“Launching twenty satellites in a short time span… how do we justify that kind of payload to POTUS, let alone the Russians and Chinese?”
“That’s your problem, General. Mine is protecting Zeus. A minimum of thirteen satellites is required to be placed in orbit before the array can protect itself.”
“Understood.”
“Understood? General, the blue spiral that appeared over Beijing was clearly a scalar burst.”
“What can I tell you, Dr. Marulli? Council obviously wanted to test the weapon.”
“While the president was in China?”
Heads turned; all eyes now on Jessica.
“What are you inferring?”
“I’m not inferring anything. As I stated in my report, testing any Zeus satellite before the array has been established is not only dumb, it’s dangerous. You need to tell Council that they can’t play head games like they did with Obama. The difference between a scalar shot using a crystalline-based ZPE generator and the rotary unit powering that missile blast over Helsinki is the equivalent of a lighthouse beacon going up against a flashlight.”
“Duly noted.”
“It’s also in direct violation of our contract with the ETs, isn’t it General?”
Lydia reached out under the table, prodding Jessica’s thigh with her thumb.
“To what contract are you referring, Dr. Marulli?”
Jessica’s face turned red. “I don’t know. It’s probably just some Internet nonsense I read. Sorry… I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
General Cubit stared at her for a long moment, debating where to take the discussion.
“You’ve had a rough few weeks, Jess. When are you scheduled to head home?”
“Not for another three weeks, sir.”
“How ’bout we give you time off for good behavior. Dr. Gagnon, would you arrange a private jet for Dr. Marulli to take her back to D.C. — today if possible.”
“I’ll get right on it, sir.”
Jessica’s eyes welled with tears. “Thank you, General.”
“Okay then, unless anyone else has any other conspiracy theories they’d like to discuss, I think we’re done here.”
The chamber emptied quickly, General Cubit pulling Lydia aside. “What the hell was that all about?”
“Dr. Death gave her a level-three mind-fucking last night.”
“Oh, Christ…”
“We can’t let her out like this, Tom. Her expertise combined with Shariak’s dismissal makes her a newsworthy loose cannon.”
“Then we need to find a way to fix it, or Council will.”
“How?”
“Take her to La-La Land.”
35
“Thank you again for flying United. The local time in Chicago is 2:14 p.m.”
The jumbo jet’s engines powered off, the cabin lights illuminating, initiating a traffic jam in the aisle as a third of the two hundred and twenty-three passengers simultaneously attempted to retrieve their carry-on luggage from the overhead compartments in order to quickly exit from a plane whose doors had yet to even open.
Adam stood as well — not because he felt the need to hold his small gym bag stuffed with personal items, but because his irritated stump was in terrible pain. It had been several years since he had worn the bare steel prosthetic leg he had switched to this morning; having been wedged between two fairly large human beings over the last four hours had not helped.
In due course, the twenty-six rows ahead of him cleared and he lumbered off the plane. Upon reaching the concourse, he checked the departure board for his connecting flight to Phoenix. Just under an hour layover, plus the four hour flight… figure five hours before your suitcase and iPhone arrive in baggage claim. They won’t know if I got off in Minneapolis or Chicago, and by that time, I’ll be out of the area… unless they’ve got eyes on the ground here?
Adam looked around before heading for the nearest restroom. When he emerged he was wearing a gray sweatshirt, black sweatpants and sneakers, a Cubs baseball cap and sunglasses — the sports jacket, slacks, dress shoes and carry-on bag having been shoved into the trashcan in one of the handicapped stalls.
Tilting the brim of the cap down low, he followed the signs for baggage claim, trying his best to conceal any trace of a limp.
The white van advertising Betz Electronics followed the airport signs for arrivals. Entering Terminal 1, the driver spotted a familiar-looking tall man in a gray sweatshirt seated on a bench outside the United Airline’s domestic baggage claim. Flashing his lights twice, he pulled over to the curbside pick-up.
Adam climbed in the front passenger seat, exchanging a quick embrace with his former Apache co-pilot. “You look good, J.B. How’s the family?”
Jared Betz waited for a cop safeguarding a pedestrian crosswalk to wave him back into traffic. “Wife’s good. Kids are good. You’re the one I’m worried about. What’s all this about, Captain?”
“Trust me, the less you know the better.”
“You’ll have to do better than that if you expect me to supply you with a loaded weapon.”
Adam nodded. “The powers that be who brought in the girl from Iraq to make me look like a war criminal may be holding my fiancée against her will. This may be my only chance to get her out.”
“By powers that be, are you referring to this secret government you’ve been talking about on the news networks?”
“You don’t believe me?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” For a long moment Betz remained silent, focusing on staying in the correct lanes that led out of the airport complex and south onto Interstate 294. “Where’s the meet?”
“Thirty-two miles outside of Detroit.”
“What time?”
“Oh-two-hundred hours.”
“I guess that explains why you wanted the night-vision glasses.”
“Were you able to get a gun?”
“This is Chicago, Cap. Anyone who wants a gun can get a gun.”
“And the tasers?”
“I picked up two King Cobras; each one packs about three million volts.”
“Nice. What about the copper wire?”
“Everything you asked for is in back. I had my cousin drop off the rental car at a rest stop about ten miles from here.”
“Thank you.”
“Cap, that RPG strike over Karbala… it should have killed us. You saved my life.”
“Consider the debt paid.”
“It’s a four-hour ride to Detroit; at least let me drive so you can get some rest. I can always rent another car for you once we get there.”
“Appreciate the offer, Jared, but I can’t let you do that. The element I’m dealing with… they don’t mess around. If they knew you were helping me they would come after you and your family. But I’ll definitely need your help rigging the tasers before I get on the road.”
“What are you planning on doing with them?”
Adam smiled. “Let’s just call it my version of shock and awe.”
It took Jessica less than fifteen minutes to pack. Her heart was racing with adrenaline; she felt like a prisoner on death row who had just received a last-minute reprieve from the governor.
Not wanting to spend another night alone in her suite, she had hounded Lydia after the meeting. “I don’t need a private jet. Just get me to Edwards Air Force Base, I can find my own way home from there.”
Her supervisor had promised to do her best.
She jumped as her Hispanic holographic concierge materialized in the living room mirror. “Pardon, Senorita. There is an incoming message from Dr. Gagnon.”