CHAPTER 14 Rosie Saint-James sat on the bed in her quarters, she'd reached out for the phone several times but each time had hesitated. She wanted to calm down before she made the call. She held out her hand, it was still shaking. What had she been thinking, giving herself away like that? She was so angry when she'd seen Sam, she hadn't expected that, seeing him with Bernie had bought out her anger. She wanted him, wanted him so badly. She picked up the photograph of Jessie that stood by phone. "Oh Jessie, you had everything, a loving father, a good home, everything I ever wanted, even Sam." She held the framed picture to her chest, hugging it. She remembered the day she'd first met Jessica Olivera, she did not know then that she was her sister or the fact that she even had a sister. One night after she'd finished work in the munitions' factory, a fancily dressed woman came running out of the cafE9, she'd called to her by name. They chatted for a while, soon they became good friends. Jessie would meet her out from work, they'd go out together and Jessie introduced her to new friends. She felt as if she'd known Jessie all of her life, it was as if they were....... Rosie looked at the photograph again, "Sisters." Rosie spoke aloud. She hugged the photograph once more, rocking to and frow. She remembered the day when Jessie had told her about their mother. Jessie had taken her to a new fancy restaurant in down-town Pennsylvania, they had just been show to their seats. As they sat down, Jessica spoke, "Do you remember your mother Rosie?" "A little I think, I can't remember her too well though, all I can remember is a very sad lady." "Can you recall anyone else? Your father or sisters?" "No I can't remember a father but I vaguely remember a girl, older than me." Rosie looked into the distance and smiled, "She was sweet." Jessie whispered into Rosie's ear, "I'll find you Rosie, wherever you are." Rosie's smile faded and she turned to Jessie, "You..... you're my sister?" "Yes Rosie, I'm your sister, it took a long time, but I found you." Jessie smiled at her sister, she held out her arms to hug Rosie, but Rosie drew away. "It took you sixteen years to find me? Years of foster homes, living in squalor, having to fight for every scrap of food?" "That's why it took me so long, I couldn't access any records until I was twenty-one, and when I finally did, there were so many foster homes I had to check out. Why did you keep running away Rosie?" "They weren't home, I wanted to be home, I wanted my family. They sent me away, I wanted to be loved. There was no love in there, I had to find home again." Rosie tried to keep her composure but found it very difficult. "You've found it now Rosie," She tried to comfort Rosie, "I love you, I always have, never a day went by when I didn't think of my little sister. You weren't sent away." "Then why was I.....? "Our mother died, after the divorce." "But why wasn't I with you?" "We had different fathers, our mother battled for me, and she lost me." "What about my father? Why wasn't I with him?" "He never knew about you." "Do you know who he is? Did you ever know?" "His name's Peter......" Rosie didn't let Jessie finish, "Saint-James, he's running for the Governor of Pennsylvania." She turned to her sister proudly, "My father running for Governor? He's well-to-do then?" Rosie placed the picture back besides the telephone, after a short hesitation she picked up the receiver and dialed the number. A voice answered and Rosie replied, "Vice-president Peter Saint-James please," she paused, "his erm, niece, Rosemarie Saint-James." Rosie waited to be connected, "I have thought about what you said, I'll do it." She paused again while the other person spoke. "I have some of the information you wanted, plus a few other tidbits you might be interested in." A smile spread across Rosie's face as she listened. "Okay then, tonight, midnight, by the black rock, I'll be there." She held the receiver in both hands before replacing it. "Soon, my dear sister," she ran a finger down the face in the photograph, "you will have your revenge." * * * * * "Are you sure you've got the right Saint-James Ziggy?" Sam looked a little bewildered. "There's only one Doctor. Peter Saint-James ran for Governor of Pennsylvania in 1993, Congress in 2000 and was elected vice-president earlier this year. He's been married for thirty-nine years, and there are no children from the marriage." "I cant believe this Al, the vice-president, I mean this could turn into something really....." "Nasty." Al finished. Sam thought for a moment then returned his attention to Ziggy, "Ziggy does Saint-James know he has a daughter?" "One moment Doctor, I am registering a telephone call being made from Rosemarie's quarters. Switching to audio." The speakers crackled and Rosie's voice loomed out, "tonight, midnight, by the black rock, I'll be there." "Lordy, do you have anything else Ziggy?" Al chomped on his unlit cigar, turning to Sam shocked, "this sounds really ominous Sam." "No Admiral, the call was too short." "Where was the call made to? Do you have a number? Anything on who she called?" "I don't have the previous dialogue. The call was made via the operator, again the call was too short, I couldn't trace the number." "Where's this black rock Al?" Al shook his head, "I've no idea." "There's a black rock just over two miles north-west onto the desert." Ziggy retorted. "Have there been any more phone calls like this made from Rosie's quarters?" Sam asked Ziggy. "No Doctor, this is the first time she has dialed through the operator, other logged called have been to Pennsylvania, these were all dialed direct." "Any calls like this made from within the complex?" Al added twisting the cigar in his fingers. "No Doctor, sorry." Sam raised a little smile, only Ziggy would apologise for not having the information he needed. "What you smilin' at Sam, this could be very serious?" "Oh nothin', just Ziggy, nothin' Al." Sam couldn't help but laugh. Al looked at Sam puzzled, he didn't get Sam's joke, "Yer know I don't get you pal, what's so funny?" "Ziggy, sayin' she's sorry." Sam laughed but still Al didn't get his drift. Al looked at his friend strangely, then at his cigar, wishing he could light it. Sam walked over to the far end of the Control Room and opened a large flat drawer in the unit near the corner. The drawer was full of maps of the complex and a few of the surrounding area. He shuffled through them and eventually found the one he was looking for. He eased it out from the pile and placed it on the counter next to the unit. "Come and look at this." He turned as Al approached. They both studied the map, Sam traced a finger north-west from the 'X' on the map, mentally noting an approximation of a two mile range. "There's nothing marked on the map for the black rock. Can you see anything?" "Nope, zilch, nada, not even a contour." Al replied. "A straight no would have sufficed Al." "Well I didn't get your little witticism. Agh, never mind." Al waved a hand. Sam went back to the unit and shuffled through the maps again, finding a larger scaled map of the same area, he carefully pulled it out and lay it on the counter. "This one looks more promising." "Here look," Al pointed out, "it's even labeled, see 'Black Rock'. There's a dirt road leading west, round to the rock" Al traced his finger along the road. "Shouldn't take more than ten minutes by car, we can stop here and make the rest of the way on foot. Silent approach, the best way. I'd say twenty minutes at most." Sam now had the coordinates firmly imprinted on his memory. "Come on, it's nearly seven, I promised Bernie I meet her when she finished her shift." Al shrugged his shoulders, "What we gonna do about this Sam? Are we going in?" "I'd say we have a midnight rendezvous buddy." Sam gave Al a friendly slap on the shoulder and strode out of the Control Room, Al hurrying, trying to keep up with his friend's long stride. As they entered the elevator Al pushed the cigar into his top pocket, relieved in the thought he would soon be able to light it up. They approached the cafeteria. "I'll meet you back here at 23:30 hours." Al was in command of this situation. Sam looked about, nervous in case anyone was listening, he whispered, "Are you sure that'll give us enough time?" He looked about him again. "I mean the terrain's a little rough." "Okay make it 23:15 hours to be safe, and dress up warm, believe me it'll be pretty damned cold out there." "I'm not a kid Al," Sam snapped, "I know how cold the desert gets at night." Al looked at Sam a little surprised at his reaction. Sam noticed. "S-sorry Al, I'm a little jumpy." Sam apologised. "Okay, okay so am I, don't let's over react to this. Rosie might just be having a fling." Sam looked confused. "A what?" "A fling, meeting a fella. Yer know, an assignation." "In the desert, at midnight?" "Well weirder things have been known." Al waved a hand at Sam, "see you later pal and don't get too carried away. I know how time flies when you're havin' fun." "Al!" Sam reprimanded his friend, "It's not like that." "Not yet it aint, but you wait pal, you'll see." Al walked off in the direction of his quarters. "We're not all so brazen as you yer know." Sam quietly shouted after Al. Sam entered the deserted cafeteria, Bernie was waiting, she looked up and her face brightened as she saw Sam hasten towards her. "I didn't think you'd come, I was so worried in case I'd offended you." "Why should you have offended me?" "Well, I did mention......" "Donna, I know, you didn't offend me." Sam took hold of her hands and drew her towards him. 'God she smells good,' he thought. He looked deep into her mysterious eyes. His hands moved up to her shoulders and he drew her closer. Her arms closed in on him, she could feel the muscles of his back tense as she touched him. Passion took over as their lips met, 'God she tastes and feels even better,' he thought as his reasonings reeled with pleasure.