Chapter 4

Sawyer Dell was annoyed. These meetings out of the blue were driving him crazy. All of these deadlines, all of these secrecies but that was just the CIA for you. He was dressed impeccably, a dark blue pinstriped suit with a blue tie. His brown hair neatly combed back and for his age, one of the youngest agents with this type of assignment.

Sawyer walked down the long corridor and slid his green key card through the slider. The door opened up and he walked inside.

"Mr. Dell."

It was a large oval table. Seated all around them were generals, men in suits, women with suits, and women with uniforms.

"Report, Mr. Dell?" A woman in a black uniform asked firmly. She had short red hair with touches of grey that was tied up neatly into a bun as she adjusted the glasses she wore and folded her hands onto the table.

"Its been confirmed. They are reconstructing them."

"Where was the location and why wasn't it destroyed?" The man in the green uniform asked.

"They've moved the location. Once they identified we were monitoring…. they completely moved. We don't know how they did it so quickly."

"Is it confirmed about who it is?" The woman asked again.

"General Ikari, it is. It's SEELE. They're going to try it again."

"Son of a bitch!" She growled as she slammed her fist down on the table and stood up from it.

"General Ikari, calm down!" The man in the gray suit told her.

"Don't you order me around!" She snapped. "I've had first hand experience with SEELE and they're relentless. This is no different from last time. They'll stop at nothing. We need to find where they are building them and destroy them immediately! My government will supply any help needed to destroy them once and for all!"

"We are trying to ascertain their location now." Dell answered. "It may take some time."

"Time is a luxury we can't afford." General Ikari said.

"General Ikari, we have no choice. We're doing everything that's possible!"

"Then do it quicker!" She snapped.

Dell breathed in as he said. "There is one thing we can keep on standby in case of an attack. General Ikari, we believe its time."

She breathed in as she heard him. "Not yet. She's not ready yet."

"General, you knew that this was her destiny all along. This is what she's meant to do."

"Damnit, she's still going through emotional upheaval! You can't put her in a position like this! She was passed over for promotion because of her issues with grief! You can't do this to her!"

"General, keep your personal feelings at bay!" Dell told her firmly. "Its time. You should realize this!"

"Never question my judgment!" She said firmly.

"General, its time to do what we must!"

"You tell me that when you have a daughter and it's her life that you're risking!"

"General Ikari, please…she's the only now. Your husband was the only other answer but since his health has deteriorated…it wouldn't be wise. She has the best harmonics test for this type of activity and there is no question that she would be accepted as its pilot. Your husband and your daughter have the exact same harmonic outputs. Its the only way."

"I would never allow that to happen." She breathed out as she heard the answer. "I know she's meant to do this but as her mother, I don't want to put her in a position that can cause damage to her!"

"I would never allow that to happen." Sawyer told her. "I feel through her personnel file I know her."

"Don't you go there with me." General Ikari said firmly.

"General, what I meant…is I will protect her. You have my word." Sawyer told her as he breathed in.

She sat down at the table and looked around the room. She then said. "Are you all in agreement with this?"

"Aye." The table answered in unison.

"Mr. Dell, make arrangements. Make sure you keep my name out of it. If Hope knows I'm behind it…"

"…General Ikari, I understand perfectly." Dell said and with that he saluted her, waited for the return salute and then turned to go out the door. "General, you have my word. I will protect her with my life."

"Another thing, Mr. Dell."

"Yes?" he asked as he stopped.

"Keep your hands off of my daughter."

Dell breathed in. "Of course, General."

Then he walked out of the room.