“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 far-fetched, 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 948.22.89,” 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.
Of course he knew about the other things but he didn’t want to play his hand just yet.
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 report directly to you and you will pass along pertinent information to me.”