Lee Dunway, a hardened CIA undercover agent receives a frantic call from his ex-wife Julie informing him that their young daughter, Gail, has been kidnapped. Julie was warned not to notify the FBI or the police. She believes Lee is Gail's best chance to be rescued alive. Lee is pulled into a connecting plot of intrigue and deadly sabotage. America is on the verge of producing cold fusion energy from the Helium-3 isotope that is secretly being mined on the moon. A space shuttle has launched from a top-secret base in Alaska to bring back the first twelve ton load of He-3, which must be left in earth orbit for a later descent. This knowledge has opened the door to a treasonous conspiracy involving members of the U.S. Congress and other high ranking officials called the Centurions. They plan to steal the high valued He-3 while it circles the earth as a means to manipulate world currency markets and finance their goal to form a one world government. Lee and two others must find a way to highjack the He-3 before they do. CODE NAME: TOTAL ECLIPSE is fused together by a bittersweet love story and a perplexing betrayal Lee must come to grips with to simultaneously rescue Gail and stop the Centurions.
Code Name Total Eclipse
A NovelBy Gary L. LucasTrafford Publishing
Copyright © 2012 Gary L. Lucas
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4669-5429-8 Chapter One
Saturday, November 26, 2011
A winter storm had arrived in the villagelike setting of Colorado Springs. The temperature was two degrees below freezing. Gusting winds from the northwest rushed in and spiked to ten miles an hour, creating a harsh windchill. Snowflakes swirled in tornado-like fashion across mountainous slopes, thoroughfares, shopping malls, and school yards. The pristine flakes covered everything, confirming the frigid arrival of the welcomed ski season. To all ski enthusiasts around the area, this was a delightful addition to the joyful atmosphere of a four-day Thanksgiving weekend.
At a nearby hotel acclaimed for its highbrow clientele, two Air Force Academy graduates who had opted for a winter evening wedding were celebrating with an evening reception. Senior cadets and others wished them well before they left to become the first husband-and-wife team to attend the air force flight training program.
The newlyweds were holding hands and kissing as they whispered words of love to each other. Rising steam from the mugs of hot buttered rum on their table fogged a small portion of the giant window next to them. She giggled softly as she drew a heart and an arrow with her finger on the fogged area, and she kissed him again as the ballroom lights dimmed. Flames from the huge dining room fireplace cast a warm hue upon the white stucco ceiling, the sage-colored walls, and the young couple's faces. The dancing flames highlighted their radiant smiles as they whispered romantic suggestions into each other's ears.
Most of the cadets, sitting closer to the fireplace, were pointing toward the mammoth dining room windows, noting a break in the clouds, which provided a beautiful view of the snow-covered mountains flanking the hotel. The luminous full moon was a thumb's width above the mountaintops and seemed close enough to spot the Apollo 11 landing site, one cadet remarked as he lowered his outstretched arm.
This was not an unusual happening for this dynamic city sprawling beneath the highest feature in the area, the fourteen-thousand-foot Pikes Peak. During wintertime, an influx of skiers taking to the many lodges and nearby slopes was an anticipated occurrence. Business owners in this town welcomed winter as the season to be jolly. This was the time of year for increased profits generated by a surge of sales centered on open-air activities.
For Dr. James Hollis, PhD—a world-renowned astrophysicist and the chief operations manager of scientific projects for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) inside Cheyenne Mountain—tonight would be anything but routine after he attended the wedding and reception of his colleague's son.
Unknown to the people of this quaint community and the rest of the earth's population, tonight would be anything but normal. Dr. Hollis and a group of his covert associates would set off a dramatic chain of events that would protect the Constitution and democratic political structure of the United States from a subversive attack. And if successful, their efforts would lessen the chances of the United States from being forced into a widespread nuclear war.
Tragically, if the plan failed, Dr. Hollis would be deemed a traitor and suffer the loss of everything he had worked so hard to accomplish during his professional career. He would be charged with treason and could be imprisoned for a minimum of twenty-five years. He would have shamed his family, and he would likely be deserted by his wife and two children.
At thirty-seven, James Hollis was five years older than his wife, Cindy, whom he had married when he was thirty-one. He was six feet tall and had the toughness of a muscular man, but was slender in appearance. He had curly black hair with traces of gray, a short full beard, and pale green eyes. According to some accounts of his research associates, his extrafirm handshake was one that people remembered to guard against.
Most of his friends had married earlier in life, and the same was true of Cindy's friends. She had pursued a career in business management during her early years. Cindy was twenty-six when she finally met the man of her dreams, and they exchanged the sacred vows of marriage soon after.
Hours after his friend's son's wedding reception, James was standing in front of his bathroom mirror, brushing his teeth before leaving for his drive up Cheyenne Mountain. He suddenly froze as memories of his military combat experiences flashed through his mind. What prompted those kinds of thoughts popping up, he didn't know. But just as quickly, he smiled as his thoughts turned to happy memories of the night he fell in love with Cindy.
He had almost committed to a military career but was thankful now that he had left active duty and pursued his educational goals. Notably he did complete his ROTC commitment, plus an additional year for attending Ranger and Special Forces training. This required a tour of duty outside the United States. He felt sure that he would not have met Cindy had he stayed in the army. After his discharge, he had pursued a graduate degree, a PhD, and a postdoctoral education. After this, applied research had filled most of his waking hours. His social life was not much of a priority to him. One evening, some fellow researchers at the government complex in Livermore, California, talked him into attending a social dinner at a mutual friend's house. Reluctantly he agreed, with the stipulation he would leave early to resume his work in one of the labs. Upon arriving at his friend's home that evening, he chose a glass of red Zinfandel off the silver serving tray carried by a smiling gray-haired gentleman in a tuxedo. Peering around the living room, he saw a fellow research scientist from an adjoining laboratory and proceeded toward him, but an unexpected blow to his right shoulder caused him to spill his wine. He stopped, looked down, and saw substantial stains on his open-collared shirt and the sleeve of his cashmere sport coat. He immediately heard a lovely voice say, "I'm sorry—that was clumsy of me. I'll get a towel and clean the spots before they stain your clothes permanently." She rushed toward the kitchen before he could muster a reply or get more than a passing look at her.
His thoughts centered on her voice, the beautiful face he had seen for only a second or two, and her sensual perfume. He stood motionless, staring at the kitchen area, waiting for her return. When she rushed back with a cup of tonic water and a hand towel, he scrutinized her dark tan and voluptuous figure snuggled into a black sleeveless dress, her stark green eyes, and her auburn hair. The closer she got, the more excited he became. Bewildered, he felt his heart start beating faster, and his breathing almost stopped.
"I'm so sorry," she said and then began wiping the stains.
Now he could smell her perfume again while gazing at her face and alluring eyes. "It's nothing. Please don't be concerned," he feigned, wanting her to continue.
She scrubbed at the stains and apologized again in her soft voice.
If there is such a thing as love at first sight, this might be what it feels like, he thought. Then he found himself blurting out, "Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?"
Startled, she stared into his eyes, slowing her efforts to clean the stains. "Well, I don't mind—if my husband doesn't."
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, blushing in a boyish fashion.
"Hey, I'm just kidding. See, no ring marks, no sparkling diamonds. I've never been married." She lowered her left hand, and they both smiled while staring at each other.
"Well, then ... will you ... have dinner with me?"
"Well, that depends," she teased him again.
"On what?"
"What's your name?"
His face went blank; then he sat his glass on a table, and then he stuck out both of his large hands and tenderly encompassed her tiny one. "Hi, I'm James Hollis."
"Hello, James Hollis. I'm Cindy Fields. Glad to meet you. Sorry for the inconvenience."
He was sure he felt the tingle of a low-voltage shock go up his arms when their hands met. As he was staring into her eyes, he felt attracted to her like no other woman before. They married two months later in a church in Connecticut in a wedding hosted by her parents and attended by her family and friends.
James changed his focus, put his toothbrush away, and then went to put on his ski jacket and gloves in readiness to leave. A while later out in the driveway, he heard Cindy call to him. Her call snapped him out of his fixed gaze toward the moon, slipping in and out of sight between periodic breaks in the clouds. Cindy's four-door Lincoln took up half the double garage, and the other half was still stuffed with furniture and miscellaneous boxes from their move two months earlier. James was relegated to brush the packed snow from the windshield of his classic silver-and-black Corvette, while the engine warmed up in preparation for his drive up the mountain.
Turning toward the front door of their bi-level house, he spotted Cindy and their two small children, Brenda and Donald, ages five and four, respectively. Each child stood behind her and clung to one of her legs, hoping to gain an element of warmth. She used her body to block out the cold night air coming in through the open front door.
"Your hot chocolate," Cindy shouted as she held the thermos at arm's length for him to see.
He walked slowly so as not to fall on the snow-covered walkway while he climbed the three steps to the slippery porch, and then he removed his gloves. He took the thermos from her hand and gave her a quick kiss on the lips and looked into her eyes for a brief moment before speaking.
"Wish I could stay home and curl up in front of the fireplace with you, but duty calls, and the bills have to be paid. This crazy schedule won't last much longer," he promised. He bent down and coaxed each child to come forth, so he could put an arm around them. "Give your daddy another kiss, sweetheart," he said to Brenda.
She wrapped both her arms around her dad's neck and pulled, causing him to lose his balance and nearly fall.
"Hold on, kitten, not so hard," he said as her weight continued to pull heavily on his neck as she planted another good-bye kiss on his cheek.
Facing Donald, James pointed with one finger to his other cheek. "Right here, big boy, give your dad a big smooch."
Donald's reply was a resounding loud noise as he placed his wet lips on his dad's cheek and blew out as strongly as he could while trying to stop laughing at the same time.
"I will get even with you tomorrow morning when I come home. I'll sneak into your bedroom and do the same to you on your tummy when you're still asleep," he said.
"No, I won't let you. I'll stay awake all night to stop you."
"We'll see," his dad said as he gave both children another hug. When he stood up straight, Cindy reached out with both hands and pulled on the collar of his jacket until his face was about an inch from hers. She told James quietly that she would keep the children up later than normal so they might sleep in later the next morning. "How about you put those sexy lips on my tummy? I'll keep the bed nice and warm for a cozy get-together before the children awake." Pulling harder on his collar until their lips met, she kissed him aggressively, allowing her tongue to impart the rest of her message.
Before she finished, Brenda and Donald pulled on her legs, insisting they move back inside, away from the freezing weather.
Relaxing her hold on him, James slowly pulled back with his eyes still closed. His aroused libido derived from her titillating message sparked an intimate fantasy. "Perhaps I should call in sick and stay home tonight."
"Silly, you know you're indispensable up there inside that old mountain. Go now," she said. She smiled as her children tugged on her to take her inside; then she closed the door.
With a thrilling fantasy still present in his mind's eye, James cupped a freezing ear, turned, and made his way back to his car.
He slowly backed onto the street, pausing momentarily to look at the bay window at the front of their home. Happily he spotted his beautiful wife and children holding back the living room curtains to wave their good-byes.
"I love you," he said aloud while leaning forward and waving back, hoping they could see him. Then he gave two short blasts from the horn as another good-bye as he slowly drove away.
Moments later, his attention was focused on two of the eight armed bodyguards—CIA employees—assigned to guard his family. The agents currently on duty were parked in sport-utility vehicles with dark-tinted windows. He could see that one of the SUVs was parked two houses down from his. Unknown to James or his family, one of those guards had planted wireless surveillance cameras in their backyard and on both sides of the house to spot a potential intruder.
Approximately forty-eight hours earlier, James had been abducted and temporarily detained by CIA covert operatives. That was the first time he met Bernard Whitlock, one of the highest administrators in the CIA. He is responsible for the protection of the United States from any and all activities that could disrupt and possibly destroy the very foundation of its democracy. Whitlock had uncovered that Mr. Tim Benton, the director of the National Security Agency, had turned rogue back in 2010 and was in fact a double agent working with other anti-American groups against our government. Whitlock was the only one that knew that Benton had abandoned his loyalties to the U.S. He had irrefutable evidence that Benton was the leader of a subversive cabal known as the Centurions that planned to infiltrate and control the United Nations Assembly, followed by an overthrow of the U.S. government.
Whitlock wasn't sure whom he could trust with the evidence he had. Benton had relationships with senior government officials and political figures that sided with him and his objectives, but Whitlock wasn't sure yet who all of them were. If he approached the wrong person in hopes of bringing Benton down, he would be subject to assassination, and their entire plot could be covered up with no resolution in sight. Benton had access to top-secret information and knew that the United States had acquired the capacity to produce clean cold fusion energy, a new source of energy derived from the helium-3 isotope that the U.S. was secretly mining on the moon. As America's supply of He-3 increased, the nation's use of petro fuels would be reduced by 95 percent within a decade. Benton knew that He-3 has an estimated worth of a trillion dollars a ton. He speculated on the fact that whoever controlled the supply of He-3 could control the world's energy markets and eventually control the world, so he set out to steal the first shipment of He-3 arriving in Earth's orbit tonight. His ultimate objective is to create a one-world socialist government with a one-world currency. Whitlock could not allow that to happen. He initiated his counter strategy to steal the shipment before Benton could. He needed James to surreptitiously reprogram one of NORAD'S microwave-tracking dishes to send a signal to redirect the inbound space vehicle with its prized cargo of He-3. It was the only sure way to stop the Centurions without delay.
Whitlock had told James that if circumstances warranted, Cindy would be briefed as to why it was necessary to have sentries guarding her and the children. If she demanded such, she and the children would be taken into hiding for their safety.
Whitlock's concern was that Cindy and the children could be kidnapped and held as hostages. If that happened, he knew James would be coerced into aborting his participation in Whitlock's complex plans.
James started thinking about the conversation he'd had with Whitlock after their bizarre introduction.
"Everything must appear as normal, James. If any of the Centurions suspect a connection between me and you, they will send out their thugs to kill us. Remember, there is no other way to accomplish what we have to do. The final outcome of this mission rests with you. Absolutely no one else has the means or the opportunity to take advantage of the vital timetables involved to stop the Centurions in time. My best bodyguards are protecting your family, mine too. Every possible contingency is included in their plans to guard our families," Whitlock had promised him.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Code Name Total Eclipseby Gary L. Lucas Copyright © 2012 by Gary L. Lucas. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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