The general asked each of Fritz's questions. The commander said the base personnel had been reduced for the weekend, but he would check if the camera film could be linked. Fritz said to tell them to hurry.
Within five minutes, the film was being transmitted. The first few minutes of the day's recording showed three white panel trucks passing the entry gate.
When Fritz saw an image of the driver, he said, “Asian. That's not a surprise. Can we find out what they were supposed to do, where they were going?”
A call to the admiral brought a quick answer. They had seen the same footage and called the gate. The work order requested several repairs in various buildings, including plumbing and heating in the base hospital and several barracks. The commander had issued an order to clear buildings. Fritz said, “Tell them to go to the hospital first.”
* * *
AT THE BASE communications office, a beeping alarm sounded, activating a flashing red light. A breach had been detected in the perimeter fence. The comms officer called the officer-on-duty, as a second light started to blink. The admiral ordered armed men to the hospital, and to shoot first.
“Sir, they were in here. They said a cracked pipe leaked from the laundry room. Over in that corner.” The dogs were set loose, and went straight to a length of new PVC.
The leader of the bomb detection unit asked, “Where does this lead?” He spotted a black box with a small blinking light behind a shelf unit on his right. He pulled on the shelves, which didn't budge. “Colonel, I can't see what's here, or what it's connected to, but this is connected to a remote detonator somewhere. My guess is this pipe is full of explosives.”
“Then, let's all get out of here. If they can set it off from outside, and if they find out we're here…” The colonel waved his men to start back up. “We'll worry about the building later. Let's make sure the hospital is cleared.”
* * *
A TEXT ALERT BEEPED on the phone sitting on his desk. The message read, “OK. TV.” With a slight upturn of his lips, he pressed the power button on the remote. The breaking news showed explosions. Fires could be seen in other buildings. The headline said, “Another naval base attacked.” He returned to studying his new Caballeros.
* * *
AFTER THE INTERMINABLE wait, the communication link buzzed. The call switched to speaker and Colonel Mitchell said they were done, unable to catch the perpetrators.
“How bad is it, Colonel?” asked the president.
“A lot of structural damage. I'm waiting to hear about additional casualties, sir. They got the hospital. And the power plant, so I'm guessing most of this place is off the grid.”
The returning teams began to fill the corridor, visible frustration arriving with them. One soldier punched a locker.
“We were lucky, sir. We were just in time. But we lost the hospital and a number of buildings, and all power,” the colonel reported.
The president said, “Their objective is still unclear. That's the fourth base in a year. Plus the White House and Camp David. They're showing us how vulnerable we really are for small attacks. You're right. We were lucky. It could have been worse if they'd had time.”
* * *
THE PINK SKY at the horizon signaled evening's arrival. Only Ashley and Tony remained with Fritz in the empty school. The clean-up crew had little to do. Promising to be in touch by the end of the weekend, the president and the general had left.
“He sure was angry,” Tony said.
“He's way past that,” Fritz responded. “The pressure never lets up. But these attacks almost seem pointless.”
“Like I said in the spring,” Ashley said, “we used the portal and screwed up their plan. Left alone, they'd have done much more damage. Think about it. The buildings were almost empty. At least two were barracks.”
Fritz said, “Let's go. Based on past experience, we'll be back here again soon.”
Chapter 19
“FRITZ, FRITZ, wake up.” Jolted from a deep sleep, he sat up. Emily stood over him, her hand over her mouth. Pink light filled the room. “You were screaming.”
Glad to be separated from the nightmare, he rubbed his eyes and sweat dripped on his hands. He could still see the image. He'd reached across to cuddle with Linda, who became cold and scaly. Long, razor-sharp claws dug into his chest, shredding his heart. But no blood. Instead ice cubes. “Thanks, Emily. Bad dream.”
“I should say so. Good thing I got up early. You almost gave me a heart attack.”
Joe stood in the doorway. “Are you okay?”
“Fine, Joe. Sorry to wake you. Bad dream, I guess. Go on back to bed.”
Before that could happen, his mother stopped him. “Now that we're all up, let's get the party planned. Coffee's made. I'll cook breakfast.”
“Mom, come on. It's quarter to six.”
“As my friend Mr. Franklin says, 'Early to rise'.”
Fritz pushed the damp, twisted sheet off. He splashed cool water on his face. Staring back at him, the image reflected what he had seen on Ashley's face.
Fritz sipped his coffee, still in a fog, replaying the moments before he woke. The attack on the naval base seemed ages ago.
“Fritz, are you listening?” Emily asked.
“Actually, Emily, no, I'm not.” Joe snorted and set his cup down, wiping his chin.
“You need to decide who to invite so I can make a shopping list.”
“Emily, I'm not awake yet. What list? Invite who?”
“Well, for Labor Day, of course. We need to get busy.”
“What were you dreaming about?” Joe asked.
“I don't remember,” he lied. The claws dug into his chest.
“It sounded like a horror movie,” Emily said.
“Glad I don't remember.”
Later that morning when Ashley showed up, Emily told him about her plan. Fritz grimaced and walked into the backyard, with Ashley on his heels. “We should have a party. It could be fun,” Ashley said.
“Ash, fun is my last concern. I had a nightmare last night. I woke Joe and scared Emily.”
“I've had bad dreams for weeks,” Ash said. “Then I wake up.”
“When I stared at you last night, I realized that you've changed. All your BS doesn't cover it. I saw myself in the mirror this morning. And I look like you. That same, sad emptiness.”
“I've seen it too. In both of us.” Ashley looked up at the pale sky and then at Fritz. “Except I'm better looking and smarter.”
“I'm being serious.”
“So am I.”
Chapter 20
LABOR DAY PASSED quietly, until Ashley stopped in.
“Fritz, why don't we play golf tomorrow. Last chance.”
“No. I want one day to finish getting ready.”
“You've been ready for two weeks,” Emily said. “After ten years, how hard can it be? Come for breakfast at seven, Ashley. He'll be ready.”
After another bad night, they played on an almost empty course, without their usual banter. After nine holes, still too early for lunch, Fritz said, “I'm done. I can't keep my mind on golf.”
“Let's go to school.” Ashley twirled his moustache. “We could switch desks, and see if the portal works. Let's call Tony.”
“Fine with me. If you keep twiddling your mustache like that, you'll be ready for your silent film debut. Silent, of course, being the operative word.”
When they arrived, Tony waited by his Suburban, the generator at the door. They carried Fritz's desk into the hall. When they crossed the threshold, Fritz looked at the empty space wondering if they had broken the portal. Without it, maybe Linda will come home.
“To keep the symmetry we should put your desk in my room, Ash. I'll try using yours first. That way, we find out if it's the desk or the room.”
With the generator connected and Ashley's key in the desk lock, Fritz touched the door knob, got his buzz, but nothing happened when he opened the door. “Ash, you try.” Ashley had never felt the shock and pulled h
is hand away, then grabbed and pulled. Nothing. Tony moved the generator to Ashley's room. Fritz put the Oval Office brochure on the desk.
“I should call him first. Good morning, Ms. Crispin. It's Fritz Russell.”
“Your timing is good. I was about to call you. Hold on, please.”
“Hi Fritz,” said the president. “We need to get Florian.” Fritz explained that he and Ashley had switched their desks and were about to see if the portal still worked.
“We'll try it here, and if not, move it back to my room. See you shortly.” And if that doesn't work, then what. “He wants to get Declercq. Something's up.” He pulled the door open and saw the president walking toward him. “It's the desk.”
“Come in, Fritz, Ashley.” Ms. Crispin stood in another door to the Oval Office, hand to her mouth. “Ms. Crispin, I'd like you meet Fritz Russell and Ashley Gilbert.”
Laughing, Fritz said, “Nice to meet you at last.” He held out his hand. She looked at the president.
“He's real. Now you see how it works.” Still uncertain, she took Fritz's hand. “See. Nothing bad. Now would you ask General Beech to come in?” She left, staring at her hand. Moments later, the general joined them.
“Florian made contact a few minutes ago,” the general said. “He's at his office.” The general handed Fritz a floor plan.
The president told Ms. Crispin he would be gone for a few minutes. Fritz waved to her as they entered the school hallway. “Come take a look,” the president told her. Taking her arm, he brought her to Riverboro. He pointed down the halls, and back at the Oval Office. She turned to Fritz and said, “You're the secret weapon.”
“I'll talk to you about that later,” the president said. “Right now, we're going to Belgium.” With the floor plan in place, General Beech stepped through and returned in short order, Florian Declercq right behind. Declercq said he had received a message. “We'll be on a yacht from San Diego. Leaving Friday morning, October seventh, until Sunday.”
The president reacted to the troubled look on Declercq's face. “What's the matter?”
“The message said to bring a companion, no spouses, no relatives. I don't have someone to bring. I'm a married man with a family. I do not dally.”
“Florian, this may be the opportunity we've needed. We're developing a plan to keep you safe. Are you still willing to do this?”
“Mr. President, I've agreed to help you. But you must tell me how. I've never lied to my wife, never had a mistress. Your portal is strange enough. This situation, well, it concerns me.”
The president rubbed behind his left ear. “Florian, Jim and I will have a plan for you in a few days. You may need to spend some time here with us.”
* * *
TOM ANDREWS had followed every lead and had found the mole months ago. He'd discovered the link to the Caballeros. For the past three hours, he'd been reading unsecured emails. What puzzled him were the participants. Why would Mason Hamid be emailing the secretary? He couldn't understand why State was using CIA operatives. And all the communications were internal at State. He called the president.
“Tom, that doesn't make sense.”
“I agree, sir. That's why I called.”
“It looks like a plan to take over. That makes even less sense. Election Day is so close. Did they mention a date, Tom?”
“Yes, sir. Election Day.”
Chapter 21
FRITZ MISSED THE smiling face sending him off on first day. Emily and breakfast were waiting when he came down the stairs.
“It's going to be a nice day. Enjoy yourself, Fritz.”
Having left later than normal, he passed newly-pressed kids on their way. He hurried to his room, took his traditional big step into the new school year, dropped off his briefcase, and headed to the office. Ashley headed the opposite way.
“You're late. George is in a mood. Be careful.”
“Thanks for the warning. I'll see you in a minute.”
Lacking his usual first day cheerfulness, George came over and whispered, “This is my last year. Lois and I agreed, so this is the last start for me. It feels weird, but I haven't told anyone yet. Don't say anything.”
“Congratulations. Let's hope it's a great year. Oh, and thanks for painting my room. See you later.”
George's face began its journey to crimson. “What paint?” Fritz grinned and left.
Ashley stood holding the door for his homeroom class when Fritz entered the hallway. Fritz had once again avoided having a homeroom class. He waved and walked into his own classroom.
He removed his folders from his briefcase. A new group of ninth graders headed the schedule. After the announcements, and George welcoming everyone back, the first bell of the year rang. His newest students looked him over as they took seats.
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Mr. Russell. Welcome back and welcome to high school. I will learn your names as fast as I can, but please tell me your names until then.” All the bright-eyed faces watched him, unsure of what the day would bring. “This year, we will be learning about government. We will study the Constitution and our legal system.” He had their attention. “Before we start, all the boys, and any of you young ladies wearing pants, please stand.” A slow motion rise began and the students shared glances at each other. “I'd like you to tell me the names of important people who have served in our government. And tell me your names.”
“My name is Glenn Peterson. The president.”
“That would have been my first choice too, Glenn. Next.”
“Dudley Dowell. Abraham Lincoln.”
Fritz pointed to a very tall boy. “Walter Donahue. George Washington.”
“Okay, you have the idea. Keep going.” He sat, making notes of names and faces. When one student said, “Jefferson Davis,” Fritz said, “Well, Jamie Brompton, that's different. Why him?”
“Mr. Russell, before he was president of the Confederacy, he was a senator. My mom grew up in Mississippi and her grandpa talked about him a lot.”
“Thanks, Jamie. We'll be looking forward to a different perspective from you.”
When each standing student had selected a name, Fritz said, “Before you sit down, I have one more question. Did you put your right leg or your left leg into your pants first?” Both were called out. “I want you to envision the person you selected putting their pants on.” The class laughed. “Regardless of which leg went first, they put them on and pulled them up, just like you did.” The blank stares said he hadn't made the point yet. “What I want you to remember is that famous people aren't so different from you. Luck, circumstance and hard work all contributed to making them memorable. Now let's get to work.”
When class ended, Ashley poked his head in, and grinned at the exiting grumbles. “Looks like you finally took my advice. They're complaining already. Mine hate me too. Good start.”
Fritz's first American history class stared up at him. “Good morning, class. A few of you are old friends. The rest of you, tell me your names and, well, we'll be better acquainted soon.” He placed a stack of papers on each front row desk. “Pass these back, please. He gave them a chance to read through the handout. “As you can see, we'll start with the Continental Congress and our war for independence.
The first hand up was Mary Ann Leslie's. A little surprised since he'd just started, Fritz pointed to her. “Mr. R, I've just read the outline. Almost every main topic is a war.”
Fritz looked at the outline. “Mary Ann, because I made the list, I guess I should say I'm aware of it. But I hadn't considered it like that. Do you have a question?”
“Yes. Why do we study war so much?”
Fritz saw the intense look, lowered brows, firm lips. “Rather than give you a glib answer, let me say I don't have a good one. Maybe it's because so much of our history, and our progress as a nation, has been tied to conflict.”
“Mr. Russell?” A new face. “Charles Drake.”
“Go ahead, Charles.”
“What about
inventions and scientific discoveries. They weren't all because of war.”
“That's true. Did you have something in mind?”
“A few things. Edison and the light bulb. The Wright brothers. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs and personal computers.”
“Anyone want to comment?” First day reluctance kept hands down. “Craig, want to say something?”
“Okay. No offense, Charley. Computers aren't new, just smaller. They were used in World War II to break codes. The airplane didn't really become important until World War I when the government could see how it worked. Edison, well, I don't know about light bulbs and war, but a battle between Edison and Tesla took place to create a system to provide electric lights to New York City.”
“Thanks, Craig. Remember, class, I said conflict, not only war. Can anyone offer another example?” He could almost hear brains clicking into gear. Finally another new hand went up.
“My name is Nancy Morgan, Mr. Russell. We won't reach it until later, but I can't see any winner in the Civil War.” Hands went up. “Let me finish,” she said. “We won, but who's the 'we'? The south was 'we' before and after. And it feels like we're back fighting that war again now.”
“Excellent point, Nancy. We'll go into more detail later, but I want you to remember a couple of things. Prior to the Civil War, the country consisted of a group of individual states that could operate independently. The sense of unity, a union, the Union, grew from the war and Lincoln's leadership in preserving the union. If you read documents from that time, and you will, a shift in perspective took place. Before, people said, 'the United States are; after the war, they said, 'the United States is'. From plural to singular. For the first time our motto, E Pluribus Unum, really had tangible meaning. What does the motto mean?”
“Out of many, one,” said another new face. “Sorry, Mr. Russell. Scott Cardiff.”
“And what does that signify?”
Storm Surge (Quantum Touch Book 5) Page 9