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The reception area was so bright that it hurt Shelby’s eyes and worse yet she was getting a headache. So much intrigue or perhaps more aptly described as outright stress, was beginning to impact on Shelby’s otherwise cheerful disposition.
Once her eyes adjusted to the light she found that the structure had a similar appearance to the Pentagon. She had seen the structure in many a movie but she couldn’t really be there or could she?
The silence was deafening, nobody spoke a word and even the cats had stopped their frantic meows, knowing full well that it would not make them get sprung from their cage any faster.
The waiting game was more than Shelby thought she could stand. How could anyone be so cruel as to leave her standing alone and afraid? It would only be a few more minutes and then Shelby would understand why she had been relocated and where she actually was.
Spotting a chair Shelby sank into the comfortable lining and tried to relax, if she was going to have to wait, it might as well be on her own terms. Closing her eyes to protect them from the florescent lighting Shelby remained acutely attuned to the environment around her.
Shelby was startled when she heard a familiar voice; could it really be Mr. T? She was sure that she would never meet him again, he had told her it was too risky for them to be seen together. Was this just a ploy or had he come to this place under to cloak of darkness much like Shelby had?
Two uniformed officers stepped toward Shelby’s chair and ordered her to rise. Opening her eyes Shelby was startled to see the uniforms were in fact the same kind she had seen as costumes in the movies centred on the Pentagon’s activities. The hallways were silent with the exception of the sounds of hard soled shoes on the floor. They walked in a rhythmic pattern – a sense of urgency resounded from their speed.
It seemed like they had walked a mile before Shelby was led into a room that was secured from outer intrusions with armed guards and key card access. Shelby began to feel more than a little apprehensive about the whole situation, but all she could do was wait.
The room was furnished with a large conference table and leather chairs encircled the table. Shelby thought that the chairs were probably for long sessions of intelligence planning. Looking to the corner of the room there stood a silver urn with steaming coffee and in front of the urn was a tray of the most delectable treats Shelby had ever seen.
Food, coffee, sleep, Shelby didn’t know which one she wanted or needed the most. It was about five minutes before the doors once again opened and a group of four entered the room. All were dressed in military attire; they smartly stood and saluted as the fifth and final member joined the party. Much to Shelby’s surprise she had come face to face with the President and his military advisors.
The meeting began with Mr. T. standing up and introducing himself as General Arnold Jackson. The General apologised for the manner in which she had been brought to the Pentagon. The explanation of why deception had to be used in gathering data and computing values through complex mathematics. Somewhere on the inside, a member had been leaking the launch codes and satellite positions that provided the protection for America. By prefacing the project as a ‘supernova’ event, they were able to keep the information under wraps and prevent it from falling into the hands of the mole and his/her connection.
Shelby was not the least bit surprised that the mole remained unnamed and that an elaborate plan for computing new configurations and launch codes was necessary. What she didn’t understand was why now, after all this time was she suddenly endangered?
The General continued his explanation, in way of apology. Rumours were beginning to circulate that the terrorist factions were getting ready to launch a new attack. It was of vital importance that the top secret documentation was not intercepted by anyone. It was for this reason that the ‘cloak and dagger’ scenario came to light. Keeping Shelby in the dark about what was happening served two purposes. First, so that there was no risk that Shelby would have any objections to working on ‘military’ projects and second, it served to protect Shelby from becoming the next target of the mole.
Shelby sat back in the leather chair and sighed, the truth had finally come out, but why was she still so uneasy? There were still calculations to finish and secret codes to put in place; her work was far from done. Now a very new and very real danger existed, not a natural threat but one that could spread terror throughout the population.
The General stood as he addressed Shelby “if you would come with me please, I will escort you to our briefing room”. Shelby stood up slowly, still stiff from sitting in the car on the way to the Pentagon. As they walked down the hall together, Shelby knew that adventure was now her reality. With any luck her work would not be in vain.
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