BlackStar, page 17
“I should by now,” she said and hung up.
He was reviewing the station status reports when his phone rang twenty minutes later.
“Raymond Eller.”
“Mr. Eller. This is Stella Watson calling from the White House.”
“Yes, I know. You have a distinctive voice,” he said trying to suppress a chuckle.
“Touché. The President would like for you to come to the Oval Office as soon as you can get here. He has cancelled some meetings to make time for you. Please come as quickly as you can,” she informed him.
“I’m on my way,” he said, gathering up his briefcase.
He told his secretary where he would be and immediately started off. His office, located on the corner of 18th and C Street was just two blocks from the White House so he decided to walk. It would be faster at that time of day. Six minutes later he presented his credentials and was taken to the West Wing.
Stella greeted him and immediately ushered him into the Oval Office.
“Raymond, thank you for coming on such short notice,” the President said, coming around from behind his desk and shaking his hand.
“Mr. President, I should thank you for seeing me so soon,” he replied.
“Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?”
“Water will be just fine,” he said, knowing the President's routine well by now.
“Your message, MJ-12. Tell me, how did you happened to come by that and what does it mean to you?” the President asked.
The usual chitchat was dispensed with immediately.
“Sir, we were approached by a contact who wanted someone to listen to his story about government projects taking place at Groom Lake. According to our source, he is in possession of knowledge about the projects that are classified Ultra Top Secret and are taking place in a facility they term S-4. His story was quite amazing. Since then we have been trying to check his accusations and have talked to others who are telling virtually the same story. The two that we have interviewed both claim to have inside knowledge about the projects that they once worked on. Like I said, it’s quite some story,” Eller said.
“I see. And they claim to know all about the MJ-12 Group?”
“Yes sir. According to our source, one of them was once a member of the MJ-12 Group. Not an original member but a replacement,” he said.
“Really?” the President said, his eyes widening slightly. “That is very interesting indeed. And what else do they have to say about Groom Lake?”
“Well sir, it will take some explaining. That’s why I asked for two hours. I have both a written transcript and the video tapes of the interviews. I have also made an edited version that doesn’t take the nearly fourteen hours of testimony,” Raymond told him.
“Let me ask you, who else has seen these tapes?”
“One of our investigators, a Station Head and myself. So far, no one else has been privy to any of this information. That’s why I wanted to get in to see you as quickly as possible.”
“Good. Good thinking,” the President said.
He stood up and started pacing the room. Eller knew it was better to just wait until he initiated the conversation. He had seen him do this same routine on other occasions. He stopped at the window and looked out for several moments.
Finally he said, “Raymond, I honestly don’t know how to respond to all of this. I could tell you to just drop it at this point. I could tell you that this is all hogwash. What I will say instead is that this information is potentially disastrous. To admit any part of it is to open the box for everything to be divulged. While we try to let the American people know what the government is up to, there are times, as you well know, that we need to keep certain things secret. This is one of those times. S-4 is our most sensitive area and to have someone making accusations about a potential cover-up and getting people all stirred up, is simply not an option.”
“Yes sir. I understand. The problem is that we have more people with knowledge than we can suppress. My people are not the problem. Why don’t you take a look at the video before you decide what to do next?” Eller suggested.
“Certainly. I think that makes sense. I’ll have it set up immediately. I would like you to make whatever arrangements you need to so that you can stay and answer any questions that I may have. I only want you and me in the room.”
“Yes sir. I’ll make some calls and be here in the White House until you send for me,” Eller said.
“Thank you. It won’t be long,” the President replied.
Raymond walked down the hall and made several phone calls from secure landlines. He didn’t like using his cell phone while in the White House.
Stella did not seem pleased by the fact that the President was going to block out even more time. It meant moving people around and she didn’t like anything that disturbed her timetable.
Eller walked to the cafeteria and grabbed a quick sandwich while he was waiting. It was thirty minutes later when he was summoned to join the President in the Executive Conference Room.
The room once called the Roosevelt Room, and later the Fish Room, because of all of the mounted fish on the walls, was chosen because it gave the added privacy and a larger space for the President to pace back and forth in. A large screen TV had been placed at the end of the long table that dominated the room.
“I have asked to have refreshments sent in so that we can continue without being interrupted,” the President said. “You can go ahead and start the video.”
Eller pushed the play button and they sat watching as first George Snapp and then Bob Lake and Dan Barrett were interviewed. Eller had edited out the parts that were not relevant to the larger implications. Even with the editing, it took almost two and a half hours. The President took notes from time to time. Eller watched out of his peripheral vision as the President grimaced on several occasions.
When it was over, Eller ejected the video and turned the lights back on. The President sat for several seconds before getting up and starting his routine pacing.
“That is quite some video. This was the edited version?”
“Yes sir. We have almost another twelve hours that I didn’t include. Some was just introductory or repeating the same material,” Eller replied.
“What do you think? Do you feel they are creditable? What kind of background check have you done on the three men?”
“Let me answer those in reverse order. We have checked George Snapp thoroughly and found him to be a highly thought of and successful investigative reporter. His credentials are excellent and we have seen some of his work. He is not a sensationalist like so many investigative reporters. He has a reputation for really digging out the truth and verifying his sources before he submits his stories. In short, he is reputable and reliable.
As for Barnett and Lake, they have been erased from all data banks. We have managed to talk to people who knew them before they disappeared off the radar and both are highly regarded in their respective fields. When we try to run background checks on them, they simply don’t exist. No birth records, no educational records, and EG&E not only has never heard of them, they don’t know anything about hiring for anyone else except nuclear facility security. They told me they had never heard of Nellis, Groom Lake, or anything like that,” Eller said, pouring a glass of water.
The President continued to pace while he was talking.
“As for your first question, what do I think? Honestly, I don’t know what to think. I guess even though it sounds contrived and farfetched, there are many elements of truth. Could what they say be true? I guess I would have to say, yes, it could be.”
“And General Devin? What’s your take on him?”
“I don’t have any. We have not looked into Devin at all. Mostly because we can’t find any real information on him since he was placed in command at Nellis. One thing we know is that what goes on at the Gunnery Range is on the up and up. What goes on at the other facilities, we are not privy to by Executive Order 191948.22.89,” he said.
“I have to say, I have some reservations about not knowing exactly what General Devin is doing there,” the President said, sitting back down.
Eller sat looking at the huge fireplace that dominated one end of the room while the President sat rubbing his chin, deep in thought. He seemed on the verge of saying something several times but stopped each time. He stood up and started pacing again. Whatever it was, he was struggling with what to do next.
He stopped in mid stride and said, “How long have we known each other Raymond? Fifteen or sixteen years?”
“Yes sir, something like that.”
“Have you ever known me to be indecisive?”
“I have known you to be careful about making many important decisions but indecisive? No, I can’t ever remember a time like that Mr. President.”
“And yet I am not sure how to proceed with this matter. The implications are huge. This is the atomic bomb of problems. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. I’m just thinking out loud about possible ways of handling this. Let’s suppose that what the three men are saying is mostly true. And let’s say their implication that General Devin is working on an unauthorized project that may turn out to be a weapon of some sort, is also true. We would be faced with a huge problem. Taking the general out of the picture could set back every other project in progress. Not taking him out of the picture gives him free reign to do whatever he wants. As of now, he only answers to me, but I have no way of knowing what he is really up to out there in the desert. I can read the reports but how do I know they are the truth?” the President asked.
It was a rhetorical question so Raymond didn’t interrupt.
“What is needed is for General Devin to have to answer to someone who can check up on what is happening out there from time to time. Especially at the S-4 facility. While that sounds all well and good, it means another person added to the growing list of people who know about our national secrets. Too many already know. If Snapp goes public, all hell will break loose, don’t you think?”
Eller waited a second before answering in case he started back up again.
After a few seconds he said, “Yes sir. I do. We are fortunate in some ways that Snapp did come to us first instead of just reporting the story to the general public. It was a real service to the country. He may not have realized it, but it gives us a small window to take whatever action you feel is appropriate in this situation.”
“Whatever action is appropriate. Therein lies the problem doesn’t it?”
“Yes sir, it sure does. Since Truman started all of this, I suppose the saying that ‘the buck stops here’ was never truer than in this situation.”
The President chuckled. It was the first light moment since they had started three hours ago.
“Damn that hardheaded Truman. Look at the pickle he has gotten me into,” he joked back.
“Sir. You know I will do whatever I can to help. If you want me to bury this, I can do that. If you need me to…whatever you decide, you can count on me.”
“I appreciate that and know it to be true. I don’t think we should bury this. I would like for you to try to convince Mr. Snapp that we need additional time to prepare an adequate response and to make some inquires of our own into these allegations. If he refuses to go along with it, so be it. We will do whatever we have to at that time,” the President said.
Raymond wasn’t sure exactly what that meant but he didn’t press the issue at this time.
“Ray, I need someone to check into whatever is going on at Area-51. Someone who can control Devin and keep him in check. I need someone whom I trust not only with the nation’s top secrets, but whom I trust personally.”
“I think that sounds reasonable, Mr. President. You do not have to worry about my office. We will turn everything over to whomever you select,” Raymond replied.
“Good Ray, I’m glad you see it that way because I’m going to really dump on you. I want to instruct General Devin that from this time forward he will directly report to you and you will pass along pertinent information to me.”
Raymond looked at him in surprise. He wasn’t qualified for this kind of assignment.
“Sir, I’m not qualified. I don’t have a degree in astrophysics or whatever it takes.”
“Neither does General Devin.”
“Sir. I appreciate the confidence, but Homeland Security is my first obligation. I don’t see how I could do that and be effective,” Raymond replied.
“Rearrange your staff. Promote one of the your most trusted station heads to Assistant Director. That would free you up. Raymond, I don’t want this knowledge to go any further. I know it’s not the nicest thing I have done, but I feel it is the right direction under the circumstances. I have all the faith in the world in you and you can be assured that the full power of this office will stand behind you one hundred percent.”
There was nothing to discuss really. The President had made up his mind. He had made the hard decision and now it would fall on Eller’s shoulders to find a way of working with General Devin. That in itself would be a monumental challenge.
“As you wish sir, I will make the necessary changes. I will need your assistance in keeping the Homeland Security out of unnecessary congressional hearings. I will also have to have additional funding for the new Assistant Director. It was probably something we needed anyway. I was just trying to keep our overhead down.”
“Excellent. Thank you Raymond. I am grateful for you acceptance of these additional responsibilities,” he said.
“Well sir, it’s damned hard to say no to the President of the United States. My only real concern is General Devin. You will have to make it absolutely clear that I am acting on your behalf and that he is to grant me full access to every project. I will want to make a visit to see firsthand what is going on. Not just a ‘hi, here I am. I want to poke around, talk to staff and the scientists and anyone else I run across. No restrictions.”
“I will personally both articulate it verbally and put into writing those exact orders,” the President said.
“When do you want me to start?”
“Just as quickly as you can make the arrangement to hand off some of your Homeland responsibilities. The sooner the better. I want to know what is actually going on. I hope the information we are getting is wrong, but I can’t take the chance,” the President said.
“I agree. Just one more question.”
“Sure. Fire away.”
“Do we have captured UFO’s and aliens working at S-4?”
The President smiled and said, “You don’t know this but I was able to sneak away for a few hours to visit S-4. Hold on to your jaw because it will drop to the floor. The answer is yes. I saw them for myself. So have several past Presidents. Just like we were told in the interviews of Lake, Snapp, and Barnett. I can confirm that they do exist, as does a living alien that they refer to as ‘J’."
“I’ll be damned. They are telling the truth,” Raymond said.
“At least part of it. Now we have to find out if Devin is keeping other things from this office. The sooner you can answer that question the better for all of us,” the President said.
“Then you knew about this all along?”
“Not the part about the possibility of Devlin working on an unauthorized project.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
- HOMELAND SECURITY HQ -
Sarah was in her office when Eller returned from his meeting with the President at the White House. She was going over progress files on outstanding cases from her district. Her office was directly on the corner so she had two windows. If she looked just right she could see the Washington Monument.
She had managed to transform the room from a dull government office to one that was surprisingly comfortable and pleasant. Tasteful prints were hung on two of the walls and fresh flowers in attractive vases placed in different locations. A handsome rug was positioned in front of her desk and the two leather side chairs matched her desk chair. A credenza with smoked glass doors was directly behind her desk. Several pictures of her with various relatives and friends sat on top. The desk had an oversized top and was polished to a mirror like gleam. A leather ink blotter and a small crystal encased clock were all that she normally kept on her desk.
Today was different. Files were placed in stacks on the top of the credenza and her desk. Once a month Sarah would pull out all of the active files and review them. It was daunting work but she knew it was the key to her success. She never wanted to be caught off guard if asked a question about a particular case and this system worked best for her. She was reading one of the files and making notes on a yellow legal pad when her phone rang.
She reluctantly put down the file and answered, “Sara Steal, Homeland Security, how may I help you?”
“Sorry Sarah, its Raymond. Your secretary warned me that you were reviewing case files and I know you hate to be interrupted when you working on files, but something has come up that I would like to discuss with you.”
“No problem. I was thinking of giving it a rest for a while anyway. I haven’t eaten yet and I was contemplating running down to Stan’s Deli,” she said.
“Well, if you don’t mind, I’ll tag along. I could use a good pastrami on rye and a big fat dill pickle.”
“Great. I’ll run to the ladies room and then I’ll stop by your office.”
“Okay I’ll be ready whenever you are.”
This was only the second time she had ever talked to the director outside of the office. She was certainly curious. Then again, maybe she was making too much out of it. It could be that the guy was just as hungry as she was.
She had heard that the President was good for refreshments but short on substantial food. He was always watching his weight and evidently thought everyone else should. A few minutes later she stuck her head in Raymond’s office and they signed out and headed down the street.
Stan’s Deli was a jewel in a city full of unique eating places. No one could beat the sandwiches at Stan’s. The kosher pickles were crisp and had just enough brine to make them mouthwatering.
