Fortunes Obsession (31 page)

     When Brophy got the call from Washington, telling him that the three agents were coming down from New York, he was secretly relieved.  Let these guys handle it.  Hell, he'd even give them Halloran to help them.

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     Peter and Dara lay in bed, reading the Sunday newspapers.  Her bruises were

beginning to heal and Peter's wounds were coming along fine.  They had been able to make love without fear of pain for the first time since the shooting and were feeling pretty good about life. Peter put down his paper and laughed.  " You know, I feel kind of empty not being involved in this thing anymore.  They don't tell us anything now that  we've told them everything we know.  I've got a great idea, but you're going to think I'm crazy."

     " Oh no," she said, " Don't do this to me.  We're not going to get involved again, are we?"

     " I was thinking.  We need a vacation anyway.  Why don't we fly to Orlando, see Disney World together and then go to the Cape and just kind of look around?"

     She looked askance.  " What do you mean, just look around.  Aren't you happy we're still alive?  I've been kidnaped and manhandled and you've been shot.  You must be nuts.

Tell me you're kidding."

     " Look, the fat guy is dead and Fahd's dead.  There's no one else involved that knows us.  We'll kind of just tour around the Cape and  keep our eyes peeled."

     She shook her head in disdain. "  If you've got your heart set on it, I know I can't stop you and I don't want you to go alone, so I'll go with you but I want you to know I'm frightened to death.  Do you understand that?"

     He took her hand.  " Honey, your fears are totally unfounded.  Nothing is going to happen to us.  Believe me, I've thought it all out.  We know what's happening, so it'll be fun to look for suspicious characters and things out of the ordinary."

     " Peter, I'm beginning to think I've fallen in love with a crazy man.  What's Lance going to say when you tell him you're leaving him to do all of the work.?"

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     Lance, like Peter, was still obsessed with the case.  He felt like he was a part of it and that he would have liked to go along.   But, what the hell, someone had to mind the store and he guessed he was it.  He happily acquiesced to Peter’s request and gave them his blessing with one stipulation.  They were to report to him , whenever they found something.

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     The three FBI agents arrived at the Orlando office and were , after perfunctory greetings from Brophy, introduced to Special Agent Ruth Halloran.  She was relieved to be working with agents that were genuinely interested in the case.

      She brought out her file on the case and spread out her papers.  “ This is all I have so far and I think we’re very warm.  What do you think? “ She sat silently and apprehensively as the three men pored over her notes.

     The three agents spent the next three hours comparing notes with Halloran and formulated a plan of attack.  They would first go to the Cape and get a complete lay of the land , finding out how everything works and trying to work with the security at the Cape to tighten things up.  The Bureau always had trouble interacting with all kinds of local police, who jealously guarded their own jurisdiction at all times.  They made an appointment to

meet with the head of security.

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Peter and Dara arrived in Orlando. They decided to stay at a hotel near Disney world for two days and then drive over to the Cape in a rented car.  They would take the regular tour of the facilities and keep their eyes open.  Peter really thought that this was a frivolous idea and couldn’t imagine why he had been so enthusiastic about it in New York.  What the hell, he thought, we’re here now, so let’s make the best of it.  He felt a great sense of elation as he and Dara splashed in the pool at the  Hyatt, playfully .  His wounds still hurt him and he wondered if the pain would last the rest of his life.  Every time he looked at the scars, he felt so lucky to be alive.  He became slightly apprehensive about putting them in harm’s way again, but dismissed the idea immediately. Later, as their suntanned bodies intermingled on the cool clean sheets, his mind cleared instantly as he fell into a deep and relaxing sleep.

     The Chief of the Space Center Security Force was very cooperative.  As the agents and several security officers sat in an air conditioned office and sipped hot coffee, the Chief explained the workings of the space center, while looking at a large map.

     “   These buildings over here are where the space shuttles are processed for the flight.

By that, we mean outfitted , cleaned, fueled and inspected.  After this is done they are transported to the Vehicle Assembly Building by a conveyance which is straight out of science fiction.  I’m going to take you over after we talk to see one of these vehicles.

They are about a square block large and weigh several million pounds and run on large tank treads.  They couldn’t run on a regular road without destroying them, so we have built stone roads about three feet deep and heavily reinforced.  These vehicles run at two miles per hour when empty and one mile per hour when loaded.  These roads not only go from the processing buildings to the Vehicle Assembly Building, but also from the Assembly building to the launching pad, a distance of several miles.  So when the shuttle

has been brought to the assembly building, it is combined with the rockets that will propel it.  After that, giant cranes transfer it to the mover, which takes it to the launching pad, where giant cranes set it in place.  Believe me when I tell you that security here is so tight that no one could interfere with a launch.  Why, private cars aren’t even let into our exhibition area.  Visitors must take a bus.”

     Millard looked thoughtful and chose his words carefully.  “ Captain, I believe what you are saying but we have reason to believe that a former astronaut is one of the terrorists that we are concerned with.  Let me ask you a question.  How much of an advantage does that give them?”

     “ A lot, I’m afraid.  Someone like that would know an awful lot.  He would also have access to things like security badges and identifications which could be forged with his help.

This puts another dimension into the story.  Tell me who this astronaut is and we’ll pull his file.”

     Millard went into depth on Farley Collins and what they knew about him.  He also explained that the only photos they had of him were from newspapers and that supplied by a cooperative civilian.  He asked that the files on him be turned over to the bureau immediately.  The Captain picked up a phone and ordered the files.

     Bey looked grimly determined as he spoke to his band of terrorists.  Each had been picked for his non- Arabic looks and his perfect knowledge of English.  Each had been thoroughly briefed by Collins on the workings of the Kennedy Space Center.  Each had been given an authentic security force uniform, proper ID and badges with assumed names

and addresses.   Each had been give a particular job.  In the warehouse stood two totally authentic vehicles of the Cape security force.  In the trunk of each were detonators, plastic explosive and various tools including drills with diamond bits, operated by powerful batteries.  It was agreed that Collins, who had grown a large handlebar mustache and died his hair and mustache grey, would   go the cape by himself in one of the cars to reconnoiter the situation.  He would leave in two days and return the same night.

There was a launch scheduled in eight days and Bey had decided that the time to strike was at the launch itself.  If they could sabotage a launch and destroy the space shuttle and mission, they would demoralize America and send her a powerful message.

     Collins could not believe that they were letting him out alone.  If ever there was a chance to escape this madness, this was it.  He was in a quandary.  If he gave himself up, he would surely go to jail.  If he stayed with them, he knew that they would kill him as soon as the job was done.  They had already killed the man to whom he passed the plans, so it was logical that they would kill him.  He already had the money he got for the plans but it wasn’t enough to live on in say, Brazil, for more than a year or so.   He had no idea what to do at this time.   Maybe he could plea bargain himself into a suspended sentence.  Maybe he could tell them that he was just trying to trap the terrorists and always intended to turn them in.  He didn’t sleep at all that night.

    The agents were taken for the full tour, almost as if they were tourists.  They found themselves completely interested in the workings of the Space Center and were fascinated as they gathered information.    

 It was agreed later that Halloran and Yamashita would dress as security officers and stay at the Cape.  Halloran would take days and Yamashita would take nights.  Millard and Clark would continue to pursue by investigation.

     When they returned to Police headquarters the Captain shook his head. “ Everything about Collins has been removed from our computers.  In addition, there are no photos of him on record. Someone has done a job on us.”

     Millard smiled.  “ I kind of expected this.  Don’t worry about it Captain.  We’ve done extensive research on him through the Navy Department.  This is not a setback. It’s just further proof that Collins is involved big time.  What we’re going to do , in addition to leaving our two people here, is put a stake out on that property in Cocoa Beach, day and night.  We’ve attempted to get a search warrant but were turned down for lack of probable cause.  We should be able to spot them if they come onto the property.  The Coast Guard will be alerted in case they intend to come in by water.  We’ve contacted the Treasury Dept. in Washington and they have put the Coast Guard, which as you know is under their jurisdiction, at our disposal.  We’re getting good cooperation from everyone.  I don’t think anyone wants to see America with egg on it’s face.”

     The group dispersed and the Captain leaned back in his chair.  He felt reasonably protected in this situation.  He would make sure that every Police vehicle was accounted for every night.  He would stipulate that uniforms were not to be taken off the premises.  He could not do the same for badges or identifications without impeding his employees ability to get to work at the start of their shifts.  He called in his closest Lieutenants and the three of them went out for another in depth tour of security for the Cape.

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     The two agents staking out the Cocoa Beach property relieved the night crew and relaxed in their car, sipping coffee and listening to the radio.  They were parked a block away and one of the agents always had a pair of field glasses at his eyes, while the other kept his naked eyes peeled.  What they didn’t know is that the building had been especially selected by Bey for it’s hidden back entrance that exited to a parallel street.  The inability to search the building, precluded the ability to find the exit, which was perfect for the plans of the conspirators.  Collins had made several test runs into the complex and through several internal check points and found that he was able to negotiate the complex at will.

He was virtually unidentifiable in his disguise and the guards that were on duty were starting to know him as one of them and a regular through those gates.  Bey had dictated that three persons would do the actual setting of explosives.  The launching pads were too protected to get in at anytime to set explosives .  They were surrounded by electrified barbed wire and heavily guarded.  Collins felt that the best bet was the giant equipment movers that hauled the shuttle and rockets to the launching sight.  Over a period of time, before the launch, Collins and his cohorts would set powerful charges and radio controlled detonators at various points in the giant conveyances.  They could be set off from outside the complex at the precise moment they were approaching the launching pad.  This way, both the space vehicle and launching pad could sustain great damage.

     Each time Collins went to the complex, one of the other terrorists, in disguise as he was, would accompany him.  The one time he was sent alone was his chance to turn himself in and he opted not to do so.  His plan was to somehow get his money and get out before they killed him.  Death would be better than rotting in prison anyway.  There was no way he

would turn himself in now.  He had reached the point of no return.  With a week left until the launch, there was plenty of time to do the job.  The equipment mover was already in place near the vehicle assembly building and it was a simple matter to pose as security men

inspecting the piece of equipment.  The trick was to place the explosives in undetectable places, since it was assumed that there would be a real inspection.  Collins and his companions were very careful not to do too much at a time and not to do it at the same time each day.  They had already placed a fair amount of explosive when Bey decided that to maintain credibility, that the phony security men should be seen doing other things around the complex.  Collins was told, along with one other terrorist to do a few days at the space exhibition building, in which there were theaters where simulated flights took place as well as other astronaut memorabilia.   Collins was distraught when he was ordered to do this.  He just didn’t want to see any reminder of those who had successfully completed what he had started and failed .