The clones knew the importance of staying out of the authorities’ hands, especially with the implant embedded in their chests, and near to their hearts. When it became clear to Consul Phairlis that his Chinese operation would need a different line of attack, he ordered the termination of all clones going through a period of stress. Those that survived were picked up by the Attack Craft Magenta and sent to the base on the planet Mars for the moment.
The Chinese authorities never knew who the agents were, they supposed that the US was behind them, but unfortunately, for the Chinese people, they had angered Consul Phairlis who vowed that he would make them pay for it later.
**********
The alien clone given the task of co-ordinating the task of kidnapping Sally Jameson was Ralph Mandelson, he had driven over to the clinic in Austin to ask for help. Lana Mullins, the former head of security at the factory that the Rangers had just raided, was seconded, and she was all too willing to assist him. Later that night Ralph Mandelson got a call from Special Agent Ballinger, Ballinger had been told that Sally would be in Houston, and maybe at the health spa, which he believed could be the location of a raid being planned by the FBI the next morning. Mallory and Ballinger had a mole within the ranks of the FBI; they had successfully fooled one of the agents into believing that they were working deep undercover investigating a crackpot group of scientists working for NASA. The agent was an old friend of Special Agent Fellows, and Fellows had allowed himself to gossip to the wrong person.
Ralph Mandelson and Lana Mullins hurriedly drove to Houston and the health spa, arriving early that morning; they soon came up with a plan to rid the planet of the troublesome Sally Jameson. First, they would kidnap her, then torture her, then wring every bit of information out of her, and finally kill her.
The aliens had a busy few hours ensuring that there was nothing in the health spa to prove that it was an alien base, and that in fact it was in fact just a normal health spa. The Houston command centre was beneath the health spa, and the brainwashing machines were now set up there. Although plans were being made to move the command centre to another location, one that was nearby, and one that was more secure, being unknown to even Sally. However, this untimely raid delayed plans to the move by at least a month, to ensure that the Rangers did not set up a surveillance unit following the raid.
**********
When the FBI raid began, it appeared to have caught the employees of the Spa completely by surprise, as it would have done had the employees not been brainwashed humans or alien clones. The place was thoroughly searched by the agents of the FBI, with Will taking a backseat, for he was there only as an observer. When the search was all but over, and nothing found to warrant the search, Sally feeling rather depressed decided she needed a rest, she was near to a door that led out into a garden area, and she remembered seeing a garden bench just outside of the door. Thinking that there was no danger, she told her uncle where he could find her, and then she headed for the garden bench and a rest. She was feeling a little down, had they found the necessary proof here, then even Special Agent Rails would have had trouble ignoring it.
Sally had just reached the glass door that would lead into the small garden area, and she was just about to open it when Lana Mullins and Ralph Mandelson suddenly appeared behind her, they had come from another of the aliens` hidden doorways. Mullins had an energy weapon in her hand, although it was a different weapon to the deadly energy weapons that the aliens had used in the laboratory, this one was smaller, lighter. Mandelson though was unarmed, relying on his strength against a mere human female. It was Mullins who moved forward first, her intention was to put an arm around Sally`s neck and to drag her inside the secret part of the spa. However, just as she began her move Sally saw the two aliens` reflection in the glass door that she was about to open, recognising both of them instantly, she quickly turned to meet them. She immediately let fly with a vicious uppercut to Mullin`s chin that knocked the alien woman back into the secret doorway, stunned by the unexpected attack she barely managed to stop herself from falling through the doorway and down the stairs that led down to the secret level.
‘Those self-defence classes have really paid off.’ Sally mused as she then turned to meet Mandelson, who seeing Mullins dealt with so very easily, had rushed forward to immobilise Sally before she could call for assistance. However, Sally was not finished just yet, she swiftly kicked him in the crutch, making him fall to the floor in agony, Sally followed this up with a punch to Mandelson`s throat, making him fall backwards croaking in pain. Sally then rushed past him and went towards the female alien, who was already shrugging off the punch and moving her weapon towards Sally. Sally though had closed the gap before Mullins could swing her weapon sufficiently to enable her to use it against her. Sally grabbed at the hand holding the energy weapon and the two women struggled furiously for possession of the weapon. The alien woman was now desperate to finish this fight before help arrived to aid the Earth Woman, and so she grabbed a large chunk of Sally`s hair and yanked it hard, causing Sally to twist to one side while groaning in agony. However, Sally was not done fighting yet, she was wearing heels today, and she raked one of them down the leg of the alien woman, making her scream out in pain and break off her own attack. Somehow, while Mullins fought through the agony shooting through her leg, Sally was able to yank the energy weapon from the alien woman`s grasp, but Mullins was not finished yet. Her hands grabbed a hold of Sally`s body and turning slammed Sally`s body against the wall, stunning her, Sally could see nothing but stars. Mullins smiled, her face becoming a mask of evil, she pulled Sally to her and her arms enveloped Sally`s body in a bear hug, and then she began to crush Sally`s body, forcing the air from her lungs and filling her body with so much pain. Sally feared that she was seconds away from death, her were ribs in danger of being broken, she had almost blacked out, when in the struggle to stay alive the energy weapon fired, both woman stood still for a moment, then the pressure on Sally`s pain wracked body eased, and the alien woman slumped to the floor. Sally fell to her knees and looked at the alien, as she gulped down large amounts of air, she was now very worried about Mandelson, fearing an attack from him, she looked up, her eyes searching for and finding him, the energy weapon in her hand raising in his direction. Mandelson had been just about to recommence his attack, instead he now slowly raised his hands in a signal of surrender; however, he knew that his life expectancy could now be measured in hours, maybe even minutes, when his superiors found out that he had been taken prisoner by the earthlings.
Sally gulped down another deep breath of air and then in a very loud voice she cried out very loudly to her uncle, not knowing exactly where he was at the moment. She hauled herself to her feet, trying to get her breath back, wondering how the woman came to possess such strength, but she then realized that the woman was yet another clone, and that the clones all probably possessed it.
Hearing the loud call from his niece Will thought that she was in some sort of danger, he turned away from Rails and ran towards her voice, with Rails and Fellows in pursuit.
When he came upon Sally he was amazed to see her with another version of the alien energy weapons in her hand, he quickly took in the scene. A man was standing with his hands raised, he had a look of desperation on his face, and sprawled upon the floor was a woman who looked to be badly injured, maybe even dead, for she had a large ugly looking scorch mark on her clothing.
“Are you OK, Sally?” He asked as he pulled out his own weapon to cover Mandelson while checking on the woman, but he found that she was alive, thankfully, he thought, his niece would not have to go through the agony of knowing that she had killed someone.
Agents Rails and Fellows now arrived with four more of the FBI agents, and Sally quickly told them all what had taken place. Rails looked over at Mandelson and waiting for him to argue against Sally`s version of the truth, but Mandelson did not dispute the facts, for the energy weapon in Sally`s hand would be impossible for him to explain away.
Will looked across at the hidden doorway, at the flight of stairs leading down to another secret underground level. Rails felt suitably stunned by it all, and even silently apologised to Sally and Will, he was now almost a believer.
Fellows looked at Will in disbelief, at Sally, at the woman lying unconscious upon the floor, and Sally`s prisoner, finally he looked over at the secret underground level. Then he pulled out his cell phone and called for an ambulance to take away the alien woman, he delegated two of the FBI agents to go with the woman to the hospital. He then ordered the other two FBI agents to put handcuffs on Mandelson and hold him on a charge of attempted murder. The agents quickly followed his orders, but they too looked a little surprised by this sudden turn of events.
Rails was about to ask Sally to make a full statement about all that had occurred, but seeing how upset Sally was, following the sudden attack on her, Rails decided that the statement could wait, until she was feeling up to it.
Will now remembered how his other prisoners had suddenly died, murdered by remote control by their masters. “Special Agent Rails, you need to get this man to a hospital, now, he has an implant near to his heart, and it will kill him if it is not surgically removed, and quickly.” Will informed the FBI agent and then turned to Mandelson. “That is so, isn`t it.” Will enquired.
Mandelson had been thinking about this problem ever since Sally had got the drop on him, now he had to make a choice, live or die. “Yes, you are quite correct Ranger, even now someone might well be about to terminate me. Oh and do not forget about my friend who is about to go to the hospital, she too has an implant, so she too is in danger” Mandelson replied in a cold voice devoid of any emotion. He had decided to allow the fates to decide his future.
Rails and Fellows looked slightly unsure, so Will then reminded them how his last five prisoners had died suddenly, killed by the implant self-destructing. Rails now decided to act, and he had Fellows, together with the two other agents who were holding Mandelson a prisoner, take the male prisoner to hospital to have any implant found in the man`s body immediately removed, and to also see to the injured woman.
“Be careful of him, it may not be evident to you but he is very strong, take no chance with him.” Sally warned the three FBI agents, who simply nodded. She saw that they had not taken her warning seriously, so she spoke again.
“Agents, that woman nearly crushed the life out of me; if this weapon had not fired then I would be lying dead upon the floor, and with every one of my ribs broken.”
“OK, Sally, and thanks, I will take extra care with our charge.” Fellows replied with a smile. He then remembered the female prisoner and contacted the two FBI agents with her, he then warned them too, requesting that they handcuff their prisoner as a precaution.
The sight of the energy weapon had shaken Rails, as had Sally`s words, however, the secret underground level now underlined everything that Sally had said about the people who worked here at the spa. He now intended to search it, thoroughly, he left five agents above ground; there to ensure that no one took them surprise, they were also instructed to see to the safety of Sally, who once again had been forced to remain by the door.
Down below were four alien clones, they had not seen Sally battle two of their people, but they did see and hear Will and Sally`s conversation with the FBI agents after the battle. They quickly contacted Consul Phairlis, whose anger quickly exceeded all known limits. On being told that Mandelson and Mullins were in the Ranger`s hands, he instructed the commander of the Houston complex to terminate them both before they could be interrogated. Phairlis then instructed the commander to send him the CCTV footage of that day, and finally to turn on the building`s self-destruct, he did not want the Ranger`s to find any other evidence that might prove his people`s existence.
The self-destruct device was something hurriedly added to all the alien complexes around the world, one of the new security measures put in place following the capture of the Austin laboratory. The commander quickly went to his computer and within thirty seconds has sent a message to the implant in Mandelson and Mullins to self-destruct, however he did not wait for the confirmation; he simply did not think he had the time. He then sent all of the morning`s CCTV data up to Phairlis, so that he could carefully go through it to see what had gone wrong, he also arranged for the real time video recording to be streamed straight up to the Constellation so that Phairlis could witness the destruction of the spa. Next, he went into the self-destruct program on his computer, and after entering the password that allowed him to set it, he instructed the computer to wait for five minutes before detonating the large bomb hidden beneath the computer. Now he and his three colleagues hurriedly left the doomed complex by an escape tunnel, just as the FBI agents entered his control centre, the tunnel took the aliens to a nearby house owned by them. Once they arrived there they rushed to the garage attached to the side of the house, and getting into a vehicle that was made ready at all times, they quickly drove away, heading for the clinic in Austin, and prayed that they would escape without any further problems.
**********
Mandelson lived long enough to hope for a long life, and then he died, he was still with Special Agent Fellows when he did so, just as they were entering the main hospital that served the Houston area, Mullins was already dead by then.
**********
In his cabin aboard the Constellation, Phairlis sat before a bank of monitors. On the main one, he watched as he skimmed through the video recording showing the Houston command centre`s final minutes. He smiled joyfully when he saw Mullins attack Sally, however, he sat back in amazement when he saw Sally handle Mullins without seeming to even pause for breath, and when she took out Mandelson he was both angered and amazed by it. He watched the brief struggle between Mullins and Sally and felt better, until he saw the result. He screamed when he saw Mandelson arrested by the earth woman; his body slumped back in his chair, his eyes now showing signs of bewilderment. “No, I do not believe it!” he screamed out in anger, “What the hell is she?”
The complex had been found and taken, and all because of Sally Jameson. However, his anger turned to grim satisfaction, for soon, he would witness the destruction of the complex, and he hoped that it would take the damned woman with it. He sat watching what was happening on another of the monitors, waiting for the stream of images to stop, this would tell him that the bomb had detonated, His eyes stayed fixed to the figure of Sally as she recovered from the sudden attack upon her. ‘Soon, Sally Jameson, soon.’ He silently mouthed.
**********
Special Agent Rails and his team spread out to examine the small command centre, there were only a dozen rooms, and most of them were for sleeping or cooking.
“We will leave the computer for our technical guys to look at, Captain Rogers, but apart from that there seems to be little else to find.”
Just then, one of his men found the two brain bending machines, for they did far more than merely brainwash the victim, and he called out to his superior who rushed off to look at a something positive at last. Will stayed behind for a moment for a quick look at the computer console, and he tried for some good old emotional relief, he kicked a waste bin, which flew through the air to strike the door of the unit beneath the computer. Unfortunately, in his haste to depart the doomed complex the commander had failed to lock the cupboard, and it now swung open following Will`s attack on it. Will glanced down and saw a large device within the cupboard; and upon the device was something that looked like a timer, although it was in the alien’s numeration system, and it appeared to be counting down. Will groaned and then screamed out a warning to all within the command centre.
“Everybody out now, this place is rigged to blow, and at any moment now. Out, out.”
Rails rushed back into the command centre and looked at where Will was pointing, and then he too took up the call to evacuate.
“Everybody out. Now.” Rails ordered.
One minute later and everyone was back
on the ground floor, Phairlis was seething when he saw Will grab Sally`s arm and pull her out through the glass door opposite as he told her of the bomb. They had all just about made the grounds around the health spa when the timer reached zero, and then a massive explosion destroyed the lower level, showering them all with debris. Sally though was fine, for her uncle had thrown her to the ground and covered her body with his own. After the explosion, they slowly stood up and watched as the upper level collapsed to cover the remains of the basement command centre.
A later search of the ruins found nothing much at all, for everything of importance had been destroyed, further proof that Sally and Will had sort, of an alien presence on their planet, was proving elusive. It came as no shock to them when they heard of the death of Mandelson and Mullins; it was just par for the course.
One piece of positive news made this disappointment go away, the DNA tests carried out on the six dead men had finally come back, they proved without a shadow of a doubt that the men were definitely not human.
Chapter Six
Petras Furling
Councillor Jorman called the council of the Chosen Ones together, he was worried that their invasion was quickly losing steam; he immediately went on the attack.
“Consul Phairlis, we have suffered a number of reverses recently, and in reply all we have done is kill a few unimportant humans. Our Chinese venture failed miserably, our Houston command centre raided, and is now a pile of ashes, and the humans have taken our factory and chief research centre in Austin. More importantly is the fact that that Jameson woman must have provided the Texas Rangers with an impelling reason for them to raid the two buildings, and our agents on the planet tell me that she even knew of our secret laboratory. If so then I believe that the use of the Trichlorian Plus will fail, for they will soon be testing all of their reservoirs and lakes to ensure that it does not enter the food chain. Professor Carlisle tells me that the effects of the chemical can easily be neutralised by adding another chemical to the water supplies, something their scientists will soon discover now they know what to look for. Following the autopsies made upon a number of our operatives, the subsequent autopsy reports must have provided interesting reading for the authorities. If they did not believe of our presence on their planet, then they must do so within the next few days.” Jorman stopped here for a moment for his words to sink in, and then he continued. “Tell us how you propose to get us back on track Consul Phairlis, or resign your position as leader of our group; and allow another to take the helm, to lead us to victory.” Jorman demanded, and from the grunts of approval his words received, it appeared to Phairlis that many others agreed with Jorman.