The voices in the room went silent. Angry faces looked back at him. A loud wall of wind and rain hit the classroom’s window. It startled several in the audience. The cyclone was picking up strength outside.
David said, “So let’s assume it is the Chinese. We don’t know how long we have until they come get us. But we want to start ransacking this place and figuring out what tools we have to work with. Priority number one is communication. Norm — you and Natesh go to the Communications building. Our best bet is to let Natesh try and hack through the computers they have over there and get word off the island so that we can get rescued.”
“Got it,” Norm said. Both he and Natesh stayed put, waiting until David was finished speaking.
David said, “Brooke, you start questioning Lena and Major Combs.” He nodded over to them. They both were watching David speak as they were tied up in their chairs on the middle of the stage. Lena betrayed no emotion. Major Combs, with his mouth still covered, was wide-eyed and crimson. He looked like he had a lot to say, although David suspected that it wouldn’t be pleasant.
Tess said, “David. I’ve just been talking to some of the cooks and caretakers here. They say that there is a basement behind the kitchen that is filled with supplies. We might be able to use some of them. They say it is very large, but the door is locked and they don’t have a key.”
Norm said, “I got a key.” He stood over Major Combs and ripped off his keychain from his belt. There were several keys on it. “I bet you one of these suckers will work.”
David said, “Okay, Henry, can you go with Tess and a few others to go check it out? See if there are any pieces of communications equipment or weapons that we could use to defend ourselves.”
Lena laughed.
A few of the consultants looked at her with disdain.
Henry said, “Will do.” They grabbed the keys and scooted after the head steward.
Natesh said, “David, I think that Norman and I should take Lena with us. I am confident that I can hack into their computer systems. But she will likely know some of the names and passwords that I will need.”
Brooke said, “Who are you going to talk to if you can get word out?”
Natesh said, “My company has an encrypted email system. If I can send several of my employees a message, they will immediately act on it. I know them. They’ll figure out what to do and move quickly. I don’t know who I would go to if I was to try and go through some sort of government channel. This way, they’ll make sure the problem gets solved and word gets out.”
David nodded. “That sounds like a good plan. Do you trust them?”
Natesh nodded. “Yes. Very much.”
David said, “Okay. Lena’s tied up. Old Norm over there looks like he could bench press a Mack truck if we asked him to. You think you two can handle Lena by yourselves if we send you all over to the Comms room?”
“I think so, yes.”
David looked at Norm, who was still rubbing his head from the beating Lena had given him earlier.
Norman said, “I’ll be fine this time. I’ve got Harold’s nine mil. And Lena’s tied up. Hopefully she’ll get forgetful on these passwords and I will have the pleasure of making her remember.”
David said, “Alright. Everyone else, let’s stay in the classroom and keep an eye outside. We know they’ve got a few small boats and a helicopter. Be watchful and yell if you see anyone coming.” About half the class walked up to the top level of the classroom and began looking out the glass window.
A few of the military guys took the role of prison guards.
Natesh walked out the door of the classroom with Norman in tow. Norman carried Lena on his shoulder the entire way to the Comms building. Her legs and arms remained tied together.
David walked over to Brooke and the group of military guys. They were standing just off the stage, quietly deciding what to ask the Major.
David said, “Okay. Listen, I need you to help question Major Combs. Try and find out what was really going on here and what they are planning to do with us. Figure out how many people are on the other side of the island and how well armed they are. And see if you can figure out how far away we are from a populated area. I saw a few motorboats tied up to the dock on the other side of the island. If we’re five hundred miles from land, those things are useless. They might have been just using them to go back and forth to ships in the area. But if we’re less than twenty miles from another island with people on it… or from a mainland… even if it’s China, that gives us a chance.”
Brooke said, “Okay, I’ll do my best. What are you gonna do?”
Henry ran up to them, huffing and puffing and holding a large black box that looked like a cell phone from 1989.
David said, “What’s that?”
Henry said, “It’s beautiful is what it is. It was the first thing I saw in the supply room downstairs. They have rows and rows of stuff down there. Dozens of these babies.”
David looked at the writing on the black metal box. Chinese. He had no idea what it said.
Henry said, “It’s an HF radio. We might be able to reach a boat or a plane. But what I really want to do is call MARS.”
David looked at him like he was crazy. He said, “You’re going to call who?”
“MARS. The Military Auxiliary Radio System.”
“Never heard of it.”
“How were you in the Navy and you’ve never heard of it?”
“I wasn’t in the Navy for long. Henry, we need to hurry up here. Are you going to get to the point?”
Henry said, “It’s only the coolest club on the planet. They’re regular guys — like you and me — who listen to a HAM radio and relay information for the military. If I can reach one of them, I can probably make a phone call. The frequency is thirty-three megahertz if I remember correctly. A lot of Vietnam troops used to use them to make phone calls back home when they were deployed. The MARS radio operator would hook up the radio to a phone and make the call for them. Some guys still even do it today. This HF radio can broadcast at a pretty far range if the conditions are right. I am going to need to set up the antenna. It looks like it rolls out ten or twenty feet. I think I’m going to go up to the barracks and put it out a window.”
David questioned Henry’s characterization of a regular guy, but was excited at the prospect of a new means of communicating off the island. “That’s great Henry. Nice work.”
Brooke said, “HF radio ranges are pretty far. If we get lucky, we can reach someone as far as six hundred miles away. And if we hit a relay…”
Henry was smiling ear to ear. “Exactly. The MARS guys have relays set up all over the place. If I can get someone on the line, I might be able to make a phone call or just tell the MARS operator what is going on and what to do.”
David nodded. “That’s great news. Okay, you go to the barracks and try and set it up.”
Henry said, “I’ll need some help. Can you come give me a hand?”
David looked at Brooke. “Are you going to be alright questioning the Major?”
Brooke looked over at the military Red Cell team members standing next to her. She said, “I’ve got a lot of support. I’m sure I’ll be okay.”
David looked at Henry, “I’m gonna see if Henry can get that radio working. If Natesh can’t get word out on the Internet, maybe there is a boat or plane nearby that we can call for help on. Oh, that reminds me. See if the Major knows our GPS coordinates… our latitude and longitude. If Henry can get the radio working and we can send out a distress call, that will be crucial.” David turned to leave and then said, “And watch your back. I don’t know how long we have until Lena’s friends arrive.”