Chapter 450

“Jones; Good afternoon General Walton, how are things at the Pentagon today?”

“Things are as usual, too many assignments, not enough soldiers, not enough equipment, not enough money, same as yesterday and same as tomorrow, I’m sure,” he replied.

“Today I can’t really offer a lot of help with all of that; how can I help you?” I replied.

“We were impressed with the reports from Major Culpepper and have put together a proposal for you to look at. The change in flight plans in Africa to meet our needs satisfied any doubters that your teams would go the extra mile for our mission requirements.”

“If you are coming to Washington area in the next few days, we will go over it and then you can have your corporate attorneys look it over,” he said.

“I have a meeting at the White House at 0800; if you think it is only going to take a few minutes to go over, I can be at your Pentagon office at 0700,” I replied.

“I have meeting at the White House at 0900 with the intelligence committee; I will bring it with me and we can grab a side office for a minute to go over it,” the general replied.

I looked up to see Frank and Eric laughing, looking at Frank’s phone. “Are you going to let me in on that joke?” I asked.

Frank handed me his smarter than smart phone, it was way bigger than the one I had. Men always seemed to be obsessed with anything that was bigger. Government must think the more important you are the bigger phone you need; he had sent the wimpy triplets a text, “I hear after tomorrow you are going to have call BJ, Boss Ma-am.”

“Oh no; it can’t be true! Where did you hear that from? Your sources please,” Smith had replied

My phone rang again; it was Marcy, “Turn on ZNN news NOW.” The G5 had satellite access; it was a matter of turning the receiver on auto, giving it a moment to lock on and the channel coming live on the flat screen.

The anchor was discussing the Arizona terror attack with their paid mouth pieces with a red banner running across the screen ‘White House report next; Breaking News’.

“And now White House reporter Melinda Schaffer,” the anchor said.

“An anonymous White House source has said the President has ordered an emergency Presidential task force be formed to combat the terrorist attacks against US colleges.”

“The task force is to bring the best terrorism experts from all government and non government agencies to bear. The source is also reporting that the White House was presented evidence today that a serial terrorist leader - thought to be dead - from the Middle East is in the US and behind the Minneapolis and Arizona attacks.”

“Melinda, have there been any names for the task force floating from your sources?” the anchor asked.

“No specific names about the make up or the members of the task force but those sources said the likely chairperson was former US Ambassador Jones. There has been a steady parade of officials coming and going all afternoon from the White House.”

“There has been no sign of Ambassador Jones and that name was only mentioned once along with several others. She has no real Washington experience and the opinion is that removes her from such a high level position. The pizza trucks just unloaded dozens of pizzas; traditionally that is a sign of things to come and a very long night.”

“Jesse, I was just handed a press release from the Presidents spokesperson; there will be a news conference and announcement at 11 AM on the East lawn. There you have it; Melinda Schaffer at the White House.”

“Melinda, I was just told that Ambassador Jones was in Minneapolis today testifying in the MSU attack and that investigation was called off after lunch after a series of communications with Washington. Her private jet is headed east as we speak. Reporters at Minnesota International Airport report that passengers on that jet include the directors of the CIA and Department of Homeland Security and former Federal Judge Curtis Warren.”

“They use anonymous sources as a sounding board for public opinion on various things including people. They will watch all the search engine hits as a gauge to how well their proposals go,” Frank replied.

We were in the landing sequence for Morton. It was going to be tight but I would be on time to meet Bob, but first I needed to see Lorrie.

Ching Lee and I met Lorrie in her office and had a quick discussion about our meeting with the General about the C5 tomorrow and that I would fill everyone in at supper about the events of tomorrow, as best as I knew them.

When Ching Lee and I turned into Summers Road, “What the heck is going on?” In our front yard there was a crane. Our front yard went from the four car garage at the end of the house to the hedge row and chain link fence next to the old railroad right-a-way that used to have the siding to what is now our gym and headquarters. Old man Summers received and stored paper rolls for his printing company.

In our front yard - not far from the chain link fence - was a concrete 8 by 8 structure that was 3 feet out of the ground with a solid concrete top on it. The crane boom was over that structure and hooked to it by cables and chains

I met Bob by his fancy diesel work truck. He rolled out a set of dingy dirty old blueprints.

“These blueprints were behind the fake panel that Ching Lee thought was insulation falling down. Behind that panel was an electrical box and a control box,” he said.

“I’m sure you remember when we lifted that huge concrete pad, there was that room with empty crates and hardware and you said to set the pad back in place and forget it,” he said.

“I did not think that the room had any value for us, versus losing the gym floor space,” I replied.

These blueprints indicate that the building has a 10 foot high basement as big as the floor plan of the building. That room was built to conceal the sizeable basement. There is a note on the print that the doorway out of that room was blocked up in 1934, four years after the building was built,” he said.

“I don’t believe there is any basement of that size and if there is, it has to be full of water and mold after 87 years with no pumps and vents,” I replied.

“I’m not finished; that room, by the way was dry if you remember, and there is forced venting. Those spinning vents on the roof that we thought were to pull heat out of the insulated ceiling actually vent the basement. The blueprints indicate that there is an 8 by 8 tunnel from the basement to this concrete box.” Bob replied.

“I thought that box was part of the counties sewer or drainage system to the bay,” I replied.

“Not according to the prints. We lifted the lid earlier; there is a big steel door facing the gym with locks and padlocks. If we don’t find any keys there, I have the stuff to cut it open. Do you want to go ahead and look or just forget it?”

“Go ahead - you have my curiosity up a little,” I replied.

With the lid off and to the side, Bob’s men threw the big hose of a manhole confined space air mover in and checked the air quality to see when it was safe to enter. To one side was a steel stairs. At one time this had a floor and a building above it with an access door for someone to get in and out of the tunnel.

When the air was clear, Bob’s men went down the stairs with lights to search for keys to the locks.

“We found the keys, one lock won’t open but the others did,” they replied.

“Cut it off,” Bob replied.

“OK, it’s off, but we need the pry bars to open the doors.”

After grunting and groaning and squeaking, “OK, it’s open.”