The 22nd Secret Page 21

  “I have had enough goddamn national security. I have had enough fucking Chinese security. I’ve had enough, you understand? I want Jim Mitchell. I’ll give you two weeks to get it set up or I’ll do it myself, Tom.” Suddenly, Pam’s voice grew plaintive. “You’ve got to help me. I love him. Please try to understand. He’s what’s kept me going. If I can’t at least tell him I didn’t abandon him. I’m not sure I want to keep going.”

  “I understand, Pam. Just give me two weeks, all right? I’ll set it up.”

  Pam hung up the phone. She had two weeks to get ready. She would eat right and get plenty of rest. She would work out for several hours in the gym every day. It would be fun. She could swim laps in the pool and jog around the compound, but she would start with getting some sun and catching up on some reading. She selected several magazines and the New York Times, and walked out onto the balcony.

  The ocean breeze was magnificent. She looked around and determined that the balcony was so placed in the structure that no one would be able to see her on the private balcony, except from the sky. The entire area would be kept clear by the secret service. Not even the Level 21 surveillance satellites had been alerted. Patty Lawrence no longer existed.

  Pam slipped the robe off and lay down on her stomach while she thumbed through several magazines and the headlines from the New York Times over the last few months. Within a half hour, she rolled over and looked up at the blue sky. She closed her eyes as the sun warmed her. She rubbed her hands over the smooth flesh of her stomach. The warmth reminded her of lying on the bearskin rug with the blazing fire heating her like the sun. She began to fanaticize about Jim. She had not allowed herself this pleasure since she went to China. It had been too hard to be Ben’s woman. She had blocked the memory of sex with Jim.

  Chapter Nine

  The 22nd Secret

  November 3rd one year after the crash - Bear Breath, Alaska

  Three weeks later, Pam stood in front of the motel mirror admiring her naked body. Her transformation in the last three weeks was amazing. Her skin was a deep tan, with no tan lines. Her body had bulked up and her eyes sparkled with the self-confidence she had the day she sat on the prep table in Jim’s kitchen. Her hair was now shoulder-length. She had kept it short to help conceal her Caucasian features while in China, but she liked the professional styling she received in Hawaii. In just a few hours she would know if Jim could forgive her, if he would understand and if he could want her back. An insecure fear swept over Pam. She knew somehow she had to get him back. She started getting dressed.

  By the opening of the season, Jim had been able to move on with his life. There was always something to keep him busy when the lodge was in operation. He welcomed the hectic schedule that kept his mind off of Paula. When the Congressional hearings started and Jim and his lodge fell under the media’s scrutiny, the cancellations flooded in. It seemed people came to White Bear Lake Lodge to get away, to be in secluded isolation. As soon as Jim’s name appeared in the media, his lodge was swamped with reporters and cameras. For every legitimate reservation canceled, a member of the press would book one. It didn’t take long for Jim to refuse any reservation unless he personally knew them, or someone he knew recommended the party. There were few of these reservations. For the first time in almost forty years, White Bear Lake Lodge lost money. He hated to let the college help go, and paid the regulars out of his savings.

  The lodge closed early this year, and as usual, Jim occupied his time during the off-season working around the lodge and watching sports on television. Kim, his girlfriend of four years had left Bear Breath when the scandal broke to take a job teaching in Fairbanks. Bill came to visit his friend regularly, usually to watch a game. Jim’s life was more isolated than ever. He tried without luck not to think about Paula. He was tormented by her absence and the fact what had happened between them was more than sex. He knew there was more. He just couldn’t remember. Even after a year, it was like her voice was whispering in his ear. No matter what happens always, always, forever remember I love you.

  The only time he thought of the night they spent together was when he was alone in bed. After that night, the only thing that could satisfy Jim was the memory of her body, of what he had done to her and what she had done to him. He would call her voice to mind intentionally, just to hear Paula whisper in his ear while lying alone in the bed they once shared together.

  The intercom buzzed on Bill’s desk at precisely 8:30 am. It was a mild, sunny beautiful fall day in Alaska. The new snow glistened through Bill’s window. The sergeant on duty at the desk spoke through the speaker.

  “Bill?”

  “Yes.”

  “I got a call for you. It’s Tom Walker.” Bill was stunned to hear Walker’s name.

  “Walker? What in the world can he want?”

  “Line three.”

  Bill picked up the receiver and punched three. “Sheriff Bill Keller.”

  “Bill, Tom Walker. How have you been?”

  “Fine, what can I do for you?”

  “How’s Jim Mitchell?”

  “You mean has he violated his parole or something?”

  “No, no, nothing like that. I mean how is he doing? He was pretty devastated by what Patty Lawrence did and something tells me he’s not the kind of person who enjoyed all the press he got last summer.”

  “Well, you’re right on both counts. He’s pretty much got over the girl but his business went to shit with all the media nosing around. He thinks it will start recovering next year. He’s usually booked up one or two years in advance, and last time I talked to him about it, he said he didn’t have a lot of cancellations for next year.”

  “Well, good. I was real sorry a man like Mitchell got dragged into this mess. I need you to do me a favor. I would like to talk with Mitchell. Say, this afternoon or tomorrow morning. I’m here in Bear Breath at the Lucky-U Motel. I was hoping you could call him on the radio and then fly me out there. The weather looks perfect.

  “You’re assuming he’ll talk to you at all, let alone in person.”

  “I can understand his reservation. I wouldn’t ask unless it was very important. You might call it a matter of life-and-death.”

  “Whose life, whose death?”

  “Maybe your friend’s life and maybe someone very special’s death. Please don’t make me beg for your help, or worse, try and reach Jim on my own.”

  Bill knew he had to relent. “I’ll try and raise Jim now. You want to hold on the phone in case he wants to talk with you?”

  “Thank you, Sheriff. I’ll hold.”

  The radio in the main room of Jim’s lodge crackled to life.

  “Jim, this is Bill. You copy? Over.”

  Jim was thumbing through the latest issue of Field and Stream and set it down. He walked over to the radio.

  “Hey, Bill. This is Jim. What’s up? Over.”

  “Tom Walker called me this morning wants me to fly him out to your place this afternoon or tomorrow. Said it’s very important he talks to you in private. Over”

  “Walker? What in the hell does he want with me ? Over.”

  “I’m not sure. He’s on hold if you want to ask him yourself. Over”

  “I guess so. Patch him through. Over.”

  “Mr. Walker, I have Jim on the line with us. Over”

  “Mr. Mitchell, pardon me for interrupting your privacy. I know this has not been a very pleasant experience for you. I’m sorry. Let me assure you my visit is not of an official nature. It has nothing to do with your parole, the treason charges, or the congressional hearings. Over.”

  “If it’s not about any of that then what is it you want from me? Over.”

  “I want nothing from you. I have some very important information I need to share with you, Over.”

  “What information? Share it with me now. Over.”

  “Please, Jim. Give me just a few hours of your time. I believe the sheriff can fly me out there this afternoon. Just a few hours, please. Over.” />
  “Look, Walker. I haven’t had a lot of good times with you or anyone associated with you. I’d just as soon not have anything more to do with you. Over.”

  “There’s someone very important, very close to me, who wants to get some information to you. Please, Jim. I’m begging, just a few hours of your time. Over.”

  “What information? What’s it about? Over.”

  There was a momentary silence. Tom realized he should have known it would go this way. He considered the possibility of finding Jim’s lodge on his own.

  “It’s about Paula. Over.”

  “Paula? You mean Patty Lawrence? Over.”

  Tom again paused and spoke slowly. “Jim, I mean Paula. Please give me a chance to explain. You can’t expect me to explain this over the radio. Just a few hours of your time this afternoon. Over.”

  This time Jim remained silent for a few moments before speaking. The hostility in his voice was gone. “A few hours this afternoon, I’ll be waiting. Over.”

  No one spoke until Bill finally said. “See you soon, buddy. Over and out.”

  Jim did not acknowledge the end of the radio transmission.

  “Sherriff, can you come by the Lucky-U and pick me up, say around 11:00?” Tom asked.

  “Be waiting out front.” Bill said as he replaced the receiver on the telephone. Bill thought the end of that conversation got a little weird.

  Two hours later, Bill pulled up to the motel in his Ford Expedition. Tom Walker and a woman wearing sunglasses, a green parka, and blue jeans exited the lobby of the motel and walked around the rear of the sheriff’s vehicle. Tom opened the rear door and the woman got in. He then opened the front door and sat down next to Bill, who was staring at the beautiful blonde in the backseat. She continued to look out the side window trying not to look directly at the gawking sheriff.

  “You’re Patty,” said Bill.

  “Sheriff,” Tom said in a loud enough tone to distract the sheriff who changed his gaze to Walker. “I’d like you to meet Pam Koller.”

  The sheriff turned back to the blonde and held out his hand.

  “Pleased to meet you, miss.” She continued looked out the side window and ignored the sheriff who, after an awkward moment, turned and put the Ford in drive. He thought this was getting weirder by the minute as he started for the airport.

  The trip to the airport and flight to the lodge took about an hour and a half. Pam said nothing. She just looked out of the window. Bill and Tom talked about Jim, the bad season at the lodge, and the weather the last few weeks. The plane ride was fast. They flew low, just over the hilltops and around the higher peaks. Jim’s lodge suddenly appeared over a hill, surrounded by fresh snow and towering evergreens. It was beautiful with or without the snow. White Bear Lake was a solid blanket of snow waiting for the ski-equipped plane to land. Bill brought the plane in for a perfect landing and taxied it up to the dock that was used for loading and unloading guests from Jim’s plane. Mitchell heard the sound of the engine and was standing on his porch when Bill shut it off.

  “Sheriff, would you mind waiting here with Miss Koller?” Tom asked. “I would like some time alone with Jim.”

  Tom got out of the plane and walked toward Jim and the lodge caring an attaché case. He climbed the stairs and extended his hand to Jim, who ignored it.

  “What about Paula?” Jim asked indignantly. “She was really Patty Lawrence and the whole damned world knows what she did.”

  “You’re half right, Jim. She was Patty Lawrence but the whole world has no clue what she did. May we go in? It’s going to take some time to explain this and–”

  Jim turned and entered the lodge, leaving the door open behind him. He walked over to one of the tables by the bar and sat down.

  Tom followed Jim inside and closed the door behind him, walked over to the table Jim had sat at and removed his coat. He sat down and opened his attaché case. Inside was a blue file. He laid it on the table in front of Jim. There was a label on the front of it: Security Clearance, James Mitchell, Level 21, Technologies, APPROVED was stamped on the cover in red block letters.

  Jim opened the two-inch thick file and began reading his life history in documents categorized in sections. Bank accounts, tax returns, military records, school transcripts, the closing papers on the lodge, names address and phone numbers of friends. The story of his life poured out of the file.

  “Is this legal? Can you gather all this information on someone without their knowledge or consent?” Jim continued to scan the contents of his life in legal forms and documents.

  “No, it’s not.”

  “Then where in the hell do you get off doing this?” Jim said looking up at Tom.

  “It was necessary before you and I could have this conversation.”

  “What conversation? What in the hell is this all about?”

  Tom pulled a larger blue file from his attaché case and laid it on the table. It was twice as thick as Jim’s and worn. It was obviously several years old. The label read: Security Clearance, Pamela Koller, Level 21, Technologies.

  Jim slowly opened the file cover and looked at the pictures on the first two pages. He didn’t recognize the grade school pictures of Pam, gathered years ago when she was just a file of interest to certain people in the government. When he turned the page, he saw Paula as a young lady attending college, and most recently in official Los Alamos identification photos. He looked up at Tom with bewilderment.

  “Her real name is Pam, Jim. She asked me to prepare that file on you so I could come here to talk with you.” Tom spoke softly. A bond instantly formed between them based on their concern for one woman.

  “I’d like a beer, Jim. How about you? I’ve got a lot to talk to you about.”

  Jim closed Pam’s file and, without saying a word, walked over to the bar and brought back two beers.

  “Is she alive?” Jim asked when he sat down.

  “It’s not that simple. Jim, I know you love your county. I think if asked, you’d make any sacrifice our nation asked of you. At least that’s what that file says. Are you ready to make that sacrifice now, today?”

  Jim swigged his beer. “I don’t understand a word you’re saying.”

  “In order for me to tell you the truth about the person you knew as Paula, I think you need to understand what’s going to happen to you. What that truth will mean to the rest of your life.”

  “You didn’t answer my question. Is she alive?” Jim asked, taking another thirsty swig and setting the bottle on the table.

  “Pam Koller is alive and well. She’s been living in Hawaii since her escape from China about a month ago. Jim, I’ve seen Pam happy, sad and everything in between. I’ve seen her angry enough to kill and scared out of her mind. I’ve seen her on the hunt for what a woman needs from a man and I’ve even seen her on the verge of a nervous breakdown. But I’ve never seen her act the way she has since returning from China. She’s scared.” Tom paused and looked Jim squarely in the eyes. “Scared you won’t forgive her. Scared you won’t be willing to make the sacrifices necessary to be with her, not for a day or two but forever. Jim, she loves you. She needs you to love her back. She told me about your dreams of being together, the dreams you shared while you were snowbound together last year. Pam’s afraid you’ll think that was Paula manipulating you so Patty Lawrence could evade capture, but it wasn’t. That was Pam Koller falling in love with Jim Mitchell.”

  “How do I know that? How am I supposed to know how she really felt? Why doesn’t she fly up here and tell me all this herself?” Jim’s calm voice belied the thoughts racing through his mind. He thought of Paula alive and in love with him, of wanting to spend eternity with him as they planned. Although there was still something missing in Jim’s memory, Paula’s last words suddenly made sense. They rang through his mind like a bell on a cold Alaskan morning. No matter what happens always, always, forever remember I love you.

  “I’m not sure she could handle the rejection if you chose not to see her
. If you no longer felt toward Pam what you felt toward Paula. Besides, why should either of you go through that torment if you’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to share her life?”

  “You keep talking about sacrifice. What’s that supposed to mean? What kind of sacrifices?”

  “Well, for example you wouldn’t be able to live here any longer.”

  Tom took a thirsty swig from his beer and Jim followed. Tom knew Pam’s question would soon be answered. Jim’s mind began to balance his uncontrollable desire to be with Paula, at any sacrifice, and the reality of what Tom was saying.

  “Why? What’s wrong with this place?”

  “Nothing, except it’s too dangerous for Pam. Thanks to Congress, there isn’t a person alive that doesn’t associate this place with Patty Lawrence. In order for Pam to be sitting out there in your friend’s plane, a team of Army Special Forces has set up a perimeter around your lodge. They’re there, but you’ll never see them. Think of it this way, the most important piece of military technology in existence today is here with us. What kind of security do you think it would take to protect it? The best would be secrecy, nobody anywhere knowing where it is. That’s a whole lot safer than everyone everywhere knowing where it is. Pam is the single most valuable military secret known to man.”

  Jim suddenly realized what he had heard. “She’s here, in the plane?”

  Tom put his hand on Jim’s shoulder as he tried to stand. “Sit down, Jim. There’s a lot we need to talk about before I’m going to be able to let you see Pam. I’ve told you more about Pam than I should have without your word that you want her back and will be willing to make whatever sacrifices it takes to be with her.”

  “How can I answer that? What sacrifices? Give up the lodge? How will I make a living?”

  “If you’re with Pam, you’ll never have to worry about money. She lives on what you might call a government expense account. Pam gets whatever she wants and always will.”