Back by popular demand - more about Sally and Paya's House. I owe a thanks to a fan for the seed that has created 'The Visitor'. Sadly, I don't remember which one of you it was. When you recognize the idea, please step forth so I can give you public credit! There are just too many messages to sift through to find the original remark that set this in motion.

Thanks to all who continue to read and comment on Paya's House. I so appreciate all of you!

Paya's House: The Lost Tales

Part One – The Visitor

Chapter One

Rivulets of water webbed their way down the aircraft window as the commercial airliner sat twenty-third in line for take-off. The man in the aisle seat looked out the window over the passengers sitting beside him at the driving rain. His face wore the flat expression of someone whose thoughts were elsewhere and he looked without really seeing. "I hope we can take-off in this storm," a worried female voice quavered, interrupting his reverie. He glanced briefly into the duly concerned eyes of the woman sitting beside him. She was maybe in her thirties, he decided, taking in her casual attire and concluding she was not traveling for business. "Oh, I'm sure we'll be fine," he offered calmly while his innards clenched into their usual wad of nerves.

He despised flying which was quite funny when he thought about it. As a free-lance photographer his assignments carried him around the country and quite often around the globe. In fact, his frequent-flier perks were currently financing this trip. This trip! He shook his head as he thought about all the requests he'd made to come and visit her. But there were always excuses. Excuses like, 'it's still under construction,' and 'sorry, but I'm up to my ears in work," were all listened to somewhat patiently. After months of waiting, in fact there'd been two months with no phone calls at all, she'd surprised him with an invitation. More than just an invitation, she had invited him to visit and cast him the bait of exclusive work. So he had come aboard today carrying his precious camera equipment, trusting his clothes to the baggage claim. As usual, it would have taken days to drive the distance he was about to cover in a few hours, so he calmed himself with his repetitious mantra that, scientifically speaking, it was safer to fly than drive such a long ways. At any rate, he did his best to put forth a calming male presence for the benefit of his nervous feminine neighbor, even while hoping that she would not chat him up for the entire trip.

He was very curious about her new job. The offer had come to her over a year ago and he had listened to her description of it with trepidation. Not concern for what she was going to do, the offer was so classified that she could tell him little about it. No, what he didn't like was that the offer was in New Mexico and she would be moving away from him. Not that he was home all that often, but still, when he was home he always found the time to see her. She was, or had been, simply great fun to be with. They shared a love of the natural world and spent hours outside together. They had hiked through wilderness and he'd even taught her a bit about kayaking. She had patience too. As demonstrated by being perfectly still and quiet during the hours it sometimes took him to get just the right shot. It didn't hurt that she loved his work too and gushed over his wildlife and natural scenic photography. And then there was the sex. It was good…no…it was…yea…it was THAT good! There simply just wasn't enough of it what with being off on assignments all the time. At least it's good for me, he thought. That's something I never felt like I had to ask her. Her enjoyment was pretty evident. A smile smoothed his lips and his face took on that far-off look again. So then, Sally, I finally get to see what's taken you away from me.

He almost jolted in his seat as the captain came to life over the speaker. There was a slight Irish lilt to his voice, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Captain Murphy, welcoming you aboard UniWest Flight 537 to Albuquerque. We have a bit of a delay for take-off due to the weather, so I'm authorizing a beverage service while we wait. Please just relax and we'll be on our way in no time. We should clear the storm shortly after take-off and then we expect smooth air for the rest of the trip." With a slight crackle, his voice was gone and the airline attendants began pushing their metal carts with clattering china and clinking ice cubes through the narrow aisles of business class.

He appreciated that his ticket was not for cattle class in the rear, even as he savored the at-least-drinkable almost-hot coffee from the real cup. It was a small luxury, certainly, but he enjoyed it as he wondered how many more perks and service there were in first class. The attendant was just reaching a glass of cola over his lap to his now calmer traveling companion when the captain's voice again breeched the air. "Attendants! Prepare for take-off." It was announced so crisply and so matter-of-factly that it took a moment for the irony of it to sink into his brain.

Just as unexpected as the announcement, was the sight of attendants nearly running - hauling ass and carts back the way they had come, even as tray tables were still down, carrying full beverages. The man sympathetically watched the attendants scurry while the jet's body vibrated to life and then taxied into position. Aye, you're an asshole, Captain Murphy, the man thought to himself in his best imitation brogue as the engine's roar increased and they sped down the runway.

A knock on her office door barely caught Sally's attention as she fought her way through the figures on the screen. Startup costs were continuing to increase and the company wasn't happy about it. They can just kiss my ass, she thought, they hired me to do this job and I'm going to do it in spite of their stupidity! "Come in, it's open" she called to the knock without looking up and flipped screen windows to view the location of Ulfr's Yautja ship. He had just been here a few days ago and was now on his way back to fetch another Ancient for the House. It would be another few days until he and his crew returned. In the meantime, she now had a new Ancient to contend with as well as the resident ones, a Yautja crew member who had been left behind without her consent, a house-keeper who'd nearly been scared out of her wits by said Yauta, a disgruntled lab staff and to top it all off – Paul was coming to visit! Somehow this will all work out. It always does.

"Senorita DeHaven," the soft voice of Rita, the housekeeper, interrupted, making Sally look up. "I thought maybe you could use this." She brought a steaming mug of coffee towards the desk.

"Rita, you are the most thoughtful person on the planet! Thank you!" Sally beamed in genuine gratitude and accepted the gift. "You know, Sig-dan, the Yautja who scared you yesterday, really will not harm you."

"You are right, Senorita. He will not harm me because I will not go near him!"

They both laughed at the sincerely meant, yet good-natured reply. "Rita, we've been working together for awhile now. Would you mind calling me Sally? I really would prefer it."

"Oh no, Senorita. I cannot do that you see because of the others. They would think I was disrespecting you."

Sally nodded, "I understand. Maybe you can just call me Sally when we are alone together?"

Rita was thoughtful, "Perhaps, Senorita Sally. However, if I made it a habit I might mess up!" Her face seemed impish for a moment as she considered how others might take her familiarity with the boss.

"Well, I would like to get to know you better, Rita. I think you have insights about the workings of this place and I would like to hear them. Plus, you are just a really nice person and I like you."

Rita blushed a bit at the praise and then ventured in a stage whisper, "Well, I'll tell you something that nobody else here knows!"

"And what is that?" Sally leaned forward in anticipation.

"My name isn't Rita!" She chuckled, "Its Rosa. Rosa Rita. Rosa Rita Sanchez!"

"Oh? So why do you go by your middle name?"

"Well, when I came for my interview I quickly found out that the two women in front of me were both Rosas! Can you believe it? So, I didn't want to be confused with them! And as you see, I got the job!" A wide grin broke out.

"Indeed you did. And I'm so grateful for that. And for this coffee too!"

"Well, I will get back to my work then, Senorita Sally. Talk with you again, some other time."

"Yes, we will!"

Sally watched the stocky strong figure leave quietly and close the door. I DO like her. She's so genuine and so…herself. She has confidence, too. I do believe she'd have actually wacked Sig-dan with that mop! A laugh escaped her lips as she remembered yesterday's call to the Hospitality Room to find a bemused Sig'dan and a defensive Rita warily eyeing each other. Renewed anger began to rise in her when she recalled finding a Yautja Hunter left behind by Ulfr to use her laboratory without even asking her for permission. Quickly she quelled it. What was done was done and there were many other things begging for her attention. Not the least of them being the arrival of Paul. She pulled up his itinerary on the screen to see that his flight had been delayed. Good, she thought guiltily, more time to get things done before he gets here. What in the world was I thinking of when I invited him here? I don't have time to play hostess to him. And how will he react to what we're doing here? To THEM? At least he gets to meet Sig-dan first. He's the easiest to be around. But, it's not like it was entirely my idea. The company wants an exposé on the House. They want some good publicity and nobody does a better shoot than Paul- even if this isn't his usual subject. Absently, she again pulled up Ulfr's flight map to observe the tiny distance his ship had been estimated to travel on her screen. I wonder what they'll think…of him?

They were waiting for Paul in the gate lobby. Two of the Paya's House security guards, dressed in their darkish gray green attire complete with matching baseball caps that bore the Company emblem. Their guns had been left behind for the occasion and both guards felt underdressed. One held a cardboard sign with the name 'Paul Rand' scrawled across it as they both scanned the crowd emerging from the gate. A man in blue jeans and a sport-coat draped with carry-on's came towards them extending a hand. "I'm Paul Rand" he said. Neither guard returned the gesture. Instead one said, "May we see your identification, sir?"

Taken aback, Paul answered, "Uh, why, sure. Let me just put this stuff down." Carefully he placed the black bags on several lobby chairs and fished his wallet from a back pocket. "Here you go." The guard scrutinized the driver's license picture and data and then compared it to a paper that he had produced. He nodded to the other guard, "It's him." Turning to Paul he directed, "You have luggage, sir?"

Paul nodded and pointed to the luggage carousel. "Yea, over there." The guards accompanied him to the claim area and they waited along with all the other passengers who had checked baggage. Several people stared curiously at the trio, but none approached them. The carousel screeched to life and luggage began popping up from the center and falling down the metal slide to the edge. Paul waited for his worn brown canvas and leather satchel that carried a few changes of clothing and his personal items. It came careening down trapped between two huge designer suitcases which firmly sandwiched it between them as they traveled around the squealing oval. Paul waited for it to circle around to him. "Would you please hold these?" he asked one of the guards, my bag's coming 'round."

"Which one is it?" the guard questioned, "I'll get it."

"Thanks! It's the brown canvas one with leather corners squashed between two large leopard-colored suitcases."

"Tough to miss that!" the guard smiled, for the first time. He walked over to the rack as the bags moved toward him and deftly grabbed at Paul's as it traveled by. Of course, to do so meant he had to bend over and reach out and around one of the traveling square leopards. His strong hand closed on the canvas grip and he pulled it up with a grunt. Apparently, he had expected it to weigh more that it did and he wavered back and forth a bit recovering his balance while the square leopard that had been higher up on the tilted rack now slid down to hit its mate.

"Let's roll," he said pleasantly. Paul grabbed his camera gear and the three of them walked out to the awaiting HumVee. It was the same dark color as the guard's uniforms and bore a Company emblem on both front doors. Paul legged himself up into the back seat as the two guards took the front. Securing his camera gear at his side, he protectively placed his clothing bag over the top and looked out at the mountain, rock and scrub scenery during the long ride.

She had told him about her workplace. That it was way out in a secured location in the New Mexico desert and that she was an administrator. And that's about all she'd told him. The rest, she'd said, was classified. But something had apparently changed. Now he was on his way to see just what this operation was and to shoot it. In fact, it was an exclusive shoot. Someone else apparently was writing the story, but he'd be the first and only photographer to record the place and he'd get the credit for that. He just hoped it was something interesting, something novel even. Not that coming out to see Sally wasn't a nice trip of itself, but to be the first to get into a top-secret place? That might really be interesting.