The Climax Of The Beginning

Chapter 10

 

Thursday was her one day free from school and Cassie finally made the meeting with Maj. Woods. The problem that she was bringing to Cassie was that she was effectively operating two departments with only herself and two NCOs. She was the head of the legal department on site, and in fact was the only trained lawyer. She was also the acting head of Human Resources. This had come about due to the fact that all employees were on personal contracts to the corporation.

 

There was no standard contract that fit all employees. There were variations in positions, salaries, and benefits. Even in those, no two were identical.

 

One example was June and Betty. Both were hired at the same time for identical positions, but they were not being compensated at the same rate or getting the same benefits even though  they had the same rank, Colonel.

 

Maj. Woods had found very few of the employees with the similar contracts, even at the same rank. Those that were, in most cases, were doing staff jobs.

 

Her request was for a larger staff or separation of the two different jobs.

 

After Cassie had heard the problem and Maj. Woods’ suggestions she thought for a moment.

 

“Major Woods, I need more input on this before we can make a final decision.”

 

“At this time, let’s just put a temporary fix in. You are head of our legal onsite department. This is your training. You are obviously well suited for this, as this examples show. So, for now, that’s where I would like you to stay.”

 

“I am not just blowing wind at you. You have found a problem that needs fixing. So now it’s time for those that can fix it to do so.”

 

“Schultz, schedule another meeting in a week. Make an appointment with Clint before then to discuss this with him.”

“Major Woods, thank you for bringing this to my attention before it got way out of hand. I will see you again next week. Schultz will let you know the best time for our next meeting.”

 

With that Major Woods was dismissed.

 

 

“Schultz, add this to the thousands things on my list to do. This one is urgent; it bears directly on our recruitment of more people.”

 

They spent the next couple of hours finishing up paperwork.

 

 

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That afternoon Cassie was sitting back relaxing and scanning the estate. The construction was moving forward like crazy. The first thing that had been completed was a whole new high security gate entrance.

 

It was now a full security entrance. Any truck or vehicle entering had to go through a security obstacle entrance. There was no way any vehicle could crash the entrance. 

 

Once past the primary entrance, the vehicle was in the outer ring which would contain the main Administration, medical facilities and primary training facilities.

 

 

Clint would have his headquarters in the Administration building along with the base commander.

 

The main road from the primary entrance continued to the main house, but as it came over the ridge, where the main house could be seen, a secondary gate was installed. This was connected to a new security fence that separated the outer area from that of the main house and the facilities around it. Her SOC would be in that area at the main house.

 

As soon as residences were completed in the outer area there would be a shake out of the cadre separating her SOC and personal security out of the mix and assigning the rest to the outer area.

 

Now she was pulling back from organization and training for awhile as she concentrated on her schooling.

 

 

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The Friday drive into the campus was the same as normal. Her scans picked up nothing unusual and her perimeters also noted nothing. Cassie closed her eyes and leaned back, scanning herself. She had no feelings of unease. She felt normal.

 

On campus she reported to the Dean of Math’s office where they sent her to the testing center. Cassie spent the whole day with the exception of lunch taking tests. For the next three days she did more of the same. She was given problems by the Dean himself to work on at home.

 

 

The second week it was the Physics department with more testing; here too, the Dean gave her problems to think on and to write about. In those two weeks she turned in more homework then she had ever done in her life for school.

 

The third week, one of the advanced graduate students was assigned full time to travel with her. He talked and talked and talked. It was like being in a physics lecture hall eight hours a day, discussing String theory, multi-dimensional universes, worm holes, black holes and Warp fields.  She began to worry that her head would actually explode.

 

Her sensitivity was becoming extremely acute. It was almost like she could feel the imperfection of the enjoinments of the connecting boundary of matter and its neighbors.

 

When each day was done and she came home, she was chased out to Sensei Inoue to be pounded on. The day after she completed her testing, she was hit with a surprise. She had not expected it. She had not been told to look for it. She had no warning.

 

Cassie rolled out of bed and Cpl. Lambskin opened the door to her room at the same time. She moved to the shower and quickly showered and performed her other necessities. She stepped into her bedroom as Cpl Lambskin laid her clothes out on her newly made bed.

 

Cassie froze when she saw what was lying there. “My Gi?” She asked.

 

“Yes, Ma’am! Sensei Inoue, left word for me this morning.”

 

“God, I hope he finds what he is looking for soon.”

 

Cpl. Lambskin held up a light robe for her to slip on. She then removed the covers from her breakfast sitting on the table. She must have slipped the food in while Cassie had been showering.

 

Cassie ate her light breakfast of a small bowl of multi-grain hot cereal, wheat toast, a touch of margarine and half a grapefruit and of course her Moko pot of coffee. In less than forty-five minutes from the time her feet hit the floor she was headed to the dojo. 

 

Cassie could not believe what her scan showed. The Dojo was full. Every senior NCO and every available officer was present. Cassie slipped in and found an open spot along the wall to kneel.

 

She scanned the mass of people here, and like she had first thought ‘everybody’ was here. Sensei Inoue was not alone either. There were four strangers that she had never seen.

 

All five were sitting behind a table on the side. Cassie did not understand what was happening. All her people were in gi, all kinds of gi. There were the general ones with top and bottom both white, some with a black top with white bottom and some the exact opposites with black bottom and white top. There was also black silk gi with embroidered emblems on the back. Then the shock hit her, she could tell the difference her sensitivity had developed to the point that she could tell the difference in the dye used in the gi.

 

 

She listened for a minute as one of the strangers stood up and talked in an oriental language for a minute or so.

 

Then June and Betty both came to the center, faced off and began a free style like none Cassie had ever ‘seen’. For the next couple hours it was martial art heaven in the dojo. Cassie’s name was called out three times and she recognized her opponent in every case. They were mainly some of the newer officers with lots of experiences. She won all her matches.

 

Finally, with more than half the room back in uniform as they were eliminated, Cassie was called one more time. Sensei Inoue himself came out to face her. They went all over the basic, and then the more advanced. They kept at it for over two hours and when she was finally taken down she was soaked.

 

After a shower, a massage and clean dry clothes she entered the dining room where Sensei Inoue was entertaining his guests. Cassie thought to retire to another room but Sensei Inoue would not let her.

 

“Cassie, let me express my gratitude to you in allowing us to hold the first meet of the Combat Martial Arts Federation here at your home.”

 

“Combat Martial Arts? What is that Sensei?”

“Well when I first showed up I became entranced by all the different styles that your people knew. What it came down to was, does it work? Your people have served all over the world. They have learned multiple styles, many of which do the same things.  To them, the only thing that matters is does it work and whether it the best possible form and style for a particular situation?”

 

“So I contacted other known martial artists that have served in the militaries of the world.  Each and every member of the board to start with had to have been nominated by at least ten people we knew ourselves.

That was our founding base. Then we recruited members and did an election of board members. It was a long drawn out affair but finally we felt we were ready. Today we held our first tourney, an invitation tourney.”

 

“You have never competed in any tourney before. We were not sure where you would be ranked. It was the consensus of the board after watching you today that you will be offered a black belt at the 3rd rank.”

 

Having finished, he laid the black belt with 2 thin gold stripes on the end of the belt in front of her. She just sat there staring at the belt. Cassie finally reached out and placed her hand on the belt and just rested it there.

 

When she finally looked up she was alone. She stood and picked up her belt and carried it up the stairs to her room there she opened her gym bag and put the belt on top of her gear then zipped it closed.

 

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“Security, Shadow, Preparing to depart.”

 

“This is Security HQ, the Shadow is preparing to depart. Coachman, your condition?”

 

“This is Coachman 1 we are approaching the rear exit.”

“Security, Detail 1 Ready”

“Security, Forward Scout departing rear echelon.”

“Security, Hawk one has gone airborne.”

Security, Back plate is awaiting the Shadow to follow.”

 

“Security to Shadow, your team is ready.”

“The shadow is preparing to egress.”

Cassie’s scan had cleared everything. Sgt. Taylor was acting as Schultz’s second today and joining Cassie.

 

“All Shadow Detail, be sure you have your new Deputy Marshal ID on you. This should be worn on you left hip for uniform dress and on your left chest in battle dress.”

 

“Security Verification Team, we have verified that all your personal security staff have US Marshal pull over tunic and all you personal vehicles have US Marshal Placards.”

 

“Coachman 1, I have personally checked and verified all detail members are now in full compliance with Special Deputy Marshal Identification.”

 

“This is the Shadow, Roger”

 

Cassie stepped out of the back door. Sgt Townsend opened the rear door of the Tahoe. Sgt Taylor was grabbed by Grace and shoved in through the open rear door. Cassie was next in the vehicle door and she felt her ass being shoved as she bent over. She went through so fast she almost pushed Sgt. Taylor through the door on the other side.

 

As she twisted upright Cpl Grace Perkins landed next to her. The front passenger door slammed shut as the coachman sat down in the shotgun position.

 

“Security, Coachman 1 we are departing.

“Roger, Coachman 1.”

“Back plate has taken up position and we are gone.”

“Roger, Back Plate.”

“Security, Forward Scouts we are through the first gate slowing down waiting for the Shadow.”

 

 

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The trip to the campus of the College went smoothly. Cassie was watching for breaches of security procedures and protocols. Every member of her detail was on their toes.

 

There was only about another week of school before the holiday breaks started.

 

This week was Thanksgiving, and then it was just three weeks until the winter break started. Most of the dormitories would be closed over the winter break and even students with no place to call home had to find somewhere to hold up until after New Years.

 

This was going to be a lonely time for Cassie. Her first Christmas without family around her. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My thanks to Grumpybear for his editing and proofing help. But the final results are mine and all criticism should be loaded onto my shoulders.

 

 Into The Shadows © Virgil Lee Fuqua III and ‘vlfouquet.wordpress’, 2008-2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Vlfouquet and Virgil Lee Fuqua III with appropriate and specific direction to the original contents.