LUCID

CHAPTER 20

I manifested at the Agency's astral lab already cloaked to be invisible so they didn't see me arrive, and I was able to observe them unnoticed. Sorrell's team was there, with Vicky and another civilian guy I didn't recognize. Two uniformed soldiers were standing silently apart by the doorway, hands clasped behind their backs, and Major Colbert was cursing at Vicky for my not being there. He was a big guy, about six-two, and his bad attitude was already plainly obvious – he was a bully. I raised my own height so I'd have an inch or two over him then lifted my cloaking.

"You can quit shouting at her," I said nonchalantly, "I'm already here."

That took him by surprise and left him speechless for a few moments, long enough for me to give a hand to Sorrell and his team and introduce myself to the new guy. He was a field agent too and Vicky's partner – his name was Ross.

I nodded to the two guards who looked a little nervously at me, hands twitching now around their weapons, then finally gave my attention to the Major. I stood close, so he'd be aware he was looking up at me. Smiling and extending my hand for him to take, I said – "And you must be Colbert. Your two agents in Amsterdam said I should look you up."

He had to take a step back to shake my hand – he obviously didn't like having to do that, which was the point, to give him the sense of retreating. "Major Colbert," he corrected me. "How did you speak to my agents?"

"I didn't – they spoke to me. I spooked them a little when I turned up in their room. They couldn't see me but they knew I was there."

"They are there for your family's protection."

"Yes, they told me, and I appreciate it, really. And the guard outside my hospital room."

"For your protection."

"From what precisely?"

"From other agencies – foreign agencies – Russian, Chinese... They've been exploring this phenomenon longer than we have and we don't know how advanced their technology is. If they knew about you – and perhaps they do – they might see you as an important asset, or a serious threat."

"And what do you see me as?"

"One of us... I hope!"

"Hmmm! Guess the Cold-war never really ended."

"No it didn't, and you'd be wise to remember that."

"Funny... the Governments of the world know about the astral realms, are aware that reality exists limitlessly, beyond the physical Earth, and still they're quibbling like infants about 'who's the boss of the playground'."

"That's the way of the world son!"

Interesting that he called me son – I was at least ten years older than him. But he was right – even the Astral had its conflicts.

"Well... thanks again for the protection. I told my brother about the cameras by the way – it's not nice being spied on. He hasn't removed them, but he does know about them, and about the agents. There's no need for secrecy anymore – if you're protecting them, they should be aware of it."

"You spoke to your brother... how did you do that?"

"I can enter people's dreams," I said.

He clearly didn't like the fact I was on to his operation – it put him at a disadvantage – but this new information seemed to freak him out.

"That's a... handy... trick," he stammered. I could sense his mind whirring around, trying to figure out if this made me even more important an asset, or even more dangerous a threat. Then he quickly changed the subject.