“Understand, Doctor. Thank you,” Robert added.
“If you need any further help, I’m here until 0600 when my tour ends, and then I head back up to Fort Detrick for the week. Call me up there if you need anything else. Here’s my card.” Dr. Clifton replied, handing out her blue and white business card to the room.
Everyone said thank you as Dr. Clifton left the meeting room. Mark could not believe what he was hearing, nor the information they found. He reviewed the story line in his head, and was fascinated. They found a Chinese pilot, flying some new and fast aircraft, which has terminal cancer, with only a few months to live. Was this happening? he asked himself.
Robert, Emily and Mark all stopped in their tracks and looked at each other. The room was quiet, except for the whir of the heat coming through the ceiling vents. The computer fan could be heard, too.
“Cancer? I don’t recall Ford ever mentioning that news,” Emily said quietly to the team.
Just then Jason came and opened the door a bit, and behind him was the Deputy.
“So sorry, folks. I had the DNI on the phone, then a back brief to the Director. Things that the three of you have to look forward to when you get to the SES seat,” Calvin Burns told them.
“Yes, sir, we understand. No apologies needed,” Mark said, making a hand gesture.
“Then, my final, but quick call. I received word from the Operations Center downstairs. Seems the FBI is bringing over a U.S. Air Force pilot to use one of our teleconference rooms in a few minutes. One of the consulates in China had a walk-in, who says he knows the pilot, and wants to talk to him. An American. Well… can’t make this stuff up. So, where were we?”
Robert, Emily and Mark stared at the Deputy, but remained silent for a moment.
“Team. Where were we?” asked the Deputy.
“Sir, what did you just say?” turning her head slightly sideways, “they are bloody bringing him here?” Emily asked.
“Yeah, yes, seems so,” with a pause, “why?” asked the Deputy.
“Is the Air Force pilot named Ford Stevens? And the Chinese walk-in named Wu Lee,” asked Mark.
The Deputy turned to Jason, and he gave a hand gesture and wiggled his fingers. He put his cheater reading glasses on to the tip of his nose, while grabbing a document from Jason. Deputy Burns looked at the middle of the report, scanning with his eyes, looked away, then up at Mark.
“Actually, yes,” looking above his reading glasses, sporting a puzzled look. “Those are the names. How the hell did you know that?”
The black Crown Victoria sedan traveling southbound made the right turn off the I-295/South Capitol Street service road, and into the main gate at Joint Base-Anacostia Bolling AFB. The gate guard checked Collins’ creds, then waived them through the Main Entrance on Malcom X Boulevard. Ford had no idea that DIA Headquarters was on an Air Force Base, although he did know of the place from being a military pilot. Nothing caught his eye on the drive in, but he did see a Marine Helicopter Squadron-1 Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King do a low pass, inbound to their Facility behind DIA.
The DIA Headquarters was just one of the many units and tenants aboard the base. From HMX-1, the rotary-wing Executive fleet used to transport the President and Vice-President of the United States, to the White House Communications Agency, responsible for the global communications requirements for the President, were located on the Base. The white roof-topped aircraft of the squadron were usually assigned to the Executive transportation mission, while the all-green ones were used for U.S. Secret Service and press support. New airframes included the Boeing V-22, replacing the Vietnam War-era Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight.
Collins drove the sedan to the DIA underground parking garage off of Brookley Avenue, and parked it in one of the open Executive Parking spaces that sat empty. Everyone’s doors opened at the same time, and Agent Collins led the way over to the elevator.
Ford pulled his phone out again and thought of texting Wu, but thought since he would be talking to him in a few minutes on this video teleconference, why bother? He also checked for a reply from Emily, but there wasn’t one.
On arriving upstairs, Collins directed them to the Operations Center. “Let’s lock up our phones here in this locker area. Captain Stevens, you keep your own key. No phone allowed inside,” Collins announced.
Collins texted Vic Damone in China and told him they were there at the DIA parking garage building entrance with Ford. Vic replied back that they were prepared and ready.
“Captain Ford, this is where we depart. Best of luck,” Agent Collins told him, and they shook hands.
Ford nodded, “okay, thanks,” and kept walking and following the escort from the Operations Center. “Let me know how the Caps are doing while I’m in this windowless building without a freaking phone,” Ford said with full sarcasm.
The escort officer from the Operations Center did not know who Ford was personally, but did know he was an Air Force Captain after checking his ID card, and addressed him with the proper protocol. Ford was offered a rest room break, which he took.
Ford exited the men’s room and made a turn to follow the escort officer again down the hallway. He saw three civilian employees at the end of the hallway, walking towards the same meeting room he was walking to. Looked to be two men, and one woman from a distance. He slowed down his pace and looked at the woman a bit closer at the end of the hall coming towards him, and tilted his head sideways in amazement.
“Emily? What? What are you doing here?” Ford said, as puzzled as he has ever been.
“Hello Ford,” Emily said, coming over to give him a hug.
“I don’t understand. Why… why are you here? Aren’t you supposed… to… be at work?” Ford asked.
“Ford, things are not as they seem,” Emily said stepping back a bit, “let me explain.”
Mark and Robert who came down the hall, stood off to the side but close enough to observe the moment. They could tell right away this was going to be awkward.
“Go away, Muppets. Give me a bloody minute or two,” Emily told Mark and Robert.
“Yeah, yeah…”
“Ford. I need to talk to you,” as they pulled aside to a bit of privacy. Emily started out slowly and quietly. “As you know my name is Emily Livingston. But. I have something important to share with you. I … do not work for the IMF,” she paused.
Ford stared at her, wheels turning and deep in thought, eyes squinting. He then turned his head sideways, attempting to understand what she was saying. “What? What is it?”
“I am an intelligence officer from the United Kingdom. An operations officer. I am a member of Great Britain’s Intelligence Agency, what we call the Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6,” Emily shared.
“MI6? An intelligence officer? What the… you lied to me all this time? I don’t know what to say. I had no idea.”
“Ford, it doesn’t change us. You and me. We are still the same. I love you. The only thing different is my source of pay.”
“Emily. You lied to me.”
“Ford, you have to know I was going to tell you. I was. Ford,” Emily attempted to explain, with full emotion not normally shown at work. “Ford, it’s me. You know the MI6 mission is clear, like yours is. Mine just happens to be secret. We work secretly overseas. I develop foreign contacts and gather intelligence that makes the UK safer. I was not allowed to tell you until we… we were serious. And we are now.”