President Aristov asked, “They’re just going to accept almost ten million people into their country which is going to shrink by 60 to 70 percent?”
The Director of the FSB smiled, “Sir, our agents in the Canadian government believe they agreed to pay the American government.”
“What good is money going to be if the rock hits? This doesn’t make any sense.”
“Not in cash, in oil, in rare Earth minerals, and in food. Much of it has already begun being transported to the American southern states. The Canadian people have no idea what their government is doing or that the rock is coming.”
“How is it no one else saw the rock coming? I thought there were systems searching the skies so these things couldn’t happen.”
The GRU director responded, “We’ve checked with our agents in most of the world’s telescopes. Whomever sent the request had the area they asked them to search wrong. Someone had transposed two numbers so their large arrays were all looking in the wrong place.”
President Aristov laughed, “You’re telling me some fool transposed two numbers and they missed the damned rock?”
“Yes, sir. Best we can tell, that’s what happened, and it was an act of human error. Our agent in NASA believes in the excitement of the discovery, the grad student mixed up the numbers and no one caught on.”
President Aristov laughed again. “I think it is time for me to call the American President and have a little chat with him. Proceed with the launches and keep me informed.”
“Yes, sir.”
@@@@@
President Lanoha was informed Russian President Aristov was on the secure hot line. “Mr. President how can I help you?”
“Mr. President, I believe it’s time we have a face to face meeting, a very secure and secret meeting.”
President Lanoha shook his head, “Would you like to share the topic with me?”
“I’ll say two words. I think once I say them, you’ll understand why the meeting has to be secure and secret, those two words are, Robert’s Rock.”
President Lanoha pressed the mute button and he leaned back in his seat. How the hell does he know about the damned rock and the nick name? He unmuted the phone, “Where and when?”
“When is as soon as possible. Where is more difficult because we both have to disappear for a day. That is much easier for me then you, so why don’t you suggest the where. I can travel anywhere with a few hours’ notice.”
“I am due to take a long weekend starting this Thursday, I can arrange to disappear for a day, since I’ll be on the West Coast, how about in Alaska?”
“No, I do not wish to land in one of your states, I have another idea, you currently have one of your aircraft carriers in the mid Pacific. Announce you will be making a surprise visit to the ship and have one of your planes meet me at one of my airports on the coast. Your plane will take me to your carrier where we can meet in private. I assume you will be able to control what those on your ship see and say.”
“I can and will make the arrangements for a meeting this Friday, the USS…”
“Bush, you call her CVN 77. I look forward to our little meeting. I will be bringing one scientist with me and I suggest you bring one who knows about the rock too. By the way, were you ever wondering why no one was ever able to confirm the existence of Robert’s Rock?”
“I have been…”
“Why don’t you ask the famous Robert who discovered the rock to triple check his numbers, the ones he supplied to his Dean and the ones supplied to the other arrays, you might learn a very interesting fact. DasviDAniya.”
President Lanoha called the Director of the CIA and the Secretary of Defense, “I need to see you right now, drop everything and get here. I just had a remarkably interesting call with President Aristov who knows.”
“He knows?”
“Yes, he knows about the rock and he wants to meet to discuss options. I don’t know how he found out about it. I don’t think he’s very happy and I also think he has a plan and wants our support. I have agreed to meet him, I want you two to figure out, one how he found out and two what might be some of the options he wants to discuss. I do not want to go into that meeting and be caught flat footed.”
Chapter 10
The Army convoy with the Coats tucked in with them slowly drove towards the Army’s FOB. The roads had been torn up by the constant freezing and plowing by the heavy tank. None of the roads were designed for 70-ton tracked beasts. The heavy blades designed to dig up land mines easily tore up the asphalt. Trinity and Ariden were shaken in the SUV’s back seat. The constant bouncing and shaking caused Ariden to say, “Mom, I need to go to the bathroom again.”
Jon shook his head, “Honey, I’m sorry but there aren’t any until we reach their base and I don’t know how far away it is, you’re going to have to hold it.”
“Daddy, how long will it be until we reach their base?”
“I don’t know, I was told to follow the vehicle in front of us and not to leave the line, if we did, they might not come for us. They’re escorting us to safety.”
Trinity interrupted, “Daddy, look out your window, I see snowmobiles on the ridge. They are pacing us, and I saw one holding a rifle and another had
