The Omega Project by Ernest Dempsey

Author:Ernest Dempsey [Dempsey, Ernest]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: 138 Publishing
Published: 2019-03-29T04:00:00+00:00

25

Baring

The phone rang twice before there was an answer on the other end.

“This is Winters. I hope you’re calling from a secure line.”

“I am, sir.”

“Good. What’s going on? I assume you’re calling because you have an update for me?” His was a question, uncertain if that was truly the reason for the call.

“I do.”

That was good news. So far, Admiral Winters had been in the dark on things. He’d partially wanted it that way. The less he knew, the more plausible deniability he’d possess, though he knew that would be of no concern once he had located the artifacts and brought them in for research.

Everything was riding on this gamble; his entire career, his home, his reputation, his life. If he was implicated—or worse, caught—he’d go to prison until the day he died. Winters had no intention of going to jail, which is why he was being exceedingly careful, making sure his contact didn’t try calling from a cell phone. He also swept his home once a day to make sure no one had bugged it, not that there was any reason to. Not yet anyway.

Winters had been nothing but an exemplary sailor and citizen. He’d broken no laws, as far as anyone knew, but one could never be too careful.

“What do you have?” Winters asked.

Andrew Boyd paused for a second. Winters could hear sounds in the background—cars passing by, an 18-wheeler rumbling along with a loud grumble from the driver Jake braking. Winters knew that meant his man was on a pay phone somewhere. Where he was able to find one of those, Winters didn’t know. Pay phones were a rarity these days, gone the way of the pager with the advent of advanced mobile devices.

“He found something.”

Winters felt his heartbeat quicken. He’d hoped this wasn’t some elaborate hoax by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. He’d prayed that he was right about Meriwether Lewis, that the explorer had found something important, something powerful on his journey to the Pacific. Even with all the evidence, the letters, the things he’d seen, Winters wasn’t sure. Now he knew. Now there was proof.

“What is it?” he asked with suppressed excitement.

“I’m not sure, sir. The guy I put on his tail couldn’t get close enough to get a good view, but it looked like gold.”

“Gold?” That was interesting. Why would Captain Lewis hide a piece of gold out in the middle of the wilderness of North Dakota? And what possible connection could it have to whatever the man had found out west?

“Yes, sir. That’s what my operative said. Not like a chunk, though. It appeared to be honed, crafted into a shape. My guy only caught a short glimpse of it. Then Wyatt looked around. He said he had to stay hidden. Apparently, Wyatt was on edge.”

“For good reason. The entire FBI is looking for him.”

“True.”

“How big was this piece of gold?” Winters pressed the issue, his curiosity spiking.

“Not big,” Boyd answered. “He was able to fit it into his coat pocket.”

This was good news.

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