Читать книгу New Earth: The Search for Justice - R.D. Ph.D. Pittman - Страница 5

Driving back to the mountainside residence gave everyone an opportunity to relax for just a few moments; the past two days had been an incredibly tense time. Elena was intrigued by the idea that she and Andrade would be put in charge of uncovering the perpetrators of the takeover. What appealed to her even more was the fact that it would be Americans she would be tracking down for General Hanken. She could not quite get her arms around this Hanken just yet, but he was certainly a man to be reckoned with. Andrade was relieved to be outside of the confinement of the stockade. He’d never realized how psychologically damaging it could be to lock up another human being; until now.

Alex was writing something in a notepad and agent Somers noticed.

“General, I see you constantly jotting things down in that notepad of yours, what do you write in there?”

“Mental reminders, thoughts that pop into my head, names, dates, ranks, people’s abilities, impressions of people, good and bad performances, a whole host of things that I can go over during the day or at the end of the day,” he went on to say, “when we get to the residence I want you and Bill to join me in the communications room. I will also have Liz in there as she speaks Russian. I’m going to need you to watch Curt; he will undoubtedly react very negatively to seeing Elena and Andrade again.”

“Yeah, I can imagine this will be a shock to everyone, I’ll keep the parties from coming to blows.”

“Good, I have enough on my mind without having to referee a verbal or physical brawl.”

Alex took a deep breath. This should be interesting; he hoped it didn’t turn into a shouting match. He walked into the residence with agents Somers and Evans, and Lt. Commander Morris. Elena and Andrade were sandwiched between the two agents with Morris following closely behind. The two Navy Seals on guard at the front door snapped to attention as Alex approached. Sandi was at the door and greeted Alex with a kiss and a hug; he was relieved to see her it brought some sanity back into his life for a brief moment. Sandi had taken several messages for Alex while he was at the base. Ted Jeffers had called and said he would be landing at Peterson shortly. The Major in charge of base housing called wanting to know what were his duties, and did he still want him to call the FEMA people about those disaster trailers to be shipped up to Colorado Springs.

Alex told Sandi he had an extremely important call to make to the Russian President; he needed Liz in there to translate. Alex asked her to get Ted Jeffers in here at the residence as soon as he lands. That became moot, as Jeffers arrived at the residence while Alex was discussing matters with Sandi. He shook Jeffers hand and asked him to accompany agents Somers and Evans into the communications room along with Elena and Andrade. Sandi inquired.

“Alex, who are those two people?”

“Sandi, give me a moment to speak with you privately, while the group goes to the communications room.”

“Okay.”

Alex pulled her aside and told her who Elena and Andrade were, and that he was using them to help ease international tensions, and that they had agreed to help in finding out who was behind Torrance.

“Alex, I have never questioned your judgment, but aren’t these people just a little dangerous, and how can you be sure they won’t cut your throat at the first opportune time?” she nervously asked.

“I know it sounds crazy, but again you do need to trust me on this. Now, please get hold of the base housing guy and have him meet me here in a couple of hours. I need you to be my gatekeeper and shield me from unwarranted distractions. I have a million things coming at me right now. When we are alone at night, I will debrief you on everything, so that you are in the loop on what is taking place. Now give me some time to deal with these agents and the Russians, take my calls, find out what they want. If you can’t solve it, then tell them I will get back to them shortly.” He kissed her and went to the communications room.

“Well Ted, how was the fishing?”

“It was good until all of this unfolded.”

“Ted, have you met Elena and Andrade?”

Jeffers had the look of a man caught completely off guard and searching for something to say.

“Alex, how in the hell did you manage to capture these two, when my bureau and the CIA couldn’t?”

Alex relayed what had taken place concerning the Russian agents, and what he was going to have them do, and how important it was that no one knew of their existence especially the CIA. Jeffers agreed, and said it would be of great benefit in helping to unravel all the people involved. Alex asked Elena to call her boss and set up a conference call with President Kleskova and whomever he wanted in attendance. She dialed the satellite number for Ingosich.

“This is Petrov.”

“Petrov, its Elena.”

“I don’t believe it, where are you and are you okay?”

Elena began explaining how the FBI agents and Seal teams had captured them. She detailed the conversations with Alex and how he offered to protect them from his government and any foreign governments and would never ask them to work against the Russian people. Elena spelled out what Alex wanted them to do and he was calling to set up a conference call with Kleskova to explain what had transpired and that there was nothing for his government to fear.

“General Hanken are you there?”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“General Hanken, I have heard much about you, but I could never have imagined you would be so bold as to make a call to our President to allay any fears we might have about US intentions, I congratulate you. I will strongly support your request to have Elena and Andrade assist you in the investigation of the government takeover. But, you must agree that they will be allowed to return to Russia once they have completed their mission, and that there will be no liability for any of their actions while in your control.”

“Agreed, but bear in mind Mr. Ingosich it could take several months to unravel this. I will of course fund all their operations and provide housing, food, transportation, and medical care, along with a monthly stipend to defray personal expenses.”

“Excellent, then we have an agreement General, and I will get back to you at this number in thirty minutes with details of the conference call, goodbye.”

Petrov was still reeling from the call he had just received as he dialed Kleskova’s residence.

“Petrov, why are you calling here so late?” the President, yawning, complained.

Petrov detailed his call with Elena and Alex and asked when he would like to set up the conference call.

“My God, General Hanken wants to do what with our agents?” Kleskova sat up in bed.

“I agree Mr. President, this General Hanken is a most unusual man, but Elena and Andrade both said they trusted him.”

“Petrov, get my military staff together, and your boss Bocovich, have them meet me at my office in two hours for this conference call,” the President ordered.

Sandi came in and interrupted the conversation with Jeffers, to tell Alex that the base housing officer was here to see him. Alex excused himself and went out to the den to meet with the Major.

“Hello Major I have some things I need you to handle for me, first, get those FEMA trailers up here as I asked you to do. Second, I want you to get fully furnished officers housing for my two guests, Miss Grodny and Mr. Kolna. I want you to take them to the cashiers office and get them two thousand dollars for personal expenses, also provide a base vehicle, and get them civilian id’s so they can shop at the base annex, any questions?”

“No sir, I’ll come up with some sub account to charge this to, when will they be ready to do all of this?” he asked.

“Give us three hours, then come back here to pick them up. I want no one to question anything about these arrangements, is that understood?” Alex said.

“Yes sir.”

Alex returned to the communications room to find Curt and Cynthia staring in stunned disbelief at what they saw. Curt grabbed Alex’s arm and pulled him aside.

“Dad, what in the hell are you doing, what are these people doing in our residence?”

“Curt, calm down, I have need of their assistance, they’re going to work for our government to help discover who was behind this takeover,” Alex explained calmly.

“Dad, this gal is a cold blooded killer, she should be shot as a spy,” Curt whispered.

“Curt, circumstances have changed dramatically. The old guidelines don’t apply anymore. We are in a struggle that is a lot more complicated than the threat of asteroids hitting our planet. We are talking about two nuclear armed forces in opposition to each. Both of them within one nation’s borders. I will and must use every resource at my disposal to prevent a civil war. The best way to do that is to have the other side collapse from within by eroding the support for their position. I am in the process of doing just that, so be patient, and try your best to understand what my motives are.”

“Dad, I have always trusted your judgment, you haven’t gone wrong yet. I may have to sedate Cynthia though, she’s about to come completely unglued.”

Alex stepped back into the room and looked at the clock and noted to everyone that in about one hour the conference call would start, if they wanted to grab a bite to eat or something to drink this would be a good time to do it. Somers told Elena and Andrade to come with her she wanted to make a sandwich and get a soda.

“Dr. Chenowith is it? You are married to General Hanken?” Elena asked.

“No, but I’m first in line,” she replied

“I think you may be a very lucky person, the General seems so balanced, yet he has a force about him, he’s an impressive man,” Elena allowed.

Curt was standing at the table preparing a sandwich. He just had to say something.

“If you think he is such a great person then why did you want to kill him?”

“I never intended to kill your father Curt, just you,” Elena shot back. Andrade thought here we go again.

“Hey Grodny, cool it on the talk, we don’t need to have a knockdown drag out here,” Somers warned.

“This is my fault, I apologize to Curt, it was a poor attempt at a joke,” Elena conceded.

“Apology accepted,” Curt responded and whispering to Cynthia, “at least I didn’t get my ass kicked this time.”

That seemed to break the ice for everybody as they moved around the table to fill their plates.

“We have assorted beverages of your choice on the bar help yourselves,” Sandi said.

Alex and Jeffers were engaged in conversation about the role he could play. Alex asked Jeffers to confide in his most senior agents where he stood and to be aware that he was already compromised. So he might as well stay there at the residence and direct activities from the command center. It was important that Torrance not sense any disloyalty from his agents, otherwise he would simply sequester them with all the rest of the government officials. Jeffers agreed and then asked Alex what was the deal with Elena and Andrade. Alex explained how he intended to use them. Jeffers for his part thought it was a brilliant move and Torrance wouldn’t expect that in a million years. They decided to go get something to eat with everybody else.

Alex, Jeffers, and Liz walked up to the table at about the same time the kitchen staff brought out everyone’s mixed drinks they had ordered. After finishing their sandwiches and drinks Alex asked for everyone’s attention to say a few words.

“My hope is that all of us gathered here at this table can find a way to work together as a common team. Each of us in our own right has skills that can be brought to bear on this desperate situation we find ourselves in. We have the Director of the FBI, and two extremely talented FBI agents with us. Curt is a computer and telecommunications genius, Cynthia and Liz are specialists in linguistics, and my significant other Sandi is probably the smartest woman in America. Then there is Andrade, a senior criminal inspector, and finally we come to Elena. Elena your talents are legendary in intelligence circles around the world. I can’t make the past go away, what is done…is done. What I can do, is tell everyone to look forward and forget the past. We must stay focused on what lays before us, the struggle to free our country from tyrants will not be easy—heaven forbid—but some of us in this room may have to make the ultimate sacrifice. I say to you all then, drink up, and enjoy the moment, because in about thirty minutes we start working as a team from here on,” Alex raised his glass in a toast.

“Our intelligence services were so stunned by the sudden shifting of so much power to you. It is no wonder they consider you one of the most dangerous military leaders in history. And now we know why, you seem to be able to talk people into doing things they would not otherwise consider. It is because you are so logical, so organized…yet calm when you make your point.” Elena raised her glass in a toast to Alex.

“And Curt I was serious about not wanting to kill your father, and if you remember I whispered something in your ear before we left the mine that day. Do you recall?”

“Yeah. You said our government was withholding the fact that an asteroid strike was coming and billions would suffer because of it.”

“Fortunately, that was just a ruse to hide all that has happened here with the takeover.”

“Has your opinion changed about the United States now?” Curt asked.

“No, I still distrust your government, but it’s your people that are surprising to me, your father for one, Dr. Chenowith, agent Somers, all of you seem so…so human…yet so talented and focused, it is refreshing to be around such people.”

Sandi was a little more comfortable, but Alex had shocked her for the first time with his decision to bring the two Russians, Elena and Andrade, into the fold. Somers still had her suspicions about Elena and would continue to watch her closely anytime she was around Alex. Meanwhile, in Moscow key military and intelligence officials were hurriedly gathering at President Kleskova’s office for the unheard of telephone call about to take place.