Jacqueline Druga: Protocol One

Admittedly, I was dumbfounded and I held up my hand.

“You have a question?”

“No. Stop. I’m no longer following you. Security protocol? Church? Please. While I know you are probably a very detailed orientated man…”

“I am.”

“Then can you please stop and cut to the chase,” I said. “You said I used a flag word.”

“You did.”

“Meaning, Gil was held to high secrecy and I used a word that may or may not lead whoever is holding him to secrecy, to believe he opened his mouth.”

“Yes. If they think he opened his mouth, then they could look into what he has done. He can’t have that. Under anti-hoarder laws, not normally enforced, he could have to surrender everything he has been building, especially in the last six months.”

“Why couldn’t you just say that? Why couldn’t you just say he’s afraid his cover is gonna be blown and he sent you to tell me everything and pretend to be my date to throw them off?”

He leaned back in his chair. “Because I thought you’d want to know the beginning of the story, how he contacted me and how he funded it without anyone knowing.”

“You didn’t say anything about his funding it.”

“I did. I said he donated to a church.”

“So like the aluminum foil he laundered the money through a church.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, if this gets out he’ll never be President.”

“He’ll never be President anyhow. The elections will never happen.”

“Since I know the flag word I used, then it’s true?”

Slowly, Tony nodded. “Yes.”

“The government does use tabloids as a means to slip information to the public. I saw that in a movie once.”

“What… are you talking about?” He asked and then suddenly downed his ‘sipping’ shot.

“The World Inquisitor had the scoop.”

“Oh my God.” His hand shot to his face.

“So there isn’t a twelve mile wide comet on a collision course to earth?”

“Don’t be insane.”

I exhaled with a ‘whew’ and sat back.

“It’s more like five point two miles.”

I grabbed my drink and guzzled it as well.

Tony signaled the waiter and ordered us both another round.

By the time our meal arrived we got to the meat of the conversation. No pun intended toward the steaks.

I got it. Because Gil was married to Gwen at the time, he found out about Dempsey’s Comet. A comet nearly as big as the one that reportedly wiped to the dinosaurs. Of course, the ‘I need to be prepared’ person in Gil took over.

My big question was if Gil was supposed to be secretive, and it was known he was talking with Tony, then how was Tony not spotted as the connection? I would think they would put two and two together. Gil isn’t communicating with his wife, but his security connection is.

Simply, no one knows who Tony Garrison is.

The head of GSS isn’t Tony Garrison. Because of what he deals with Tony remains hidden behind a fake face at the company.

Our conversation went from over dinner, to the bar down the road where we had a few drinks.

“Everyone was entirely confident,” Tony said. “That the deflection project would work. When it failed, the government and Gil went into high gear. Secretively of course. That Smithsonian Remodeling project was just a ruse for them to put away artifacts.”

“Why is it a secret? Why not let the world know so they can prepare?”

“How? Unless you have money. How? We just found out when it was going to hit or at least we think so. We can’t tell for sure because for the last three years it’s been hidden. That’s why anyone with a telescope can’t spot it. But in a couple of weeks, there may be no hiding it. Imagine the world, right now, if they knew. What would it be like? Keeping it secret keeps the gas flowing to the tanks and the food flowing to the shelves. Hell, I didn’t find out what I was building until the failed attempt.”

“He didn’t tell you?”

“No.” Tony shook his head. “All I knew was I was to locate three, old cold war silos that could be fitted and redesigned for survival. According to sales records, the church found the bunkers and sold them to three different individuals. Construction is complete and has been for over a year. They are partially stocked, with the remainder of the supplies to be shipped to the final destination.”

“Three locations.”

“Yes, one north, one east, and one in Germany. We won’t know exactly where the comet will strike until it comes into measurement range. So it will come down to the wire. Once we get a location of impact, the remaining supplies will be moved to the safest location.”

“So two of the shelters will not be used?” I asked.

“They’ll be used. GSS people and their families will be able to go there. Some of the chosen construction workers. God willing, the comet hits somewhere that keeps all locations safe.”

“What about the foil?”

“It’s been shipped. Construction crews have been wrapping all electronics and prepping them for the EMP that will come with the comet. I guess, I don’t know. One man at each station has been doing it. They’re probably nuts by now. Who knows? My job is to be secure. To keep it all a secret and have it ready to go and to get you out when the time comes. I don’t know much about comets.”

“Well, I do. A lot happens, that’s for sure.”

“You’ve been studying them for a while?”

“No.” I shook my head. “About twenty-four hours.”

“Dr. Fleishmann is really the expert. You’ll have him on hand. He’ll be advising the technical side.

I gasped loudly.

“You know him?”

“He was the leak to the tabloid. Claude Fleishmann. The scientist in Germany.”

“His name is Peter and he lives in Ohio” I countered.

“It’s the same man. He’s a good one. His conscience wouldn’t let him live with the secret.”

“So he let it out via a tabloid?” I asked.

“Yes.” Tony nodded.

“So the plan is to go to the safe locations once a destination is known?”

Again, Tony nodded. “And hopefully, get there before the news breaks and be safe and sound when the comet hits. The final shelter is supposed to be a safe location for up to three years. By then you emerge and the world is settling.”

“Emerge to what?”

“No one knows,” Tony said. “Fleishmann can guess. Just know you’ll be safe and sound for three years.”

“In theory,” I said.

“In theory.” Tony waved to the bartender at our final destination, ordering just one more round before we left. I guess it was his way of making the date look legit. “Until the moving day, you’ll be stuck with me. I am the deterrent to keep eyes off of the connection between you and the Senator. You can blame his ex wife on that one. Odd time to be insecure on whether you are gonna show up at the shelter.”

“But I am. How will she handle that?”

“You won’t be at the same shelter,” Tony replied. “She’ll be with the presidential group.”

“That makes sense. So my work and unknowing participation is done.”

“Yes, sort of.” Tony lifted his drink. “Depending on what shelter, you may have to drive there and you may be responsible for picking up and escorting essential people to the shelter.”

“Wow, that’s a big responsibility. I would think the government would have ensured their arrival.”

Tony shook his head. “Not at your shelter.”

“How many people does this shelter hold?”

He shrugged. “If I were to guess, fifty, maybe more, but it would be tight.”

“So there will be fifty people there?”

“Ten. You, your son, seven essential people, two of which will be there as security and the foil man.”