Within seconds, the screen zoomed in on the Dead Zone.
Noble turned around and was surprised to see the president reach for the phone receiver and hit the intercom button.
“Tell them I’ll be about twenty minutes late.” He returned the receiver to its cradle.
Noble strode back toward the sofa, but before he had an opportunity to sit down, he heard the president speak again. This time he was looking directly at him with deadly seriousness.
“What I am about to tell you is highly classified and totally confidential.”
Noble slid back into his seat uneasily and waited for the president to proceed.
“I trust you are aware of the Continuity of Government Plan or the C-O-G-P?”
“Yes, sir.” Noble, careful to get his facts straight, outlined slowly. “It’s a contingency plan to ensure all branches of government continue to function in the event of a disaster. My understanding is that The National Security Act of 1947 became the primary foundation for the C-O-G-P, and then in 1950 President Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10186 establishing the Federal Civil Defense Administration.” Noble sat back apprehensively, waiting for words of wisdom, preferably with approbation.
“Correct. In essence, it requires all federal agencies to develop a C-O-G-P to ensure their essential operations continue to function and to develop overlapping capability in the case of a national emergency or catastrophe. But, the C-O-G-P goes beyond functionality. It also includes provisions for the protection of the president and those individuals in the line of succession.”
“Sir, I realize in accordance with the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, it would have also included the vice president, the speaker of the House of Representatives, the president pro tempore of the Senate, and the cabinet secretaries in a sequence specified by Congress,” Noble noted.
President Post hesitated. Then, with exceptional caution, he proceeded to explain, “In order to protect those individuals, as stipulated by the Succession Act, the C-O-G-P had to incorporate plans for civil defense, communications, and transportation, among a whole host of life-sustaining needs, including underground shelters.”
Slightly confused as to where the president was leading, Noble thought it best just to confirm his understanding thus far. Once again, he chose his words pragmatically. “It’s widely known that there are underground facilities at both the White House and at the Capitol buildings. As well as six underground bunkers that are part of the C-O-G-P’s original design. They’re still in operation today in some capacity.” Not wanting to appear overtly quizzical, he casually tossed out, “And, of course, there are rumors that have been swirling for years about hundreds of other hidden underground bunkers that exist throughout the country.”
“The rumors are grossly exaggerated!” The president, clearly dismayed, persisted, “Granted, over the years more and more information—that should have remained classified—has surfaced.”
“Are you speaking about The Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center?”
“One example,” the president responded impassively.
President Post had hoped to avoid the subject of Mount Weather, also referred to by some as the Doomsday Hideaway. He assumed Noble, as many others, understood the underground facility was more than just a place to house key government officials in the case of nuclear war. And, while the land located near Bluemont, Virginia, is the training ground for FEMA—the Federal Emergency Management Agency—the underground facility beneath remains a secure undisclosed location.
Noble, attempting to find a connection between Bluemont and the Dead Zone explored, “One of the rumors being tossed about is that Mount Weather is literally an extensive underground city with its own power plant and water purification system, including streets with sidewalks and a mass transit system. Maybe even a Starbucks.” From his last comment, it was obvious he was looking for a reaction from the president as much as an answer.
After a brief pause, and absent any reaction, the president responded, emphasizing each word slowly and deliberately. “There is a similar facility known only to me and all former U.S. presidents.” The president glanced over to the electronic map on the monitor hanging above the fireplace.
Noble’s eyes followed. He studied the map.
The president studied Noble. The expression on his face appeared nonchalant. Understandably, a trained response, he suspected.
Yet, no longer able to resist further, Noble blurted out, “In Utah, sir?
With some reservations, the president revealed, “There are several such underground facilities throughout the United States today, which are currently managed and maintained by FEMA. It allows them to play out their role in the event of a national disaster. But, in 1953, one facility was decommissioned by executive order and its location was removed from the roster.” President Post gave Noble a moment to grasp the situation and then specified, “Out of forty-six United States presidents, there are only seven of us living today who know the location of that facility, tagged as the Presidential Lair.”
Still stunned by the president’s admission, Noble hesitantly pointed out, “Sir, if I may be so bold—I believe there are at least eight people who know.” Totally immersed, he took a deep breath, and then spoke what seemed to be the impossible. “I believe al-Fadl discovered the existence and location of the Lair.”
For the first time, President Post expressed a modicum of emotion. “How is that possible? The information is only transmitted from president to president during the handover of the office.”
“Excuse me sir, but may I ask exactly how the information is communicated?” Noble delved, in a calm and cautious manner. But then, without warning, and without giving the president an opportunity to respond, the words slipped through his lips, “The President’s Book of Secrets!”
Noble had stepped out of character, but the president remained controlled outwardly. Both sensed the same dread. The enemy had uncovered one of the country’s most precious secrets. Noble felt as though he had trod on a landmine and was reluctant to make the next move.
Stepping into the breach, the president broke the momentary silence.
“You have the reputation of being extremely patriotic, and your integrity is beyond reproach. I’m going to trust that you remain in good standing.” It was apparent to the president that Noble understood the gravity of the situation but felt he needed further clarification as to its significance. Without acknowledging or denying the existence of the Book of Secrets, the president determined it was best to let Noble expound on his findings. So he eased back into his cushion and asked, “How do you think al-Fadl was able to locate the Presidential Lair?”
Noble’s mind was already churning to construct a credible scenario. He knew the next steps would ultimately rest with him. Speaking in a measured tone, he stated, “Logically, the location of the Lair must have been communicated to you by the former-vice president, who served as the forty-fifth president for six months before the election. He would have received the information from Abner Baari before he resigned. We know Baari was planted in the White House through the brilliant machinations of our nemesis, Mohammed al-Fadl.”
The president interrupted. “To this point, it is my understanding that Baari was unaware of his core supporters. He was basically convinced they were anonymous wealthy businessmen.”
Feeling it was time to be forthright, Noble finally succumbed. “Sir, I have some additional treasured secrets to share with you.” He proceeded to reiterate to the president about Simon’s initial plot, starting at Harvard with La Fratellanza, the Banking crisis, and TSAR. He explained the sting operation that led Hamilton to travel to Florence in an attempt to capture Simon, and how, on Hamilton’s deathbed, his mentor passed the mantle to him. It then became his responsibility to force Abner Baari to resign from office.
As Noble discussed Hamilton’s role in more detail, he couldn’t help but recall the one request Hamilton made him promise—a promise he had broken for a
second time earlier that morning—never use SAVIOR to vet the president. Although Noble had great respect for Randall Post when he was governor, and then as president, he felt he couldn’t run the risk of divulging any of his suspicions about the case, unless he was completely certain he wasn’t dealing with another one of Simon’s pawns. SAVIOR gave him the assurance that he could trust the president without hesitation or qualification.
At that juncture, the president became intensely concerned with the situation. “If President Baari never had any contact with your Simon, then you must have surmised that one of the members of La Fratellanza may have had a hand in this affair?”
“I’m quite confident that three of them have not broken the terms of their immunity agreement. Although, I am quite troubled at the possibility that Hank Kramer, Baari’s chief of staff, still might be in contact with Simon to some unknown degree.” Noble explained his reasoning and the president appeared to concur.
Just as Noble concluded his comments, the president reached over to the phone on the coffee table. He picked up the receiver and hit the intercom button once again. Noble knew his time had run out and astutely stood up.
“Please come in for a moment,” the president requested.
The president’s secretary entered on cue. “Yes, sir.”
“I need another ten minutes with Noble, and I want you to erase any record of this meeting from your appointment book,” the president instructed.
She glanced over toward Noble with the hint of a smile as she responded, “Yes, sir.” Then she walked back to her office, closing the door behind her.
“Sit down, Noble. We’re not finished. I won’t be the first president late for a briefing.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I thought you were about to leave.” Slightly embarrassed, Noble sat back down.
The president, still sitting across from Noble, made direct eye contact and, with profound seriousness, revealed, “After a president takes the oath of office, there’s always a brief, but private, conversation with the outgoing president. During that time, political ideologies are set aside. And, being a skeptic at times, I believed it was the one event where two powerful leaders actually set aside politics to put the world first. Many things are shared, but it is always the responsibility of the outgoing president to put into perspective the importance to study the notes of past presidents, so we are not doomed to repeat the same mistakes. The most serious of those notes are recorded in—the President’s Book of Secrets”
President Post reverted to silence.
Noble used the time to digest the fact that he had received highly privileged information, known only to a few people on earth. He felt his pulse accelerate as the next obvious question came to the fore. “Does the book describe the location of the Presidential Lair?”
“It did.”
“It did!” Noble exclaimed. He couldn’t believe the president had used the past tense, but before he had the opportunity to offer a follow-up question, the president broke his silence.
“I can’t explain what it’s like to read the book, starting with the fact that we are dealing with the handwritten words from our first president, George Washington. It’s an awesome feeling to move from reading about his vision, to Lincoln’s aspirations, to Roosevelt’s predictions, to Kennedy’s conflictions, to Nixon’s fears, to Reagan’s hopes—each former president providing a trove of useful insights. I’m exhilarated as I describe it to you now.” He then halted a moment. “Perhaps it is vanity, but I felt as though they were all writing to me personally, helping me to guide the country.” The president stopped speaking, clearly moved.
In an attempt to fill the void, Noble said with admiration, “I can’t begin to imagine the enormous weight it must have placed on your shoulders.”
The president emitted genuine gratitude as he continued with some of the highlights that impressed him. He began to describe the notes from Eisenhower that included descriptions of the Presidential Lair. He detailed how Eisenhower purposely decommissioned the underground facility and removed it from the roster in the hope it would be forgotten. He wanted to preserve the Lair as a failsafe, believing the end of WWII didn’t end the threat to world peace. During his presidency alone, he saw the end of a devastating war and the beginning of the Cold War. The Presidential Lair would be a place of last resort should the other facilities be discovered and endangered by our enemies. “So you understand why the total secrecy of the Lair is so essential?”
“Yes, sir, but now I fear Simon not only knows the location but is utilizing it for his own malicious purposes,” Noble cautioned, then quickly added, “The good news is that we now know where the facility is located and can zero in on him.”
“Not so fast, Noble. You wanted to know if the notes described the location of the Lair and I stated it did. However, much to my horror, when I turned the page to review the handwritten blueprint referred to in the notes, it was missing.” The president was clearly concerned.
“Missing!” Noble snapped incredulously.
The president, a bit startled by his reaction, explained, “Yes! It was clear someone had removed a page from probably our most sacred book, next to the Bible. Naturally, I immediately contacted the former president and invited him to the Oval Office to show him what I had uncovered. Much to my chagrin, he revealed he had only perused the book casually and never noticed the page missing from the Eisenhower Notes.”
“Excuse me, sir, for interrupting, but that is a blessing in disguise reducing the possibility of further blunders. Also, it’s a perfect example why a failsafe location is essential.”
Sensing the same relief, the president smiled, even chuckled faintly, when he recalled vividly the time the former vice president attended the annual Gridiron Club dinner in 2009, filling in for the president. Allegedly, according to the media, he revealed to his dinner mates the existence of a secret bunker, which the White House later denied. Fortunately, most considered it another one of his frequent gaffes.
“I pray I was able to silence him on this matter,” the president sighed. “Being of no help, I called the forty-third president who remembered the blueprint being intact.”
“So it had to have been removed during the Baari administration,” Noble concluded.
“Okay, what does your inner spy tell you?” the president quipped.
“Do you remember Paolo Salvatore? You know, he’s my brother-in-law?”
“Yes, go on.”
“Oftentimes, Paolo described Baari’s first days in office as being the babe in the woods time. To Kramer’s credit, he trained him well, and Baari’s gifted oratory carried him a long way as he seduced the electorate. But, evidently, he was naive when it came to managing the day-to-day duties of the Oval Office, outside of politics.”
“And your point?” The president looked down at his watch.
Noble picked up his cue accurately that time and answered briskly, “The person most likely to have access to the book and the blueprint would be his chief of staff, Hank Kramer—but it’s Simon who would’ve had to persuade him to steal the page.”
Both the president and Noble appeared in a state of shock, contemplating the consequences if Hank had actually stolen the book and not just a page.
Regaining composure, the president posed, “The problem with your logic is that Simon would first have to know such a place existed.”
“This is that only conjecture,” Noble countered, “but it could have simply been word of mouth from Baari to Hank, passed on to Simon, presenting him with a ready-made path to carry out his goal. If his plan was to build an undetectable terrorist camp, the Presidential Lair would have been the perfect location.”
“Amazing!” the president exclaimed. “The place is perfect. It’s never been utilized, but it was designed to be easily provisioned. In addition, the facility is equipped with several escape routes and is sheltered by Dugway’s protected air space. I take that back. It’s brilliant!”
Noble probed further, eager f
or an explanation. “Excuse me, sir, will you elaborate on your remarks about provisioning and escape routes?”
“Eisenhower’s notations mentioned the use of a secret passageway in the Desert Mountain that would lead to the underground facility. But without the blueprint, there’s no way to locate the entrance.”
“What about the escape routes?”
“All I know from the notes, is that the facility’s ventilation system is comprised of intake and outflow ducts that are installed throughout the tunnels. Sections of the ducts have escape hatches and, when powered down from the inside, they can be used as exits to the nearby roads. Sorry Noble, but that’s all the information I have. I guess Old Ike was relying on the blueprint for the specifics and not his handwritten notes.”
“Would it be possible for me to study the notes more closely?” Noble knew it was a long shot at best, but he thought he would ask anyway.
“Sorry, that’s not possible. Besides, the Book of Secrets doesn’t exist.” He flashed a cautious smile.
Not wasting a moment, the president glanced at his watch for the second time and Noble discerned this time he would be shown the door. “Mr. President, I thank you for your candor. I’ll be leaving for Utah on Monday and will report back as soon as I have any information.”
“Are you getting full support from the base commander?”
“Yes, sir, and the feds are cooperating as well. Trust me to use discretion—the Presidential Lair will be reported as an abandoned bunker that was decommissioned during the Cold War. However, should I encounter difficulty—may I invoke your authority?”
“Yes, but go easy.”
Both Noble and the president stood and shook hands with shared concern.
“Leave through my secretary’s office. It will look like your trying to get in and not out.” The president grinned.
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