After a very long and deep thought, Maria asked,
“I would dearly love to learn a little bit about those people. Can you not get into the Russian security system and find out where this place is?”
“Yes,” said Jessika, “With our Great Gray computers, Ming-Lo and I can access their most secret and best protected systems. I can even find out when the leader flushes his toilet but there is absolutely nothing in their computers about these people.”
Maria understood that if the House of the Nazarene computers could not access such files, it was clear that there were none to infiltrate. Clearly, everything she wanted to know about them must be kept on the only system their computers could not get into, pen and paper.
Simply to confirm what Jessika had said, Maria took a moment to read the pages handed to her. Putting them down, she asked,
“Where might these hard copy files be held?”
Understanding the intent of the question, Jessika shook her head and sternly said,
“Forget it. Professor Vlad Novokoff said that such files are in one of the most secure buildings in in the world.”
Ignoring the statement, Maria indicated for Jessika to get on with answering the question. Accepting the command to continue, Jessika said,
“Because of the high level of security, Novokoff said that such papers are kept deep in the basement of the Russian Defense Ministry building. Apparently secrets of such high level are operated as a separate arm of the National Defense Management Center.”
Then to inforce the impossible task of getting in there to recover the information Jessika added,
“It is equivalent to having a spy in our estate. It’s just not possible.”
However, Maria knew different.
Jessika then added,
“Nevertheless, Novokoff threw us a bone. He knows the code file where the secret information is located.”
She then pointed and added,
“It’s there on the last page.”
Maria looked at it and smiled. Obviously Jessika does not fully understand the extent and ability of the House of the Nazarene to gather information or the House leader’s determination to get it.
Seeing that her job was done and there was no more to report, Jessika prepared to stand. Maria nodded her approval of a job well done and added,
“Until I figure out what to do, just for now can we keep this between us?”
Although vailed in a polite question, Jessika understood the ‘command’ and nodded her compliance. As she walked out of the office she positively glowed with satisfaction. Not detracting from the pleasures of being a parent, after a very long time of perpetual feedings and diapers, it felt good to be of value to the House of the Nazarene again.
Chapter 38
The next day, over a rare family attended breakfast, Maria was pleasantly surprised to learn that Belle had finally finished her Bulgarian history assignment. For the strangest reason Santo took pride in that accomplishment. After all, was he not one of the wardens watching over the two rascals as they toiled and struggled through the mission? Santo actually thought he had greatly contributed to Belle’s education.
While sitting at the table guzzling coffee, Maria finished reading Belle’s assignment. Putting the last paper down, she looked lovingly at her daughter and with a burst of pride said,
“This is a very comprehensive report, I’m proud of you.”
Although Belle burst with pride, that bubble was quickly popped when mom added,
“Has Robert done as well with his report?”
Belle all too slowly nodded and Mom, fully understanding her daughter’s propensity for conspiracy and scheming added,
“Tell me honey, do you understand the term, plagiarism?”
With a sudden guilty look that mom recognised all too well, Belle slowly lowered her eyes to her orange juice and nodded. Of course she understood it. After all Robert had just committed it. Mom continued,
“So when I read Robert’s report, it would not be word for word the same as yours?”
Belle, still draped in the shawl of a guilty criminal caught in the act meekly replied,
“How should I know? I haven’t read his stuff.”
“Good. Well at any rate you did a good job. I’m proud of you.”
Maria then looked at the time, poured the last of the coffee down her throat and announced.
“Look at the time. I have a meeting with Waldorf and am already late.”
At that, she got up and prepared to leave the table. It was the job of Radka to clean up and do the dishes. Seeing mother get up, Belle suddenly snapped up her report and ran out of the kitchen explaining,
“I have to see Robert about something important.”
Santo looked to Maria, winked and said,
“You are such a good mommy.”
With a smile that accepted the compliment she said,
“I know, right.”
A few minutes later and with a quick pace, Maria approached the last cottage on the road. This was Waldorf’s private cottage and office. Despite perimeter security around the House of the Nazarene compound being tight and constantly monitored, the front door to his cottage had additional security. Only two other people in the House know the entry code, Maria and Santo. It was the same for Santo’s and her office. Although she blew her DNA code into the breathalyzer, out of respect she waited for him to buzz her in.
When considering his elite position in the House, the cottage was small and his desk was simple. It certainly lacked the importance of his status. In days past, his desk would have been jam-packed with stacks of confidential files and papers. Now everything he needed, every secret and reports on the laboratories around the world was on one small Flash Drive. The crystal based computer on his desk was all he needed. As she walked in, from his desk he looked up and greeted her with a smile. Like Santo, Waldorf never touched coffee. Instead he preferred the elixir of old soldiers, just plain water. He pointed to the chair across from him and said,
“You wanted to see me?”
As she sat, she said,
“Yes. I must apologize, I know you arranged your work to have time off with Robert while school is out but there is something important I want you to do for me.”
With a tilt of his head and laced with levity he replied,
“Anything for you of course. However, I must remind you that assignments of the past are well beyond my years now.”
Maria laughed and said,
“I highly doubt that ship has sailed. Like Santo and I guess in all old soldiers, there is still a lingering passion for adventure in the old bones.”
His slight nod implied that she was correct and right away she knew that he would accept her assignment. He replied,
“My most dangerous assignments are now in keeping up with Robert and trying not to loss playing chess with Helga.”
Maria laughed.
With levity faded, it was time to get down to business. She said,
“I understand that you are familiar with Professor Vlad Novokoff in Moscow.”
Surprised at the abrupt question, with no intention of keeping anything from her, he said,
“Yes, his team and I have been in negotiation for almost a year attempting to establish a laboratory there dealing with ---,”
She held up a halting hand and stopped him.
“No, that is not what I need from you. I just want to know if he is a trusted source.”
She proceeded to tell him about her conversation with Jessika and what she had discovered about a mysterious and very secret group of people in Russia.
As if there was no need for discussion, Waldorf immediately replied,
“I entered his name on the ‘confidential list’ for a reason.”
“Yes, I saw it there but this is a high level assignment and wanted to hear it from you.”
He cracked a knowing smile and correctly said,
“May I assume that this mission you have in mind for me invo
lves him?”
“No, not him directly but it’s a mission that relies heavily on his information.”
“You have a spy mission for me then?”
“Yes, if you don’t mind. It should only take half a day and you can get back to chasing Robert around the house in the evening.”
That may have been true but he was more interested in chasing Helga around the bedroom.
Always ready to accept orders, he sat up straight with perked ears. She asked,
“How good is your Russian?”
Knowing that Russian was not one of her many languages, he smiled a teasing smile and offered a long drawn out reply in that language. And then,
“How was that? Good enough?”
They had been friends far too long and gone through far too much in past years for her to feel offended at the lack of respect for her position. In fact, she liked it. It grounded her, a reminder never to get tyrannical with the elite of the House. Still, there have been a few times when she wished he would refrain from teasing her.
This was not one of those times. She gracefully accepted his joviality, shook her head and explained the mission.
“I need you to infiltrate the Russian Defense Ministry building, in fact the lower levels.”
He whistled and said,
“I thought you said it was going to be easy. The KGB still exists you know, just under a new name as the Federal Security and Foreign Intelligence Service. Just to step up to the front door I would need certification. Then there are interior security levels requiring documents from their Internal Affairs people.”
Maria shrugged off his concern and said,
“So what’s the problem, I can get all of those things printed up for you within the hour. Jessika will get into their Defense Ministry computers and profile you with all the codes and files needed to make it look like you are a senior and high ranked Federal Security officer.”
Not impressed with the talent of the House of the Nazarene computers, after all he was once Head of Security for the House, he shrugged and said,
“I don’t like their uniforms.”
She countered with,
“Those high ranked officers don’t wear uniforms.”
She paused and waited for more trivial objections. When it was clear there were none, she proceeded,
“Once in the basement, I have access and file codes for you courtesy of Professor Vlad Novokoff. All I want you to get for me is information on a mysterious people using the language found in the Black Knight. She then smiled and added,
“That shouldn’t be hard for you.”
Although conceding to the mission, he was not as sure about how easy it would be. He said,
“Sure, getting in might be easy enough. It’s the task of obtaining the material that’s going to be hard. If, as you say everything is pen and paper, I will not be able to photograph or transmit the information out of the building. Once inside and requesting access to files in the basement they scan and take everything from you, rings, watch, shoes. Even your clothes and you are given a pair of coveralls and slippers.”
It wasn’t a smile that flashed at him but rather a knowing smirk. When it was clear what she was attempting to convey didn’t work, she voiced it,
“Easy as the blink of an eye.”
It was followed by a very cryptic,
“How hard would it be for you to put an eye to the task?”
He noticed the emphasis on ‘an eye to the task’ and knew what he had to do. He said,
“I’ll need backup.”
Convinced that he was now on board with the mission, she stood and said,
“Santo will be available soon. Coordinate the assignment with him. Although still officially on maternity leave, I’m pretty sure Jessika is eager to get back to her computers. I’ll have her print out all the papers you need along with inserting your profile into their Defense Ministry records.”
On her way out she tried to impress him with some of her limited Russian and he countered with,
“You just asked me if I knew how to ride a bike and eat pie at the same time.”
He may have expressed reluctance for the mission to Maria but deep inside he was pleased that he now had something to do other than the boring administration of setting up laboratories throughout the world. Apparently, at least here in the House of the Nazarene, old soldiers never die but instead are assigned desk duties. The adrenaline racing through him while on the outer space rescue mission of the wayward Anunnaki space craft had lingered. He, like Santo now also craved a little adventure. Just a little. His craving for adrenaline was now going to be fed. He accessed a communication with the hangar and said,
“Henrik, I will need my D-wing in a few minutes for a short hop to Switzerland.”
“It’s always ready sir.”
Chapter 39
Waldorf set a fast pace through the garden toward the hangar. There was no effort made to enjoy the aroma and no desire to stop and be lifted by the beauty of the roses. He was on a mission. Although wondering why Han Lee was standing by the azaleas trying to look innocent, there was only a casual greeting in passing. Continuing his quick pace through the hangar door he marched straight up to his personal D-wing. He didn’t expect to see Pia standing next to Henrik and holding a clip board, the dreaded pre-trip forms. Both were surprised at his quick arrival.
Pia, understanding that she did not have clearance for the hangar, as if hoping not to be seen took a hesitant step behind Henrik. Clearly it was too late for any evasive maneuvers. Waldorf snapped to a halt in front of Henrik and curtly demanded,
“Explain this breach of security.”
With a very apologetic tone he meekly said,
“Sorry sir, Zely Rivas has requested her return to the Spanish labs. We were just taking advantage of the few minutes left to us to say good bye.”
Pia stuck her head from behind Henrik’s shoulder and contributed,
“Please don’t report it. I do have some clearances.”
Staying in his staunch statue posture, Waldorf snapped,
“There is no such thing as a small breach of security.”
By the sternness of his voice, both knew that the game was up and a punishment of separation was inevitable. They both lowered forlorn eyes to the floor.
Waldorf was not that old and had not forgotten the impetuousness of youth or the small infractions he had committed just to spend some unofficial and forbidden time with Helga while she was a servant to the Duchess. Apparently such old memories can melt a stone heart standing there pretending to be stern. With a soft voice, he said,
“Very well, if you like, I can talk to Zely saying that we need you here for a month or two longer.”
Both snapped their heads from the floor and shot grateful eyes at him. Pia, unable to contain jubilation jumped from behind Henrik and lunged toward Waldorf for a grateful hug. However, seeing what was going to happen, Henrik was quick to stop her. It was inappropriate to hug one of the elders of the House of the Nazarene.
Once in his D-wing and soaring just below the stratosphere, he activated a secure communication network and called Switzerland. After communication codes were accepted, he was not surprised to hear,
“I’m a busy man, make it quick.”
Ignoring the brashness, Waldorf then transmitted identity codes so that at least now Dr. Marls knew who he was insulting. Waldorf remained calm and said,
“You asked for an opportunity to test your latest spy Nanite-technology. That opportunity has now arrived. I’m on my way.”
The Swiss laboratory was not in the outskirts of Bern but rather in the tall mountainside of the Alps. The facility was not precariously clinging to a high cliff looking like a fanciful castle of legends or hidden in a low valley half covered with snow. The laboratory had no tall and elaborate buildings indicative of an ostentatious multi-national conglomerate. The tallest building was only three stories high. The rest were indistinguishable single story buildings with flat
roofs. The secret of the Nazarene laboratory was in what could not be seen.
The mountain road leading to the enclosure was wrought with road signs announcing dangerous curves and slow speeds. The only cars using the road were mostly Sunday drivers or lost tourists. The scientist who worked in the lab drove to a private airport just outside the city and flew back and forth in helicopters. The building complex that was visible to the public was thought to be an international communications research company.
No matter who approaches any of the numerous laboratories in Switzerland, no matter the rank, proper approach codes are a strict protocol of the House of the Nazarene. When the D-wing computers went into approach mod, Waldorf transmitted the codes. Also, as per security regulations that were initiated by him many years ago, when walking away from the D-wing it was to remain in stealth mode and sent high into the sky awaiting for a return signal.
For an alleged ‘busy man’ Dr. Marls found the time from his schedule to meet Waldorf at the helicopter landing pad and walk with him through the maze of laboratory halls. Whenever Waldorf saw him, he had to stifle a smile. It was a smirk really. He just couldn’t get over anybody wanting to look like that on purpose. Obviously the hair had to be massively gelled to stand straight up like that and the eyebrows too.
The Noah Satellite Page 18
