Just past seven the following evening we were back in the Douce Cafe being waited on by Veronique.
“It’s unusual to see you twice in the same week, Zach,” she smiled.
I winked conspiratorially at Angelina. “It’s been an unusual week.”
Veronique caught my meaning. “Well, if you need assistance, Paul is available this week. Just saying…”
I smiled, “Good to know. I may call him.”
“And if you need refills on the coffee, just call Andre. Have a nice night, you two.”
She gave me a look which said, Don’t let this one go. I didn’t have to read her mind to know she thought Angelina was a good match for me, and she probably didn’t have to read mine to know I agreed.
When we were finally alone Angelina leaned across the table and grasped my hand.
“I’m so sorry, Zach, that I dragged you into this situation.”
“I’m not sorry—if I didn’t accept the interview assignment I’d never have gotten the chance to meet you and now that I know and care for you, I wouldn’t wish for anything else.”
“Well, it’s because I also care about you that I’m worried,” she sighed.
I chuckled, “I suppose because we care for each other, we're in this together but now we can work together as a team. But tell me, why is the CIA so determined to follow you back to Canada to try to stifle your investigation? I thought Canada and the USA were allies and partners?”
Angelina Chose her words carefully.
“Canada is closely allied with the USA but there’s also a history here in the aerospace programs and it’s not always been happy.”
“How do you mean?”
“It depends on how far you want to go back into the postwar period. The Americans were using captured Nazi scientists to aid them in developing rockets and Canada had its own programs. We actually developed the most advanced fighter jet in the world at the time, The Avro Arrow, but the program was suddenly cancelled by the government and all our aerospace talent went to Nasa to work on the USA space projects.”
“Are you suggesting that was the result of American pressure?”
She nodded and held up a hand to signal not to say more.
She then unzipped a slim computer valise and showed me a series of photos of an actual flying saucer.
I was totally shocked. “Is this what I think it is?”
“It’s not alien technology, Zach, it’s a prototype developed by Avro for a wingless, vertical take-off craft they called the Avrocar, based on a saucer -type design.”
That’s remarkable. Did it fly?”
“It flew but was unstable at heights above thirty feet. It would basically wobble like a frisbee. The USAF partnered with us and we again lost huge amounts of money when this project was abandoned.”
I shook my head. “This relationship between the two countries sounds like a dysfunctional family.”
She smiled. “At times it is. The has been a history of American interference even when it comes to retrieval of crashed UAP’s.”
Again, my jaw dropped.
“Are you saying the Canadian government was thwarted in recovering crashed alien craft on its own soil?”
“Let;’s put it this was—we’re not talking about shooting down Chinese spy balloons. There’s a case that occurred involving a USO at Shag Harbour in Nova Scotia. It’s like a complicated family history and sometimes it’s fraught with resentment.”
“I wasn’t aware of all this.”
“The basic reason the USA wants to recover crashed alien crafts is to back-engineer the technology. It’s as important as the development of nuclear weapons and would enhance the national security of the USA. That’s why I’m being watched.”
I finally began to see why Angelina’s work wasn’t just controversial but highly crucial to the security not only of America but the rest of the free world.
Alien technology in the enemies’ hands would be an unimaginable threat and upset the balance of power in the world.
