EVENT GROUP COMPLEX NELLIS AFB, NEVADA
Niles made the necessary calls and the compartmentalized Event Group went into action to prepare hurriedly to get a rescue team down to the Amazon. Departments went through an amazing array of logistics to supply the team with everything they would need for the exploration of Padilla’s lost valley and to search for any survivors of Helen Zachary’s expedition. The equipment that Everett had ordered could only be partially filled with Event Group stores; the rest had to come from such companies as Raytheon, General Electric, Hanford Laboratories, the Brookings Institution, and Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island. The expedition was officially sanctioned as a rescue operation, but scientific investigation would still be performed.
An Event Group tech team comprised of sixty men and women were already en route by air force transport to Louisiana to assist Master Chief Jenks on finalizing the installation of the equipment and outfitting Teacher for river duty. There would be no time for a shakedown cruise.
The Group’s Intelligence Department made arrangements to be a privately funded surveying mission to map the Amazon River depths from the Peruvian government, which was a nice cover to get into Brazil, which had steadfastly denied permission for American military personnel to cross into their territory.
Niles and Alice were busy in his office with a team of assistants, coordinating the paper end of things, and that wasn’t going well at all.
“The president,” Alice said, holding out the red phone.
“Mr. President, thank you for securing the cooperation of the navy, it’s much appreciated.” Niles watched Alice leave the room.
“I have the FBI report on those photos your people sent over from San Pedro,” the president said tersely. “It seems the man named Kennedy, which is his real name by the way, is a U.S. Navy SEAL, and another was identified as an air force captain named Reynolds. The others have yet to be identified.”
“Has the navy and air force explained the reasoning behind infiltrating a university-sponsored expedition with a bunch of young people?”
“So far they haven’t said anything. They said they have an intense inner investigation going on to find out. And to me right now, that isn’t goddamned good enough!”
“You mean to say they don’t know what their special operations people are doing?”
“So far they came up with records that show Kennedy and Reynolds were on detached duty out west. I put my bulldog on it. My national security advisor, Ambrose, will get some results.”
“Someone is out of control here and there are lives at stake—”
“Dammit, Niles, I know whose lives are at stake!”
“Yes, sir, I apologize. Those kids may be lost or fighting for their lives down there, and I have a team getting ready to go in. I need to know who we can trust!”
“All right Niles, you and I need to keep a perspective here. Even though my own daughter is in danger, I’m afraid my hands are still tied up to a point. I can’t risk a shooting war just because my daughter stepped out. Here’s something for you to think on: no matter what reason Kennedy and those other men have for being attached to that expedition, doesn’t it ease your mind a little that they have at least one SEAL with them?”
Niles was slow to answer, as he didn’t feel comfortable with the military involvement, no matter if there were special operations people giving Helen and her kids a better chance at survival or not. So he decided to answer truthfully.
“It would make me feel better if in fact they hadn’t been off the air for over a week now.”
“I’ll keep pushing Ambrose on my end; a hard task, since he knows nothing of the Group’s existence.”
“I understand.”
“Now, your Lieutenant Ryan has been cleared for Fort Bragg. The Proteus team will be waiting on him, along with his Delta squad. Remember, Niles, even though my daughter’s life may be at stake, I have only okayed the Proteus backup mission. Again, I stress the fact that I can’t allow a military ground incursion, even if we know it to be a rescue mission, into a friendly nation by American troops; it just won’t fly. I’m sorry, it’s Proteus or nothing.”
“Mr. President, I—”
“No,” the president cut him off, “we can’t have American ground troops on friendly soil without invitation. Too many things can go wrong. If your backup plan works properly, Proteus should give Major Collins a nice edge if it’s needed.”
“Sir, that damned weapons platform hasn’t worked right since testing began; we’re running an awful risk with Operation Spoiled Sport as our only backup. What if there is close-in fighting down there? Proteus can’t possibly help out in that situation.”
“I’m sorry, Niles, it has to do, we have too many black eyes given to us by bad press lately. It’s not that I’m sacrificing any of those kids or my own daughter for political reasons, but I can’t let American boys die in a rescue attempt that would surely be challenged by Brazilian troops. Tell Major Collins to find our people and get his butt back in one piece, and Niles, please bring my daughter home. I’m sorry Proteus is the only backup at this time, but it can be disguised as civilian whereas fighter aircraft can’t.”
Niles stared at the screen, knowing full well the president was right. The burden of getting those kids out of that green and hostile world was squarely on the shoulders of the Event Group.