Awakening: The First Tale of the Trine (Trine Series Book 1) Read Free

that while the Sergeant’s kit and his skin showed clear signs of recent ballistic damage, there was no significant physical injury. All they could find were superficial wounds corresponding with the damage to his gear, all of which appeared to be well healed. The surgeon determined that Sergeant Jeffries had simply collapsed from exhaustion, and he was sent back to his unit after being given fluids and time to rest.
    “That sounds like a perfectly reasonable conclusion,” the President said, exasperated.
    “It would have been,” Scott replied. “Except that the first responders confirmed that upon their arrival, the Sergeant was found to have two entrance and exit wounds in his torso, as well as severe soft tissue damage to his lower extremities. The damage to his gear and the blood patterns confirmed that he had suffered at least two gunshots that exited his upper back. The medic who administered the AED claims that as soon as they activated it, the Sergeant…recovered. The wounds were gone.”
    “If that’s true, then why wasn’t this followed up on?”
    “It was a combat zone, sir. The surgeon had other priorities, and the medics had already returned to the field. The surgeon chalked it up to an error on the part of the medics, and the medics were unaware of the surgeon’s findings later on. As for the Sergeant, Dr. Chamblee requested that he be allowed to examine him personally and interview him. Unfortunately, all of this came to light years later, and he had been discharged by this time. As Dr. Chamblee had no concrete findings, his funding was cut and he was reassigned to other projects. None of this would likely ever have come back into the light, except…”
    “Except that today, Sergeant Jeffries reappeared at ground zero of an explosion that levelled a hospital, with three unknown…God Scott, I hate to even say the word…aliens?”
    Scott watched President Clark as he reviewed the report further. Over his first term, he had witnessed the stress of the office add years to his friend’s face. As the weight of today’s events sank in, he imagined he could almost see it draining what was left of the Presidents vitality, as he finally sagged back into his chair wearily.
    “Get our team to Sergeant Jeffries, Scott, and get his statement. Find out how deep this rabbit hole goes, and how much shit we’re going to have to shovel to get out of it.”

CHAPTER THREE
     
    Thursday, August 2 nd , 13:58 EST.
    Sergeant Delmont Jeffries, Greensboro, N.C.
     
    The nurse escorting the two federal agents pulled back the curtain in the patient’s room, causing him to stir. The hospital gown he wore was stretched tightly across his massive chest, and his thickly muscled arms were crossed over his stomach. His receding hairline and the gray hairs at his temples and chin, which stood out starkly against his dark skin, were the only traces of his forty-odd years. The nurse conducted a quick check of the gauze taped over the gash on his forehead, and after recording his vital statistics she left quietly, pulling the door shut behind her.
    The younger of the two agents moved to stand by the door, blocking any further access. The other, a lean older gentlemen in a dark suit, pulled a chair closer to the bedside. “Mr. Jeffries?” he asked quietly.
    The man in the bed reached for a styrofoam cup on the table. Finding it empty, the agent helped him pour some water, and waited for him to drink. “Sorry,” the man said, “They knocked me out while stitching up my head and back. Yeah, I’m Delmont Jeffries. I’m glad you’re here, I didn’t get a chance to tell anyone about what happened on the way over.”
    “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through today, Mr. Jeffries. My name is Stephen Donaldson, and this is my associate James Stanley. We’re special agents with Homeland Security, and were both briefed a short time ago on the events leading up to the explosion earlier today at Moses Cone. As you can