I’m the contracted bride of the billionaire

Chapter 69: Double Agent

The city’s eerie silence surrounded Philip and his group as they hurried out of the Waller Interchanges building. The incident in the server room rocked everyone, but Philip suffered most.

He might still feel the waiting warmth of Amelia’s notebook on his side, a consistent indicator of the unique experience he experienced lately. “Mr., where are we headed? Waller!” Her voice subdued as they investigated the deserted roads, Amanda questioned. Philip hesitated, his psyche sharp.

His ideas reflected the words “Learn. Adapt. Evolve.” of the Amelia-entity. Still, what use it all was the question? He glanced at his group, Dr. Including Reeves and Amanda, they were all looking to him for direction. “We really want to refocus,” he remarked at last. “On the outskirts of the city lies old Waller family territory. It’s off the network and divided.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

There we can vanish and arrange our finest line of action.” As they navigated Philadelphia’s changed terrain, Philip couldn’t get rid of the sensation they were under observation.

The stranger designs stayed some distance away, their strong calculations seeming to move and pulse toward the side of his eye.

Following a tense journey, they arrived to a rambling Victorian-style home seeking safety behind crowded trees. Though the site had better days, it stayed intact and, more significantly, did not seem to be affected by aliens. “My father used this place as a retreat,” Philip said as they arrived. “Its own power supply and basement are fortified. Right now, we ought to be safe here.”

The crew rapidly built up a temporary command center in the basement. Reeves began examining the data they had acquired from Waller Communications as Amanda arranged their tools and weapons. Philip found a quiet area as the others worked and pulled out Amelia’s sketchbook.

Wanting some bit of information, he turned the pages and straight away found some smidgen of what he should be doing. The graphics looked to move and glitter as before, but no obvious message materialized. “Mr. Dr. Waller,” Philip’s concentration was broken as Reeves cried out. “I think I have found something,” Philip said, joining the researcher at his desk.

On the screen, complex information flow and linkages were displayed. “This is a map of the infiltration by aliens,” the doctor added. Reeves made sense of. “Examine these nodes here.” They deal with government agencies and big businesses compromised.

But consider this…” At the center of the web, he emphasized a pulsating red speck. “This seems to be the basic cause of everything.” Philip leaned in and his eyes opened as soon as he saw the locations. “That is… the private island in the Caribbean owned by my dad.” As the implications sank in, the room grew silent.

Philip’s psyche collapsed. Is it conceivable that his father participated in this from start? Alternatively would he argue he was another survivor of the outsider takeover? Philip said, “We must reach that island.” “I believe we will find our solutions there, whatever is happening, whatever this invasion is about.” The group started right away organizing their next action. They would need supplies, transportation, and a means of avoiding discovery by both human and outsider forces.

As they worked, Philip could not get rid of his mounting dread. Though he couldn’t pinpoint what felt strange. As darkness descended, the crew alternated in repose. Philip’s head was too full of half-formed notions and questions, just half-formed to slumber.

BbHe headed for the mansion’s library in an attempt to clear his brain. Amazingly, he found Amanda as of yet, carefully reading over past Caribbean guides. She turned skyward as he came in, grinning empty-handed. Couldn’t rest either? She asked. Philip joined her at the table shaking his head.

“Extreme to understand. Though I can’t precisely get a hold on it, I feel like we’re almost something noteworthy.” Amanda nodded sympathetically. I get what you imply. The whole scenario is beyond our most reasonable projections. Philip started opening to Amanda as they were chatting. He informed her about his participation in the space between actual events regarding the Amelia-element and her hidden message.

Amanda listened with great enthusiasm, her temple wriggled in obsession. “Do you imagine that was really hers? With Amelia in mind. Philip let out a breath. “I’m not quite sure.” She sounded and looked like this, yet something else also lurked there. something sooner and more extensive.

Each buried in their own thoughts, they sank into a polite silence. As the first light of morning started to slink through the windows, Philip decided. “Amanda,” he murmured, his voice low and firm. “I want you to start something for me. Important, but we have to keep it secret. Leaning in, her eyes were keen and concentrated. Yes, Mr. Wall… Philip.

Actually, what do you want? Philip turned over Amelia’s sketchbook to her. “You should keep this secure. Not even the group as a whole should you let anyone else view it.

Make sure Amelia gets it whether something happens to me. Amanda grabbed the sketchbook with a serious look. “I’ll be there for you. Still, Philip… what do you suppose will happen?” He shook his head slightly. “I’m not quite sure.” Still, I can’t get rid of the sense that we are about to confront an obstacle too great for us. I want to know there is a backup strategy.” Philip and Amanda returned to the gathering as the rest began to mix, their enigmatic arrangement hanging subtly between them.

The day was consumed in frenetic planning. Reeves worked on adjusting their gear to evade alien detection as the other crew members gathered supplies and mapped their path.

Getting set to buy a boat and relocate near the coast, where they would visit the Caribbean, Philip and Amanda were Philip felt a mix of anxiety and expectation as they stacked their cars to inspect the altered scene. Wandering about the scene, they were considering the supernatural engineering of the outsider creations.

BbbAmanda struggled next to him mumbling that she thinks they are being followed as they made tremendous headway. Looking in the rearview mirror, Philip saw a slink of movement. He warned everyone to be on alert as they approached the brink of a little village. The great brightness that had enveloped the space momentarily blinded them.

They were encircled by hovering alien vessels and changed humans blocking their path as his vision cleared. Philip squeezed on the brakes.

BPhilip’s brain whirled while Dr. Reeves’ panicked voice tore across the radio. He looked at Amanda, who claimed she was resolved and resigning. Amanda approached Philip regretfully yet determinedly, telling him she had so much she could not tell him.

The doors of their car were torqued open before Philip could respond; transformed people yanked them out, their hold places of strength ruthlessly exposed. As Philip battled, he saw the rest of his squad likewise caught. Doctor. Reeves caught his eye as his demeanor exuded guilt and accusation.

BThough no words emerged, Philip wanted to offer an apology or a justification. From a distance, Amanda showed a hurt look at the behavior. One of the outsider works fell, its body opening to reveal a natural person. The thing wearing her shape, Cambel, came to stand with erratic, flowing motions.

She advised them to enter the next phase and praised Philip for giving her exactly what she needed. As Philip was propelled toward the alien craft waiting, his ideas flew. For what number of years had Amanda resisted them? She had told the aliens what? Above all, too, what had happened to Amelia’s sketchbook? He twisted his neck in search of one more look at Amanda. Still standing, she watched as he and the others were loaded into the vessel.

Not long before the building closed, Philip noticed she had a genuine cowhide bound book in her hand.

The notepad. She had it, indeed. As the ship buzzed to life and darkness around Philip, he hung to that shard of hope. Amanda had held true to her promise to protect the sketchbook, whatever game she was playing, whatever side she was actually on.

Moreover, Philip understand that there is some means or another to undo this complete secret. The craft carried Philip and his captured team toward an unknown future as it ascended.

Philip was ready for what lay ahead when the familiar Earthly scene gave way underfoot. The fight was still raging. It dawned on him that this was only beginning. Amelia, on the other hand, watched somewhere out there. She carried reality that might save them all between actual events and prior performance.

Philip only had to figure out her phone number. Philip closed his eyes and zeroed on the memory of Amelia’s face as the outsider art accelerated and left Earth. “I’ll track down you,” he said softly into the dark. He said, “I’ll find you no matter what it takes.”

Rapid acceleration of the ship carried the occupants toward an unthinkable location. Moreover, in the great expanse of chamber, hidden and indistinct, ancient powers mixed, waiting for the next action in a great game deciding the fate of mankind, but reality itself.