United States Strategic Command Headquarters
Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska
Captain Cartwright escorted the team from Croft Technologies to the primary server farm buried deep under the base. He was new, posted only a few months ago, though knew his stuff—you didn’t get assigned to the United States Strategic Command if you didn’t. But it also meant the night shift. Next year, when the next crop was rotated in, he’d be more senior, and would be asleep next to his wife right now.
But not today.
He eyed the two men, sharply dressed in suits that were beyond his paygrade, with physiques that would have them fitting into any Marine outfit with ease. “I just got the order from the Pentagon an hour ago. You guys must have already been in town.”
The lead, a man introduced to him as Clarence Daniels, nodded. “Lucky break. We were installing an upgrade in Omaha yesterday. It took a little longer than expected, what with everything going on, so we booked a hotel. We were asleep when we got the call to come here.”
Cartwright swiped his security pass, the panel going green, a beep and click signaling they had been cleared for entry. He pushed open the door. “After you, gentlemen.”
The two entered, heading down the hall and stopping in front of another door.
Cartwright’s eyes narrowed. “Have you been here before?”
Daniels shook his head. “No. Why?”
“Well, you seem to know your way around.”
Daniels pointed up, a series of cable conduits overhead, most taking 90 degree turns into the room on the other side of the door they were now in front of. “Just logic.”
Cartwright chuckled and shook his head. “You know, when I first got here, I noticed it too. I guess eventually you stop seeing what’s right in front of your nose.” He swiped his pass again then pushed open the door to the server room. “How long are you guys going to need?”
“It’s going to take a while, but we should be out of your hair by tomorrow evening.”
Cartwright’s eyebrows rose. “That long?”
Daniels motioned at the massive room lined with rack upon rack of equipment powering the backbone of the nation’s defense systems. “It’s a big job, and we’re only two guys. With the transportation problems, we wouldn’t be able to get a team here to help until the afternoon, regardless.”
Cartwright laughed. “Yeah, I guess so.” He pointed toward the station where the servers could be accessed. “There you go.”
The two men strode over, the second sitting in the chair as he unbuttoned his suit jacket. He turned to Cartwright. “I’ll need you to log me in. Root level access.”
Cartwright frowned, hating to give anyone that level of access, yet his orders were clear. Full cooperation, full access. He leaned over and entered the user id and password set up for the task, then hit Enter. “You’re in.”
“Thank you.”
Daniels turned to him. “If you’ve got things to do, feel free. We’ll be here for hours.”
Cartwright smiled slightly, shaking his head. “Do you honestly think the Pentagon wouldn’t court-martial me if I left two civilians alone in here?”
Daniels nodded. “Suit yourself.” He sat in the only other chair, leaving Cartwright to wonder if he shouldn’t have planned this better.