5
Colonel Morris “Jake” Jacobson exited the F14 Tomcat that had rocketed him to Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, and boarded a car that was waiting to take him to a civilian helicopter waiting nearby. Landing a civilian helicopter on a street or field in Denver would attract far more attention than he would like, but not nearly as much as a military chopper would attract. The night sky was crystal clear and dense with stars, but this was the last thing on Jake’s mind.
“Give me a situation report, Captain,” he said into his cell phone.
“We found the glass building precisely where you told us it would be, Colonel,” said the special forces captain who had been on scene for some time now. “And the warehouse eighty yards to the east as well. Our teams have established a hundred-yard perimeter around them both. We arrived in civilian vehicles and used maximum discretion during our deployment. We have twenty-four men who are dug in, including four snipers. We’re in an industrial area, poorly lighted, and it’s well after work hours, so our confidence is high we weren’t observed by anyone in the vicinity.”
“And you can confirm that Kira Miller and David Desh are in the building?”
“Yes, sir. I saw them enter with my own eyes. They matched the photos you provided exactly. There’s always the chance one or more of them has a body double, or has altered their appearance as a decoy. But if so, they did a masterful job.”
Jake considered. While masterful was well within the capabilities of these two, he believed the chance they were not who they seemed to be was virtually zero in this case. He had broken Rosenblatt, of that he was certain. The physicist had given Jake this location less than seven hours earlier, breaking into tears periodically as he did so and begging him not to hurt his remaining children.
It had been heart wrenching, but Rosenblatt had been beyond the possibility of deceit. And if the captain had seen only one of them, perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity, but both Desh and Miller together entering the building Rosenblatt insisted was their working headquarters was too much of a stretch.
“You’re certain no one has left since they entered?”
“Positive. They’re still in the center of the glass building. Judging from the spacing, it may be a kitchen area, but we believe it’s a conference room. We’ve been reading the heat signatures of five humans for hours.”
Jake searched his mind for anything he might be missing, but came up empty.
He had them, he thought triumphantly, but the sober part of his nature returned almost immediately to restrain his enthusiasm. From what he understood, they had been in situations just as hopeless before and had slipped the noose. He couldn’t allow himself to be overconfident.
“Thank you Captain Ruiz. I’ll be coming in by civilian helo, with an ETA of about twenty minutes. I’m going to have the pilot land in as secluded a spot as possible about three miles out, just to be certain the sound of the chopper blades doesn’t alert them.”
“Three miles, Colonel? Civilian helos are quieter than military ones.”
Ruiz was correct, but he hadn’t been briefed on the exact nature of what they were dealing with. Who knew what kind of technology Miller and Desh had up their sleeves? Who knew what kind of automated listening devices they might have invented for sniffing out incoming choppers? The more he thought about the capabilities of a group who could amplify their intelligence to levels that made the brightest humans seem like gorillas, the more nervous he became.
“Very true, Captain, but I’d like you to spread the word to the team. While on this op, assume we’re facing hostiles with capabilities and skills even greater than our own. It’s critical that they not be underestimated.”
“Roger that, sir.”
Jake inhaled deeply. It was time. He needed to make several critical decisions, and he needed to make them quickly. The current tactical situation could not be more ideal. But if Miller and the others entered the tunnel to their warehouse the situation would grow more complex and uncertainties would make the op more difficult.
He vowed that whatever it took, he would see to it that Miller and Desh would not slip the noose again.
6
Van Hutten and his four escorts arrived at the conference room, which was large and bright and packed with life. Kira loved plants, believing they were both good for the human soul as well as the quality of indoor air, and there were more plants within the facility than could be found in many outdoor gardens. The conference room itself was home to three Chinese fan palms, each of which reached the ceiling, and two amstel-king-braid ficus trees, all potted in round, one-hundred-gallon brushed silver containers that fit with the conference room’s theme of contemporary simplicity.
They took seats around an elegant glass conference table that was shaped like a giant’s surfboard, pointed at a fifty inch monitor on the wall.
Kira studied van Hutten with barely concealed enthusiasm. A physicist of his caliber who had made it through all of their screens was potentially huge for the project. They had told Seth Rosenblatt that van Hutten wasn’t acceptable, but this was part of their security plan to compartmentalize information, especially personnel information, whenever possible. What Rosenblatt didn’t know couldn’t hurt him—or others.
“Anton,” she began. “We really are honored that you could join us. But I’d like to get right to the point. And once again, I’ll ask for your patience and open mindedness. I promise you everything we tell you is completely accurate. And we’ll prove it to you before we’re through.”
Van Hutten’s face tightened, and he looked understandably uneasy, but he just nodded and said nothing.
Kira had always been the type who liked to tear band-aids off swiftly. “I’m a molecular biologist,” she said. “Several years ago I developed a gene therapy. For about an hour at a time, this therapy can boost human intelligence to . . . well, there’s no other way to say it: to immeasurable levels.”
Van Hutten blinked several times as if he had no idea what these words meant. A quizzical expression came over his face. “Immeasurable levels?” he repeated, as if his ears hadn’t been working properly.
Kira nodded. “That’s right.”
She could tell van Hutten was trying hard to remain expressionless, but even so the slightest sneer of disbelief flashed over his face. He glanced at the three men at the table, as if looking for an expression that would confirm that this was an elaborate joke, that he was being put on. She could only imagine what must be going through his head. Was he wondering if this was an initiation rite? If he was being tested to see how he would react? More likely, Kira knew, he probably thought he was in the company of a group of dangerous, delusional zealots.
“The human brain has nearly unlimited potential,” she continued. “But it’s wired for survival rather than pure intelligence. Autistic savants give us a small window into the possibilities. There are autistic savants who can memorize entire phone books in one reading and can multiply ten digit numbers faster than a calculator. What if you could unleash capabilities even greater than these across all areas of thought and creativity?”
Van Hutten’s eyes narrowed as he considered this argument. He tilted his head and his expression became slightly less skeptical; slightly more thoughtful. “Go on,” he said.