Lieutenant (An Ell Donsaii story #3) (26 page)

“Yes sir, twenty one months.” She looked up at the ceiling a moment to collect her thoughts. “If I were you, I would again release me from active duty at present, like I was released to go to graduate school. You could then hold the twenty one months that I owe in reserve against a time when you
do
need my talents, such as they may be, for a particular problem. In the meantime I would be free to continue my research at a more rapid pace; if I’m lucky, bringing more useful products to fruition. Like the PGR chips, such products will likely be disruptive in the short term, but helpful in the long run.”

The three men looked at one another. Horton said, “And you do what? Set up your own private research lab somewhere?”

“Yes sir, but I’d also like to go back to grad school. I have a yearning to be around brilliant people my own age. I’m hoping to work it out so that I still get to work on what I want to work on.”

Horton barked a laugh, “I imagine you could, but what professor would take you as a graduate student? He or she wouldn’t be able to teach you anything.”

“Oh no sir, I have much to learn from experienced investigators, though I take your point that they might not want someone with my notoriety assigned to them. But I was intending to use an alias anyway because I still fear the Chinese or others may make more attempts to kidnap me. With an alias and a disguise I hope to work with a group that will treat me like another researcher rather than as a weird kid who got lucky.”

The meeting degenerated at that point as Ell had to explain the multiple kidnapping attempts made on her so far. Eventually President Teller sat back and said, “Well, we might not have recognized her talents, but it would appear that the PRC did!” He stood, “I’m late for my next meeting. My decision is that we shall release her from active duty pending a need for her services. Lean on the Witness Protection people to provide her with another identity as she’s requested and let her do what she does best, however she wants to do it. Make it happen gentlemen.”

Horton shepherded Ell to an empty office where Platt again had to wait. Ell forwarded the non disclosure agreement she had obtained from Dr. Smythe to Horton. Allan had modified it to fit the current situation. Horton printed two copies and they both signed them. Then Horton said, “So tell me.”

“Well you know that my math postulates a microscopic fifth dimension through which quantum entangled particles are attached to one another?”

Horton nodded.

“It appears that it might be possible to open a portal from one location in our universe to another location in our universe through that fifth dimension. I have some evidence that material objects can pass through such a portal.”

Horton’s eyebrows climbed high, “I’d call ‘bullshit’ on that if it weren’t for the fact that I would have said the same thing about your PGR chips. Do you have any physical evidence that you can do this, or only theory?”

“Yes sir, I’ve opened some microscopic holes through which gas and liquid have successfully traveled, but these are very preliminary experiments.”

“My God!” Horton leaned back in his chair and cradled his head in his hands. “Are you thinking that people can travel through such portals?”

“Sir, I have no idea as yet. The process does require a great deal of power to energize it and theory would predict that power requirements would increase exponentially with portal size. There may be side effects from the waste energy released in the area. These may make it impractical to transfer large objects or people. But I mentioned satellites earlier because an ability to transfer even small quantities of liquid or gas to an orbital facility could have a huge impact on space satellites or stations.”

“Oh Geez!” Horton ran his hands through his hair. “Can you keep me up to date on developments with this?”

Ell looked at him calmly, “Sir, I don’t believe that this kind of information can be trusted to email. If you’ll let me provide you with a PGR chip so I can be certain of the security of the communication?”

Horton frowned, “Huh? Oh! You mean a chip for which you’d have the paired member so no one could intercept?”

“Yes sir. Then I could send you an e-mail telling you that I had information for you. You could unplug your AI and attach the chip to your AI headband and we could have a secure conversation.”

Horton’s eyebrows drew together, “OK… I can see I need to give more thought to the security implications of your chips.”

Chapter Eleven

Ell didn’t have her disguise or her security team in D.C. so she caught a military flight back to Nellis. She called Steve while in transit so her security team could meet her as usual when she left Nellis proper. “Steve, I have news too. I’ll be leaving Las Vegas so I’d like to meet with the team when I get back to talk to them about it?”

“OK… Amy too?”

“Oh, yes please.”

Amy and all ten of Ell’s security team crowded the living room of Ell’s apartment. Amy had laid out corn chips, salsa and beers. Ell was initially pleased to see her team showing restraint regarding the beer but then noticed that their mood seemed somber? She tried teasing Barrett, “Big B, why is it that you always seem to be assigned in rotation with Mary? You and her going sweet on me?”

Barrett stared at her somewhat apprehensively, “Uh, no Ma’am. It’s uh, just worked out that way. If it’s a problem I can ask Steve to work on rotating the assignments more?” He raised his eyebrows.

Ell quickly said, “Sorry, no, no, I was just busting your chops a little.”

Ell worried even more about what had them down. She pondered it a little. She wondered if she had some form of Asperger’s syndrome that she was so out of touch with what was bothering the folks she worked with. Or was it just normal boss-employee standoffishness? Finally she waved her hands to get the attention of the group, “So we’ve got some serious stuff to talk about.” Ell raised her eyebrows and the room fell silent. Everyone’s eyes had fixed on her. “I’ve been released temporarily from my commitment to the Air Force so I’ll be leaving Las Vegas. I’m not sure where I’ll be going but I expect that I’ll be heading back to North Carolina at least temporarily.” You could have cut through the silence with a knife, but you’d have had a hard time it was so thick. Ell’s heart sank, something was seriously wrong with her team. 

She cleared her throat, “Personally, I’m hoping that you’ll all be willing to come with me to wherever I wind up going, but of course that will be up to you. I’m concerned because many of you seem a little down? If there’s something I’m doing as your employer that’s leading to your unhappiness, please let me know. If you want to leave, we can work out some kind of severance package I’m sure…” They stared at her like deer in the headlights. Her voice broke at the end and she realized that she’d become very fond of them. Even though she rarely spoke to them in public so as to preserve the notion that they weren’t known to one another they spoke in her apartment. She had become so used to seeing them that their mere presence was comforting. She was going to feel terrible if a bunch of them quit…

Then Randy did a little fist pump, “All right!” He turned and glared at Steve, “You had us all worried for nothing!”

Ell turned to Steve who looked abashed, “Sorry Ms. Donsaii, I got the impression from your call that you were letting us all go and tried to let the group down easy by giving them some warning.” He dropped his gaze embarrassedly to the floor.

Ell raised her hands to her cheeks, “Oh! Heck no! I love you guys! Especially it’s very comforting to know that you’re always there, ready to protect me! I worry that, about the time the Chinese finally stop hassling me, other groups will start giving me trouble!”

A cheer went up in the room. Amy raised her glass, “A toast… To the best boss
ever
!”

They all raised their glasses and Ell felt her anxiety melt away. The atmosphere became party like and Ell made it a point to go around and talk to each of her team one on one. Just before they broke up Ell buttonholed Steve and Amy and said, “I think we should go somewhere for a little R&R? Maybe Amy could reserve us a house on the beach in Florida for a week? A place where we could assume that no one would find me and we could relax together. I was really worried about our morale there and feeling like I should have done something to boost morale a long time ago.”

Steve rubbed his chin. “I’m a little worried that too casual a relationship might undermine their sense of duty to you. But, on the other hand, if they love you like they will if they get to spend much time with you, they might have even more motivation to do their utmost.”

Ell rolled her eyes and grinned, “Well I don’t know about all that, but let’s try to set it up between now and Christmas. I hope to be busy again come January.”

***

Nuñez and Chief Milton were looking up into the comm bay of one of the MQ-9s discussing the progress of refitting the UAVs with the PGR chips when they heard crisp footsteps approaching from behind. Nuñez glanced back, then to Milton’s surprise dropped his hands to his sides, came to attention and did an about face. As Milton turned, Nuñez fired off the sharpest salute Milton had ever seen him produce. Expecting to find a general behind him Milton was bemused to find Lieutenant, no Captain! Donsaii standing there, big grin on her face. He saluted too, trying to render his sharpest as well.

Donsaii saluted back “Chief, Sarge,” she nodded to each man. “I believe you owe me a beer?” She smirked at them.

“Yes Ma’am!” Milton’s normally taciturn face beamed. “Word is you saved our ass in the Pacific? That where those Captain’s bars came from?”

“Yep,” she grinned, “‘unofficially.’ Couldn’t ‘a done it without you two. Thanks! I’m throwing a little party at The Flight Risk Friday at 1830 hrs in celebration, you able to buy me my beers then?

“Yes Ma’am.” They replied in unison.

“Good, ‘cause that’s my last day, I’m getting discharged. Hate to have to come back and haunt you for my beers after I’m a civilian again.”

They looked at one another.

“See you then.” She tossed them each something and turned to go, “Here’s the other part of our bet.”

Milton looked down into his palm where a Ford key chip rested. Wide eyed he said, “Ma’am? You can’t do this!”

She grinned, “Sure I can Chief, we’re in Nevada and I lost a wager.”

“But… a car? That’s too much!”

She frowned, “Yeah, probably.” Then she grinned, but I really appreciated your help. Those chips are bringing me in more money than I can spend, and I’m a civilian soon, so I can do things that are ‘too much’ if I want to can’t I?” She mock glared at him, “It
is
still a free country, right?”

***

The Flight Risk was packed. Ell had invited everyone she knew from Nellis and it looked like every one of them had taken her up on the offer. The free drinks were flowing freely as Ell had opened a tab for anyone else in the bar too. Nuñez and Milton approached her, each carrying a beer. When they held them out Ell raised her eyebrows, “Gentlemen, I’m disappointed in you! You do know I’m not actually old enough to drink beer don’t you?”

They looked at one another, then back at her, “Really?”

“Really,” she grinned, “but I’ll take a Coke?” she raised an eyebrow.

They laughed, “We’ll have to drink these beers ourselves first!”

Sasson nudged her elbow, “Hey, last time we were interrupted before I could properly demonstrate the finer points of pool to you! You ready to be humiliated?”

Ell looked over both of his shoulders, “Where’s your army?”

“Oh ho!” he crowed, “It’s on! I’ll rack the balls.”

Ell was speaking to Axen when Sasson said, “You want to lag for the break.”

Ell wondered how hard she should play this game of pool? But she wanted to speak to Axen a moment longer so she said, “No, you go ahead and break.”

Sasson’s break was heralded by an explosive “Crack!” and he crowed as a ball dropped. “I’m about to school an Olympic athlete in the finer points of a game!”

Ell raised an eyebrow and leaned on her cue as she watched him put in five balls, talking smack with each one.

When he stymied himself he turned to her, “Stick that in your pipe!” he chortled. “Knowing the user’s manuals backward and forward aren’t going to save you this time.”

A small group had gathered to watch by then, drawn in by Sasson’s patter. Axen called out, “I wouldn’t piss her off Lieutenant. If I recall, last time she was in this bar she sent a dude to prison with a broken wrist.”

“Hah, she’s got to win this one by putting balls in, not by hitting people with pool cues!”

Ell peered down the length of the cue Sasson had handed her. It was straight.

He said cheerfully, “Checking the cue isn’t going to help. This is a game of skill.”

She grinned at him, then without a word she ran the table.

By the time she’d dropped the sixth ball, nudges and whispers had brought the focus of attention of most of the people in that end of the bar onto her. Ball after ball had dropped perfectly into the center of their pockets even on hard cuts and bank shots. Ell gave him a little bow and handed him the cue stick, “Thank you for the game,” she said gravely. She turned to an open mouthed Nuñez, “I’m really ready for that Coke now.”

A susurrus of conversation washed over the room which had grown quiet while she played, Axen called out, “I’d stop challenging her if I were you Sasson.”

Sasson grinned and shook his red face, “You’d think I would have learned by now.”

Epilogue

Amy and “Raquel” walked past Randy and Steve as they entered Tres Locos for a last session of dancing. Ell and her security team were heading back to North Carolina the next day. Amy would stay a few days longer to supervise the packing of Ell’s research gear by the van lines and negotiate the remodeling of the team’s apartments back to their original state with the building’s owners. Neither Amy nor Ell had strong ties to Vegas but they both felt a little wistful about leaving their favorite bar.