Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
“Groom Lake is a top-secret research facility,” I agree. “Secret because we don’t want our enemies to have the upper hand with technology if, heaven forbid, we ever go to war again. Trainees coming and going from that facility would represent a great security risk. And Dreamland is going to be the most amazing training facility ever created. A place where every branch of military, and even nonmilitary law enforcement agencies, will send their very best to make them better.”
Which is true. It’s going to be amazing, and there is every reason to share this with Layla and allow her the honor of that insider information. What I didn’t, and won’t, tell her is that Dreamland is where our soldiers will train to fight the soldiers of Zodius Nation. Zodius soldiers will be targeted with Red Dart while outside the protection of Zodius City, captured, and brought to Dreamland, where we hope to make them allies, not enemies. How we plan to capture them, I do not know, but after my meeting with Creed, I plan to find out. The truth is, my father has been hush-hush about the progress with Red Dart, claiming the secrecy to be for my own safety. And I hate that Creed is making me question whether that’s his true motive for keeping me in the dark.
Layla taps a pencil on her pad and glances between me and West with a look that screams, ‘I’m not buying it.’ “I don’t suppose either of you would like to comment on the rumors that a nongovernment militant group has taken over Groom Lake?”
I barely contain a reaction to the unexpected question while West maintains his unflinching, stone-faced soldier persona to perfection. Somehow, I manage a reasonably realistic-sounding laugh. “Next thing I know, you’ll be telling me those nongovernment militants are big green aliens.”
Layla doesn’t laugh. “Are they?”
West did laugh; the sound was mocking and snide. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Layla visibly pales. “Yes,” she says. “Of course.” She closes her notebook. “Thank you both for your time.”
I stand with Layla and exchange a few cordial words with her, her embarrassment palpable, her exit rapid. I sit down again, across from Brock, who has not stood up for Layla’s departure. “I have no idea why your father thought I was the appropriate person to meet the press. I can’t stand those UFO chasers.”
“My father wanted you involved because you’re in charge of the training operation,” I remind him. “And he had to return to Nevada a day early.” I shift gears. “Aren’t you even a little worried about her questions regarding Groom Lake?”
He snorts. “Not in the slightest. She was digging for a reaction. If she’d had anything of substance, she wouldn’t have stopped pushing.”
Maybe, I think. Hopefully. For now, I let it go and focused on poaching him for information regarding Red Dart—“RD” for discretion. “The first group of Dreamland troops arrives next week. Reading through the training protocols, there is no mention of RD. The soldiers are being taught the same rapid-fire and heavy weapons techniques already in place to battle the Zodius. I thought Dreamland and RD were about capture and reform?”
“So far, the tranquilizers we’ve used don’t work more than a few seconds, so it’s imperative we train our men to survive at all costs,” he comments, remarkably willing to talk. “Trust me. We have a plan.”
“I know we have to survive.” I lower my voice. “If they can windwalk past our security gates, how will RD help?”
“Once their blood is bound with the RD chemical, we have weapons and sensors inside the gates that will be automatically triggered when they approach. Even in the wind.”
“That sounds dangerous,” I whisper urgently, “like an accident waiting to happen. It only works if they are tagged with RD.”
“That’s true,” he agrees, “but RD is a painless laser, easily used in confrontation. And it permeates their armor. We’ll get them all tagged and captured in no time.”
“When exactly will RD be officially launched?”
“Soon,” he says flatly.
“In time for the training?”
“Soon,” he repeats. “You know your father doesn’t want you involved in RD. I’m not supposed to be telling you any of this.”
Oh, I know, I think. I also know he wouldn’t be answering my questions without an agenda attached. “Then why are you?”
He leans in closer. “He’s too protective, Addie. He underestimates you.” His voice is low and seductive. His eyes hot. He wants me. He’d made that clear on more than one occasion. “Why don’t we finish up here? We’ll go to dinner and talk. Plan a strategy to convince your father to ease up on you.”
I recoil inside, barely containing a tart response. He doesn’t want to help me. He wants into my pants and further inside my father’s good graces. If I were a vicious person, I’d tell my father. But I’m not, so I don’t.