General Trouble
“Wha? Why?”
“I don’t believe I need to explain myself to you Carroll. After all, this is my dig, not yours.”
Hitomi and CJ exchanged a glance, then Hitomi moved forward. “You must be General Douglas, I’m,” but she was cut off with a glare she could almost feel the malice radiating from.
“If I want you to speak, to me or anyone else, I will address you.” He turned to the soldiers flanking him and gestured. “Take them to the big tent to be debriefed.”
The soldiers surrounded them, and Hitomi went into a defensive stance, but CJ put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head minutely. They’d play along.
For now. On the way out, CJ casually bumped against the sarcophagus and stumbled against it. She righted herself and went out after a glare from the soldiers.
The tent they were escorted to was the largest in the camp, and located in the center. It was sparsely furnished, with only three cots and a card table in the center. After the guards left them, they took up obvious positions outside the tent, which had been lit up to show off the guard’s shadows.
“Not to sound cliche, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“Me too, Hitomi. I don’t like this either.”
Mitchell looked back and forth between them. “I get the feeling you’ve been in this situation before?”
“Once or twice,” they said in unison.
“Oh. Well, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. I’m sure we’ll just be escorted out once they debrief us.” Neither of the women said anything, just exchanged glances.
It wasn’t too long before the general strode in, followed by an officious little man with a clipboard. The general snapped his fingers and a sour looking soldier brought a folding chair in for the general to sit on. He looked at each of them in turn before settling on Mitchell. “Doctor, as I said, you are being dismissed. And no, you don’t need to know why. Unfortunately, due to the sensitivity of the project, and your knowledge of it, I cannot run the risk of letting you leave. Therefore, pursuant to whatever I can find in the Patriot Act, you three are hereby detained here until further notice.”
Mitchell’s jaw hit the floor, obviously unable to believe what he was hearing. He was trying to say something, but CJ spoke up, “General, I can assure you, we know how to keep a secret. There’s no need for this. Let me make a call, and I’m sure the Institute can vouch for us.”
Douglas smiled cruelly, “Oh, I know all about your ‘Institute’, Miss McCormick. I know all about Buckminster Washington. I have extensive dossiers on both of you as well. Let me make one thing clear. You’ll be lucky if I let you free at all. You and your ‘Institute’ are trouble. I don’t care who you know, or what calls you can make. This dig is far too important for me to allow you to run back to Washington crowing about this. It’s a Homeland Security matter.”
“Buck knows people in the White House, General. And if you have my dossier, then you know full well what I’m capable of.” Hitomi rarely heard her friend toss off even a casual threat like that.
The general’s smile widened, “Oh if it comes to that, Miss McCormick, I assure you that they’ll never find the bodies.” He stood and strode out, the man with the clipboard following.
Mitchell sank into one of the cots, face showing shock and disbelief. “I don’t understand. This…” he dropped his head into his hands for a second, then looked at CJ. “He was never going to let me go, even after the project was over, was he?”
She looked at him sympathetically, “Probably not, Mitchell. I’m sorry.”
Hitomi pursed her lips and glanced at the tent flap, ominous shadows of their guard still showing. “Well, “ she said, lowering her voice, “Some vacation you talked me into, partner.” Siege gave a half shrug. So, anyway, hand it over.”
CJ quirked a brow at her, but plucked a scrap of paper from her pocket and laid it on the card table. Mitchell looked up and frowned, “What’s that?” He got up and walked to the table with them.
“Keep your voice down,” Hitomi cautioned, “it’s the cuneiform from the sarcophagus.” When Mitchell looked like he was going to choke she grinned, “Hey, we’ve done this before. We’re professionals.
CJ snorted and placed a hand on Mitchell’s arm, “Once I saw the guards, I figured what was going to happen. Like Hitomi said, we’ve been through this type of thing before. We’re getting out of here, and I figured you might want to help get to the bottom of this.”
Mitchell closed his eyes briefly, and looked into CJ’s and nodded.
“What can I do to help?”
“I don’t believe I need to explain myself to you Carroll. After all, this is my dig, not yours.”
Hitomi and CJ exchanged a glance, then Hitomi moved forward. “You must be General Douglas, I’m,” but she was cut off with a glare she could almost feel the malice radiating from.
“If I want you to speak, to me or anyone else, I will address you.” He turned to the soldiers flanking him and gestured. “Take them to the big tent to be debriefed.”
The soldiers surrounded them, and Hitomi went into a defensive stance, but CJ put a hand on her shoulder and shook her head minutely. They’d play along.
For now. On the way out, CJ casually bumped against the sarcophagus and stumbled against it. She righted herself and went out after a glare from the soldiers.
The tent they were escorted to was the largest in the camp, and located in the center. It was sparsely furnished, with only three cots and a card table in the center. After the guards left them, they took up obvious positions outside the tent, which had been lit up to show off the guard’s shadows.
“Not to sound cliche, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
“Me too, Hitomi. I don’t like this either.”
Mitchell looked back and forth between them. “I get the feeling you’ve been in this situation before?”
“Once or twice,” they said in unison.
“Oh. Well, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. I’m sure we’ll just be escorted out once they debrief us.” Neither of the women said anything, just exchanged glances.
It wasn’t too long before the general strode in, followed by an officious little man with a clipboard. The general snapped his fingers and a sour looking soldier brought a folding chair in for the general to sit on. He looked at each of them in turn before settling on Mitchell. “Doctor, as I said, you are being dismissed. And no, you don’t need to know why. Unfortunately, due to the sensitivity of the project, and your knowledge of it, I cannot run the risk of letting you leave. Therefore, pursuant to whatever I can find in the Patriot Act, you three are hereby detained here until further notice.”
Mitchell’s jaw hit the floor, obviously unable to believe what he was hearing. He was trying to say something, but CJ spoke up, “General, I can assure you, we know how to keep a secret. There’s no need for this. Let me make a call, and I’m sure the Institute can vouch for us.”
Douglas smiled cruelly, “Oh, I know all about your ‘Institute’, Miss McCormick. I know all about Buckminster Washington. I have extensive dossiers on both of you as well. Let me make one thing clear. You’ll be lucky if I let you free at all. You and your ‘Institute’ are trouble. I don’t care who you know, or what calls you can make. This dig is far too important for me to allow you to run back to Washington crowing about this. It’s a Homeland Security matter.”
“Buck knows people in the White House, General. And if you have my dossier, then you know full well what I’m capable of.” Hitomi rarely heard her friend toss off even a casual threat like that.
The general’s smile widened, “Oh if it comes to that, Miss McCormick, I assure you that they’ll never find the bodies.” He stood and strode out, the man with the clipboard following.
Mitchell sank into one of the cots, face showing shock and disbelief. “I don’t understand. This…” he dropped his head into his hands for a second, then looked at CJ. “He was never going to let me go, even after the project was over, was he?”
She looked at him sympathetically, “Probably not, Mitchell. I’m sorry.”
Hitomi pursed her lips and glanced at the tent flap, ominous shadows of their guard still showing. “Well, “ she said, lowering her voice, “Some vacation you talked me into, partner.” Siege gave a half shrug. So, anyway, hand it over.”
CJ quirked a brow at her, but plucked a scrap of paper from her pocket and laid it on the card table. Mitchell looked up and frowned, “What’s that?” He got up and walked to the table with them.
“Keep your voice down,” Hitomi cautioned, “it’s the cuneiform from the sarcophagus.” When Mitchell looked like he was going to choke she grinned, “Hey, we’ve done this before. We’re professionals.
CJ snorted and placed a hand on Mitchell’s arm, “Once I saw the guards, I figured what was going to happen. Like Hitomi said, we’ve been through this type of thing before. We’re getting out of here, and I figured you might want to help get to the bottom of this.”
Mitchell closed his eyes briefly, and looked into CJ’s and nodded.
“What can I do to help?”
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