"Hard, isn't it?" Nabinger said. "Yes, yes," Nabinger said. "But there is just enough of a Turcotte rubbed the stubble of his beard. "Yeah, I get it. common root for me to decipher some of this text. This All right, go on." is--" Turcotte placed a large hand on Nabinger's shoulder. THE OTHER (A)???? NOT WANT TO STAY "Professor. It's late. We all need to get some sleep. But BE GONE BEFORE ARRIVAL OF (B)???? before we sleep we need to decide what we're going to do (C)???? STANDS FIRM next. To do that we need to know what you have, as good as NO CONTAMINATION/INTERFERENCE(?) you have been able to get it." WITH (WORD EQUALING HUMANS) Nabinger nodded. "All right. There were two main NATURAL COURSE MUST BE ALLOWED stones set up in the cavern. Those are the two I have spent all my time on. There are others I will have to get to to- "No idea what was arriving?" Kelly asked. Her hand was morrow. But here is what I do have. still on Turcotte's shoulder. "Please note where I have question marks after certain "It was a special symbol. One that I had never seen be- parts. That means that I am not quite certain of what-- fore," Nabinger said. "From the basic set of the symbol I "Just show it to us!" Turcotte said. would say it represented a proper noun: a specific name. Nabinger slid the first page under the small dome light. I've designated each unidentified symbol by a different let- 3O6 ROBERT DOHERTY 3O7 AREA 51 ter before the question marks to show that they aren't the same. As you will see on the next page, one of the noun Hell evolution is not what we think. Do you know how that symbols does repeat." will affect people? Think about religion? About-- "No " Von Seeckt disagreed. "It is not bigger than what "So they decided to leave us alone?" Kelly said. . happening at Area 51. That is the first problem. Because "But obviously that didn't happen," Von Seeckt said. in just under three days they are going to try to fly the "That bomb had to get into the pyramid somehow." mothership, and the marker left by the people who aban- "Yes," Nabinger agreed. "And the high runes all over doned the mothership says don't do it. We've got to stop the planet. Somehow humans picked up some of that." "Probably because it didn't work out the way they had it.""I've got another stupid question," Turcotte said. planned. Apparently everyone didn't go along so easily The other three waited. with getting stuck on Earth." Nabinger turned over the last "Why is Gullick in such a goddamn rush to fly the page. mothership? That's bugged me from the very beginning." "I do not know," Von Seeckt said. "It troubled me ever DECISION MADE BY MEETING since he came up with the countdown to fly it. It was ridicu- (C)???? PREPARES TO IMPLEMENT lous. He wanted to to fly it before we even ran a basic DISAGREEMENT series of tests on it." BATTLE Turcotte felt a pounding on the right side of his head. OTHERS (D)???? FLEE FIGHT "Something isn't right about all this." CHANGE HAS ARRIVED "Ever since they went to Dulce early this year," Von IT IS OVER Seeckt said, "it all changed." DUTY IS (E)???? Turcotte thought of the pyramid, the vats, the golden glow. The small orb that had destroyed the helicopter he "So they fought among themselves?" Kelly said. was on in Nebraska. Too many pieces that didn't fit. The "Looks like it," Nabinger said. only thing he knew for sure was that this was bigger than "And in the end they did their duty," Turcotte said. him right now. "But not perfectly," Von Seeckt said. "We are still deal- "Let's get a little sleep first," Turcotte suggested. "We're ing with the repercussions." all tired and we'll be able to think better with a couple of "I've got a stupid question," Turcotte said. "Why would hours of rest. We'll decide what to do in the morning. We the people who built the mothership leave their messages still have forty-eight hours." on stone tablets?" "Because that's what whoever was left there had to work with," Nabinger said. "This is big," Kelly said. "Bigger than what they have at Area 51. This means history is not at all what we think it is. 309 AREA 51 was tight: no unwanted watchers on White Sides Mountain 28 this evening. And the skies were being carefully watched with the invisible fingers of radar to keep out unwanted overflights. Helicopter gunships were ready on the flight line outside Hangar One. Still, Gullick wanted to take no chances. He braked as a figure stepped out of the darkness. The man walked up to the humvee, weapon at the ready. The man snapped to attention when he recognized General Gullick. Despite the night vision goggles there was no mistaking the general's HANGAR Two, AREA 51 presence. ADJUSTED T-42 HOURS "Sir! The engineers are just ahead, under that camou- flage net." Major Quinn blinked hard, trying to keep his eyes open Gullick accelerated. Quinn was grateful when they fi- against the lack of sleep. He pulled the collar of his Gore- nally stopped near several trucks parked under a desert Tex parka tighter around his neck and shivered. It was cold camouflage net. An officer walked up to the humvee and in the desert at night, and the wind whipping in the open smartly saluted. windows of the humvee did not help. They had left Hangar "Sir, Captain Henson, Forty-Fifth Engineers." One ten minutes ago and were racing around the base of Gullick returned the salute and stepped out, Quinn fol- Groom Mountain, General Gullick at the wheel and Quinn lowing. "What's your status?" Gullick asked. in the passenger seat. He wondered why the general had "All charges are in place. We're completing the final wir- had to choose the single vehicle from the motor pool that ing now. We'll be all set by dawn." He held up a remote had no top to it, instead of one of the others, but he knew detonator the size of a cellular phone. "Then all it will take better than to ask. is a simple command on this. It's linked into the computer There was no road. There never had been one. Roads that controls the sequence of firing." Henson led the way showed up in satellite photos. They had stayed on the run- to a humvee parked under the camouflage net and showed way most of the distance, until they turned off and headed the general a laptop. "The sequence is critical to get the directly for the mountainside. Now they rolled across the rock in the outside wall to come down in a controlled man- desert floor, the suspension of the vehicle easily handling ner. Very similar to what happens when they demolish tall the rough terrain. Gullick leaned over and checked their buildings in a built-up area--making the rubble come GPS, ground positioning system, linked in to satellites down on itself but not hit the ship." overhead. It gave their location to within five feet, even on The general took the remote and turned it around in his the move. The headlights on the jeeplike vehicle were off, hands, almost caressing it. and Gullick was using night vision goggles, allowing them "Be careful, sir," Captain Henson said. to travel unseen to the naked eye. The outer security net Gullick reached down and pulled out his pistol. He 310 ROBERT DOHERTY 311 AREA 51 pushed the barrel into the underside of Henson's jaw. "It's Kelly, Johnny! It's Kelly! I'm here." "Don't you ever dare speak to me like that, mister. Do you For the first time since they'd picked him up, Johnny understand?" His thumb cocked the hammer back, the showed some awareness of his surroundings. "Kelly." He sound very loud in the clear night air. blinked, trying to focus on her. "Kelly." "Yes, sir," Henson managed to get out. "It's okay, Johnny. I came and got you like you wanted. I Gullick's voice rose. "I have had to take shit from civil- came and got you." ian pukes for thirty years! I'll be goddamned if I will accept "Kelly--they're real. I saw them. They took me. They even the slightest disrespect from a man in uniform. Is that did things to me." clear?" "It's okay, Johnny. You're safe now. You're safe." "Yes, sir!" Johnny turned away and curled into a ball and Kelly held Quinn froze, stunned at the outburst. on to him. Turcotte looked at Von Seeckt and Nabinger. "You fucking people." Gullick's voice had dropped to a "Get some sleep. We'll be leaving shortly." He turned and mutter, and although the gun was still pressing into Hen- walked back outside, sliding the door shut behind him. son's skin, his eyes had become unfocused. "I've given my Turcotte walked out into the darkness. The stars glis- life for you people," Gullick whispered. "I've done tened above the mountains that surrounded him on all all . . ." The general's eyes refocused. sides. It would be dawn soon. He could sense it in the He quickly bolstered the gun and turned to the moun- slightest change in the sky to the east. Most people would tainside, behind which the mothership rested. "Show me have not been able to tell, but Turcotte had spent many the charges," he said in a normal voice. dark nights waiting for the dawn to come. He thought of the people in the van. Von Seeckt with his demons from the past and fears for the future. Johnny Simmons and the demons that had been forced on him. CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK, UTAH Nabinger with his questions from the past and his quest for A voice yelled out shrilly. "They're here! They're here!" answers. Kelly--Turcotte paused--Kelly had her own Turcotte had his gun out, hammer cocked, as he kicked ghosts, it seemed. open the driver's door of the van and went down into He turned as the van door opened. Kelly slipped out and squat, peering around in the dark for a target. The scream- walked over. "Johnny's asleep. Or passed out. I can't tell ing continued and Turcotte slowly relaxed and stood up which it is." he recognized the voice. He walked around to the right "What do you think they did to him?" side and opened the door. "Screwed with his brain," Kelly said bitterly. "Made him Kelly held Johnny, gripping him tightly around the think he got picked up by aliens and taken aboard a space- shoulders. "It's not real Johnny. It's not real." ship and had all sorts of experiments run on him." Simmons was pressed up in the left rear corner, staring Think he'll get over it?" Turcotte asked. wide-eyed straight ahead. "I can see them! I can see them? "Why should he? He did get picked up by aliens," Kelly said. I'm not going to let them take me again! I won't go back!" 312 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 313 "What?" "Then, of course, he showed me the film. That removed "Whatever they did to his brain is real. So for him it's all all doubt. It was shot in black and white. He told me it had real. So, no, I don't think he'll ever get over it. You never been taken in 1970. They had picked up a bogey on radar get over reality. You just get on with your life." at Nellis. At first they thought it might be a stray civilian "What reality happened to you?" aircraft. They scrambled a pair of F-16's to check it out. Kelly just looked at him. The first half of the film they showed me was from the "You said that you'd tell me, first chance you got," aircraft's gun cameras. It starts out with blank sky, then you Turcotte said. He waited. catch a glimpse of something moving fast across the sky. After a minute Kelly spoke. "I was working for an inde- The camera centers in and there's a saucer-shaped object. pendent film company. Actually, I was part of an indepen- It's hard to tell the size because there's no reference scale. dent film company. I owned a piece. We were doing well. But I could see the desert and mountains in the back- We did documentaries and freelance work. National Geo- ground, moving. The disk cut across a lot of terrain. If it graphic in its early TV days had us work a couple of their had just been against sky I might have questioned it more. pieces. It was before all these cable channels--Discovery The disk looked to be about thirty feet in diameter and and the like. Hell, we were before our time. We were on silvery. It moved in abrupt jerks back and forth. the right path. "If it was a fake, it was a very good fake--not someone "Then I got a letter. I still have the damn thing. Eight hanging a hubcap out the window of their car and taping it years ago. From a captain in the Air Force at Nellis Air with a videocamera as they drove. Believe me, I've actually Force Base. The letter stated that the Air Force was inter- seen a couple of those." She walked a little farther along ested in making a series of documentaries. Some on the the edge of the overlook and Turcotte followed. space program, some on their work in high-altitude medi- "So the camera tracks this saucer and it descends. I can cine and other things. see an airstrip at the base of some mountains come into "It sounded interesting, so I went to Nellis and met this view. At the time I thought it was Nellis Air Force Base, captain. We talked about the various subjects he had men- but now I know it must have been the airstrip at Groom tioned in the letter, then, almost as an aside, he mentioned Lake. The saucer goes down, almost to the ground, and the that they had some interesting footage in the public affairs F-16 goes by and that's it for the gun camera. There's a office there. splice in the film and then I get it in color from the ground. "So I say, 'Of what?' And he says, 'Of a UFO landing at Shot from the control tower, Prague tells me." the air base here.' "Wait a second," Turcotte interrupted. "Give me that "I about choked on my coffee. He said it like you would name again." mention the sun came up this morning. Very calm and al- "Prague. That was the Air Force captain who I met and most uninterested. I should have known from that, that i t who sent me the letter. Why?" was a setup. But like I said, I was hungry. We were still 1 tell you when you're done," Turcotte said. "Go on." struggling and this was the biggest thing ever thrown our So the saucer comes to a hover over the runway and way. stays there for a few minutes. I could see emergency vehi- 314 ROBERT DOHERTY 315 AREA 51 cles being deployed--fire trucks with their lights on. I there in Area 51. It is real, but they set up the people who could see the reflection of the lights off the skin of the could truly expose it as frauds or kooks." saucer--a very difficult effect to fake. Pretty much impossi- Kelly pointed at the van, which was fifty feet away. ble to do, given the technology of the time. Then Air Force They destroyed Johnny the same way. In his mind, after police vehicles being deployed. Then the saucer starts to go hat they did to him in that tank, he thinks he was really straight up and it just outraces the ability of the camera abducted by aliens. And the fact is that he was abducted. operator to track it and it's gone. That he probably did see things they didn't want him to "I asked Prague why he wanted to give me this film, and see But if he goes public with it, he's laughed at. Yet in his he said the Air Force was trying to get people off its back mind it is real. That's about the worst thing you can do to a concerning Project Blue Book. That they wanted to show person next to physically killing him. It can drive you in- that the Air Force wasn't covering things up and that there sane." wasn't this great conspiracy that many UFO enthusiasts She turned back to face Turcotte. "So now you know why claim. I'm not too trusting." "So I left Nellis and went straight to two major distribu- "I can understand that." tion companies and told them what I had just seen. Of "What was on sublevel one?" Kelly asked. course they didn't believe me and of course, Prague hadn't Turcotte succintly told her, leaving out his two phone given me a copy of the film. He had to clear release with calls after escaping. his superiors, he told me, and for that he needed to know Kelly shuddered. "These people have to be stopped." who I was going to distribute it through. "I agree," Turcotte said. "We've made a start on that. "So when these companies call Nellis and try to get hold You might be pleased to know that Prague was--" He of Prague, they're told that such a person doesn't exist. paused as there was a thumping sound inside the van. When they mention the film, they get laughed at, which They both turned as the door to the van shot open and doesn't do their disposition much good. I got trashed. I was Johnny appeared, holding the arm of one of the captain's labeled a nut and nobody wanted to deal with me. I was chairs in his hands and swinging it about wildly. "You won't bankrupt within three months." get me!" he screamed. "Describe the saucer you saw again," Turcotte said. Turcotte and Kelly ran forward, but Johnny turned from Kelly did. them and sprinted along the path. "The film was real," Turcotte said. "That sounds like ones "Johnny, stop!" Kelly yelled. of the bouncers in the hangar. They really set you up "You won't get me!" Johnny screeched. He halted, bran- good." dishing the chair arm. "You won't get me." "I know," Kelly replied. "I wouldn't have gone to the "Johnny, it's Kelly," she said, slowly taking a step for- distributors for financing if I didn't believe the film was ward. The others were piling out of the van, Nabinger rub- real. That's what really pissed me off about the whole bing the side of his head. thing." The sky was getting noticeably brighter in the east. "I won't let you get me!" Johnny turned and climbed up on the railing. "That's what's so cunning about what they've been doing 316 ROBERT DOHERTY 317 AREA 51 "Get down, Johnny," Kelly said. "Please get down." She reluctantly nodded, her eyes red rimmed from cry- "I won't let them get me," Johnny said, and he stepped ing. out into the darkness and disappeared. "All right," Turcotte said. "If that's our primary goal, the "Oh, God!" Kelly cried out as she ran up to the edge way I see it, we got two choices. One is to go public with and looked over. Turcotte was right behind her. In the this. Head to the nearest big town--maybe Salt Lake early-morning light they could just make out Johnny's body city and try to get the attention of someone in the media. lying on the rock, two hundred feet below. That way we use public opinion to stop the test. The other "We have to get him!" Kelly cried out. option is to take matters into our own hands, go back to Turcotte knew there was no way down into the gulley Area 51, and try to stop the test ourselves." without climbing equipment. He also knew Johnny was Turcotte turned to Kelly. "I know it's hard, but we need dead; not only could no one could have survived that fall, your input on this. Will going to the media work?" the twisted and still way the body was lying confirmed it. She closed her eyes for a few moments, then opened He wrapped his arms around Kelly and held her. them. "To be blunt, going public is the way you would think we should go. It's the way I would like to go. The problem Fifteen minutes later a very somber group was seated in- is that going to the media does not guarantee that your side the van. Nabinger had a bump on his head where story will get to the public. We have no proof of-- Johnny had hit him with the arm of the chair before bolting from the van. It had taken ten of the past fifteen minutes "We have the photos of the tablets," Nabinger cut in. for Turcotte to convince Kelly that they couldn't get to "Yes, Professor," Kelly said, "but you're the only one Johnny and that he would have to stay where he had fallen. who can translate them. And since you're with us, I think "All right," Turcotte began. "We have to decide what to people are going to look at that a bit skeptically. There was do. The first thing is to agree on our goal. I think-- a stone found in America--I think in New England--that "We get these bastards," Kelly said. "We get them and the finder claimed showed that ancient Greeks were in the we finish them. I want to see every one of them--every New World a millennium before the Vikings. Unfortu- single one out at Area 51 and in Dulce--be brought to nately, the man's proof rested on his translation of the justice." markings on the stone. Other scholars, once they had a "We have to stop the mothership from flying first," Von chance to study the stone, disagreed. Even if we find schol- Seeckt cut in. "That must be our primary goal. I under- ars who would agree with your translations, it would take stand your desire for vengeance, but the mothership is a too long. Certainly more than two days." danger to the planet. We know that now from the transla- Kelly looked around the circle. "The same is true of all tion of the tablets. We must stop that first." of us. Von Seeckt could tell his story but no one would "It's the one with the shortest fuse," Turcotte said. "We believe it for a while, if ever, without proof. People in the have to stop what they're doing there and in Dulce, but media don't report or print everything that comes to them, that can come after we stop the mothership test flight." He ecause a lot of what comes to them is bogus and our looked at Kelly. "Do you agree?" stories are, to say the least, somewhat outrageous." She 318 ROBERT DOHERTY looked out the window. "Johnny's dead now. We don't 29 even have him." "Another thing we must keep in mind," Turcotte said, remembering the conversation he'd had earlier that morn- ing with Colonel Mickell, "is that we have committed crimes. I've killed people. We all entered the facility at Dulce illegally. We might not get much of a chance to tell our story before we're hauled off to jail, and once that happens we'll be under the control of the government." "Then we must do it ourselves," Von Seeckt announced. "It is what I said must happen all along." ROUTE 375, NEVADA "This isn't going to be as easy as Dulce," Turcotte said. ADJUSTED T-33 HOURS "Not only do they have better security at Area 51, but they are going to be prepared. You can be sure that General "I've got to make a phone call," Turcotte said. Things had Gullick is going to tighten things down the closer the test been quiet for the past hour as they got closer to Area 51. gets." Nabinger and Von Seeckt were in the back, napping. "You know the area and the facility," Nabinger said, "To whom?" Kelly asked. turning to Von Seeckt. "What do you think?" The dark pavement went by under their wheels with a "I think Captain Turcotte is correct. It will be next to soothing, rhythmic thump. Turcotte had been thinking impossible, but I also believe that we must try." things through for the past couple of hours and he'd made "Then let's start planning," Turcotte said. a decision. He quickly told Kelly about Dr. Duncan and the reason he'd been sent into Area 51. He told her about trying to call twice and the line being disconnected and calling Colonel Mickell at Fort Bragg. "So are you going to try her number again or are you trying Mickell?" Kelly asked when he was done. "Mickell. We're going to need Duncan if she's legiti- mate." "If she's legitimate, why is your line to her dead?" Kelly asked. "That might be something out of her control and aware- ness," Turcotte said. He spotted an all-night gas station. He pulled over and left the engine running while he went to the phone booth. When he was done, he hopped back in the driver's seat, handing Kelly a slip of paper. "Duncan's 32O ROBERT DOHERTY 321 AREA 51 phone number in Vegas," he said. "Mickell says that as far THE CUBE, AREA 51 as he can find out, Duncan's legitimate." ADJUSTED T-31 HOURS "Do you trust Mickell?" Kelly asked. "I'm not sure I trust anyone anymore," Turcotte re- "Utah State Police found Simmons's body thirty minutes sponded. ago " Quinn announced. He had been working in the con- Several miles went by, then Kelly spoke softly. "This is ference room, away from the hustle of the control center, the road on which Franklin was reported to have been when General Gullick had walked in. killed." "Where?" Gullick asked. Turcotte glanced over from the driver's seat. "It's not "Capitol Reef National Park. It's in the south-central your fault." part of the state." Kelly returned his glance. "Maybe we should have left "Any sign of the others?" him there. He wouldn't be dead at least." "No, sir." "He'd be worse than dead if he was still in that damn "How did he die?" coffin they had him in," Turcotte said. "We didn't kidnap "It appears he fell off a cliff." him, we didn't take him to Dulce, and we certainly didn't Gullick thought about it for a few moments. "They're mess with his mind. Gullick's people did that. Remember heading to Salt Lake City. Send some Nightscape people it. Don't start what-iffing. We did the right thing." there. Have them watch all media outlets." "I'm going to miss him," Kelly said. "He was a good "If we send people out, we'll have to cut back on some of friend." our security here, sir." "You'll have to save that for later," Turcotte said. "Right Gullick glared at his subordinate. now we have a job to do." The road was a long black "I'll get right on it, sir." ribbon in front of them, the headlights punching a cone of "I want the body policed up, also," Gullick said. brightness down the center. "This might help. Remember "Yes, sir." that guy Prague? The one who set you up?" "One less loose end to deal with," Gullick muttered. He "Yes." "He was my commander in Nebraska." turned back to his computer and the after-action report Kelly sat up straighten "The one you killed." from Dulce, which he had been reading. "What's this "The very same." rongorongo thing they took?" "Good." "From Easter Island, sir," Quinn replied. "It's one of the rune sources." "So they can read the damn thing and we were never able to?" Gullick asked. "If Nabinger is legitimate, yes, sir, they can." Quinn had brought up the same file the general was reading. "They also took the photos of the tablets from Hangar Two." 322 ROBERT DOHERTY Gullick tapped his large forefinger on the desktop. 3O "Nothing in the media?" "No, sir." "Nothing from any of our sources?" "No, sir." "They just disappeared and left Simmons's body there?" The tone indicated it was a rhetorical question and Ma- jor Quinn remained silent. "Where's Jarvis? Is he out of town?" The question caught Quinn off guard. His fingers flew over the keyboard. "Uh, he's in Las Vegas, sir." "I want him nearby. Tell him to monitor the kooks at the MELLIS AIR FORCE BASE RANGE, NEVADA mailbox. We're too close to have some flake on the perime- ADJUSTED T-26 HOURS, 2 MINUTES ter like we had during the last Nightscape mission--the "Do you think this will work?" Kelly asked. one that helped start all this shit." Turcotte was applying burnt cork to his face, turning the "Yes, sir. I'll relay that." already dark skin black. "It's a good plan. The best one Gullick stood. "Stay on top of everything. Let me know we've had so far." the second there's a peep from those people or from any of Kelly stared at him. "Hell, we barely had any plans be- our media sources." fore." "Yes, sir." Quinn waited until General Gullick had left the room. Then he left his side chair and sat down in the "That's why it's the best," Turcotte said. "I think we've seat at the end of the table: Gullick's chair. He pulled out got a chance. That's all you can ask for. We've got two the keyboard that was stashed underneath the tabletop and chances at this. One of them should work. I don't think turned the general's computer on. they'll be expecting us, which, as I've explained before, is to He began searching, going through files, looking for our advantage." He looked out at the darkening sky. "It's some clue as to why things were happening here the way strange--General Gullick should be expecting us, but he they were. What was the rush for the mothership flight? won't be." Why had the Nightscape missions changed from being rela- "Why should he be and why isn't he?" Kelly asked, con- tively benign to now including abductions and mutilations? fused. Was there a national security objective involved here that "He should be because it's what he would do," Turcotte Quinn had not been included on? said, checking the magazine in his pistol. "He won't be Quinn gave himself ten minutes, knowing that Gullick because he's had his ass down in that underground bunker was a creature of habit, then he shut the computer down. too long. He's forgotten the feel of being out in the field He hadn't found anything, but the next time the general and in action." came in and left, he'd go back to looking. He slammed the magazine home, chambered a round, 324 ROBERT DOHERTY 325 AREA 51 and put it back in the shoulder holster on his combat vest. school so many years ago. The only sound he heard was his "Ready?" own breath. "Ready," Kelly said. She looked at the others. Von The knee was holding up so far, and he was careful to Seeckt was in the passenger seat up front. Nabinger was in keep his stride shortened to reduce strain. He was pres- the rear. The van was parked off the shoulder of a dirt road ently moving along the base of the mountain he had ini- on the edge of the perimeter of the base range. Large signs tially set out for. He was scanning the slope with the off- were spaced along the west side of the road, warning that center portion of his retina. He finally spotted what he'd the land that lay beyond was restricted. A large mountain been looking for. A thin animal trail headed up and about four miles away was silhouetted against the setting Turcotte turned onto it. After a quarter mile it switched sun to their direct west. back on itself. Turcotte halted and caught his breath. He "You all take care of each other," Turcotte said. looked up. There was a long way to go. He started running. "Shouldn't we be synchronizing watches or something?" Kelly asked. "It's what they do in the movies, and timing is rather important to this plan--at least what I've caught of it." TEMPIUTE, NEVADA "Good idea." Turcotte peeled back the Velcro cover on There was a phone on the outside of the Alelnn, the local his watch. "I've got eight on the dot in two minutes." bar in the town of Tempiute. The same town where Johnny Kelly checked her watch. "Okay or check, or whatever Simmons had met Franklin the previous week. The town's you're supposed to say." She reached out and put her hand main claim to fame was its proximity to Area 51, and the on Turcotte's shoulder. "You can count on us. We'll be Inn was a watering hole for the itinerant UFO watchers there." who passed through continuously. Turcotte smiled. "I know. Good luck." He turned and Kelly parked the van next to the phone, and she and Von was gone, loping off into the darkness, lost in the shadow Seeckt got out and ambled over, he leaning on his cane. He of the mountain. patted his pockets, then looked at Kelly. She shook her "Let's go," Kelly ordered. head. "Use my phone card." She rattled off instructions Nabinger turned the van around and they headed north. and the number Turcotte had given her earlier. AREA 51 LAS VEGAS, NEVADA The rhythm of the run had settled in to Turcotte's muscles a half hour ago. The various weapons and other equipment It was just before ten in the evening local time and Lisa attached to the combat vest had required a bit of cinching Duncan was seated by the small desk in her hotel suite, down shortly after he'd left the van, and now everything on watching CNN, when the phone rang. She picked it up on him was silent--just as he had been taught in Ranger the third ring, expecting to hear her son's voice on the 326 ROBERT DOHERTY 327 AREA 51 other end. Instead a heavily accented voice that she imme- chemical warfare branch. Hemstadt was taken in by Paper- diately recognized began speaking. clip. I saw him in 1946 in Dulce. During the war he was "Dr. Duncan, this is Werner Von Seeckt. General Gul- responsible for supplying the death camps with gas. He lick has been lying to you about what is going on at Area 51 also participated in much experimentation with new and at the facility in Dulce, New Mexico." gases of course, such experimentation had to be done on "Professor Von Seeckt, I-- living humans to be truly valid. "Listen. We don't have much time! Have you ever heard "Since 1946 I have not been allowed into Dulce nor have of Nightscape in conjunction with Area 51?" I heard a word about Hemstadt again. However, I do not "Yes. They run psychological prep-- believe he just vanished. Such a man was notorious, and "They do much more than that," Von Seeckt cut in. such people don't disappear without much help from pow- "They kidnap people and brainwash them, and I am sure erful people--government people. even much worse than that. They conduct cattle mutila- "There is someone else you must speak to," Von Seeckt tions. They do much more." said, and there was a brief pause, then a woman's voice "Like what?" came on the line. Von Seeckt didn't reply to that. "How about Operation "Dr. Duncan, my name is Kelly Reynolds. I was given Paperclip?" your name by Captain Mike Turcotte. He has tried twice to Duncan picked up her pen and pulled the small pad of contact you using the number you gave him. Both times the hotel stationery close. "What do you know about Paper- number was reported to be out of order. He says that you clip?" must trust no one." "Do you know what's going on at the lab in Dulce? The "Where is Captain Turcotte now?" Duncan asked. experiments with implanted memories?" "He's on his way into Area 51." Duncan wrote the word DULCE on her notepad. "Back "Why are you telling me all this?" Duncan asked. up to Paperclip. I'm interested in that. Is there a connec- "Because we want to meet you at the Cube in Area 51 tion between Paperclip and what is going on at Dulce?" tonight. You must not inform General Gullick or any of the "I do not know exactly what is going on at Dulce," Von other members of Majic-12 that you are coming." Seeckt said, "but I just rescued a reporter who was being "What is going on?" Duncan demanded. held prisoner there, and he killed himself in response to "Be at the Cube tonight. No later than midnight local what they did to him there." time. We'll explain everything then." The phone went "I don't--" Duncan began, but Von Seeckt cut her off dead. again. Duncan slowly put the receiver down. She picked up an- "To reply to your question, does the name General Karl other binder. This one had a cover identifying it as coming Hemstadt mean anything to you?" from the Justice Department and indicating that it was Duncan wrote the name down. "I seem to remember copy two of two copies made. She flipped it open and hearing that name somewhere." lumbed through, rapidly scanning. On page seventy-eight "Hemstadt was the head of Wa Pruf 9, the Wehrmacht's she found what she was looking for: General Karl Hem- 328 ROBERT DOHERTY 329 AREA 51 stadt was indeed listed as having likely been taken in by the especially the heat rising from his head--but he hoped that Paperclip operation. the signature would be so much smaller than man shaped, She gathered together her binders and threw them in a that the monitors might assume it was a rabbit or other briefcase, then headed for the door. She had a taxi to small creature and ignore it. catch. What he could not ignore any longer was the pain from his knee. He reached down and felt the swelling. Not good. But he also knew he had no choice. He checked his watch. TEMPIUTE, NEVADA He was ahead of schedule, so he could move more slowly. It would not do him any good to go over the mountain Von Seeckt walked back to the van with Kelly. "What do early, thermal blanket or no blanket. He continued on his you think?" she asked. way up the mountain, at a pace that kept the pain to a "She finally bit when I mentioned Paperclip," Von minimum. Seeckt said. "Do you think she'll alert Gullick?" Kelly asked as she got in the driver's seat. Von Seeckt sat to her right. Nab- inger was in the back, looking at the rongorongo tablet. NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NEVADA "No," Von Seeckt said. "She's not one of them. The "I want to see the duty officer," Lisa Duncan said to the presidential adviser was usually on the outside. After all, sergeant seated behind the counter at the flight operations the slot was a political appointment that could change ev- center at the base of the Nellis Air Force Base tower. ery four years. I know for certain she was not fully in- "And you are?" the sergeant asked without much inter- briefed." est. "Well, we'll find out soon enough," Kelly said, throwing Duncan pulled out her wallet and flipped open the spe- the van into gear and leaving the parking lot. cial ID she'd been given upon getting her appointment. "I am the President's chief scientific adviser." "The president of . . . ?" the sergeant began, then he AREA 51 halted as he saw the seal on the laminated card. "Excuse me, ma'am! I'll get the major right away!" Turcotte cut a hole for his head in the center of the thin The major wasn't quite as impressed with the ID card silver survival blanket and pulled it down over his shoul- when he heard what she wanted. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but ders. He wrapped the blanket around his torso and cinched the Groom Lake area is completely off limits to all flights. it tight with cord. It hung down to his knees and fit him like Even if I could get you a helicopter at this time of the a poncho. Designed to keep heat in during an emergency, evening, they would not be authorized to fly into that air- Turcotte was counting on it to keep him from being identi- space." fied by the thermal sights that were part of the outer secu- "Major," Duncan said, "it is imperative that I get flown rity perimeter of Area 51. He would still show up-- out to Groom Lake this evening." 330 331 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 The duty officer reached for the phone. "I can call out THE MAILBOX, VICINITY AREA 51 there and see if they will authorize a flight and then-- "That's it," Von Seeckt said. "The mailbox." "No," Duncan cut in. "I don't want them to know I'm There were a half-dozen vehicles parked off the side of coming." the dirt road and a group of people scattered about. Some The major shook his head. "I'm sorry, then. There's were well prepared, seated in recliners, while others stood, nothing I can do." scanning the horizon with a variety of binoculars and night "Who do you work for?" Duncan asked, her voice cold. vision devices. "Uh, well, I work in the ops section for Colonel "Dim your lights," Von Seeckt said. Thomas." Kelly pushed the button in and with their parking lights Duncan shook her head. "Higher." on they pulled off to the side of the road. She put the "The base commander is-- parking brake on, then stepped out. Von Seeckt joined her, "Higher." while Nabinger remained in the back of the van. The duty officer glanced nervously at the sergeant who Kelly walked up to an old couple who were comfortably had first talked to Duncan. "This base falls under the com- seated in front of a pair of telescopes, with a cooler be- mand of--" tween their chairs. "Excuse me," Kelly began. "Yes, dear?" the old woman replied. "Who's your commander-in-chief?" Duncan asked. "Do you know a man named the Captain?" "The President, ma'am." She chuckled. "Everyone here does." She pointed to a Duncan leaned over the counter and picked up a phone. van parked about twenty feet away. "He's there." "Do you want to talk to him?" Kelly led Von Seeckt over. The van was parked so that "Do I want to talk . . ." the major repeated dumbly. the rear end pointed toward the mountains that marked "No, ma'am." the edge of Area 51. The back doors were wide open and a "Then I suggest you get me a helicopter right away to very large scope was sticking out. Behind it a man in a take me where I want to go." wheelchair had his face pressed up against the eyepiece. The major looked at the ID card lying on the counter He pulled back as Kelly stepped up. He was a black man, one more time, then turned to the sergeant. "Get me the his lower half covered by a blanket draped over his lap. His PR on duty." hair was white and he looked to be about sixty years old. "PR?" Duncan asked. "I'm Kelly Reynolds." "Pararescue," the major explained. "We always have one The man simply looked at them. crew of pararescue men on call for emergencies." "I'm a friend of Johnny Simmons," she continued. "They have a helicopter?" "So he got the tape," the man growled. "Yes, ma'am, they have a helicopter." The major glanced "Yes," Kelly said. at the sergeant on the phone. "And they know how to fly "Took you long enough. Where's Simmons?" it." "He's dead." She pointed to the west. "He tried to infil- 332 ROBERT DOHERTY 333 AREA 51 trate Area 51 and got caught. They took him to Dulce, u want." Haverstaw put her flight helmet on. "My ass is New Mexico. We broke him out but he killed himself." overed." She opened the door on the pilot's side. "Be- The old man didn't seem too surprised. "I heard they do sides, I hate seeing those big no-fly areas on the flight strange things to people down at Dulce." maps. Kind of view them as a challenge. Hell, I'm looking Kelly stepped closer. "I'll tell you the full story real forward to this." She extended her hand toward the rear. quick. Then we need your help." "Climb on board." NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NEVADA VICINITY AREA 51 The officer in the flight suit stuck out a hand. "Lieutenant Taking a deep breath, Kelly called out. "Excuse me, every- Haverstaw at your service, ma'am." one! I have something to say that you all might be inter- "Call me Lisa," Duncan said. ested in." The officer smiled. "I'm Debbie." She pointed at the The UFO watchers all turned and looked at her, but no other people in flight suits. "That's my copilot, Lieutenant one moved until the Captain's voice boomed out behind Pete Jefferson; our PRs are Sergeant Hancock and Ser- her. "Get over here!" geant Murphy." The two men were stowing gear on the They gathered round, a loose circle of figures in the back of the UH-60 Blackhawk. "What are they loading?" Duncan asked. dark. "These people need our help," the Captain said. "You "Our standard rescue gear," Haverstraw said. all know I been here a long time watching. Twenty-two "I just need you to fly me out to Groom Lake," Duncan said. years, to be exact. Tonight we're going to be doing more "SOP--standing operating procedures," Haverstraw than just watch." said. "We always carry our rescue gear when we fly. Our As the Captain spoke, outlining what Kelly had asked, a primary mission, other than flying presidential scientific ad- figure at the back separated from the group and slipped visers around, is to rescue downed aircrews. You never away into the darkness. When the car drove away, lights know if we might get diverted to a mission." She smiled. out, no one noticed, so caught up were they in what the "Besides, from what the duty officer briefed me, we're fly- Captain was saying. ing an unfiled mission into Area 51 airspace. Who knows what we'll run into? I've heard some strange stories about that place." AREA 51 "Do you have a problem with running this mission?" Duncan asked, slipping her professional mask back on. The glow from the aboveground Groom Lake complex was "No problem. I've been ordered by the post duty officer, off to Turcotte's right as he finished descending the moun- who represents the post commander, to fly you wherever tain he had just crossed. The runway cut across his front, 334 ROBERT DOHERTY 335 AREA 51 and beyond that, the mountainside under which the She pulled onto the dirt road and turned west, the Cap- mothership rested, according to Von Seeckt's directions. tain's van next, then the rest of the UFO watchers' vehi- So far, so good, Turcotte thought to himself. But for the cles. They rolled down the road, past the warning signs and rest of the way he was going to need help. He checked his past the first set of laser detectors. watch. Fifteen minutes. Gritting his teeth, Turcotte set to work on his knee, keeping the tendons from tightening up by jabbing his fingers into the swollen flesh and massaging it. NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE Sergeant Hancock showed Lisa Duncan how to put on the helmet and talk on the built-in radio. "We're clear to lift," Lieutenant Haverstraw announced from the front. "You all set back there?" "All set," Duncan said. "We're going to fly at one thousand feet until we get close to the boundary. Then I'm going down low. It'll get a little rough then, but I want to stay off their screens as long as possible. Give us a better chance of getting you to Groom Lake." With a shudder the Blackhawk lifted and then banked to the north. VICINITY AREA 51 "I've got something here," Nabinger said, holding up the wooden tablet he'd taken out of the Dulce archives. Through all the phone calls and driving he'd never stopped working on the translation. "We don't have time for that right now," Kelly replied. She tapped her wristwatch. "Show time." 337 AREA 51 31 ot inside and Quinn reached out and touched the man on the shoulder. "Sir, we've got multiple penetrations on the mailbox road. Looks like our UFO watchers are coming in for a closer look. Jarvis just called and said that Von Seeckt and that female reporter are with them, so this may be more than it appears." Gullick swung his legs onto the floor. He was already dressed for action in camouflage fatigues. "Alert Night- scape and get the choppers ready," he ordered. As soon as Quinn was gone, he reached into his pocket and popped THE CUBE, AREA 51 another pill. His heart rate immediately accelerated and he ADJUSTED T-22 HOURS, 9 MINUTES was ready for action. Then he followed Quinn into the "What do you have?" Major Quinn had been alerted by control room. the duty officer and he'd quickly shut down Gullick's com- "They're turning off the road!" the operator announced. puter and gone out to the main control center in the Cube. "Or at least a couple of them are," he amended as he tried "Multiple vehicles in sector three," the operator an- to keep up with the vehicles. "They're spreading out over nounced, pointing at his computer screen. "Moving west the desert and still coming this way." He pressed a finger along the road." over an earpiece in his right ear. "The air police don't have "Give me IR and thermal from the mountain," Quinn enough vehicles in that area to get them all in time. Some ordered. of them are going to breach the outer perimeter." The operator hit the proper command. A line of vehicles Gullick looked over the man's shoulder at the tactical showed up rolling down the road. display. "I want Nightscape airborne in one mike. Also get "What does the mailbox look like?" Quinn asked. the standby bouncer crew ready." Another scene came on screen: a lone mailbox, nothing "Yes, sir." around it, which confirmed to Quinn where the vehicles had come from. Twenty miles to the south Lieutenant Haverstraw keyed "What the hell are they doing?" Quinn muttered to him- the intercom. "We're going down to the carpet now. Hold self as the camera shifted back to the line of vehicles. on." "Alert the air police and have them stop these people." The Blackhawk swooped down toward the desert floor "I've got Jarvis on the phone," another man called out. and Lisa Duncan looked out the right side window and up Quinn picked up the phone and listened for a minute. at a rocky ridgeline less than forty feet away. Her fingers He grimaced as he put the phone down. He turned and dug into the webbing strapped across her chest and she did quickly walked over to a wooden door and knocked. He exactly as Haverstraw had suggested--she hung on. opened it without waiting for an answer. A figure lay on a 338 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 339 "We've got a hot IR source coming in sector six," Quinn "We're going to make it," Nabinger said from the seat announced. "Low and fast." next to her. "What is it?" Gullick demanded. Flashing lights were separating from the steady lights "Helicopter. It's below radar but we're picking it up marking the buildings. The lights were going up. from above." "You spoke too soon. We're going to have company." "Check FFI," Gullick ordered, referring to the friend or "I'll see what I can do to help," Von Seeckt called out foe transponder every military aircraft carried. from the back. He was working on the computer keyboard "It's one of ours," Quinn said. He hit the keys rapidly. attached to the communications console, his fingers flash- "A Blackhawk assigned to the 325th Pararescue unit at ing over the keys. Nellis." "Tell them to get the fuck out of my airspace," Gullick Turcotte's boots touched hardtop and he began sprinting snapped. He turned back to the ground tactical display, across the runway. He felt naked, and he instinctively watching as the air police stopped seven of the thirteen tucked his chin into his chest and bent forward, half ex- vehicles coming in. The remaining six were inside the outer pecting a shot to come out of the dark. On the far side of perimeter now. Past the air police cordon and spread out the runway, about a half mile away, at the base of the across two security sectors. mountainside, he could make out a dark mass against the rocks--camouflage netting covering something. He felt a "They're calling us," Haverstraw announced. "We're being bit of hope seeing that. At least it appeared Von Seeckt's ordered to turn back." guess wasn't wrong. "Ignore them," Duncan ordered. "Yes, ma'am." "We've got someone on the runway," Quinn announced. "Put it on the main screen," General Gullick said. "No response from the Blackhawk, sir," Quinn reported. The IR scope mounted on top of the nearby mountain General Gullick rubbed his forehead. had a resolution of 300 power and it clearly showed a man "Should I authorize Landscape to engage when in running. range?" Quinn asked. "How come we didn't catch his thermal signature ear- "Tell them to track but hold on firing until I give the lier?" Gullick asked. order," Gullick said. Quinn hit a few keys and the picture changed. The man's "Nightscape is airborne," Quinn said. figure disappeared and there was only a small blob of red moving on the screen. "That's thermal imaging of the tar- Kelly spun the wheel of the van violently and a plume of He's wearing some sort of thermal protection." Quinn sand spun out from beneath the rear wheels. She could see hanged the view and a map overlay of Area 51 came up. the lights of the Groom Lake complex less than two miles He's heading for the engineer site outside Hangar Two," ahead. Quinn added. 34O ROBERT DOHERTY 341 AREA 51 "Divert one of the Nightscape aircraft," Gullick ordered. sive maneuvers. Hancock and Murphy, watch our rear and "Stop that man, number one priority." get ready if it's a heat seeker!" "Yes, sir." Quinn began speaking into his microphone, The Blackhawk turned on its left side and then jerked then suddenly turned back to the general. "We've got inter- back right. Duncan watched as the two crewmen in the rear ference, sir! I can't talk to Nightscape. Someone's cutting slid open the cargo doors and cold air swirled in. They in and out on the radio." were wearing harnesses around their bodies and leaned out the aircraft, looking down. In the back of the van Von Seeckt smiled as he heard the "I see a launch!" Murphy yelled. "Four o'clock. Climb- excited voices of the Nightscape pilots trying to communi- ing fast!" He was holding a flare and he fired it out and up, cate back to the Cube and with each other to coordinate hoping the heat of the flare would divert the missile. At the their actions. He pressed down on the transmit button for same time Haverstraw slammed the cyclic forward and they rapidly began losing what little altitude they had left. the van's HF radio again, then let it up after a few seconds. The missile roared by the right side of the helicopter, Then again. missing the outer edge of their rotor blades by less than ten feet. "That was close," Haverstraw said over the intercom, Gullick looked at the overlay of Area 51 and tried to make understating the obvious, as she reeled in collective and sense of the various symbols. He had three threats: the cyclic and stopped their descent barely above the desert man nearing the engineer site, the inbound helicopter, and floor. the vehicles coming in over the desert. This had to be a "That was close," Duncan said, looking out at the highly coordinated infiltration, and he could take no fur- ground less than twenty feet below. ther chances. Even without radio he could still control "I don't think they want us here," Haverstraw said dryly. things. He called out his orders. "Put me on the radio to their headquarters," Duncan "Alert the Landscape antiair sites by land line that they said. are in weapons-free status." "No can do," Haverstraw replied. "The frequency listed "Yes, sir." for Groom Lake is filled with interference." "Warn the engineer site of the man infiltrating their po- sition. He is to be stopped with extreme sanction." "Halt!" a voice called out in the dark to Turcotte's right. "We have no land line to the engineer site," Quinn re- He could make out a figure wearing night vision goggles ported. "Their guard net is the Nightscape frequency. We and carrying a submachine gun moving toward him. can't get through to them." In reply Turcotte fired twice, both rounds low, hitting the "Goddammit!" Gullick yelled in frustration. man in the legs and dropping him. There was no need for another death. He regretted what had happened in the lab. A tone screeched in Duncan's headset. Up front in the Circumstances and anger had forced his hand there. He cockpit a red light flashed on the control panel. dashed forward and kicked the Calico submachine gun out "Missile lock!" Lieutenant Haverstaw called out. "Eva- the man's hands and ripped the goggles off his head. 342 ROBERT DOHERTY 343 AREA 51 "Fuck!" the man cursed, reaching for his sidearm, Lisa Duncan twisted in her seat and looked forward as Turcotte rapped him upside the head with the barrel of the Jefferson spoke again. "Uh, Deb, he's--oh, Christ!" the Calico and the man was out. Turcotte checked the copilot screamed out as the AH-6 filled up the entire for- wounds--no arteries hit. He quickly wrapped a bandage ward view. At the last moment the other chopper suddenly from the man's own combat vest around each thigh to stop veered, averting the midair collision. the bleeding, then continued on his way. "Chicken," Haverstraw muttered. She raised her voice. "We'll be there in thirty seconds." An AH-6 Little Bird gunship flashed by just overhead. Kelly pressed down on the accelerator. The lights of the "The hangar doors are opening!" Nabinger called out as a complex were less than a half mile away. sliver of red light appeared ahead. "The doors to the hangar are closed," Nabinger said. "I'm heading for it," Kelly said. "What are you going to do?" "I just want to get there in one piece. Then I'll figure "Hey!" the sergeant seated inside the humvee called out as something out," Kelly replied. the muzzle of a submachine gun appeared in the door. "Watch that thing!" "The helicopter is still inbound," Quinn reported. "Who- "No, you watch it," Turcotte said, edging into the vehi- ever is flying it is damn good. They're below tracking by cle. He looked at the computer system and the wires lead- ground radar. We can't relay from satellite tracking to the ing out of the black box hooked up to it. "This is to blow AA sites because of the jamming." the charges to open up Hangar Two?" "Launch the alert bouncer," Gullick ordered. "Have it bring down the helicopter." The sergeant was most definitely watching the end of the muzzle, the black hole seeming to grow larger every second Haverstraw looked out her windshield. There was a lot go- it was fixed between his eyes. "Yes." ing on. She could see vehicles down below in a circus of "Turn it on and bring up the firing sequence program." headlights running about. There were several helicopters flitting about also. One of those turned toward her. "Geez, look at that," Haverstraw said as she set the "We've got company," Lieutenant Jefferson said. Blackhawk down two hundred meters away from the large Haverstraw didn't reply. She watched the AH-6 come door that was sliding open in the side of the mountain. Red straight toward them from a half mile away. light spilled out onto the concrete and a disk was hovering "Uh, we're on a collision course," Jefferson said. there. It moved forward when the door was wide enough. There was a quarter mile between the two aircraft, "What the hell is that thing?" pilot of the AH-6 was flashing his spotlight at them. "Thanks for the ride," Duncan said. "You'd better shut "I think he wants us to land," Jefferson said. down and wait here until things get cleared up." Haverstraw remained silent, her hands tight on the con- 'Roger that," Haverstraw said. "And you're welcome." trols. Duncan took off her headset and got out of the helicop- 344 ROBERT DOHERTY 345 AREA 51 ter. She turned her head as a van came to a screeching halt why I'm here. We're going to get to the bottom of this." between her and the disk. She turned back to the guard. "Your prisoners are not go- ing anywhere. None of us are. Get General Gullick up here Turcotte looked at the screen. The charges were listed now." along with order and timing of initiation. He quickly began typing. "Sir," Quinn said tentatively, putting down the phone. General Gullick's eyes were transfixed on the main Armed guards ran out of the hangar as the bouncer screen, which showed the overlay of Area 51. All the vehi- hovered overhead, shining a light down on the scene being cles had finally been corralled and the UFO watchers played out. placed under arrest. "Get out of the vehicle with your hands up!" one of the "Yes?" men ordered, pointing his weapon at the windshield of the "Dr. Duncan was on board that Blackhawk. She's up at van. Hangar One right now demanding to see you. Von Seeckt, "Let's go," Kelly said. "We did all we can do. Let's hope Nabinger, and the reporter are there too." we gave Turcotte enough time to do his end." A nerve began twitching on the side of Gullick's face. She opened the driver's door and stepped out along with "Do we have commo yet?" Gullick demanded. Nabinger, the latter still holding the rongorongo tablet and Quinn checked. "Yes, sir. The interference has stopped." wearing his backpack. Von Seeckt got out of the rear. "Do you have contact with the engineer site?" "Face down on the ground!" the man ordered. "No response, sir." "Wait a second!" a woman's voice called out. All eyes "Order Bouncer Four to check it out, ASAP!" turned to the figure walking over from the Blackhawk heli- Gullick spun away from the screen and walked to the copter. "I'm Dr. Duncan." She held out an ID card. "Presi- elevator. Quinn relaxed slightly as the doors shut behind dential adviser to Majic-12." the general and he relayed the orders. The senior Nightscape man paused, confused at this sud- den apparition and wrinkle in the chain of command. The The bouncer suddenly darted away to the west, leaving the three groups were all gathered in a thirty-foot circle just in tableau outside the hangar frozen in a standoff between front of the doors to Hangar One. the weapons of the Nightscape men and the tentative "I want General Gullick and I want him here now!" shield of Duncan's position. Duncan demanded. A large figure walked out of the hangar, casting a long "We have to secure these prisoners first," the guard said. shadow from the backdrop of red light. General Gullick "I'm Kelly Reynolds," Kelly said, stepping forward, mak- walked up and looked about. "Very nice. Very nice." He ing sure her hands were away from her sides. "You know stared at Duncan. "I'm sure you have an explanation for Dr. Von Seeckt, and the other man is Professor Nabinger this circus you've orchestrated?" of the Brooklyn Museum. We called you earlier." I'm sure you have an answer for attempting to shoot Duncan nodded. "I know you called me earlier. That's down my helicopter," she returned. 346 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 347 "I am authorized by law to use deadly force to safeguard Turcotte saw Gullick raise the muzzle of the submachine this facility," Gullick said. "You are the one who violated gun in his direction. "Do it and I fire the charges!" law by coming into restricted airspace and failing to re- Turcotte called out, holding up the remote detonator for spond when challenged." Hangar Two. "What about Dulce, General?" Duncan retorted. "What Gullick froze. "What did you do?" about General Hemstadt--formerly of the Werhmacht? "I did a little resequencing. I don't think it will quite What about Paperclip? Where is Captain Turcotte?" work the way you'd like," Turcotte said, keeping an eye on Kelly saw the change come over Gullick and she reached his people as they moved in his direction and climbed the out to stop Duncan's harangue. slope of the disk. "You can't do that!" Gullick cried out. As he finished typing, Turcotte saw a bright light coming "I won't if you let us get out of here," Turcotte promised. out of the east through the camouflage netting. The same "Back off," General Gullick ordered, waving to his secu- bright light he had seen his first night out here. The rity men. bouncer came to a halt forty feet away and landed. A man Turcotte stepped aside, allowing the others to climb in came out of the hatch on top, weapon in hand. the hatch. When all were on board, he slipped down inside, shutting the hatch behind him. "Take off!" he yelled at the Duncan and Gullick both stopped their arguing and turned pilot. as a new voice called out. "You both don't understand!" Nabinger yelled. He looked about wildly, holding up the On the ground Gullick whirled. "I want Aurora ready for rongorongo tablet. "None of you do." He pointed at the flight now!" He didn't trust this alien technology anymore. hangar. "You don't understand what you have in there and "Yes, sir!" where it came from. You don't understand any of it." Gullick snatched a submachine gun from one of the "Where do you want to go?" Captain Scheuler asked from Nightscape guards. "No, I don't understand, but you never the depression in the center of the disk. He'd put up no will either." He pointed the muzzle at Duncan. argument at the engineer site when Turcotte had dropped "You've gone too far," Duncan said. through the hatch, weapon in hand, and ordered him to fly "You signed your own death warrant, lady. You said too back to Hangar One. The others were sitting gingerly on much and you know too much." His finger had already the floor of the bouncer, gathered around the center. Von closed over the trigger when he was blinded by the searing Seeckt had his eyes closed, trying to keep from being dis- oriented by the view out. glow of a bright searchlight. Without a noise Bouncer Four settled down behind Duncan's group. Turcotte still held a submachine gun pointed in the gen- "Get over here!" Turcotte yelled from the hatch on top eral direction of the pilot. "Turn right," he ordered the pilot. of the saucer. "Let's go," Kelly said, grabbing Duncan by the shoulders "What are you doing?" Kelly asked. and pushing her toward the bouncer. The others followe Turcotte was looking out the clear skin of the bouncer as 348 ROBERT DOHERTY they went around the mountain that hid the hangar com- 32 plexes. He flipped open the cover on the firing button on the remote, then pressed the trigger. "You told Gullick you wouldn't do that!" Lisa Duncan said. "I lied." Hangar Two was deserted, which was fortunate. The outer wall caved in, not in the orderly manner that had been planned, but in a cascade of rock and rubble crashing down onto the mothership, burying it under tons of debris. AIRSPACE, NEVADA In the Cube, Major Quinn felt the rumble of the explosions "What now?" Kelly asked. The others were gathered and watched the first rocks begin falling in Hangar Two on around, now standing on the floor of the bouncer, trying to the remote video screens before the cameras were con- get used to the eerie view straight through the skin of the sumed by the man-made earthquake. "Oh, fuck," he mut- craft. It was a bit tight with everyone inside. They were tered. currently heading south out of Area 51 at two hundred miles an hour and slowly gaining altitude. Gullick knew what had happened even as the last of the "I don't know." Turcotte turned to the others. "I got you aftershocks of the explosions settled away. He staggered, out of there and the Mothership won't be flying for several then sank to his knees. He pressed his hands to the side of weeks at least. So I did my part. Where to?" his head as pain reverbrated back and forth from one side "Nellis," Duncan said. "I can--" to the other, searing through his brain. A moan escaped his lips. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry." "Las Vegas has got a good media hook-in," Kelly said, "Sir, Aurora is ready for flight," a young officer said with excited. "We fly this damn thing right downtown! Land in much trepidation. the fountain at Caesars Palace. That'll wake them up." Maybe it could be salvaged, Gullick thought, seizing "This isn't a media circus," Duncan said. "I'm in--" upon that single idea. He slowly got to his feet. The manta "No!" Nabinger held out the wooden tablet that he'd ray of the high-speed plane was silhouetted against the been hauling with him throughout the entire adventure at runway lights. Yes, there was still a way to salvage things Area 51. "You're all wrong. We have to go to the place where the answers are." "And that is?" Turcotte asked. Nabinger pointed with his free hand at the tablet in the other. "Easter Island." "Easter Island?" Duncan asked. 350 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 351 "Easter Island," Nabinger repeated. "From what I've de- could track it. Eventually it would land. He ordered tank- coded on this, the answers are there." ers along their projected flight path for inflight refueling. "No way," Kelly said. "We have to go public." "Agreed," Duncan said. "As soon as we land, I can con- Kelly knelt down next to the pilot. "Do you have a map of tact the President and we can stop this insanity." She the world?" tapped Scheuler on the shoulder. "Land us at Las Vegas." Scheuler nodded. He swung in the laptop control and The pilot laughed with a manic edge as his hands worked brought up a world overlay on the screen. at the controls. "Lady, you can shoot me if you want, but I "Show me where Easter Island is," Kelly said. don't think we're going to land in Las Vegas." Scheuler tapped a few keys. "Easter Island is in the Pa- Turcotte still had his submachine gun ready for use. cific. Off the coast of Chile. I'd say about five thousand "Why not?" miles from where we are right now." The pilot held up his hands. "Because I'm no longer "And on what azimuth from us?" Kelly asked. flying this thing." Scheuler checked, then looked up. "Eighty-four de- "Who is?" Turcotte asked. grees." "It's flying itself," Scheuler said. "It appears we're going to Easter Island whether we "Where are we going, then?" Turcotte demanded. want to or not," Kelly announced. "How long until we get "Just east of south right now on a heading of eighty-four there?" Scheuler did some calculations. "We're not maxed out degrees," the pilot said. "More than that I can't tell you but we're going fast enough. I estimate we'll be there in until we get there." about an hour and a half." "Does the radio work?" Duncan asked. "I can call and "Well, now that we have time," Kelly said, "and we know get us help." where we're going, let's find out as much as we can. Talk to Scheuler tried it. "No, ma'am." me, Professor. What does the tablet say is on Easter Is- land?" "Give me a direction, Quinn," Gullick growled into the Nabinger was sitting cross-legged on the floor, the rongo- radio as Aurora powered up. rongo tablet in his lap. "I've only managed to decipher part Quinn's voice came back through the headset. "South, of this, but what I have . . ." He looked at a small notepad sir." in his lap. "You heard him," Gullick said to the pilot as he settled "Wait one," Turcotte said. "Let's not go through this into the RSO's seat. "Due south." guessing game again. Just tell us what you think it says The plane hurtled forward and lifted. Out of the small rather than the literal translation." window Gullick could just make out the silhouette of the Nabinger obviously wasn't happy about that unscientific mountain that hid the mothership. He felt the pain inten- approach, but he nodded. "All right. First, the tablet makes sify in his head. "Stay busy," he whispered to himself. He reference to powerful beings from the sky. People with hair knew they couldn't catch the bouncer, but at least they of fire--red hair, I assume. They--the red-haired people-- 352 ROBERT DOHERTY 353 AREA 51 came and lived for a while at the place of eyes-looking-at- "They may have," Von Seeckt said, "but I believe I heaven. That's how they describe it. From there they ruled would have heard if they had discovered anything." after the month of the dark sky. "What do you know about Easter Island?" Kelly asked. "Long after the month of the dark sky, the people with "It is the most isolated island on the face of the planet," hair of fire went up in the great ship of the sky and left, Nabinger said, remembering what was in Slater's notes. "It never to return. But their . . ." Nabinger paused. "I am is the place that is farthest from any other landfall. It not quite sure what the next word is. It could mean 'par- wasn't discovered by Europeans until 1722, on Easter Sun- ent,' but it doesn't seem to fit in context. Perhaps 'guard- day that's how it got its name. The islanders themselves ian' or 'protector'--remained and ruled. call their island Rapa Nui." "Even after the people with fire hair were gone, "That remote location also helps explain why these though," Nabinger continued, "the little suns carried the aliens might have wanted to use it as a base camp," Von word of the, hmm, let's use the word guardian." Seeckt added. "Remember the part of the tablet from " 'Little suns'?" Von Seeckt asked. Hangar Two about not interfering with the local inhabit- Turcotte remembered the foo fighter up in Nebraska and ants?" reminded the others. "So these things most definitely are "What is the island like?" Turcotte asked, more focused connected to the bouncers and the mothership?" on the immediate future as always. "I'm certain of it," Nabinger said. "There is more here, For that Nabinger did have to consult the notes he'd but it has to do with the worship of the guardian. I have carried in his backpack through all their adventures. "The only the one tablet. If I had the others I might know island is shaped like a triangle with a volcano at each cor- more." ner. Land mass is about sixty-two square miles. It doesn't "How many are there?" Kelly asked. really have any beaches, one reason early visitors had a "There used to be thousands on the island," Nabinger hard time getting ashore. It is very rocky. Almost no trees answered, "but most were eventually used up as firewood were left on the island when it was discovered. There are or destroyed by missionaries who thought they were part of some now that have been planted. old pagan rites. There are just twenty-one in existence "And, of course," Nabinger said, "there are the statues, now--or at least there were only twenty-one suspected to carved out of solid rock in a quarry on the slopes of one of be in existence. I don't believe that counted this one, since the volcanoes. The largest is over thirty-two feet tall and it was hidden in Dulce." weighs over ninety tons. There are over a thousand of them "How did it get to Dulce?" Kelly asked. scattered all about the island." "Majic-12 has studied the high runes for years," Von "I've seen pictures of those things," Kelly said. "How did Seeckt said. "They never had as much luck as our good those ancient people move such large and heavy objects?" professor here has in translating them, but they have con- "Good question," Nabinger said. "There are several the- tinued to collect whatever they can." ories, none of which quite work." "So maybe people for MJ-12 already have checked out "Ah," Von Seeckt said, "but perhaps our red-haired Easter Island?" Kelly ventured. ancients might have had something to do with that. Or 354 ROBERT DOHERTY maybe left something lying around that the natives used to move the statues. Perhaps an antigravity sled or mag- 33 netic-- "Is there any evidence of this guardian?" Turcotte cut in. "Anything like the bouncers or the mothership or even what was found in the pyramid?" Nabinger shook his head. "No, but not as much is known about the island as people would like to think. We don't know why the statues were built, never mind how they got to their locations around the coast. There is much that is hidden about the history of the island. Archaeologists are AIRSPACE, PACIFIC OCEAN still making new finds as they explore. The island is vol- canic and honeycombed with caves." "It's going to get worse before it gets better," Turcotte said. That caught Turcotte's interest. "So maybe there is "What now?" Kelly asked. something there?" "Our satellite link shows we've got company up ahead "Perhaps this guardian still exists," Kelly suggested. too. Looks like a bunch of interceptors waiting for us to hit "I hope something's down there," Turcotte noted, look- their kill zone." ing over Scheuler's shoulder at the tactical display. "Be- "So what's the get-better part?" Kelly asked. cause we've got someone hot on our tail. I don't believe "Well, it always gets better after it gets worse," Turcotte General Gullick has given up yet." said. "Either that or you're dead." "Great philosophy," she muttered. A covey of F-16's from the Abraham Lincoln waited over the Pacific, circling on the flight path the target was pro- jected to follow. That is, until small glowing orbs suddenly appeared and all craft lost engine power. General Gullick closed his eyes, hearing the panicked re- ports from the pilots as their engines flamed out. He took the headset off and looked at the pilot. "Where are we headed?" "I've projected out the flight path of Bouncer Four," the pilot reported. He nodded his head at the screen. A line went straight from their present location over a thousand miles west of Colombia, due south. 356 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 357 "Antarctica?" Gullick asked. "There's nothing out pie put a tremendous, almost unbelievable, amount of re- here." sources into the creation and moving of those statues. It "Uh, actually, sir, I checked. There is an island along this had to severely strain the economy of the island, and the route. Easter Island." theory is that eventually the common people revolted." "Easter Island?" General Gullick repeated. "What the "So Raraku is the place to look?" Turcotte cut in. fuck is on Easter Island?" He didn't wait for an answer. He "Maybe." Nabinger shrugged. "But on the rim of the immediately got on the radio with the admiral in charge of other significant volcano, Rano Kao, over a thousand feet the Abraham Lincoln task force. That resulted in a five- high, is where the ancient people built the village of minute argument, as the admiral's priorities were some- Orongo--their sacred village. The lake inside the crater is what different from Gullick's. He wanted to recover the almost a mile in diameter. Offshore of Kao lies a small downed aircrews. A compromise was reached and the ma- island called Moto Nui, where birds--terns--nest. In an- jority of the task force turned to the south and steamed at cient times the cult of the Birdman occurred every year in flank speed for Easter Island, while several destroyers September, when young men would go from the volcano stayed behind to pick up the crews. rim, climb down the cliffs to the sea, swim to Moto Nui, recover a tern egg, and the first man back was birdman for Turcotte watched the dots of the waiting aircraft disappear the year." off the screen. He felt the anxiety level in his gut kick up a Turcotte rubbed his forehead. "Okay, okay. They have notch higher despite this apparently positive development. birdmen. They have volcanoes. They got big statues. They "Talk to me, Professor. Tell me more about Easter Island." got strange writings on wood tablets. But what the hell are "There are two major volcanoes on the island," Nab- we looking for? Has anything strange been found there inger said. "Rano Raraku in the southeast and Rano Kao. that might suggest this guardian?" Both have lakes inside the crater. On the slopes of Raraku "No." are the quarries where the stone statues were cut and fash- "Then what are we-- ' Turcotte paused as the pilot ioned out of solid rock. Quite a few statues have been called out. found there in various stages of creation. The inhabitants "We've got company!" shaped each statue lying on its back, then cut down on the They looked out as six foo fighters bracketed their craft. spine until it was free. Then they hauled it to its site, where "I don't like this," Scheuler muttered. The foo fighters it was raised onto a platform. were making no threatening movements, hanging in posi- "It is interesting to note," he continued, "that the main tion as they flew south. road leading away from Raraku is lined with statues and there are some who think this was a processional route." "How far out are we?" Turcotte asked. "To worship the fire-heads?" Kelly asked. "ETA at Easter Island in two minutes." "Maybe. There are some who think the statues were sim- The foo fighters were slowing and closing in around their ply abandoned there when the people rose up against the craft, forming a box on all sides. priests who oversaw the making of the statues. Those peo- I don't think we're going to have any choice about 358 ROBERT DOHERTY 359 AREA 51 where to look on the island," Kelly said. "I think the guard- a lot of things that aren't going to be secret come daybreak ian has decided all of that for us." if I don't get on top of all of this, and I can't do it up here. "We're going down," Captain Scheuler announced un- Land." necessarily, since all inside Bouncer Four could see the "Yes, sir." island below growing closer. The bouncer was being slowed by whatever force had taken over the controls. "Let's see what we have," Turcotte said, heading for the "We're heading for Rano Kao's crater," Nabinger said, ladder leading to the top hatch. He climbed up and unfas- pointing at the moonlit surface of the lake in the center of tened the seal, flipping the hatch open. He climbed out the large volcano. onto the upper deck of the bouncer and looked about as "This thing waterproof?" Turcotte asked Scheuler. the others gathered around him. "I hope so," was the o