Gimbel had heard the rumors like everyone else and the last thing he could handle was the possibility of having the glory taken away from him. He may not like Devin but he wasn’t going to let the same thing happen to him.
General Devin sat in the back of his plane trying to figure out his next move. The crash of the Su–11 was a huge blow to his plans. It was meant to be the platform for the deployment of the BlackStar. With both projects under his command, he would be able to deploy the weapon and no one would know about it until he was ready to unveil it.
The investigation of the crash had not yet revealed the cause and the painstaking task of trying to determine the failure was going to take time. The second Su, Su–12, was only partially built but even that had come to a halt until they found out why the first one crashed.
Now he was being told to fly back to Washington for another discussion with the President. He knew that the crash was going to be the center of discussion. His report to the President had helped smooth things over some but plenty of ripples were still in the water. Now the President wanted him to bring a detailed accounting of where the money was dispersed.
He had been working on a bogus accounting detail for most of the week and knew that while it would probably fool the President, if it was scrutinized carefully, he would be in trouble.
“Five minutes,” an airman said, sticking his head out from the pilot’s compartment.
“Thank you.”
It was just about show time. Fooling the President wasn’t his main concern. Hell, the man didn’t even know what MJ–12 was all about. His big worry was that the President might insist that someone with more knowledge of military accounting take a hard look at his books. He would just have to see that it didn’t happen.
An hour later he was sitting in the Oval Office with the President.
“General, I am very concerned with the current protocol. I am uncomfortable with you reporting only to this office. I am considering a change,” the President said.
“Sir. This is the way it has been done from the beginning. It was considered far too sensitive then and it still is today. The last thing we need is to add another layer of bureaucracy. It is difficult enough to keep what we are doing from the prying eyes of the world. Adding another level would make it all the more difficult. You saw with your own eyes what was out there,” Devin said, trying to keep his voice level.
“I understand all of that, but I have no time or desire to try to sneak out to Groom Lake and see what is going on. I feel that someone with a good deal more knowledge and time than I have should be overseeing the projects,” he said.
“Mr. President. I strongly disagree. I oversee the projects. We spend huge amounts of time and money on ensuring that what we do out there does not get out. You know yourself sir, no one in Washington can keep their mouth shut. Sorry, I didn’t mean that like it sounded, but the point is someone else with this information just creates another potential leak,” Devin said.
“I appreciate your concern. Honestly, I do, but I have a bigger fear that we have no real checks and balances in place. This is not a reflection on you General. I think it should have been incorporated back in the beginning,” the President said.
“It wasn’t included because it wasn’t necessary then and it isn’t necessary now.”
“I have to disagree with you general. I would feel a lot more comfortable with some sort of accountability system in place. Need I remind you that you were 'too busy' to speak to me after the crash."
“Sir, the manual is very specific about this.”
“And I am superseding that provision, general.”
“Then you are taking security out of my hands.”
“You may view it that way but I see it as adding a level of security,” the President said.
“Mr. President I strongly oppose this. It will make my job all the more difficult,” Devin said.
“General Devin, if you do not feel you can still do the job, I would be happy to have you assigned to another job that you would be more comfortable with.”
“That’s not right Sir. I have worked my ass off on these projects that we are developing and now you think I should be assigned someplace else? I have been totally dedicated to protecting our national security. We have developed weapons superior to anything in the world and they have saved our asses time and again. And I might add, without any additional accountability. I have served under a number of Presidents and they were comfortable with the situation.”
“And I am saying general, that I intend to make a change and if you can’t live with that, I see no alternative except to have you reassigned,” the President replied.
“Goddamn it sir, this isn’t right. You are punishing me for maintaining the original protocol as followed by every President since Truman. Even Clinton wasn’t that unreasonable.”
