Pulling through the base gates, on his way to Phoenix, Paul knew he was beginning a trip that would endanger his military career and maybe even his life. But, he also knew that not making the trip also may cost him those things. So, if he was going down, he at least wanted to try and find out why?
He smiled to himself, that at least his trip into Phoenix would be taken as routine. For several years, whenever he visited Luke, he would spend a lot of time in Phoenix. He had met a working girl there and whenever he had the time he would set up a day with her. This trip would appear no different. He had called her from the base and arranged to meet her at the same motel they always met at, but this time there would not be time for fun and games, this time he would be paying her for her time and not for her favors.
Entering the room carrying his suitcase, she purred to him, "Long time no see big boy."
It took a minute or two for his eyes to adjust to the dimness of the room but when they did and he saw her stretched out on the bed, he for a moment, wondered, maybe he did have time for both? No, he couldn't take the time to pleasure himself no matter how enticing she was he had to lay out his plan to her and get her to agree to go along with it. Then he had to get himself changed and out of there ASAP.
"Sorry to say I'm not going to be spending the day with you this time, but you will be paid to stay here and act as if I were here," he said.
"What do you mean Paul I thought you liked being with me" she asked?
"OH. I do LIKE being with you, but this time I have some pressing business and I need a cover. That's why I will pay you twice your going rate to stay here until I return. I need you to stay in the room except for going to get our meals, make sure that you buy for two. I will be slipping out this window and coming back the same way and I will need you to be here to answer the phone and make it appear that we are having a good time. Can you do that" he asked?
"You mean your slipping out this window to go play around with someone else and you want me to stay here and pretend that you are here playing with me? But who's so goody goody that you can't just go see her," she asked?
Paul tried to explain, "It's not another gal, it's just some business that I have to take care of that I would rather not have to explain to my superiors."
The girl with a puzzled frown agreed to cover for him and promised that she would do as he asked. With that settled he changed into his civvies and as he did so he realized that to rent a car he would need a valid id. He couldn't use his, that would leave a trail. What the hell was he going to do now?
"Hey!" He called to the girl. "Do you own a car?"
"Yeah, why," she replied.
"How would you like to rent it to me," he asked?
"What's ya need a car for?" She asked?
"I just need it," he almost shouted!
"Okay, Okay, you can borrow my car. Just don't bang it up, okay?" She said. A minute or two later Paul came out of the bathroom Margie was taken aback "Boy, when you go under cover you go undercover. I wouldn't have recognized you on the street," she said."
"That good huh?" He asked?
"Would have fooled me," she stammered.
"Now, about the car," he began.
"Oh, just take the old thing. You don't need to pay me for it, just make sure the tanks full when you get back," she said.
"You're a good kid," he said, as he gave her a hug. " Now, where are the keys? I have to get going."
"Don't you want to know what it is and where it is?" She teased?
"Well of course I will need to know that, but I also need the keys. I figured you would tell me the rest. So where is it and what is it?" He asked.
"Well, it's parked out back just look for a blue Plymouth," she told him.
"Great, now where are the keys?" He asked?
"Here's the keys. You just take good care of it and yourself and hurry back," she purred.
Taking the keys he told her, "I probably won't be back till after dark, but for heaven sakes please don't give me away. Do as we always do."
She replied, "Can't do that sweety, you won't be here!"
"You know what I mean. Stay in the room except to get food and don't let anybody in. Is that understood?" He asked?
"Yeah, Yeah, I'll do as you want. Hell, maybe I'll even enjoy it. A whole day to just sleep and listen to the radio, and paid double time to boot, can't beat that" she said.
"Okay, I've got to get going. You be good, and I'll see you later," he replied. Opening the window he started through it when he heard, from behind him, Margie purr "I'm always good!" He had to laugh and agree with her there, she was definitely always good.
Finding the car was no problem it was the only Blue Plymouth parked at the rear of the motel. Getting in and starting it he noted the gas tank was almost empty, which was okay though. He needed to get a map of the area and he could get one at the gas station. Maybe, they would even have a street map of Sedona,he thought. Getting on the Highway he wished he had gotten an earlier start, it was going to be a hot trip into Sedona. Thank god, he thought, it was only a couple of hours away. Driving along the road he was taken with the redness of the hills and valleys and the feeling of a place where time had almost stood still. There was almost no other traffic on the road and damn few places to pull off for any services. The further he went, the more desolate became the landscape, and the more alone he felt. He now knew why they had Joe living way out here, in this barren and desolate country, who would he tell his wild stories to, the rattlesnakes? The few people living around here are probably spending most of their time just trying to keep life and limb together, he mused. The heat was enough to make anybody seem a little weird, so even if he did find someone's ear to bend they probably would just think the heat had gotten to him. Coming around a sharp corner he was suddenly in downtown Sedona. Talk about a small town, a gas station, a couple of cafe's, a motel and a few other small businesses. Well, he thought I guess first things first. Fuel for the car and maybe a hamburger and fries with several large Iced Teas for me. Then I can see about Joe. After he fueled the car he picked a Cafe that looked inviting. Pulling open the Cafe door Paul was greeted by the waitress who called out to him. "Howdy stranger, have a seat I'll be right there." He nodded and took a seat at the counter. There were three other men sitting at the counter, but the rest of the place was deserted. As the waitress came up, she put down a beautiful glass of ice water. At least it looked beautiful to Paul, who felt like his mouth was full of cotton. "Well what would you like," the waitress asked. "A big juicy hamburger, some fries and all the iced tea I can hold," said Paul. "Sounds like you've been out in the heat for a while," the waitress said, with a wide grin on her face. "Yeah, I just arrived from Phoenix," said Paul. "You sure picked the wrong time to be out there on the road in this heat. You must be from up north or awfully anxious to get somewhere," she said. "Well actually I'm from New Mexico, but I did need to get here and see if I could look up an old buddy. I heard he was living around here somewhere," Paul said, hoping she might offer some help. Hey, wait a minute, let me put your order in and get that iced tea for ya. Then you can tell me who you're looking for. I know almost everyone around here, maybe I can help," she said, as she turned and hollered, "One hamburger, make it juicy and a side of fries!" She got the biggest glass Paul had ever seen and filled it with the iced tea and placed a large slice of lemon on the side of it as she put in down in front of Paul. She asked, " So who are you looking for?" "Well his name is Joe Taylor. He's about five feet eleven inches, a little on the heavy side, the last time I saw him, and he's about my age or a little older. I think he moved here a year or so ago after he retired from the Air Force," he told her. "Hey, that's strange we got a guy that comes in occasionally and he showed up about a year ago. His name is Joe but he couldn't be the guy your looking for, he's a nut case. He gives me the wiles," she said, with a noticeable shiver. "Oh." Said Paul. "Why's that?" "Well if this guy had been with the Air Force we surely wouldn't have won the war," she replied. One of the other guys' sitting at the counter then chimed in "Hey Lou, you talking about old crazy Joe?" "Yeah, that's who," the waitress said. "Well, you know he does claim he was in the service." The man said. "You're kidding. Can you beat that, old crazy Joe protecting the good old US of A?" "When did you hear that?" She asked? The man moved down next to Paul and said. " Well, one day a few months ago he was in here and he just started talking to me. At first he seemed to be having a good day. But the next thing I knew he got all nutso and started talking about dwarfs with big eyes and almost blue white skin, and how they were coming, and we had better get ready. He said the Air Force knew, but they weren't talking about it, and he was going to have to warn the world. I let him ramble on for a while, but it just got weirder and weirder, until I had to just get up and leave." He told them. Paul not wanting to sound to curious said."Boy, it must be spooky having someone like that wandering around." The waitress said. "Oh, we don't see much of him. He only comes into town once or twice a month. He lives out at the old Miller place and pretty much keeps to himself. You ought to see his place, it's down at the end of town just off to the left. You can't miss it. It's the only one ringed with barbed wire and a ten-foot fence. I don't know how many dogs he's got, but there's sure a mess of em," she said. Paul relived that he had gotten what he needed, without having to let it be known that this was who he was looking for said, "Well he can't be my old buddy. He had the calmest, coolest tempera ment of anyone I have ever known." The fellow sitting next to Paul laughingly said. " Well, this guy can be called a lot of things, but calm and cool ain't two of em!" "Oh well," said Paul, "My Joe Taylor's around some place I'll just have to look else where." " Hey," said the waitress. " We've really been wasting your time. I just remembered, one day old Joe came in and asked me to cash a Social Security check for him. I couldn't, but I did get a look at it and the name was Joe Jones. I remember, I thought he didn't look like a JJ to me!" Finishing the last of his meal, Paul thanked the waitress and the man for their help and wished them well as he assured them he would find his friend. They wished him luck and he left.
Back in the car he headed for the edge of town. He didn't have far to go. The waitress had been right, you couldn't miss the place. Driving up the narrow driveway that ran along the fence he counted at least seven dogs. How, he wondered was he going to get in? He didn't have to wonder long though, for the moment he opened the car door the front door of the house opened and out walked Joe. He appeared disheveled and disoriented. The two men stood there for a moment looking at one another then Joe ran towards the fence. Standing on the inside of the fence with his face pressed up against it he was looking at Paul as though he had seen Santa Claus. Finally Joe said, "Hey I know you you're a ah"... Paul spoke up and said, "Yeah Joe, you know me. I used to work for you. I'm Paul, do you remember?" Joe stepped back from the fence like it was electric. "They sent you didn't they?" Joe said. "No." Paul said "Nobody sent me, I just wanted to come and see how you were." "Nobody comes to see me, and nobody cares how I am except my dogs. They sent you, didn't they?" said Joe almost tearfully. Paul deciding to use another tact asked. "Who are they? Who do you think sent me?" "The dwarfs with those big eyes, they sent you didn't they?" Joe questioned. "No" Paul said. "They didn't send me, but I would like to hear about them if you would like to tell me about them." Joe now was just staring at Paul, as he asked, "You mean you want to hear about the dwarfs and what they did and what they are going to do?" Paul said, "Yes Joe, I came up here to hear everything you have to say." Joe began, "But the doctors said I shouldn't think about them and I shouldn't talk about them cause I would scare people." "But Joe, I am asking you to tell me and I promise I won't be scared. Nobody but you and I will ever know that we talked about them" reassured Paul. Joe stammering, "It, it would be nice to to talk to someone but wha, what if they find out? I'll be in big trouble. They'll, they'll come and get me." "Joe, I swear no one is going to find out. You can trust me. Shouldn't we go inside where we won't be seen? Don"t you think that would be safer?" Asked Paul. "Well maybe, but they will see your car," said Joe. "Not if I take it up the road a bit and hide it. Will you let me in and talk to me if I do that" Paul asked? "I, I guess, but you got to promise not to tell anyone ok," Joe almost pleadingly asked? Paul promised him that no one would know and told Joe he would be back in a few minutes. With that he got back into the car and drove on up the road till he found a crossroads where there were some trees. He parked the car behind the trees and grabbed his notebook and camera. As he started back down the road to Joe's Paul started to sweat. It wasn't just the heat that was now getting to him, it was the tension of the moment, and what he was about to do. As Joe's house came back into view Paul took a deep breath and said a silent prayer. Oh, how he hoped this was the right thing to do. Walking up the driveway, the dogs signaled Paul's arrival and Joe came running out of the house to open the gate and let him in. Paul was impressed that when Joe told the dogs it was all right the dogs quit barking. They just became oversized puppies. He had worried that with so many of them he might have trouble getting from the driveway to the house. It seemed, however, that Joe had very well trained dogs. That's strange, thought Paul to himself, how does a crazy man control so many dogs? When I can't control one? No sooner than they had gotten inside when Paul noticed several of the books he had back at the base. The one that had first caught his eye was the one with the Nazca lines on its cover. It was the same one that had brought on the dizzy spell the last time he had been in the Aliens room. Looking around him the entire room was piled high with books and papers. "What's all this Joe? Have you gone back to school," Paul laughingly asked? "No, they don't teach about these things in school," Joe answered. "Oh, what things would you be learning about then?" Paul asked? "About them and their other trips here,"Joe quickly answered while pointing to a hand drawn picture of the Alien, hanging on the wall next to the door behind Paul. As Paul turned to look where Joe was pointing he came face to face with a pencil sketch of the Alien. He didn't quite know what to say if he showed no surprise Joe might become suspicious. If he showed surprise then Joe might think he was afraid, which he had promised wouldn't happen so he couched his reaction as carefully as he could. " Oh, I've seen other pictures of beings like that. Is that where you copied yours from?" He asked. Joe nervously sat and said, "No, I have seen them and they have talked to me." Paul tried to act very calm as he asked the next question. " Oh, can you tell me about that. It sounds very interesting?" Joe standing up, obviously upset, shouted, "Are you one of those Doctors? One of those guys who say I'm crazy and that I can't do my job any more?" "No Joe, like I told you I used to work for you, don't you remember?" Paul asked? "You do look familiar, but I have forgotten so much sometimes I can't even find my pills," Joe said. "Don't feel bad. I have the same problem and some days I swear if my head wasn't attached I would forget where I left it," Paul quipped. Joe laughed and said,"Maybe I'm not so bad then, I always know where my head is! You said your name was Paul, right?" "That's right," Paul answered. "But the only Paul I can remember was on the base and he didn't look like you, in fact he reminded me of an Indian, without the war paint of course. But he would never grow a full beard. He was really clean shaven, spit shined and polished." As Joe looked up, there stood Paul, wig and full beard in hand. His chiseled Indian features now fully visible. "Does this look more like the Paul you remember Joe?" Paul asked? "Now I remember you, but you're with the Air Force. What are you doing here and where's your uniform? Did they say you couldn't work anymore too?" Joe quizzically asked? "Not yet. They haven't said I couldn't work, but if I don't get some answers to some very puzzling questions pretty soon they well might," Paul said. "What do you mean Paul, are you getting sick too?" Joe asked? "Joe I don't think you're sick and I hope to hell for my sake that I'm right because if I'm not then I probably will be the next guy to get sick," Paul said. "But I heard voices and felt things that no one else felt," said Joe! "Well yes, I understand that but how did it all start?" Paul asked? "Are you sure you want to know, it's kind of spooky," asked Joe? "That's what I'm here for Joe, is to find out what you saw and felt and heard back on the Base," Paul said. "Well," Joe started, "It was a couple days after I first saw him, I was standing next to him when suddenly I felt these, these waves of warmth come over me. It felt real good, kind of like when my Mom used to give me a good night kiss when I was a little kid." Paul was overwhelmed with excitement, "Yes, Joe, I know what you mean I have felt the same thing," he said. "Did they send you," Joe anxiously asked? "No Joe," I told you I am here on my own and nobody sent me and nobody can know that we have talked, this has to be just between us. I have seen your dwarfs and I have felt the sensation you just described and I have also felt something I don't understand. But I remembered you. Just before you retired saying something about they made you feel so good. At the time I didn't have a clue as to what you were referring to, but after I was put in your job and I had my first encounter with the Alien it all started to make sense. That's when I got copies of your records and learned what had happened to you. You know, you're not the only medical retiree we have had on that base in the last couple of years. There have been a couple of others but, I haven't followed up on them yet to see what their circumstances were. I figured you were the first one and you and I knew each other so it seemed like a logical starting point.", Paul paused. Joe with tears in his eyes looked deep into Paul's eyes and asked, "Do you believe me Paul?" Do you think I am mad or do you think he really did talk to me?" Paul started slowly, "Well Joe, all I know for sure is that I have felt the same warmth come over me. When I was in the room with him, and another time just before I left to come see you,I was showing him that book," he pointed to the one he had seen when he first came. When he looked at the cover strange things began happening. Joe excitedly interrupted, "I know, I know, it's like being in a centrifuge then suddenly you're so dizzy you're sure you're going to pass out!" "That's right Joe, that's exactly how I felt. And you must have felt it too, didn't you?" Paul responded with a bright shining in his eyes. "Yeah, that was before I started hearing the voices, and they said I was crazy and not fit for my job anymore," Joe said. For the next several hours the two men talked about Joe's experiences with the Alien, and slowly they were creating a bond that would last they would find, a lifetime. Paul watched Joe the whole time they talked and finally when he felt sure of his conclusions he said, "Joe I don't think you are crazy any more than I believe I am crazy, but I do think we pose a security threat and that's why you were relieved of duty and put on medication. Would you do me a favor? Could you show me what kind of pills they have you on?" he asked. "Sure, wait a minute, I was supposed to take one just before you got here but I forgot. I'd better take it now," Joe said, as he got up and started for the kitchen. "No wait Joe, could you do me another favor if you would. Don't take that pill, in fact lets just throw them away and see what happens," Paul asked. "Paul, I have to take the pills, they say they are all that keep me fit enough to be able to live here and not in a hospital. I don't want to have to go back to the hospital Paul. It's horrible there, they do terrible things to you and I don't want to have to go back there," Joe said with fear in his voice. "Joe, I promise you, you won't have to go back to the hospital. Tell you what, why don't you just give me the pills and if you need them later I will have them. But for right now as far as I can see you're in better shape than you were when I first got here. I'll just bet that if you don't keep taking these pills you will get better and better. If you would just trust me I think we can help one another. I'm on your side and I think that together we just might make a great team. What do you think," Paul asked? "Well I don't know. If they find out I'm not taking the pills I'll be in a lot of trouble," Joe said. "And if they find out that I'm coming out here and talking to you I'm in a lot of trouble. So now we're both in the same position, it's us against them just you and I guy. Are you with me or would you rather spend the rest of your life walking around in a drug induced stupor having people treat you like you've lost your mind?" Paul said. Holding his breath, while waiting for Joe to answer. Slowly Joe put the top back on the pill bottle and handed the bottle to Paul. "I sure hope you know what you are doing, if they are right and we are wrong we'll both in a hell of a lot of trouble," he said! "Don't I know it old buddy," Paul said. Taking the bottle of pills from Joe. As he put the pills in his pocket he wrapped his arms around Joe and the two of them just stood there hugging each other. When they turned loose of one another, both had tears in their eyes. As they stood there pulling themselves together Joe offered Paul some lemonade and the two of them returned to the living room. " Joe, I can't stay much longer but I will be back early tomorrow morning. While I am gone, I need you to do something for me. After I leave, I want you to sit and write down all that you can remember about the time you spent on the base and most importantly what happened and how it happened between you and the Alien. Can you do that for me?" Paul asked? "If we are lucky I can do better than that. I had kept a record during that time. Of course they took it away from me, but I had two copies and they never found the second one. It's around here someplace all I've got to do is find it," Joe told him with a gleam in his eyes. "That would be great, do you have any idea where it might be?", Paul anxiously asked. "Well it's got to be here somewhere. I remember running into parts of it a while back," Joe answered. Paul, looking around, realized for the first time that there were piles and stacks of papers along all the walls of the living room. Each stack was at least a foot high. "Is it in one of these stacks," he asked? "Well one of these or one of the other piles in the other room, " Joe answered. "You mean there are more than these?" Paul asked? "Oh yeah, when things started to come apart I realized that something was going on and so I wrote everything down. In the end, before they took me to the hospital, some nights it would take me the whole night just to remember and write down what had happened during that day "Joe answered. "How the hell did you keep them from finding so much written material?" Paul asked. "Well it wasn't easy, but I would once a week take my copy off base and store it in the garage I rented for my car in Alamogotdo. I don't really know why I did it. I just knew that someday I would need it and I had to hide it to keep it safe," Joe said. "And they said that you were crazy, sounds to me like you were crazy like a fox! You old devil, you sure put one over on them, didn't you," Paul said? "I was just trying to make sense of it all and even I knew it was strange stuff," Joe replied. "Well my friend, it sounds to me like we're made from the same cloth. Both of us realize something is up, and both of us have set out to get to the bottom of it. They may have slowed you down with their hospital and pills but we are working together now and you are no longer alone in this quest for answers. Together maybe we can make some sense of it," Paul said. "Well my friend how are you feeling now, you're several hours overdue for a pill and to me you seem more in control and more at ease, is that how you feel?" Paul asked? Joe lifting his head and tilting it slightly back and then turning it from side to side smiled and said, "The voices, I don't hear the voices, I don't hear any voices!" Paul smiled and stood up patting Joe on the shoulder as he did so he said, " My friend I think the worst is over. But right now I have to be getting back else my cover will be broken and then all hell would break loose for both of us. So I will leave you now to find your notes. I will also leave your pills here just in case. Please don't take them unless you absolutely have to. I can't imagine any reason you would need them but I am not a doctor and so I will leave it up to you. Just remember how you feel now and how you've been feeling. That should be enough to keep you from needing them. Like I said I will be back first thing in the morning and hopefully you will have found the notes by then. I am looking forward to seeing you in the morning and just keep the faith. We will get to the bottom of this. I promise you that." With that he extended his hand, the two men shook hands, and Paul left.
[ Book & Video info ] [HOMEPAGE] [New Frontiers]
