“That will be just fine. I look forward to dinner. Oh, one other thing, what kind of credentials do I need to enter the various buildings?”
“A laminated pass attached to a lanyard is inside on the desk in the den. Just keep it with you at all times. You simply swipe it to gain access.”
“And it is good for all locations?
“I assumed you wanted to have total access. Your card is good for all areas, including ULTRA SECRET. Please, do not lose that card. It is better to wear it at all times while you are here.”
“Thank you general. I’ll see you later,” Eller said climbing out of the Hummer.
He walked up the steps and watched as the general drove off in a cloud of dust. He opened the door and a refreshing blast of cool air cascaded over him. Inside it was stale smelling but without the humidity. He opened the blinds and went from room to room. He decided to use only the downstairs bedroom rather than dragging everything up and down the stairs each time.
There was a huge fireplace in the living room and he wondered about the need for it. It was at least 98 degrees outside and this was the cool season. The furniture was a little too antiquated for his taste but it was solid and in good shape. The hardwood floors made it noisy as he walked around, looking in the various rooms. A few rugs would have taken care of that but there were none. He went about the task of settling in.
While that was taking place the general went about his business of making sure all of his plans were in place as well. He might have to report to Eller but this was his turf and there were some things that Eller did not need to know about. He had come way too far to let someone like Eller or even the President upset his applecart.
“Sarah, it's Willis.”
“Hi, what’s up?”
“I had a gut feeling, so when I set our surveillance detail I put on a second set, just to see if anyone else was watching the place,” he said.
“And they are.”
“Correct. I’m not sure who they are at this point but eventually they will lead us back to the source. They are so busy patting themselves on the back for discovering our team that they aren’t watching their own backs.”
“You’re sure? What if they are doing the same thing?”
“Sarah, shame on you. You know how I operate. If someone else was involved I damn sure would know it,” he chided her.
“Sorry. I thought since you were now a station head maybe you had forgotten the grunt work,” she said laughing.
“Yeah. It’s been a whole week now. Listen, not to change the subject, but changing the subject anyway, the preliminary report on Snapp said that the bomb was high grade C-4c. Very few people have access to that kind of plastic explosives. It was definitely professionally done, not some homemade car bomb,” he told her.
“Any suspects?”
“Not yet. They were pros, no doubt about it. I doubt that the police will get much closer than they are right now. Just wanted to let you know,” he said.
“Thanks. Hey, Willis. You be damned careful. Whoever is behind all of this plays rough.”
“I will boss. I can play just as rough as the next guy,” he said as he hung up.
Sarah mulled the information over in her head. It had to be another government agency involved, but killing? Was it a rogue operation of some kind? Could it be Devin? Undoubtedly they had a lot of clout and that meant that her people had better be very careful. Whoever it was wouldn’t let a little thing like working for the same government stop them once they decided on a course of action.
She wrote herself a note to fill Eller in on the latest developments when she talked to him next. One thing was sure, she was going to have to wait for him to call. Wherever he was, she couldn’t get a signal through. His cell phone recording said that he was out of the service area.
The dinner with General Devin was amicable but strained. You did not have to be a genius to feel the hostility just below the surface. Devin was a man used to getting his own way and having total autonomy. Now he was going to have to deal with Eller, and it was definitely a burr in his shorts.
Raymond had driven back to his quarters after the dinner and re-read the files supplied by the White House staff. He wanted to make as few blunders as possible. After dressing the next morning, he drove over to the main base mess hall. People seemed to avert their eyes whenever he would look at them. They were trying to size him up. He was sure that rumors had already circulated as to who he was and why he was here.
At breakfast he intentionally sat down at a table that was almost full. The conversation died immediately. He took a few bites before saying anything to those seated near him. It was a typical military mess hall. The standard long tables with laminated tops, fixed bench seating and cheap silverware continued to be the norm. One thing was different; the plates were real and so was the glassware.
“Hi, my name is Raymond Eller. What do you guys do around here?” he asked.
