Dulce Truths

As the last of the men leave — including Ellis, whom he knows is the real problem, along with that damn son of his — Anderholt takes a side exit and uses the back hallways to get back to his office, or at least the one he’s using on the base. As planned, Aaron and Carl are there waiting for him.

“If I gotta sit through another one of these bullshit briefings or debriefings then I think I’ll shoot myself,” Aaron says. He’s still in his combat fatigues from the attack on Dulce.

“Make that two of us,” Carl says, rolling his eyes.

“That’ll be the last of ‘em,” Anderholt says as he comes into the room and makes his way to his desk. “By tonight everything will be in place. Most of the men that were with you in Dulce will be dead or imprisoned while the Reptilians and Grays will have started their expansion to the surface.”

“Yeah, and what about the Dutchman, or that damn son of his?” Aaron says. “You know that once Mark starts talking to his father, everything could change. I mean… who knows what he’s seen and heard during these last few years off-world. Hell, I thought the bastard went down in Vietnam!”

“We all did,” Anderholt says, “we all did.”

“So now what?” Carl asks.

“Simple — we take them out.”

Aaron frowns to that. “Mark, yeah… but the Dutchman? Hell — Ellis is a legend in the service. You can’t just take him out. What we need to do is get the Dutchman in on this, always have!”

Aaron says the words forcefully and with conviction, but Anderholt only scoffs.

“You know Ellis will never come over, will never see things our way — he’s too much of a patriot!”

“And that’s why we should kill him and be done with it,” Carl says. “Having his damn son show up again out of the blue like that just makes things worse.”

“Yeah, what is the story behind Mark’s sudden reappearance?” Aaron asks.

Anderholt shakes his head. “Another time, “then looks to Carl. “And for now, we keep Ellis alive, you got that? His death would create too many questions, get too many balls rolling.” He shakes his head. “If that happens there’s no saying what’ll take place, or how far things will get away from us before we can pull them back.”

“Alright, alright,” Carl says, his hands up defensively, “no killing.” He shrugs. “I will run into him later, though, so maybe another talk is in order.”

Anderholt chuckles. “Yeah, like that’ll do any good. About as good as the countless other talks you’ve had with him.”

“Maybe we should just come clean with him finally,” Aaron says.

“Never,” Anderholt says, slamming a fist down on the desk. “If Ellis ever knew the truth, he’d tell everyone… and if that didn’t get the results he wanted he’d go to the press.”

“Which is why I say we just kill him and be done with it, his son too,” Carl says, then puts those hands up again, “but I know you don’t want to, so fine, fine!”

Anderholt frowns. “What’s the matter, Carl? Has Mark’s reappearance really shaken you up that bad?”

“And it hasn’t shaken you up? Carl nearly shouts. “General… Mark knows everything when it comes to what’s happening off-world.”

“But he doesn’t know what’s happening on this base,” Anderholt replies, “nor will he. And if he ever tries to run, well… he’ll turn out just like the survivors of the 1975 attack did.”

Aaron narrows his eyes to that, looking over at the general. “But I thought no more than just that one, single survivor had managed to get away.”

Anderholt shakes his head. “Nope, all told nineteen escaped back into the tunnels, and since the attack occurred on Level 2, it meant they had a good chance of getting out. Twelve managed to do so. To this day they’re still in hiding, crashing in motels and surfing couches, but alive, and safe… and ready to fight in any way they can.”

“God!” Carl says, a hand going to his forehead. “Let’s hope to hell that Ellis doesn’t get his hands on ‘em.”

“The team he’s put together is already dangerous enough,” Anderholt replies. “I still remember the first time I saw ‘em all. Shit, they could really put a wrench in things.”

“But they won’t,” Carl says. “We’ve just got to hang on until tonight, and then it’s over, the Reptilians will take charge.”

“Getting to tonight will be the hard part,” Anderholt replies.

“Not if I keep my eye on Ellis, as well as his son,” Carl says, starting to rise. Aaron, sensing that this meeting is over, begins to do the same.

“You do that,” Anderholt says as they move toward the door, and then quickly before they leave, “and Carl…”

“Yes, sir?”

“Don’t fuck this up.”

Carl nods. “No chance, sir.”

Anderholt picks up one of his half-burnt cigar stubs as the men leave and then leans back in his chair. He only wishes that what Carl had just said would turn out to be the truth. He knows full-well that it will not, however. Thankfully he still has Heather.

37 — Blue Lake Redux

Blue Lake

Friday, May 25, 1979

6:45 AM