Ms. Holloway felt as if she was awakening from a bad dream. She was still groggy, and for the moment, had no real idea as to where she was or how she got there. It took a few minutes for her to clear away the fog, but she became alert enough to somehow believe that she was in an airplane. There was the unmistakable soft yet constant drone of engines, and a subtle motion to wherever she was that one often felt when traveling by air. None of that seemed possible however, and perhaps she was still in a dream state, as Ms. Holloway also realized that she was currently in a fully horizontal position. She opened her eyes, but all that could be viewed was a black scene nearly devoid of all light. A cloth of some sort with a breathing hole had been placed over her head and she instinctively wanted to remove it, however she could not raise either of her arms as she had been restrained.

Although her range of motion was severely limited, and she could not see through the black hood over her head, Ms. Holloway could still hear two faint voices of those who apparently loomed above.

The first of those was a female voice that calmly stated, “As her attempted movements would attest, she’s coming around fully now. At last check a few minutes ago her vitals were all strong, and she should be alert enough to understand what you must tell her. Give it a try whenever you are ready.”

A male voice then asked, “Ms. Holloway? Can you hear me Ms. Holloway?”

There was no response. Although she felt able to, there was also a part of Ms. Holloway that wanted to remain motionless and quiet as an act of defiant protest.

Then she felt a warm gentle hand upon her right wrist, and a few seconds later the female voice once again claiming, “Her pulse is strong. She’s definitely with us, so try again.”

With a slightly loader volume the male asked again, “Ms. Holloway. I know that you can hear me. Will you please respond?”

Realizing that she couldn’t play possum forever, or gain an advantage from exhibiting any level of stubbornness, Ms. Holloway calmly replied, “Yes. I can hear you.”

“That’s good Ms. Holloway. Now how do you feel?”

With a noticeable measure of sarcasm, she replied, “Not well!”

The female voice interjected quickly, and stated, “Perhaps I can help Ms. Holloway.”

Ms. Holloway could sense that the woman possessed a well-practiced bedside manner, which was something that was difficult to fake for an extended period of time.

Turning her head slightly in the direction of the inquiring voice, she replied, “You mean other than being drugged and abducted, tied down to this cot or whatever it is, and having a hood pulled over my head?”

“Yes. Well we are truly sorry about all of that, but it was necessary. Our intent was, and still is, to ensure that you and the others are comfortable for the duration of this transport. What I’m asking now is if you are injured in any way?”

While moving what she could under the restraints, she observed, “Well I don’t feel any specific pain anywhere. Therefore I would have to say no. That is unless there’s something internal that I don’t know about yet.”

Then the male voice took over once again, and stated, “We are glad to hear that Ms. Holloway. Now I would first like you to understand that Mrs. Tillman, and the other four in your party are all safe and secure. Unlike you, they are still unconscious from the drug and will be kept that way until we arrive at our destination. I assure you that no harm will come to any of you, but I have received instructions to make sure that none of you know where we are going. That is why even though you have been temporarily awakened, the hood over your head will need to remain in place.”

Easing her head back to a straight forward angle, she inquired, “And why are you telling me this?”

“Because that is what number two instructed me to do.”

“Number two? I’m afraid that I don’t know what you are talking about. Is this number two a person, and if so, then who is it?”

“Please Ms. Holloway; you don’t need to play that game with any of us. Number two is Samuel Tillman, and all of you are members of his family. Now please don’t be too alarmed by any of this, but we are members of the organization as well. Number two has given me a special designation for this particular mission, and he informed me that you would know the meaning of it when I tell you that my code name for the present time is Hermes.”

There was a prolonged silence before she gently turned her head and quietly asked, “Samuel has given you the designation of Hermes?”

“Yes ma’am, he has.”

“I see. Now I realize that I’m hardly in a position to be disrespectful toward you, but do you know anything about Greek mythology?”

“Very little Ms. Holloway. However number two informed me that Hermes was referred to as the God of cunning and theft.”

“Well that is true in part, and it would seem to be quite apropos given the current circumstances. However Hermes had a broader designation. Knowing Samuel as I do, perhaps he chose to name you that for an additional purpose.”

“And what would that be Ms. Holloway?”

“Well to begin with, you should consider that purpose to be an honor young man.”

“I have always considered any mission assignment of number two to be an honor, and this one is no different.”

“Well that’s good to know. Because I believe that in the eyes of Samuel, you have just become the messenger of the Gods.”