Dark as Daylight Ch. 09

"Newton if you don't want me to really have a stroke, keep quiet."

"Yes grandma."

"Gordon, I want you to go to Doctor Finch and have an MRI done. I want to know if that section of your brain has healed, and if those nerve endings have grown together."

"Mom nerves don't grow. Once they are severed they are severed forever."

"That's exactly what Doctor Finch said during your operation, but he swore he saw movement in the nerve cells that were in that jell. I want them checked and I want them checked now."

"I love you, mom. I love you as much as I love Zoey and my children, but we have more important things to do now. We have to find that last block of C 4 before it explodes."

"I thought it was in Landing Gear 3?"

Monty said, "So did I, what's going on?"

"Captain, we all thought the explosives were going to be in Landing Gear 3, but it looks like it was Doctor Aubrey's last false flag. He fooled us again. We are going to have to search the ship from top to bottom to find it. Everyone is going to have to pitch in and help us. We may have to go into orbit around Atwater Luck, until every inch of this spacecraft he had access to, has been taken apart, and put back together. It may take a month, but not longer than 6 weeks to do it, but we will do it, and we will find it."

"Come here Gordon."

"Shit, I'm going to get hit."

With his head down, he approached his mother with great trepidation.

Jennifer grabbed him, pulled him into her arms, and wouldn't let him go.

"I can't tell you how proud I am of you. I know you don't want me to call you a grown-up, because it would keep you from having fun as the child inside you wants to play with this ship. I can't believe the man you become, but you can still be a man, and only be 15 years old, as you were when you invented the nuclear fusion engine. I don't know if you realize how important what you said to Adam and Newton is, but it was very profound. I know it shook me to the ground to hear that statement come out of your mouth. Now you have taken this spacecraft under your wing, and you are determined that no one is going to destroy 'Our Family's Dream.' My how you've grown. Your father and I are so proud of you."

"Don't you dare make me cry. If you make me cry in front of them, they will think I am a woos."

"OWW! What the hell was that for?"

"I didn't want anyone seeing you cry for nothing. I hit you with my crutch to give you a reason."

"Thank you Captain, I will remember that the next time."

"Yes little turd, there will be a next time. I don't know if you've noticed it, but I'm finally losing weight. I have a thyroid condition that our new doctor diagnosed. When I get down to my fighting weight, and my knees are better, you little man, are in trouble."

"I've been in trouble with you, since I was 4 years old."

"Just remember that, and you will keep your head on the right way. Now where do you want to start?"

"Doctor Aubrey was brilliant; we all agree on that. He would never place a bomb in the most obvious place for us to look, would he?"

"The Science Section?"

Adam laughed. "I can tell you one area he's never visited."

Everyone looked at him and laughed along with him.

**********************

"Hello agent, Burkart how are you?"

"I'm still waiting for the information on those 3 names Mister Zabo?"

"I've run into a problem with those names, and that is very unusual for me. I can give you the names of the people I think they are, but they have come up clean so far. When I do a check on someone and it comes up clean, someone is trying to set someone else up. I don't allow that to happen. I hope you understand my reticence and giving up those names."

"Yes I do Mister Zabo, I understand completely."

"Are you available next Tuesday and Wednesday, because if you're not; I can make you available."

"Is it part of our continuing relationship in this investigation?"

"It most certainly is. We are getting closer and closer to the tip of the spear. It is why this information is getting more difficult to verify. It's being held closely, by fewer and fewer people. I would suggest you bring an escort of about one dozen people with you. You will be taken by ground to our facility in Charleston South Carolina. A party, for many highly explosive guest, is be held. It should be invigorating and entertaining. My jet will pick you up in Washington, and deliver you safely there."

"That will not be necessary Mister Zabo, the government will pay for our transportation."

"Why add to the national debt, Miss Burkart; when I so easily can put you on a private jet that's going your way anyhow?"

"As you wish Mister Zabo; what time should we be ready to leave?"

"Be at Washington National, Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m., that should be plenty of time for you to get to Charleston, and out to our facility. You don't have to worry; we will not take your guns from you. Charles and I had a big laugh over that."

"Why do I have a feeling Charles funds many anti-gun pieces of legislation?"

"You will never see his name on them, but you can be guaranteed many of his dollars started them, and continue to fund them. So do mine agent Burkart, so do mine."

"I understand that Mister Zabo, thank you very much for this invitation."

"Remember this may involve an overnight stay. Your hotel rooms will be taken care of, so bring a change of clothing. Some of our guests may be one night late coming from overseas. We do not want them to miss anything we are going to be exposing. This is not suit and tie event, this is very casual.

Due to the high ranking of many of our guests, we have asked our security members to wear camouflage fatigues for the evening, so they can be easily recognized. Intruders, especially the press, will be thoroughly inhibited from attempting to encroach on our privacy. We are unveiling some highly patentable products, and we do not wish for them to become public knowledge yet."

"I will inform all of those traveling with me."

"Goodbye agent Burkart."

"Goodbye Mister Zabo."

************

"Dad is it really a good idea to have Federal Agents there? What happens if one or more of them gets hurt, or worse gets killed?"

"When General Marcus told Holden they were taking him away from the facility for his protection, Holden pulled his personal weapon from his ankle, pointed it at his head and said those famous words, 'Over My Dead Body.' The worst part of it was Marcus believed he was telling the truth. So they made a deal; he told Holden, and Richard what they were probably up against using Patrick's scenario, but without the Bear Traps.

He asked, "Using a worst-case scenario, defend yourself using all the forces you have at your disposal. The kids are geniuses in whatever field you put him in. They drew a circle indicating the spacecraft, within X in the deepest part of it indicating where they thought the enemy would be looking for them.

On the level above them would be the twelve FBI members, and Agent Burkart putting up a last stand defense for their lives.

On the sleeping quarters level, which is 2 levels up, is our A-Team defense. It's jungle warfare on that floor, because of all the doors and passageways. The fallback position is one floor down.

Again 2 floors up, is the B team defense. Using squad automatic weapons, grenade launchers, and other means of mass destruction, they will attempt to annihilate the enemy. Again, one floor down is their fallback position.

You move up 3 floors to the main gallery. 300 armed soldiers are focused on that one portal: The Main Entrance to the spacecraft. The fusillade of lead going into that opening at one time should be enough to stop anything that comes through it. If not, they disperse to the 3 floors below and fight a delaying action. They will do anything they can to stop the enemies progress, until our main force returns from their rear action duty.

While all the heavy fighting is going on, and the enemy commander sees that the defense is based on downward momentum, he is going to set up all his explosives, and his men's efforts to that purpose, with the intent of killing Holden, and Richard. They are the Holy Grail of his mission. They know it, we know it, we know they know it, and we know they know we know it.

The boys made up a complete battle plan of the enemy, using the elevator shafts, food-service dumbwaiters, stairwells, and blowing holes through the flooring to get to Ground Zero.

Where are the two boys during all this mayhem? They were reading comic books, or watching movies in stasis boxes, on the newly completed eight floor. The boxes will be fully armored, and air-conditioned, sitting between 36 other stasis boxes, which just happened to be delivered last Wednesday, by Schneider Industries, and happen to look exactly the same.

If the enemy has eyes on our position, and doubtless they do; last Wednesday's deliveries looked nothing out of the ordinary.

The boys know that the enemy will be thinking downward, ever downward against the fiercest competition to get to them. While they, the 'Holy Grail' of this attack, are two floors up, lying in stasis boxes, among other stasis boxes that are sitting on 1" thick steel plates."

"Are those kids' geniuses or what?"

"Are they as good as me, dad?"

"Apples, pears, and oranges Patrick; they are all wonderful pieces of fruit. I do believe you are destined to be great friends. Richard, Holden, and you, because of your proximity in age, will flourish as one.

William will be the source of your nourishment, and guidance. Without him there will never be a spaceship 3, 4, 5, or 10. Who knows where your 3 genius minds will lead you to in the future?

The most unknown part of our universe, to date, is under our feet. The Marianas' trench is 5-miles deep, and only a handful of men have ever seen it. What they have seen and understood, could only fill a thimble.

One day your minds could lead you to the bottom of our ocean depths, instead of the stars. It may not be as lucrative as space travel, but the pure science of it, and the revolutionary way you could impact the food chain to restore the fish in our oceans to a healthy balance with nature, could feed the world many times over.

We came from the sea my son's! She gave us dominance over the sea's first. Then She gave us dominance over the birds of the air, and then the animals of the land. Maybe our God was telling us something very important, for our own salvation on this planet, from the very beginning.

"How can we talk about killing people, Dad, and in the same breath, talk about saving humanity from its own destruction?"

"To answer that you have to go back to the fiction called 'The Bible.' The story made up by men, supposedly holy men, to explain what they didn't understand, to people who understood less than they did.

Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel. Cain killed Abel. End of story. No females around no procreation. Go off to the land of Nod! Who was living in Nod? He only created 2 people, they created 2 people, and one of them was killed. No females, end of story. How did we get here; they started telling lies. Adam lives more than 900 years. Eve doesn't do too badly; she lives well into her 700's. During all that time they have 9 boys and 7 girls. 16 children over 7 centuries. What did they do with the rest of their time; play with themselves?

"Go forth and multiply." 16 kids in 7 centuries is not even close to multiplication. With no superbugs around, let's say they all lived to ripe old ages, and the girls reproduced like their mother. Another 16 children over the next 7 centuries. When we get to the 21 century, we may have reached 10,000 people all over the globe. No one is going to be fighting over land, water, or building rights. There is more of it than they know what to do with.

No one is hungry, because the animals are doing a better job of procreating then man is. If we don't hurry up man is going to be eaten by the animals. Who knows, the dinosaurs may make a comeback?"

Patrick said, "I love when you wax philosophical, dad, a peace comes over your face that we rarely see."

"I hope that's true Patrick, because I've done things during my life to protect this family from others who would destroy it that I'm not proud of.

The Bible says an eye for an eye, and because people wanted to kill my family, I've done that. An arm of the government wanted to kill your sister, Patricia. I broke that arm of the government off and killed it.

The Mafia put a hit out on me, Patricia, and Patricia's mother. Except for 2 men in that family, who were not involved in the family business, I annihilated the entire family.

There was a threat against William. An agreement was made, because I sent a film of what I did to that family in Italy, to the family that wanted to kill William. From not wanting to talk to me about the contract on my son, they begged my attorneys the next day for a conference. I said no. I told them my contract would start the following Monday, and the only way they could stop it was by killing me. That would have been bad for business, and no one hurts business. They called my lawyers again and begged for a meeting. This time I acquiesced. They were afraid William would grow up sitting at my right knee, learning everything I knew, and handling things as I know how to handle them. The agreement was he would be banished to China until the age of 33. I was to have minimum contact with him, although visitation was allowed. During that time no one would hurt him, not one hair on his head.

During the first month of Williams banishment, there was a news release that said a US nuclear hydrogen bomb, from an Air Force Base in Louisiana was missing. Congress was having committee hearings, the president had a headache, and heads rolled. Of course, I had nothing to do with it.

However, the people in Palermo got wind of the fact that one of my ships tested positive for uranium, when it entered the port of Naples. The ship was boarded, and tested. Every item on board was opened and searched thoroughly. The ship was searched by the Italian, and U.S. Navies, using the best detection devices available. The ship was in port for ten extra days, and nothing was found amiss. There was nothing on the ship, which was not listed on the manifest.

I sent a gift to the head of the family that threatened William, along with a one-line note, "If anything happens to William..." The agreements were signed and William stayed healthy in China. No one, Patrick, no one hurts my family."

"What was the gift, dad? Did you send him something expensive, something priceless?"

"Patrick, there is nothing in this world more priceless than family. You will do anything in this world to protect your family. Remember that as you grow up. It is a man's prime duty in this world to keep his family safe."

"I promise dad I will do it. William will teach me how to do it after you're gone, but I have to know what the gift was?"

"It was a package of mushrooms."

Patrick sat there with frown lines on his forehead thinking about what mushrooms had to do with protecting his brother. The light went on in his head as the lights do on the monuments in Washington DC.

"Dad, you scared the crap out of them, and you did nothing. You put a little lie in a newspaper, and like a snowball, you let it roll down the hill gathering speed and volume. By the time it got to Palermo, those people didn't have a prayer. The only thing it cost you was the price of a stamp, and a little influence. What a wizard you are."

"Did you notice I never mentioned a price being put on your head Patrick?"

"I did, but what about that attack in Jacksonville?"

"They weren't after you. You just happen to be in the wrong place at the right time. They were after Holden and Richard, so that doesn't count."

"It sure felt like accounted at the time."

"17 seconds of pure hell, my son. It was good practice."

"I would like to get more practice going after them, before they come after me again."

"You will, but not now. Your airplane is due in 10 days; your flight crews have been vetted. You have 3 former generals, 5 colonels, 6 airline pilots, 18 flight attendants, 30 top-flight mechanics, and 80 armed guards protecting your aircraft on 15 man rotations, at all times. The flight crews will fly many times without you in it to keep their proficiency up. We may even lease it to certain people for exorbitant amounts of money.

I was very impressed with the name you gave it, and the insignia. Watch out for your mother when she sees it, she may hug you to death, or just kill you because of it.

While we know you will be busy for extended periods of time; the aircraft will be in Kansas City being upgraded to beyond Presidential Standards. There are certain things the Secret Service won't tell us Air Force One has, but that will not be a problem for me. By the time Boeing gets finished with her, the President will want to take a ride with you, instead of on Air Force 1."

"You're too much dad, thank you."

"Don't thank me, I'm not putting a dime into it. My friend in Algeria gave you the airplane, and William is paying for all the extras."

"How did I get wrangled into this?"

"Do you remember all the paperwork my lawyers had you sign?"

"Painfully, I remember that day; correction, those 3 days."

"Who now owns 80 percent of my companies?"

"I am the titular head of your companies, dad. They will always be your companies, as long as you draw breath."

"Thank you William, and since you call them my companies, you are paying for Patrick's upgrades."

"Isn't it enough that he broke my nose, now he has to rub my nose into it?"

"Is he going to come to the Senatorial hearings with the bandage on his nose, dad?"

"I'm going to demand that he does son. I want the Senators to know how strong you are. Can you imagine your brother on the front page of every major newspaper in the world, as the reporters ask you what happened to his nose?"

"I'd rather die dad."

"A little humility helps us all son. You see what your mother does to me. I see what Gwen does to you. Soon we will see what dancing does to Patrick."

"Please dad, don't dangle that in front of me again. Every time I get my hopes up, something happens to dash them right in front of my eyes."

"I promise you, Patrick, when we get to Greenbrier, you will be dancing your feet off like you never have before."

"Since I've never had my first dance, anything would be an improvement."

"You're absolutely correct, everything will be an improvement. Are you all packed, and ready to go?"

They both answered yes.

"Alfonse."

"Yes sir."

"Are the teams and readiness?"

"Yes sir all teams are in stage one readiness."

"Excellent. Are the women finished packing?"

"Yes sir, the luggage is being moved down to the front hallway now."

"Excellent. Tell the woman to get dressed. I want them moved to Westchester now. The helicopter will meet them there in less than 2 hours. Tell the advance group to move to their new positions now. What about the other asset?"

"He's on his way sir."

"I don't have to give you any instructions, you know what they are. If no one else comes home but those 2 women, and our little baby girls, your mission has been successful. Best wishes Alfonse, try to come home safely, I will miss you if you don't."

"Thank you Mister Zabo, my teams and I will protect the girls with everything we have."

"Thank you. Get ready to leave. William grab the 2 suitcases that are in the safe room, with my initials on the side. Patrick there is a longer suitcase in there, with my initials on the top, would you get that one please?"

"Yes dad."

Jemma came running down the stairs, with her coat folded over her arm.