Allison; Taking Control

Chapter 19

It was time to open his orders. Allison took the small key from his coat pocket and inserted it into the lock on the wide, deep bottom drawer of his desk. He turned it until he heard an audible click and felt the lock release. After he opened the drawer he remembered just how much trouble it had been to fit the bulging sack and its contents into the space available and it was something of a struggle to dislodge. He heard the tearing of paper as the burden was finally extracted from its place of safe-keeping and Allison realized that some of the wrapping had been ripped away as it was pulled free. It didn’t matter. The moment had finally come to reveal not only the sack’s physical contents, but hopefully a great deal more about the mission with which Allison and his new command would be tasked. He fervently hoped that wonder, speculation, and doubt would find at least some degree of satisfaction and assuagement.

He knew the smaller of the two packets was to be opened first, but even