“You scared the shit outta’ me!!”
“Sorry. I can’t see you in broad daylight, and it’s likely they are watching your house.”
“What’s that?” She asked. Nodding to the backpack at his feet. “Planning to move in too?”
He smiled. “Did you find your credit cards?”
“Two of ‘em. It’s okay. I have too many anyway. You just motivated me to get rid of one. So, what’s in the bag?”
“I have a favor to ask. I want you to watch me for a few nights.”
She gave him an odd look. “Couldn’t find a sitter?”
Hal smiled. “Watch me while I sleep… From outside my house. I have a neighbor, good guy, across the street. Blue house. 409 Mesquite Road. I’m at 407. He’s on tour now and won’t be back for a while. Park in his driveway and watch me with these…” Hal dug a pair of Luna Optics binoculars from the backpack. Handing them to her. “They have night vision optics, so you can see me wherever I go. I’ll be sleepwalking, so you can’t wake me— as I’m sure you know. Watch all my mannerisms. Everything I do. The way I walk. The way I run. Let me know if I talk to anyone. I believe I will only be on foot, but if I drive, stay back a few hundred feet. Make sure nobody follows you. If you see a suspicious car, don’t follow me. Call it a night and go home.”
She nodded. “When?”
“Starting tonight, if you can. It’ll be boring. You’ll just be waiting and watching. I’d say bring a book, but you can’t have any light in your car. And you’ll have to duck down so your car looks empty. I don’t know — bring music with headphones or an audio book. I should leave sometime around 11 p.m. If I haven’t left by 1, go home.”
“Okay. And then what do I do?”
“Just follow me. Find out where I go and what I do.”
“They’re probably taking you to Hangar 302. That’s where I go to run tests and observe.”
“Good to know. 302. Stay in your car, out of view of the hangar guards. Wait for a half hour or so and see what kind of aircraft leaves the hangar. The missions can’t go over six or seven hours, enough time for me to make it back home get some sleep before work the next morning. If you can wait for the aircraft to return, do, and then follow me home. If you get too tired, go home. Don’t sweat it. You can try another night.”
“No problem. I’m a night owl.”
“Take this. Just in case.” He gave her a service Beretta M9 sidearm. “Do you know how to use it?”
She nodded and then added, “I try not to.”
Hal thanked her for her help and he was about to leave when she asked, “Are you— going to rebel or something?”
“No. Not this time. That’s why I need your help — to study everything and prepare.”
“And then?” She asked.
“And then— I’ll need your help too.” He retreated across the kitchen to the back door he left opened a crack. He stopped, gave her a quick look of gratitude and disappeared into the night.
Later that night, a Chevy Impala crept through a residential neighborhood on base. Jennifer behind the wheel of the rental. She slowed to read a street sign. Don’t go so slow, she thought to herself. Act like you’ve been here before. She took a left on Mesquite. Searching for addresses. She spotted one, 393. She was close. She nervously looked all around for other cars or people. It was a calm and quiet night. She saw Hal’s house on the right first. 407. Imagining where hidden cameras might be placed watching him. She almost drove past 409, her eyes fixated on Hal’s house. She stopped just past the blue house at 409 Mesquite, then tried to make it look natural as she backed up into the driveway, giving herself a clear view of Hal’s house. She looked to the rear view and her eyes flicked back and forth — from the garage door she was reversing toward — to Hal’s front door. She heard a metal clang. “Crap!” she said, looking back at the garage door.
Jennifer pulled forward slightly and turned the car off. She eased the seat back, lowered it to the furthest point that still enabled her to see Hal’s front door and sat in silence. Her car clock read 10:50 p.m. She clicked the night vision binoculars on and peered through. It was miraculous, she thought, as everything previously hidden in shadow— shrubs, windows, grass and features of his home now came to life in clear view. There was enough moonlight to see his front door without the binoculars, so she set them to standby and put them on the passenger seat.
Jennifer got herself situated, turning the spout of a Starbucks Venti Soy Mocha toward her. A coffee so large it barely fit in the cup holder. She tore open the corner of a PowerBar, but didn’t permit herself to eat it. Yet. Jennifer removed a Kindle from the glove box and put her earbuds in. Smiling with glee as she navigated the touch screen to a book she had been eager to read. A thought occurred to her gave her an adrenaline rush… I’m on an actual stakeout. She felt like a real spy doing the type of espionage work she only dreamt about before joining the CIA.
She hit play and listened to the tranquil music introduction and the warm, serene voice of the male actor who read, “Harper Audio presents Men Are from Mars Women Are from Venus by Doctor John Gray.” Jennifer studied the book cover image on the screen of her Kindle, so intrigued she forgot her true purpose for being there. She turned the Kindle light off and watched Hal’s door. She took a drink of soothing warm mocha as the audio book continued. “Imagine that men are from Mars and Women are from Venus…”
Charlie watched the satellite image from the YG-30 on his laptop in the bunkhouse loft. Peering down on the Holloman runways just west of the bunkhouse. Matt sat propped up against the wall on a bed, wincing from injuries sustained in the crash. He tightened a thick Ace bandage wrap around his chest and watched the computer screens from afar. He could see the faint Holloman runway lights out the window behind the laptop screens. Weng climbed up the loft stairs with three mugs of coffee. “Any activity?” Weng asked in Mandarin.
“A pair of F-22s landed on runway thirty-four,” Charlie answered, “and a Reaper drone took off right after from runway twenty-five. Routine patrols and training missions.”
Weng looked at the satellite image of the Holloman runways that formed a giant triangle spread out over the airport. Each runway was quiet and vacant. “And the YG feed is recording?”
“Affirmative, sir.”
Weng leaned back in his seat in front of the other laptop. “Good.” He looked back to Matt, realizing he had nothing to do. Weng grabbed the TY-N10 night vision scope from the table next to a laptop. Extending the tripod legs and handing it to Matt. “Make yourself useful. Zoom in on the hangars and taxi-ways. Give us a heads-up before anything takes off.”
“Yes, sir.”
Jennifer tilted the Venti mocha. Angling it to the car ceiling while drinking. No sense letting the last three drops go to waste. The second chapter of her audio book ended and there was a silent pause. She looked down at the Kindle to make sure it was advancing to the next chapter, but when she looked back up across the street, Hal was standing in his doorway — looking right at her. She fought off the inclination to wave and crouched down in her seat so he wouldn’t notice her. He wore a full track suit that reminded her of her Ken doll from the 80s. Who wears a matching track suit? She thought. It gave Hal a nerdy look that appealed to her and made her feel a sorry for him at the same time.