Adam decided he would not want to be on the receiving end of Roman’s wrath.
Mel said, “Adam surprised the KTP by being the first to defend himself against them. They probably think he acted as a lone wolf and not with the consent of the group. So if we did meet with the KTP, they would not expect us to defend ourselves. We can plan this to our advantage. I believe we can do this. This is a golden opportunity we may never get again. I am ready to act upon it now. Who will join me?”
To Adam’s surprise, Maddie stood up immediately and said, “I will join you, Mel.”
Sancha and Adam stood up, almost at the same time, and said simultaneously, “I will join you.”
There was silence for a few moments, then slowly, Jonathan stood. On the monitor Roxy stood, followed by Roman and Shannel. Soon, others followed and stood. When it was all said and done and the final vote was cast, ten of the twelve council members agreed to take a stand. Two people, who hadn’t spoken so far, declined. The majority was in favor of meeting with the KTP.
Mel handed Adam a cell phone and said, “Use this burner phone to contact Jeremy. It will only be used for this one phone call, and then it will be destroyed. Tell Jeremy we will meet with them five days from now at the Hummingbird Ranch in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at 10:00 a.m. It’s a holistic and spiritual place where people go to find spiritual enlightenment, an ideal place for a peaceful meeting. We know the owners and will reserve the place for a private event.”
With everyone watching, Adam entered the number Jeremy had written on the citation form and hoped and prayed it was a valid number. It rang and rang. Just when Adam thought no one was going to answer, he heard a male voice say curtly, “Jeremy speaking.”
Adam mustered up as much authority in his voice as he could and said, “It’s me. The one you’ve been waiting to hear from.”
Jeremy was silent for a moment and then, without any pleasantries, said, “Were you able to arrange the meeting?”
“We want a peaceful meeting, Jeremy.”
“And so do I.”
“No tricks. No violence. Those are our terms.”
“Understood. You have my word.”
Adam gave him the meeting information Mel had instructed him to provide.
“I would prefer to meet at the KTP headquarters,” said Jeremy.
“Hummingbird Ranch is a neutral location,” retorted Adam. “We meet there, or we don’t meet at all.”
Jeremy was silent for a moment, considering. Adam held his breath.
“Fine. We’ll be there.”
Adam silently released his breath and gave Mel and the others a thumbs up. Without saying another word, Jeremy clicked off.
Adam laid the phone on the table. Mel touched it and, to Adam’s amazement, the phone shattered into a thousand tiny pieces that dissolved into nothingness when they hit the ground. Mel’s eyes met his again, and he said, “No one will ever be able to trace that call.”
Still amazed, Adam nodded. Mel addressed everyone else at the meeting.
“We now have exactly five days to use RTP to summon all of the peaceful practitioners from around the world. Leave no one out. We will need everyone we can get—masters, apprentices, and even newbies like Adam. Use every method available to us—our thoughts, secure phone and email messages, secure websites, and blogs, social media, and any other method that proves useful. Just be extremely careful. The KTP may be anticipating this and may try to intercept messages and obtain our locations. They’re just like the FBI in many ways. They have all the latest spying and tracking technology. We need as many peaceful practitioners of RTP as possible to stand with us. With all of the peaceful practitioners together in one location using their collective thoughts to control the outcome of the meeting, it can only be as we think it will be.
“I look forward to peace and freedom. I look forward to being able to live in this world without fear, without having to hide who we are and what we know, without having to keep RTP a secret from others who could benefit from it. For the next five days, until the meeting, summon as many people as you can. Focus your positive thoughts on the outcome of the meeting. Meditate on it as often as you can.”
One of the people who had voted against the meeting—a woman with fiery-red hair, ivory skin, and striking green eyes—said, “I’m sorry Mel, but I can’t join you on this. I can’t put my family in jeopardy.”
The other person who had voted against the meeting—a man who looked so similar to the red-headed woman that Adam thought they must be related—looked conflicted. He muttered, “I agree with Caragh. I’m sorry, too.”
Mel said, “Callum and Caragh, no pressure. It’s a lot to ask of anyone. You both have young children to consider. We will still consider you both trusted members of our council.” They solemnly nodded their understanding, then their monitors went blank as they signed off.
Everyone remaining sat in silence until Mel finally said, “I won’t keep you any longer. We will reconvene and begin our planning sessions soon. I thank you for taking the time to meet with us on such short notice. I wish you all health and happiness.”
As the meeting adjourned, some people signed off immediately, while others remained connected. Some asked Maddie and Adam further questions about the events that occurred, particularly Adam since Maddie had been unconscious for most of the ordeal.
Adam noticed that Sancha took Maddie aside, hugged her, and comforted her. He was glad Sancha was there for her.
Mel shook Adam’s hand and said, “Thank you for giving us this opportunity. We should have taken a stand a long time ago.”
Not knowing what to say, Adam nodded. Even though he knew deep down that it was the right thing to do, he
