the seat next to him at the front controls and his uncle sat at the control console in the centre of the bridge.  Kahlen beamed, he had worked so hard for this and now he was being allowed on the test flight!
   “Don’t start crying now.”  His father said.
   Kahlen blushed; he had not noticed his wet eyes until then and felt embarrassed.
   “You are clear for take off Yasha.”  The voice of the flight director came in on the Yasha’s communication system clear and perfect as if he was sitting next to them.
   “Affirmative,” father responded, “starting engines.”
   Yasha’s engines sent out a wave of heat as they became ready to propel the vessel forward. Zhadu moved his hands up along a touch pad and the Yasha rushed into the tunnel. Despite the speed the inside of the vessel was unaffected by the inertia.  A crack of light appeared at the end as the doors opened.  The Yasha continued to pick up speed and for a split second Kahlen was sure they would ram the doors.  
   They opened with time to spare and the Yasha found freedom in the grey cloudy sky. Cheers erupted on base. The penultimate success had come. His father and uncle were jubilant but Kahlen sat silently, staring through the windows with an unreadable expression.
   His uncle walked forward to his nephew wondering why he sat silent.  “Is something the matter?”
   “No.” Kahlen replied half-heartedly.
   “Then why the down face?”
   Kahlen sighed, “Everything is going to change.” Kahlen said distantly.
   “How is that?” his uncle Ura asked.
   "Just a sudden hollowness, like when mother died..."
   They heard a bird like sound from in front of them.  Kahlen’s uncle pressed a button on his consol and a voice came through.  “Congratulations Rhora and Ura,
“Thank you general,” Ura said acting as spokes man, “we are glad to see it as a success.”
“Please report back at base.  We are going to start preparations for the maiden voyage.”
“Yes general,” Kahlen’s father and uncle replied.
~~~~~~~~~~
Arizona, present day.
   The camper stumbled away from the site of the impact from which smoke still rose in the distance.  He was trying to get to the nearest gas station before sunrise.  He had lost all of his supplies in the explosion, including his water so he needed to get out of the wilderness before the heat of day arrived.  
   He came out from behind wild grove of cacti and finally he saw the tall glowing sign of the gas station.  He felt as if he had never seen a more beautiful sight.
   He walked though the door and nodded a greeting to the clerk.  The clerk and the other customers gave a few inquisitive glances at his dirt covered clothing and mangled appearance.   The man found one of the few pay phones remaining in this day and age and made a phone call.
 ~~~~~~~~~~
   The next day trucks and hummers were parked in an orderly manner surrounding the site of the impact.  Temporary shelters were erected and filled with computers and other mechanical equipment.  Officers and technicians were buzzing everywhere like a hive.  
   A black sedan drove up the recently made dirt road and parked behind the largest tent.  A tall man in Air Force Service Dress uniform stepped out.  He walked around to the tent entrance removing his hat.  His hair appeared to have been light brown in the past but grey was now mixed into his hair and moustache so that he appeared almost blond. He scanned the tent for a while letting is bespectacled grey-blue eyes adjust to the comparative dimness of the tent.  He spotted who he was looking for, another officer, a young lieutenant, who was considerably shorter, not quite five and a half feet tall and sporting golden blond hair.  He walked to the other side of the room where the lieutenant was conversing with an airman.  “Are you sure it’s that big?” The lieutenant was asking.
   “I’m positive sir, its density is also unusually low, I can’t tell you why.  We can rule out this being a meteorite.”
   “Our friends at NASA had already figured that.” the lieutenant replied, "Any theories?"
  The officer interrupted the conversation between them and addressed the young lieutenant, “Lieu. Bates, I believe you are meant to debrief me.”
   The younger officer turned and his demeanour changed from being a formal officer to more of a respectful friend, though he kept formality in his words.  “Major O’Dell, I was unaware they call you in.  You were on vacation last time I checked.”
   The major replied in a disgruntled tone, “I think all of us know how much the guys upstairs relish calling their officers. Besides, I wouldn't want Smith to miss his daughter's wedding, so it's me.”  He began walking outdoors and continued when he knew Bates was following, “So have you figured out what it is?”
   Bates winced, “I’m afraid we haven’t, we have for the most part been checking the perimeter and climbing on that mound with metal detectors and other instruments to find out what is buried there.  We don’t have permission to dig yet.”
   “So you were all sent out here and now are not allowed to do anything?”  By the tone of the major’s voice, it was not a question needing an answer.  
   Bates shrugged and continued, “It was found by a hiker named George Martin who was quite nearly killed.  He got out with minimal injuries but he would like it if we kept an eye out for a little beagle named Zak.  We have learned little more than what he was able to assume just by looking at it.  We found that the object had impacted in a very unusual style.  It came in at a low angle and skidded along the ground producing the quarter mile canyon you see there.”  He gestured towards it, “NASA confirmed that it came out of orbit.  Since it came at such a gradual angle it should have had a lot of time to burn out in the atmosphere. Obviously, whatever it is, it's made out of something durable since it lost negligible mass during its entire decent. If I didn’t know better I would think it was a controlled flight but if it was a vessel it isn’t one any more.”
   “So is that all?” the major asked with open incredulity.
   “Well…” he paused “…yeah.  For now the official story is that it's a small meteorite.”
   Bates’ radio buzzed.  “Bates here,” he answered.
   “Lieutenant, I think, I think I found something.”
   “Roger, coming right there, Bates out.”
   “Affirmative, Cassidy out.”
   Turning to his companion Kevin said in a sudden cheerful voice, “Well, perhaps I might have something to show you.”
   They both cantered to the miniature hill at the end of the canyon.  All over the mound there were men in hazmat suits, looking very much like a tinfoil convention, waving various instruments over it.
   "Is it radioactive?" O'Dell asked.
   "Not that we can tell, but better safe than sorry." Bates reassured.
   They arrived at the foot of the mound and Bates called out, “Cassidy, I’m here!”
   One of the men in a hazmat suit appeared over the crest of the mound.  “This is fascinating, you should see these measurement,” he began to advance down the mound unable to contain his excitement; “This is spectacular I think the object-” the dirt shifted under him and he disappeared into a landslide with a yell.
   Bates called out a warning but had to leap back and run to get out of the slide zone.  However the major‘s reflexes were not fast enough.  Before he could turn around and get out of the way a blast of sand hit his legs and knocked him down, the debris flowing over him like a river.  The whole scene was enveloped in dust for several minutes.  After it cleared the major stood up and created a minor cascade of his own by dust falling from his back and shoulders.  
   “Sir, are you alright?”  Bates inquired with concern.
   “I’m fine.” He coughed and wiped the dust from his face and uniform.
   They both paused for a moment as if trying to remember something.  “Sgt. Cassidy!” they exclaimed simultaneously in realisation.
   They hastened over the loose debris to where they thought he would be.  Than they noticed a slight shine, the slide had pushed him along till he was rather far away from the source.  The two of them came by him and lifted him up, and the five or so inches of sand on top of him.
    “Are you hurt?” Bates asked while wiping him off.
   “For guy who just had half a mountain land on him, yeah I feel ok.”  He removed the helmet of his hazmat suit and turned his head to find Kevin was not listening but advancing on the mound.  His eyes were riveted on it.  Everyone had gone completely quiet and looked strangely at the slope.  The slide had uncovered a smooth surface with obvious symmetry.  Kevin put out his hand and wiped off the thin layer of dust that remained.  It revealed a smooth pure white surface.  Kevin turned around to the awed crowd.
   “Call headquarters immediately and get clearance to uncover this thing!”  He pointed at Cassidy, “Get a team together to rescan for explosives and radiation.  We are going to take every precaution.”  Kevin turned back to the white surface, “A real live UFO.” he muttered excitedly.
   Within two hours they had the go ahead to uncover it.  More and more smooth white surface was revealed till, after an hour or so the whole object was visible.  It was an aircraft of some sort.  It was about 14 meters long and 10 meters wide.  At the back half of the vessel there were two thick, down sweeping wings that projected out three meters.  They appeared not to be true wings but more like a type of engine casing.  The back of the craft curved down smoothly and tapered.  There where no hard angles whatsoever on the vessel, the whole surface curved fluidly in all dimensions like a raindrop.
   “The eggheads on base will drool over this.” Kevin stated humorously.
   “Watch who you call eggheads.” Cassidy elbowed him playfully.
   A distance away the major was by his car talking on his phone.  When he hung up he called over to Kevin.  “Lieutenant, they want us to report back to base pronto, and they want the object to prepare for transport.”
  “Yes sir!” Kevin shouted back.
  After relaying the order by radio Kevin hurried to the car. As he was about to get in he paused, “Did you hear something sir?”
   “No, why?”
   Kevin looked around, listening closely, then he got down on his knees and looked under the car.  
   The major, curious, asked what he was doing.
   Kevin popped up again, “I think I found Zak.” In his arms was a small, dirty, and very hungry beagle who had taken shelter in the cool shade of the vehicle.  He called a sergeant over and told him to get the dog some food and call his owner.  Then at last he got in the car.  "Well, I got something done today." he said pleased owner and dog would be reunited. After they had been on the road for awhile Kevin smacked his head, “I should have brought my paperwork, this is going to be a six hour drive.”
   “Actually closer to half an hour,” The major corrected.
   Kevin looked puzzled.  
   The major explained, “Command sent a chopper for us at the local airport.”
   “Sweet, they must be really impatient.”
    The major replied in a patronizing voice, “That they probably are.”
   “You know, this is the most important job I’ve had yet since I made lieutenant. First assignment that I have any real command and we find a UFO!”  Kevin said excitedly.
   “Yes.”  The major responded plainly.
   “You think it could turn out to be something top secret?  You know, revolutionary and conspiratorial.”
   “They are already thinking that, I assure you.”
   The younger officer suddenly dismissed the former subject and asked his friend, “So where were you for vacation?”
   “Fishing,” the major stated.
   “I knew that you would be fishing, but where?”  Kevin pressed.
   “Well, I was going to go fishing up at the Columbia in the gorge.  However, as I was packing I received the phone call.” The major could not keep the annoyance out of his voice.
    “Hmm…” Kevin pondered for a moment then as if he had a great revelation said, “I have some news to cheer you up.”
   “And what would that be?” he asked expecting some sad joke.
   “Happy forty-seventh birthday!”
   The major groaned, “Kevin, do you always have to remind me?”
   “Of course I do Mac, and with a birthday comes a present!” He stopped to grab something from his pocket.  Finding it he handed a little box to the major.  “Here you go.”
   “I’m driving Kevin.”
   “K, just be sure to open it later.” Kevin conceded, setting it between them.
   “Alright, I will.” the major replied in a nearly exasperated voice as if he was dealing with a small annoying child.
   For the rest of the time the two chatted, catching up with one another since the last time they had talked.  As they pulled into the airport parking lot the major asked, “So how are your folks?  Well, I should hope.”
   Kevin sighed, “They’re doing fine, I guess.” he said, a hint of sadness in his voice,  “They miss me a lot since I graduated.  They can’t visit me as often as they could at the academy. I think they are feeling empty nested, with me in a job two thousand miles away, and all my sisters married.  I don’t think they want to cut the apron strings on me yet, being their youngest an’ all.  The main problem I have is that they are always calling, asking what I am doing, which of course I can’t tell them. And outside of work I, what, work out and sleep?  Not that interesting.” The major nodded understandingly. “I feel guilty cause I've got a full voice mail that I have not listened to yet.”
   “You should feel guilty.” The major spoke seriously but his smile betrayed him.
They both got out of the car and headed to the chopper which was just starting to spin its blades.  Not twenty minutes later they were cruising over the desert.
   Sitting in the passenger hold, Kevin handed the small box to the major,  “Are you going to open the present now?”  Kevin pleaded.
   “Alright, I’ll open it.” The major replied exasperated.
   He took the lid off the suspiciously small box and revealed a diver’s watch with the Boy Scout emblem on the face and the scout motto etched in the frame ‘Be prepared’.  The major smiled.
   “I figured you would like that, you being my Scoutmaster and all and I thought it would be a good memento.”
   “Thank you Kevin.” He said with almost a choke while he put it on.

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Episode Fifteen:
Chance Encounters

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     Aleksei exhaled and watched his cloudy breath drift on the evening breeze.  The sunset had passed, and slowly the brightest of stars began to appear.  The young man looked down into the car where his sister sat silently, a sad and worried expression on her face.
     The past two hours had passed slowly, and both of them were concerned.  Aleksei wondered what could be so dark in Evan’s past that made the man’s face seem so dead when he set out.  Doubtless he had lost someone dear to him, but how was that involved with his ability?
     “I’m back.” Evan said blandly as he emerged from an alley.
     Aleksei nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise.  “Don’t sneak up like that!”
     Evan backed away raising his hands defensively. “Sorry, sorry.”
    Mashka exited the car, having heard his approach well before he arrived.  She stood beside her brother, her smile tainted by uncertainty.
     Evan stared at the two siblings.  Every now and then he would have a stray thought that the three of them almost seemed like a family, but now, for the first time, he actually wished that they were.
     “Something funny?” Aleksei asked curiously.
     “No, not really. The Apparition let me know what we are doing next.”  Evan walked around and got into the driver’s seat, prompting the other two into the vehicle.  “I’ll tell you on the way.”
~~~~~~~~~~
     “So this is your ‘network’?” Mashka muttered examining the suspicious neon lights and the old green paint of the outside of MacDougal’s Public House.  Her nose crinkled at the stench of spilled alcohol, cigarettes, and sweat drifting out from within.
     “It’s actually more reliable than you think, both the clients and bartenders are careful to listen for gossip for the sake of people like us.”
   “There is no ‘us’ here.  This is your reputation we are talking about.” Mashka’s scrutinising glare causing Evan’s spine to tingle.  Aleksei smiled nervously, maintaining a careful distance from the two of them.
     “Well, yes there is ‘us’ because you are coming with me.” Evan replied, returning an anxious but stern gaze.
     “Why?  Do you realise how much that place stinks?!”  Mashka protested.  “I have a sensitive nose!”
      “Mashka…” Evan’s voice fell deeper.  “I really need you. The proprietor would be much more talkative if you are there to encourage him.”
     After a momentary stare-down, Mashka relented, glancing at a mirror to examine her eyes.  Other than being closer to a green colour than their normal blue, they looked good enough to pass scrutiny in a poorly lit pub. The two left Aleksei out in the car and entered the establishment.
     Evan sat down casually at the bar eliciting a facial twitch from Mashka.  There was not a chance she was going to sit in the empty seat next to him.  She took her place standing a pace behind him.  Her eyes swept the bar, unpleasant scents and even less pleasant conversations catching her ears and nose, not to mention noticing more than a few distasteful once-overs.  Ever since she had mutilated her wild dark hair into its current wavy blonde she had received far more looks than what she was used to, or perhaps it was just that Scottish men were a lot more forward than their St. Petersburg counterparts.
     However, her less than enjoyable vigilance paid off.  She heard someone walk in the door behind him.  Judging by the positioning of his feet and the angle of his breathing, a man, a little less than two metres tall and probably ninety kilos, was staring right at Evan.  His clothing shifted, informing Mashka that he had stiffened in recognition of her partner.  The man began to make a cautious beeline towards Evan.  Mashka walked just barely fast enough to take the seat next to her friend and still seem as if she had not noticed the figure approaching from behind.
     She heard a rustle.  The man was wearing a jacket and was now retrieving something from his pocket.  There was a metallic click.  His clothing shifted again, signalling her that he was extending his hand towards Evan, however she had not had time to note which hand held the metallic object.  Just before the man’s hand would have entered her peripheral vision Mashka’s hand shot up blindly, guessing by the distance of the sounds where the man’s hand would be.  She smiled when she felt her hand grasp the man’s wide wrist and felt the blood veins under the skin skip a beat in surprise.  Within the next second Mashka rose from her seat and the man found his wrist twisted painfully behind his neck and his face pressed against the counter.  He yelped in surprise.
     Mashka glared down at the man.  He had dark, neatly trimmed hair and crisp side burns accenting the corner of his jaw. She looked at the counter below and spotted the former occupant of the man’s hand, a well-used metal lighter whose margins had long worn away the finish.
     She blinked.  “Oh…” she said awkwardly, releasing him.  Judging by the tomblike silence, she did not even have to look to know that every set of bleary eyes was focused on her, and this time for an all-together difference reason.
     The man rose painfully and Evan’s eyes widened in surprise.  “Jack!?”
     “Rather possessive girlfriend you got there Evan.” The young twenty-ish man stated sorely.
      Evan grabbed Jack’s shoulder joyfully.  “How have you been my boy!?  And why on earth are you back in this little town?  I thought you went to Cambridge!”
“Hehe, well, what can I say, ran out of funds.” Jack laughed, his blushing cheeks dimpled a little causing Mashka to make the indifferent observation that the chap was extremely handsome.  “So I came back here as a paramedic to save up for the rest of med school.”
Growing tired of being left in the dark Mashka surmised.  “Old friends?”
     Both men looked at her, Jack stared off to the left and Evan sighed.  “Well, I should hope I’d know my own son.”
 ~~~~~~~~~~
     Outdoors Aleksei stared at the dark velvet sky.  “Never thought I would feel left out by not going into a bar.” he muttered while attempting to get a glimpse of any starlight.
     On a whim he looked to his left, knowing the street was quiet, but looking nonetheless as bored individuals are bound to do.  A fleeting image caught his eye.  He could not identify what it had been, but it was something familiar, like fur coats on Russian nights, or frost on the window pane next to his bed.
     He looked back at the bar entrance for a moment.  “Well, if I hurry…”  Cantering down the street he looked around the corner where he thought the strange familiarity might have gone.  Again just down the street he saw something like an after image, as if someone had just been there.  Naturally on a dark night in the middle of a city, a person would be nervous about traipsing about alone, but Aleksei felt that the presence was so warm and familiar.  He sprinted down the street and to the next corner.  He looked both ways, and something to his left caught his attention.  What was that? Aleksei wondered.  Finally growing frustrated he attracted the water vapour from the air and slammed his hand into the brick wall beside him.  The vapour followed suite and when he spread out his fingers the thin white clouds sprayed out like a spider’s web, climbing over the walls towards the other side of the block.  More mist webbing appeared in front of him, covering the sidewalk and twisting around the corner.  He was not going to lose track of whoever it was, since at this moment he was certain that it was a person who had caught his eye.  
     As he ran forward, he smiled when some of his misty tendrils came in contact with a single moving form.  He could not explain it, but an illogical elation burned in his chest.  He twisted around the corner just in time to see a foot disappear behind the corner of a building into an alleyway.  He hurried towards the spot but came to a dead halt when a disturbingly familiar, icy voice caught his ear.
     “So, you have the disc I asked for?”
     “Yes Miss Aho.  His current location is unknown but he is supposed to be back from vacation very shortly.”
     “Miss Aho?” Aleksei muttered under his breath.  “Where have I heard that name before?”
     “Oh please call me Anya.”
     Aleksei’s chest thumped painfully.  'The Association is here?  In Scotland?!  And it’s that woman!'
     He heard the sound of bills being counted out.
     “A pleasure doing business with you, I hope you will be a repeat customer perhaps?”
     “I think you should probably return to working with more reputable customers, if you want to live any length of time,” She cautioned him.
     The man chuckled nervously as he departed.  “Well, a pleasure anyways.”
     Aleksei scrambled to hide in the closest doorway as the man approached.  To his relief, the swarthy, rotund informant hurried straight across to the opposite side of the street and seamlessly switched acts to that of a somewhat drunk bystander making his staggering way home.  
     Judging by the muted noise of Anya’s steps, she was making her way further down the alley.
     I should go back now, Mashka and Evan need to know about this… Aleksei kept ordering himself to move, but every other drive wanted him to follow Anya, especially when there was the barely audible sound of steps falling in beside her.  She was not alone.  Again a strange, calming familiarity overcame Aleksei, as if the invisible person was someone he knew, he couldn’t turn back without knowing who it was.
     He crept forward, barely visible tendrils of vapour spread out before him and slithered down the alley.  When he could tell their backs were turned to him he slipped into the dark space, keeping close to the wall and any other cover possible.  He could now see that there was a male figure walking beside Anya.
     The further Aleksei followed the two, the more concerned he became.  They were walking too slow.  'They know I’m back here!'
     When Aleksei felt the male’s foot begin to twist he ducked behind some stacked cardboard that still offered him some visibility between gaps.  In a lightning fast motion the man spun, reaching into his jacket and flung out his hands.  In a brief moment, a stray ray of light reflected onto the man’s face.  Something small and hot sliced through the air above Aleksei, followed by three simultaneous thuds behind him.  The scent of simmering flesh and the rattling of last breaths choked the air.
     Aleksei looked behind him to see three men, each sporting holes that went clean through their necks.  After a few brief moments their bodies fell to the ground, fingers and legs still twitching involuntarily.  He had not even felt their presence, he was so focused on what was before him.
     Anya flipped open her phone.  “We were being trailed.”  She paused as she listened to the reply.  “It’s too dangerous to have an informant fall into enemy hands.  Kill him.” Her tone was weighted with exasperation.
     Aleksei looked back as the two walked towards him.  His heart twisted in a mix of joy and terror as he looked upon the face of the man.  It was like looking into a mirror.  “Vladimir…” he gasped.  Then covered his mouth, pulling himself further into the shadows.
Vlad unknowingly passed by less than a metre from his brother.  His face was cold, with a hint of irritation as he stuck his hands into the pockets of his unbuttoned black jacket.
     “You know Vladdy," Anya crooned, "I’m impressed that you’ve improved your less than perfect aim, but super-heating the knives is only going to ruin their aerodynamics.”
    “Be quiet, at least my way they don’t make any loud gurgling noises.”  Vlad replied defensively as he stepped over the bodies, not even noticing the raunchy stench of incinerated flesh that filled the alleyway.
     Anya sighed, “Will we have to deal with these Sentinel dogs everywhere?”
     As the two departed from view, it was as if time returned to the silent space and Aleksei shakily stood up.  'It’s been over six years… and this is how I see my brother?'  He stared down blankly at the corpses as memories flooded through his head: The time he had broken his ankle and his brother carried him home; the picnic on the Baltic coast where they played frisbee for hours; the long nights they would lie awake and just talk.  Wrestling matches in the living room; attending each other’s performances at school; arguing over who would get which chores that month; the silent moments when they said a million words a minute with no voice; and painful nights alone after the divorce.  All that heartfelt history flooded back to Aleksei as he struggled to see the twin he knew in who he had just seen.
     He grit his teeth in determination and raised his hand to the side.  Three streams of vapour twisted upwards to his palm. What started as a gentle slither turned into a rushing breeze and Aleksei began to gather vapour from all sides.  He was not thinking, he did not know what he would do, but he was not going to let his brother beloved just walk away.
     He began to swing his arm forward to launch the stream of fog in pursuit of his brother when a firm grip snatched his wrist and a hiss tickled his ear.
     “I don’t think you are being very wise now.” A nightmarish raspy voice slithered up Aleksei’s neck.
     Aleksei twisted around to face the dark clothed, hooded figure which held his wrist in a vice-like grip.
     The young man’s eyes widened in terror at the sight of the Messenger’s bent forward, twisted figure.  A single cold drop of water hit Aleksei’s nose, and even in the midst of his fear, his mouth twitched upward.
     Noticing the brief expression the Messenger also felt a raindrop hit its back.  “tch.” it hissed in irritation as the clouds burst.

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