Al turned and followed the soldier in a fast jog to the back lawn of the White House. The entire area was in the process of becoming a security lockdown. Soldiers and civilians were running in every direction.
A military helicopter with its engines running and rotor turning was several yards away. The soldier motioned for him to go to it. As Al got closer, he saw through the open side door the waiting CIA Director, Valerie Churchill.
He climbed inside and Churchill began by yelling over the engine noise, “The president and everyone else want to know how in hell you found a bomb under the White House.”
Al was about to respond when she said, “Hold that thought.”
He shut his mouth, sat back and waited as the helicopter lifted off and began cruising at full throttle. Al and Churchill both looked out the window at the smoke trails of the blown-up helicopters. They were now burning hulks on the ground and dozens of fire engines were converging onto the scene from every direction.
“Apparently I didn’t find it soon enough,” Al said, leaning back.
“Everyone knows you did what you could.”
Moments later, the helicopter gently landed at Dulles about fifty yards from Air Force One. They landed so close that armed soldiers guarding the perimeter of the plane had to scatter out of the way. A marine officer hurriedly opened the helicopter door and Al recognized him immediately as Captain McCoumb.
“Mr. Robek and Ms. Churchill, please come with me,” he shouted.
“Lead the way,” Al replied, jumping out of the helicopter. He turned to help the CIA director but she had followed right after him.
McCoumb led them at a quick pace but instead of going towards Air Force One, they headed past it in the direction of a smaller grey Air Force 737. They ran up the metal steps and he directed them aft into the cabin area. Al recognized this plane as the same command-and-control aircraft he had been in before. They walked past the same manned Orbital control stations and into a small meeting room with a large screen attached to the wall. This time all the seats were occupied and President Burkholder was at the head of the table.
McCoumb stepped aside and let them enter. Al walked past and behind the president and stood at the corner of the table and Ms. Churchill stood next to him. There were eight men and women in various levels of dress, obviously rushed into this meeting in a hurry. He didn’t look at anyone directly and focused his attention on the screen which showed an older woman looking down at something.
Ms. Churchill stood to the side and said to Al, “Please continue.”
Realizing that he was being ambushed from the top down, Al rubbed his forehead as he glanced at a few of the faces around the table. He really despised these types of meetings where he was expected to explain the latest crisis to politicians. He didn’t mind briefing the president and his advisors, but the rest of the gang he could do without.
All eyes turned towards him and as they did, he noticed a few shocked faces. Al glanced down at his hands and saw that he was filthy, with strands of blond hair stuck in the dried blood on his forearm. Hair from one of the corpses I rolled in. I have got to look and smell like pure death,” he thought.
President Burkholder let his reading glasses slide down his nose and announced, “Everyone, this is Agent Al Robek, former Army, and retired CIA.” He released a prideful grin, “Reactivated at the beginning of this crisis.”
Al recognized some of the people at the table as a current senator, military brass, and his former commanding officer, General Bill Burke, wearing his old beige professor-type jacket. General Burke gave him a slight nod when their eyes met. That was the secret nod indicating Al was to proceed and the general would connect with him later.
One of the other seated generals who now spoke up Al recognized as General Holland. “Why don’t you start explaining to us how you found the bomb under the White House.”
“Just following leads, sir,” Al immediately responded. “I am assuming that all those in this room are up-to-date on this current crisis.” He paused with that contentious comment as some of the heads nodded. “Good, because you probably know more than I do.”
A middle-aged woman that he knew as Senator Carlyle from California then spoke, “We were just being briefed, but what I want to know is, is this bomb related in any way to the nuclear explosion in Lebanon?”
“Yes,” Al answered.
She leaned back and crossed her arms, glaring at General Holland across the table.
“Next question,” Al said.
Several people erupted with questions and the president interrupted, “One at a time, please!”
The chatter died down and Senator Carlyle continued with her questions, “Are there more bombs and was this a terrorist attack?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m hearing rumors that the church massacres and these bombs are related,” added General Holland.
“Yes, I believe they are,” Al answered. He was about to continue when the president jumped in, “I believe Mr. Robek answered the questions that you wanted to know and yes, the two explosions are connected. At this moment the entire region is being re-analyzed for more hidden complexes or bombs under D.C., and you will all be given a complete update the instant they finish.”
“Good save, Mr. President,” Al thought.
At that moment, Captain McCoumb entered the room and handed the president a note. Most of the chatter died down as Burkholder read it. He looked up and announced, “According to this, there is a low level of radiation below where the bomb detonated. Not too high but it could have been much worse.” He glanced at Al, “Thank you again for discovering it.”
“It was an atomic bomb?” the older woman on the monitor asked.
“Most likely,” Al said. turning towards the screen. “We know that the bomb that exploded in Lebanon definitely was an atomic bomb and this one was much larger.”
“Was it an old Russian bomb?” General Holland asked.
“I would say, no,” Al replied. “Unfortunately, the head technician that was taking it apart was killed in the explosion.”
The senator from California spoke up again, angrily, “How in the hell did the bomb get there right under our noses, under the White House of all places?”
The president answered, raising his voice, “At this time, and let me make this clear, all we know for sure is that if Agent Robek had not found it, we might not have a nation’s capital right now, nor be having this meeting.”
General Burke leaned in, breaking his silence. He glanced at everyone sitting at the table, with his eyes settling on Senator Carlyle. “Rumors spread quickly, and for the record please do not spread rumors or speculation from this meeting until we confirm what is going on.”
“Do we even know who put it there?” Senator Carlyle asked.
Ms. Churchill interjected, “No.”
“So, in other words, we have nothing,” the senator stated.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Churchill answered, returning the senator’s stare.
“Once we figure this out,” the president said, “I am going to set an all-time record for the most intense ass-kicking ever, make no mistake about it.”
Another eruption of questions arose and the president began answering them, going back and forth across the table.
Al thought it was probably a good time to lie but Ms. Churchill was right; there were no suspects at all unless they hauled in the Masonic lodge and the Vatican for questioning. Of course that would never happen. Or would it? He decided to remain quiet while everyone was taking turns, seeking answers to their many questions.
Ms. Churchill gently nudged him and whispered, “We can go now.”
He turned and followed her, quietly commenting sarcastically, “The show is over.”
“Yes, for now,” she said, leading him out into the next space. They walked past all the military personnel and she continued, “This crisis is now in the public view for all to see and the politicians have to say something, so the president is being drilled and it’s only going to get worse.”
“Still...” Al gave her a disapproving glare. “I am still not clear about what is going on.”
She pushed open the second door leading towards the main cabin. She pulled out a small envelope from her jacket pocket and handed it to him. “A lot of people saw what just exploded over Washington and it’s on every newscast in the country, so these same people are counting on you to solve this crisis.”
Al stopped on the first metal step and turned around, “I honestly don’t know if I can.”
“We all have faith in you.”
Al just shook his head.
“And your friend Betty from British Intelligence sent me a message. She hinted that you would understand, and said also a piece of this puzzle has been solved.”
“She said that?” Al asked.
“Yes, she did,” she said, eyeing the envelope. “It’s right there.”
“Does anybody else know about this?” Al gripped the envelope.
“Only General Burke, me, and the president,” she answered with a wink.
Al nodded. “Good, so I have three requests.”
“Yes?”
“First, we have to track down a message Jess Contreras got right before she shot all of us in Lebanon. I’m not sure what systems the CIA is using now, but try to track down where it originated.”
“That we can do.”
“Next, the chamber under the White House is full of clues that Ed Collins needs. Give him full access and keep out other investigators until he is done. Trust me, he knows what he is doing, and looking for. And, third, whatever you guys do,” Al said sincerely, “make sure those politicians back there don’t use my name or any of my team’s names in reports to the media.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that.” She followed him out of the plane and down the steps. Two security men immediately took up positions around her when she reached the bottom. Al noticed Captain McCoumb waiting for him. Ms. Churchill grabbed Al’s hand, squeezed it tightly, and shook it.
“Captain McCoumb has your orders, so stay close. We will debrief shortly; and give that letter to Ed Collins.”
She then followed her security men into a black SUV and sped off.