“Sure thing. Don’t want to be late for the CIA lady,” said David.
Bill said, “So… Lena said we could go to her if we had any issues, right?”
Natesh said, “Yes, that’s what she said. She said she can get us anything that we need while we are here.”
Bill’s voice sounded pained, like he was trying to figure out what to do. “That’s my issue. Look, I just don’t know if I can afford to be here.”
David was pretty sure that he was referring to his wife’s illness.
Natesh said, “I’m… I’m not really sure what to say. I know this is probably obvious the way you’re feeling. But, I assume you’re worried about your wife?”
Bill let out a deep sigh. “Yep. I realize this is important. But I got a lot of important things on my plate right about now. Before the world goes to hell, I would rather spend that time with my wife. No offense to you fine gentlemen.”
David ate the last bite of his green beans and wiped his mouth with a napkin. He thought about the position Bill was in and where they were in the world. The guy needed to get off this island.
Natesh said, “Why don’t you go talk to Lena tonight after our end-of-day meeting is over? Let her know what you’re thinking so she can hear you out. She seems like a reasonable woman. I wouldn’t be surprised if she let you just fly back home. Perhaps you can just sign a paper. We’re volunteers, right?”
David thought about his own kidnapping less than forty-eight hours ago and wondered if they were volunteers or not. If Bill’s wife was dying, he had to get home.
David said, “I agree. Go talk to her.”
A flash of lightning out the cafeteria window caught their attention. A few moments later, they heard the distant rumble of thunder fill the sky.
Bill said, “Maybe I will. Maybe she can help me out. Yeah, you’re probably right.” He smiled.
It was after 11 p.m. when Lena and Bill walked back from the Classroom to the Communications building. The group meeting educating everyone on Chinese military and defense capabilities went for almost three hours. When the meeting ended, people were happy to get back to the barracks.. Raindrops began to fall as the outskirts of a thundercloud grazed the island.
Bill had approached Lena immediately after the night meeting in the classroom. She was very understanding and suggested they go sit down and discuss it further. Bill had a good feeling. Women were just better that way. They understood the importance of family. Maybe that was because they bore children. Bill remembered one of his macho-man, hard-ass commanding officers back in the Air Force who had denied his leave chit during Desert Shield. That had forced Bill to miss the birth of his second child. That guy was a jerk. But Lena seemed much more understanding.
They reached the Comms building, and Lena went to type her code into the digital keypad next to the door. She looked over at Bill and then typed with her body positioned so that he couldn’t see. The keypad beeped and there was a click as the door unlocked. She opened it and they went into a room that reminded Bill of an airport control tower. He could hear the rain start coming down in sheets just as they entered. Bill wiped away the rainwater from his hair as he looked over the room. There were several TV screens, all of them off. Three black swivel chairs were placed in front of computer monitors. There was a second door on the far wall that looked like it connected to the rest of the structure. It too had a digital keypad.
Lena motioned for Bill to sit. He took one of the swivel chairs and looked around the room. He wondered where she slept. Must have been behind that door. The computers looked new. When had they built this place? The technology to open and close these doors was pretty sophisticated. Bill saw Lena sit down across from him and cross her legs. She looked relaxed. She really was a nice woman.
Bill told her what was on his mind. He told her about his wife’s cancer and her history of it. They had a few neighbors that could look after her, but it wasn’t the physical stuff that he was worried about. Bill poured his heart out before he even knew that he had. All of this talk of war and strategy and China had distracted him plenty good, but the thoughts of his wife came tumbling back and they were wrapped in emotion. He hoped the display would be enough.
Lena listened. She was an intense woman, Bill noticed. The kind that leaned forward in her chair at all times. Like she had to be ready to pounce. It was awful funny seeing a woman sit like that. Reminded him of a fighter pilot or something.
When he was done talking he felt embarrassed but was glad to get it off his chest. Bill let Lena know that he felt an obligation to help out, but had a bigger responsibility back home. Lena seemed like she got it. Family had to come first. She said all the right things when he was done, smiling. She understood. He saw that in her eyes. Now she would tell him what he needed to hear.
Bill said, “I mean… Lena, I understand how important this all is. But there must be some other person that can take my place. Maybe someone else at my office. My director will be able to help with that, just like he helped get me here. I presume you already know him, since he sent me here.”
She was sitting close to him, leaning in and following every word like she really cared.
Lena said, “Bill, of course. Whatever you need. When would you like to leave?”
He let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. I hate to be a burden. I’d be happy to participate. Maybe I could help out remotely? Through the Internet? I just… I need to get back to her.”
Lena nodded and gave the warmest of smiles. She reached over and squeezed his shoulder. “Anything at all. We can arrange for a plane first thing in the morning if you like?”
“Oh, thank you so much. I… it’s just. I feel bad even asking. But I don’t want to waste any time. And I don’t know how much we’ve got… me and my wife.”
“Actually, Bill, it’s funny you phrase it like that.”
Bill frowned. “Come again? I’m afraid I don’t follow.”
Lena’s demeanor changed. Her smile was a little less warm. Her eyes a bit less glowing. “How much time have we got, Bill?”
Bill shook his head. “What do you mean?”
“Bill, do you have something else you would like to share with me?”
Bill paused. He looked at her and frowned.
“Bill. Come now. Remember, I worked with your boss to get you here. I already have a good idea of what everyone knows. But we brought you here to confirm. I expected to hear you speak up today when they brought up the countdown.”
Bill let out a deep breath and looked at the floor. How could she know this? His manager didn’t even know everything.
He said, “I didn’t want to bring it up. I wasn’t sure if it was exactly what we were talking about.”
“You found a countdown embedded in satellites that you use to connect to Air Force drones halfway around the world. A countdown that was put there by a foreign entity. And you weren’t sure if it was relevant? I’m sure that you’ve been quite absorbed by what’s going on at home. But please… what do you know about the countdown?”
Bill looked at her. If he had told everyone what he knew, he never would have gotten out of there. It was a hell of a selfish thing to do, keeping something like that to himself. But he had to see his wife. If the world really was coming to an end that soon…
“Six months,” he finally said.
She didn’t blink. She even looked like she already knew. Which was impossible. His manager, the one who had sent him there, only knew that they had found a sequenced countdown. But as far as he knew, Bill was still working out the code.