Tripple Chronicles 1: Eternity Rising by M. V. Kallai Page A

Camden
climbed in and sat down facing Aldretti, he looked to Ari once more and saw a
confused look on his face when the men, desperately searching the transport,
did not immediately pull a rolling suitcase out of the back.   Camden grinned in spite of
himself.  
    “Is
something amusing you, Professor?”   Aldretti asked him.   Camden
ignored the question and looked at him straight on.
    “What is
this all about, really, Officer?”   He asked.
    “That is not
for you and me to discuss,” answered Aldretti.
    “Ahh, I see, ”   Camden said,
“You have no idea why you have picked me up this morning, do you?”
    “It is not
my job to know. I just deliver the goods, and today, you are the goods.”
    Camden could
see that he had intimidated this unrefined looking officer and relaxed his
posture a little.   
    “And who am
I being delivered to?”   Camden
asked. “You at least know that much, I presume.”
    “Of course I
know that, ”   Aldretti snapped, looking offended.   “My orders came from General Pike.”   He held his head up higher as he spoke
this name.  
    “Well, if I
knew I would be meeting with a General this morning, I would have worn a better
suit.”   Camden said coolly,
crossing one leg over the other and folding his hands over his knee.
    “Well, you
are in luck then because we are reporting only to a Major today,” Aldretti
snipped back with a slightly sinister grin emerging on his scruffy face.
    “Oh?” Camden
asked. “Major who?”  
    “Major Mace
Magner, as a matter of fact, heads weapons division at TRU.”  
    Camden’s
brain kicked into gear.   He had
heard that name before…
    Ganesh mentioned him at breakfast –
they know.  
    There was a
tap on the window.   Camden sat
upright again, realizing he had been twiddling his thumbs.   Aldretti pushed a button and his window
opened.   One of the other officers
leaned in.
    “The
transport is clean sir, nothing there but some very nice scotch and a couple of
cigars.   Should we confiscate
it?”   He asked. Aldretti looked
annoyed and let out a short sigh.  
    “No, leave
it.   What did the driver
know?”  
    “Nothing,
sir.   He says this guy (he pointed
to Camden) is a real ass to work for and is lucky if he gets even a ‘hello’ or
‘good night’ from him.   Says if it
weren’t for the paycheck, he’d be long gone.”  
    “Do you
believe him?”
    “He seemed
sincere enough, he has a large family to support, three children.   Saw a picture.”
    “Wow. Three.
That’s rare,” muttered Aldretti.   “Let him go, but set up surveillance on him around the clock.   He may know something that he doesn’t
realize he knows.”
    “Right away,
sir.” He gave a quick salute to Aldretti and turned on his heel and walked back
to let Ari go.   Camden was filled
with relief at this news.   Ari was
sharper than he gave him credit for.   Now all he has to do is escape government surveillance and get the
stolen government goods to Lee Tripple’s highly secured lab.  
    Camden’s
relief was short lived.   Maybe he
was an ass, setting Ari up for such an impossible task, putting him and his
family at risk…in the name of progress.   He wished they had confiscated his scotch.   He could use some right now.
    Aldretti’s
transport lifted skyward and Camden stared straight ahead and folded his arms across
his chest.   He would use the next
several minutes thinking of what he should and should not say to Major Mace
Magner.

Chapter
Nine

Stood Up

 
 
 
    Lee awoke
with a start!   The ringing of his
phone pierced his ears unpleasantly.   He wiped the line of drool from the left corner of his mouth and
straightened his glasses.   His ash
brown hair was matted and sticking up and out on the left side.   He ran his fingers through it only
making it worse.   His expression
was startled and blank at the same time.  
    He picked up
the phone and looked at the clock.   12:25.
    “Hello,” he
said in a gruff