The 22nd Secret (99 page)

Sheriff Keller waited in his cat next to the runway as the C140 landed. The shockwave of air shook the cat as the large Air Force cargo plane passed swirling snow behind it. When it came to a stop, Bill drove up to the rear of the plane as the cargo door opened and three figures climbed out dressed in military arctic clothing. They approached the cat. One of them opened the passenger door sticking his head in and extending his gloved hand he said.

“Sheriff Keller? I’m Tom Walker.”

They awkwardly shook hands with their heavy gloves on before the other two men climbed in the back seat. Walker got in the front and closed the door.

“This is Mark Niemer and Bill Gonzo with the FAA.” Bill reached back to shake each of their extended hands in turn. “I suppose you want to see some ID,” Tom said as he began to take off his gloves so he could open his coat.

“Forget it.” Bill started the cat moving toward Mitchell’s lodge. “National Guard helping to clear that runway and you coming in here on that Air Force cargo plane in the middle of the worst storm in ten years is good enough for me. I figure if you’re not who you say you are you’re somebody.”

“How long until we get to Mitchell’s?” Tom asked.

“It’s about 9:00 now. I figure I’ll have you there by 1:00, maybe sooner. Looks like the storm’s going to play itself out a little faster than predicted.”

“How well do you know Mitchell?” Tom asked.

“Real well. We’re like brothers. We grew up together, why?”

“What I’m about to tell you is highly classified. I checked into your background. I know I can trust you to keep this quiet. The missing girl–”

“Yeah.” Tom had Bill’s attention.

“She’s our top nuclear missile scientist. We think she’s trying to defect to the Chinese.”

“No shit, why?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but you’re a trained investigator. Knowing that fact, why do you think she would just walk away from that plane crash into the Alaskan wilderness in a blizzard? Before you say maybe the Chinese were there and took her, we already know they weren’t. They were and still are 100 miles away at Otter Bay. Your friend Mitchell was the only one near there. In fact he was there.”

“If you think Jim would have anything to do with something like this your–”

“Actually, I don’t. He doesn’t fit the profile of someone involved in international espionage. He only got involved because of an accidental plane crash. So obviously he was not part of any plan for this woman to defect. But he could be involved without knowing what’s really happening.”

“But why? How? It doesn’t make any sense. Why would Jim do anything but tell the truth about the plane crash and the woman? I know him. He just wouldn’t.”

“You’re 100 percent right. It doesn’t make sense. That’s why I’m here, first to determine which two of the three occupants died in the crash, and if it was the woman who survived, find her before the Chinese do. Regardless, I think Mitchell knows more than he’s telling. I may need your help in getting him to talk.”

“Hey, I’ll do whatever. I just can’t believe Mitchell’s lying. Maybe this woman was in shock, suffered a head injury or something and wandered off on her own.”

“Maybe, just don’t tip Jim off, let me handle it, be ready to help if I need it.”

“No problem.”

H
e
n
r
y
slow
e
d down
a
s a
ca
t c
a
m
e
in
t
o view
thro
u
g
h the snow
a
h
e
a
d
. As th
e
y
g
ot
c
loser, he
c
ould
m
a
ke
out fo
u
r
f
i
g
u
r
e
s s
t
a
ndi
n
g
in f
r
ont of
the
ca
t and
a
snowmobile.
He
n
r
y
stopp
e
d
a
bout fif
t
y
y
a
rds
a
w
a
y
.

“
You
r
e
a
d
y
,
P
a
m
?
”

P
a
m no
t
ic
e
d the
c
on
c
e
rn
in H
e
n
r
y
’s voi
c
e
.
I
t w
a
s
t
he
on
l
y
t
i
me she
c
ould r
e
memb
e
r he didn’t
ca
ll
h
e
r Pat
t
y
.

“
No, not
rea
l
l
y
. Do
I
h
a
v
e
a
c
hoi
c
e
?
”

“
You ok
a
y
?
You sure
y
o
u w
a
nt
t
o
g
o
a
h
ea
d
with
t
hi
s
?
I
ca
n turn
a
round
a
n
d t
r
y
a
nd
out run th
e
m.”

P
a
m w
a
nted to
a
sk H
e
n
r
y
to
turn
a
round
a
nd ta
k
e
h
e
r
b
ac
k to
J
i
m
.
B
ut she
kn
e
w
w
h
a
t she h
a
d to do w
a
s more
i
m
p
o
rt
a
nt
t
h
a
n h
e
r
p
e
rson
a
l d
e
sir
e
s
.
I
t
w
a
s more i
m
por
t
a
nt
t
h
a
n h
e
r or H
e
n
r
y
’s lif
e
, m
o
re
i
m
po
r
tant
than
a
n
y
th
i
n
g
a
n
y
h
u
man h
a
d done
th
i
s c
e
ntu
r
y
.
S
he
f
o
r
c
e
d
h
e
r
s
e
l
f to fo
c
us on the
job ah
e
a
d
a
nd noth
i
ng
e
lse.

“
L
e
t’s
g
o,”
s
h
e
said
a
s s
h
e
op
e
n
e
d the do
o
r.
He
n
r
y
c
h
ec
k
e
d his w
a
tc
h
.
I
t
w
a
s 12:35. He si
g
n
a
led Tom
a
nd op
e
n
e
d his door. He
quick
l
y
c
a
u
g
ht up
t
o
P
a
t
t
y
a
s th
e
y
w
a
lked th
r
o
u
g
h the d
ee
p snow tow
a
rd the
w
a
i
t
ing
Chines
e
.

“
P
a
t
t
y
.”
I
t
w
a
s
B
e
n
’
s vo
i
c
e
c
om
i
n
g
f
rom the
m
a
n
running
in s
l
ow mot
i
on throu
g
h t
h
e kn
ee-
d
e
e
p snow tow
a
rd
t
h
e
m.

“
B
e
n
,
”
P
a
t
t
y
s
a
id,
str
u
g
g
l
i
ng
to run to
B
e
n
’
s op
e
n
a
rms thro
u
g
h the d
ee
p s
n
ow.
P
a
t
t
y
h
a
d to st
a
y
f
o
c
used.
S
he
w
a
s
B
e
n
’
s
fi
a
n
c
ée
.

Th
e
y
m
e
t and
B
e
n l
i
ft
e
d
P
a
t
t
y
off
the
g
r
ound in h
i
s a
r
m
s
. Th
e
y
e
mb
r
ace
d
a
nd p
a
ss
i
on
a
te
l
y
kis
s
e
d
e
a
c
h
othe
r
.

“
Oh, thank God
y
ou
’
re
a
l
l ri
g
h
t
,”
said
B
e
n.
“
I
w
a
s
so wo
r
ri
e
d.”
He
set P
a
t
t
y
down
a
nd
c
ont
i
nu
e
d to ho
l
d h
e
r. P
a
t
t
y
cr
i
e
d
f
r
om
t
he
r
e
l
i
e
f
o
f b
e
ing
b
a
c
k in
B
e
n
’
s
p
r
o
te
c
t
i
ve
a
rm
s
, but
i
t w
a
s all too much. The
h
o
r
r
or
of it
a
ll
stru
c
k
h
e
r. She
c
ri
e
d
a
t
t
he
thou
g
ht
o
f
f
ind
i
ng
a
nd losi
n
g
J
i
m all wi
t
hin a d
a
y
a
nd
a
h
a
l
f
,
a
nd the
fa
c
t she h
a
d r
e
ac
h
e
d the point of no
r
e
t
u
r
n.
S
he kn
e
w
she
w
a
s
g
oi
n
g
to
C
hina
a
nd wou
l
d pr
o
b
a
b
l
y
n
e
v
e
r l
ea
v
e
,
a
t
l
ea
st not
a
l
i
v
e
.