Jack jotted down his last notes. “Yes, sir. Understood.”
AS PETER WALKED into Gavin’s office, he sensed his boss was uncharacteristically tense. They were all upset with the findings presented by the UN, but Gavin seemed disturbed and uneasy for some other reason. Peter assumed the reason had to do with why he was called to his office.
When Peter sat, Gavin walked over and locked his door, something he had never done before. When he crossed back and sat behind his desk, a worried look crept onto his face. Feeling he needed to lighten the mood, Peter jokingly asked, “You seem a little agitated, boss. Have you eaten lunch?”
Not smiling, Gavin responded in a serious tone, “No I haven’t, but that’s not my problem.”
Gavin put both arms on his desk and slightly leaned toward Peter and looked him squarely in his eyes. “Peter, I have a top secret mission passed on by the president. Once I heard the details, you were the only agent I considered, and I told Jack such.”
Wow, directly from the president, that’s a first.
Gavin went on. “The mission calls for you to do something that has not happened in almost forty years and will probably take a miracle to succeed.”
Peter’s eyes narrowed. What the hell am I getting myself into—forty years and a miracle to succeed? So what. I can handle it, bring it on! No goddamn way am I ever going to turn down a mission. Never have, never will. If it’s hard and the odds are long, I’m your man, baby!
Gavin paused for awhile, as if trying to figure out the best way to say what he wanted to convey. “This mission requires you to go to the moon. The purpose is to take detailed pictures and videos of a few of our landing sites plus China’s and relay this information back to us. Of course you will have to first disengage the laser in order to accomplish this mission.”
Peter practically fell out of his chair. “Wow, go to the moon?” A million thoughts and questions raced through his excited mind. How in the world are they going to get me to the moon? Does NASA have a moon rocket I’m unaware of? Why the hell is Gavin so distraught telling me this? He knows how badly I’ve wanted to fly in space, and this mission is the granddaddy of them all!
“There is one major problem with this mission,” added Gavin.
Peter straightened in his chair. Oh shit… here it comes. He rubbed his hands on his pant legs, waiting for Gavin’s response.
“At this point, NASA has a plan on how to get you to the moon,” Gavin paused momentarily, Peter hanging on every word, “but has no way of getting you back.”
The news was a punch to Peter’s gut. He slumped into his chair, shaking his head. Damn! He could handle missions with slim chances of survival, even those with chances of being captured, but one with no chance of survival at all! That was a different story. Now he understood why Gavin was distraught.
It was a suicide mission.
Peter loved life, and as much as he wanted to do this for his country and his dad, to lose his life in the process changed everything. “Any chance of finding a way to get me back?”
“I don’t think so,” Gavin said shaking his head.
Peter had to ease the tension in the air. “Wow, you get me excited with a mission of a lifetime, and then you tell me I have to die for it.”
Not wavering from his serious tone, Gavin leaned back in his chair. “Peter, this is the ultimate sacrifice for your country and I know it will be a difficult decision to make. I want you to know there will be no negative consequences on your future with this agency if you turn down this mission. That came down directly from the president and Jack backs it. However, I will need your answer within the next forty-eight hours.”
What the hell am I going to do? I sure don’t want to die, too many women out there. But to go to the moon, wow! I have to at least hear the details. Peter leaned back in his chair and asked, “So how exactly am I going to get to the moon? Does NASA have a rocket available?”
Gavin cleared his throat. “No. In fact NASA will not be involved with the mission, and neither will SID. If you take this on, you will have to resign from the CIA. The U.S. cannot be associated in any way. Only a few of us will know you are doing this for America. NASA has laid out the preliminary plan for getting you to the moon, but you will have to carry it out on your own. Or if you choose, I can provide another agent to support you. It’s up to you.”
Peter rubbed his neck. “Why kill two men if one can handle it? Of course I have to hear the details, but if I feel there isn’t a better chance of success with help, then I might as well go it alone. So exactly how is this whole thing going to work?”
Gavin went on to explain the mission. As Peter heard the particulars, he became intrigued by the whole plan. This was not going to be an easy decision. After Gavin was done, Peter needed time to think. Gavin understood and reminded him not to speak with anyone. He suggested Peter take some time off and get back to him in a couple of days.
PETER DECIDED TO TAKE GAVIN up on his offer. He felt the best place to make his decision was visiting his parents in Houston. He was in his hotel room packing for the trip. He was pissed his room hadn’t been cleaned even though it was late afternoon. He was always messy in hotels, knowing he had the luxury of a maid to tidy up. This must be the maid’s last stop. He grudgingly worked through the mess. As he packed he couldn’t help thinking of the amazing mission offered to him. In his wildest dreams, he never thought he would ever get such an opportunity, to go where only a handful of men had gone. The moon was the ultimate assignment, but unfortunately, one that would cost him his life. He equated it to being tempted by the hottest lady in the bar, who happened to have a deadly transferable disease. Is the thrill worth losing your life over? This was not going to be an easy decision. If he decided to take on the mission, this visit to Houston could be the last time he would see his parents. He was struggling with what he should do.
As he continued packing, the shrill sound of his cell phone cut through the air. Having no idea where it was, he maneuvered through the mess searching for it. His ears indicated the sound came from the desk. Of course there was a bunch of crap on it. Why do I have to be such a slob? Good thing it kept ringing as he searched. He finally had its position pegged when he lifted a wet towel. There it was, still ringing. He picked up the phone and looked at the display: “Mom.” She must have finally gotten his message and she was going to be all excited that her only child was finally coming home. He pressed “accept” hoping to catch her before the call was sent to voicemail. “Hello, Mom.”
“Hello, honey,” she said with sadness in her voice.
Surprised she sounded so grim he asked, “Something wrong, Mom?”
“Peter, I have some terrible news,” she said. She paused, as if she were trying to compose herself before telling him something important.
His heart sank, beating harder at the note in her voice. “What is it?”
Finally, she said in a crackling voice, “Your dad had a major heart attack this morning.”
The words hung in Peter’s ear. Numbly, he said, “Is he okay? Mom, tell me, is he?”
Her voice filled with pain. “It’s pretty serious. He is unconscious. The doctors have been unable to make a diagnosis.”
Peter swallowed his fear. Stay calm. “How did it happen?”
“On the treadmill in his office. He was lying unconscious when I arrived, his head caught up in the handrails. Blood all over the place from a hit to his forehead. I was so scared. I quickly turned off the machine and cradled his head. I called out his name, but he never answered.”