New Earth: The Search for Justice. R.D. Ph.D. Pittman

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СКАЧАТЬ us three hours, then come back here to pick them up. I want no one to question anything about these arrangements, is that understood?” Alex said.

      “Yes sir.”

      Alex returned to the communications room to find Curt and Cynthia staring in stunned disbelief at what they saw. Curt grabbed Alex’s arm and pulled him aside.

      “Dad, what in the hell are you doing, what are these people doing in our residence?”

      “Curt, calm down, I have need of their assistance, they’re going to work for our government to help discover who was behind this takeover,” Alex explained calmly.

      “Dad, this gal is a cold blooded killer, she should be shot as a spy,” Curt whispered.

      “Curt, circumstances have changed dramatically. The old guidelines don’t apply anymore. We are in a struggle that is a lot more complicated than the threat of asteroids hitting our planet. We are talking about two nuclear armed forces in opposition to each. Both of them within one nation’s borders. I will and must use every resource at my disposal to prevent a civil war. The best way to do that is to have the other side collapse from within by eroding the support for their position. I am in the process of doing just that, so be patient, and try your best to understand what my motives are.”

      “Dad, I have always trusted your judgment, you haven’t gone wrong yet. I may have to sedate Cynthia though, she’s about to come completely unglued.”

      Alex stepped back into the room and looked at the clock and noted to everyone that in about one hour the conference call would start, if they wanted to grab a bite to eat or something to drink this would be a good time to do it. Somers told Elena and Andrade to come with her she wanted to make a sandwich and get a soda.

      “Dr. Chenowith is it? You are married to General Hanken?” Elena asked.

      “No, but I’m first in line,” she replied

      “I think you may be a very lucky person, the General seems so balanced, yet he has a force about him, he’s an impressive man,” Elena allowed.

      Curt was standing at the table preparing a sandwich. He just had to say something.

      “If you think he is such a great person then why did you want to kill him?”

      “I never intended to kill your father Curt, just you,” Elena shot back. Andrade thought here we go again.

      “Hey Grodny, cool it on the talk, we don’t need to have a knockdown drag out here,” Somers warned.

      “This is my fault, I apologize to Curt, it was a poor attempt at a joke,” Elena conceded.

      “Apology accepted,” Curt responded and whispering to Cynthia, “at least I didn’t get my ass kicked this time.”

      That seemed to break the ice for everybody as they moved around the table to fill their plates.

      “We have assorted beverages of your choice on the bar help yourselves,” Sandi said.

      Alex and Jeffers were engaged in conversation about the role he could play. Alex asked Jeffers to confide in his most senior agents where he stood and to be aware that he was already compromised. So he might as well stay there at the residence and direct activities from the command center. It was important that Torrance not sense any disloyalty from his agents, otherwise he would simply sequester them with all the rest of the government officials. Jeffers agreed and then asked Alex what was the deal with Elena and Andrade. Alex explained how he intended to use them. Jeffers for his part thought it was a brilliant move and Torrance wouldn’t expect that in a million years. They decided to go get something to eat with everybody else.

      Alex, Jeffers, and Liz walked up to the table at about the same time the kitchen staff brought out everyone’s mixed drinks they had ordered. After finishing their sandwiches and drinks Alex asked for everyone’s attention to say a few words.

      “My hope is that all of us gathered here at this table can find a way to work together as a common team. Each of us in our own right has skills that can be brought to bear on this desperate situation we find ourselves in. We have the Director of the FBI, and two extremely talented FBI agents with us. Curt is a computer and telecommunications genius, Cynthia and Liz are specialists in linguistics, and my significant other Sandi is probably the smartest woman in America. Then there is Andrade, a senior criminal inspector, and finally we come to Elena. Elena your talents are legendary in intelligence circles around the world. I can’t make the past go away, what is done…is done. What I can do, is tell everyone to look forward and forget the past. We must stay focused on what lays before us, the struggle to free our country from tyrants will not be easy—heaven forbid—but some of us in this room may have to make the ultimate sacrifice. I say to you all then, drink up, and enjoy the moment, because in about thirty minutes we start working as a team from here on,” Alex raised his glass in a toast.

      “Our intelligence services were so stunned by the sudden shifting of so much power to you. It is no wonder they consider you one of the most dangerous military leaders in history. And now we know why, you seem to be able to talk people into doing things they would not otherwise consider. It is because you are so logical, so organized…yet calm when you make your point.” Elena raised her glass in a toast to Alex.

      “And Curt I was serious about not wanting to kill your father, and if you remember I whispered something in your ear before we left the mine that day. Do you recall?”

      “Yeah. You said our government was withholding the fact that an asteroid strike was coming and billions would suffer because of it.”

      “Fortunately, that was just a ruse to hide all that has happened here with the takeover.”

      “Has your opinion changed about the United States now?” Curt asked.

      “No, I still distrust your government, but it’s your people that are surprising to me, your father for one, Dr. Chenowith, agent Somers, all of you seem so…so human…yet so talented and focused, it is refreshing to be around such people.”

      Sandi was a little more comfortable, but Alex had shocked her for the first time with his decision to bring the two Russians, Elena and Andrade, into the fold. Somers still had her suspicions about Elena and would continue to watch her closely anytime she was around Alex. Meanwhile, in Moscow key military and intelligence officials were hurriedly gathering at President Kleskova’s office for the unheard of telephone call about to take place.

      Chapter 4

      The Russians

      Jeffers, Liz, Somers, Elena and Andrade joined Alex in the communication room awaiting the call from President Kleskova.

      “Hello General Hanken, it is Petrov Ingosich, I have President Kleskova, my superior Konstatin Bocovich, Director of External Security Affairs, and our senior military leaders, Admiral Joseph Krystanilaus, General Dimitri Inken, and General Ivan Tchafsky here in the room for this conference call. The President has asked that he be allowed to speak first.”

      “General Hanken, Petrov has briefed me on your earlier call and your request to utilize our agents to uncover the traitors within your government, to which I say you have my permission to do so. But, you must first convince me and my military advisors that our country should have no fear of your СКАЧАТЬ