Beyond Top Secret: A Zach Taylor Adventure Page 2

  With graduation in a matter of days, Jake sat in his room absorbed in his book. Jake listened to the rain pound the roof and became oblivious to the outside world. Unbeknownst to him, the constant drumming of the rain etched a permanent memory deep in his subconscious. The repetitive noise of the rainfall created an almost white noise effect that blocked out all other sounds.

  When the phone rang, Jake jerked and found his lap saturated with his drink. Preoccupied with his wet lap, he answered the phone in a tentative voice to discover his commander on the other end. The commander requested a meeting forthwith. Jake changed out of his wet pants and trudged across the rain-soaked ground. He tried to sidestep puddles but had limited success. By the time he reached the commander’s office Jake had run hundreds of scenarios through his head in an attempt to understand why he was here.

  When he entered the office, he was caught off guard by the presence of a nondescript man. The commander and this man talked in hushed tones. Upon Jake’s arrival, the commander introduced the man as Tom then immediately left the two men alone in the office. Of all the scenarios he had played out in his head, this wasn’t one of them.

  Tom asked Jake to take a seat, but Tom remained standing. In a somewhat vague manner, Tom revealed he worked for a government agency and had heard of Jake and wanted to know how strong his conviction for direct military service had been. Tom explained the agency he worked for had no name, but the work was of the utmost importance to the safety of the country.

  There was no way Jake could have imagined what his military training might morph into. Tom explained he would still provide a service to his country but not as an officer in the army. Tom wanted Jake to become a field agent for some unknown government agency. Without a great deal of information on what that would entail Jake was less than convinced.

  With a modest amount of interest Jake sat and listened as Tom provided a little more detail. Overall the information was still sparse, but it had intrigued Jake intellectually. What Jake didn't expect, Tom wanted an instant decision and explained he would not be any more specific on the details of the agency until Jake decided. In the final analysis, after some internal deliberation, Jake stood up, shook Tom’s hand and said, “I guess I’m your man.”

  With Jake’s commitment, Tom went on to explain that his agency worked outside the confines of well-established government agencies. Assignments that mandated complete government deniability were its forte. Tom acknowledged that the CIA did handle black op assignments, but the role of the CIA was well known the world over and always raised suspicions regarding their involvement. Conversely, only two people outside of the agents knew of this secret agency’s existence, the president and the secretary of state. Congress and the rest of the intelligence community had no information about the agency, nor could they possibly imagine the extent and latitude available to complete an assignment.

  Since Tom had no further information to divulge, Jake headed back to his room to pack. Based on Tom’s instructions, Jake expected them to leave later that day. What did not occur to Jake was how this agency had heard of him. Jake learned later his commander, a decorated army officer, but unknown to most, was a high-level agent who worked with Tom to identify possible recruits.

  After a compressed and abbreviated orientation, Jake was immediately given assignments as a field agent, where he saw his share of action over the past eighteen years. Specific missions were more formidable than others. Some tasks took both a physical and mental toll on Jake. It was not uncommon for him to have bouts of nightmares based on the actions he had executed, and at the same time, he would nurse the physical damage his body endured.

  Due to his work ethic and level of intelligence, Jake quickly advanced through the ranks of the agency. He was the youngest agent appointed to the role of director.

  ~~~

  With a sudden break in the rain, the thunderous deluge subsided, and the abrupt change in noise tore Jake from his trance-like state. He logged on to his computer to discover a screen ablaze with icons that flashed red. For Jake this was not the norm, he usually had several steady green icons, a few yellow images, and the occasional red. Jake had never seen the screen appear as it was now.

  One by one Jake opened each figure which then displayed the highly confidential information on a second display. He read the reports from agents scattered across the globe. His heart skipped a beat. Could what he saw be true? Of course it is, he thought. He knew his agents, and none of them were inclined to exaggerate the information included in their intelligence reports. Something monumental would happen within a year or so if the data was accurate.

  Jake glanced at the clock and couldn’t believe the time. It was fourteen hundred hours. He buzzed his assistant and asked her to grab him a sandwich. The rumbling in his stomach was loud enough to wake man or beast, and now he understood the reason. It had been six hours since he opened that first report, he needed a mental break.

  Jake got up from his desk, and sauntered over to the couch and plopped himself down on the overstuffed sofa. Whenever he had an abundance of information to process, Jake would use his TV as a temporary distraction and flipped on the television as he waited for his sandwich to arrive. A soft tap on the door announced the arrival of his lunch. Famished, Jake devoured it much like a starving lion would ravage its prey. By the time Sandy, his assistant, had left the office he was already on his last bite.

  He looked at the channel lineup and came across a show hosted by Linda Carter. The subject of the documentary was irrelevant to Jake. Though almost twice her age, he just enjoyed watching the sexy hostess that narrated the show. He thought this would be a suitable distraction before he reviewed his next actions. There was a certain level of infatuation Jake held for this woman. Jake told himself he needed a reason to meet this woman in person. After all, did she come across in person the way she appeared on TV?

  This particular show caught Jake’s attention on several levels; first was his attraction to this beautiful woman, secondly was a tall, muscular and handsome young man called Zach Taylor; but most importantly was the flirtatious mannerisms Linda exhibited towards Zach. If Linda was interested in Zach, Jake knew he didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell to influence her romantic interests. The revelation distracted him from the beautiful hostess, and Jake became intrigued by the man that was the topic of the documentary. He watched as Zach Taylor prepared to perform his latest ‘death-defying adventure,’ at least that’s how Linda described it for her audience.

  Linda had a twinkle in her eye as she smiled and fawned at Zach’s arm while she conducted her final interview before Zach took off on his trek. Although it seemed apparent to Jake what Linda’s intentions were, it appeared Zach was oblivious to the flirtatious behavior right in front of him.

  To Jake there were only two possible reasons for Zach being so clueless; either Zach could block out all distractions while he prepared for his adventure, or his people skills were inadequate when it came to interactions with the opposite sex. Zach completed the preparations for his attempt at a solo trek into the Sahara Desert. The show switched between shots of Zach’s intense focus as Linda pointed out his planned route. Although many had crossed the Sahara, no one had tried the endeavor Zach had planned.

  There would be no pack animals to haul gear, nor would there be any support personnel. If Zach couldn’t carry it with him, it would not be available for the next forty days. A simple concept, he would see how far he could travel in twenty days, then turn around and make his way back. The only food and water available would be what Zach could carry with him, along with the rest of the gear needed. Reliance on the occasional oasis and desert critter was his only chance of survival. That didn’t mean there weren’t other dangers he would face.

  Based on all the data Zach researched, there was a modicum of confidence that food and water were not his most significant threats. Creating a list in his head, ordered by potential risk, he stopped and asked Linda for a piece of paper. Zach wrote
out a note, handed it to Linda and said, “Maybe you can use this as part of your narrative.”

  Linda looked at Zach’s list:

  Risks:

  Humans

  Wild creatures

  Weather

  Illness

  Dehydration

  Starvation

  Boredom

  (the last one is meant as a joke)

  “Humans?” Even with the cameras rolling, that was the only thing she said.

  Zach hoisted the pack onto his back and walked into the desert. Before he had gone too far, he stopped and shouted over his shoulder, “Most dangerous threat man can face.”

  That last comment caught Jake’s attention. If Zach survived the trek, Jake wanted to have a meeting with him to discuss some ideas that were at a preliminary stage. Jake watched the rest of the documentary with a new found interest. The show consisted of film clips Zach had recorded on his digital camera accompanied by Linda’s voice-over to add a sense of drama to the otherwise dull footage. The show ended when Zach walked back into camera range, worn down but alive. That scene cemented Jake’s interest in meeting the man who tackled the Sahara alone.

  Jake reminded himself the immediate concern was the field reports he had read on the computer just thirty minutes before.

  Chapter 3

  Virginia

  When Jake looked back over the intelligence reports, he knew his course of action and buzzed Sandy. He asked her to get the jet ready for a long trip. While Jake had complete confidence in his agents, there was something to be said for face to face talks. He could also evaluate the informants’ credibility through direct contact. After he reviewed the reports for the umpteenth time, Jake scribbled on a piece of paper; London, Hamburg, Algiers, Cairo, Lebanon, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Kabul, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta; and finally back to the states where he would wrap up the trip with stops in, San Diego and Orlando.

  He walked out to Sandy’s desk, handed her the paper and said, “Let the pilot know. I’m going to take a walk.” Jake headed for the elevators.

  “If you aren’t back, I’ll call you when the plane’s ready,” she replied.

  To plan a trip for Jake didn't require much effort on Sandy's part. No hotel reservations were necessary as Jake would sleep in his bedroom on the plane. She contacted the pilot and went over the trips itinerary and asked, “When will you be ready?”

  “Based on the duration and stops on the trip, I need to let the chef know so he can get everything he needs from here. He should have a good idea of what is hard to get at any of our stops.”

  “Oh, remind him to pick up some of those sour worm candies Jake likes to munch on.”

  “I will. You know how Chefy can be, he calls it quality shopping I call it dawdling.”

  “Okay, Okay. How long?”

  “I would plan on two hours before we’re ready. The plane is fueled and ready to go. We have priority clearance and will be next in line for takeoff, once I inform the tower.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Sandy hung up her phone.

  The elevator pinged, and Jake got off and headed straight for his inner sanctum without even an acknowledgment of Sandy’s presence. Must be severe, she thought. In his office, Jake sat down at the computer and typed out a quick email to the agents involved in his trip. “Be ready for me to meet with you and your informant. London is the first stop. Harry, you need to prepare for tomorrow. The rest of you need to contact Sandy for the schedule.”

  Jake pulled his flight bag from the closet and did a quick inventory of its contents. He kept the bag packed, always ready for a trip on short notice, but realized it didn’t hold enough clothes for an itinerary this long. Jake knew that wasn’t a problem. The flight crew would take care of him and have clean clothes always available. Ready to go, he buzzed Sandy and asked her to have the car pulled around.

  The plane sat on the tarmac in front of the hanger. Jake’s home for the next two weeks, awaited his arrival.

  When the pilot saw Jake, he said, “Good afternoon sir. Chefy isn’t back yet. You know how he gets when buying food for a long trip.”

  As Jake boarded the plane, he responded, “No problem, Chefy can take as long as he needs. I know I won’t care about the wait once I have one of his meals.”

  The pilot smiled and gave an affirmative nod, well aware of how much Jake appreciated excellent food. The plane’s interior provided ample room and comfort, so the wait didn’t feel like an inconvenience when Jake thought about the gastronomical delights the chef would create. While Jake got settled in his room, he didn’t even notice that the chef had come aboard, but the clanging of pots and pans in the galley announced Chefy’s return.

  When Jake felt the plane begin to move it was no surprise when the overhead speaker informed him of their immediate takeoff. Once airborne, it took no time at all for the smells of dinner to dance around the interior of the plane. Shortly after that, the chef delivered Jake’s meal; grilled salmon with a creamy lemon dill sauce, roasted brussel sprouts, rice pilaf, and a chocolate souffle for dessert. Grateful for an early dinner, Jake enjoyed every bite of the meal, amazed at what Chefy can accomplish in an airplane galley. Since London’s local time would be the next morning when they arrived, Jake wanted to get some sleep and climbed into bed.

  A sudden change in the hum of the engines told Jake they must be close to London. His assumption was confirmed when he heard the landing gear lower and with a shudder lock in place. Within minutes the plane was on the ground headed for the hanger.

  The cabin door opened and Jake got his first exposure to the local weather. London’s temperatures can be somewhat brisk in the springtime and Jake appreciated the fact a coat was a permanent fixture on his plane. Jake put on the jacket and made his way down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, Harry, the London agent, said, “Morning sir, hope it was a good flight, I’ve arranged for us to have lunch with Aashif, he’s my informant, and is anxious to meet you.”

  “Morning Harry, and who does Aashif think I am?”

  “You’re my Uncle Jake.”

  Jake nodded his approval. He appreciated the acting abilities of his agents. In fact, if any retired agent wanted a second career, Hollywood would be a great fit he thought. The family member ruse had worked well for the agency for years, all it required was an agent who could act excited and enthusiastic. What the agency understood was a lifelong friend might be met with trepidation by an informant, but a family member the agent was anxious to see customarily transferred that emotion to an asset. An almost instant trust could result from an informant observing the interaction between Jake and his agent.

  Jake nodded and smiled to show his appreciation. Two things drove his approval; a meeting had been set up, and he would play the uncle role. Uncle’s were great. They offered a great deal of latitude in how he played the role. Anywhere from similar personalities to complete opposites. The only characteristic that mattered was the informant’s belief that a family bond and love existed between the two. Since Jake viewed all his agents as extended family, the role of a family member wasn’t a difficult task.

  When Jake and Harry entered the restaurant, Harry found Aashif, already seated. Upon their arrival at the table, Aashif stood, with introductions complete all three men took a seat. After a quick scan of the menu, they all ordered a light lunch. A brief round of ‘family’ talk between Harry and Jake successfully established their apparent relationship as planned. Harry then prompted Aashif to tell Jake what they had talked about recently.

  Aashif opened up about what he had heard with little hesitation. Jake listened for clues and noticed Aashif subconsciously emphasized certain countries, Germany and Afghanistan seemed to be of particular interest along with Pakistan. Jake discovered a few surprises, one of those surprises was Pakistan, which wasn’t on Jake's list of key countries, and Aashif didn’t even mention Algeria and Indonesia which Jake thought were significant.

  After almost two hours Jake glanced at his watch and said, “It’s b
een a real pleasure meeting you, but I do have a plane to catch. I have a business meeting in Paris, but being so close I had to make time to stop by and see my favorite nephew.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Jake, I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and say hi.”

  “Wouldn’t have missed it. Why don’t you order some dessert for you and Aashif, I’ll catch a cab back to the airport.” Jake excused himself, walked outside and hailed a ride to the airport.

  Aside from the emphasis of a couple of countries, and the noticeably absent countries there was nothing significant Jake took away from the meeting. It was all, he heard from someone, who had heard from someone that the anti-American sentiment was on the rise and various groups wanted to take action. There was nothing he hadn’t already gleaned from his agents’ reports.

  His next stop would be Hamburg, which Aashif thought was significant. As the cab pulled up to the airport, Jake called the pilot to inform him he was ready to take off, then instructed the driver to drop him off at the private jet terminal. Next, Jake called Jared, his Hamburg agent, and told him to arrange a dinner meeting, if at all possible.

  Jake boarded the plane and informed the chef, with disappointment, that he would not be able to enjoy the meal planned for that evening. In turn, the pilot told Jake they would leave in ten minutes, and arrive in Hamburg at seventeen thirty hours local time. As the plane took off a call came in from Jared. He wanted to let Jake know a nineteen hundred hours dinner meeting was all set.

  Upon their arrival, Jared was at the bottom of the stairs, “Hi Jake, long time no see. How have you been?”

  Jake shook Jared’s hand, then said, “You’re looking good Jared. I’m doing fine, but this isn’t a social visit.”