Project Blackthorne Remaining Chapters

Chapter 29 You Would Expect The Brakes Too Work On The Rift, Right?

   Jake Blackthorne stood there arms crossed deep in thought in middle of his office staring out into the cavernous warehouse size receiving area. He was rather young too be the top CEO of all of Blackthorne's holdings. But Jake's relative youth seemed too work in his favor in all of his business dealings. The view through the see thru bulletproof panel allowed him too oversee everything which was as busy as an ant hill. White coated member's of the staff were buzzing back and forth across the open area in his view. A gurney with a side order of several different medical pieces of equipment were being readied too sustain life for whom ever it was needed for. Jake found it refreshing that he could at least breath a slight sigh of relief that all these preparations weren't for any member of his incoming Blackthorne team. A dark shadow fell over Jake's eyes as he contemplated the thought that they were preparing too receive the new charge of their injured foe Bishop Singer rushing too them as they spoke. Jake thought he would have felt a little like gloating that he was finally going too get his hands on the one man he believe had something too do with the disappearance of his father David Blackthorne. The thought of his father made Jake glanced over too the painted portrait he kept of his Dad in a private corner of his office. David Blackthorne was a square build gentleman with sandy grey hair tightly cut too the top of a large chiseled face. David looked like he would have been more at home as a blacksmith from one of those old western movies. David Blackthorne was a raw boned very physically strong figure of a man never one who was afraid too get his hands dirty. At first glance when you first met David for the first time his appearance tended too usually be a bit imposing. But once David's face broke into a wide warm smile then his soft jolly voice said hello. Your thoughts of him quickly change for the better in a matter of seconds. He was the founder of Blackthorne Inc. literally building it from the ground up with his own bare hands. In the early beginnings Blackthorne was at one time a government funded outfit. David had sold the U.S. government on the prospect of gathering all these strange alien items that seemed too be popping up with greater regularity in the contiguous United States. He even went as far with the sale pitch that "The US government wouldn't want your average joe finding these things." What David really meant was that he wanted too be the first too figure out exactly what it was that caused these strange things too be popping up so suddenly at totally random locations. David didn't have too look for long gathering a hand full of noted scientist that traveled the country accounting for every sighting of something strange or weird that popped up out of the wood work too make the local or national news. After some time David Blackthorne began too become quite adapt at finding more and more of these strange unusual things. After his collection filled the first site too overflowing David had too build several special building sites too store his ever increasing collection. David's collection began too grow as time progressed the U.S. government began becoming unnerved of letting the general populace know of any of these particular finds at all. The government suddenly began piling on tons of restrictions on his father's findings so that they could never see the light of day. David went as far as too hiring a large group of lawyers trying too get the US government too relinquish their hold on any of these strange findings allowing him too develop some of these finds that could benefit all of man kind. After banging his head against the governmental wall long enough David Blackthorne continued too locate these finds even with all these restriction working even harder with those same said restrictions. But he continued too keep the pressure on pleading that these finds could be used too improve everyone's way of life for the better. David with the help of a pool of scientist's gathered and catalogued every strange alien thing he could come across which was quite extensive. David had traveled many a mile canvassing the entire country chasing each of these strange things. After enough time he came up with the idea too create Team Blackthorne which allowed Blackthorne too travel and hunt these same strange things anywhere around the world. As David Blackthorne's success began too grow his team began creating different replicas of their collective alien findings from the rift opening which resulted in new greater items. The government officials were not at all fond of David's inventions no matter their abilities placing more greater restrictions till David finally had enough of their wanting too hide all these finds. David Blackthorne took his company private not accepting one more single cent from the U.S. government which pretty much shut them completely out of Blackthorne operations. Blackthorne Inc. began too sale a few different inventions discretely too the medical field which in time made Blackthorne totally self sufficient. Needless too say David Blackthorne's success did not go unnoticed by others who saw an opportunity too cash in on these strange things which seemed to be appearing more frequently with each passing day. Bishop Singer was already known too the entire world too be a ruthless businessman that could ring a dollar out of a dry lake bed. After driving plenty of other members of the competition out of the business come hook or crook Singer alone became David Blackthorne's lone thorn in the Blackthorne backside. While David Blackthorne wanted too help all of humanity Bishop Singer didn't give two hoots in Hell who he sold his findings too. As long as the customer could afford what he was buying Singer didn't worry over their world views. Singer Inc tried too show themselves to the outside world a user friendly company. Singer Inc gave went as far as too give millions too different charities keeping them regularly in a warm giving light in the news. David Blackthorne investigated a number of Singer Inc world interests. Those charities would have been non too happy too find that Bishop Singers the big humanitarian as the magazines loved too call him main interests were weapons related development. David lobbied privately too try and knock the shine off of Singer Inc as well as Bishop Singer himself. But it wasn't hard for him too learn that Bishop Singer's arse must have been covered in Teflon. In one of many stretches of this back and forth tug of war between Blackthorne and Singer a new mystery reared itself bringing a distraction too both sides. David and his Blackthorne team at that time were the first too come across the very first live active rift opening. They received some information from some locals  that they needed too traveled too Louisiana.. A local swamp area was their final destination after receiving some information that there were a number strange sounds and lights which were appearing at odd intervals. One of the three scientists in David's team was the first too throw out there that he believed it was nothing more than your ordinary swamp gas. David decided too hold on to that thought until they actually laid eyes on whatever was happening out here. They in turn split up into search teams tramping around spending nearly four hours in the swamp. David Blackthorne himself was the first too walk heads up on what would soon too be called a bona fide rift opening. David was walking alone in his own search grid quadrant when a faint blue light began too shimmer through the thick leafy growth he was working his way through. The closer David inched forward coming towards whatever was producing the light show forming different colors appearing at odd intervals. After finally breaking through the growth David Blackthorne found himself and the lights too be in a quarter acre opening with a thin layer of water on the ground floor which amplified the lights that were hanging there in the air above it. One large flash nearly blinded David who was now mere yards from whatever the Hell this light show was. He was mesmerized by the light show going on in front of him but nearly fell out onto the wet soil when out of the flash of light suddenly discharge two cats. They were both about the size of a good lion which of course was not indigenous in any way too this part of the country. They locked eyes immediately when they caught sight of David standing open mouth staring back at the pair. It was hard for David Blackthorne too tell whether this was a male and female yet that wasn't the only problem for David as he tried too figure out exactly what they were. These feline looking animals were nothing like any feline he had seen before. These two specimens being half orange and a stock white made David's brain wonder even more on the fact of exactly where these animal's came from he was looking at. It didn't take long for the rest of David Blackthorne's team too finally converge on his location. Together they worked to finally tranquilize this very unique pair. The team quickly ascertained that these two were not any kind of evolutionary offshoot of any member of the cat family of the planet Earth. Which could only mean that they came from a whole other world and the rift they walked through was a portal of one form or another. From the information obtained from those on site when the occurrence happened the theory was that these openings were some kind of serious rips in the space time continuum. When the rift occurred an opening or tunnel was forms between spaces if not in time itself. In the beginning volunteers were taken who simply walked through these anomalies too see what was possibly on the other side but everyone of those volunteers were never seen again. David Blackthorne had only lost two volunteers through that little experiment. He lived with the lost of those two people on his conscious too this very day. Bishop Singer on the other hand had the misfortune too lose eleven volunteers. Course he never lost a minutes of sleep in fact never ever giving it a second thought. That was only one of many of the differences between the two corporate giants. "Mr. Blackthorne?" a soft voice sounded inside of Jake's head brought his train of thought too a sudden halt. "Yes Evie?" Jake replied his eyes focusing on the interaction on the receiving floor he had been staring at through his office window just moments before. "Tonaka has just informed me that he is less than two minutes out. He also advises that the triage team should be on stand by too receive our incoming package." "I'm quite sure that you and the rest of the team have everything close at hand. Be sure too tell me when Tonaka hits the elevator." Jake's thoughts began wondering a little bit more as Evie switched out of his open com link inside his head. The thought of getting his own two hands onto Bishop Singer light yet another slow burning fire inside his chest. It was exactly four years ago as Jake can recall that he was away at college in his last semester before graduating with a degree in Business. David Blackthorne called late that night while Jake was studying for his final exam. They talked briefly as a proud Father would with his soon too be college graduate son. Jake could remember boasting that he would ace his final exam which in fact he did. But Jake could not help but notice a strained tone too his father's voice. Jake could sense it from where he stood  but he still had went as far as too ask his father was there something bothering him. But typical of David Blackthorne he replied with a jovial joke that everything was fine. But after they both laughed half heartedly David finally broke down telling Jake that he had called too let Jake know that he was going on an expedition. A group of scientist believed they had found the way too predict when and where a opening might decide too appear. But the main reason David was going it alone was the fact that he believed Bishop Singer was closing in on the exact same thing. Jake had protested right off the bat begging his father not too go it alone. But David had countered that Team Blackthorne was already out in the field looking into a strange animal attack on human's in the High Sierras. That they would not be back in time too out run Singer's attempt on his experiment so David knew that the only way too get a jump on Singer was too leave tonight. Jake continued too plead with his father but already knew that his argument was falling on deaf but kind ears. That was the last conversation Jake Blackthorne had with his father David Blackthorne longing everyday too be able too be in the position that he presently found himself in right at this moment. Bishop singer's limp body was inbound too the Underground Lab of Blackthorne Inc. Jake would let the lab tech's bring Singer's body back too the living. But in short order Jake was going too ask him where the Hell was his father. Even if it killed Bishop Singer Jake was going too find out what the Hell he done too his father one way or the other.