“Gentlemen, with the exception of Colonel Collins, Captain Everett, Colonel Farbeaux, and Second Captain Dishlakov, would you please excuse us?” The admiral looked taken back for some reason. Jack and Carl exchanged looks that said they were just as confused as Admiral Andersson, who rose with the others and followed Captain McAvoy from the closed-off section of the hangar deck. Overhead, the ominous sound of F-18 Hornets and F-35 fighters being launched into the sky rumbled in the cavernous hangar. Suddenly, it was Jack, Carl, Henri, and Dishlakov sitting alone with the Russians. The room was silent except for what sounded like increased activity on the flight deck high above them.
The hatchway opened once more, and then two marines appeared and, with little effort involved, assisted a wheelchair-bound man over the hatch coming. The small, dark-haired man nodded his thanks and then rolled into the room.
Again, Jack and Carl exchanged looks of confusion as Dr. Xavier Morales rolled to a stop in front of the Russian contingent.
The room was silent as the next two people entered. Jack felt his jaw muscles seize up as he saw his own director, Niles Compton, with cane in hand as he stepped into the hangar. Then he was followed by none other than Virginia Pollock. Both went to the chairs that had been placed for them. All three faced the Russian contingent. The director was dressed in a plain blue suit and Virginia in a pantsuit that held for the viewer nothing but a business impression. Xavier was dressed in simple slacks and even had a tie on. Crooked, Jack saw, but a tie nonetheless.
Vassick smiled and then turned to his companions and said something in Russian. The others nodded. The first marine to have entered returned with a large-screen monitor absconded from the admiral’s quarters. He placed it on a steel rolling table and then left the hangar. The room became deathly silent as everyone, including Jack, Carl, Henri, and even the Russians, was confused at this sudden change of personnel onto this politically charged stage. Jack didn’t know it, but the three people had flown supersonic over the continental United States and then transferred to four of the navy’s newest jump jets, the F-35, and again flew supersonic to get out here to the North Atlantic.
Virginia stunned and silenced the Russians by saying something in their native tongue to their guests. They saw Vassick raise a brow and then nod his head in agreement to something she said. Niles remained silent as he studied his counterpart across from him.
“Yes, Doctor, we can speak English, if that is what you prefer. We know your Drs. Compton and Morales do not speak our language, and we do so need their input in the upcoming matters.”
Virginia nodded and then went silent as both groups observed the other. It was Niles who cleared his throat and then placed his small case on the steel deck.
“You seem to know all about us, Dr. Vassick.”
“For years, Dr. Compton, it has been my duty to learn such things. Perhaps you have a particular understanding of that?”
Compton said nothing. Instead he looked with his one good eye at the men before him.
“I am here at the authorization of the president of the United States, who has tasked me with the duties we will describe here in a few minutes. May I ask, sir, who you represent?”
Vassick smiled as the game began. “Of course. I am here representing the rights of the Russian people and that of our shared heritage. Thus, we want our property back.”
Niles exchanged looks with Xavier, who rolled a few feet closer to the Russian contingent.
“You do, as my director says, know an awful lot about us. But we also have learned quite a lot about you, sir. For instance, we have discovered that you are operating without the knowledge of your highest levels of government. We know that you have been doing so since the fall of 1941. We also know that you and a select group of individuals have committed high treason right under the noses of the Soviet and Russian governments.”
“And of course, Dr. Morales, you have indisputable proof of this?”
“Not at all. It is mere conjecture and circumstantial.”
“I suspect this comes from that magnificent computing system your group employs. Bravo on your guesswork. This system”—he stopped and leaned over as one of his aids spoke to him in Russian—“ah, yes, Europa. As I was saying, without evidence and actual proof of anything, you cannot harm us. As we”—again the irritating smile—“cannot prove beyond a doubt that your group exists. So here we are, Doctor, both entities standing and shouting to the winds.”
Morales smiled in return. “What is your goal?”
“Why, to protect our citizens and our heritage. Just as your group proclaims in its charter.”
Niles cleared his throat and then faced down Vassick. Jack leaned forward in his chair. He knew Dr. Compton took the secrecy of the Group very seriously and the knowledge that their secret was now out in the open, at least to these people, and now he was playing a hidden card that Jack himself could not figure out.
“We can sit here and rattle sabers all day long, but that will get us into nothing but open warfare. And that, sir, is one battle you cannot allow to happen. That would take too much explaining to your real government, not this hidden society you claim is running things. As Dr. Morales said a moment ago, sir, we also know quite a bit about you.”
“Please continue, Dr. Compton.”
“As it stands, your influence with the Russian military is expansive and supported from within your tight circle of confidants. But you still work with a hidden agenda, whereas we do not. We work under the auspices of the United States government, as I’m sure you know.”
Jack watched as Xavier wheeled over to the monitor and turned it on. He used a small laptop that looked strangely like the small Europa link lost by them. He hit a few buttons, and the face of an aged man came into focus. Morales nodded at Niles.
“Sir, we now have a guess as to who it is you answer for. This group is called the Northstar Committee.”
“A group I am not familiar with,” Vassick said as his face remained neutral.
“Well, as I said, everything we have is circumstantial. I’m sure that this fact will be a big relief to the rest of your associates. But we did get evidence that the methods used in your efforts to steal the phase shift information were flawed. You left fingerprints at the scene. The radioactive material from the breeder reactor, as you know, is identifiable and was indeed stolen from the Hanford research facility in 1943.”
“Your point in this matter is?”
“That the phase shift engine is the sole property of the United States government, and we wish it returned. It makes no matter that the system is installed inside Russian state property or not. Our science along with your own can find the nuclear fingerprint inside the phase shift engine on board Simbirsk. Now, we can make this an issue in the world court, or you can admit to your theft right here and now.”
Jack smelled that old familiar odor of rat once more. He didn’t know what it was Niles was playing at, but he did suspect that Compton was running one of the biggest bluffs of his life.
“Admit? I am not in one of your courts of law, Doctor. I do say this and always have. Your department is very resourceful at recovery — items of history and items of information. But as I said, this is all hearsay and speculation. The Northstar Committee has always been a rumor, one that has been shot down by most conspiracy theorists within our borders. I will say this: every premier, every president since the days of the old Soviet Union, has investigated these claims, and they have always fallen far short of that rumor. Oh, even now they still suspect, but even if proven, there is nothing that can be done about it. We control the Russian military, and the funny thing is, Doctor, they have no idea.”