“Keith,” Terri said in an exasperated voice, “Will you stop it.”
Captain Lucas smiled at the couple. “Something did come up, so I am going to give you the grand tour and have you back here by 2:45pm for your luncheon.”
“Super. Do you know if we still get the bologna sandwiches?”
“You’re not as funny as you think you are,” Terri said before adding, “Try to behave. We’re only here for a few hours.”
Captain Lucas handed both visitors a plastic badge to hang around their neck. “Why don’t we start at the bottom? We’ll go to the lowest level your ‘general visitor’ security clearance will allow, then work our way back here. It should take us about that much time until the General expects you.”
General Bishop, third in line at USNORTHCOM, but the senior ranking member on site, picked up his phone after the first ring without looking at it. “General Bishop,” he said into the receiver while still concentrating on the report before him.
“Colonel Forrest, sir. Sir, we still have over fifty vehicles to process. There is nothing holding us up, but I just don’t think we will make the 4:00pm deadline.”
The General looked up from his report, but at nothing specific while saying, “The deadline will be met Colonel. I’ll leave it up to your discretion as to how that gets accomplished. If you need to start retaining the vehicles inside without unloading the cargo, do it. If a vehicle has a trailer, then leave it, and release the tractor. Keep a civilian bus outside to transport anyone who is not remaining with us. We can work on relocating everything afterwards,” he ordered.
“That’s gonna piss a lot of people off Frank,” the colonel replied. James Forrest and Frank Bishop had been both classmates and close friends from their first year together at the academy.
“I know Jim, but that’s the way it’s gotta be. I’ll expect to hear from you again after the mountain is sealed, and the perimeter is secure. Make sure the officer in charge places the outside security detail on ‘stand to’ alert until further notice. Do whatever is necessary, with my authority, to make it happen.”
“Yes sir,” the Colonel said as he hung up the phone wondering if it was really worth upsetting all of the people they were going to upset just to reach a deadline for an exercise.
After they had witnessed the fortified design of the facility, and were briefed on the many functions therein, they were truly impressed. It was much more than they anticipated and nothing like they imagined. The lower levels were still clean and well maintained, but they were more in line with what one expected to see in such a structure. Not all of the walls were covered by man-made materials, and none of the people who worked there wore fancy attire. The floors were a mixture of concrete and crushed stone. On the upper levels, everything was painted metal, glass, and concrete. It was a sterile environment. To Keith’s surprise, his father was waiting for him when they walked into the outer office.
“It’s good to see you,” he said as he extended his hand to his son, “You’re looking good Terri,” he said as he briefly embraced her. “So what do you think of our little operation here?” he said as he turned and escorted them into his office.
Apparently, Keith thought, it was just going to ‘lunch en famille,’ as his father closed the door behind them. “Quite a place,” Keith said.
“I thought it was amazing. I never knew it was this big. And your aide said the places we couldn’t see are even bigger,” she finished.
“Yes. We have large amounts of storage facilities, and other operation areas within the complex. You just never have enough room for everything you need.”
“I can’t believe you actually have a tractor trailer driving inside a mountain,” Terri said.
The general smiled at her while leading them to a table set for three.
When they had finished their meal, they made small talk catching up with current and career events in each other’s lives. At the time, Keith thought his father was a bit distracted
“Are you still going to school Terri,” the general asked.
“Yeah Dad; I hope to eventually get out of nursing and into research.”
“Then, I think you’ll enjoy this,” he said with a smile as he led them into a corridor they had not traveled earlier.
After a number of turns, they came to a desk with an armed guard seated behind it. When he saw the stars of a general officer, he immediately rose to attention. “As you were,” his father said. “I need to sign these two in.”
“Yes sir,” the young man said as he handed over a clipboard a bit uncomfortably in the presence of a General officer.
While his father looked at his watch, wrote their names, date, time, and destination into the corresponding blocks, Keith took the time to look around. He noticed for the first time all of the pipes and conduits running along the ceiling, and not just the walls. He saw lines for water, both hot and cold, electricity, gas, cable, and one other, which he could not identify because the tag was turned. Each line was painted differently to signify what it held, while also having a metal tag attached to the lines to label it. It was redundant, but that was the way of the military. By then they were on their way. He had not counted on being here quite this long, but Terri seemed to be enjoying herself, and he did not get to spend much time with his father, so he would endure. The young airman opened the door so they could pass through, then secured it behind them.
“How do we get out,” Keith asked when he felt the change in pressure and heard the door being locked.
“We’ll call him from there,” his father said pointing to a phone on the wall, “He’ll ask for the word of the day and then he’ll open the door.”
Before they could go any further, a genial older man, who appeared to be in his early sixties, walked up to them.
“Dr. Maddow, this is my son Captain Keith Bishop, and his wife Terri, who I told you about earlier.”
“My pleasure captain,” he said as he shook his hand in a much stronger grip than Keith expected, “And to you too Mrs. Bishop.”
“Nice to meet you,” they replied in turn.
“I don’t know what would interest the captain in here as it is all mostly research and labs, but if you would like to see our programs here Mrs. Bishop, I’d be happy to show you around. Your father-in-law said you have a professional interest in this sort of thing.”
Terri was considering the size and scope of the laboratory as she examined her surroundings. “I’d love to,” she said with a winning smile.
“Good. Come with me,” Dr. Maddow said as he turned to lead her away.
Keith was making an appraisal of the man they were just introduced to when his father motioned for them to move along. He was friendly enough in his manner, but his eyes told another story. They were not what one would refer to as ‘evil,’ but they were cold and calculating, even while his overall demeanor was friendly. He did not seem the type to be happy about giving a private tour to a stranger, an unimportant one at that, but then again, maybe it was asked as a favor by his father.
“Why don’t we go back to my office? I have a number of things to talk to you about in private,” his father said.
“Okay dad,” Keith said as his thoughts were once again interrupted. His father was never an obvious person, which is why Keith was patient enough to know that for whatever reason he was brought here today, it would only be revealed when his father was ready to do so.
