“I can’t say for sure. But I can tell you that our forces are in trouble. We weren’t ready for this. The military has bigger problems to worry about than some passengers of a commercial flight.”
“Will there be other soldiers coming?” Nancy asked.
“I don’t know. I’m a little surprised that I’m the only one here. I can’t believe that I am the only prisoner they have. Perhaps I was captured before they had made arrangements for a prison camp? Maybe that’s why I was placed with you. It’s not typical for nations to mix soldiers and civilians together during times of war.”
Rob prepared himself for the worst. “Can we expect a rescue?”
“Maybe. Again, I don’t know, I’m just as much in the dark as you are. Perhaps if they knew where we were being held. But out here in the middle of nowhere? I doubt that even God knows where this place is.”
“What if they did know where we were? What then?”
“Well, this place is screaming for a rescue attempt. It’s secluded, away from any military or civilian population centers, and with all the hills around here... They could probably land a helicopter right outside the walls if they wanted to.”
Rob nodded as he glanced over toward Katz and Grant. “Thanks.” Then, without waiting to see if there was anything else, he walked over to join the businessmen.
“Is he being rude, or is it just that he doesn’t like me?”
Nancy glared at him. “He does have a lot on his mind, you know.”
Rob explained the plan to Katz and waited for a response.
Katz looked up at Rob’s inquiry. “I think your idea has merit. It’s going to take a little bit of work, though.”
Rob looked around. “Do what you can.”
Rob wanted to talk more with them, but first there was someone else to whom he needed to talk. He turned around, went over to the window, and sat down.
Rob sat about five feet away from the mysterious man who had befriended his Marie. “What should I call you?” Rob looked straight ahead as if he were talking to his shadow. “Bond? James Bond?”
There was a pause as Logan considered how Rob found out. Had Marie betrayed his confidence and told Rob about him? Had he been wrong to trust her, or had Rob just figured it out on his own?
“If you’re talking to me, my name is Jonathan Logan.”
“As in double oh Logan?”
Logan was not amused as he looked around the room to see if anybody else was listening. He was irritated by Rob’s flippant comments and attitude and wondered why Rob continued to bait him. He had provided Rob with useful information to aid in their rescue, and he felt that Rob should accept it as such.
“Do you have a point?”
“Yes. I want to know who you really are, and why you are here.”
“And I’ve told you that.”
“No, you’ve told me who you are, not why you’re here.”
“I am a farm equipment sales representative. I’m trying to sell...”
“Oh, please! Spare me! You told me your name is Logan, not who you really are or what you really do.”
“Why don’t you just tell me what you want me to say.”
Neither man had yet looked at the other. Finally, Rob turned to Logan. “Look, I don’t know who you are, and that’s fine. You could be some military communications operator who doesn’t want to get involved here, and that’s fine, too. But if you’re in the intelligence community or an officer in the armed forces, and you just don’t want to get involved, then that’s not fine. You can get your hands dirty with the rest of us. If you’re who I think you are, then you’re the one here with the experience and qualifications to be the leader. Not me!”
Logan thought about what Rob said. Finally, he turned to face him. “So that’s what this is about? You’re trying to shirk your responsibility as captain?”
Rob’s mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened in disbelief. “Now, wait a minute! Don’t turn this around on me! You know that I’m not the captain!”
“But you’re wearing the uniform.”
Rob was about to answer when he realized what Logan was doing. “I’m wearing the uniform because I have to keep my true identity a secret. You want me to say that, because that applies to you as well. Right?”
Logan remained silent, thanking heaven Rob was as perceptive as he’d hoped.
“But I’m not qualified.”
Logan was not as sympathetic with Rob’s personal evaluation. “What do you think makes one qualified? A uniform? A medal? Leadership is a talent that you either have or you don’t. In your case, Rob, leadership is something with which you were born. Don’t shortchange yourself. I don’t think you’ve even begun to know what you’re capable of.”
Logan paused and rubbed his face with his hand, then motioned as if he wanted to start over. “You see, I’ve never met anyone quite as intuitive and resourceful as you are. You’re a natural born leader, not like so many of us who spend years going to school just to spend our lives led by someone else’s rules. You lead by the seat of your pants, and you do it very well. Your perceptiveness with that Arab commander has probably saved all our lives.”
Logan looked directly at Rob. “And that’s not something that can be learned from all the intelligence training in the world. You don’t want the job, or the responsibility that you have, and I can understand that, but don’t sell yourself short, and don’t try to pawn it off on someone less qualified. You feel inadequate? Deal with it, and get in line with the rest of us. None of us is perfect, and we don’t live in a perfect world. We all make mistakes, only men like you make fewer than the rest of us. You may not be everything that you’d like a leader to be, but you’re the best we’ve got. So quit looking for someone else to lead because you’d like it if they did. You’d always know that you’d be a better leader.”
Rob thought about it all for a moment. “But could you at least help us? Or is there some reason that you have to be so secretive?”
Logan sighed in frustration. “What do you want to hear? Do you want me to tell you that I’m in possession of information that is so hot that it could burn the paint off these walls?” He made a wide motion with his hand, then paused as he noticed that there was no paint on the walls, making him even more irritated. “And if that is true, then the less you really know about me the better.”
Rob paused as he thought it over. He had not counted on getting rebuked and lectured by this man. “I am right about you.”
Logan stared momentarily at Rob wondering if anything he said had gotten through to him. He also needed to know if Marie had given him away. If she had blown his cover, then he had to entertain the possibility of killing her because of the knowledge she possessed. “How’d you come up with this theory about me, anyway?”
“Something Marie told me made me think that she’d been talking to someone familiar with military communications. As far as I know, you’re the only one who’s been talking with her.”
Logan had his answer. The information Marie possessed was still secure.
“I’m a businessman. I sell farm equipment. And that’s all I do.”
Nothing more was spoken as the two sat beside the wall.
Nancy knew Marie had been crying as she neared her. “Hey, what’s wrong? You look miserable. Want to talk about it?”
Marie seemed to gush. “It’s everything. First there was the hijacking. I thought for sure we were going to die, and now we’re in the middle of a war. How am I supposed to get my children through this when I can’t even handle it myself?”
“Listen, Marie, you’ve got a great husband. He’s going to get us all out of this alive, and right now, that’s what’s important. That’s what we have to focus on.”
“But that’s just it. This isn’t the Rob I know. He’s not a pilot or a soldier. I know that he’s just faking everything, and I‘m scared because I don’t know how long he’s going to be able to keep on faking it. He’s... He’s just a programmer! None of this is
like him at all!”
Nancy wished she hadn’t heard that. Now she was upset. The last thing she needed to hear from the person who knew Rob the best was a vote of no confidence. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was just a fake. She looked again at Rob as she spoke to Marie, “Well, if he is just a fake, I hope he can continue to con us all!”
A young Arab girl who was standing near listening came over and sat beside Marie. “Hello, your name is Marie?”
Marie nodded.
“I’m sorry that I haven’t introduced myself to you before now, but I really would like to help if I can.”
Marie smiled.
“Maybe I could help you with the children. You see, I feel so bad for you. These people who hijacked the plane and these soldiers here are not a fair example at all of how my people really are. Our religion teaches us to be kind and to help others, not to be like the soldiers in this place.”
Marie smiled again. “That’s nice to know, and I really could use some help. I’m not usually so easy to upset like this. What’s your name?”
The young girl paused for a moment as if trying to remember something and then said, “I’m sorry, it’s rather hard to pronounce. My Western friends just call me Terry.”
Petite and lovely, Terry appeared to be in her mid- to late-twenties. Obviously well-educated, her mannerisms were those of a proper family upbringing -- she must be used to a good life. Her olive skin was almost perfect, like a porcelain doll. She’s the type of girl, Marie observed, that every wife mistrusts and every husband admires. Girls like her keep Marie interested in her own looks.
“Terry. That’s a pretty name. Where are you from?”
“Well, my parents were from Lebanon, but they moved to New York when I was three. I grew up and was educated there.”
“Were you headed to Israel?”
“No, Lebanon. My father’s business has strong ties to Lebanon, so I spent a lot of time there also. I guess in a way these soldiers hate me as much as you. You see, jealousy runs very deep in this part of the world, and people of my nationality who have moved to America are viewed as traitors. Especially if we have been successful.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Marie and Terry continued to talk into the afternoon. Marie told Terry all about her life in Texas and how she and Rob had met and married. It was nice to have a friend again.
Wasit Prison Facility
East Central Iraq
Prisoner Barracks
Later that evening, Grant tapped Rob’s shoulder. “I think we’ve got it,” he whispered, then walked away.
Rob remained sitting for about ten minutes more before he stood up and went over to the window where Nancy was standing. From the window, he could see long shadows stretching across the compound. Dusk was approaching. “How’s Marie holding up? She looks like she’s not dealing with it all too well.”
As far as Nancy was concerned, Rob was acting just like so many other men that she had known. He was asking about Marie as if she didn’t exist. Well, Marie was his wife. Why should he care how anyone else felt? “Well, we women have our days.”
Rob didn’t know what to make of her comment, so he ignored it. “Nancy, I need you to have the passengers do what we talked about before.”
Nancy turned toward Rob with her eyes wide open. “You mean, we’re ready?”
“Yes. We’re ready.”
After awhile, Rob walked over to the pillar where Katz sat. Rob sat down on the back side of the pillar, opposite the camera.
“Let’s hear it.”
Katz knew Rob was talking to him. “When I pull the trigger on the hand grip, the receiver will start searching the band for the frequency on which the close circuit camera is broadcasting. By watching in the eyepiece here, I will be able to see what the receiver is picking up. When I see our room in the eyepiece, I simply release the trigger, and this camera begins to re-transmit the signal on the emergency band that you gave us.”
It sounded simple enough. Rob glanced around the room. All the passengers were positioned as they were instructed.
“Let’s do it.”
“Okay, here we go.” Katz sat quietly staring into the eyepiece.
After several moments of waiting, Rob became impatient, wondering if it was working. He fidgeted, wanting to ask what was taking so long.
“We got it. Let’s just hope now that it’s broadcasting. You understand that there’s no way to test this to see if the signal is actually going out. How long do you want to broadcast?”
“Give it about five minutes.”
The two sat patiently as the minutes flew by.
“Time! Now what?”
“Undo everything you did to the camera.”
Rob was about to go and find a blanket for the night when Taylor sat down. “I think we got off on the wrong foot. I think the two of us working together could...”
“Hypothetically speaking, Captain, if we could send a message to the U.S. Forces about our position, would they attempt to rescue us? And if so, how long can we expect it to be before they make such an attempt?”
“Well, I have no idea. But none of that’s going to happen. Now, look, you’re the captain of this flight, so you understand how important discipline and command are. Why don’t we talk about organizing the lives of these people and bringing some discipline to them? Talking about impossible hypotheticals is futility.”
Rob stared at Taylor for a moment. “Let me guess what you have in mind. You want to get everybody up by seven thirty in the morning and begin requiring daily exercise drills.”
“Well, something like that. We’d all function a lot better if we could establish some form of daily discipline.”
“Well, General...”
“I’ve told you, I’m a Captain!”
“Yeah, whatever. I’ve just one thing to say to you. Leave these people alone!” With that, Rob stood and left Taylor gaping behind him.
Recon Information Center, USS Roosevelt
Persian Gulf
An E-2 Hawkeye flying over Kuwait picked up an unusual signal on the emergency band and, as procedure required, forwarded it to the control center aboard the Roosevelt. The intelligence officer, Commander James Little, studied the film carefully, watching it several times. It made no sense to him at all why this signal was transmitted. What was he supposed to be looking at? It seemed to be taken from a camera that was panning back and forth, showing a group of people sitting in a room that looked something like a prison.
It was only after watching the tape a fourth time that he suspected these may be the passengers of the hijacked flight. Then, finally, on his fifth time through the tape, his eyes lit up, and a slight smile appeared on his face. Now he had the answers for which he’d been looking.
Little pressed the button to the intercom on the bridge. “Captain, this is Commander Little. I need to see you in Ops.”
Captain Jim Brodie was a large man but not fat. His barrel chest made his voice carry in a room full of people. He had only one insecurity: his youthful appearance. He didn’t seem to have aged at all over the past ten years. As a result, many younger officers looked more like a captain than he did. If his wife had not protested so vehemently, he would have grown a mustache to hide his baby face.
He was on the bridge when the call came, so he had only a short distance to cover to get to Ops. Ops got its name from being the Operations Center, the command, control, and communications center of the ship. Little joined him there with the tape. He rewound the tape and smiled.
“What do you have?”
“Sir, I’d like you to see this.”
Brodie studied the monitor. “What am I seeing? They appear to be civilians.” He knew there was something significant to there, but what was it?
“About fifteen minutes ago, Sentinel One intercepted this transmission coming from a point southeast of Baghdad. It was a deliberate transmission on our emergency frequency.”
Brodie looked again at the monitor. �
�Okay, so where are we headed with this?”
“These people appear to be confined, and the motion of the picture suggests that it is coming from a surveillance camera.”
“So... you believe that these are hostages from the civilian flight that was hijacked the other day.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And just what has brought you to that conclusion?”
“Look closely at their hands, sir. Do you see anything unusual?”
Brodie studied the monitor and shook his head. He was beginning to get impatient. “Why don’t you just tell me what I’m supposed to be looking for? Are they signing or something?”
Ron Schwartz - The Griffins Heart.txt Page 9