"Aliens have visited a few times, to various places in the US. But not as much as everyone wants to believe. Far less actually."

Liam walked with a purpose, as Charlotte picked up her pace to keep up.

"Aliens. I thought maybe they were a possibility, but I wasn't expecting this."

Liam chuckled, " Did you think they'd only be at Area 51?"

"No. I'm not naïve. I know the government has them in DC too. And at DARPA facilities scattered around."

Liam bristled at the mention of the mention of the military program. What could the tiny podcaster possibly know about black programs? He reached the door needed and turned to look into a set of blue eyes.

"Well, at this facility, they only keep souvenirs if you will. Nothing live."

Charlottes eyes sparkled in the dim light, and he caught his chest warming at the sight. Blinking, he shoved the door open with a loud thud. Steel and metal gave way to stark white walls and bright lighting. It took them both a moment to adjust to the contrasting illumination.

Not a soul was in the room, except for the pair. The air seemed to stop moving as Charlotte slowly walked around the glass cases. Fragments of what looked to be broken aircraft were preserved on carefully placed metal pegs. The darkened coloring seemed to glow as she passed by each section. Something within her chest began to ache and softly burn.

Where is this craft from?

Trying to place it, she let her fingers graze over the top of the glass as she walked. A spark lit inside of her. Suddenly, she knew.

"Liam?"

"Hmm?" he responded.

"Is this from the crash in West Virginia from the late 1980's?"

He stopped moving and his breath caught in his throat.

"How do you know about that?"

Turning to look at him, Charlotte smiled. "Research for a film. One of my first actually. But it never made it to become anything."

"It wouldn't have. That information is beyond top secret. It doesn't exist."

"That project was one of the worst and now I know why.."

"Did you talk to anyone that was there?"

"Marcus did. I didn't get to before the project was pulled. But I saw a few photographs taken from the crash and it looked just like this."

She turned back to the panels of black and stared. Liam knew that her former career was one that gave her access to more than she even comprehended at the time. And gave her abilities she wasn't aware of, yet. But he didn't know what she was currently thinking and that bothered him.

"So, do you think that the government is hiding more than just downed craft?" he carefully asked.

"I think so, yes. There has to be actual alien lifeforms that were with them. I mean, it only makes sense."

He admired her optimism. And her critical thinking skills. She perused the rest of the craft fragments before stopping at a tall display case in the far corner of the stark room. There were small foreign objects, that she couldn't place lined up on trays of silver. Blinking, she stood closer.

"Have you ever seen one while conducting research?"

"Not here in the US. In Mexico, yes. Well, what the locals considered one. How can you really be sure though?"

"The ones found in Peru that dated back over 1,000 years? Were they in Mexico City?"

Now it was Charlotte's turn to be stunned. She had no idea the head of security for DIA would know so much about extraterrestrial lifeforms. Unless she was right to question his actual job here.

"The very ones. They were at the private office of an anthropologist known to the scientific community. But again, we viewed them but didn't know if they were a hoax."

Liam hesitated to speak. He wanted to tell her more but knew better. His job was the keep her steered in a certain lane. Suddenly, his phone rang. Grunting, he glanced at the screen. More problems with the launches.

"Hang on, I'll be right back," he said to Charlotte.

She watched as the handsome escort mumbled into his phone, as he slipped out the metal door. Something nudged her to spy, so she walked as quietly as possible towards the crack that Liam had inadvertently left for her.

"Shit. I can't get out there. You need to cover down. No..no. I can't. Yes, I am with her still. She is assigned to me."

Assigned?

Her mind reeled at the tail end of the conversation she caught. Who would assign her to him? Zach? He was in charge of all guests and media inquiries to the airport. Or this was far worse than she thought.

They are part of the shadow government or organization attached to DIA.

A heavy pit settled in her stomach at the thought. Liam stopped talking so she carefully moved away from the door, resuming examination of the craft behind the glass cases.

"Sorry about that. Work never stops."

He came back into the room and carefully examined his charge. She seemed off, and it occurred to him that perhaps she had been listening to his conversation.

"So, do you have any questions about the tunnels or about anything they keep here?"

"I do," she answered, turning so she could look into his eyes. "What else are they used for except to connect the airport to the bases?"

"That's an easy enough answer. They are used to ferry around equipment. Classified and secret stuff. Things the US Government doesn't want on the highways and roadways above ground. If you catch my drift."

"Can you show me more of it?"

"I can, but as I said before, you cannot talk about it. The NDA you signed to get your badge would ensure that you ended up in jail. Not local jail either, but federal."

"I understand what an NDA is. You seriously think that was my first time signing one?"

He smirked at the sassy reply. Oh, this was fun, he could easily get her fired up if he wanted to. And that was also unexpected.

"Alright, let's go then."

Extending his hand out, he motioned for her to go in front of him, into the darkened tunnel.

"Walk to the end and take a right. Then you'll get to see some of the tech being ferried. It's quite a sight to see."

As they walked in silence, Charlotte thought about the pointed star and the coincidence of being shown this secret area. There had to be some other connection for why she was being taken care of or charged to Liam. He had to be working with whomever was really in charge here. And she had a gut feeling it wasn't just the US Government.

His voice broke the tension like a knife in butter, "Have you ever researched the Myan's and their take on alien life forms?"

"Have I?'

"Yes, you," he laughed.

"Of course I have. There have been quite a few big movies based on Myan culture, I am sure you've seen some of them."

"Some of my favs actually," he said. "What do you think about it?"

"I believe the stories. I think what the Myan's were able to build in the jungles could only have been done with the help of aliens. Same as the pyramids in Egypt."

"That's right, you were in Egypt. The temples and pyramids are linked to the Myan's as well."

"Yep. Though the scientific community will rebut that all day long!"

"Well, they are just scared of history being rewritten, and probably their own community questioned. Being wrong makes everyone look like an idiot."

"I have always hated that about the scientific community," Charlotte answered. "Society needs to know what is real and not real. That is why I love researching."

"I can tell."

The reached the end of the tunnel and noises suddenly became loud. Very loud.

"We were just in silence...." Charlotte said in disbelief.

"Ha, yep. It's the sound tech built into the walls. It's only audible in the actual highway tunnels. The rest of them absorbs the sound so it stays underground only."

"I have never heard of such technology.."

"Nope. National security."

Shaking her head, she moves forward and turns right. Just as Liam had described, a shocking sight unfolded. The ceiling suddenly became at least ten stories tall, opening up as a cathedral would. The largest truck she had ever seen rumbled by in the middle of the tunnel, in between massive yellow lines painted on the ground. It was a highway alright. One out of a science fiction movie.

"We have to stay to the side," Liam said loudly next to her right ear.

He let his hand lightly graze her back as he spoke. She nodded and stood still, marveling at the equipment that began to roll by. None of the military workers seemed to take notice of them. Dozens of uniformed men and women with hardhats ran about the roadway, hard at work on various tasks. It was a sight Charlotte would never forget.

"I just got a text from Zach. He wants to know if you would like to do another interview with a former worker of Jeremy Johir."

Charlotte looked up and spoke with equal loudness, "Another worker? I don't know.."

Thoughts flashing back to being run off the road entered her mind.

"He was a former worker in the tunnels," Liam said back.

"These tunnels?'

"Yes. And I would go with you."