Free The 22nd Secret by Randal Lanser Page A

T h eth i rd d e v e loper o f theor i g inal L e v e l 21 T e c hnolo g y ,D r . Allan Ge rsti n , w a s number3. Thenon - s c ie n t i ficmemb e rs w e re W a l k e r , number4, H e n r y L o ,number5, a nd W a lke r ’s a ss i stant, Be t t yMorg a n , number6. T h e yusednumbe r s to i d e nt i f y eac h oth e r in th e ir s ec r e t g roup,whose e x is t e n c e w a sknown on l ytothem. Th e ir numb e rs m a t c h e d the numb e rs on the di a l of thew a t c h e s t h e y e a c h wo re .The w a tc h e s , a l t hou g hr e lative l ys i mp l ed e vic e s , w e re d e v e loped usi n g L e v e l 21 T ec hnol o g y b yG e rstin for a ll c om m unic a t i onswith i n the g roup.T h e g roupfo r mal l y ca m ein t o e x is t e n c ewh e n L e v e l 21 w a s ad o pted a s the U ni t e d S tat e s ’ s e c r e t S tar W a rs t ec hnolo g y , just a ft e r T om w a s t r a nsf e r re d t o W a shin g ton. Al t hou g h W a lkerw a s ne v e r o f fi c ial l y c le a r e d f o r L e v e l 2 1 , his l if e long r e lationship wi t hD r . W e iker a n d knowl e dgeof the ea r l yd e v e lop m e nt of thete c hnolo g yq u a l i fi e d him a s oneof the f ounding f our m e mbe r s. B e sides his of f ici a l j ob wo r ki n g Chinesein t e l l i g e n c e f or t he C I A , hek e pta c onst a nt e y eon the P r e sidents, C I A a nd F BIdir ec tors, none o f w homkn e w a bout t he r e lationship t h e sesixh a d or the s ec r e ts t h e ys h a r e d. W a lker re c ruit e dH e n r y L o to t h e ir g roupwh e n H e n r yw a s o f f ici a l l y a ss i g n e d b yt h eDire c torofthe C I A to h a ndle L e v e l 21 s ec u r i t y a t L os Al a mos. I t w a sas e l e c t g roup, c onsist i ngof th r e eof themostbrilliant m i n ds, two ofthe most skil l e d e spion a g e op e r a tives, a nd o n eof t h eb e st adminis t r a t i ve a ndfin a n c ial m i nds in the w o rld. B i l l i ons of dol l a rs we re a ppro p ri a ted b yCo n g r e ssfor S tar Wa rs re s e a r c h. W i t h the a d o pt i on of L e v e l 21 as the o f fi c ial S tar W a rs t ec hnolo g y , alotofthe mo n e yw e nt t o fu n d dum m yp r ogr a ms u s e d a s c ov e rs f o r L e v e l 21. F r o m t h e se f und s , a nd the g e n e rous f undi n g a v a i l a bleto How a rd o f fi c ial l y forthe L e v e l 21 P roj ec t ,he a nd Bet t y h a d man a g e d to d i r e c t so m ein t o priv a te a c c ounts. Hidd e n f r om of f ici a l g o v e rnm e nt a g e n c ie s , B e t t yh a d m a d esome e x ce l l e nt i nv e st m e nt choi ce s, maki n ga fo r tune a v a i l a ble on l yto t hesmall g roupof six.
     
    Ho wa rd a nd H e n r yw e r ein I d a ho to a dd number7to t h e ir g roup.T h ese da n turn e d off the r o a d a t t heKoll e r po t a to f a rm a nd sl o w l y a p p r o ac h e d the tw o - sto r ywh i te fa rmhousewith a r e d b a rn.RolandKollerop e n e d the door a nd inv i ted thetwo men into t he r oo m . Heshook h a nds with eac h a nd in t rod u ce dhis wife. TheKolle r s in s p ec ted theiridentifi c a t i on, whi c h c ould have b ee n f a k e d for a llth e y k n e w .
     
    “ W ould y ou a lll i kesomelemon a de ? ”Hilda K ol l e r a ske d .
    “ Y e s, thank y ou , ”H e n r y a nsw e r e d . S heturn e d a n dle f t forthe kitch e n a ndRoland s a t down on his c h a ir, oppo s i t ethe c ou c h. Ho w a rd a n d H e n r ytook t hehint a n d sat do w n . A mo m e nt of a wk w a rd silen c e f e ll o v e r th e m asRoland e y e dhis g u e st s .
    “ As w ementioned in theletter a nd ourtel e phone c onv e rs a t i o n ,” D r. W oolumsaid. “ W e hop e d to t a lk wi t h y our d a u g h t e r , P a mel a . I s s h e h e r e ? ”
    “ Y e s, she is.”Roland a n s w e r e d a s his wife r e turn e d withatr a y a nd b e g a n s e rving e v e r y on e . “ B ut m ywi f e a ndIwould l i keto t a lk wi t h y ou a l o nefi r st. Ourd a u g h t e r is on l y s e v e nte e n a nd, w e l l , weknow sheis s p ec ial a nd s omed a ysom e th i ngl i ke