Test Pilot's Daughter II: Dead Reckoning by Steve Ward Page A

indeed.”
     
    * * *
     
    Christina nibbled at one of her nails. She and Michael sat in the Blue Room admiring the art. The room had both the feel and smell of two-hundred years of history. They fidgeted like a couple of kids waiting in the principal’s office. She held an envelope containing copies of information they had collected from Rhani’s apartment. The situation rolled over and over in her head, and she struggled for the best way to review it with President Gleason. There was so much to tell. She had no clue how he would react to the fact that the evidence involved illicit actions on her part. What will he do?
     
    The main entrance banged open, and Roberts stomped in. “Got to keep it short, kids. We have to get dressed for a State dinner in five minutes.”
     
    The President walked in behind his Chief of Staff and grabbed Christina’s hand. He looked her right in the eyes and said, “Miss Mathews, it’s such a pleasure. Now what’s this all about? Sounds serious.”
     
    She found herself talking too fast, “I’m concerned the DROID mission was sabotaged. . .what if there’s an attack on the United States, an attack from. . . well you know.”
     
    “Ben says you have evidence. Let me remind you that mission was classified, Top Secret, and Mr. Jacobs here isn’t cleared.” Gleason had a stern look. He glanced at Michael and then back at her with a nervous twitch.
     
    She knew she was on shaky ground, but it was too late now. “Yes I know that, sir, but I had to have help to obtain this valuable information,” she held up the envelope. “Astronaut Jacobs is the only person in NASA I know to trust.”
     
    “Okay let’s get to it, not much time, what exactly do you have?”
     
    Her tongue flew at lightning speed, “We have bank deposit slips, photos, letters and other pieces that tie astronaut Rhani Hussein to people in Iran. He was on that mission, assigned by Director Scott at the last minute. We worked together on one EVA, and he was alone with the attack vehicle on another. I observed him messing around with the DROID on two occasions while we were in orbit. It would take so little to sabotage the TV guidance, just a little bit of tape in the right place. When we returned, I decided to check him out. Surely, his background check should have indicated his ties to Iran, yes?” She showed the President the picture from Tehran. “Why then, would he be sent on a mission to attack an Iranian satellite?”
     
    “My, my young lady, you are the private-eye. I wonder why the FBI doesn’t know this? Maybe they do. I’ll check into it. Now we have to go,” he started to walk away.
     
    “But. . .but. . .”
     
    “He said we’ll check it out,” Roberts butted in, giving her a look that could kill. “This is all more complicated than you know Miss Matthews. If we mess with the Iranians, we’re eyeballing $400 a barrel.”
     
    “And if we don’t?” Christina shuddered. Everyone in the room knew the answer. Why isn’t Gleason more concerned
     
    “I suggest you give that bag to Mr. Roberts before someone catches you with illegal evidence,” stated Gleason as he looked back from the doorway. “We’ll give it a good go over and get back with you. In the meantime for the sake of our country do not mention this matter to anyone. . .anyone else that is.” He gave Michael a hard stare.
     
    The two men left the room, and she looked at Michael in shock. He spread his hands and shook his head. She had expected the President to be dismayed by the revelation. She had envisioned him picking up the phone and calling his security council or the Joint Chiefs of Staff. At the very least, she thought he would want to sit down and talk about it. With that satellite in place, America was a sitting duck. She wanted to scream, The sky is falling! The sky is falling! but it seemed no one gave a shit.
     
    Finally Michael tried to drag her back to reality. “So, Nancy Drew, what do we do now? You better