He dropped them off at the alley where they had met originally.
“Keep a watch out; don’t think Devin is afraid of you because you are from Homeland Security. I don’t think he would let a small thing like that stop him,” Lake said when he rolled his widow down.
“Thank you for the advice. I’m sure that even General Devin isn’t foolish enough try something against us,” Sarah said.
“You just don’t understand who you are dealing with,” was his final warning as he drove off.
“Strange bird,” Willis said as they got into his car and drove out of the driveway.
“Yes, but you never know. I will admit, the story was just about the same. You know, it jives with the others pretty much. Could there be any truth to what they are saying?”
“Aliens here on earth? Working with the government? I honestly don’t know. I guess it could be true, I mean look at Ted Kennedy. He was a prime example of someone from another planet. Talk about your alien beings,” Willis said.
They drove along for several miles before Willis said, “I don’t want to be paranoid, but I think someone is following us.”
“Knock it off. You’re starting to believe this stuff,” Sarah laughed.
“No. I’m serious. Look in the side mirror. Third car back. Dark blue GMC. It pulled out when we left the house,” Willis said.
“How could they do that? They would have to be following Lake’s every move without him knowing. You saw how he drove.”
“All I’m saying is that it seems like they have been tailing us,” Willis replied.
“Then let’s see. Turn at the next street and don’t signal,” Sarah directed.
When they got to the corner, Willis turned right and watched as the GMC turned. He immediately put some distance between them.
“Right again,” Sarah said.
Once again the GMC fell in behind them. They were definitely being followed.
“What the hell is going on?” Willis said, watching in the side view mirror.
“Someone wants to know who is talking to Lake. How in the hell did they know where he was? He wasn’t followed. At least I don’t see how with all the changes he made,” Sarah said.
“I don’t know but do you think he is in danger?”
“I don’t know,” she said, getting her cell phone out of her purse. She dialed the number that Lake had given her, remembering to dial the number in reverse. It rang and rang but no one answered.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
General Devin’s answer to the President was short.
“I’m staying,” was all he said.
The President acted like he was glad to hear the news but Devin suspected otherwise.
In truth, the President didn’t want Devin to leave. No one could just step into his shoes and that was all the more reason he wanted someone else to know just what was going on at Groom Lake.
The general flew back to Nevada immediately. He was in a foul mood and didn’t even check in on the BlackStar project. He went straight to his office and sent for his ‘consultants’ as he referred to them.
“Here is the report General,” a large man in sunglasses said, handing a folder to the general. It contained twelve, neatly typed pages.
“Thank you. I’ll read it and let you know if I need you further.”
“Yes sir. Payment?”
“Of course,” the general said, passing over a fat envelope.
The general waited until they were gone before he put on his reading glasses. He was much too vain to let anyone know that he needed glasses to read. He opened the report and started reading. It took him several minutes to read the twelve page report.
“Damn it,” he said and tossed the report down on his desk.
Lake and Barnett had met with the nosy investigative reporter, George Snapp. He had met them individually and then a second time with both of them. Now he finds out that Lake has met with someone else. A woman and a man, but who were they and where were they from?
They had broken off the surveillance when they knew they had been spotted. Whoever it was knew they were being tailed almost immediately. Maybe Lake had warned them but they doubted that he even knew they had found his secret meeting place.
The general paced back and forth in his drab military office trying to plan his next move. First the President and now this. Lake was becoming a real liability. He would like to have him eliminated but now that would cause more harm than good. He had talked to too many people and he could not be taken out. The same was true for Dr. Barnett.
George Snapp, on the other hand, was just the middle man. He was the mouthpiece. If he was out of the picture no one would be able to tell the story. It would create a little concern, but he wasn’t a key figure. He had no real firsthand knowledge. All he had was the story of Lake and Barnett. Once Snapp was eliminated, things would die down and then he could arrange an accident for the other two at a later time.
The only thing stopping him from having Snapp eliminated immediately was this new development of the man and woman. Why did they go to talk to Lake? He must have told them his story. Nothing else made sense. He needed to know who they were and what they had learned.
If they were associates of Snapp, that could create a problem. He needed to solve that mystery. Maybe it was someone from the FBI or CIA. The description of the car sure sounded like a government issued vehicle. Maybe Snapp had the answer to that as well. One thing for sure, George Snapp had a lot of information that he needed. It was time to arrange a little chat with the inquisitive George Snapp.
THIRTY-FIVE
Craig Hollister walked down the hall of the West Wing of the White House. He was early so he had time to stop and chat with a few friends and acquaintances. Hollister was the talk of the fashion conscious. He was always in vogue and dressed nicer than anyone, including the President.
It irritated some, but most found him charming and very approachable. He had been around a great deal since he was appointed Secretary of Defense.
The Vice-President didn’t have the same view as the President but he tolerated Hollister because to do anything less could result in a potential political squabble. He didn’t want that at all. He had designs on being the President after Oscar Zane Sampson, or OZ as he was called in certain circles, left office. He walked to the Oval Office exactly thirty seconds early and presented himself with his usual flair.
“You can go on in, the President is ready.”
“Thank you. That is sure is an attractive outfit you have on today,” he said, flashing large white teeth that were almost too perfect.
“You always say that.”
“And it’s always true,” he said, pushing open the door.
“Craig, come on in. Have a seat,” the President said.
“Mr. President. Mr. Vice President,” he said and sat down on one of the couches.
“Would you like something to drink? Coffee, Tea, Coke?”
“No thank you sir. I’m fine.”
“I know you are wondering why I sent for you. Let me start by saying that I hope I didn’t offend you when General Devin was here.”
“Not at all sir. I understand that there are things that are for the President’s eyes only. I wasn’t the least bit disturbed.”
“It didn’t appear that way but let’s move on. Are you sure you wouldn’t like something?”
“A Diet Coke maybe,” he said, knowing that the President would ask the same question until he took something.
“Excellent,” he said and ordered a Diet Coke to be brought in.
Hollister popped the top and poured it into the tall glass filled with ice. The President waited until he had taken a drink before he started in.