Codename Angel (The Angel Chronicles Book 1) (42 page)

Chapter 113

Fort William,
Scotland – 10:56am

Saturday 15
^th
June 1954

Fred Barnet and
Albert Atkins jumped off the small boat onto the quayside. Frederick and
Stanford had accompanied them. ‘Well gentlemen I cannot tell you how grateful
we are for your help, if it weren’t for you old naval hands we would have been
food for the fishes. We have arranged transportation to take you home, so I
guess this is farewell.’

Barnet folded his
arms glaring at Stanford. ‘So you’re head of British intelligence.’ He nodded
before turning to Frederick. ‘And you’re a renowned astrophysicist. Then I take
it this Flying Saucer Working Party you say you represent is a fabrication.’

Stanford smiled and
nodded.

‘I should have known
with such a ridiculous name like that.’

‘You were at Loch
Ness investigating the USO.’ Atkins said. ‘Which would mean the government does
have people who investigate flying saucer sightings.’

‘I’m afraid gentlemen
that information is highly classified.’

‘Well this is going
in the newsletter that’s for sure, and I shall be ringing half a dozen papers
when I get back home.’ Barnet said with a smile on his face. ‘You gentlemen are
going to be front page news.’

‘Based on what
evidence?’ Stanford shrugged. ‘Have you any pictures, or anything else that
proves your story to be fact.’

Barnet took a deep
breath. ‘Well we have..um...well.’ Barnet reluctantly shook his head.

‘Exactly.’ Stanford
returned. ‘As for you telephoning newspapers.’ He continued shaking his head.
‘Your story will never see the light of day, we’ll see to that.’

‘But we have our
newsletter.’

‘You do indeed.’
Stanford said. ‘But how many subscribers do you have? A mere handful.’

‘We have his royal
Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.’

‘So I’ve heard, but
we have plausible deniability on our side. You see, you chaps are just a couple
of enthusiastic flying saucer investigators that will do anything to get
attention. I think his royal Highness will simply shrug off your story.’
Stanford smiled as he walked away.

Atkins and Barnett
looked on as Stanford boarded the boat.

‘I’ll say this
gentlemen.’ Frederick said. ‘You still have one mystery that no one has mentioned.
What exactly was it that attacked the sub in Loch Ness?’

Atkins and Barnet
looked at each other and smiled, before looking back at Frederick. ‘My dear
Professor you’re not suggesting that it was the Loch Ness monster.’ Atkins
continued to smile as he spoke.

Frederick shrugged.
‘You told me during our little adventure last year that your group is based on
scientific understanding and research. Perhaps you need to expand your field of
expertise beyond flying saucers. Whatever it was that attacked us in Loch Ness
brought us precious time; we would have been well on our way to Russia by now.’

A thoughtful Barnet
considered Frederick’s words. ‘Perhaps we can investigate other matters of the
unexplained.’

‘That’s the spirit.’
Frederick said looking at Stanford who stood watchfully on the boat. ‘Despite
what Mr Stanford said, don’t lose heart. He wouldn’t like to admit it, but we
need people like you to spread the word on flying saucers. The public may not
be ready to know the truth at this moment, but in time they will, and it will
be people like you who will pave the way.’

‘Before we part
company Professor, when we were in the submarine, that Russian Colonel asked if
we were members of The Angel Committee. What exactly is that?’ Barnet asked.

Frederick smiled
back. ‘Once again gentlemen it’s been interesting.’

Atkins shook
Frederick’s hand. ‘Until next time Professor Frederick.’

Frederick shook his
head smiling. ‘I sincerely hope not Gentlemen, I sincerely hope not.’

Chapter 114

Full Circle

Southport –
Lancashire – 2:57pm

Wednesday 7
^th
July 1954

Agent Cones and
Frederick looked out across the coastline. The sky was deep blue, cloudless and
the sun gave off a fierce heat. People walked up and down the second longest
pier in England enjoying the summer sunshine. Frederick looked across the
shoreline and could see the Blackpool Tower shimmering like a desert mirage in
the distance.

‘I have to admit you
British have wonderful towns. In America we just build in square formation,
rather uncreative in my mind.’

‘I do love the
seaside.’ Frederick remarked. A man walked by clasping a bag of fish and chips.
The aroma drifted over to the two men. He smiled remembering times he had spent
in the seaside town of Hunstanton with Elizabeth and Susan on the Norfolk coast.

Cones reached into
his pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. ‘Ok who’s our lucky
contestant? According to this her name is Lucy Williams.’

‘Providing the
information is correct.’ Frederick added.

‘Trust me it’s
correct, we have accessed information regarding pregnant women in the area and
she shows up where one of the red markers appears. She lives in Bold Street.’

Both men started to
walk in the direction indicated on the piece of paper. ‘You know this is our
first assignment together since the hospital in Abergavenny last year. How have
you been?’

Cones smiled. ‘You
mean have I lost it since then?’

‘You didn’t lose it.’
Frederick remarked. ‘Janus played with your head.’

‘He played with your
head as well Professor but you seem to be able to cope more than me.’

‘Don’t blame yourself
Agent Cones, Janus is a dangerous character.’

Ten minutes later
both men arrived at the location. Frederick knocked loudly on the door.

‘Can I help you?’ A
large man growled on opening the door.

‘Good afternoon sir
we are looking for Lucy Williams.’

‘And who might you
be?’

‘We are from the
ministry of health and wish to check on her progress, we are currently working
with local district surgeries, it standard these days.’ Frederick looked at the
man feeling slightly unnerved by his bulk.

‘I don’t remember
Doctor Brown mentioning anything about strangers calling.’

‘He wouldn’t have, we
only arrived yesterday.’ Frederick replied.

‘The midwife is due
to show up soon to take her away. I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time.’ The man
began to back away from the door.

Agent Cones stepped
forward shoving his foot in the door before it shut. ‘We need to see Lucy now
sir, otherwise we will come back with senior health officials.’

‘You’re a Yank,
what’s a Yank doing with the ministry of health.’

‘I’m a specialist
sir, now I suggest you let us see Lucy Williams or we will be back with more
people.’

The man glared at
Frederick and Cones for several seconds before inviting them in.

Frederick and Cones
were escorted to a back room. A young teenage girl was sat in a rocking chair
staring out of the window. Tears welled up in her eyes as she nursed her
heavily pregnant stomach.

‘Lucy, you have some
visitors!’ Her father barked.

The girl looked up at
the two strangers, her face racked with fear.

Frederick walked over
and knelt. ‘Hello Lucy my name is Ralph Frederick, I’m here to check if you’re
alright.’

‘Of course she
isn’t.’ Her father said sternly. ‘She’s got a bloody bun in the oven.’

Lucy looked away
shamefully.

‘It’s ok, we are here
to help.’ Frederick reassured. ‘Can I ask you how old you are?’

‘Fifteen.’ She
replied, her voice almost a whisper.

‘Aye, fifteen bloody
years old and pregnant.’ Her father complained. ‘And she still refuses to tell
me who the father is so I can wring his bloody neck.’

‘Mr Williams, I
presume.’ Cones said. ‘Why don’t you go and put the kettle on, so we can talk
to your daughter alone.’

Williams hesitated
for a few seconds before disappearing into the kitchen.

Lucy started to cry.
‘I don’t know who the father is, it’s not my fault.’ She sobbed wiping away
tears.

‘We know it’s not
your fault Lucy, can I ask you how many months you are.’

‘I’m not sure, but I
think I’m almost full term. The midwife said she’ll take me away today to have
my baby, then I can come back home.’

A loud knock on the
door interrupted the meeting. ‘That will be the midwife thank god.’ The girl’s
father said walking towards the door.

Frederick gathered
his thoughts searching for an explanation for the midwife who now appeared in
the doorway. As he made eye contact with the woman, his mind thrust back almost
two years to where the whole UFO affair started with the pregnancy of Edith
Jones, who now stood in the doorway staring at Frederick.

Silence enveloped the
room, Frederick stared at the woman who had risen from the dead in the surgery
at Ripley. ‘Why are you here?’

‘Professor Ralph
Frederick.’ She stated her voice devoid of emotion.

Frederick nodded.

Edith looked at the
American. ‘Agent Frank Cones.’

Cones took a step
back. ‘Yeah.’ He said cautiously.

Edith looked back at
Frederick. ‘Your presence here is unexpected, but it does not interfere with
our plans.’

‘I could easily say
the same about you.’ Frederick replied. ‘Where have you been all this time?’

‘I have been
preparing the way.’ She replied.

‘The way for what?’

Edith looked at the
young girl. ‘Her.’

‘What’s going on
here?’ Lucy’s father demanded to know. ‘Who the hell are you people?’

Edith looked at him,
held out her hand and touched his cheek. Williams dropped to the floor like a
lead weight.

Cones instinctively
drew his gun. ‘Hands where I can see them lady, now!’ He demanded taking
another step back to distance himself from her.

Frederick looked at
the man on the floor. ‘What have you done?’

‘He is not dead, he
is neutralised.’ She said, her voice sounded almost metallic.

Lucy started to
scream at the sight of her unconscious father, but suddenly stopped. Liquid
began to pour onto the floor directly below her. ‘It’s coming.’ She sobbed.

Edith walked over to
her, stroking her hair.

Lucy stopped crying
immediately and closed her eyes.

Cones stepped to the
doorway, his gun firmly fixed on Edith. ‘There’s no way you’re getting out of
this room lady, now back away from the girl, slowly.’

Edith looked at
Cones. ‘There is no need to fear for her Agent Cones, we are not here as your
enemy.’

‘We?’ Cones replied.

An intense burst of
light suddenly filled the room for a few seconds, before dissipating.
Frederick’s heart skipped a beat as he looked around. Four tall slender looking
creatures stood looking down at Lucy and tending to her. Another intense burst
of light followed, and Lucy and the creatures were gone.

‘What the hell just
happened?’ Cones said.

Edith stood looking
at Frederick. ‘It is time.’ She said.

‘Time for what?’
Frederick replied.

‘Contact.’ Edith
stated.

Chapter 115

Crisis Talks

The Kremlin – Moscow
– Soviet Union – 10:23am

Friday 9
^th
July 1954

Colonel Yuri Konev
bolted down a shot glass of vodka placing it heavy handed back on the table. He
had just read the report in front of him. ‘Is there any way that we can
interrupt this meeting?’

Igor Lakatos shook
his head. ‘No, my source in London has told me any intervention would
compromise him, and would stall our intelligence gathering.’

Nikolai Bulganin took
a deep breath. ‘How close are the Americans to launching their lunar orbiter?’

‘They’re still on
schedule for next May; they have had some delays thanks to our agents. We are
looking for ways to derail the whole project, but it will mean sacrificing our
men.’ Lakatos replied.

‘Is there any way we
can accelerate our own space program?’

Again Lakatos shook
his head. ‘The Americans have the bulk of the rocket scientists Germany had at
their disposal during the war, they are way ahead of us.’

‘What about exposing
the Americans, telling the rest of the world about what they are doing.’

‘Impossible.’ Lakatos
said. ‘The western press have a tight leash around their necks, such a story
wouldn’t see the light of day.’

‘Then my comrades
there has to be another option.’ Bulganin stated.

‘There is one bit of
promising news.’ Konev said. ‘Our scientists have been sifting through some of
the documents recovered from Nazi Germany nine years ago and have found
information regarding the possible burial site of a non terrestrial creature.’

‘Where?’  Asked
Bulganin.

‘Egypt.’

‘You would be wise
not to take everything too seriously in regards to the files comrade Konev.’
Lakatos advised.

The colonel looked at
him. ‘We are losing this race comrade we must do everything we can to jump ahead
of the Americans. If you have another solution then say something. Your pet
research project in Siberia is going nowhere since Kirov deserted us last
year.’

‘Gentlemen.’ Bulganin
held up his hand. ‘Now is not the time for division in our ranks. The meeting
about to take place is a setback yes, but the game is far from over, we will
rise out of this and become a dominant power.’ He looked at Lakatos. ‘Inform
your contact in England and the United States that they must obtain information
or artefacts that is of use to Project Orion and your project in Siberia. If
they do not comply then we will cut them lose and expose them to British and
American intelligence.’

Lakatos nodded
slowly.