Unlike the other two checkpoints, which were staffed by Cammo dudes, this station is manned by Air Force Security Forces Specialists, and they’re taking their job very seriously. While one of them inspects the paperwork, two others bring out bomb-sniffing dogs and a mirror sweep to check under the pickup for explosives.
No banter. No joking around. No conversation at all.
Xavier and I wait anxiously for them to finish their inspection.
Charlene’s thoughts were drifting toward what might be contained in Emilio’s notebooks, and she was about to suggest that they go and pick them up when Fionna said softly, “I might have something on Dr. Schatzing.”
“What is it?”
“So I was doing some checking on his phone records, right? And—”
“Wait, Fionna. Is that even legal?”
“It is when you have a contract with Verizon to see if you can break into their system. Landed it last month. You wouldn’t believe how often it’s already come in handy.”
“I can only imagine.”
“Anyway, our friend here makes a lot of calls to a certain escort agency. High-end girls.” She pulled up a file and highlighted the appropriate data on the screen. “It looks like he enjoys the company of a female companion two nights a week.”
Charlene pointed to another recurring number, this time on his incoming calls. “What’s this?”
“Let’s find out.”
After a few seconds of typing, Fionna said, “Looks like that’s from the security guard station at the entrance to his gated community.”
“They ring him when the girls arrive.”
“Yup.”
For a moment it seemed like neither one of them was sure where to take things from there. Finally, Fionna suggested, “I think we should call him and ask about Emilio, how he knew him, if he might know who could have been behind his death. Just be up-front about it. Why not? What do we have to lose?”
Charlene stared at the phone.
“Oh. Right.” Fionna picked it up. “I’ll do it.”
She punched in a number and started with her name, but was quickly cut short. Fionna listened for a few seconds, and before she could get out a full explanation, whoever had answered hung up.
Finally, she did as well. “I think I actually found someone who likes talking on the phone less than you do.”
“No easy task.”
“No it’s not. But if I repeated what he told me to do to myself for disturbing him, I think you’d agree with me.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
Fionna screwed up her mouth. “So where does that leave us?”
The incoming calls from the subdivision’s security entrance came like clockwork at eight o’clock nearly every Saturday and Sunday night.
A plan was forming in Charlene’s mind.
It was ludicrous.
But maybe it wasn’t so ludicrous after all.
“I’m not sure,” she replied, caught up in her thoughts.
Fionna stretched, then cracked her neck. “I should probably spend some time with my kids. They’ll be wanting supper pretty soon, and I’m not sure what else to do on this front. If Schatzing won’t talk to us, we’ll just have to wait until Jevin and Xavier get back from Groom Lake and figure out a plan then.”
But Charlene was already figuring one out.
What are you even thinking? Go get the box of Emilio’s things, look through them. Decide then. You should still have time.
“Tell you what, why don’t we take the kids out, get a bite to eat at Jenny’s Grille at the Arête. We can pick up Emilio’s things from Clive Fridell while we’re there. Who knows, maybe there’s something in them that can give us a clue as to how to move forward.”
“Hmm… We are kind of in vacation mode. I suppose eating out one more time this week would be alright. I’ll round ’em up.”
“I’ll make the arrangements with Fridell.”
Officer Gordon Shepard cussed, then called Jesús Garcia. “It wasn’t them.”
“What?”
“Banks and Antioch. It wasn’t them. We were following lookalikes. They were gambling and signing autographs here, but then I heard one of the security guards mutter something to his buddy about ’em. I showed him my badge, asked him about it. Turns out he knows Banks and Antioch, works their shows. These two are their body doubles.”
“Clever.” Garcia sounded more impressed than upset. “And so you have no idea where Antioch and Banks really are?”
“No. Unless they’re still at the house.”
“Where are you?”
“Still at the Arête.”
“Stay there until I contact you. I have a couple calls to make.”
“We need to check in at the station, put on our blues, get the patrol car.”
“When?”
“Within the hour.”
“I should be able to get back to you by then.”
It takes nearly fifteen minutes, but at last the Air Force personnel clear us and return the clipboard to me. “Alright. You’re clear to Gate 11. You know the routine.”
“Sure,” I tell him. “Thanks.”
He presses a button and the spikes in the road retract, allowing us to drive forward. Then he steps aside and waves us through.
I ease past the razor-wire fence, over the retracted spikes, and onto the military installation itself.
“We did it.” My voice is soft. Almost reverent. “We’re here.”
A nod. Xavier looks like he’s in a daze. He’s dreamed of coming here for years, and I can see it’s a little overwhelming to him to finally be on the installation.
“Now we just need to find Building A-13,” I say.
“Stay on this road for now. I’ll give you the directions.”
“I wonder if it’s where they keep the Ark of the Covenant hidden. You know, like from the Indiana Jones movies?”
Xavier is quiet.
“I was kidding, Xav.”
“I know. The Ark of the Covenant is really in Ethiopia. In Aksum. It’s guarded by virgin Coptic Christian monks who aren’t allowed to ever leave the chapel’s property, where it rests, after they’ve been anointed to be its protectors.”
I can’t tell if he’s being serious or not. “Really?”
“If you believe the stories.”
“And do you?”
He gives me an answer that’s not quite an answer. “You know me.”
“Oh. Right.”
I performed a show at Nellis AFB right near Vegas, and Groom Lake reminds me of it.
Landing strips, yes. Aircraft hangars, yes. Administration and research buildings, yes, all of that.
The base is extensive, and I’m not too excited about the idea of driving around looking for the right hangar, especially in the waning sunlight. I don’t expect that we’re going to find any placards with a “You are here!” arrow on them, so I’m glad Xav spoke with Fred earlier about the base layout. I trust he’ll be able to direct me.
There are a few military vehicles, some civilian cars, and other white pickups around, but there’s not a lot of traffic on the roads, and having never been here before, I’m not sure if that’s normal or just a result of being here on a Sunday evening.
Now that we’re on the base itself there doesn’t appear to be as much of a security presence.
Which actually does make sense. Just like in airports after you pass through the TSA checkpoints: if you make it that far everyone assumes you’re not a threat.
Xavier points. “Turn left up ahead.”
“Fred’s going to meet us there?”
“Last I heard, yeah.”
The intersection, just like all the ones we’ve come to so far on the base, has no road signs.