SECRETS

What if one tiny lab held the secrets of the universe? Lab 501 located on the west end held so many secrets it was impossible to believe.

I began writing the story about Lab 501 a year ago when people began mysteriously disappearing. The first case I documented was of a young woman whose brother disappeared.

The woman whose name shall not be revealed wrote to me asking for help in finding her missing brother. I agreed to help her. I started my investigation in the last place her brother was last seen.

I began my investigation by reviewing security cameras of the brother's work place. The brother left work at 10 pm on the day in question. He walks to his car. Before he gets into his car, a black van stops in front of him and basically kidnaps him.

I follow the van for a couple blocks, then I lose the van. The woman's brother hasn't been seen or heard from in a year. The police local and federal haven't done a thing to help her. It's like they don't care.

Since the brother's disappearance more and more people have mysteriously gone missing without any explanation. They do have one thing in common, the black van and the date of the abductions.

The abductions always happen on the 15th of every month always at 10 pm. I can't even count how many people are missing. Nobody is doing anything to find these people. No search parties. No missing posters. No news reports. These people and their families have been left behind.

I've been told by news editor to stop the investigation into the missing. I have ignore all his attempts to try to stop me. Everyone has given up on them but not me. Something fishy is happening and I am going to get to the truth.

The latest case of an abduction happened two nights ago. A woman leaving a bar was kidnapped by men in a black van. So, I know the kidnappers are men. Not one or two but four. This is a big break but not enough.

I wrote the article about the latest abduction and the four men and once again my editor tells me to stop and once again, I don't listen.

I went to the Northern-lights Bar where the woman was last seen. I talked to the bartender. He told me he saw the woman speaking to a man about a job offer at some lab called 501. That's the first time I ever heard about the lab.

I wrote another article about the lab. My editor was not happy. He was furious with me. I couldn't understand why. I left my editors office with a stern warning to stop investigating the disappearances.

It's been a week since the woman was abducted and since I stopped writing my articles when my editor called me into his office. I wonder what this is all about? I leave my apartment and walk to my car. As I'm walking, I feel something or someone watching me. I look all around me. I don't see anything.

I drive out of my garage building. A black van like the one in the security tapes is two cars behind me. I don't speed up so they won't know I see them.

I turn and enter into the garage. I park my car in the usual spot. I get out of my car and see the black van is parked across the street. I walk to the elevator and hit my floor. What's going on?

I exit on my floor and walk to my desk. I put my stuff on my desk and walk to my editor's office. I knock on the door and enter. "Take a seat Alex." I take a seat and look at my editor. "Today is your lucky day. You've been invited to Lab 501. A van is waiting for you."

I was stunned. I did not expected this. I leave my editor's office, grab my purse, walk to the elevator and hit lobby. The black van is here for me. Someone must have gotten to my editor. He's know what's been going on all this time.

I leave the elevator and walk through the lobby. Two men are standing in the front entrance. They see me. One of the men holds the door open for me. I walk out followed by the men. We walk to the van. Another man steps out of the van and opens the back door. I step in followed by the two men. The other man gets into the front passenger seat.

I'm scared about what's going to happen to me. These me scare me. For the missing, I have to do this. The drive to the west end takes about twenty-five minutes. I look out the window thinking this is what the missing must have felt like, scared of the unknown.

The van stops at a dilapidated building. The men get out, I follow. They open a door and enter the building. I follow them. I see nothing in here expect for a white light coming from the end of the hall.

"Welcome Ms. Alex." A man in a white lab coat is walking towards me. "Hi." I manage to say. "Follow me." I nod and follow the man. He's leading me towards the light. That doesn't sound right.

"What are you doing here?" He stops and turn towards me. "We are doing good work here. Your articles are running my work."

He looks at me waiting to see if I back down. I don't back down instead I ask him about the missing. "Where are the missing people?"

I wait for his answer but he doesn't give me one instead he turns around and starts walking. One of the men pushes me to go. The man opens the door. He enters. I follow him in. What I see blows my mind.

Many people in lab coats plus the missing, well not all of them. I look at the missing, they are not awake. "What's happening to them"?

"It's nothing bad Alex." I look at him but I don't believe him. I go to up to one of the missing. I look at the woman. She has multiple incision ,marks all over her body. What are they doing to you?

One of the men moves me away from the woman and takes me to an office. He sits me down on one of the chairs. "What are you doing to them? and where are the rest of the missing?"

"The work I'm doing here is very important. All I can show you is what I'm allowed. The missing as you called them are being well taken care of. You are allowed on this floor only. Any attempts to go anywhere else will result in me throwing you out. Understand me?" I nod.

I walk around the lab looking at the missing and watching the white coats, that's what I'm calling them. One of the white coats is drawing blood from one of the missing.

I walk away from them and walk further to the back of the lab. There I see a large screen of data. I don't know what the data means. On one line is the person's name, date and age. on the next line is the person's blood type.

The data is repeated multiple times. But why? The only thing the missing have in common is their blood type. I commit the data to memory.

Deep in the back of the building is a door that says Do Not Enter. I wonder what they are doing in there? I'm tempt to back there. Those men are watching me. "Ms. Alex, it's time to go. You're making my workers nervous." I follow the man outside. I look back wishing I could do more for the missing.

"I will advise you Ms. Alex do not write what you saw." He turns and goes back to the lab. I follow the men back to the van. They take me back to my office building.

I don't even go back to my office. I go to the garage, get my car and drive home. I go to my apartment fall on my couch and close my eyes.

As I'm dozing off, I hear a knock on my door. I open the door and see a stranger. "Um hi." The stranger hands me an envelope and walks away.

He looks familiar to me none the less, I open the envelope. I begin reading the context. This can't be real. My eyes are not deceiving me.

"Whatever he has told you about the work we are doing is not the truth. The truth is far more unbelievable and far more horrifying. A little over two years ago the government discovered a space ship on its way to earth. They tracked the ship until it reached the moon. We were not prepared for this. Instead of a war these beings gave our leaders and the leaders of the rest of the world an ultimatum. Give us your people with a rare blood type Rh-null also called the Golden Blood or else your planet will be destroyed. The missing have this blood type. They are being given to these beings in exchange for our lives. Please help them. More people are going to be abducted in the coming days."

Oh My God! This can't be happening. I need more proof. The data and the letter are not enough. I need undeniable proof. I wait for tonight. I'm going back to the lab. This is all too crazy to believe but if this is indeed happening then it's my duty to report the truth.

It's 10 pm. I grab my camera and car keys. I head to my car. First, I look around my neighborhood to see if the black van is here. Good, I'm in the clear. I go to the garage and jump in my car. I remember the way to the lab. The roads are clear of any cars. This is a scary time to be out.

I made it to the lab. I begin to get out of my car when I notice the black van and two ambulances. I snap pictures. The building door opens. Four people in wheel chairs are wheeled out. I snap pictures. I recognize them as the missing. They are loaded into the ambulances.

The black van is in the lead followed by the two ambulances. I follow them at a distance. Where are you going? I take pictures at each intersection.

Ten minutes later the black van and the two ambulances enter the heliport. I park my car across the street. I sneak into the heliport. I hide behind some helicopters. I snap pictures of the missing being wheeled off of the ambulances. I move deeper into the building.

There I see something out of this world. A small ship is landing. I snap pictures. The doors open. Strange beings are stepping out and taking the missing. I snap pictures. The letter was correct. I snap more pictures. I run to my car and rush home.

I begin writing my article and print the pictures. The next morning before my editor arrives, I hand my article and pictures to the printers. I tell them this is important and it needs to be out today.

As the day goes on, I wait patiently for the article to come out. This is not the only thing I did. I sent the pictures to every major news platform.

The reaction to the pictures was swift. The people were angry and demanded answers. The families wanted their loved ones back. The government gave no answers. Riots broke out. The lab was raided freeing the missing that were still there. Sadly the others are gone never heard from again.

I'm glad I wrote my article and got the answers we all needed. I'm still working to find the missing that were taken. I will never stop until they are returned.