They are armed and are authorized to shoot anyone who ignores their commands. The gunnery range is complex and made up of many different segments. Lake Mead or Base II area is where nuclear weapons are stored. Another segment is the town of Mercury. It is a government owned town that is the supply and administrative center for the Nevada Test Site.
Raymond was fascinated as he read the official documents about the entire Nellis Gunnery Range and surrounding area. He was able to get a topographical map of the area and after a few minutes of searching found a designation for ‘The Hump’. The elevation was listed at 5275 feet. It had to be the place written about on the paper he had found.
It still didn’t tell him what was out there or if it was even important but now he knew it existed for sure. When he went back, he would take the topographical map and find this mysterious place called The Hump.
He wouldn’t have long to wait. Lockheed called and told him that the Su-12 would be released to Groom Lake in three weeks. He knew he didn’t have to be there when it arrived. The scientists who worked on Su-11, told him that it had taken them a week just to get it ready for basic flight ops.
He scheduled his return trip for four weeks later.
Three weeks passed and Eller had settled into the Washington routine again. He had been called twice to testify at congressional hearings. They were almost always a waste of his time and were primarily used to enact personal vendettas against one group or another.
Raymond was used to them and let them roll off his back for the most part. A bunch of puffed up congressmen, believing their own campaign slogans, used them as a place to show their constituents back home that they were on the job.
Because of the Su-12 project, he had asked for clarification about NASA’s Aurora II project. When he studied the report from NASA, it seemed to have the same purpose as the Su program taking place at Groom Lake. Since Lockheed was developing both spacecraft, he wondered why two separate programs were being developed.
No one could give him an answer. It wasn’t until he was able to trace the funding trail that he discovered that the Su project was a CIA program. They used the same basic Aurora II craft but modified it with stealth technology, additional spying capabilities, and many other features that were different from the NASA version.
He had developed a list of questions he wanted to look into when he went to Groom Lake again. It turned out that he didn’t have to wait long for that event to take place.
“A James Whittaker from Lockheed is on line two.”
“Put him through,” Raymond said.
“Mr. Eller. James Whittaker. I’m the program director for the Su project. I have been instructed to notify you when the Su-12 was ready to be released. I am informing you that it will be transported to the designated facility on Thursday of next week. It is scheduled to arrive at 02:15 and will be placed in Hanger 18 for final fitting.”
“Thank you Mr. Whittaker. Just one question if you don’t mind.”
“If I can answer it, go ahead.”
“Does the Su-12 have defense capabilities?”
“In what way do you mean?”
“Does it have missile deployment, or other types of defense capabilities?”
“Our job was to provide the platform. We are not privy to what is done from there.”
“Okay. Then let me be more direct. Does the Su-12 have hard points where missiles can be attached?”
“I think that would be a question that should be answered by the client,” Whittaker replied.
“In other words yes.”
“Your words, not mine Mr. Eller. You would need to talk to the CIA about specifics.”
“Thank you for the notification,” Raymond said.
So the Su-12 was more than just a shuttle vehicle. What was its real purpose, he wondered? He quickly called the President at the special number he had been given but he was meeting with foreign dignitaries and was unavailable. He would have to fill him in later. He spent the rest of the day, briefing Sarah regarding questions that needed to be answered from the last congressional hearings.
“When do they want them?”
“Next Tuesday.”
“And you will be gone?”
“No, but on my way. Welcome to the world of fun and games,” he said.
“Am I ready for this?”
“As ready as I was the first time. Sarah, I have absolutely no reservations about you going in my place.”
“I appreciate your confidence. Any tips?”
“Just one. Try to steer clear of Hillary. She doesn’t like women testifying at these hearings. Actually, she doesn’t like men either. I’m not sure what she does like, other than power. If she gets off on one of her tirades, let her rant. No one really cares what she says,” he warned her.
“Well, I guess it’s time I earned my new title,” she said.
“Not to mention that large pay raise.”
“Oh heavens yes, both dollars of it.”
“Tower, Fox Trot One-Niner, we are over the pyramid.”
