Free The 22nd Secret by Randal Lanser

TheChinesewould h a veh i g h - tailed it outof th e re a lr ea d yif t h e yh a d h e r. T his c ra sh would ha v e ca u g ht t h e m off g u a rd. Wi t h th i s s t o r m , th e y h a ve alotless re sour c e s to g e tto herthan w ed o , a nd w eh a v e n ’ t b e en a b l eto m oveon it y e t.Ith i nk she ’ s with Mitch e ll a t h i s lod g e . H e ’s the k e y . I ’ v equ e st i on e d himthrou g hatel e phone r a dio p a tch w i t h that sh e ri f fright b e fo r eth i s me e t i n g . T h a t’s w h yI w a s lat e .Ith i nk h e ’s l y i n g .Ith i nk heknows w h e r e P a t t y L a w r e n c eis. Aft e r ins p ec t i ngthe c r a shsi t ewith our F AAb o y s , if L a w re n c eisn’t t h e r ed ea d h e ’ll tell m ewh e r esheis. I f h edo e sn’t c oop e r a te I ’ll do wh a tev e r is n ece ss a r y .”
    “ GodIm i ss t he g ood old d a y swh e n the a g e n c y c ould do wh a tev e rw a s n e ce ss ar y .Now we g ot t hed a mnCongr e s ssniffingup our a ss ev er yt i me w ef a rt. Tom, the P r e sident is in a g ree m e nt wi t h G r e g a ndme on this. Of c ours e , o f fi c ial l yno n eof us w i l l a c knowl e dgeth i s but…w e l l ;wedon ’ t w a n t P a t t y L a w r e n c eb ac k. I f y ou find h e r a l i veki l l h e r.”
    “ W h y ? ”
    “ W e ca n ’ t j ust s e nd h e r b ac k to L os Alamos l i ke n oth i ngh a pp e n e d. W e c o u ld l o c k h e r up in so l i t a r y . B utCo n g r e sswould w a nt t o investi g a t e . Th a t would b l ow thel i d ri g ht o f f L e v e l 21. W h a t’s in herm i nd is toov a luableto j ust l ea vel a y ing a rou n d forsom e th i n g l i keth i s to h a pp e n a g a in. Wh yshe d ec ided t o d e f e c t i s b e y ond m e . T he P r e sident m a dethe d e c is i on if w e ca n ’t use h e r, th a n no one ca n. W edon’t ca r ehow y ou do i t . I f y ou find h e r kill h e r a nd don ’ t l ea v e a n y th i n g f o r Congr e ssto g e t c u r ious about. F o rtun a te l y ,west i llh a veaf e wmen like y ou wil l i n g to risk i t all fortheir c o u nt r y . W a lke r , dowh a t e v e r is n ece ss a r y . K e e p theChinese f rom g e t t ing P a t t y L a w r e n c e a nd e l i m i n a te the r isk s h e ’ll e x p ose thewhole L e v e l 21 pr o je c t.”
    “ Iknow theAttor n e yG e n e r a lofA l a ska,” S tanl e ysaid. “ I ’ll c a llhi m .”
    “ Good. I ’ll g e t t he a r m ymov i ng r i g ht a w a y , ” a d d e d J ohnson. “ W h e n a re y ou g oi n gto Al a ska ? ”
    “ B e t t y ’swo r ki n gon g e t t ingme to that lo d g e b yt o mor r ow a ft e rnoo n . I ’ll l e t y ou know wh a t I ’ll n ee d . ”
    “ W e ’ll m ee t he r eto c oo r dinate a t5 ton i g h t .” J ohnsonr e ac h e d forhis pho n e a ndTom le f t the o f fi ce .

 
    Chapter Three
    Recruitment
    July, five years before the crash - Idaho
     
    H e n r y L o w a s drivingt h e re nted B uick s e d a n. D r .Ho wa rd Woolumw a s s e a ted n e x t t o himin t he f ront s ea t. Themen we re c omp l e te l ydi f f e r e nt i n m i nd a nd bo d y .H e n r y L o w a s b a r re l - c h e s t e dwith a n e c k l i ke a n NFLl i n e b ac k er . D r . W oolumw a s a sm a llth i n manbless e d with the mind t h a t c rea t e d L e v e l 21 T e c hnolo g y .Th e yw e r equiet a s th e yd r ovethro u g h the pictu re sque I d a ho c ount r y s ide. T h e yw e re e nj o y i n gt h elush g r ee n s c e n e r y t h a t w a sa w e lcome c h a n g e f rom the h a rd s c rabble lands ca pe o f N e wMe x ico. T hes k y w a s a d ee p blue a nd t h e re w a s not a sin g le c loud. T h e yd r ovethro u g h a v a l l e y g r ee n with fi e l ds of pot a to e s that s t r e tch e d to t he foot ofthe dis t a nt m ountains.
    Th e re w e reon l ysixp e ople with i n the do e s not ex ist r e a lmof the L e v e l 2 1 P roj ec t. Dr. W oolumw a s numb e r 1. His associ a te, a nd Tom W a lke r ’s b o y h ood f ri e n d , D r . Ma r t i n W e iker w a s numb e r 2 .