Chapter 17

Nyx did not expect to be doing such a task in a million years. Getting past the front gate was the easy part. Avery was capable of hacking the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, otherwise known as DEERS. The bootlegged common access card would not have held up under intense inspection, but when the Security Forces airman scanned it, they only noticed an authenticated card held by a Lieutenant Colonel Jeffery Buckman. Under the guise, Nyx returned the salute to the airman and drove into Joint Base Andrews, formally known as Andrews Air Force Base.

Nyx had to create a purpose for the visit in case he was ever questioned. He felt that a friendly visit with a former colleague and a trip to the base exchange would provide him with enough cover, but still, he would need to be cautious. Even an everyday lieutenant colonel does not simply gain authorized access to the two seven-forty-sevens housed in their hangers. The two planes most often referred to Air Force One when carrying the President of the United States. While there were two planes, one was always ready to fly at a moment’s notice.

The exotic features of the 747 are only partially available to the public. Designed to withstand an electromagnetic pulse and even a nuclear blast, it also housed the worlds most advanced communications equipment. Along with the myriad of personnel involved with its flight, the plan had the unique ability to stay in the air indefinitely due to its advantageous refueling system, turning it into a flying bunker in case of a catastrophic emergency.

Nyx didn’t need access to the planes themselves but rather he needed to setup a transceiver close enough for Avery to be able to do whatever task he needed. The security surrounding the planes are mostly shrouded in secrecy. Layers of the most effective devices imaginable ensured that nobody would gain unauthorized access. Cell phones were allowed nowhere near the aircraft until it was ready for departure. Closed-loop camera feeds and diagnostic equipment made tampering an impractical option. Seismic intrusion sensors around the hangar offered the first line of security if someone was to trespass or tunnel beneath the structure. Beyond the electronic security, a slew of Airmen and Secret Service agents were ready to pounce at a moment’s notice.

Nyx was understandably nervous about performing this task. When he had asked Avery why he had to physically be there, the technical reply was too much for him to comprehend. The heavily encrypted two-way communications systems that gave access to the computers within required too many resources to crack. The signal changed frequencies rapidly in flight, and Avery could not match the speed at which the encryption keys changed. Since wireless technology was taboo within the perimeter, the only option was to establish a physical device in proximity while the aircraft was on the ground and systems were idle.

He drove around the base for what felt like hours, looking for a place close enough to plan his next move. Nyx eventually found himself parked at a soccer field. Children were playing while their parents cheered them on. The number of cars, along with the noise, seemed well enough to offer a distraction for Nyx. He pulled out a small device from his glove department to examine. The device measured around seven inches in all directions, with a small LED screen which only read Signal Strength and Battery Power. Checking the battery power, it was completely full. Now he needed to connect the other two components to it. He removed a cylindrical, half-dome-shaped object from the compartment and screwed it on. This would give the device the ability to receive a satellite signal. Next, he pulled out a trapezoid-looking object, about twelve inches long and thin in width and attached it to one of the corners. The antenna would act as a two-point-four gigahertz transceiver for the eventual destination.

Nyx felt that two hundred feet was way beyond his comfort zone to place the device, but he had no other choice. Who knows what vile act Avery might inflict if he should fail. A man that used to be feared is now in fear himself. Across the soccer field’s parking lot, the wooded area was separated by a road looping around the military base. As long as he could find an open enough area to establish a signal, this would be his only chance of succeeding. What he was most concerned with, however, was what kind of security measures wait for him in the wooded area. The military police patrolled the road at regularly, making the crossing easy to time. He was sure that there were motion sensors and probably seismic sensors as well.

It took Nyx a moment to figure out how exactly he wanted to do this. He would need to move slowly and methodically, exercising the greatest amount of patience. Luckily, he was very accustomed to having patience. Once a surprise event failed to show up in his research. He had to hide out in a target’s attic for several hours while party patrons slowly left the house. This, too, may take several hours. The morning was turning into the afternoon; it was time to get moving.

Waiting for a break in vehicles traversing the road took longer than expected, but he made it to the tree line where he could go prone. The motion sensors would likely pick up an object of his size, but not if he moved slowly. The seismic sensors would surely react to the sudden impact of his footsteps, so he had to move like a snake.

Nyx low crawled inch by inch, taking randomly timed breaks every few feet. A method that snipers may be familiar with, it brought him back to his old military days. He had not been a sniper, but as an operator had more than one occasion where this method of stealth was the determining factor between life and death.

He estimated it must have taken just over three hours to navigate the terrain. The hangar was just beyond a final row of trees. Now at a spot that he felt could be sufficient, he turned the device on to check for a signal. The signal was well into the nineties. Nyx was relieved and mentally exhausted at the same time. Placing the device down meant that he had only halfway completed his task. He needed to get back to his vehicle undetected. While it would have been convenient to dart up and sprint back, he couldn’t risk a base lockdown. His only option was to make the three-plus hour journey back to his vehicle.