Moontide
Read Along Chapter 24
Colorado - Time Keepers’ Mountain
Shep rode in an open box on a pulley system down into the belly of the Earth. Once the car stopped, he got out and headed into the Keepers’ underground bunker control center. The mountain base was decked out similar to the one underneath Shepard’s, though it was far more extensive. If a nuclear war ever broke out, this was the place to be. He’d have to wait for Simm’s to arrive to get an in-depth read of everything going on in the Bermuda Triangle, but he went to the geological monitors to see what he could make out on his own.
“Shit,” he breathed. “What the hell is going on down there?”
“Good evening Commander” came Simms’ voice, then the sound of her boots as she walked across the floor, “watching the weather channel too, huh?”
The red-head smirked. Her hair was done in pig tails. A pair of black rimmed eyeglasses topped off the whole geeky tech girl look she had going on. She took a glance at the monitor Shep stared at then started plunking away on a keyboard.
“She came out of nowhere this time, Commander. I didn’t even have this storm system on my radar, which means any natural origins are out of the question.”
Shep stared at the screen.
“Looks like it left as soon as it came.” he said. “What does that mean?”
“It means it got shut down,” Simms cocked her head to the side as she read the info, “which means that this was just a whirlwind from the other side. A portal or something that only stayed open for a few seconds.”
She bit at her fingernail then started typing again.
“I haven’t heard from Six in a couple of hours, have you?” Shep asked, even as he studied the data Simms was bringing up over her shoulder.
“Nope, I did get a pretty testy email from that Harbinger guy’s techie about her stirring things up down there though.”
Shep groaned, running a hand through his hair.
“I just hope she’s keeping her head in the game. Harbinger is the last person on Earth she needs to annoy right now.”
Simms fastened a headset on around her pig-tails.
“Yeah, well never-the-less, he sounds like a real boner.”
Shep ignored that remark as footsteps sounded from down the corridor right before three more agents, two men and one woman, all in black leathers, spilled into the control center. Agents Five, Nine and Thirteen were accounted for at least, Shep thought to himself.
“Commander,” they said in unison. Shep nodded then got down to business.
“You three stay here on base with Simms and wait for the others. She’ll bring you up to speed on what’s happening in Vortex -1.”
Simms tapped the pen in her hand to her forehead in salute.
“So we’re just going to sit here and wait?” One of the men asked, his dirty blonde hair spiking in every direction from just coming out of a helmet.
“Yes, Trent, you are, until you receive orders that say otherwise,” Shep raked a hard gaze over the lot of them even turning to take in Simms. She shrugged. He didn’t have to worry about her straying very far from the control center. The others were another question, especially his son.
“I’m going to try to contact Aura, and if I have to, I’ll go in and get her out of there myself. This little storm cell that just popped up in the Keys,” he dropped off, shaking his head, “I have a bad feeling she’s got something to do with it.”
“Then I’m coming with you.” Trent pressed.
“No, I need you to stay put.”
“If she’s in trouble, I need to be there.” The younger man argued.
“We need you here in case the oracle decides to make contact again. Any information we can piece together will be critical. You’re the only one who can receive the messages.”
Trent held Shep’s stare. Aura was his sister; it was only natural for him to want to protect her. But he was a key piece to all of this, his abilities as a medium were the only way the Keepers could translate Eagle Eye’s messages. He backed down. Shep nodded, then he turned and left the room hoping to God they’d all listen and stay put. That little freak storm so close to the vortex could just be a hiccup in the atmosphere. The fact that Simms hadn’t seen it coming was a bad sign though. The Keepers couldn’t afford to fall apart now if it meant what he thought it did.
**I really had a lot of fun imagining the Time Keepers’ hidden sites, especially this underground bunker. Do you have a favorite story world hideaway? Which one or ones strike your imagination the most?