“Look at this,” as Ford held up a C-130 model, and nodded to the framed photos on the wall of Reggie Bryant in his younger flying days. “Pretty cool. He’s a pilot, too.”
“Probably helped him get up here. To the fat cat suite,” Mark said.
“It did! It did help me!” Reggie entered unannounced, laughing at Mark’s comment. A large man, full of personality, was eager to say hello to his DIA friends.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bryant. No harm in saying fat cat suite… please take it… as a compliment,” Mark said.
“Stop, Mark! All good between us. All of us. Gulfstream is one hell of a team, though, and I am lucky to be here,” Reggie said, using his personality to make everyone feel at home. “How is ole Calvin Burns doing? He’s a rascal, that Cal.”
“Good, sir. Very good. He sends his best,” Ford answered.
“Terrific to hear. One of my best friends. Ole Cal Burns. Wish we lived closer. In a jet, it’s fast to just zip up the coast, but… life gets in the way. You know?” Reggie replied, reflecting on how busy he got. “So glad to meet all of you. So, my boy Calvin called me, and said you guys have something up. A special… or unique request, is how I think he phrased it. How can I help you?”
“Well, sir. We’ve borrowed a G650ER from Corning, Incorporated. One of your customers. They fly a newer 2016 model. Not that many hours on her, and only a few international trips so far. Mostly to Asia, about 11 trips to China, to be specific,” Mark said, as the lead.
“Yes, yes. I know the aircraft. I know the CEO, too. They are loaning it to you for a work mission?”
“Yes, sir. They are. Dates are good for whenever we need it. So is their loaner flight crew of two pilots. And, so, that leads us to you.”
“Okay, keep going,” Reggie said with excitement.
“Thank you, sir. We’re excited. We’d like to know if you could build something for us. Modify the 650 airframe. We are interested in a ramp,” Mark started to explain.
“A ramp. For real?” asked Reggie.
“Yes, sir, a ramp. Like your C-130, from your previous career,” Ford added.
“Ohhh, now we’re talking. You want a ramp in the rear of the aircraft than can be lowered and raised.
“Exactly. While in flight. One that would allow someone to exit the aircraft in flight.”
“Hmmm. That is interesting.”
“Then raise the ramp, and the interior and exterior would look like there is no ramp,” Mark added. “Airframe, and seats and carpet… ops normal.”
“Ha! You guys,” shaking his head, “are into some funky shit up there in DC!” Reggie said, leaning in his seat, laughing, and holding his belly with both of his folded hands. “Ole Burns got you guys going good! Going good!”
“Well, Reggie, can you bloody do it?” Emily asked.
“Jason, would you come in, please?” the Deputy asked, motioning with his hand to come in his office.
“Yes, sir,” Jason entered, carrying his steno pad and pen, ready to take action, as any staff officer would in Washington.
“Have Mike Klubb come in from Missiles. Is he still out there waiting?”
“He is. He’s solo, like you asked.”
“Okay. He’s not on the Outlook schedule, correct? Nothing written down?”
“Yes, sir. Correct.”
“Between us, Jason, is his neck tie above his bellybutton, real short over his front porch stomach?” Calvin Burns nodded his head. “Never mind. Send him in. Thank you.”
Mike Klubb, the briefer from earlier in the auditorium, came in and stood by the Deputy’s table, waiting to sit down. He was pretty sure he was here in the Deputy’s office as a follow-up to the brief, but wasn’t sure because Klubb and his team usually got ample notice on read-aheads, editing slides, and rehearsals. Nothing like that this morning.
“Hi, Mike. Thanks for coming in. I’ll only take a few minutes of your time, as I know you are busy,” the Deputy started right away. “The Buckley detection that you originally worked the other day, was indeed, not a fluke. There was something there. We have secondaries that prove there was an object… ahh, you know, other sources from collection assets.”
“Sir, wow, that’s great, sir. Myself and the team- we’re ready! You know, we can do it. We can do anything. And the team…”
“Hold up, Mike. Let me finish.”
“Yes, sir. Yes, sir. What was it?” asked Mike, eager to hear what it was, especially since he and his team initially spent so much time on the project.
“Well, that’s why you’re here this morning,” as the Deputy got up from his desk, and walked over to where Mike was standing. Calvin was still wearing his reading glasses. “The detection was not an anomaly.” Then, there was silence.
“I don’t, umm, I don’t understand?” asked Klubb. “What… what was it then?” Beads of sweat were forming on Mike’s forehead, and he had to take out his handkerchief to wipe.
“Mike, it’s compartmentalized, Mike. I can’t read you in, and… I can’t tell you,” said the Deputy, lowering his head to look above his reading classes, like an old school college professor. This was something he learned when he was a young junior assistant to a former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Clinton. Theatrics.
“Oh, I see,” Mike said, somewhat startled that the Deputy not only got up to talk closer to him, but his tone and volume was different. Mike’s hands were nearly wet with sweat now, as it sunk in that he was way up in the Deputy Director’s office, about a gazillion pay grades above his own.
“It’s sensitive, Mike. I’d like to tell you, but I just can’t. I respect you and the team enough that I wanted to tell you in person. So, let’s drop the topic, and not freely discuss it anymore. Are we all right with that?”
“Ahh, yes, sir. Yes, sir, of course,” Mike said, shaking his head up and down in a fast manner. He wouldn’t breathe a word of it to anyone now, especially being up here in the Deputy Director’s Office. In fact, Mikey was downright scared. “Zip. Not a word, sir. Not me.”
They shook hands, and the Deputy gave him a small gold and multi-colored DIA challenge coin to thank him for his efforts. Mike looked at it, and was thankful for the opportunity to visit with the Deputy. In his office. He had never been up in his office before, and was happy to add the coin to his robust collection back in his cubicle area. Mike then turned made his way towards the doorway on his own.
Military challenge coins usually depicted an aircraft or piece of equipment, the unit’s name, location, and perhaps a senior leader’s name. The tradition has been around for some time, and has extended to outside the military, and was now in organizations like law enforcement and fire departments. If you didn’t want to buy the whole bar a round of drinks, you made sure to bring at least one coin out to the bar with you. The legend was that someone could coin check you, meaning they ask to see your coin. If you did not have one on your person, standing there among friends and mates without a coin, it was your turn to buy a round.
Using an old-school police detective trick, the Deputy called out Mike’s name just as he was ready to depart the office doorway. Calvin knew this trick because Mike’s guard would be down, and it was a great move to get that one last piece of information that may have been held back or not released previously in a meeting.
“Hey Mike. Thanks again for your hard work, and the work of your team. By the way, what is the name again of the person on your team that used to work… on the, ah, Hill?” the Deputy asked, truthfully not having a clue if there was someone or not. It was a directed question, and the Deputy was completely fishing to see what answer Mike would provide. Line in the water.