Chapter 61

At 0800 we were in the cafeteria eating breakfast with the few men who were finishing up. Breakfast was two groups – those that were getting ready to start the day and those who were ending their day. For the first ones, breakfast was at 0500 to 0600; they had to be at their duty post at 0700, giving them a few minutes for the last cup of coffee and to hit the head. Loures was being run like a military base with BJ and JBG modifications.

Since there were three shifts of security guards and operations, breakfast was basically served all day long. The 0500 was buffet style. It only took a few minutes for the cook to make up pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, scrapple and such for the other shifts which were much smaller.

Like me, most men wanted the first meal of the day to be breakfast no matter what time of day that was. I just couldn’t seem to enjoy having a full steak dinner as breakfast - because of the time - then hitting an aggressive day or field routine face on. I know it was odd but I had ideas about a lot of things.

After breakfast we went to the command center and began our day. The five hour difference meant that we could hold video conversations with the embassy security teams in Europe, Asia and Africa. Vicky and I did that while Marcy looked over the office data from home and made financial decisions.

At noon I received a 911 text from Tom.

‘‘Today’s broadcast has drastically changed, they are including several sets of numbers and very little else, also the broadcast is sent every hour,” he said.

“They are getting ready to change the posting web sites, possibly the codes as well. Have they requested that the cells acknowledge? ‘‘ I replied.

‘‘No,’’ Tom said.

In our questioning of General Fayeez Mohammad under the Doc’s guidance and before I killed him, he gave up all the backup sites and codes that all the cells had. Those lists were in my office safe - four thousand miles away.

‘‘Ching Lee will down in a minute,’’ I replied. I hung up on Tom and called Ching Lee.

‘‘Ching Lee, open my safe. In there on the center shelf is the folder with answers from the interrogation of General Mohammed. Near the back of the folder is the list of the emergency backup web sites and access codes he gave us – I think you were there. Carry that sheet down to Tom. We think they are changing the things today,’’ I said.

I called Tom back with more instructions, ‘‘Tom - Ching Lee is on her way down with some things that may help. Don’t share any of this with the Washington group. Tell them we are working on it but have no answers at the time, if they call.’’

We spent a few hours on VCATS communicating with Raymond Underhill. Things were moving. The generators were being delivered today and put in place.

The fuel tanks had been delivered Friday and with the help of the security men, were set in place. The fuel company had connected them together with valves, hoses and pipe, checked for leaks and then filled them with fuel.

Tomorrow the generator people were to meet with our private utility people to hook up the generators and adjust them. Then they were going to cut the South Africa Utilities wire feeding Polokwane and install switch gear with locks in case things changed and we needed to hook up again.

The old generator had been running more than fifty percent of the time since we bought the property. It had started burning five gallons of oil a day; its life was at an end. The new ones were going into service just in the nick of time.

Marcy, Jenny and I finished the day out in the small gym and recreation area. It was 2000 hours when Tom called back with updates on the intelligence problem.

“The website we had been eavesdropping on went dead at 1400. You were right; one of the numbers they were repeating was in your papers and led us to the one they are now using. They are transmitting lots of new information and orders,’’ Tom said.

‘‘Washington has called; they are at a loss. I have done and will continue to do as you instructed. As we finish up today I will send it to you in an encrypted file with everything they have broadcast on the new sites. How do you want it, little or big black book?’’ he asked.

‘‘Be safe and send it big book,’’ I replied.

Marcy, Jenny and I spent two hours on the computer with the big black book codes, unraveling the flood of messages that Tiam had sent out.