Chapter 4

The Command Staff were sitting down to breakfast at Abbeyglen Castle. Some of the choir had already eaten and were out exploring the country side. Sarah said, “I miss the others.”

“I agree,” replied Aoife, “and the babies.”

“Yes,” responded several others.

“After breakfast, let’s walk around,” said Maeve.

“We need to call Mr. Bartlet in the UK before very long.”

“Command Staff,” asked Muireann, “is now a good time for an update?”

“Sure. We are just eating breakfast.”

“Okay. al-Sharghi met earlier today with the person in charge of the shows. Today there will be some demonstrations in the courtyard where we saw all the small platforms, there will be more tomorrow afternoon. During dinner they will have the usual sex shows. Those will be followed by the auction. After that they will offer a special sex show, followed by an auction of two dozen ‘select’ captives. We have confirmed what they meant by ‘select’ captives. They are all semi-public figures who will bring a unique prestige to the slave’s owner, even though many can’t be seen in public.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our guesses last night were very close. The ‘select’ captives have appeared in movies, were sports figures or were in the news. All of them are, needless to say, quite beautiful.”

“So they have movie stars?”

“Yes, several, both males and females. They have all played significant roles in movies, but are not widely known. In addition there are several daughters and wives of politicians who supposedly died in accidents.”

“Wow.”

“A short time ago we heard al-Sharghi tell the arms dealer that he was disappointed that the kidnapping did not go as planned. This has put them in an awkward situation as they had planned on the choir women being the centerpiece of the auction. He also told him that a special event will take place tomorrow evening, something that everyone would find exciting. He then invited the arms dealer to accompany him as he went to check on how the conditioning of several recent captives was progressing. It appeared that the arms dealer was a little shocked by the offer, but went with him.”

“Eric received a response from his friend just a little while ago,” said Danny. “His friend said he wished he had intelligence data this good all the time. He was expecting a call shortly, and asked for more information regarding the Fuda estate. He had an associate working on confirming the names and circumstances of those that have British passports.”

“Good. We understand Mr. óCeallacháin will called Mr. Bartlet, the British Prime Minister, early this morning,” said Sarah. “James or Clarence, do you have any thoughts concerning the best way to broach this topic with him, since we feel it’s a little awkward.”

“The situation is awkward,” replied Clarence. “This is especially true since you have never met the PM, but Mr. óCeallacháin’s call has probably eased things a little. With that in mind, just lay out the facts and offer to send someone with the information.”

“Thanks. Anything else?”

“We plan to have five Security teams in position late this afternoon local time. Pat said the optimum time for the operation to begin would be when the banquet begins. We believe the activities tomorrow evening will start at dusk and follow this schedule: Seminars on S&M, using the estate’s slaves, in the large reception area. Dinner will be held in the main auditorium while sex shows are being performed. After dinner will be the auctions, which we expect to begin at around half past 8. By the time they are due to start the auction, we expect to have released all the captives and slaves that are not in the auditorium and reception hall.”

“What are the instructions for the Security teams?”

“Cut off communication, secure the areas where the captives are held, then evacuate them and the estate’s slaves, including the arms dealer’s family, as quickly as we can release them. Once all the captives and slaves are safe our teams will pull out. We would like to retrieve their records, but if we can’t they will be destroyed. Demolition charges, with timers and proximity fuses, will be placed in each area as soon as it is cleared. We are prepared for a fire fight, but are not planning to initiate one. The plan is that the staff in the areas with the captives will be overcome by a perception altering drug, ideally before they realize we are there. When we leave they will be immobilized, so they will be unable to move for a couple of hours.”

“Everyone understands that acting independently is not our preference,” said Sarah.

“Yes.”

“Let us know if anything changes.”

“You can count on it.”

“Adam, how did your meeting with Shonnesy, óCeallacháin and O’Reilly, last night, go?” asked Rusty.

“It went very well, considering, ” replied Adam. “O’Reilly was very impressed with the level of detail on the Fuda operation. He agreed that the signatures on the court documents were not valid by world standards, but that proving it would be another matter. He thought it would be virtually impossible to find any of the captives if a diplomatic inquiry was made. The court documents would delay any diplomatic efforts long enough for the captive to suddenly vanish without a trace.

“Shonnesy was very upset. She and óCeallacháin wanted to respond immediately. We told them that we had people prepared to do that if necessary, but thought it would be better for Earth’s governments to take the lead. They were assured that we would assist if asked.”

“We need to send them an updated DVD, ” said Briana.

“Shannon teleport an updated DVD to O’Reilly’s, Shonnesy’s and óCeallacháin’s offices, sealed with their personal encryption key.”

“When you reach the British Prime Minister, Mr. Bartlet,” said Briana, “don’t be surprised if he is expecting your call. Once they saw the data, Ms. Shonnesy and Mr. óCeallacháin did not seem to be concerned about diplomatic niceties. When we left, they hadn’t decided whether to call him immediately or wait until about breakfast time. We believe they called right after we left.”

“Thanks.”

“Aoife, Briana, you will probably need leave for England immediately, to carry the information on the situation in Fuda to Mr. Bartlet,” said Sarah.

Sarah picked up their satellite phone, and entered the number for the British Prime Minister’s office. It took several exchanges and a few moments before he picked up the phone.

“Good morning, Sarah,” said Mr. Allen Bartlet. “I have been expecting your call.”

“Good morning, Mr. Prime Minister,” replied Sarah, “our apologies for calling so early. However, our Intelligence group has information that we think your government urgently needs to be made aware of.”

“Yes, Ms. Shonnesy and Mr. óCeallacháin called me very early this morning. The information they provide was quite distressing, they also indicated that you would be contacting me this morning. If I understand the situation correctly, your data shows that a group of bandits, in cooperation with the Fuda government, are holding British subjects, and intend to sell them into the sexual slave trade.”

“Yes, that is the essence of it. They hired a gang here in Ireland to kidnap, There intent was to include us in the auction. Our Intelligence department has penetrated their security, and established monitors in the complex where the captives are being held.” She then summarized the data regarding the captives being held in Fuda.

“Mr. óCeallacháin indicated that you provided them with an extensive amount of hard evidence. How soon can I see it?” responded Mr. Bartlet in an irritated voice.

“We did. It has been up dated since then. We can have it delivered to your office in about 20 minutes.”

“Aoife, Briana,” said Maeve, “take a scout ship and head to Prime Minister Bartlet’s location. There is a ship waiting for you on the lawn.”

“We are preparing to depart.”

“Where do you want us to deliver the information?” asked Sarah.

“Deliver it here. Several people will be arriving within an hour to discuss the situation.”

“Okay, Aoife and Briana have just left with it. How do they get admitted to Downing Street?”

“How are they arriving?”

“They are in a scout ship, which is about the size of a minivan, only taller. It operates much like a helicopter, but without any noise. So, our ship could set down directly in Downing Street, in front of Number 10.”

“I don’t know if that is wise as it would cause a lot of commotion.”

“The scout ship will not be visible.”

“In that case have them land in the courtyard, on the grass, then have them call my office. How much time do we have before this auction takes place?”

“The auction is to begin a little after 8 PM Fuda time tomorrow evening.”

“So we have a little over 38 hours?”

“Not quite, they are two hours ahead of us, so we only have somewhere around 36 hours. The estate has an airstrip which many of the guests use when they arrive by private jet. The estate is about a 3 hour drive from the capital.”

“How many people are they holding?”

“As best we can tell there are more than 300 captives, but we think the number will go up, perhaps double that. There are also about a hundred slaves who reside at the estate.”

“To rescue that many people would make it a major operation, even without it being a hostile situation.”

“We could provide support and transportation; however, we feel it is inappropriate for us to act on our own or take the lead.”

“Why is that?”

“Primarily because we are outsiders. We also have other constraints which guide our interaction with other cultures.”

“That is a much different approach than some countries on Earth would take. Can those carrying the information here act as your representatives?”

“Definitely. Briana is one of our Security team members. Aoife is one of Dóchas’ Command Staff. Both are proficient in Special Forces style operations. They each have immediate access to the rest of us.”

“I presume you mean that they are telepathic?”

“Yes. I take it you have seen the report from the group of Americans that visited Dóchas.”

“It is an overstatement to say I saw the report. Our intelligence staff is, however, aware of its contents.”

“We understand that the Irish Defense Forces would like to participate in whatever is decided.”

“I gathered that, although Mr. óCeallacháin didn’t say so directly. I will contact you as soon as I see the data and meet with my staff. Will this affect either your arrival or your trip?”

“No. We will be there as scheduled, however we could arrive earlier, if that would be desirable.”

“At this point, I don’t see a need to be earlier than scheduled, in fact, doing so could draw some unwanted attention. Either my secretary or I will get back to you if we want to change it.”

“Again, our apologies for the lateness of this information, our group on Dóchas only updated us a little while ago concerning the plans for tomorrow night at the estate. The data Aoife and Briana are bringing includes that update.”

“We would all like more time in cases like this. See you tomorrow afternoon.”

“Yes. We are looking forward to it. Bye.”

“Tara, we don’t need to alter our plans,” said Sarah.

“Okay. Sally, Claudette, Jill, and Janet will be on the shuttles, along with those members of the choir who are rotating in for the next performances.”

“Good. We will have a chance to relax and enjoy the area.”

“It’s too bad we can’t all visit here.”

“Well those coming for Glasgow could stop here for a day or two on the way back, or even come another time.”

“I’ll talk to the hotel staff and see what arrangements we can make. If we can work something out, I guess we should ask O’Reilly what arrangements we need to make with them.”

“Okay. But let’s wait on that last part until we have more definite plans.”

“Fine. Now we are going for a walk.”

The morning went quickly, as the group from Dóchas explored the grounds around the castle. News of them being in the area had spread, and there were many more people out walking and driving near Abbeyglen than was normal.

“Choir,” said Kaylin, “what about having an impromptu rehearsal on the terrace in front of the hotel?”

“Wait until after the shuttles arrive,” said Cass. “They will be landing on the lawn, and we want to make sure we don’t have crowd issues.”

“Cass, initially I was thinking of starting about an hour before lunch. But with the shuttles arriving, why don’t we make it shortly after lunch as that will let us include those on them. That will also give them time to get settled in.”

“Agreed.”

“Okay then, we will gather out front around 2 to have our sing along.”

“That will work. I’ll let the Security teams know.”

Briana and Aoife eased the cloaked scout ship down into the courtyard across from 10 Downing Street. After spending a few moments surveying their surroundings, they phoned the PM’s secretary. After introducing herself Briana Mr. Bartlett’s secretary Mr. Thompson, she said, “We aren’t sure how you want to handle this. “We are currently in our ship about 60 meters from the front door.” She sensed him looking out the window. “It is cloaked so no one can see it. We think we have a couple of choices concerning how we can enter your office. One option is to remain cloaked until we are there, alternatively, someone could walk out to meet us in the courtyard. The latter is likely to cause some commotion among the security detail.”

There was a pause, then Mr. Thompson replied, “We think entering our office cloaked would be the best solution.”

“Give us 5 minutes, then come outside, leave the door open, and step off to the side. We will enter while you look around the courtyard.”

“That will work.”

“This is neat,” said Aoife, as they walked toward the entrance. Just as they arrived at the building, a man stepped outside and looked around, as if he was looking for someone. Aoife and Briana walked through the open doorway and waited just inside.

When Mr. Thompson reentered the office, he looked around with a puzzled expression. Once he closed the door, Briana and Aoife turned off their personal cloaking. His expression turned to one of shock as the two very tall women suddenly appeared in the reception area.

“Hello,” said Aoife, “this is Briana and my name is Aoife. I believe Mr. Bartlet is expecting us.”

The man reached forward and carefully shook each of their hands. “My name is Jay Thompson, and I am a member of the PM’s staff. Yes, Mr. Bartlet is expecting you. This way, please.” With that, they followed him further into the building, until they entered a large, windowless, conference room.

As they entered, Mr. Bartlet rose saying, “Good morning, ladies. You are very prompt, and have caught me just finishing breakfast. Would you care to join me?”

“If it is no trouble, then a cup of coffee and perhaps a croissant sounds good,” replied Aoife after introducing Briana and herself.

“That sounds good to me, as well,” said Briana. A maid quickly brought in coffee and croissants.

“Ladies, I find a couple of things puzzling about the situation in Fuda. Why did you take this information to the Irish Prime Minister first?”

“Fundamentally, because we were visiting their country, and it was their National Police who apprehended the group of bandits hired to kidnap some of us. The bandits were hired by the group in Fuda.”

“I think you made a good choice. Why are you suggesting that we lead this rescue, if that is what is decided? I know you have at least a couple of former US spooks in your group now.”

Aoife smiled. “We thought the captives would want their ordeal kept secret. If the US were approached to do this, we are reasonably certain that the facts would be in the newspapers and on TV within a couple of days, if not before the rescue started. Also, considering the limited response time, do you think they could be ready in time? We are fairly certain their President would want to act, but would he have the support?”

“Ladies,” replied Mr. Bartlet dodging the question, “we will be joined by several people from SIS, the Minister of Defense, and one of our SAS commanders. He has already initiated some inquiries regarding missing British citizens. It seems that he very recently heard of some being held captive in Fuda. On learning this, he advised his command of what he had received and noted that the source was extremely reliable. He suggested that if the information was as good as he expected then they would likely be tasked with resolving the issue. When pressed, he indicated that the information came from a former American spook. It is my understanding that all of this, apparently, occurred about the time the Irish Prime Minister called me.”

“It was, most likely, Eric that contacted a colleague in the SAS,” said Aoife. “Eric is part of a group of five Americans that have joined us recently. We don’t know the details of their background, but we suspect they worked for US Intelligence before retiring.”

The PM chuckled, and then said, “Yes, based on their contact here, I suspect they did. Now, tell me about yourselves. Sarah said one of you was a security team member, and the other was part of your command staff.”

Briana described her background, how she had joined the crew and made the transition to being a part of the Golden Amazons species. Aoife then related the story of how she first went to see about becoming a crew member of an alien space ship. She relived her experience of that first night, when she first met the core group of Command Staff. She recalled that, upon meeting them that first time, she instinctively felt that becoming a part of the ship’s crew was the thing for her to do. In fact, she said, she remembered that the feeling was so strong that it had, initially scared her. She then spoke about their family, their children, and life on the space ship and at the Mars settlement.

Mr. Bartlet listened intently as they described themselves. He found that he had to concentrate on what they were saying in order to avoid being distracted, either by their beauty or by the melodic sound of their voices. When Aoife finished, he asked, “Why were you apprehensive over being drawn toward Sarah’s Clan? Did you think they were manipulating you telepathically?”

“It was the strength of my feelings that concerned me. I had never experienced an instinctive sense of direction that strong before. As I learned later, the strength of my feelings was probably aided by my natural telepathic ability. The intensity came from being among others like me.”

“Mr. Bartlet,” said Briana, “we go to considerable lengths to make sure that everyone joining us makes their own decision. The key leadership clan makes it very clear that no one is to be pushed or enticed into joining us. Even those we have rescued have to initiate the idea of joining our crew themselves. Crew members on a space ship must be totally in sync with each other, as there isn’t any place to go if you change your mind. In addition, our interpersonal relationships are much more open than anything I am aware of occurring among those on Earth. We believe this is strongly aided by our telepathic abilities, as everyone is telepathic. I think our degree of intimacy would make many on Earth uncomfortable. The DVD we sent to all the government leaders on Earth has several presentations covering our history, culture and some of our unique attributes.”

“Yes, I have watched the DVD a couple of times. Our intelligence group, known as MI6, has also spent a considerable amount of time reviewing it. The diplomatic service was quite appalled that you did not contact them first.”

“I could see their point,” said Aoife, “if we were a government seeking diplomatic recognition. We don’t, however, claim to be a government, as Earth defines it.”

“It is obvious to me that both of you are very comfortable in your new life. Many of those who watched the DVD’s have expressed concern that the people who joined the crew were manipulated into doing so. Since hearing your stories first hand, I believe that everyone who joined you made their decision freely.”