"The major result of that broadcast was mass hysteria one empty chair on the right side of the table. Slayden was and fear. As this chart shows . . ." bald and his forehead was wrinkled. His major distinguish- As Slayden went through his repertoire, General Gullick ing feature was his bushy white eyebrows, quite startling shifted his attention to the computer screen built into the given his naked skull. desktop in front of him. Everyone around the table already I 264 ROBERT DOHERTY 265 AREA 51 knew that what Slayden was saying was unimportant. Ev- "Contrary to what the press has reported, our security eryone, that is, except Dr. Duncan--that was the whole here has been designed not to keep observers out, but to purpose of this briefing. actually allow observers to see what we want them to see. There was nothing new from the Lincoln task force on We could have easily blocked access to all vantage points the foo fighters and nothing on Von Seeckt and the other into the Groom Lake area. Instead we put holes in our three targets. Gullick reluctantly returned his attention to security net at certain times and places and allowed desig- the briefing. nated visual and auditory stimuli to be observed and re- "However, no one had ever really considered the possi- corded. bility of our exposure to alien life coming in the form of the "We also used agents of misinformation. One noted ex- discovery of the bouncers and mothership--a sort of ample is a man called Steve Jarvis, who has claimed for archaeological discovery of extraterrestrial life. There have years to have worked out here at Area 51. In reality, Jarvis been people, most labeled crackpots, who have pointed to is an agent of ours who reveals information to media peo- various artifacts and symbols on the planet as signs that we ple. Some of the information he gives is actually true, some have been visited in the past by alien life forms. The is false. All of it is specifically designed to prepare people bouncers and mothership are incontrovertible proof that to accept without fear what we have here. this has happened. This presents us with several challenges "We actually even ran a small test of disclosure several but also a great opportunity." years ago when the Air Force rolled out the F-117 Stealth Slayden had forgotten that this was mainly a propaganda fighter and displayed it publicly. There was no valid mili- briefing for Duncan, and he was totally immersed in his tary or security reason to reveal the existence of the Stealth material. "You see, one of the greatest uncontrolled vari- fighter. In fact, the Air Force vigorously fought the disclo- ables in contact theory was that the contact would occur at sure. However, the operation was done to test media and the discretion of the extraterrestrials. That they would popular reaction to a government revelation of something come to us. Or that the discovery of evidence that the the government had previously kept secret from the popu- planet had been visited in the past by aliens would hit the lace. news in an uncontrolled manner. Here at Area 51, though, "As you can see from my data on that . . ." we control that variable. We have the evidence and it is at Gullick remembered that event well. The Air Force had our discretion that the information be revealed. Because screamed bloody murder about publicizing the F-117. But we control that variable, we can also prepare both our- the interesting thing to Gullick was that Slayden and his selves and the public for the moment of disclosure." spin doctors had turned the tables on the Air Force Gen- Slayden looked at Duncan. "You may have noticed over eral Staff, pointing out to them the beneficial possibilities the course of the last several years an increasing number of disclosure would bring in the arena of budgeting with Con- reports in the news media about Area 51. These reports gress. In the end the Air Force had been enthusiastic about did not start in a vacuum. We have done many things to the event. Gullick wasn't foolish enough to believe, though, deliberately lay the groundwork for the public to accept the that the F-117 disclosure was anything like announcing the revelation of what we have here. existence of the mothership. It sure sounded good, though. 266 ROBERT DOHERTY Of course, Slayden was only giving Duncan the tip of the 25 iceberg. Slayden and his people had early on presented one of the truths of psychological preparation: overstimulation. And making people believe the truth to be much worse than it really was, was one of the major purposes of the Nightscape missions. Nightscape had conducted numerous animal mutilations, rural overflights by the disks, and even human abductions. There was no way they would let Duncan know about that. And even Slayden didn't know the extent of Nightscape; he didn't know of the need at Dulce for the people who were ROUTE 666, NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO abducted or the animal parts that were brought back. Gul- T-81 HOURS lick rubbed the right side of his skull, irritated at the timbre They still had the same van. Kelly had argued to ditch it, of Slayden's voice. Goddamn academic assholes. Gullick but Turcotte insisted they might need the equipment. checked his screen one more time, looking for an update They'd compromised by switching the government license on the search for both the foo fighters and Von Seeckt's plate for a private one. group. Kelly had assumed driving chores and watched in the Gullick looked across the conference table at Duncan. rearview mirror as Turcotte sat in one of the four captain's He was disgusted with outsiders whining and complaining chairs in the back, beside the communication and com- about government secrecy and security. He thought it the puter console that took up most of the left side. They both most amazing paradox and could not understand why oth- were listening as Von Seeckt and Nabinger put together ers didn't see it the way he did: If the public could handle what they had shared and tried to postulate some reason- knowing everything, then there wouldn't be any need for able theories to explain what they had. the secrecy because the world would be living in harmony. "We have to assume that the bomb you found in the It was the same people who decried the government that pyramid was of the same technology as the disk and made the government necessary. If they all had the self- mothership," Nabinger said. discipline that he and other military people had, the world Von Seeckt nodded. "Yes, that is reasonable." would be a hell of a better place, Gullick thought as he "Going beyond that, I think that many of the commonal- waited impatiently for the briefing to be over so he could ities among ancient civilizations can now be explained." get back to real work. Nabinger took out of his backpack the papers Slater had given him. "The high rune language that has been found at various spots across the world must have originated with these aliens. In fact, I would say that these aliens must have affected the natural progression of mankind's develop- 268 ROBERT DOHERTY AREA 51 269 ment." He then proceeded to explain the diffusionest the- were still capable of flight. Hell, we're flying them now. ory of the rise of civilization. Surely they wouldn't have hidden them like that." When he'd finished Von Seeckt was deep in thought. "I "And why the bomb hidden in the pyramid?" Kelly have thought about this often over the years, wondering asked. who left this marvelous technology behind and why. About That question was one Nabinger must have been ten thousand years ago there was an alien outpost on this pondering. "No one has ever really determined why the planet. It was-- pyramids were built. Originally they were assumed to be "Why aliens?" Turcotte asked suddenly, echoing the burial monuments, but that theory was debunked when no question that had popped up in Kelly's head. bodies were found in the chambers inside. Then it was "Excuse me?" Von Seeckt said. assumed they were cenotaphs--monuments to dead pha- "Why does it have to be aliens? All along everyone is raohs whose actual burial place was hidden to guard assuming that these craft were left by another species, but against future grave robbers. why couldn't they have been developed by some ancient "But with this new information there's another theory civilization of man that perished, and we're the recycles?" we ought to consider. It is a bit strange, but as Doctor Von Nabinger smiled. "I have considered that, but the facts Seeckt has said, we must consider all possibilities. Let me argue against it's being even a remote possibility. The level give you a little information about the construction of the of civilization needed to develop craft such as they have Great Pyramid. out at Area 51 would have left much more of a trace than "There are two small tunnels coming out of the upper- simply those craft and the bomb found under the Great most chamber, also known as the king's chamber. The ex- Pyramid. We have been scouring the surface of the planet act purpose of these tunnels is not clear, as they are too for a long time. Certainly an advanced human civilization small for people to go through. An interesting fact, though, would have left more of a trace. No, these things had to is that if you follow their exact azimuth out to the stars, one have come from an alien culture." is aligned with Alpha Centauri and the other with Alpha In the rearview mirror Kelly could see Turcotte raise his Draconis, two nearby star systems." hands, ceding the point. "Maybe our aliens came from one of those systems," "However, it is good that we not close our minds to Von Seeckt said. other possibilities," Von Seeckt said. "As I was saying, it "Another interesting theory, but one previously consid- appears that we are back at the original problem. We are ered outrageous," Nabinger said, "is that the pyramids are not any closer to understanding why the ships were aban- space beacons. Originally, the entire exterior of all three in doned by the aliens." the Giza group was covered with very finely crafted flat "Maybe they had no place to go," Kelly offered. "Maybe limestone." He looked at the other two men in the back of their home world was destroyed and they came here on a the van. "Can you visualize what they must have looked one-way colonizing mission, and that is why the mothership like then?" was hidden in that cave--so they couldn't go back." Turcotte nodded. "I imagine you would probably have "But what about the bouncers?" Turcotte asked. "They been able to see them from space." 270 ROBERT DOHERTY 271 AREA 51 "Visually, yes, when they reflected sunlight," Nabinger some of the equipment stored there. He glanced up at Von said. "But even more importantly, given the angle of the Seeckt. "Mind telling us what's at Dulce?" sides of the pyramid, if they are viewed above thirty-eight Kelly nodded slightly to herself. She was beginning to degrees from the horizon--i.e., from space--they would like Turcotte more and more. There was a lot of fog have painted a radar picture with a directivity factor of swirling about this situation: different agendas by the four over six hundred million for a two-centimeter wavelength." people in this van, unclear government objectives, secrets "Not exactly the Stealth bomber," Turcotte noted. piled on top of secrets. She just wanted Johnny and then "No. Such a radar picture could be seen from a long way she was going to break this wide open. To get Johnny, away from the planet, to say the least." Nabinger leaned though, she was going to have to trust Turcotte's skills. She forward. "The first question I asked myself when I origi- knew that Turcotte was going to have to trust Von Seeckt nally saw the pyramids many years ago was the most basic. to the same degree--and he didn't. She didn't either. Her Why did the ancient Egyptians choose that form? No one reporter's sixth sense told her the old man was holding has ever been able to give an adequate reason. If, given the back. building capability of the time, you wanted to build a mas- "I told you," Von Seeckt said. "It is another government sive structure that could be detected from space, the pyra- installation, an offshoot of the installation at Area 51." mid is the best choice." "Have you ever been there?" Turcotte asked. The archeologist was warming to his subject matter. "I told you. Once. Just after the end of World War II. It "Hell, think about all the other symbols that have been was very long ago and my memories are not that good." etched into the surface of the Earth by the ancients! The "I know you said that," Turcotte said. "And I asked you giant bird symbols on plateaus in South America. Symbols again because I don't understand why you never went there in chalk in England. We've always wondered why early man again if this place was such an important part of Majic-12 was so intent on drawing symbols that could only be seen and you were one of the founding members of the board, from above when they themselves would never have been so to speak." able to see it from that perspective." The sound of the van engine and the tires rolling "That still doesn't answer any of the questions that we sounded abnormally loud in the silence. Kelly decided to need answers to," Turcotte said. "If we don't come up with see if she could keep the ball rolling. "Want to hear what is something to support Von Seeckt's contention that the suspected to go on there?" she called out. mothership mustn't be flown, all we've done is put our- "I'd appreciate any information, even rumors, at this selves in a deep shit-pile with no way out." point," Turcotte said. "That is what we will find at Dulce," Von Seeckt said. Kelly brought her research to the forefront of her brain. "Well, we're just about there," Kelly said. "I hope some- "Among the UFO community it's said that Dulce is the site one's got a plan." of a bioengineering lab. That it's a place where our govern- "I'll have one by the time we get there," Turcotte said, ment turns over people to the aliens whose craft we are looking in the drawers below the console and checking out flying at Area 51. We know the first part is true." 272 ROBERT DOHERTY 273 AREA 51 "And we know the part about turning people over to could not stand to see what they were doing." Von Seeckt aliens isn't true," Turcotte noted. told them about Paperclip. "Are you sure?" Kelly asked. "Surely most of these people are dead now," Kelly said "No, it cannot be!" Von Seeckt cried out. "I would have when he was done. "But I imagine that the work is still known if we'd had contact with whoever left the bouncers continuing there and that explains a lot of the Nightscape and mothership. We would not have had to struggle so stuff and why everything is classified. But what's the con- hard for so many years. We just got into the mothership nection with the mothership?" this past year. It sat for so long, a puzzle we couldn't "I have not been there, true," Von Seeckt said, "but break." Gullick and the others he trusted--they traveled to Dulce "Maybe something changed this year," Kelly suggested. often. Something changed this year. They changed." She had Von Seeckt off balance and she knew from experi- Kelly sensed blood in the water. "Changed? Changed ence that she had to keep up the pressure. "I have heard how?" that the government is doing testing on mind control at "They began acting irrationally," Von Seeckt said. "We Dulce. They are supposedly working with memory-affect- always had secrecy in Majic-12. And Dulce has existed for ing drugs and EDOM." many years, as Captain Turcotte says. But something is dif- "What's EDOM?" Turcotte asked. ferent now. The urgency to fly the mothership. What is the "Electronic dissolution of memory," Kelly said. "I did an rush? Even getting into it. For so many years we could not article on it a few years back. Of course, the people I inter- penetrate the skin, then suddenly they pick a certain spot viewed were only talking about it theoretically, but it al- and try a new technique, and they succeed after decades of ways seems that our government likes to take theory and trying. see if it can work. EDOM is used to cause selective amne- "Even how quickly they have mastered the controls and sia. It creates acidic croline, which blocks the transmission the instruments. It is as if they know much more than they of nerve impulses, which in the brain stops the transmis- should." sion of thought in the affected area." "Could they have broken the code on the high runes?" "Ever hear of that?" Turcotte asked Von Seeckt. Nabinger asked. "That would explain some of it." "I have heard . . ." Von Seeckt began, then he paused. "Some of it, yes," Von Seeckt agreed. "But I do not When he spoke again, his voice was hesitant. "I will tell think they have broken the code, or if they have, it does not you the truth. I will tell you why I never went back to Dulce explain why they are acting so strangely and in such a after my visit in 1946." rush." Von Seeckt threw his hands up in the air. "I do not They all waited. understand." "Because I knew who was working there." Von Seeckt's "Do you know where the facility is?" Turcotte asked. voice dripped disgust. "I met them. My fellow Germans. "Not exactly. Just somewhere on the outside of the town The biological and chemical warfare experts. And they of Dulce. I do remember a large mountain behind the town were continuing their experimental work that they had and that we went around the mountain on a dirt road. started in the concentration camps. I could not go there. I Then we went into a tunnel and it was all underground." 274 ROBERT DOHERTY 275 AREA 51 Turcotte rubbed his forehead. "So you don't exactly know where it is and you don't exactly know what goes on The copper taste flooded Johnny's mouth and his world there?" went black again. But this time he could hear his own "No." screams, sounding as if it were some other person a long Kelly looked up in the rearview mirror. Turcotte met her way away. But the pain was close. eyes, then spoke. "Well, we'll be there shortly. And we'll find out what's going on and get Johnny Simmons out of there." Kelly opened her mouth to say something, then shut it. She turned her eyes back to the road and drove. VICINITY, DULCE, NEW MEXICO Johnny Simmons could see. He didn't know how long ago it had started, but it had begun with the slightest tinge of gray infiltrating the blackness surrounding him. Then the difference between light and dark grew, and he was able to make out some forms moving around on the periphery of his vision. He couldn't move his head, nor could he move his eyes. But as time went by, he wished the slight improvement that had occurred had not. Because there was something wrong about the forms he caught glimpses of. They were human shaped, but they weren't human and that is what scared him. The silhouetted forms were all wrong--heads too large; arms too long; torsos too short. Once he thought he saw the outline of a hand, but there were six fingers instead of five and the fingers were much too long. Johnny was concentrating so hard on his eyes that it was a while before he noticed other changes in his environ- ment. There was a scent in the air. A very unpleasant scent. And he could hear sound, albeit as if from a long distance away. It was a clicking sound, but not mechanical. More like insect clicking. 277 AREA 51 Route 64 passed along the south side of the community, 25 and Kelly carefully kept to the speed limit as they drove through. As the town slipped behind them, Turcotte told her to pull off on a dirt road and stop. "You say the facility is behind that mountain?" he asked Von Seeckt. "Yes. It was night when I came here and over fifty years ago, though. There wasn't much here in those days. I don't remember all these buildings." Turcotte looked to the north. "All right. We have about ROUTE 64, NORTHWEST NEW MEXICO two hours of daylight left. Let's check out what we can see T-79 HOURS from the van." He pointed back toward town and Kelly turned them around. The road curved around a small lake to the left and passed They cruised in past the sign marking the city limits and between tree-covered hills. Turcotte checked the map. took a right, going past the local elementary school. The They were close to Dulce. According to Rand McNally the road slowly sloped up. Within a quarter mile they were at town was just south of the border with Colorado, nestled the base of the ridge. Turcotte kept Kelly taking turns that between the Carson National Forest and the Rio Grande directed them to the right. It was the only way he could see National Forest. The terrain was rocky and mountainous, around the mountain. Left would only run along the south with occasional clusters of pine trees adorning the hillsides. side of the ridgeline. It was the sort of relatively unpopulated area the govern- An arrowhead with a 2 inside it marked a road leading ment liked to build secret facilities in. to the northeast. The other roads all appeared to be local They hit a straight section of road and a long-distance residential streets. Kelly turned onto the arrowhead road view opened up directly ahead. Von Seeckt leaned forward and they began climbing the shoulder of the mountain. A between the seats. "There. That mountain to the left. I sign indicated they were now on the Jicarilla Apache In- remember that. The facility is behind it." dian Reservation. A white Ford Bronco rolled past with A long ridge extended from left to right about ten miles two men seated inside and Turcotte twisted his head and ahead, culminating in a peak slightly separated from the watched it go by. main body of the ridge. "Government plates," he noted. "Where should I go?" Kelly asked. "Yeah," Kelly said. "Stay on this road," Turcotte said. "I'll tell you where to "Probably from the facility." stop." "I don't want to burst your bubble," Kelly said, "but you As they got closer, the town of Dulce appeared at the see a lot of U.S. government plates out here. We're on base of the ridgeline, a scattering of buildings along the ederal land, actually Indian land, but the Bureau of Indian valley floor running up to the base of the large mountain. Affairs, which helps run the reservations, is federal." 278 ROBERT DOHERTY A R E A 5 1 279 "But it could be from the base," Turcotte said. guarded facilities. The goal of a lot of the security is not, as "Ah, optimism," Kelly said, mimicking his Canuck ac- you would think, to prevent someone from actually break- cent. "I like that." ing in. The goal is deterrence: to keep someone from con- "There." Turcotte pointed to the right shoulder. "Stop sidering breaking in." there." "I don't understand," Nabinger said from the rear. The road split. To the right it went down into a valley. To "Think of the security cameras in banks," Turcotte ex- the left a wide, well-maintained gravel road curved along plained. "They work through deterrence. They keep most the back of the ridgeline and disappeared. people from robbing the bank because those people know "It's around there," Turcotte announced firmly. their picture will get taken and the police will eventually "Why not to the right?" she asked. catch them. The same with most security. For example, if I "Von Seeckt said it was behind the mountain. To the wanted to kill the President, I could most definitely kill right is not behind the mountain." He looked to the back. him. The problem lies with killing him and getting away "Correct?" afterward." Von Seeckt concurred. "I believe to the left." "So, you're saying we can get in to this facility but we Turcotte continued. "Also, since we left Phoenix that's can't get out?" Kelly asked. the best maintained and widest gravel road I've seen." He "Oh, I think we should be able to get out. It's just that smiled. "But mostly, the thing that convinces me that the they'll know we did it." facility is down that road--besides Von Seeckt's opinion, of Kelly shrugged. "Hell, that ain't a problem. They're al- course--are those little lines of what appears to be smoke ready after us. We get Johnny, we go public. That's the only hanging above the road." He pointed to the gravel road. way we'll make it." "See them? There and there?" "Right," Turcotte said. "Yes. What are they?" "So, back to my original question," Kelly said. "What "That's dust caught in a laser beam. A car goes down now?" that road, the beam gets broken and a signal is sent. "Back to town," Turcotte said. "We need a ticket to get There's two of them, so they can tell if a vehicle is coming us in. Once inside I'll get us to Johnny." or going depending on the order the beams get broken. I "And the high rune tablets," Nabinger added. "Von don't think the Bureau of Indian Affairs guards the reser- Seeckt told me that Dulce is where they keep all the ones vations that tightly, do you?" the government has." "What now?" Kelly asked, glancing over her shoulder at "And the high rune tablets," Turcotte amended. "What- the other two men in the rear. ever you can find." "I don't think this place will be as well guarded as Area "Anyplace in particular in town?" Kelly asked as she 51," Turcotte said. "All the work here must be done inside, turned them around and headed to the south. so it obviously doesn't attract as much attention as the "Know how cops always hang out at the local doughnut other facility. So that's to our advantage. shop?" Turcotte said. "The other thing to remember is a basic fact about most "Yes." 28O ROBERT DOHERTY 281 AREA 51 "We need to find where the workers from the base get met him halfway between the two vehicles, caught in the their doughnuts." glow of the headlights. "You an idiot or what?" the driver demanded. "You pass me and-- Without a word Turcotte fired the stun gun, dropping the T-73 HOURS, 15 MINUTES man immediately. He cuffed him with plastic cinches from "That one," Turcotte said. They'd watched a dozen or so his vest and dragged the body into the back of the van. cars with small green stickers on the front center of the "Get into the truck," he ordered Von Seeckt and Nabinger. windshield pull in and out of the convenience-store parking The two men scuttled over into the backseat of the Subur- lot over the course of the past several hours. Turcotte had ban. pointed out the stickers and explained that they were de- Kelly drove the van a hundred meters down the tar road, cals used to identify cars that had access to government where the turn concealed them from the intersection. installations. As night had fallen, the lights had come on, There was no place to conceal the van, so she just pulled illuminating the parking and leaving their van in the dark- off to the shoulder. Turcotte made sure the man was secure ness across the street. and quickly frisked him. "I've got him." Kelly started the engine to the van and "This isn't much of a plan," Kelly muttered as she locked followed the Suburban out of the parking lot of the Minit the van and pocketed the keys. "And I'm not sure I buy Mart. your easy-to-get-in-and-out theory." "One of my commanders in the infantry used to say any They followed the truck as it went north through town plan was better than having Rommel stick it up your ass on and then turned onto Reservation Route 2. They were a the drop zone," Turcotte said as they jogged up the road quarter mile from the split in the road. toward the truck. "Now," Turcotte ordered. "I don't get it," Kelly said. Kelly flashed her high beams and accelerated until they "I never did, either, but it sounded good. What's really were right on the bumper of the Suburban. She swung out interesting," he said, pausing for a second and looking at and passed, Turcotte leaning out the window and giving the her in the starlight, "is that you're the first person who ever finger to the driver of the truck as he screamed obscenities. said that about that quote. I never told my commander I Kelly slammed on the brakes and they skidded to a halt didn't get it." at the intersection with the gravel road. The driver of the "And?" Kelly said. Suburban came to a stop on the gravel road, headlights He began jogging again. "It means you listen and you pointing at the van. think." "What the fuck is your problem, asshole?" the burly Turcotte took the wheel this time. He scanned the inte- driver of the truck demanded as he stepped out and started rior and reached above the visor; an electronic card key walking toward the van. was there, such as those used in hotels to open doors. He Turcotte jumped out of the passenger side of the van and checked the name: Spencer. "The plan is getting better by 283 282 AREA 51 ROBERT DOHERTY also to allow people to begin getting their night sight when the minute." He tucked the card between his legs next to the stun gun. "Everyone down. We're going to be on cam- departing. The slots were numbered, but Turcotte took his chances era in a second." and went to the far end, out of sight of the guard, and Throwing the engine into gear, he rolled down the gravel parked. There were about ten other cars in the garage. road, past the laser sensors. There was no way he could see Over fifty spaces were empty, which meant that the night it, but he had no doubt that the vehicle was being surveyed shift was a skeleton crew, for which Turcotte was grateful. by infrared cameras to check for the decal and insure it was There was a pair of sliding doors set in the rock twenty authorized. He knew the decal was covered with a fluores- feet from where he had parked. "Let's go." cent coating that could easily be seen through such a de- Turcotte glanced over his shoulder at the three people vice. He watched the road carefully, hoping that there following him--Kelly short and compact, Von Seeckt lean- would be no more forks where a decision had to be made. ing on his cane, and Nabinger bringing up the rear. Kelly A sign appeared in the headlights warning that they were smiled at him. "Lead on, fearless one." now entering a federal restricted area and the fine print He slid the card key into the slot on the side of the listed all the dire consequences unauthorized personnel elevator. The doors slid open. They crowded inside and would face and all the constitutional rights that they no Turcotte examined the buttons. They ranged from HP, Ga- longer had. Four hundred meters past the sign a steel bar rage, down through sublevels 4 to 1. "I'd say HP stands for stretched across the road. A machine such as those used at 'helipad.' They probably have one cut into the side of the airports to give out parking tickets was on the left side. mountain or maybe even on the top of the mountain above Turcotte pulled up and inserted the card key into the slot. us. Any idea what floor we should go to?" he asked Von The steel bar lifted. Seeckt. He continued on, then the road split. Turcotte had less The old man shrugged. "They had stairs when I was here than three seconds to make a decision. To the left loomed last, but we did go down." the mountain. To the right the valley floor. He turned left "I'd say bottom level," Kelly suggested. "The greater the and immediately was in a narrow valley. The sides closed in secret, the deeper you go." and camouflage netting covered the road, staked down on "Real scientific," Turcotte muttered. He hit sublevel 1. the rock walls on either side, confirming his decision. A The elevator dropped, the lights on the wall flashed, then thirty-foot-wide opening in the base of the mountain ap- halted at sublevel 2. A message appeared on the digital peared directly ahead, carved into the side of the moun- display above the number lights: tain. A dull red glow came out of the opening. A bored security guard in a booth just inside the cave ACCESS TO SUBLEVEL 1 LIMITED TO opening hardly looked up, waving the Suburban in. A large AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. parking garage was off to the right and Turcotte turned TOP SECRET Q LEVEL CLEARANCE REQUIRED. that way. The man-made cave was dimly lit by red lights. DUAL ACCESS MANDATORY. That was both to defeat detection from the outside by not INSERT ACCESS KEYS NOW. having bright white light coming out of the entrance, and 284 ROBERT DOHERTY 285 AREA 51 Turcotte looked at the two small openings--made for ster when Turcotte jumped into the air, feet leading, and small round objects--one just below the digital display and flew over the desk. The bottom of his boots caught the the other on the far wall. They were far enough apart that guard in the chest, knocking him back against the wall. one person could not operate both keys--just like the Turcotte was back on his feet first and he slammed a turn launch systems of ICBM. "I don't have the keys for that, kick into the side of the guard's skull, knocking him out. and our Mr. Spencer didn't have them on him either." He turned to the desktop and looked at the computer "Let's try this level," Kelly suggested. screen th