Russell Moran - A Climate of Doubt

“Great job, Walter. It’s always a pleasure working with FBI guys. Mission accomplished.”

“Thanks. Hey, is your real name ‘Buster?’”

“You’ll never know, my friend. Pardon me while I disappear back into the shadows.”

“ Moonwalker, Moonwalker , this is Home Base, come in.”

“Read you loud and clear, Home Base, astronaut David Hardy speaking.”

“Good afternoon, David, Phil Duncan here,” Bob Colombo said.

“We’re cancelling the satellite tests scheduled for tomorrow, David. You and Mike Jordan can just perform your normal internal tests.”

“Is everything okay, Mr. Duncan? Why are you cancelling the tests?”

Jordan looked at Hardy wide-eyed and punched him in the arm.

“If I want you to question decisions of senior management, I’ll publicly announce your promotion. Until then, kindly obey orders,” Duncan/Colombo said.

“Yes, sir, Mr. Duncan.”

“Please give me a full report on the American raid on our compound in Kurdistan, Douglas,” Bartholomew Martin said to his assistant.

“To say that we caught them by surprise would be an understatement, Bartholomew. Your idea of the rapid evacuation and relocation turned out to be brilliant. The Americans began with bombing raids that were gigantic in scope and followed up with infantry attacks led by a tank battalion. The only result for the Americans was a loss of munitions.”

“Any indication that the Americans know about our new home?”

“I’m sure they are aware of our new location, Bartholomew. We can assume that America has spies in Iran. It’s impossible to conceal such a large movement of people and equipment. But the significant fact is that we managed to move everything, including tanks and other heavy weapons to our new location here at Reformation City. Because the Americans know that an attack on our compound would mean war with Iran, we are actually safer here than in Kurdistan.”

“I wonder, Douglas, if the Iranians are aware of our control over the Rosetta space station and its satellites. What have you heard from any of the Iranian leaders about the cold spells we’ve been having?”

“They blame it on the Americans, Bartholomew, just as they blame almost any unpleasantness on them. But recently the weather has not been an issue at all because we reversed the solar arrays. Today’s temperature is a perfect 70 degrees Fahrenheit, normal for September in this part of Iran.”

“Have you heard anything about the Iranian reaction to the name we’ve chosen for our new location?”

“Yes, the high authorities in Iran like the name you’ve chosen. One of them told me that Reformation City sounds ‘Islamic.’”

“To change the subject, Douglas, what do the Americans know about the new space station, Moonwalker ?”

“As far as they know it is Rosetta Corporation’s space station and was put into orbit according to a regular schedule. Philip Duncan has done a wonderful job in my opinion, of convincing the Americans that Rosetta is on their side.”

“Anything to tell me about Frank Morgan, Rosetta’s CEO?”

“As you know, Bartholomew, Frank Morgan died in an unfortunate car accident, and Phil Duncan was chosen by the board as his natural successor.”

“Yes, indeed it was an unfortunate car accident,” Bartholomew said, stifling a laugh. “Philip Duncan is a good man and has been our main insider at Rosetta for years. I will be speaking to him shortly. As always, and it won’t change now that he’s CEO, I will talk to him sparingly to avoid suspicion. Do you suggest anything I should ask him?”

“Isn’t the new space station, Moonwalker , ready to perform satellite tests? Perhaps you should ask him if there is anything special that they should do. And also—what is the status of the two former Stargazer astronauts, William Cranston and Nancy Mullin? The last I heard was that they had to fly east suddenly because of Ms. Mullin’s ailing grandmother. I believe that you were concerned about running tests without those two present to give technical advice.”

“Yes, Douglas, good suggestion. Our new astronauts, Hardy and Jordan, ran a test a few days ago and it was quite sloppy. I will feel more comfortable if Cranston and Mullin are on the line giving them advice. Unless Cranston and Mullin have returned, I think that Philip Duncan will want to postpone the tests. Stay here while I call him.”

“Good afternoon, Philip. This is Bartholomew.”

“Hello, Bart. Good to hear from you,” Bob Colombo said, using his best Philip Duncan imitation. Research from the CIA and the FBI had confirmed that Duncan is the only person who refers to Bartholomew as “Bart.”

“Philip, I recommend that we postpone our plans for the satellite tests for a few days. It’s essential that Nancy Mullin and William Cranston, the astronauts who operated Stargazer , be present to help our new astronauts with the controls. The tests that Hardy and Jordan ran didn’t work so well, as you know. The switch procedures are quite exacting, and experience is necessary. Where is Nancy Mullin, Phillip? Is she still visiting her grandmother?”

“I believe she is, Bart. She left a message with me saying that her grandmother was ill and that she and Bill Cranston went to New York to visit her.”

“You believe she’s still in New York? Philip, you are aware of the importance of the satellite tests are you not? When did Mullin leave?”

“Five days ago, along with Cranston.”

“Do you know what flight they took? I assume there are very few flights from Billings to New York.”

“No, Bart, I didn’t check but I will as soon as I get off the phone.”

“I recommend, Philip, that you exercise more caution and suspicion when someone gives you an excuse for not following orders. I’m sure you have Ms. Mullin’s cell phone number. Contact her now to find out when she and Cranston will return. I will call you tomorrow at 9 a.m. your time to see what you found out and to let me know when we can run the satellite tests.”

“Buster, it’s Bob Colombo. Bartholomew wants a report from me tomorrow as to when we can expect Nancy Mullin to return to Rosetta. He also wants me to check on the flight she and Bill Cranston took. Of course, we know that they took a private FBI flight to New York.”

“Just have your assistants call the airline and check for the flight numbers around the time when Nancy supposedly went to visit her imaginary grandmother. Since Duncan and his colleagues are no longer there, it won’t be a problem for Nancy and Bill to show up at Rosetta. Just to be safe, I’ll send them with bodyguards. I want Nancy and Bill to conduct the satellite tests with the astronauts aboard Moonwalker . Bartholomew must be convinced that Nancy and Bill are back on the job, otherwise your cover is blown. Call me tomorrow after you speak to Bartholomew. Tell him that the tests are scheduled for the day after tomorrow. I’ll call Rick Bellamy to make sure the Cranstons take one of our planes to Billings this afternoon so that they’ll be there when Bartholomew calls you. My guess is that he’ll want to speak to Nancy. Bob, always remember, Bartholomew Martin doesn’t trust a soul.”

“Buster, something has been nagging me. What if Bartholomew arranges for somebody to show up at Rosetta wanting to speak to Duncan? I can imitate his voice but not his appearance. Security is pretty tight at Rosetta and people can’t just walk in and wander around, but what can the receptionist say if somebody asks for the guy who is not here?”

“Put two of our agents on a rotating schedule to sit at the reception desk and brief them on what to say.”