Marshal Book 5: The Waterloo Incident

By Harvey O. Minnick Jr.

As in real life, Marshal and the other heroes dont have a clue as to what the villain is up to and spends the better part of the book jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Some of the alien criminals being held in cryo by the Air Force escape with the aid of their old nemesis Rocket girl who has returned to complicate their lives.
The alien master mind hatches a plot to over though the government and take over Florida. Heads roll as the aliens unleash strange new alien devices and germ warfare upon the people of Earth. Can Marshal and the other heroes save the planet? I can tell you, not everyone makes it. Youll just have to read the book for all the gruesome sometimes erotic details.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Feb 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781490727059

Harvey O. Minnick Jr.

I write to entertain. Sometimes the action may become too graphic or intense for more sensitive readers. It is not meant to be rude, crude, or pornographic, but things can and do get intense at times. I am trying to put you, the reader, in the middle of the action, and it should be intense if it is any good. I do give my readers advance warning so they may skip the more graphic action if they so choose. Also, I cannot spell worth a darn. So please excuse me if anything slipped past the proofreaders.

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© Copyright 2014 HARVEY O. MINNICK JR.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4907-2704-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4907-2705-9 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Trafford rev. 02/21/2014

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CONTENTS

Chapter One Smoke Jumpers

Chapter Two A Bad Day On The Water

Chapter Three Pirates Past And Future

Chapter Four Flowers For Heather

Chapter Five Problems With Little Girls

Chapter Six Rocket Girl Returns

Chapter Seven The Waterloo Incident

Chapter Eight Decline Of The Little Girls

Chapter Nine Zombies In The Cornfields

Chapter Ten Zombie Hunt, The Worm Has Turned

Chapter Eleven A Futile Fuss

Chapter Twelve Move And Countermove

Chapter Thirteen Chicago Roundup

Chapter Fourteen The Last Hero Standing

I would like to thank my cousin Kathie for all of her help with this book; and dedicate it to the memory of two friends who have recently passed and provided inspiration for two of the characters in the books; Doctor Linda Cooly and Mike Balzer. Two fine people who are missed.

CHAPTER ONE

SMOKE JUMPERS

An armed Air Force guard stops to ponder the indisputable proof. In front of him is a row of sarcophagus like cryo-beds jutting out of the curved metal wall. A couple of the curved glass lids are swung open, revealing empty cryo-beds, while others are still closed and frosted over, hiding their contents from view. He walked up to one and brushed off the frost with his hand. Inside, a cold motionless alien face stared back at him with unblinking black eyes. The great bulbous head tapered down to a small pointed chin. The almond shaped black eyes gave the sleeping alien a sinister look. The airman felt as if he was being drawn in when the sound of boots on the highly polished floor snapped him out of it. What are you doing there airman?

Nothing sir! It’s just, I’ll be glad when we move these things. They give me the creeps.

That makes two of us.

Fifteen hundred miles to the west, the sound of the approaching helicopter reverberated through the smoky air. The smell of wood smoke was everywhere. To the east, the sky was awash in gold and purple as the sunrise signified the start of another day. To the west, a yellow and orange line of burning trees and vegetation stretched as far as the eye could see.

The fire had raged out of control for over a week. Now it threatened the natural gas pipeline and a wide spot in the road know as Pikes Station.

The silhouette of the twin rotor CH 47 Chinook helicopter can be made out as it passed over. The back door was open and the interior lights could be seen.

Standing on the door looking out, are three figures dressed in white jackets and black utility belts with sidearms. Their uniforms were completed with tight blue trousers and black boots. You would be quick to notice that two of the figures where female. Their form fitting uniforms did nothing to hide their top heavy hourglass figures.

The first one was Agent Heather Carter, a buxom platinum blond with long wavy hair. The world knows her as Superstar, the worlds newest superhero. She is a speedster.

Standing next to her was Lieutenant Brandy Holmes, another buxom blond. She had short hair and her physique was both voluptuous and muscular at the same time. Brandy is the strongest human by far, the earth’s only other truly superhero. She was known as Dauntless. These two meta humans worked alongside of Marshal and comprised the nucleus of the newly formed HERO organization. They are charged with providing a Heroic Emergency Response. They are here to do just that.

Marshal is the third figure standing on the door. His red cape was fluttering in the draft was not the only noticeable difference from the others. He is much bigger and bulkier than the girls in every way. He is a six foot eight inch wall of muscle weighing 650 pounds. The fact that he has blue skin might tell you he’s not from around here, and you would be right.

There are a dozen troopers seated in two rows in the back of the chopper with the heroes. Half of the soldiers were asleep while the others were very much awake. The chopper was buffeted and bounced up and down by the turbulence kicked up by the fire below.

As they flew along the leading edge of the fire, they could see where the fire had cut off the road to Pikes Station. The taillights of the heavy equipment haulers can be seen parked on the road with fallen trees to their front and rear, preventing them from moving forward or backward.

The small convoy of one SUV and two bulldozers on tractor trailers are stranded as eight men franticly fight to beat back the fire that has reached the side of the road and cut off their retreat. Soon, they would be completely ringed in by fire.

Superstar pointed out the desperate scene below but was unable to make herself heard over the howl of the Chinook’s engines. Marshal shook his head and gave her a blank look.

With a tap of her finger tip, she activated her comm link on her chest and tried again to make herself heard. Again, the noise was too much.

Dauntless eased up to Marshal and rested her head against his massive arm. She interlocked her fingers around his arm. They traded glances. She looked concerned. Superstar turned and made her way past the seated troopers to the pilot’s cockpit and got their attention. We just went over them! Turn this thing around and go back.

The pilot cranked his head around and nearly bumped heads with her. What do you have in mind?

Can you pick up one of those dozers?

He shook his head saying, No way. A bulldozer is way too heavy.

She looked annoyed. I guess that means we’ll have to do this the hard way. Turn around and find a place to land.

LAND! Down there? In case you haven’t noticed, there isn’t any clearing big enough for us to put down in, the pilot protested.

Get us close. Those men are trapped and they need that equipment at the pumping station if we’re going to save the town.

Superstar left the cockpit and met Dauntless amidship. When you moved away from the door, we could hear what you were saying, Dauntless explained.

BAM! The chopper suddenly dropped. Everything was jarred by the turbulence. Superstar landed in the lap of an unsuspecting trooper seated in the web seating that ran along the side of the ship. He was at first surprised, and then pleased, to find the blond bombshell in his lap. She flashed him a toothy grin saying, Thanks soldier.

He smiled and his hands got a little too friendly for her comfort. Down boy! She got up and joined Dauntless who was just shaking her head in disbelief. The girls turned and were confused by the sight of Marshal unrolling his boot tops up to mid thigh.

Marshal straightened up and looked at the girls and the other soldiers in the chopper saying, We should have brought our protective head covering devices.

The two girls looked at each other, confused at first. Huh?

Brandy explained, He’s referring to the memory helmet back at HQ.

Marshal turned and stepped up to the edge of the open door and reached behind him for the ends of his cape. Dauntless’ face came to life as she realized what he was about to do. He’s going to jump! Dauntless rushed up to him and grabbed hold of his arm. He stopped and turned back to face her.

You’re not going to get away with that. Not without me going along, she announced as she pulled a D-ring out of her utility belt and snapped it onto her belt. He was taken back until she slid her D-ring under his belt and fastened them together. She gave him a peck on the cheek for luck and hugged him tightly. Ok big guy, let’s do this.

One of the soldiers seated near the back of the ship stated, It’s not fair, it’s just not fair. Why does he get all of the hot babes.

As Superstar and the other soldiers looked on in amazement, he smiled and reached down for the corners of his cape. He leapt out of the chopper with Dauntless clinging to him, just as his cape turned into a set of glider-like wings and they disappeared into the predawn darkness.

Sergeant Hanse jumped up and rushed over to the ramp next to Superstar. He called out into the darkness, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO LIEUTENANT? He received no answer. He looked to Superstar for answers. She looked shocked and confused. There were no answers forthcoming.

Down below, one of the exhausted fire fighters paused to look up at the Chinook passing overhead. Looks like they’re going to water bomb us. He looked on in confusion as he saw a dark object fall out of the back of the chopper and start to spiral down. What the do da day is that?

A female voice rang out, YAHOOO!

Marshal informed his enthusiastic passenger that, I am not able to see a clear landing place.

She looked at him and noticed the rush of the air as they descended quicker than usual. Does that mean we’re going to crash?

He looked her in the eye asking, Have we ever done this and not crashed?

Good point, she conceded, as the tops of trees started whizzing by. OH NOOO! She closed her eyes tightly and tried to bury her head in his chest.

It was dark and smoky. Black shapes started darting past them. In front of them was a wall of flames. They veered away sharply and smacked into and through a tree. They careened out of control, spinning and summersaulting from one tree into another and another. "Brandy’s female voice could be heard registering her pain over the snapping of branches. Finally, they tumbled down to the ground landing with a thump! They had come down on the other side of the road which the fire had not yet reached.

Marshal just laid there for a few seconds catching his breath. It didn’t hurt as bad as he thought it might. He had wrapped his arms around Dauntless trying to protect her once they hit the first tree branch but she was in front and took the brunt of the impact until they reached the ground. She laid on top of him quivering in pain. OW!

She slowly picked up her head and they looked into each other’s eyes trying to read the other’s thoughts. He stroked her hair back and asked, Are you impaired?

She grimaced in pain and flashed her quirky little smile before she let her head fall back on his chest. No, I’ll be fine in a few seconds after the nanos kick in.

After a few seconds, she slid over to his side and unhooked from him just as two firefighters scrambled to their location. Over here Edgar! They’re not dead!

They should be. How bad is their condition?

You can ask them yourself. Finally reaching Dauntless, the first firefighter said, I thought smoke jumpers used parachutes.

As they got to their feet Dauntless explained, They do. We’re not smoke jumpers. We’re from HERO, here to help you, Dauntless explained.

I don’t see how the two of you are going to be of any help to us You only got yourselves trapped with us.

Edgar, the second fire fighter, crashed through the underbrush and bumped head first into the wall of muscle known as Marshal. Edgar slowly straightened up. His eyes fixed on Marshal towering over him. His eyes grew wider and wider and his mouth dropped open. His lower lip started to quiver as he stammered, You’re, you’re the alien, aren’t you?

Marshal looked down at the fire fighter who was clearly in shock and awe.’ Yes, yes I am from another world. Greetings citizen. Take me to your leader.

Edgar couldn’t find the words but managed to raise his left arm and point to his companion. Chancy reluctantly took his eyes off Dauntless and was startled by the sight of Marshal standing there in the dark. My, you’re a big one aren’t you? Let’s get out of here.

They made their way back to the stranded trucks. The fire was within a few feet of the road in places and was starting to kick up a wind all its own. The roar of the fire was deafening and the intense heat was blistering the paint on the dozers. Fire was all around them. Only part of the woods to the east wasn’t yet involved, and it would be soon.

Overhead, the flames were starting to jump across the road. The tops of the trees were becoming involved in the fire and hot embers were raining down upon them.

All of the men were forced to take shelter on the east side of the loaded truck to avoid the searing heat. As they arrived, one of the firefighters announced, We got to abandon the dozer and beat feet out of here!

Marshal climbed up on one of the dozers and used his cape to shield him from the heat. These are the vehicles needed to extinguish the fire?

The firefighter nodded saying, Yeah, looking more than a little amazed and confused by the visitors that had dropped in.

Why do you not employ them to free yourself from the fire?

We can’t unload them, the fire’s too close. It got on us before we could do anything. We gotta get out of here. Just as he finished speaking, the SUV in front burst into flames.

Marshal marched over to the burning SUV. After struggling to find a good hold on it, he lifted it up and hoisted it over his head and tossed it into the burning forest. The SUV exploded on impact, adding to the conflagration.

As the firefighters watched, stunned into inactivity, Dauntless rushed up to the big blue Aurorean and pointed to the road ahead. That way! Clear us a path!

There was a loud cracking sound overhead. Dauntless turned in time to see a branch come crashing down, hitting one of the firefighters. Before anyone could react, she rushed over and tossed the burning branch to the side.

As she reached for the injured man, she heard the unmistakable sound of a second branch coming down. She got her arm up in time to shield herself and the man from the falling limb. It struck her raised forearm and exploded, showering them with sparks.

The firefighter on the ground rolled over and looked up, still in a daze, and saw an angel standing over him shielding him from a sea of sparks. The angel picked him up and held him close to her body. She had a beautiful face with short golden hair. He could feel her large breasts pressed against him. She looked him in the eye and smiled. He kissed her.

Dauntless was surprised by this and asked, Why’d you do that?

His head suddenly cleared and he realized that she was no angel, but he could feel her powerful arms holding him. He explained, I thought you were imaginary and you’re so good looking, I figured why not.

She blushed Thank you, she said, as she carried him away from the spot.

He hadn’t realized that she was carrying him until she started to put him down. He reached over and felt her arm muscle. She was confused by this. He was duly impressed. Not bad. Not bad at all, he said.

The other firefighters rushed over. One of them asked, Did you see that?

Another one added, That was amazing!

The foreman joined them. Ok, you’re strong. But how does that help us get out of here?

Just you wait and see, was her confident answer as she directed their attention back to Marshal.

Again using his cape as a shield from the heat, he approached the burning tree that blocked the road to Pikes Station. He started to push against the tree, but the heat was too much. His cape burst into flames and he was forced to back away from the tree and put the fire on his cape out. A few seconds later the cape had repaired itself.

He reached into one of the pouches on his utility belt but came up empty handed. He shook his head and then it came to him. His equipment had been lost and the had only primitive equipment made by humans. He needed another plan.

After a few seconds of thought and looking about, he leapt up on top of the front bulldozer and began tugging on the blade. The blade nearest the fire was hot and painful to touch, but he managed to knock the pins holding the blade in place out with his fingers. He then wrenched the blade out of its mounting and carried it over to the burning tree.

He used the dozer blade to scrape up dirt and tossed it onto the tree, putting out the fire. The eyes of the firefighters got bigger and bigger, and their mouths dropped open as they watched.

Marshal handed the dozer blade to Dauntless who promptly put it down. She started shaking her hands. "Hot! HOT! HOT!" Marshal turned back and gave Dauntless a look and shook his head before returning to the task at hand.

He bear hugged the tree trunk and yanked and tugged at it. Through gritted teeth, he gave out an unearthly growl. Slowly at first, the tree started to give until the massive rootball was up and out of the ground.

Everyone hit the ground to avoid being hit as Marshal started swinging the tree trunk like a ball bat. Whoosh! The tree swung around and slammed into the next burning tree, knocking it back. FUOOSH! The tree seemed to explode, giving off a swarm of sparks. He continued battering the burning trees back until the roadway was clear.

Dauntless struggled to load the dozer blade back on the trailer as the men scrambled on board. Some of the men have had too much smoke and needed help to get on.

Marshal tossed the tree trunk back into the fire and hopped on the hood of the lead truck. It collapsed under his weight. He instantly jumped off as the radiator started to spray hot water everywhere. He pulled the hood off and tossed it away. The engine that had been running all the time had now stopped and was spewing fluids in all directions.

Across the universe, there is one common word that fits the situation perfectly, Oops.

As they transferred the men from the lead truck to the back truck, Superstar emerged from the eastern wood. Need a hand?

Dauntless turned and asked, Where did you come from?

The chopper couldn’t find anyplace close by to land so I jumped.

But. . . .

I got them to come down and get as close to the ground as they could. And yes, it hurt a lot. But I’m better now. So, what can I do?

Dauntless looked around before answering. We’ve got a couple injured men here. Where is the chopper?

I sent them ahead to Pikes Station. Dauntless looked around, the smoke and heat was getting worse. I guess we’ll have to do this the old fashioned way. You take one and I’ll take the other. Just don’t go too fast so I can keep up.

You mean carry them all the way out?

That’s exactly what I mean, Brandy replied. The firefighters couldn’t believe what they were hearing.

Superstar smiled and said, Sounds like a plan to me. The girls each picked up an injured firefighter and carried them in their arms like they weighed nothing.

One of the men commented, This is embarrassing.

Shut up and enjoy the ride, Superstar scolded him.

Dauntless called out to Marshal as they left. Meet you at Pikes Station!

He gave them a wave as they darted into the darkness. The driver cranked on the steering wheel and shifted the gears before hopping out. After all of the men had gotten out of the way, Marshal pushed the first truck and bulldozer out of the way off the road.

Marshal got on the second lowboy trailer as they pulled out, headed for the town down the road.

Two thousand miles to the east, seven men in business suits are gathered in a conference room. Three of them are seated around a large oak table, while the others are gathered in the corner having coffee and eating danish.

Seated at the table, a thin man is addressing his two companions. She is clearly the most qualified for the job. But we all can’t have her.

The gray haired elderly man seated across from him replied, She can’t work for all of us, and seeing that we all need her, I put it to you that since my agency is most senior, she should come to work for me.

The silver-haired Texan seated between them shook his head in disagreement saying, You can’t expect everyone to agree to that.

What do you have in mind? Mister Olmsted the elder man asked.

Anderson answered in his slow Texas drawl, Mister Grayson had an idea that might just save us all a lot of time and money.

Lawton sat back in his seat and asked, And just what did the young Mister Grayson come up with this time?

I think we should let him explain it to everyone, Anderson replied as he motioned for Grayson to leave the danish and join them. The other three men followed him and took seats at the table.

A powerfully built younger man asked the thin elderly man, Why are we here and what are we waiting for?

The gray haired senior citizen replied, Grayson had an idea and we’re waiting for Curly Bill to get here. Just then the door opened and a bald gentleman came in.

Sorry I’m late. I was tied up with the secretary. As he made his way over to the danish he asked, Just why are we here?

The silver haired southerner gestured to the young man to his right and said, Grayson here had an idea that made some sense.

This caused the older gentleman to say, Would it be too much trouble, Mister Anderson, for you to tell us just what this idea of yours is?

They all looked to the young man as he began, It occurred to me that all of our agencies are working on different aspects of this. Some are concentrating on the technology, while others are working on the biology, while others are trying to combine them. It seems to me that Doctor Cooly has the most first hand knowledge and experience and is best qualified to advise us on our projects.

The only man in a gray suit objected saying, But we can’t read her into all of our projects.

Grayson replied, Mister Figerrellow, you don’t have to. Just don’t tell her what you’re working on.

Mr. Figerrellow, who could have been a Godfather type if he wasn’t working for the government, shook his head no and replied, But she’s no fool, she’ll figure it out.

Lawton, who everyone knew as Slim, jumped in. Then you can have Mister Bee here flash her with his nuralizer.

The man in the black suit shook his head and replied, I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’ve nuralized her before and she shouldn’t be nuralized again.

Slim asked, And why not?

You want her to keep her thoughts and memories separate and straight especially if you’re going to be depending on her judgment. Nuralizing her again and again will make holes in her memory and affect her cognitive skills. That was more than any of them had ever heard a Man In Black say.

Grayson added, You don’t have to tell her anything. All we have to do is pick her mind to learn what is feasible and what isn’t,

Anderson summed up, She can fill us in on what’s up and what’s not working. He took the arm of the thin man next to him and shot him a sinister smile, Isn’t that right Lawton?

Slim agreed shaking his head and they looked over to Olmstead, the old man. Agreed, he said.

They all Agreed.

A forty foot yacht stood one mile off Navy Pier, the cold blue water of Lake Michigan lapping against its sides. The giant ferris wheel and stunning Chicago skyline were plainly visible. Several deck hands focused their attention on the only other boat in the area.

The small boat pulled alongside, and a thin girl with long black hair was helped on board. She was shown into the main cabin where she met an elderly Chinese gentleman in a silk robe. She reported, General, I have learned when the American Air Force is planing to move the aliens out of Chicago. Shall I notify our operative?

Have her come out here to get the information. We know the Americans will stop at nothing to recapture her.

But General, why do we not just take the armor and have one of our people use it?

Because we don’t know how to operate it, and if she is captured, there is nothing that ties us to her. Now go, he motioned for her to leave with a wave of his hand.

An hour later, a stunningly attractive redhead in a stylish business suit is standing in a busy hallway in the Pentagon. She is busy rummaging through her purse. Even with her hair up in a bun and wearing large glasses she is a looker. Two junior naval officers are giving her the eye as they pass by. One of the officers asked, Who’s that?

Probably some Congressman’s staffer, his companion replied.

Man, it must be good to be a Congressman!

She makes her way to the nearby security check station and flashes her badge to the Marine stationed there. Her oversized silver and turquoise belt buckle accentuated her tiny waistline, making her already large bust seem even larger. She noticed the marine was enjoying the view a little too much and turned her back to him and sat down on the edge of his desk. She plopped her purse down on the desk and pulled out her phone and speed dialed. General Solo, I’m here and it’s just about time to start, but this just doesn’t seem right. Are you sure I should be here in Washington while the team is on a mission in New Mexico?

Relax Beverly, they’re fine. What could happen to them? It’s just a little forest fire. It’s not like they’re fighting off another alien invasion or anything.

But you didn’t send anybody with them, she protested.

Lieutenant Holmes is in charge and I sent a squad of men with them.

But she’s never been in charge of anything before.

She’s an officer. She has to learn sometime. Besides, they’re practically indestructible.

She had to admit the general was right about that. Just why am I here anyway? Have I done something wrong?

No, nothing like that. He tried to sound reassuring. Top Hat said that someone in the Defense Department wanted to pick your brain, that’s all.

Top Hat? Who or what is Top Hat?

Doctor Cooly, this isn’t a secure line.

But general, I’ve heard you say, we’re in the superhero business. We don’t have to worry about keeping everything a secret.

Maybe not everything but, let’s just say old habits die hard. And you should learn that when Top Hat wants something, he gets it. Now go have fun. Shmooz a little.

Orange and red embers flew over head and settled down on the CH 47 Chinook helicopter that was sitting on the two lane road that goes through Pikes Station, New Mexico. The crew chief looked around at the 1950’s style service station and diner and the half dozen other buildings and sheds that made up Pikes Station. Only the Sinclar dinosaur in the rubbish pile in back didn’t seem concerned about the situation.

He paused to watch the bulldozer pushing dirt up against a collection of large pipes and valves that stuck out of the ground and led off in all directions. After a few seconds, the chief went over to the pilot and asked, Sir, all of the people have left and the fire has jumped the road on both sides. Isn’t it time we bailed out of here?

He looked around. Smoke was blocking out the sun, making it like dusk. The situation was grim. Flames were jumping from tree to tree. All of the undergrowth was ablaze. Vortices of flame were spinning wildly.

Hot sparks and ash were raining down on them as they fought the fire. Marshal had borrowed a fire suit from the firefighters and was battering trees down in an effort to keep the fire from advancing, but the trees would explode, showering flames everywhere.

At the center of town, several pipes and valves came up out of the ground. This was the junction of several pipelines and the cause of all of the concern. A supply shed on the edge of town burst into flames as the bulldozer pushed one last load of dirt over the junction.

The crew chief ran over calling out, GET YOUR PEOPLE ON THE BIRD! WE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!

The dozer operator shut off his machine and jumped off saying, You don’t have to tell me twice!

Superstar, by the chopper, tried calling Marshal and Dauntless over the comm link but couldn’t be heard over the roar of the fire. She had to race over to them and tell them it was time to leave. They all piled into the back of the waiting chopper.

The home next to the burning shed started to burn as the rotors of the Chinook started to turn. A whirlwind of sparks and ash kicked up and surrounded the chopper as it started to lift off.

The Chinook disappeared into the smoke. Pikes Station would burn. But the NG pipe line was safe. The fate of the dinosaur is unclear.

Two thousand miles to the east, Doctor Beverly Cooly doublechecked the address on the card she was given. As she stood in the hallway. This is the right place. Just who is this Mr. Anderson and Olmstead?, she wondered. She took in a deep breath and opened the door and went in.

She was the center of attention as she entered the conference room. She was shown to her seat at the table. It all looked rather informal. This reassured her. She started to remove her suit coat and then realized that every male eye in the room was fixed on her.

It wasn’t that her satin blouse was too tight or that she was dressed inappropriately, it was just the curse of being a very well endowed woman. Most men would take one look at her and only one thing came to mind. She paused and thought for a second. She decided to try something to gauge their reactions. She purposely took in a deep breath, expanding her already large chest to its fullest. Her breasts ballooned out, the buttons on her blouse strained under the pressure, but held. She could tell by their mixed reactions. The large heavyset man with a Roman nose sitting next to her wasn’t exactly drooling, but he definitely had impure thoughts. But they all weren’t lechers. She let her breath out. It was warm in the room. She decided to take off her jacket.

She had to work extra hard to be taken seriously all of her professional career. And it was getting old. But then again, General Solo had told her to shmooz a little.

She looked around the room studying the faces of the men. They all looked like bureaucrats to her and not scientists. Except for the one man in black who looked as though he may be MIB.

She held bureaucrats in contempt. They were narrow minded and difficult to work with. The only good thing about them was that they were a necessary evil, only slightly better than deceitful politicians. She wondered just what could they want from her?

She didn’t want to be there and she really didn’t want to put up with anymore of their bureaucratic foolishness. She saw herself as a scientist and wanted to be judged by the merit of her work.

There were eight men seated at the big oak table with her. She didn’t know any of them. As she adjusted her glasses, she noticed that none of them had name tags or their visitor’s badges on. This puzzled her. One was dressed in black and was probably a Man In Black. All of the rest, with one exception, wore the standard Washington, DC blue suit and red or blue tie.

The silver haired man sat down at the head of the table and started speaking. First of all, let me thank you, Doctor Cooly, for coming so quickly to our invitation. He spoke with a slow southern draw.

I was told to come. I don’t know who you are or what this is all about. Are you Mister Anderson or Mr. Olmstead?

He flashed her a toothy smile and rocked back saying, I’m Mr. Anderson and this distinguished gentleman is Mister Olmstead. He gestured to the old man to his left.

The thin man seated to her left chimed in saying, It is better for everyone that you don’t know who we are. Let’s just say that we all have a professional interest in your work.

Alarmed, she looked around and they all nodded their agreement. But I work for HERO, she protested.

Yes, and HERO works for us. Sort of, the silver haired man from Texas replied as he leaned forward rubbing the palms of his hands together.

So, you’re the government, she said, trying to draw something out of them.

Tex flashed her a look of relief saying, I would have thought that much was obvious. What can you tell us about the heroes? And Doctor Cooly, please keep it simple so this poor farm boy from Texas can follow you.

She knew him, or at least she knew his type. She had him pegged. He was not the simple farm boy he was pretending to be. He was one slick customer, a predator, somewhere between a shark and a used car salesman, maybe a member of Congress. Marshal is an alien as you know.

The heavyset bald man seated next to her, the one who had been undressing her with his eyes, interrupted saying, We all know about him being shot down. But there is some confusion. Is Marshal his name or his job title?

A smile came to her face. Both actually. We think. There is a problem with his translator.

Before she could elaborate, Curly Bill asked her another question. What have you learned about the intentions of the aliens from him?

Not much really, he is suffering from a memory loss, but we do know that the earth is a protected planet and that he will protect it from danger.

This piqued Bill’s curiosity. What sort of danger?

That isn’t exactly clear. Like I started to say, as a result of the crash he has lost his memory and that’s why the translator isn’t working properly.

Before she could go on to explain, the thin man on her other side asked, Is it true that he was killed, literally torn to bits and came back to life?

Yes. But he is still suffering from it.

How so?

He can regenerate if he has the missing material to work with. Or rather, his uniform can.

The man from Texas jumped in. Amazing. Just how strong is he? We’ve all heard ridiculous exaggerations about him holding up a building.

She nodded her head knowingly and paused to think about her answer. That’s a hard question to answer. It all depends on when you try to measure his strength. And some of our initial tests results were wrong. You must remember that he’s quite large and his muscle tissue is about forty times denser than ours. At first, if you just walk up to him, he can lift about eight tons.

Eight tons! Remarkable, one of the men blurted out before she could go on to explain.

Eight tons with one hand. This stunned them into silence, allowing her to continue. "But, he also has