The Doomsday Conspiracy   ::   Sheldon Sidney

“There’s fifty thousand dollars in here in different European currencies, and another twenty thousand in US dollars. You will also find several sets of false identifications that may come in handy.”

General Hilliard held out a thick, shiny black plastic card with a white stripe on it. “Here’s a credit card that …”

“I doubt if I’ll need that, General. The cash will be enough, and I have an ONI credit card.”

“Take it.”

“Very well.” Robert examined the card. It was drawn on a bank he had never heard of. At the bottom of the card was a telephone number. “There’s no name on the card,” Robert said.

“It’s the equivalent of a blank cheque. It requires no identification. Just have them call the telephone number on the card. It’s very important that you keep it with you at all times.”

“Right.”

“And Commander?”

“Sir?”

“You must find those witnesses. Every one of them. I’ll inform the Director that you have started the assignment.”

The meeting was over.

Harrison Keller walked Robert to the outer office. A uniformed marine was seated there. He rose as the two men came in.

“This is Captain Dougherty. He’ll take you to the airport. Good luck.”

“Thanks.”

The two men shook hands. Keller turned and walked back into General Hilliard’s office.

“Are you ready, Commander?” Captain Dougherty asked.

“Yes.” But ready for what? He had handled difficult intelligence assignments in the past, but never anything as crazy as this. He was expected to track down an unknown number of unknown witnesses from unknown countries. What are the odds against that? Robert wondered. I feel like the White Queen in Through the Looking-glass. “Why sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Well, this was all six of them.

“I have orders to take you directly to your apartment and then to Andrews Air Force Base,” Captain Dougherty said. “There’s a plane waiting to …”

Robert shook his head. “I have to make a stop at my office first.”

Dougherty hesitated. “Very well. I’ll go there with you and wait for you.”

It was as though they didn’t trust him out of their sight. Because he knew that a weather balloon had crashed? It made no sense. He surrendered his badge at the reception desk, and walked outside, into the chill breaking dawn. His car was gone. In its place was a stretch limousine.

“Your car will be taken care of, Commander,” Captain Dougherty informed him. “We’ll ride in this.