Free The Zul Enigma by J M Leitch Page A

Joseph said to Carlos, drumming his nubby fingers on
the back of Drew’s chair. ‘How long have you two known each other?’
    ‘We met at USC in ’84,’
Carlos replied.
    ‘Shit,’ Drew said, ‘that
makes me feel old. Twenty-eight years ago.’
    Carlos thought back to
his early days in the States. At the beginning it had been tough. American
culture was a new experience and he’d found it hard to adjust. He’d been
miserable and terribly lonely. He shook his head. ‘Where did you go when you
left NASA?’ he asked Joseph.
    ‘Northrop Grumman.’
    ‘Ah sí .
Baltimore. I remember now.’
    ‘Advanced electronics
for the military. I put together a strategic cooperation agreement with Israel Aerospace
Industries – IAI – back in ’02. Then IAI offered me a job back home
in Tel Aviv.’
    ‘Little bugger clawed
his way right to the top. He’s the boss of their MALAT Division now!’
    ‘MALAT?
    ‘UASs, Unmanned Air
Systems. We do a lot with the armed forces and ministries of defence all over
the world.’
    Carlos raised one
eyebrow and his drink. ‘Congratulations.’
    ‘And to you. Director of
OOSA Drew said,’ and Carlos nodded. ‘So…’ Joseph turned towards Drew, ‘what’s
it like at NASA now? The place must be in uproar after the bombshell the
President just dropped.’
    ‘The proposed budget
cuts? No shit! All hell let loose. But the media’s loving the public backlash.
Probably blowing it up out of all proportion but who cares, we need the show of
support.’
    ‘Anderson’ll have to be
careful if he doesn’t want to lose his edge at the polls,’ Carlos added.
    ‘If he doesn’t back down
I could be out of a job in a couple of months. Me and hundreds of others. Not
that I care,’ Drew grinned. ‘I’m ready for a holiday – get in some sailing.
I’m over the rat race. I need to relax and slow down.’ He got up. ‘Another
round?’
    As he loped off, Joseph
leaned in towards Carlos. ‘Drew told me about your wife. She was so young,’ he
shook his head ‘only thirty Drew said.’
    Carlos fought his
instinct to recoil.
    ‘Please accept my
condolences,’ Joseph said and squeezed Carlos’s arm with a grip as fierce as a
vice. ‘How long’s it been? Four years?’ Carlos nodded. Their heads were
practically touching. ‘It must have been terrible.’ He dropped his hand. ‘I
guess the job helps keep you focused.’
    ‘No time for a social
life,’ Carlos replied.
    ‘I know how that feels,’
Joseph sighed, ‘not like the old days at Goddard eh?’
    ‘What?’ Drew said,
reappearing with the drinks, ‘those glorious halcyon days. Where did they go?’
    ‘You two always struck
me as unlikely friends.’
    ‘I thought he was a
right pompous little prick before I first spoke to him.’
    ‘Hey, I didn’t like you
much either. So arrogant and opinionated. Always strutting around with some
girl following, preaching to her about this and that.’
    ‘How did you
meet?’ Joseph asked.
    Carlos looked at Drew.
‘Remember? You stopped me in the corridor.’
    ‘Hey mate, slow down,’ Drew had said, grabbing Carlos by the elbow. ‘I want to
talk to you. You’re from Spain, right?’
    ‘So?’ Carlos glowered up
at him.
    ‘It’s just I know what
it’s like to have folks living on the other side of the world. That’s all. You
must be feeling like shit here all on your own,’ and he dragged the startled
Carlos off to the nearest bar for a beer.
    ‘First time living
overseas?’
    Carlos nodded.
    ‘Poor sod! You’ll get
used to it. Me? I’ve lived all over the place. My old man’s an oily boy.’ Drew
chuckled at the puzzled look on Carlos’s face. ‘An oilfield hand. A bloke who
works in the drilling business. I had a go at it myself. Worked as a roughneck
on a jack-up in the North Sea. For a couple of years. Bloody freezing in
winter, I’ll tell you. Finally I saw sense and decided to further my education
in an academic way. You’re on my course, right?’
    Carlos didn’t