Noble's Quest

by Sally Fernandez

  “Yes, Max, I know it was designed as a two-factor authentication system that requires not only a thumb scan but also a PIN for access. Write this down—one-one-two-zero-zero-eight.”

  “Now where’d you get that from?”

  “It’s the month and year of Baari’s first presidential election—and it was always Simon’s password.”

  “You think he’s still using it?” Max asked, doubtfully.

  “Simon is a creature of habit, and his greatest weakness is his arrogance—believing he’s always one step ahead.”

  “Ahead of what?”

  “Not what—who. First, it was Hamilton. Now, it’s yours truly.”

  “So, that is what you meant by his cat and mouse game?”

  “Precisely.” Noble paused.

  Max could tell from the look on his face that he had more to say. She remained silent.

  “There is something else you need to know.” Then couching his words carefully, he continued, “With Simon on the loose, and knowing his capabilities, Hamilton took certain precautions. I’ve taken the same precautions. Should any harm come to me, should I meet a premature death, I want you to obtain a court order permitting access to a safe-deposit box at the National Depositors Trust Bank in Georgetown. The box number is six-nine-eight.”

  Max wanted to jump in, but resisted, and held her tongue.

  “The box contains a letter to a news organization, a flash drive, and several memory sticks. They contain all the evidence and testimonies from La Fratellanza. Deliver the information according to the instructions in the letter. Hamilton also arranged with a third party to reveal the evidence in the event we both met an untimely demise. That person has since died, but I made the same provision. It’s not necessary to know with whom at this time.”

  Up until that moment, Max had not completely understood the extent of Simon’s deviousness. And, the possibility that Noble’s life might be in jeopardy was not beyond the pale. She could no longer remain mute. “You think Simon is still using Hank to get to you? And Simon ultimately wants to destroy you in retaliation?” she questioned in utter disbelief.

  “You have a plane to catch.”

  Max inhaled deeply. It was apparent Noble had ended the discussion on the subject.

  “Will you be joining me after you speak with Hank?”

  “I’ll join you as soon as I can, but first I need to speak with a few more people here in Washington. By the way, I spoke with the base commander, and he will cooperate with you anyway he can. To start, you need to find out what is on the other side of that door.”

  “I’m one step ahead of you.” Max returned a relaxed smile. “I’ve already made arrangements for Burke and several troops to enter the tunnel with me at ten o’clock tomorrow morning. In the meantime, they are still standing guard at the mine entrances. The night flights are continuing as well.”

  “Good work. And Max—please be careful.”

  “Don’t worry, boss. I’ll call you when I get things squared away.” Max stood up and headed for the door.

  “Don’t forget your IMAC, and dress warmly,” Noble shouted.

  Max shivered at the thought, but without turning around she offered her typical backhanded wave and broadcasted, “It’s already packed. I’ll patch you in at noon, your time.”

  16

  THE COVENANT

  Punching in the four-digit code promptly opened the gate, giving Noble access to the interior courtyard of the housing complex. As he strolled through the garden, filled with Italian sculptures and fountains, he viewed the barren trees and longed for the lush greenery and flowers that would return in the spring. Surrounding the perimeter of the courtyard was a series of colorful townhouses in harvest hues, fashioned after mini Italian villas. This time, using his key, he entered through the back patio door and walked into the kitchen of unit number nineteen.

  “Anyone home,” he called out.

  Silence greeted him.

  They had agreed to meet that evening at seven o’clock. Noble quickly looked down at his watch and noticed for the first time in months that he was early. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, sat down on the living room sofa, and thumbed through a magazine as he waited for Amanda. Moments later, he heard the sound of a key turning in the front door knob.

  “Noble, are you here?”

  “In the living room.”

  “You’re early. Shocking! Think of your reputation,” she teased as she walked over to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

  “What did Adam say? Is he coming?”

  “They’ll be here at seven-thirty as agreed.”

  “He understands the need for absolute secrecy?”

  “Yes, of course. You know his record proves he is a person of the highest integrity.”

  “I’ve only had the occasion to meet him a few times, but I am well aware of his reputation.”

  “Then you know you can trust him. He’s looking forward to meeting with you. He’ll mention to Nancy before they arrive that he’ll be staying behind to meet with someone on a confidential matter of some urgency. And that I’ve offered up my home to assure them privacy. In fact, at dinner, I’ll explain to Nancy that I acted as the intermediary to avoid possible public exposure.”

  “Isn’t Nancy going to want to know who he is meeting with?” Noble inquired with some skepticism.

  “Trust me, as a lobbyist, Adam has many clandestine meetings. She just thinks it goes with the territory. Besides, she’ll look at a night out for girl talk as a real treat.”

  “And for you too!” Noble smiled.

  “No!” Amanda punctuated. “You know I have very little interest in small talk, especially small girl talk.”

  “I thank you for your sacrifice.” Noble averred, as he offered a slight bow.

  Ignoring his jest, she continued, “When they arrive, I will escort Adam to the living room, and then Nancy and I will depart.”

  “Bear in mind, you are not to return before nine-thirty! I expect our conversation will take about two hours.”

  “Yes, Director!” She saluted derisively. “Does this make me an honorary secret agent?”

  “For one night only,” Noble allowed, as he leaned over to solicit a kiss, hoping for one more ardent than the one he received on her arrival.

  “Now, go freshen up, they’ll be here shortly,” he instructed with a sheepish glance.

  Amanda, with her sensual pout, challenged, “I need freshening up?”

  “You look ravishing, my dear—as always—but you might want to repair your lipstick.”

  Amanda retreated after one more kiss.

  Noble resumed flipping through the magazine.

  When the doorbell rang, they assumed their posts. Amanda headed for the front door to greet her guests, while Noble made himself scarce in the bedroom.

  “Please come in.” Amanda waved her hand, ushering the couple into the foyer. “Nancy, it’s lovely to see you again. It’s been far too long.”

  “I’m looking forward to dinner and an opportunity to catch up.” Nancy flashed Adam a curious look.

  Noble, standing behind the bedroom door thought, Enough Amanda; move it along.

  Just then, he heard her say, “Let’s get going to maximize our time together.” Then, she hastily informed Adam that the person he was scheduled to meet would arrive shortly. “He’ll knock instead of using the doorbell. You shouldn’t hesitate to answer the door.”

  “Thank you, Amanda, for arranging everything. Now, you two ladies get going. I’m sure you have lots to discuss.” He kissed each of them on the cheek and bade them a good evening.

  Finally, Noble heard the front door close. The time had arrived for his covert meeting to begin. He left the bedroom, walked into the living room, and greeted Adam with an outstretched hand.

  Adam returned the handshake, but with a faintly perplexed expression. “Where did you come from?”

  “I was in the bedroom waiting for the gals to leave.”

 
“You and Amanda?” Adam inquired coyly. “I had no idea.”

  Noble ignored the inquisitiveness and proceeded to thank him for agreeing to meet. “Please, have a seat,” he offered. Settled into chairs opposite one another, Noble stipulated, “Before we get started, you understand that this meeting is strictly off-the-record. In fact, this meeting never happened. That’s why I didn’t risk meeting in a public venue. It’s unprecedented, but essential.”

  “You’ll have no problem with me,” Adam replied. “If my clients knew I was consorting with the enemy, it would make my job impossible. I also have some skin in the game. As you know, I began my career in Washington in the Department of Energy as Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy. Now, I’m sitting on the other side of the fence. Besides, Amanda gave me the impression that I may have information that is mutually beneficial.”

  “That’s true. Although I’m not at liberty to divulge the specifics of a case I’m investigating, I do have a series of questions that may potentially prove to be invaluable. Shall we proceed?”

  “Fire away,” Adam volunteered, as he settled more comfortably into his chair.

  “I’m aware you are working with several state governments to resurrect some prior suits they had filed against the federal government.” Noble asserted.

  “That’s correct, specifically Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. Each case is, to some extent, different on its face. In essence, the issue is the seizure of public land by the federal government.”

  “Why aren’t you representing the oil and gas industries directly?”

  “Our strategy has changed since the Baari Administration escalated its apparent land grab.”

  “In what way, specifically?”

  “When Baari’s Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 passed in the Congress, the government set out to claim a laundry list of additional land. Some of which included two hundred and fifty thousand acres of new wilderness around the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and another two hundred and fifty thousand acres of wilderness near Zion National Park in Utah. And, then there’s a whopping one-point-two-million acres in the Wyoming Range—get this, to protect future oil and gas leasing. Coincidently, those three states alone comprise the largest deposits of shale oil in the U.S.” Adam, clearly disconcerted, elaborated. “So, because of the escalation in the change of ownership, with the euphemism management of the land—from the state government to the federal government—all drilling and exploration permits must be processed through the Department of the Interior. This, as you must know, is a veritable nightmare. It has become a black hole, with thousands of permits waiting for review. It’s our belief that the Interior’s objective is to stifle the process.”

  “So the frackers are waiting in a line going nowhere?”

  “Precisely, even though hydraulic factoring—as you correctly referred to as fracking—has been scientifically proven to be environmentally safe. And, might I add, these delays have also been a real job killer.”

  “So, you believe you have a better chance working in conjunction with the affected states to recover the seized land?”

  “Yes, exactly. It’s a backdoor approach, but we feel it’s our best chance for success.”

  “Are your oil and gas clients on board with this strategy?”

  “We believe the odds of prevailing in the courts will increase with this strategy, and the oil and gas guys agree.”

  “I assume you’ve already reached a deal with each state that will ultimately benefit your clients?”

  “Naturally. Wyoming is sitting on nearly thirty-five hundred federally approved drilling leases, Utah has over seven hundred, and Colorado has nearly five hundred. Yet, through various shenanigans, the federal government has quarantined land in many areas, which prevents the construction of roads and bridges to provide the necessary access to the drilling sites. It renders the land useless until the federal government returns the public lands to the states. At that time, the holders of the permits can then proceed, although Utah’s case will be more difficult.”

  “Why Utah?”

  “Because, a few years ago, the Secretary of the Interior arbitrarily cancelled seventy-seven drilling leases that the prior Administration had approved. In Utah’s case, we will have to overcome major obstacles to have them reinstituted. But, before that can happen, we have to win our challenge to the right of eminent domain, and reclaim land that has been seized by the feds.”

  “It’s my understanding that the federal government has claimed approximately fifty-seven percent of the land in Utah outright, and controls another fifteen percent.”

  “Right on. But, do you know that in Tooele and Juab counties combined, the government controls over five-point-two-million acres, more than seventy-six percent?”

  “Interesting. Why do you mention those two counties specifically?” Noble asked.

  “Have you heard of beryllium?”

  “Isn’t it some kind of rare mineral they use in metals?”

  “Actually, it is an atomic element derived from the mineral bertrandite. It would be overly simplistic to say it’s a metal. Beryllium is also a hardening agent that, when mixed with other metals, produces a byproduct low in density, but with high thermal conductivity. As you can see, it doesn’t produce just a metal, but a valuable metal with the right characteristics for use in computers, communications satellites, aerospace, and defense—and also for the outer layers of the plutonium pits in nuclear weapons designs.”

  “Incredible! I had no idea.” Noble was obviously amazed.

  Adam continued slowly. “Recently, certain renegade countries are using beryllium as the material to clad nuclear fuel rods.”

  “This is all quite interesting, but where is this leading?” Noble questioned, not making the connection to Utah’s Dead Zone.

  “Beryllium is extremely rare and extracted only at industrial levels in the United States, Kazakhstan, and China. Take note that eighty-five percent of the beryllium ores are mined in the U.S. in the Spor Mountain area of Juab County.”

  “Juab!” Noble reacted uncharacteristically. Catching himself, he quickly regained his composure and stated knowingly, “Just south of Dugway.” Still bewildered as to the connection, he delved further. “How does that fall in your bailiwick? I thought you represented only the oil and gas industries.”

  “One of my clients was the largest and only producer of beryllium in the U.S. It’s vital to his company’s interest that the state of Utah regains ownership of the public land, allowing free access to the drilling sites. Once access is available, the federal government’s position will have no legal merit to deny the leases.” Adam paused to give Noble time to grasp the issue.

  “I’m following.” Noble signaled him to continue.

  Picking up his cue, Adam explained, “In 2009 a temporary two-year ban on new mining claims was put in place, more specifically those of my client. The administration then extended that protection until 2011 while they reportedly contemplated implementing a twenty-year ban—a clear act of pandering to the environmentalists.”

  “Why do you say pandering?”

  “Because the language the Secretary of the Interior placed in the budget bill supposedly would remove the ban.”

  “Isn’t that a favorable move?”

  “Yes, if it had happened, but it was just an illusion. They never intended to lift the ban. We skeptics believed it was political window dressing. So, here we find ourselves in 2017 with my client still prevented from accessing some areas. As a result, the beryllium production for the U.S. has been reduced dramatically.”

  “So where is the beryllium coming from?” Noble inquired.

  “The U.S.” Adam specified.

  “Now you’ve confused me.” Noble allowed; an expression he seldom uttered.

  “Here lies the crux of the problem. The administration’s temporary ban I referred to earlier, was actually to give them more time to amend the 1872 Mining Act signed into law by Ulysses S. Grant. The ac
t was created to protect mining claims on public land and the major caveat was that the claimant had to be a U.S. entity. Since then, foreign companies have established U.S. shell corporations, opening up a legal loophole, abusing the process as they mine beryllium.

  “Wouldn’t that incite government action?”

  “Yes, and it did.” Adam explained that a Canadian-owned corporation, Denison Mines, with multiple mining leases in Arizona, extracted uranium used to fuel nuclear power plants and was selling some of their uranium to South Korea’s primary electric utility company, Korea Electric Power Corporation, or KEPCO. When the Arizona Republic reported in 2009 that KEPCO purchased seventeen percent of company shares in Denison Mines and that KEPCO also had two employees on Denison’s board of directors, the federal government finally took notice of the deception.

  Noble protested, “That loophole clearly creates an unfair advantage to U.S.-based corporations. It would appear that the government has no control of the resources being taken out of the country—including the profits—as the mining act is currently written.”

  “Exactly! During the alleged moratorium, several other Canadian-owned companies entered the picture and were awarded drilling leases—leases my client was denied. Both the IBC Advanced Alloys and Neo Material Technologies have moved my client to third place as a producer of beryllium. It’s projected that the spot market for this rare mineral will promote a multi-trillion dollar commodity with an annual growth rate of ten percent per year.”

  “Why do you think the U.S. government gave a free pass to foreign companies?” Noble questioned.

  “My personal belief, and one shared by many, is that our government is operating a two prong plan. They can exact a higher price from the foreign companies for their licenses, along with a portion of their profits. And, at the same time, use some of the revenues as subsidies to pacify U.S. companies, easing their pain.”

  “So, it takes on the appearance of a win-win situation all around,” Noble perceived.

  “Yes, for the participants and for the administration. It’s more like having your cake and eating it too,” Adam noted caustically. He paused for a moment, as though he had ended his summation. But, before Noble had an opportunity to respond, he asked, “Is this of any help to your case? Any possibility you can help mine?”