Shadow Of The Past Trilogy ∞ THE DISPLACED

53 ∞ open sesame

Day Fourteen ∞ Thursday

TWENTY-FOUR MINUTES.

In twenty-four minutes, they expected her human form to wake up from the anesthesia. Selina could feel an engine starting up and the slamming of doors via the connection to her body.

Twenty-three.

The armored transport drove away, increasing the distance between her and her body. The trail that connected her two selves would fade her until there was nothing visible in the cell. She would have to make her move before then. She followed the vibration of the vehicle as it turned right, then left and then came closer before adding more distance. After a while, she realized that it was driving a circuitous route to confuse the direction of their destination. A pointless exercise, since she already knew where The One's vessel was.

Nineteen.

Now she was reduced to half in size, lessening in density, and the man in the control room was watching her closely on the monitor with his hand on the field phone. Four hands on each side of her cell were reaching for their sidearms in anticipation. Also a pointless exercise.

Eighteen.

It was time.

The instant she left the cell, she was above the armored transport as it took another turn. She stayed there with it so no one could feel her energy field. She had no problem hearing phone voice at Apocalypse's ear, The ghost's gone black, and immediately there was the synchronized draw of three pistols. She did not need to see to know that they were all aimed at her body.

"Don't even think about it. Breathe wrong and we blow her head from her shoulders... No alien technology will ever put her back together when I get done with her. Are we clear... Ghost?"

Apocalypse's voice was loud and clear from inside the vehicle, but she did not respond. Right now, enough of her consciousness was separated from her body that the threat would not worry her much. Should it be carried out, it would pose a complication, but that complication was not nearly as serious as he would expect. The fact remained that her body was not her true form. Yet, she would do her best to minimize the risk.

The vehicle made another detour, circling the Air Force Academy buildings before returning to the road leading to the airfield. They were approaching the correct hanger with fourteen minutes to go.

It was close enough now.

She was inside the hanger, near the high ceiling, surveying the layout. Six men already stood with their M14 rifles at the ready, surrounding the vessel. Another two stood on guard outside the makeshift office and one was inside the door with his weapon trained at Colonel Walters who sat stoically with his hands resting on the desk. Except for breathing, no one moved a muscle.

Selina approached the office from above, gaining an uninterrupted view of the balding patch at the tip of Walters' crown. Then she waited. As soon as the armored vehicle drew to a halt outside the hanger, she projected her words.

—Close your mind, Colonel.

Walters swung his head around, but it appeared as if he was reacting to the arrival of the vehicle. He turned back, looking straight at the guard at his door.

She lowered herself to face Walters while remaining invisible.

—Think not.

She spread the equivalent of a limb across the desktop, close enough for the colonel to feel her energy field. His fingers jumped in reaction before he pressed them back down on the metal surface and drew a deep breath.