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Chapter 5

Command Concern

Orinda, California

May 28

Diana Richmond had just returned home from shopping at the Pleasant Hills Mall. It had been a fruitful shopping spree, and she was looking forward to sharing her booty with her mother. She had planned to go with Marion this morning, but he had called saying Cal was in trouble again and he and Cal would be going to Southern California for a few days. He said he would call when he returned or sometime tonight if he got the chance to.

“Mom, I’m home!”

“Oh, hi, darling. Thought I heard you come in.”

“Hi, Mom. Come and see what I have bought Marion.”

Cheryl Richmond knew how much Tork hated the name Marion. Nevertheless, he loved Diana, so she was the only one that could call him Marion.

“Where is Tork today, Di?”

“He and Cal went to the desert for a couple of days. Cal has gotten himself in another bind, and Marion is helping him out. He’s supposed to call me tonight sometime. If he does call and I’m not home, get his number and the name of the motel they’re staying in. Okay, Mom?”

“Well, all right, hon, but aren’t you staying home this evening?”

“Yes, I intended to but I may be going down to Lafayette. Carol has to pick up her car from the dealership. I told her I would take her down if she went, and if I’m not back when Marion calls, I want to make sure I can call him back later. Remember to get his number please. He should have his cell phone with him, and I don’t have his new number yet.”

“Okay, darling. I’ll get it for you, if he calls.”

With that, Diana called Carol.

*****

“Cal, turn off at the truck stop or whatever, okay? We need fuel and I have to call Di and let her know we’re on our way.”

“Count on me. I could use a pit stop myself.”

“If you’re getting tired, Cal, I can pick up on the driving,” Tork replied.

“Thanks, Tork, but I’m all okay. A cold cola would be great though.”

Cal continued thinking quietly and then said, “Tork, I’ve been thinking and I just can’t figure out why they were after me. There wasn’t enough moonlight to see anything. The car’s headlights only picked up the road, and I was too occupied with the engine to pay attention to anything else. Just why they came after me really bothers me. If they were drug runners, why didn’t they shoot?”

Tork shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know, Cal, but if they wanted you dead, they had the chance to do it. I don’t think it was a drop, and if I were, there should have been some kind of activity going on, you know, plane, trucks, cars, or something. Cal, you didn’t see anything out there.”

“But they came on me fast and without lights on. Then they followed me all the way to the main road. I didn’t figure it.”

“Well, chances are they were using night-vision devices and could follow you all the way to the highway. Oncoming headlights would have blinded them if they continued after reaching the road. So they backed off. Too big a chance of having an accident. It gave you a little edge, but it looks like they caught up with you anyway. I suspect they got close enough to get your plate number. With help from friends, police, or whatever, they were able to track you. That’s why they caught you in Sausalito. Chances are, all they had to do was monitor your movements until the time was right to pick you up. That was when I stepped in at Mo’s Place. It looks to me like it’s a ‘government’ job and on a large scale. We’re going to be walking on those proverbial eggs before it’s all over. Just what have you done to piss off the government enough for them to chase you?”

Cal looked at Tork, a little bewildered, and said, “Tork, I’m sure you’re aware of what you’re doing, because I’m not.”

Tork replied, “Look, the very first thing we do is look for any unusual rocks, posts, or plants that are out of place. We find that and we find sensors. We find sensors and I’ll lay you odds it’s strictly a government operation. Could be you fell into a sting operation and they wanted you on ice until it’s over. If that’s the case, no problem. If it’s a top secret operation, we might have a real opportunity on our hands. Best we can do is to wait and see and hope.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. They could have just killed me at Mo’s, right?”

“Well, Cal, that’s what I thought.”

“Look, up ahead. Looks like a truck stop.”

Cal’s never-ending appetite and thirst were as good as the best GPS system in the country. Cal pulled into the truck stop and after moving around several big rigs found the gasoline pumps for the cars and cussed at the three bucks a gallon price tag plus the one fifty UN tax the president agreed on. Cal thought, What a guy! Yes, sir, what a guy.

Cal pulled up and stopped. He looked around and started to cuss. “Blasted attendants are never here when you want them.”

Tork looked up. “Cal, this is a self-service pump island. If you want gas, you pump it. I’ll meet you inside. I need to call Di. I’ll grab a booth for us. Come on in when you’re finished.”

Tork moved swiftly to the restaurant and asked the hostess for a quiet booth.

“Hello.” It was Di’s mom on the line.

“Mrs. Richmond, this is Tork. Is Di home?”

“No, Tork. She went into Lafayette with Carol to pick up Carol’s car. I suspect they went out to eat or maybe to a movie. I expected her back by now, but you know those girls.”

“Yeah, I know. Tell her I’ll call her later tonight when we check into a motel and get settled. Okay?”

“Okay, Tork. I’ll tell her. By the way, she needs your new cell number.”

Tork gave her the number, and she said goodbye and hung up. He then ordered two large Cokes from the hostess and waited for Cal. A few minutes later, Cal came in sat down. “Well, were fueled and ready to roll. Let’s eat.”

Tork and Cal resumed their trek. Cal picked up the driving, and Tork tried to figure out where they stood. He thought to himself, The men hunting Cal could have been ahead of him all the way. Could be when I stepped in, it threw them a curve. They hadn’t expected anyone else to enter the game. Could be they had gotten instructions or something else? Well, I’ll be ready for them. Yes, I’ll be ready for them.

Tork drifted into restless sleep. Everything were jumbled up in his mind, inconsistencies mixed with facts, men with guns that fired big bang flags, almost a nightmare. Suddenly Cal reached over and shook Tork, waking him out of a sound sleep. “Uh…who? Who? Who…what’s happened? Oh yeah, where we at, Cal?”

Coming out of his sleep and realizing they had stopped, Tork came up in his seat and looked around. They were in a restaurant parking lot. Cal had been driving for hours and was tired, ready to eat, and rest again.

“Let’s go eat. I’m starved.” With that, Cal opened his door and got out. “It’s only four miles to the turn off, Tork. We’re almost there.”

After a snack and coffee, Tork laid out his plan. “The way I see it, we need a base of operation where we can come and go and have access to a telephone. You were on your way back from Vegas when you turned off right? Okay, then we go back toward the Nevada border and retrace your way back. You look for anything that’s familiar so we can find the right turn off, okay?”

After their rest and meal, the mission was once again moving forward.

Cal took the wheel so he could recall anything he had seen the previous night. At the state line, they turned around and headed back and started looking for the right turn off. It was difficult trying to find a familiar place you had only seen once before, when suddenly Cal let out a cry, “That’s it, Tork! That’s it! Coming up on the right, the turn off, that’s it. I know it is.”

*****

Emory reached over and hit the landing gear switch, and the whining of the plane’s hydraulic motor could be heard and the gears started to lower. Emory was on his approach to the field, and no lights had come on. He had come in low dropping down and flying under cover of the local airport’s radar. As his onboard radar searched ahead of him, he cut his two outboard engines and was taking it in on the two inboard ones. Thank God they had modified these birds years ago and added the other two engines. It made the bird stronger, faster, and quieter when dropping two engines off line. Suddenly the darkness lit up ahead of him. The dazzling approach lights and then the runway lights were on.

Emory had to touch down quickly before they put out the lights. Seconds later, his wheels were on the ground. He gently brought the nosewheel down into contact with the runway. He started to brake with his engine thrusters and then his brakes. The plane rapidly slowed, and no sooner had he slowed when they turned the runway lights off.

He was in the dark; nothing but his instrument lights illuminated his panel with an eerie glow. Emory reached up and started turning off unneeded systems. Just as he was about to bring the ship to a stop, a vehicle appeared before him. A sign lit up on the back of the unit. The words started moving across it. It was like one of those roadside signs that print up bargains in stores as you go by them. This one was saying, “Follow me. Leave your lights off. Maintain radio silence. We’ll have you under cover shortly.” The sign continued to repeat the message.

The vehicle was leading them through aprons and hardstands.

Suddenly the sign changed to, “Continue ahead slowly. You are entering a hangar. There will be a slight decline.” Within a minute, Emory could feel the plane descending an incline, and he could hear the engines pitches grow louder. He knew he was inside the hangar. After moving slowly, he heard a rumbling behind him. The vehicle ahead of him flashed stop on the board. He stopped the plane, and the rumbling noise stopped. The whole area then flooded with light.

They were safely in the underground hangar, and the doors were closed to stop any light leaking out to the outside world. They had arrived.

Emory went back into the cabin. The senator was getting ready to deplane. “Nice flight, Emory. Thanks.”

Michael piped in with, “Yeah, thanks. Nice and smooth.”

“You’re welcome, Senator. You too, Mike.”

Michael started to say something to Emory and then changed his mind. Probably planned to dress him down again and had second thoughts with the senator there.

Emory went over to Special Operations to set up for departure and have the plane refueled and serviced. He would need the plane’s refrigerator filled and in-flight rations put on board for the return trip.

Michael left everything to Emory knowing Emory would set everything up right.

Emory entered the operations room as a security personnel covered him. “ID please,” said the one in command.

Emory pulled out his card and gave it to him. “Thank you, sir,” Emory approached the counter. “I need all tanks full, rations replaced, and the fridges filled as soon as possible. We may be leaving soon.”

“Yes, sir,” he replied. “We have already started refueling. In-flight will be over when your tanks are full, and you’ll be ready for a turnaround within thirty minutes if you need it.”

Emory looked out into the hangar. He figured they were about sixty feet underground.

He could see the gradual slope of the ramp coming in and several other aircraft sharing the same hangar. It was amazing they had brought him in and parked him in the dark with the other aircraft so close. Two other birds were sharing the hangar, one other Falcon and a helicopter painted in commercial colors, both marked with the Freedom Earned logos, blue and white stripes, strictly company colors. There were sixteen of these hangars underground, with most of them housing gunships, fighters, and light bombers. In addition, a large number of Special Forces and special ops personnel were quartered in the barracks.

The company was getting closer to Freedom Earned with just a few loose ends to tie up before it began. One loose end had brought the senator out here. It must have been important to take him out of Washington this close to zero hour. Well, all I can do, he thought, is to get ready for the ride back. His thoughts were interrupted when the special ops officer called to him. “Your bird’s ready to go whenever you are.”

“Thanks, appreciate the effort,” he replied.

*****

They took the senator directly to Colonel Duncan’s office. Time was critical, and he wasted no time on him.

“Well, Duncan, have you found our missing intruder and his friend?”

The senator was very troubled; they were on the eve of Operation Freedom Earned, and this had to happen. Before they could go on, all the loose ends had to be tied up. It was of the essence they completed everything by the 30th or they could lose the initiative. It would be some time before they would have another window of opportunity.

“No, Senator. We have two crews out now looking for them, and our forces are on alert. They seem to have dropped out of sight, but we do have the girl. They picked her up this afternoon in Lafayette and should be arriving soon. A chopper is shuttling them down now. Maybe we can get something out of them when they arrive.”

“I don’t have to tell you how important this is,” the senator said. “Everything at this moment hinges on stopping them from reporting any of this to the police. If any of this gets out, it could set us back years. We must protect it at any cost, Colonel. When they arrive, call me. I’ll be in my quarters. One other thing, has the stealth data come in yet?”

“No, sir. We are still waiting for touchdown. When it’s on the ground, I’ll call you.”

“Have you reported this to Alpha One yet?”

“No, sir. We haven’t.”

“Sir, don’t you—”

The senator held up his hand, stopping him midsentence. “Colonel, I’ll decide when it’s time to bring the council and Alpha One in on what’s happened. It’s my responsibility, not yours.”

“Yes, sir.” Duncan knew when it was time to hold back. He would give the senator a little more time. Then he would alert both Alpha One and the council about the problem. Right now though he needed a little more time for his crew to find Calvin Varner and Marion Albertson. Hopefully the girl would help.

The colonel leaned back, lit his cigar, and started going over his emergency notification list, ticking off the numbers of the alert crews and support base commanders. If anything went wrong, the abort phase would need to be started immediately. He reached over and pulled his computer keyboard to him. He opened his alert channel and keyed in his security codes. Once inside, he brought up the preprogrammed dialing list and started entering the numbers. Within seconds of being activated, they would notify the support bases and they would begin the abort phase.

The colonel thought for a moment. If we wanted the country back so decent people could walk the streets again at any hour, be it man, woman, or child of any race or creed, if we expected to receive good health, food, and decent jobs, well then, we have to succeed.

A knock on the door brought the colonel out of his thoughts. “Yes?”

“Colonel, we have installed all the proximity sensors in the areas you requested. I set up a couple of TV cameras on the southeast and southwest perimeters as requested. Although we didn’t think we would ever need them there, but with an imminent threat looking at us, well, I thought that being safe sir might be prudent.”

“Thank you and especially for your attention to details,” replied Colonel Duncan. “Call me when the senator arrives. I’ll be in my quarters.”

“Yes, sir.”