The StarSight Project

by S. P. Perone

“We don’t know.No contact may meango ahead as planned . Or it may meanabort the mission . We just don’t know.”

  “What’s your best guess, Nathan,” Ellen inquired, giving Carothers one last chance to let her off the hook.

  Pausing for a moment, Carothers’ eyes locked with Ellen’s, and he spoke slowly. “One lesson we learned from the September 11 attacks, Ellen…these missions are intricately planned, and have tremendous momentum. If one segment should falter or fail, the mission continues…perhaps with a different target…but rarely does it stop. These bastards would rather die with a futile gesture than to turn back. So…my best guess here is that the missile attack is ago unless explicitly called off…and that means a missed phone call probably doesnot abort the mission.”

  “Oh, that’sgreat , Nathan,” the Senator spat. “Now you’ve left Ellenno option ! Hope you’re pleased with yourself.”

  Turning sharply toward the Senator, Carothers snapped, “do you have anyother plan to offer, Gerry?”

  “Yes, I do, Nathan. Let me show up at Sharif’s place tonight. I’ll tell him I learned about his date with Ellen, and I’m really pissed off. I’ll tell him I need to talk to him. After I shout at him for a while, I’ll begin to bend his ear about how bad our marriage is, ask his advice, get some sympathy…and I’ll just keep on talking until I’ve stayed there all night.”

  Turning to him, Ellen reached out to place her hand gently over the Senator’s lips. “Gerry…stop…please. I appreciate what you’re trying to do. But, you know as well as I do that Nathan’s plan is best.”

  Turning back to Carothers, Ellen said softly, “I’ll do it, Nathan.”

  Sharif was restless. Uncharacteristically, he was pacing the floor of his suite on the top floor of the Hotel Schweizerhof. It wasn’t just the excitement of the pre-emptive strike at the United States, which would happen in just about eight hours. It was also the long-suppressed animal passions he felt rising to the surface as he anticipated the arrival of Ellen Moorhouse for their dinner engagement. He had not been with a woman…other than the expensive Manhattan call girls he patronized…for decades. He had not been with a woman to whom he was attracted emotionally since he was in his twenties. That last time had been a disaster. Smitten with a beautiful, free-spirited American girl during the turbulent sexual revolution of the sixties, the young Sharif had been unceremoniously dumped because of his inhibited old-fashioned courtship style. Deeply disturbed by this rejection, he had vowed never again to become emotionally attached. Ironically, he had substituted a bizarre, degenerate, and ultimately barren sex life for any possible meaningful relationship with a woman.

  Now, he found himself re-discovering those painful emotions he had left behind so long ago. He had wondered if he should call it off; but he also had imagined what bliss he might enjoy this evening. He had not mistaken the signs. He knew Ellen wanted him as much as he wanted her. He hoped only that he could practice the tender, intimate ministries oflovemaking …and not fall back into the familiar cruel and violent physical acts that had filled all of his sexual encounters for so many years.

  Willing himself to focus on business, Sharif reflected that it was nearly seven in the evening in Zurich, and therefore not quite ten in the morning back in California. As “the Bear,” he had had his talk with Max several hours ago, and he knew that the explosive attack on the StarSight project team would take place in just about four hours. At first, Max had been cool to the change in plans. But, as Sharif had expected, Max quickly adjusted when he learned his fee had been increased and that a deposit had already been made in the Credit Suisse account.

  Relaxing now, as he dwelled on these business matters, Sharif smiled as he thought about his relationship with Max. There was no more capable technical freelance agent. Max had truly worked wonders. It was too bad that he had chosen to hold out onthe Bear .

  Unknown to Max, Johnny Treadwell had provided the Bear with enough independent information to establish that Max was faithfully reporting events taking place at Livermore Lab. Unfortunately, over the past week, Max’s reports on progress of the StarSight project had indicated a status which lagged behind what Treadwell was reporting. But, the Mortal Sin had been Max’s decision to deal with Solomon. Max had underestimated the Bear, not once, but twice.

  Max thought he could satisfy both the Bear and Solomon, destroying the StarSight team for one, but delivering the StarSight software to the other. To accomplish this, he had nearly compromised the horrific terrorist action that the Bear and Ali-Sheikh had worked so hard to deliver to the United States. He had allowed the StarSight project to develop nearly to operational status…an event that the Bear needed desperately to prevent. The Bear had expected prompt and truthful reports from Max…and Max had let him down. To add insult to injury, Max was now planning to deliver the StarSight system to Solomon…who represented the Israelis. The Bear could never allow that to happen.

  The Bear knew that Max had agreed to meet with Solomon by flying to Milan immediately after fulfilling the Bear’s instruction to destroy the StarSight team. Solomon had provided him with aircraft and crew. Max had even persuaded Solomon to provide another operative to help him in some unspecified manner. Solomon had obliged by providing a very capable freelance mercenary, Salomé…whom the Bear had also employed on occasion. What Max did not know was that his delivery to Solomon would never happen. Max’s plane would fly first to an airport in one of the Canadian Maritime Provinces for refueling before completing the second leg to Milan. Unfortunately for its occupants, his plane would be flying on a path that would take it over the northeastern United States at the very instant that the Russian EMP nuclear warhead was exploding 50 miles overhead. The Bear smiled again as he imagined the long, terrifying uncontrolled plunge of the aircraft into the ground…envisioning the look of terror on Max’s face as he anticipated the final impact, and as he realized the Bear had extracted his revenge.

  The sound of the doorbell broke him away from these thoughts. With a quick turn, Ahmed Sharif strode quickly to the door, anticipating the lovely lady who would be there.

  Opening the door, Sharif caught his breath as his eyes scanned the beautiful vision awaiting him. Ellen Moorhouse, holding her coat on one arm, revealed the entire length of her body clothed in a form-fitting floor-length silver gown. On her feet were plain, but elegant, silver pumps. Her shoulders were bare, save the silver spaghetti straps suspending the gown. A heavy silken lining provided a slight softening of the lines defined by her firm, full breasts. Her long blonde hair was worn up, with a silver comb. She smiled, and Ahmed believed he had never beheld a lovelier sight.

  Because he had just arrived in Zurich the day before, Sharif had decided not to prepare the dinner himself. Instead, he had had the hotel prepare the dinner. The Swiss hotels were renowned for the high quality of their dining rooms and room service. The dinner prepared for Ahmed and Ellen was elegant by any standards. For the resident of their most expensive suite, they had provided three servers to tend to the needs of the two diners. Now, Ahmed and Ellen had moved into the front room, seated on the large plush sofa, as they each sipped on generous glasses of port. The table had been cleared and the servers had gone.

  The dinner had been served late, and slowly, so that the time was now nearly 10 o’clock. Most of the past three hours had been filled with small talk, in the company of the food servers. But, now, they were alone, and silent. As Ahmed glanced briefly at his wristwatch, Ellen took the opportunity to speak.

  “The time has flown by hasn’t it, Ahmed? I’m glad I don’t have to hurry back. Gerry is stuck in Geneva for the night at a meeting with some of the French delegates.”

  With that, she placed her glass of port on the table, reached down to remover her pumps, and pulled her legs up under her on the sofa. As she turned her body towards Ahmed, her knees brushed lightly against his thigh. Ahmed, taking her lead, slid off his shoes, placed his feet up on the cocktail table, leaned back, and placed his hands behind his head.


  “I haven’t been this relaxed in a long time, Ellen. Your company has a calming effect on me.”

  “I don’t know if that’s a compliment or a criticism,” she said teasingly.

  “At this moment, my dear lady, it is a major compliment. I’ve been in dire need of some relaxation, and you’ve done it for me. On the other hand, relaxation is an excellent preparation for more stimulating activities.”

  “And, what kinds of stimulating activities did you have in mind, Mr. Sharif?”

  Glancing over at Ellen, with a sly smile and slightly arched eyebrows, Sharif paused for a few moments before replying. “Well, for starters, let me propose a tour of this suite. There are nearly two thousand square feet, and the sitting room at the other end has a beautiful view of theBahnhoffstrasse . It’s a lovely sight at this time of night, with all the lights and the snow falling. Let me show you.”

  He stood up, reached out for her hands, and pulled her up. For a moment they stood face to face, their bodies only millimeters apart. He took that opportunity to lift her chin, and to bring their lips together in a soft, lingering kiss. He pulled away, and slid his arm around her waist as he guided her down the long hallway leading to the sitting room. Ellen noticed that there were two rooms on either side of the end of the hallway. To the right was the sitting room; on the left was the master bedroom. There were gas fireplaces burning in each room, casting interesting shadows all about. The furnishings in each room were darkly regal, reminding Ellen of rooms she had seen in some of the country estates she and Gerry had visited in England.

  Alarmingly, Ellen found herself feeling warm and cozy in this environment, and had almost forgotten the monstrous creature with whom she was sharing the evening. She re-affirmed in her mind the objectives of the evening. She knew she would have to direct Ahmed to the right at the end of the hall, and do her best to avoid the room at the left for as long as possible. She wished she knew how long that need be.

  Carothers had obtained a key to one of the smaller suites in the same corridor as Sharif’s. When Ellen arrived that evening, he and the Senator were already in place inside the suite. With the door slightly ajar, one of them was able to keep watch on Sharif’s suite at all times. Five long strides would bring them quickly to the entry when Ellen opened the door.

  As the evening went on, and midnight passed, the Senator became restless. The Senator said nothing, but Carothers knew what was burning inside. There wasn’t anything Carothers could say or do to soothe this man’s soul tonight. But, when, at two o’clock in the morning, Carothers saw the harrowed expression on the Senator’s face as he peered through the crack of the door at Sharif’s suite, he went up to him and gently placed an arm on his shoulder.

  “Come on, old friend. Take a break. Go on out on the balcony and get some fresh air. I’ll take over for a while.”

  Without a word, and averting his eyes, the Senator turned away from his post and shuffled silently out to the balcony. After watching his friend find his way outside, Carothers turned back to the surveillance of Sharif’s suite. He prayed a silent prayer for Ellen.

  Although there was no clock in the sitting room, Ellen was sure they had been there for at least a couple hours. It had to be past midnight. She had tried, unsuccessfully, to sneak a peek at Ahmed’s wristwatch. Her woman’s intuition told her, though, that it would soon be time for bed. She had exhausted nearly every topic of conversation she thought would be suitable for an intimate but platonic evening. They had talked about Broadway shows, opera, the movies, travel, and politics. She had told him about her family and growing up in the Salinas Valley of California; the story of how she had met Gerry, and their journey up the political ladder. Ahmed had been very reluctant to reciprocate. She and Gerry had heard him talk about his youth, but it always began with his arrival in the United States. Ellen tried to get him to talk about his early years; he hesitated, began to tell about the days during World War II and afterwards, but then stopped abruptly…saying that “those memories were simply too disturbing to discuss on such a beautiful evening.”

  Now, as they sat, close and relaxed, in front of the fireplace, the talk had taken a more intimate turn. Ahmed was curious about the relationship between Ellen and the Senator. Taking a cue from what the Senator had told her about Sharif’s likely role in theSentinel ’s investigation, she decided to mention to him the bout of depression that the Senator had gone through recently because of the newspaper’s threats of exposure. Feigning ignorance of the affair, Sharif had nevertheless probed further to learn how it had affected Ellen’s relationship with the Senator.

  Despite herself, Ellen was being drawn into a more personal and intimate conversation. Ahmed’s warm brown eyes held hers, reflecting a sympathetic understanding to which she could not help but feel attracted. The most recent bottle of wine they had consumed had not aided her struggle to maintain control of her emotions. Ahmed had opened a well-chilled bottle of late harvest Gewürztraminer. He preferred the sweeter wines, especially after dinner. And, Ellen found herself enjoying this beverage as if it were a harmless fruit juice. She was slipping over the edge, losing her firm grip on the high road she had hoped to maintain throughout the evening. And, she didn’t see it coming.

  When she had finished describing the pain and alienation she had experienced at the depth of the Senator’s depression, a tear had formed unexpectedly, and had begun to roll slowly down her cheek. Quickly, Ahmed retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket, brought it up to her cheek, and gently dabbed the tears away. Involuntarily, she raised her hand and placed it over his at it pressed against her cheek. Suddenly, she found herself in a passionate embrace, Ahmed’s lips on hers, and she responding with a warm, open, deep and intimate kiss. Without a word, Ahmed placed one arm under her legs and the other arm around her back, picked her up, and carried her into the bedroom.

  Their trajectory had been consistently northeasterly, Shane had observed. And, he estimated that they had been airborne for about two hours. From a pamphlet in the magazine pocket on the side of his seat, he discovered that the aircraft was a Gulfstream V, seating 13, with a range of 6500 miles. Although Max had not moved from his seat in the section ahead of them, and apparently was now taking a nap, they had become aware of another passenger. A striking, tall, tough-looking, but attractive, female, dressed in black leather jacket and pants, had emerged from the hidden side of the forward section, and strode down the aisle past them to use the lavatory at the rear of the plane. Shane estimated her age at about thirty. Although her gaze did not leave them for a second, she spoke not one word. The return trip to her seat was equally silent.

  But, now, it appeared something was happening. The female was nudging Max awake, and whispering something that appeared, from Max’s expression, to be an urgent message. Max got quickly to his feet, opened the door into the forward cabin, and stepped in. While the door was open briefly, Shane thought he saw a worktable, which may have housed computer and communications equipment. After ten or fifteen minutes, Max emerged from the forward cabin, and strode down the aisle towards Tony and Sarah. This time, his female accomplice joined him, remaining a step behind. When they reached Tony and Sarah, they stopped and stood facing them from the aisle.

  “Dr. Shane…Sarah…let me introduce Salomé. We will be your constant companions for the next twenty-four hours. Please obey her as you would me, and everything will go smoothly.”

  “What kind of orders should we be expecting? Are you going to let us know what’s going on?” Shane asked intensely.

  “Please, be patient, Dr. Shane. All will be revealed in time. But, Ican tell you something now. We were prepared to transport Ms. Stenstrom to our final destination. We already have a passport issued for her with another identity. But, you, Dr. Shane, have been a problem. The good news, for you, is that I have decided that transportingboth of you to the final destination would give me insurance that I would not have had. So, I have arranged to pick up a passport for you also, at our first stop. I
will only require your cooperation to get a photograph which we will be able to transmit while in flight.”

  “Can you tell us where we’re going?” Sarah inquired, with a slight tremor obvious in her voice. “And, what do you want from us?”

  “My dear Ms. Stenstrom. Let me take care of this passport business first. And, then we’ll talk.”

  With that, Max retrieved a handgun from his belt and leveled it directly at Shane’s chest. Salomé knelt next to Shane, retrieved a key from a loop on her belt, and unlocked the handcuffs attaching him to the arm of the seat. She stood up, moved back, and asked him to stand up. With Max behind him, and the gun in his ribs, Shane was directed toward the forward cabin. Once inside, they set up for a Polaroid photograph, and quickly acquired what was needed. While there, Shane took notice of all the equipment packed into that workspace. Although he was unfamiliar with the communications equipment, he recognized it as such, and wondered if this wasn’t redundant with what must be in the pilot’s cabin. Perhaps, he thought, this equipment allowed communications well beyond the normal capabilities of the aircraft.

  The computer equipment was extensive. It included an optical scanner and printer of high quality; video and microphone inputs; and two different high-capacity disk cartridges drives. Shane wondered how much they expected to use this equipment while in flight; and he wondered if they were using satellite or radio communications.

  Very shortly, Shane was escorted back to his seat. This time it was Salomé who escorted him back with a gun muzzle between his ribs. Once seated, she had him slip the handcuffs back on and lock them. This time, she did not leave, but asked Sarah if she needed to use the restroom. When Sarah nodded her assent, Salomé handed the key to Shane, and asked him to unlock Sarah’s handcuffs with his free hand. With that accomplished, and the key returned, Salomé accompanied Sarah to the rear lavatory, and allowed her to use the facility, while the door was left open. Afterwards, she ushered Sarah back to her seat, and had her re-attach the handcuffs. Salomé then returned to her seat in the forward section, out of sight, once again.