Totally relaxed, she lay on her bed with hands behind her head going through the last few days of events. Her vision when she had held both stones prevailed in her mind. However, it seemed to have eased off for a while. God, it was a good thing, as she feared for her mind’s state of health.
Pete Reynolds, did not treat her like a freak, and had just somehow happened to have peach schnapps in his bottom desk drawer. Was that a coincidence? Get real; he probably has a full dossier on her.
He had told her he had been given permission to give her some background on Divisions, his personal experience, how he started with them, their objectives, and what they expected from their employees. He explained about the BSP. He could not elaborate on who their bosses were, as that was up to them. He got paid handsomely for his expertise, and what they asked back was that he and everyone else involved kept their mouths shut, and did their jobs.
The cover stories on the jobs these people did were more fantastic than any military cover up ever created! For all Kate knew, her elderly, arthritic neighbor Joe Brown could have been a brilliant secret scientist.
Pete had joked. “As long as my bank balance is healthy, and I am exempt from paying tax.” Kate balked at that. “I don’t really need to know who pays me.” He grinned and added, “We don’t create wars or do any illegal activities—purely off world exploration only.”
“So you are tempting me with money…”
Pete laughed heartedly.
“Absolutely not, but don’t you want to give it a try? Kate, I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Behind his glasses that he wore, she saw sincerity. She believed him.
From then on, whatever Pete said or did made Kate a much happier person.
Her lips curved into a smile from the last meeting. Both sides had made a mutual pact; to trust each other. She suspected Pete had made her look good, and the powers that be gave her the benefit of the doubt.
She grinned, reminiscing about her first official meeting.
The OBF1 team with Pilcher and a nervous Kate were all present seated at a long table in a meeting room.
Pilcher began, “I want to start this meeting with our sincere apologies for what you have been through Kate. I can assure you things are going to change. I hope you can understand that all these new discoveries have thrown us somewhat out of our comfort zone. But that is no excuse for the cold, rather heartless way we have behaved. I’m sorry we cannot provide you with clear-cut answers at the moment. Believe me; we all are just as eager to find out more ourselves. But if we got to know each other better, perhaps the answers will come. I know the sessions with Dr. Reynolds have helped you. Therefore, if you would like to join us here, at Divisions, in front of you are papers you can read over, and if everything is okay, sign them and pass them to me. It basically states that what we have discussed will remain secret, that you will not share or discuss anything you see and do here outside of these walls. Whether or not you choose to remain with us or leave will still mean you are forbidden to talk to anyone about this work wherever you are.”
Kate hesitated. Her head was swimming. “I get the drift.” She picked up the papers without reading them and signed the half dozen places required. She slid them back to Pilcher. “You guys aren’t that bad. It was just the heavy handedness at the beginning. I think I can deal with it.” She grinned at Pete. If it were not for him, she would be having second thoughts.
Pilcher noticed her glance and spoke with an intense tone, “We would value your input, and with a bit of training and experience, you could become an observer, maybe a team member of the Odyssey Bourne Force.”
Each member of OBF1 stood and shook her hand.
“Welcome, Kate.”
“Nice to have you on board.”
“We’re not as bad as you think we are.”
Kate giggled.
Pilcher smiled warmly. “I think it is time to introduce you to other staff and get to know this facility better.”