Legacy (24 page)

“Basically, Colonel, everything here could be bought at RadioShack or Walmart. We don’t have anything that will lead us anywhere.”

The news footage of the attack in Kazakhstan had been seen by every person in the complex. Jack and the others knew immediately that it was tied in somehow to James McCabe and whoever paid for his services. Thus far the only thing the Event Group could do was talk the FBI and Interpol into issuing a warrant for the former Delta colonel’s arrest, and even then he would only be wanted for questioning about his role in Ecuador. That country had already issued its findings and nowhere was there a mention of Colonel McCabe in their initial report. Jack, Carl, Ryan, and Mendenhall, however, had been given a few pages apiece inside the file that the State Department received from South America on their status as fugitives.

As for the Russian attack, intelligence sources inside an angry Kazakhstan had traced a cell phone found at the site to a group called the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, known to have close ties with al Qaeda. Thus far the public had not been told of the terrorist cell’s involvement. They didn’t want to scare off the man who once ran the cell, Azim Quaida, known to Jack and antiterrorist organizations as the Mechanic. Collins, as well as many Western intelligence officials, didn’t believe this organization could pull off such a dramatic and destructive act as had occurred at Baikonur.

“Here’s something for you, Colonel,” the corporal said, as he used a pair of tweezers to pull a small chip from its soldered position on the small circuit board. “This here is a chip designed by Hiroki Limited. It only has one use and that’s as a link between it and a Tetra Global Positioning satellite owned by that company.”

“That means this bomb could have been used as a tracking device after it failed?” Everett asked, tossing a pencil onto his desk.

“Yes, sir, its original task was to allow the detonation signal to reach this unit from anywhere around the world, as long as it was in range of the Tetra satellite. However, it could just as easily be used to track the unit if it wasn’t destroyed. So basically they had the option of destroying the plane or following it.”

Collins shook his head. He removed the small Tetra chip from the Marine corporal’s fingers and looked at it. Then he handed the silicon chip back and closed his eyes.

“Thanks, Espinoza, you can return to your duties, and take that thing with you. See if you can get a spectrum analysis on the C-4. Maybe we can come up with a batch number for a trace.”

“Yes, sir,” the corporal said, gathering his tools and the makings of the bomb. He left the office.

“So, the assholes may know where we are,” Everett said. He stood and reached for the door to the office, closing it.

“At least where our base of operations is located,” Jack said with a frustrated look. “All they know thus far is that Niles and his team landed at Nellis. I don’t think that’s a problem, but if it’s McCabe and his people they know now that Niles is linked with us, and
that
could be a problem. In the art of war there are very few coincidences. Our flight plan was filed from Nellis and that’s where the tracking device on Niles aircraft led.”

Everett, Mendenhall, and Ryan were silent as the colonel started talking through what they had learned.

“We can’t learn anything here. And we’re only in the way of Niles and his team as they carry out the president’s orders. Pete has run into a dead end as far as McCabe goes. His last known whereabouts were Los Angeles six years ago. He has no financial statements, no IRS records after his military days, and no passport, at least one with his real identity on it.” Jack sat down hard on the desktop. “The answers lie in Germany.”

“Niles has suspended that end of the investigation. The president is trying to find a political solution. As long as there’s a chance that we can get into the excavation legally, that’s what they want to try.”

Collins turned and faced Everett. “If what we think is down there is there, and all of this Flash Gordon stuff fails, there could be a race between us and other countries to get to Ecuador. That’s when the shooting will really start.”

“I think the shooting’s already started,” Ryan said, probing gently at the bandage covering his nose. “Just ask the Russians.”

“I think you’re right there, Lieutenant.” Jack stood once more and paced. “It’s got to be McCabe behind this. And his paymaster, whoever that is—we have to go to Germany.”

The three men from the Security Department watched as Jack stood and left the office.

“I think we’d better brush up on our German, because I’ve seen that look before,” Everett said as he too stood.

“Where are you going, Captain?” Mendenhall asked.

“Where else?” he said, smiling. “To pack.”

*   *   *

Jack was waiting for the elevator so he could track Niles down in the Engineering Department on Level 35 when he was tapped on the shoulder. He turned and saw Sarah standing there with her arms full of books, smiling up at him.

“Hi, short stuff,” he said as he saw several men and women passing by in the large hallway on Level 7, enough that any more intimate contact was out of the question.

“Colonel Collins,” Sarah said formally.

“What’s all this?” he asked, waving his hand at the armload of thick books.

Sarah didn’t answer at first and actually lowered her eyes before speaking.

“They’re nothing, geological stuff, far beneath your pay grade.”

Jack saw the look that said I can’t talk about it, and was about to comment on her shortened answer when the elevator arrived with a gentle air-assisted swoosh. He stepped back and allowed Sarah to enter first, and then he followed. A man in a white coat stepped up but saw the look on Jack’s face and the simple tilt of his head that suggested he should probably catch the next elevator. The doors closed.

“Level, please?” the computerized Europa asked in her Marilyn Monroe voice.

“Thirty-five,” Jack said, not caring what level Sarah needed. “Okay, what gives? You, Niles, and Virginia have been cooped up in the science departments for four straight days while the rest of us have been cooling our heels.”

Sarah watched the LED numbers beside the elevator doors descend as the air-cushioned ride accelerated.

“Europa, can you stop here please and secure the elevator?” Sarah asked, looking at Collins.

“Please state emergency,” Europa said, as the elevator came to an abrupt but gentle stop.

“No emergency,” Sarah said, as she took a deep breath and then went to her tiptoes. She gave Jack a deep, long kiss, so hard that neither noticed three of her books fall to the carpeted elevator floor. She pulled back and looked at him for the longest time. “We’re trying to get a handle on this mineral, but so far we’re having no luck at all. This afternoon we finally got a linkup with Jet Propulsion Lab and a chance to watch as they tried to bring the rover
John
back online. They’re hoping we can view the devastation inside Shackleton.”

“That’s not all there is. I know you, Lieutenant, and as nice as your kisses are, I’m not accepting the bribe for my silence. Now what’s going on?”

“Have Will and Jason received their orders yet?” she asked, reaching down to retrieve her fallen books. That was when Jack noticed a large manila-colored book that had nothing to do with geology: the NASA and United States Air Force training manual for space operations.

“What orders?” he asked, his eyes finally leaving the manual and locking on Sarah’s.

“All I know is that Ryan and Mendenhall are being assigned to my team. Nothing more than that.”

“Why do you need a security element in a lab?” he asked. His eyes bore so deeply into her own that Sarah had to turn away.

“Jack, I love you, and you know that, but I’m also an officer in the Army, just like you. You follow orders and so do I.”

“Okay, short stuff. Keep your little secret,” Collins said as he handed her the last fallen book. It was on the mineral properties of meteorites. “But keep in mind that whatever Niles and the president are cooking up, people are starting to die over this thing.”

“Jack, we know that, and I wish I could tell you everything, but I just don’t know. I do know you, though, and you can’t storm into Niles’s office and demand that I be kept safe. Whatever they have planned, if you want me to back away from my job, I’ll do it, for you. But it has to be me doing the requesting, not you.”

Collins reached out and hit the blinking Level 35 button again, overriding Sarah’s request for the car to stop.

“You know I won’t do that,” he said, his eyes cast down. He turned and smiled at McIntire. She smiled in return. “Not because you’re an officer in the Army, but because I love you too and would never ask you not to do your job because of that love.”

The elevator came to a stop and Europa announced that they had arrived. As the doors opened Pete Golding was standing there. He looked surprised to see both Jack and Sarah.

“Oh, hello, Colonel,” he said, adjusting the thick glasses on his nose.

“Pete,” Collins said, stepping out of the car. He looked back at Sarah as Golding stepped inside. He winked as the doors started sliding closed.

Before the door closed, Jack heard Pete say, “I’m glad I ran into you, Sarah. Europa wants your exact measurements. NASA needs them ASAP.”

“Damn it,” Jack said as he turned and went to find Niles.

*   *   *

Jack finally tracked Niles down in the astrophysics lab on Level 35. When he walked inside he saw that the entire division was present. Most of the technicians and scientists were sitting at computer consoles and the rest were studying virtual reality diagrams projected onto every inch of wall space. Collins saw designs he had seen as a kid from the Apollo program. These were being studied and modified by the people Jack knew as the best in the astrophysics business. He saw Niles in the far corner conferring with Virginia Pollock and when Compton finally noticed Jack standing at the door he nodded once to Virginia and excused himself.

Niles once more looked tired and ragged, his white shirt stained with ink at the front pocket and the slight rim of hair that circled his head uncombed and messy. He smiled as he stepped up and faced Jack.

“I figured you would come looking for me before too long,” he said as he removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “Jack, the president has more than enough to handle at the moment, Ecuador is really pushing Interpol to get that arrest warrant to the State Department.”

Jack remained silent as his eyes moved from Niles toward the far wall, where he saw the projected image of the Ares VII rocket. It was being moved by crawler to an assembly area at what looked like one of the Western Air Force bases. That meant it was either Vandenberg or March. His bet would be the Vandenberg launch facility in Central California.

“What in the hell is going on here, Niles?” he finally asked as a flurry of activity near one of the engineering stations drew his eyes. “I see the president’s not taking any chances like the Russians did.”

Niles placed his glasses back on and looked at the image of the giant Ares being moved toward the second assembly building at Vandenberg.

“The Chinese are only two weeks away from launch. We’ve learned from NSA and CIA resources that they have a totally viable system in the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, or CLEP. They’re far more advanced than Western intelligence ever thought possible. They actually have two ready-to-go platforms and are capable of placing twenty men and women on the Moon.” Niles turned back to face Jack. “We’ve also learned that as many as fifteen of those may be Chinese Special Forces personnel, but we’re still gathering intel on that.”

“What you’re saying is they’re preparing to introduce armed force into this thing?”

“Yes. At least
I’m
convinced that they are. The president, not so much.”

“Are they fully capable?” Jack asked, remembering the books Sarah was carrying.

“The China National Space Administration has every intention of not only recovering the mineral and technology from the surface of the Moon, they intend to hold their ground with a series of launches, possibly creating a permanent or at least rotating presence on the Moon.” Niles took Jack by the arm and steered him toward an empty corner of the massive room. “The Chinese have adapted no fewer than six of their heavy-lift Long March launch vehicles for lunar operations. They have the landers and science to back this up. Everyone was caught off guard—again.”

“Jesus,” Collins muttered.

“In two weeks they plan to launch at least two systems from their Xichang Satellite Launch Center northwest of Xichang City. They really screwed the European Space Agency. They stole a lot of their hardware and software technology for the missions.”

“The damn world is going to turn the Moon into an armed camp,” Jack said, looking harshly at Niles. “You know what happens when you get a bunch of soldiers together in an intense environment and they all have guns, don’t you, Niles?”

Compton rubbed his temples.

“People start shooting each other,” Jack said as he shook his head. “Tell the president the priority is on Earth, Niles. We have leads on where to find Columbus right here, so why risk the lives of people by sending them out there?” he asked, gesturing angrily toward the sky.