2
FORD MANHANDLED THE man in the track suit back into an angle of the rock, where he was covered from the back and sides. The three soldiers had trained their weapons on Ford and the man he was holding. The sergeant made a motion with his hand and the other two began moving to either side.
"Stop moving, all of you, and lower your weapons."
The leader motioned them to halt.
"Like I said, this man's going to tell all of us what's going on or I'm going to kill him.
Understand? You wouldn't want to report back to base with your handler in a body bag, would you?"
"You'll be in a body bag next to his," said Hitt quietly.
"I'm doing this for you, Sergeant."
"Us?"
"You too need to know what's really going on."
Silence.
Ford pressed the gun to Masago's head. "Talk."
"Release him or I'll open fire," Hitt said quietly. "One . . ."
"Wait," said Tom. "We're American citizens. We've done nothing wrong. Is this why you went into the military-to kill American civilians?"
There was just the faintest of hesitations. Then Hitt said, "Two . . ."
"Listen to me," Tom continued, speaking directly to the sergeant. "You don't know what you're doing. Don't blindly follow orders. At least wait until you know what's going on."
Again the sergeant hesitated. The two other soldiers were looking to him. He was the key.
Hitt lowered his weapon.
Ford spoke quietly, remembering what he'd been taught about interrogations years ago.
"You lied to these men, didn't you?"
"No." He was already sweating.
"You did. And now you're going to tell them the truth, or I'll kill you--no second chances, no warnings, nothing. A bullet to the brain and then I'll take what's coming to me."
Ford meant it and that was key. The man knew it.
"Okay. First question. Who do you work for?"
"I'm director of Detachment LS480."
"Which is?"
"Established in 1973 after the Apollo 17 mission to the moon. Its purpose was to study a lunar sample known as LS480."
"A moon rock?"
“Yes.”
“Go on.”
Masago swallowed. He was sweating. "It was a piece of ejecta from a crater known as Van Serg. The rock contained fragments of the meteorite that formed the crater. In those
contaminants were particles. Microbes."
"What kind of microbes?"
"Unknown. They appear to be an alien form of life. Biologically active. They could be weaponized."
"And the connection to the dinosaur?"
"The same particles were found in the dinosaur fossil. The dinosaur died of an infection caused by the LS480 particle."
Ford paused. "You're saying the dinosaur was killed by an alien life-form?"
"Yes."
"And the connection with the moon rock again? I'm a little lost."
"Van Serg crater is sixty-five million years old. The dinosaur died 65 million years ago following the Chicxulub impact."
"Chicxulub?"
"The asteroid that caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs."
"Go on."
"Van Serg crater was made by a fragment from that same asteroid. It appears the asteroid itself was riddled with the LS480 particles."
"What's the purpose of this op?"
"To clear the area, eliminate all knowledge of the dinosaur, and recover the dinosaur for classified research."
"When you say 'clear the area' you're talking about us."
"Correct."
"And when you say 'eliminate all knowledge of the dinosaur,' you're talking about killing us-am I right?"
"I don't take lightly the idea of killing American citizens. But this is an issue of the gravest national security. Our nation's survival is at stake. There's no dishonor in giving
up your life for your country-even if it happens to be involuntary. At times it's unavoidable. You were CIA. You understand." He paused, fixing Ford with pinpoint eyes. "Those LS480 particles caused the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. In the wrong hands, those same particles could cause a second mass extinction-of the human race."
Ford released him.
Masago jumped away and backed up, breathing heavily, then unholstered his Beretta. He positioned himself slightly behind Hitt.
"Sergeant Hitt, eliminate these three people. I don't need their information. We'll get it another way."
There was another long silence.
"You're not going to do this," said Sally. "Now you know it's murder."
"I'm waiting for you to carry out my direct orders, soldier," said Masago quiedy.
No one spoke. No one moved.
"You're relieved of command, Hitt," said Masago. "Private Gowicki, carry out my order.
Eliminate these people."
Another intense silence.
"Gowicki, I didn't hear an acknowledgment of my order."
u\r • n
Yes, sir.
Gowicki raised his weapon. The seconds ticked by.
"Gowicki?" Masago asked.
"No," said Hitt.
Masago pointed his Beretta at Hitt's head.
"Gowicki? Carry out my order."
Tom hit Masago's knees with a flying tackle, the gun going off harmlessly into the air.
Masago spun, recovered, but with an adroit movement Hitt landed a blow to Masago's
solar plexus. Masago fell heavily and lay on the ground, doubled up, unable to make a sound.
Hitt kicked the gun away. "Cuff him."
Gowicki and Hirsch came forward and in a moment had secured his arms behind his back in plastic cuffs. He was gasping and coughing, rolling in the sand, blood trickling from his mouth.
A long silence ensued.
"All right," said Hitt to his soldiers. "I'm taking charge of the op. And it seems to me these three people need some water."
Gowicki unslung his canteen and passed it around. They all drank deeply.
"All right," said Hitt. "Now that we know what's really going on, we've still got an op to finish. Seems to me we're supposed to locate a dinosaur fossil. And you know where it is." He faced Ford.
"What do you plan to do with us?"
"I'm taking you three back to WSMR. General Miller'll decide what to do with you-he's the real commanding officer around here, not this"-his voice trailed off and he cast a glance at Masago-"civilian."
Ford nodded toward the great boulder that dominated the back of the cave.
"It's right behind there."
"No shit?" He turned to Gowicki. "You keep an eye on them while I confirm." Hitt vanished behind the boulder and came back a few moments later. "Now that," he said,
"is one mean mother." He turned to his men. "Far as I'm concerned, the first part of the op is accomplished. We've located the fossil. I'm calling in the rest of the chalk. We'll rendezvous at the LZ, return to base, report to General Miller with these three individuals, and await further orders." He turned to Masago. "You'll come quietly, sir, and make no disturbance."
3
THE CHOPPER SQUATTED on the alkali flats like a giant black insect about to take flight. They approached in silence, Tom limping on his own, Sally being helped along by a soldier. Hitt came last with Masago in front of him.
The four other members of the chalk, called in by Hitt, lounged in the shade of a nearby rock, smoking cigarettes. Hitt motioned them toward the chopper and they rose, tossing away their butts. Tom followed them into the chopper and the sergeant gestured for them to take seats on the metal benches along the wall.
"Radio base," said Hitt to the copilot. "Report we've accomplished the first part of the operation. Tell 'em I felt compelled to terminate the command of the civilian Masago and disarm him."
"Yes, sir."
"I'll report the details in person to General Miller."
"Yes, sir."
A soldier slid the cargo door shut while the chopper revved up and lifted off. Tom leaned back against the netting next to Sally, feeling more exhausted than he ever had in his life. He glanced over at Masago. The man hadn't said a word. His face looked strangely blank.
The chopper rose out of the steep-walled valley and skimmed southwestward over the mesa tops. The sun was a large drop of blood on the horizon, and as the chopper gained altitude Tom could see Navajo Rim and beyond that the Mesa of the Ancients, its center riddled with the canyon complex known as the Maze. In the far distance, lay the blue curve of the Chama River.