Homeland Insecurity...Part 1

My discussion with Drake at the tree lasted for several days. Obviously, I can’t post the contents of that entire discussion in this forum, but you will get further glimpses from Drake himself when I allow him to post snippets here on the blog.

As for me, let’s just leave it that I now have a much better understanding as to who and what I am facing with the An’girasii and their various servants.

In the meantime, I returned home to prepare for the draft in the Fantasy Baseball league I had entered with the Professor.

The draft was set begin, so when the phone rang, I figured it was going to Jim trying to trash talk. “Look Jim, there’s nothing you can offer me A-Rod, I’m keeping him this year.”

“Hello, Agent Rusty Bones?” It was not Jim.

“Oh, I’m sorry, yes this is Agent Bones. Can I help you?”

“Yes, I am Commander John Stennos of the U.S. Coast Guard. I was given you’re number by an Agent Wilson. We have a…situation…that we may have need of your assistance in resolving.”

“Well, if Agent Wilson referred you to me, then it must be pretty serious.”

“Yes, sir. It is deadly serious.”

“OK, so what’s going on?”

“Sir, I’m afraid I can’t discuss this on a non-secure line, this is a very sensitive Homeland Security matter that we cannot afford to have leaked out until the situation has been handled.”

“I see. Well, I need to get a briefing on the situation in order to let you know if I can help you or not.”

“Yes, sir, I understand. Agent Wilson has provided me with your SecureNet e-mail address. I can have a detailed report with video links and all of the information you will need sent to within the next five minutes. I just wanted to contact you personally to apprise of the incoming message.”

“Thank you, Commander Stennos. I will be watching for the message. Please provide your location with the message. If I can help I will need to know where to find you.”

“It will be in the report, Agent Bones. I’m not sure how one person can really help with this situation, but I look forward to hearing back from you after you have viewed the message. Thank you for your time.”

The line went dead.

His voice had a tense quality to it that betrayed the pressure of the situation he was seemingly under.

I set the phone down and turned back to the upcoming draft. With a shrug, I set the thing to auto-draft, hoping that I would have a half-way decent team at the end of it and then toggled the SecureNet switch on the laptop, so that I could begin the login verification process onto the Bureau’s secret, shadowy internet where secure communication could take place and waited for the message from Commander Stennos.