Songs From The Wood

Sally could feel her cheek burning and when she felt it saw that he had laid her cheek open. As the three started arguing she moved closer to the desk where the radio was. Underneath the bottom she had put mounted a knife, for protection. She had been pulling his chain about killing him, but now she had to or she may well end up dead before John was able to work the phones.

Pulling the knife out, Sally drove it with all her strength into David's foot and into the floorboards. As he screamed in pain she rolled away. The first shot missed her by inches and his second went into the roof. Crouching she saw that Jade and Jock had both wrestled the pistol away from him and were restraining David. Looking up at him with hate she said, "You're lucky I only crippled you. If I had gone for your femoral, you would be dead now fucker."

Jade left David and went over to Sally, "Do you realize what you have done?"

Sally kept looking at David as Jock tried to work the knife out of the floor, "Yes, I just saved that asshole's life."

Jade was about to reply when her phone rang. Opening it she said, "Hello? Yes this is Agent Smith..." she looked at Sally and handed it to her, "It's for you."

Sally took the phone, "This is Sally Buck... Oh hello Hillary... It's lucky he did, I just stabbed one of your agents in the foot to keep him from shooting me." She nodded, "Yes in the foot." She looked at David and said, "Yes he is right here. Would you like to speak to him?" She handed the phone to Jade and nodded towards David.

Jade took the phone as if it were a time bomb and walked to David. Once she had handed him the phone she came back to Sally, "You know her by her first name?"

Sally nodded "Oh sure, I was one of her biggest supporters when she was in congress."

David took the phone and said through gritted teeth, "Yea... this is Agent Jones, who the fuck is this?"

Sally grinned as Jade looked at him in shock.

David's face drained of blood as he looked at Sally. "But.... Yes Mam.... No mam...." He held out the phone and Jade took it just as Jock's phone rang.

"Yes Madam Secretary?" She looked at David, "We will be air lifted within the hour. I will see to it personally." As she closed the phone Jade sunk down to the floor next to Sally, "Do you realize the hornets' nest you broke open?"

Sally nodded and looked at Jock who was still on the phone and looking sick. "Yes and I believe Mister Anderson is also finding out what he stepped into."

When Jock closed the phone he turned to Sally, "Miss Buck, I would like to apologize in behalf of my country for the treatment rendered to you by myself and others under my command." He looked at the other two agents and added, "All listening devices will be removed and you have my word that you will not be disturbed again." He looked at David's foot, "The incident with Agent Jones will not leave this room." His eyes drifted up to look at David as he added, "You have my word on it."

Sally slowly stood and looked at Jock, "If you think you are going to get off that easy you have another thing coming. I moved up here to get away from the games, but no, you want to be spies got to thrust your shit on my lap." She looked at Jade, "You asked if I knew what I did?" She turned back to Jock and stared at him, "I just let everyone know that the United States is running an assassin team around Canada with the cooperation of the Canadian government. If you three think you will get off by just saying sorry, you have another thing coming."

Sally walked past David and out the front door. Once she was on the porch she sighed, "Her peace was shattered once more by the outside world."

"What was that Miss Buck?"

Sally looked at Jock and Jade who had followed her outside. "Nothing, I was just talking to myself." She looked back to the woods and said, "On the other hand, just go... leave me alone." She heard the front door open behind her and a moment later Jock walked by helping David walk.

Following them was Jade carrying her duffle bag. As she drew even with Sally she glanced towards her with sadness. "I' m sorry Sally, I really am..."

Sally said, "Jade... please stay..."

Jade shook her head, "We are ordered back to face charges...I have to go."

"Jade, please...I need your help."

Jade looked from the car and back to Sally. It was the first time she had seen weakness in the other woman and she bit her lip. "I didn't want that job anyways." Dropping her duffel bag she walked down to the car and talked to David and Jock for a few minutes. She came back and said, "I need to go and get the troops off, but I will be back."

Sally sank down and sat on the front steps as the three drove away. She was still sitting there with her head in her hands when a brown car drove up. "What now," she asked as she looked up.

A young man in his twenties dressed in a pair of jeans and flannel shirt got out. "Miss Buck, I'm here to remove the listening devices."

Sally looked at him for a long moment before speaking, "I am going to get up, walk into the cabin and get a pistol. If you are still here when I get back, I am going to do my best to kill you." She sighed and added, "Son, I have had a long day and just want to be left alone. So the choice is yours, leave now or leave in a body bag."

Once the man left Sally sat on the steps and cried. She had tried hiding by changing her name and working in advertising. That worked until someone had spilled the beans on her. Then she came here, started over in the middle of nowhere. And now by her actions she had thrown it all away. The only bright side to this mess was that the press didn't know where she was at. She realized that would change and they would be crawling out of the woodwork within a day.

It was near midnight when Jade returned. Sally who had spent the whole time on the steps looked up at her and said, "I was beginning to wonder if you were going to return."

Jade walked over, sat down next to her and looked out at the woods before replying, "I almost didn't come back. Disobeying a direct order from the Sec of State is not something I recommend doing." Still not looking at Sally she said softly, "If I am lucky, all that will happen is that I will lose my job."

Sally looked at Jade's profile in the moonlight, "Well, if you end up in jail, I'll come visit you."

Jade looked at Sally and smiled slightly, "Thanks a lot. Will you bake a cake with a file in it also?"

Sally shook her head, "No, my baking skills leave something to be desired."

Jade looked back out to the woods, "Why did I come back?"

Sally was about to answer when she noticed headlights heading towards the cabin. "Shit that was fast." She got up and hurried inside.

Before Jade could do more than stand, Sally was back out with the two rifles. As she took one Jade asked, "What is it?"

Sally said simply, "The press." A white van pulled up and stopped. The side door opened as two people got out of the front. One of them, a woman looked as if she walked off a fashion runway, took a mic and hurried forward while a camera man got out of the back.

Before they could say anything Sally said, "This is private property. Leave now."

Instead of leaving the trio hurried forward. "Miss Buck, have you been released by the government?" The woman said in a loud and irritating voice.

Not replying Sally turned and walked inside with Jade following. As she locked the door she could hear someone pounding on it. She looked at Jade and said, "I was going to shoot their van up, but there has been enough violence today."

Nodding Jade opened her cell phone. As Sally put the rifles up, she contacted the police to see about clearing the press out. When she finished she looked at Sally and said, "The police will be here in a few minutes." Even through the stout door she could hear the reporter shouting questions. "You know it is only going to get worse."

Sally looked at her and nodded sadly. She walked over to mantle and stroked it as she spoke, "You know, I loved it here. It was quiet, peaceful, and most of all no one cared how much money or power I controlled." She looked at Jade a single tear rolling down her cheek, "Everyone in town knew about me, my real name and they didn't care one bit. And now, they will be under the microscope as much as I am."

Jade looked at Sally and felt her heart break. Suddenly an idea came to her, "Perhaps not... Just go outside and make a statement that you will be leaving and flying somewhere, London perhaps, to recoup."

Sally looked at her and then the front door. Nodding she stood and opened the door. Stepping out into the bright lights of the camera she said, "I would like to make a short statement and then ask you to leave." She paused a moment and composed herself, "As you can see all issues have been resolved with no charges levied by either side. Even though everything is now fine, I feel I need to take an extended vacation. Thank you."

Sally started to head back inside when the woman asked, "Where are you going?"

Turning back, she said, "I am headed to Vienna first and then perhaps London." She paused and said, "Now please leave me alone."

She went back inside and closed the door on the reporter's face. Looking at Jade she said, "How was that?"

Jade nodded, "Good, it is a start." She walked over to the kitchen and lit one of the lanterns there. Pumping the water pump, she said, "Sally, would you please come in here so I can clean your cheek." When Sally sat down she started wiping the dried blood away. "If you knew someone who looks kind of like you that you could talk them into going to Vienna for a few days to fake the press out."

Sally smiled, "What a wonderful idea. Can I borrow your phone?" Taking it she dialed a number, "Carol? This is Sally... hell of a mess alright... but it turned out okay... look I need a favor. Can you fly to Vienna for a few days and pretend to be me?" She listened and nodded, "Yea, all expenses paid as always... Great, someone will be by in an hour or so to pick you two up... Love you, bye."

Closing the phone Sally reopened it and dialed, "Crag, I need you to get the Lear ready for immediate departure. You're taking two passengers to Vienna and then London later in the week." She laughed at the reply and said, "I know I know, just do the best you can hon. Oh and Carol told me to tell you she is bringing Cat with her so you had better be on your best behavior."

Closing the phone Sally looked at Jade, "Done... I have had to do it before when I went to meetings stuff." She let Jade go back to cleaning her cheek and said softly, "Now I just need a way to get her to the airport so it looks like she was coming from here. Any ideas?" Just then there was a knocking at the front door. Sally looked at the door and then Jade, "That was fast..."

Before Sally could get to the door whoever was on the other side knocked again. Opening it she saw that it was one of the local Mounties. She looked past him to find the news van was gone, "Hi Samuel, come in." She turned to Jade who had followed her from the kitchen, "Jade, this is Samuel." Turning back, she said, "Samuel, this is Jade."

Samuel tipped his hat slightly before turning to Sally. "The press is parked out on the road with a couple of my men keeping them there." He shook his head, "Sally, you are all over the news. That radio transmission of yours is on the air and everyone is in an uproar about it." He sighed and looked out towards the road, "It would be better for everyone if you were to disappear for a while Sally."

Sally nodded, "Yea I figured as much. Craig is getting the Lear ready and Carol has agreed to go overseas for me." She looked at Jade a long moment before turning back to the Mounty. "I have some unfinished business here to take care of."

"No Sally," both Samuel and Jade said almost at the same time.

"Listen both of you," Sally said as she put her hands on her hips. "Those people are my friends and family. I am going to find out what is going on and no one is going to stop me." She looked at Jade hard until the other woman dropped her eyes. She turned to Samuel, "You want to try and stop me Samuel?"

Samuel shook his head, "And get caught up in your buzz saw? No thanks." He looked at Jade and said, "Agent Smith, talk some sense into her please." He looked back to Sally, "Look I know you care Sally, but please let the professionals deal with it."

Sally looked at him a long time and finally sighed, "Okay you win. We will go back country and do a little hunting while the press chases Carol around."

Samuel smiled, "I know you would come to your senses Sal. Now what can I and my men do to help you get out of here?"

It was Jade who spoke, "Captain, could you have one of your cars pick us up in about an hour while someone picks up Sally's friend and takes her to the airport? Then our car will go past the press and by the time they take out after us, we can be long gone. All the car has to do is drive us long enough to lose any press and then drop us off."

Sally was impressed, it was a good idea and she said so.

Samuel thought for a minute, "Yes I think under the circumstances we can do that. I'll go coordinate everything by word of mouth and be back for you two in an hour."

Once he had left Jade said softly, "You shouldn't lie... We're going after him and you didn't fool that Mounty one bit."

Sally looked at Jade, "I know, but this way it gave Samuel a way out. If I had stood my ground, then he would have had to deal with me. This way he is covered." It didn't take long for them to pack and by the time he returned they were on the front porch waiting.

Just like they planned it, Samuel picked them up and drove them past the reporters. Once past them he sped up and lost any sight of them. Once he was sure they had lost the press he pulled over and looked back at them. "Where do you want dropped?"

"Ten Mile lake...South shore please."

The drive was made in the silence and once Samuel parked he said, "Be careful you two."

"Don't worry Samuel." Sally said as she and Jade got out of the car. She watched as he drove off and then looked at Jade, "This way..." She led the other woman into the woods and away from the lake. After about an hour they came to a little stream, dropping her pack Sally said, "We'll camp here, tomorrow we can move closer."

"Closer?"

Sally nodded, "Yea, town is only four or five miles that way." She pointed to the south. "Let's get some wood and then we need to talk."

Jade was winded from the walk and frankly she would love a nice soft bed to rest on. However, she followed Sally around and spent the next hour gathering wood and filling their canteens. Once the fire was going she looked at Sally, "You know something don't you..."

Sally shook her head, "No but I have some ideas. Before I run them past you I need to ask some questions." Instead of asking them she looked at Jade, the other woman looked how Sally felt, like she had been rode hard and put up wet. "Do you trust me?"

Jade looked back at Sally, after all they had been through, after all she had done to Sally as part of her job she was surprised that the woman even talked to her. "I trust you so much that I am now wanted in the United States." She looked down, "I don't know why, but yes Sally I trust you with my life."

"It's my turn to be sorry and I am for getting you fired and in trouble." Sally paused, "The way I see it, the only way to make it right is for you to shut down the transmitter and get credit for it." She leaned back against a tree and gathered her thoughts, "I know the mind thing is hidden in a radio broadcast. My question is has anyone tried to record the song and see if the effect is the same on playback?"

Jade shook her head, "No, that much we know. The mind controlling beam is ridding piggy back." She held up her hand, "Let me see if I can guess your questions. Have we tried triangulating the signal?" She smiled, "Yes and for some reason we kept getting several signal sources." Jade noticed Sally nodding and wanted to ask her what she knew. However, she knew that Sally wanted answers first, "Did we try following the towns people when they vanished? Yes, first by following, and then when that didn't work, by using tracking bugs on clothing."

"What do you mean not work? Did your followers lose the people?"

Jade shook her head, "No, they were also affected and once they returned they had no knowledge of time passing. I was one of the interviewers; they were adamant that no time had passed even to the point of passing polygraph tests." Jade stood and paced, "When we used bugs, we found everyone's clothes about a mile outside of town in the woods." She turned to Sally, "There was no trace of people. Even trackers and dogs could not pick up a trail."

Sally looked at Jade and then at the fire, "Have you been affected? Or has someone told you that you had been?"

Jade walked over and sat down next to Sally. In a soft voice she said, "I'm not sure."

"Let me tell you about my experience. Perhaps that will help you decide." Sally spoke about when she was driving into town and the song that came on the radio. She went into great detail describing the feelings of peace and joy that had filled her. When she was finished she said, "Was that anything like yours?"

Jade shook her head. "I don't remember anything. I have been told that three days of my life are missing and have had it proved by a calendar that I was MIA for that time. But I have no memory of it at all."

Sally nodded in the growing darkness. "Any aftereffects?" She remembered the pair in the bank and wondered about Jade.

Jade shook her head, "No, none at all. I'm just missing a chunk of time out of my life." She looked at Sally in the firelight, "Okay so what are your ideas?"

"I think I know the how, but not the why or who is behind it." Sally paused and thought it out more. "Imagine two transmitters on the same frequency more or less. One transmits the music while the other transmits the mind signal. That way you cannot get a fix on one, you get two fixes and assume it is equipment malfunction."

She smiled, "Do you think you can find where the clothes were dropped off? I have an idea about that also but want to see the place first hand."

Jade looked into the fire, "I think so..."

"Problem?"

Not looking at Sally she said, "What if he gets me again?" She looked at sally finally and said, "I don't know if I can handle that."

Sally took her hand and squeezed it, "Hey we are a team. If our mysterious Mister X wants you, he has to go through me first."

Jade smiled, "That's right, a team." She relaxed for the first time since coming up to Canada. Even though she had never been camping or anything like that, she felt at peace here in the woods. "It's nice here," she said after a few minutes unaware she was still holding Sally's hand.

"Yes I love it up here."

Finally, Jade became aware she was holding Sally's hand still and got up. "How about some dinner?"

Nodding Sally got out some smoked meat and began to heat it over the fire. She looked at Jade now and then as she cooked wondering if the woman realized how she was acting. Once the meat was sizzling she cut some off and handed it to Jade before cutting herself a piece. "Careful it's hot." They ate in silence and once they were finished Sally said, "Do you want first or second watch?"

"Watch?"

"We are in the woods and have just cooked meat. That means we might have some company tonight." She paused and smiled at Jade's reaction, "Not a bear, most likely a wild pig or wolf. As long as the fire is going we will be fine." Opening the pack, she got out an old blue wool blanket, "Here you rest first and I will wake you in four hours or so."

Jade lay down with the blanket wrapped around her. She had no intention of sleeping after hearing Sally talk about wolves and pigs. There was no way she would sleep. However, the sounds of the crackling fire and wind singing in the leaves persuaded her to drift into a deep sleep. She was awoken by Sally's gentle shaking, "Wake up Jade..."