The Codetalkers (The Rebelutionaries Series: Book 2)
Page 23
Chapter 21
Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.
-Steve Jobs
Zac looked up from his second helping of breakfast as a hire car drove right into the warehouse. Two people got out. Zac sprung to his feet and sprinted towards them.
“Dad!” exploded Zac, pressing his father up against his body.
Kiviuq grinned and returned Zac’s unexpected embrace.
“It’s good to see you too, son.”
“Just keeping you on your toes,” replied Zac in Yupik. “You never know when you might have to cuddle another bear cub whose chute hasn’t opened.”
Kiviuq raised surprised eyebrows.
“I don’t remember ever telling you about that incident,” he said, as if searching to recollect the conversation.
“You must have forgotten!” grinned Zac.
Kiviuq moved into Zac’s personal space and breathed on his cheek. Zac made no attempt to move away.
“You’ve changed on the inside since we were last together,” said Kiviuq curiously.
“I’ve decided it’s about time I started mirroring your boldness and you stopped mirroring my coyness.”
Kiviuq eyed Zac analytically for a long moment.
“You’re on!” he said, breaking into a cheeky grin.
The reply was in perfect English, without any trace of his usual Yupik accent.
Zac cleared his throat, sensing he’d unleashed a tiger in his father’s soul. They started walking towards the others.
“How was the trip anyway Wandering Adventurer?” asked Dave warmly.
“Well our flight here was uneventful, but since touching down in Perth we’ve been hit by a bombshell or two.”
“Why Dad?” I asked, assuming I was responsible for the bombshell.
“Well Tunfaruq, it all began when we were eating breakfast and opened our complimentary newspaper. Imagine our surprise when we saw your older brother’s face - reflecting his passionate commitment to a young woman we’ve never met, on the front of the West Australian.”
Zac opened the folded newspaper Kiviuq handed him and slowly rubbed his lips with his fingertips. I leant over his shoulder and started laughing.
“You’re gonna have to keep your face out of newspapers big brother!” I teased.
Zac half heartedly whacked me with the paper and rubbed his creased brow.
“Maya and Jake! I left you both alone for less than an hour yesterday. How did you two manage to get me into so much trouble in that amount of time?”
“Frank needed something for the front page so we brainstormed and came up with the idea of an intrepid travelling mini-series,” shrugged Maya.
“And Frank paid me $250 for my photo!” added Jake proudly.
Dave doubled over with laughter.
“What do you know about this Dave?” muttered Zac.
“I nearly said something when they gave the photo to Frank yesterday. But I let it pass, because my knowledge of Inuit cultural practices is a little sketchy.”
“What’s an Inuit cultural practice?” asked Maya brightly.
“Maybe Kiviuq should explain...” suggested Dave.
Eyes turned in Kiviuq’s direction.
“Well, some people call it an Eskimo kiss. But this means more than a kiss in our culture... Within a family, it expresses tender, caring affection for someone you deeply love. And between lovers it expresses passionate commitment. And a desire to be with that person for the rest of your life.”
Maya glanced at Zac.
“So we’ve been sprung by your parents, right?”
“Good and proper,” replied Zac with twinkling eyes.
“Oh well. Since we’ve been sprung, you’d better introduce me.”
“And we might as well take advantage of the shock and introduce ourselves at the same time!” grinned Pedro, wrapping his arms around Hope and Petrina.
“Hola Nana,” said Petrina smiling sweetly.
Helen smiled back but said nothing.
“Hallo Nana...” repeated Petrina undeterred. “Buna ziua Nana... Bonjou Nana...”
Helen’s eyes widened with surprise. She glanced over at Dutchy. Dutchy chuckled mischievously.
“What language does Nana speak Mama?” asked Petrina in English.
“Well she speaks quite a few languages, but I think she’s kinda speechless at the moment!” I laughed.
Zac stooped over and whispered in Petrina’s ear.
“Pick me up Apa’urluq,” said Petrina, extending her arms in Kiviuq’s direction.
Kiviuq scooped her up and grinned as Petrina affectionately nuzzled him.
“Oh, our first granddaughter Helen. Isn’t she beautiful?”
“Well I admit I’m intrigued by how many languages she speaks at such a tender age.”
Dave looked at his watch and exchanged subtle glances with Kiviuq.
“Gordon mentioned you had to attend a meeting son.”
“Yeah. Just over at Garden Island with Dave. We won’t be long though, then we can spend the rest of the day together.”
“Actually, why don’t you come for the drive Kiviuq?” suggested Dave.
“Love to,” replied Kiviuq casually.
I glanced at Zac curiously.
“Since when do geophysicists attend military strategy meetings Zac? Come to that, why do they want the owner of an outback B & B at a military strategy meeting Dave?”
Kiviuq and Helen exchanged wordless glances.
“Never mind loading them down with questions young lady,” said Helen. “I’ve got a few questions of my own. Like why are you here in Australia with your brother, when you’re supposed to be in Alaska? And why is this multilingual child calling me Nana?”
Ω
Mike looked around with a start, conscious that someone was standing over him in the semi darkness. Charlie plonked himself down on Mike’s bed. Mike glanced at him circumspectly. Charlie wriggled closer. Mike stiffened but managed to stay put.
“What are you doing?” asked Mike tersely.
“Waiting ‘til you don’t feel I’m a threat.”
“You’re in my bed in just a towel and you don’t expect me to feel threatened?!”
Charlie chuckled.
“Alright - I was just making sure you weren’t gay, while I was waiting for the trust to build between us.”
“And what exactly were you planning on doing if I went for your towel?”
“Knocking you into next week. Too bad if it’s politically incorrect.”
Mike laughed and let down his guard.
“You’re inimitable Charlie.”
“Want to go another round of top and toe?”
“Why?”
“You found the last round stretching this morning. Top and toe’s supposed to be relaxing.”
Mike paused.
“I admit I was stretched... I was trying to hide it though, because I know you’re all trying to connect with Paul.”
“You hid it well.”
“Obviously not well enough to fool you.”
Charlie eyed Mike perspicaciously.
“Something surfaced this morning that you weren’t ready to share, eh?”
“You don’t exactly beat around the bush, do you General?”
“Not with a bloke who can pick up a non-verbal directive and obey it, even when he finds it stretching.”
Mike drew a deep breath.
“The massage reminded me of my wife’s pampering... and that got me panicking about the future.”
“Panicking?”
“They know I’m back from overseas, but they don’t know I’m an emotional basket-case.”
Mike cleared his throat.
“I don’t want them to know Charlie... But when I go home, Julia’s gonna pick it up... And her parents are gonna ask why I’ve left the Airforce... and so are our friends... And I don’t know what I’m gonna say, because I don’t want to leave the Airforce... But I can’t return to my old job... I know I’d be a liabil
ity like this... I thought about becoming a deskie. But John reckons I wouldn’t last five minutes before I blew my stack with frustration... and he’s right.”
“Sounds like we need to create you some breathing space.”
“How?”
“Tell your family and friends you’ve been placed on a special assignment with the ISRA. That way you have a valid excuse for being secretive about what you’re doing and what you’ve done... And you won’t have to talk too much to anyone until you feel less fragile.”
“I’d love a job like that Charlie, but it goes against my grain to lie, just to cut myself some slack... Then again... that’s given me an idea. Tomorrow I’ll type #ISRA vacancies# into John’s computer and see if anything comes up...”
“I think you’ll find that if you type #Michael Vincent Gregory# into any of the op centre computers, you’ll discover that you’ve already been reassigned to Special Operations, ISRA headquarters.”
Mike sat up.
“Headquarters?!... Hang on... It all makes sense... The ISRA insignia on the Farliga Pass site... the link to the Airforce mainframe... the way you’re trying to build a relationship with Paul so he’ll stick around... and the ISRA have a reputation for annexing the best graduates which is why Ryan’s here...”
Charlie’s eyes twinkled. Mike shook his head in disbelief.
“It was staring me in the face all along Charlie... And John was trying to tell me the other night but I missed all his hints at the time... Duh... I must’ve been tired or something...”
“I told John just to tell you straight, but he said he felt the best approach was to just let the lead colt enjoy running wild with the stallions for a bit. Whatever that means...”
A broad grin from Mike. Charlie mirrored it.
“So what does Special Ops entail anyway?”
“At the moment it means mentoring Paul and Ryan. You’ve already been doing that informally anyway. Then when you feel like you can handle extra pressure, you can mentor the Special Forces and ISRA recruits that come through weekdays... or head off with us on ISRA assignments if they tickle your fancy. We share the overseas workload, so no one gets burnt out. And if we’re not somewhere else in the world, we generally try to spend the weekends with our families at Malmstrom, with a rostered weekend out here once a month to support the recreational retreat facade.”
Mike moistened his lips as Charlie continued.
“When you’re ready, we’ll transfer your family to Malmstrom, and our wives can feed Julia enough information to keep her curiosity at bay. And down the track when you’re up to all those probing questions, Julia and your kids can come out here. Or even live out here permanently like Dave and John’s families did, if you prefer that arrangement as a family...”
Silence. Mike let out a laboured breath and sniffed up.
“Upsetting suggestion?” ventured Charlie softly.
“Sorry... The emotional basket-case is just crying with joy.”
“I was an emotional basket-case after Korea... Still can’t handle the MASH jingle on the tele. We’ve lost three teles because of that series. Karla has banned live tele whenever I’m home, in case we lose a fourth.”
“Your wife’s name’s Karla?”
“Ah ha.”
“The shrink’s name was Karla too.”
“Ah ha.”
Mike reddened.
“I vented off to her Charlie.”
“I know. She was so disturbed by what you told her, that she broke the confidentiality rule and passed your feedback onto us... Off the record, that clown from the Academy’s been reassigned to a non-combat post... And John went through the cream of this year’s Academy graduates and selected Ryan, to try and get an idea of the flaws in the Academy’s training. We can’t do much about the Academy’s curriculum or teaching methods. But we’re re-establishing Dave’s leadership programme and pushing for the compulsory participation of all Academy graduates in our programme before they’re given combat assignments.”
“Now that’s something I’d really like to be involved in.”
“Thought you’d be interested!” grinned Charlie. “Might see if we can get Dave over here to run a refresher course as well... Although we remember most of Dave’s dares anyway... They’re kinda unforgettable.”
“Dave’s dares?”
“Ah ha... Like top-to-toe.”
“Don’t you mean top and toe?”
“Nah. That’s the watered down version for ‘fraidy cat recruits. Top-to-toe was part of the advanced leadership programme. Designed to get rid of inhibitions in Security Service personnel so they could handle awkward moments out in the field.”
“Sounds embarrassing.”
Charlie laughed roguishly and draped a friendly arm around Mike.
“Dare ya ta let me show you...”
Ω
Maya watched Dave pull on overalls over his shorts, then don a wig.
“You look... different!” she laughed adjusting his untidy black curls.
“Luan and Tarapaca know me by sight. Think I’ll fool them?”
“Probably... You look a lot younger... And more like a foreign labourer than the owner of a B & B.”
“Well, you look the part anyway,” said Kiviuq as he started to strip off.
Maya averted her gaze to give him some privacy. Kiviuq laughed mischievously.
“Scared of the sight of a fella in boxers, eh?”
“No. But we only met each other ten minutes ago. And our relationship is already off to a rocky start over the front page incident.”
Kiviuq chuckled as he stepped into his overalls.
“Do up the press-studs for me will you? I’m riddled with arthritis.”
Maya glanced fleetingly at Dave. Dave’s eyes twinkled. Maya stepped closer and started fastening his overalls. Kiviuq eyed Dave with a hint of embarrassment as she did up the lower press-studs.
“I didn’t expect her to stick around when I stripped off. Let alone have the nerve to do what I asked.”
“Sounds like you need to go a round of top-to-toe with her.”
“What’s top-to-toe?” asked Maya, eyeing Kiviuq.
“Never mind.”
Dave laughed roguishly.
“News flash mate. Maya has got nerves of steel and her audacity is rubbing off on your son. Last night he extracted all these secrets out of me then dared me to let go of the past and move on...”
“Is that right? I might have to get to know Ataniq’s heart-throb better.”
“And I might have to get to know you better,” replied Maya confidently.
She looked Kiviuq up and down and adjusted his collar.
“You might get away with your Paul Smith boxers, but Aussie labourers don’t wear Gucci sunnies on the job,” she said, removing them and placing them on her head. “Why are you both going to a strategy meeting dressed like labourers anyway?”
“Strategy,” replied Dave.
Maya watched Kiviuq and Dave strap on wrist guns, then adjust their overall sleeves to cover them.
“You’re taking guns?” she said open-mouthed.
“No catching flies,” quipped Dave. “I just told him you’ve got nerves of steel.”
Kiviuq eyed Dave.
“He hasn’t told her?”
“I haven’t told him. Thought he’d be best off taking the role of innocent bystander.”
“He’s a reasonable shot,” ventured Kiviuq.
“He’s a first-rate shot. I watched him through binoculars out at Banja when he was teaching young Jake to shoot. But he’s just come back from Farliga Pass and he’s exhausted...”
“What was he doing there?” gasped Kiviuq.
“He used the Pass as a shortcut out of Yellowstone Park. Dragged Maya here and Jake along as well for company. Somewhere along the line he interacted with John and some of the others... gleaned additional information off Dutchy and me... and he’s added everything together and figured out his status...”
“What?
”
“...and pretty much figured out ours as well... I ended up sacking with your pair last night actually, so they wouldn’t do a runner on you and Helen before you both arrived.”
“Has he told Hope?”
“I’m not sure. They’ve been yabbering a lot in Yupik.”
“Zac’s told her enough to stop her doing a runner,” said Maya.
Kiviuq eyed Maya curiously.
“Has he told you enough to stop you doing a runner?”
Maya flung her arms around Kiviuq and hugged him like a long-lost friend.
“Keep Zac safe for me. And come back safe yourself.”
Kiviuq gently mirrored the unanticipated embrace.
“You come back safe too Dave,” whispered Maya, squeezing him tightly. “Jen needs you.”
“Sshhh... We’ll be alright,” replied Dave soothingly. “Like last time...”
Ω
Maya found Zac, dressed in King Gee work clothes.
“You look like a rugged foreman,” she said. “Except sexier.”
Zac’s smile was tinged with embarrassment.
“I haven’t a clue why Dave wants me to wear Pedro’s work clobber to this meeting. It seems such a strange request.”
Maya moistened her lips.
“Do you think you should take a gun as well?”
“Maya, it’s a strategy meeting with U.S. Navy personnel. Why on earth would I need a weapon?”
“Well at least take this. I packed it for you.”
“What’s in it?”
“Tools and stuff. Like off MacGyver. The tools might come in handy. And it fits in with what you’re wearing.”
“Alright,” nodded Zac, clipping the well-worn tool-belt around his waist.
Maya flung her arms around Zac and squeezed him tightly.
“Maya. What’s wrong?”
“Journalist intuition... Promise me you’ll listen to the Still Small Voice Zac. And obey Him.”
“I promise,” whispered Zac, breathing gently on Maya’s cheek.
Silence.
“Actually, the Still Small Voice is telling me to do something right now... It seems such a little thing, but I’ll obey Him.”
Zac unfastened the pendant his father had given him and refastened it around Maya’s neck.
“Mind it for me ‘til I get back...”
Ω
Dave nodded at the guard at the front checkpoint as they drove past him.
“Can you believe their security?”
Kiviuq raised his eyebrows in silent agreement.
“There’s hardly a need for high security. It’s just your run-of-the-mill warship,” shrugged Zac.
“It’s supposed to look ordinary so it doesn’t attract attention. You’re actually looking at the floating arm of the U.S. Office of Naval Research, Zac.”
“Meaning?”
“The Jefferson is carrying some of the most sophisticated weaponry on the planet - the Maritime Laser Demonstrator , a free electron laser, several directed energy weapons, equipment for experiments with neutral particle beam technology, and a whole bunch of other gadgets I’ve never heard of...”
“Sounds like a floating target to me,” retorted Zac, as they climbed out of the car.
Dave and Kiviuq exchanged brusque looks.
“The other night when Luan and Tarapaca returned to Laverton, Gordon took the liberty of planting a comm-sat bug in their jeep. Yesterday he discovered that they’ve placed two E/M weapons aboard the Jefferson.”
Dave paused.
“Except looking for two stray E/M weapons in a ship that’s chockers full of experimental weapons is like looking for a needle in a haystack... The skeleton crew have been unable to locate them - simply because they don’t know what they’re looking for.”
“Why are just a skeleton crew looking for them?”
“Most of the scientists from the crew are scattered all over Australia - literally. Everyone’s on a ten day R & R break and not everyone’s elected to stay in Perth. Some are on whirlwind tours of Australia, others have gone to the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. One group of research scientists apparently even took a seven day trip to Antarctica.”
“So isn’t it the Navy’s problem?”
“It’s a Navy warship,” explained Kiviuq. “But the research is a cooperative project between the U.S. Airforce and U.S. Navy.”
“Hence the ISRA’s involvement. But that doesn’t mean I want to be involved. Or should be involved. I might be an ISRA sleeper, but I didn’t ask to be one.”
Kiviuq rested his hands on Zac’s shoulders.
“The world is a dangerous place son, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing...”
Zac clenched his fists behind his back out of his father’s sight. Dave read the body language.
“Zac - Gordon understands how you feel. He’s en-route from Laverton as we speak to help us. But Gordon and I have to be careful how we get involved in the search, because Luan and Tarapaca know us by sight...”
“Luan and Tarapaca are here?” frowned Zac.
“Garden Island... 27th... 9 pm. Remember?”
“They’re crazy!” gasped Zac. “Firing two E/M weapons from here could blow every unprotected device aboard the Jefferson. And if the Jefferson’s nuclear reactor gets damaged, that could result in nuclear fallout over Perth... Worse still, if Luan has those weapons aimed at the Darling Scarp fault-line, they could trigger an earthquake in Perth...”
Dave and Kiviuq nodded simultaneously.
“That’s why we’ve enlisted the help of a Cat 1 sleeper who knows more about E/M weapons than both of us put together,” replied Dave solemnly.
Ω
Zac surveyed the deck of the warship with a mixture of disdain and awe. No two ways about it. Finding two E/M weapons among all the arsenal on the deck wasn’t going to be easy. And there was another cache of experimental weapons in the belly of the ship as well.
“I could get Jake and Reece over to help us in the search,” said Zac slowly. “And possibly fly Pete, Brendan and Dale over from the Eastern States as well. We’ve got about nine hours before Tarapaca’s demonstration.”
Kiviuq smiled faintly at Zac’s shift in attitude.
“Gordon considered involving your Australian research team son, but he felt that due to their limited interaction with military heavies, the risk of them getting injured by Luan or Tarapaca was too great.”
“He wasn’t going to involve you either for the same reason,” added Dave. “But last night Dutchy told Gordon and John that you had sufficient combat skills to pass his ISRA training course, so they relented. Sometimes desperate situations call for desperate measures...”
A pensive silence.
“I think the best place to start is by searching the places where the E/M weapons are most likely to be fired from,” said Zac.
“Meaning?”
“Luan will need a line of sight view of the satellite when it passes overhead tonight so that narrows it down to on the deck or in hidey holes which can open up to get a view of the sky. The E/M weapons also need to be near an uninterrupted power supply so that further narrows down the likely places. And we can further narrow down the field to the optimum spots if we calculate the exact flight path of the closest satellite to the Jefferson at 9 pm tonight...”
“...by using good old triangulation...” finished Kiviuq.
Zac nodded.
“It’ll be quicker if we split up Dad. You and Dave locate the skeleton crew and get a layout of the ship’s electrical outlets and generating equipment. I’ll contact Jake and get him and Reece to work on the satellite trajectory calculations, while I make a preliminary sortie around here on deck for anything out of the ordinary. Meet me back here as soon as you get hold of the schematics...”
Ω
Zac spoke to Jake and Reece, explaining the calculations he needed them to make, then ended the call. He surveyed the desolate deck. Tackling an investig
ative assignment without his team felt... different. Lonely. Zac meandered aimlessly along the deck towards the front of the ship while he waited for Dave and his father to return. Nothing of interest. He climbed a ladder and looked around for something out of place. His eyes picked up a solitary piece of discarded gum wrapper. The colour of the wrapper triggered a fleeting, recent memory. Zac went over to it and examined it more closely. Korean. Army issue. The same as the packet they’d found discarded at the Celia fault line near Laverton several weeks previously...
Ω
“What do you think about Zac’s idea of limiting the search to places with a view of the sky?” ventured Kiviuq, as they descended into the belly of the warship.
“It has its merits, but let’s go with John’s directive to search the experimental weapons area first. He said to meet him in the conference room for morning tea. Some Navy bods will brief us all and show us where to go from there.”
“When?”
“About now,” replied Dave casually.
Ω
Zac surveyed the area near the wrapper with keen eyes. Nearby, some scraps of red wire were swept into an untidy pile along with half a dozen cigarette butts and a small cardboard box. Zac looked around covertly then opened the box. Inside it was a discarded voltage multiplier. It had been de-soldered, which suggested someone had been working on an electronics project nearby and replaced the component.
Zac used his mobile to connect to the internet then searched the catalogues of E/M weapon distributors for the part number of the component. Several kit weapons came up. Zac displayed their images, then looked up at his surroundings again. His eyes fell on a nearby gun turret. Mounted to the top of it were two grey metal objects. They were the same colour as the gun turret and for all intents and purposes looked part of the structure. Except Zac knew intuitively that they didn’t belong aboard the Navy ship...
Burning with curiosity, he walked over towards the gun turret for a closer look. He threw a cursory glance around, then pulled a Philips screwdriver out of the tool-belt which Maya had insisted he wear to the meeting...
Ω
“That’s three levels down... Now it should be the fifth door on the right,” said Dave.
Kiviuq stopped midstride and frowned.
“Are you claustrophobic mate?”
“Nah... I’ve got a gut feeling we should tell Zac where we’re going.”
“I’ll go with your gut feeling. We’ll tell him as soon as we find John and his new aide.”
Dave counted doors aloud as they walked down the corridor.
“1...2...3...4...This should be the room...”
Dave and Kiviuq pushed open the door. A man and a woman wearing Navy uniforms and sober expressions looked at them. Kiviuq redirected his attention to John. He was dressed in civilian clothing and seated at an impressive oak table, laid out with plates and morning tea. A pale-faced teenager in civilian clothing sat near him. Angry tension exuding from his youthful face. Near the group stood an edgy MP. Presumably a security guard. John’s eyes flickered - silently telling them to leave. Dave missed the non-verbal hint. Kiviuq picked up the hint and hesitated mid-stride - then went against his gut feeling and kept following Dave.
“Gidday John,” greeted Dave. “Long time no see mate.”
The door swung shut. Another man dressed like a MP stepped into view, wielding an automatic.
“Good morning gentlemen,” sneered General Luan. “We’ve been expecting you.”
Ω
Zac attempted to call his father. The phone was switched off or unavailable. To his chagrin, Zac realized he didn’t even know Dave’s mobile number. He tried to ring Gordon. No answer.
Zac scrawled a note in Yupik, telling his father to ring him on his mobile if they returned and left it under a spanner. Then he started walking downstairs towards the belly of the warship.
Ω
Zac paused at the bottom of the metal steps. He had descended into the heart of the ship but now he had no real idea where to start looking.
Promise me you’ll listen to the Still Small Voice.
Maya’s concerned plea just as he’d left. Zac stilled his heart. Something was niggling him...
“Show me Holy Spirit...”
Zac drew in a slow breath of realization. His father and Dave had readily gone below deck to find someone who had the schematics for the warship. Too readily.
Why had two experienced ISRA agents followed the directives of an inexperienced ISRA sleeper? Clearly Dave and his father had wanted to go below deck without him. And now his father wasn’t answering his phone...
Zac looked up at the metal ceiling as something rolled then thudded on the floor on the level directly above him. He glanced at the closest door. Stencilled black lettering identified his location as Level 4 Room 5. Zac cautiously opened the door. The deserted room was some type of informal lounge area - with coffee making facilities, a pool table and a tele.
Zac wondered if the same layout was replicated on the level directly above him, and that the noise he had heard was just someone playing pool. There was only one way to find out. And that was take a look and see what was happening in Room 5 on the level directly above him...
Ω
Zac put his ear to the closed door. He could hear muffled voices, but to his annoyance he couldn’t make out what they were saying. At least someone was in the room... So far he hadn’t even met anyone from the Navy, let alone joined them for a strategy meeting. Zac rapped on the door, then turned the knob and stuck his head inside. The first person he saw was his father - standing near a large oak table. As he went to greet him, Kiviuq bowed his head and started speaking in Yupik.
“Pretend you don’t know any of us,” said Kiviuq piously, with his eyes tightly shut.
“Shut up you religious nut!” barked someone from behind the door.
The words were English but the accent was unmistakeably Korean. Zac stuck his head around the door and made direct eye contact with Luan.
“Sorry to burst in on yer meeting,” said Zac, with a feigned Aussie accent. “I’m lost. I’m trying to find Room 5 Level 4. They said I could get smoko there. Can ya tell me where it is?”
Luan fired Zac a contemptuous look.
“Watch them while I frisk him,” he ordered, yanking Zac into the room.
Luan laughed coarsely at Zac’s startled response to the intrusive pat down. Zac contrived meekness and caught the eye of a grey haired man dressed in a Navy uniform.
“Hey... I know you military mob have ta be careful with terrorism and all that, but I’m just tryin’ ta find Level 4 - Room 5.”
“Right room number, wrong level,” replied the man apologetically. “Sorry you’ve been dragged into this young man.”
“He’s not armed,” reported Luan.
“Wired?”
“No. No military tats or dog-tags either. Just a mobile phone and his tool belt.”
“Might as well let him keep them. He’s obviously just a civilian contractor.”
Zac feigned his confusion.
“Can’t one of you MP blokes just escort me to the coffee room?”
“Get over near the others!” ordered Luan.