The Minotaur by Stephen Coonts Page A

climbed the stairs and went through a control room and
across a catwalk inside a huge room to the simulator, a cockpit
mounted on hydraulic rams. “So just make yourself comfortable
here in the hot seat,” Jenks said in summary, “and well move right
on into the hardware.”
    Toad looked slowly around the cavernous room at the three
other simulators. Then he looked into the cockpit. Like every mili-
tary cockpit in the electronic age, it was filled with display screens,
computer controls and information readouts in addition to all the
usual gauges, dials, knobs, switches and warning tights. “I have a
question,”
    “Shoot”
    “How long is the normal syllabus to train a bombardier-naviga-
tor?”
    “Eight months.”
    “And you’re going to cram all that info into me in one weekT’
    “You look like a bright guy. That captain in Washington said
you were motivated as hell.”
    “Grafton?”
    “I didn’t talk to him. The skipper did. Sit down and let’s get at
it” Jenks turned and shouted to the technician in the control
room; “Okay, Art, fire it up.”
    People were streaming out of Jefferson Plaza at 4:30 when Jake
passed through the main entrance on the way in. He was still in
civilian clothes. He waited impatiently for the tardy elevator.
    The secretary was still in the office along with several officers.
What was her name? “Hi. What’s happening?”
    “Hello, Captain. Didn’t expect to see you today.”
    “Yeah. Didnt think I’d make it back. Seen Commander Judy?”
    “Oh, he was in for a little while this morning, then he said he
had a meeting. Said he’d probably be gone the rest of the day.”
    Jake paused near the woman’s desk. “Did he say where the
meeting was?”
    “No, sir.”
    “Was he here when you arrived this morning?”
    She tried to remember. “Yessir, I think so. Oh, by the way, the
computer wizard stopped by this afternoon to give you your brief
on the office system. He said he was going to be working late, so if
you’re going to be around a while. I’ll call him now and see if he
can come over and do the brief.”
    “Sure. Call him.”
    Jake greeted the other officers and walked across the room to his
office door. Two of his new subordinates stuck their heads in for a
few pleasantries, then shoved off.
    A pile of documents lay flat in the in basket. Jake flipped through
the stuff listlessly. There was enough work here to keep him
chained to this desk for a week, or maybe a month since he didn’t
know anything about most of the matters the letters and memos
referred to. He would have to use the staff heavily.
    The secretary appeared in his door. “The computer man will be
here in a little while. His name is Kiemberg- Good night. Captain.”
    “Did you lock up everything?”
    “No, sir. I thought you might want to took through some files.”
    “Sure. Good night”
    Jake waited for the door to click shut, then went out into the
room. He found Judy’s desk and sat down. He stirred through a
small pile of phone messages. Just names and numbers. A thin
appointment book with a black cover. He flipped through it slowly.
    The days up until now were heavily annotated. Today’s page was
blank. He held the book at arm’s length over the desk and dropped
it. It fell with a splat.
    Damn! He felt so frustrated-
    Well, at least he knew most of Henry’s once-upon-a-time story
was true, though where that got him he had no idea. And he knew
that Judy made a trip to West Virginia today. Why? To see Trooper
Keadle or the prosecutor? To search Strong’s cabin? Well, Judy
was certainly going to be surprised to hear that Jake knew he was
there. Or was he? Maybe he would tell Jake himself in the morning.
    Jake turned on the office copy machine and while it was warm-
ing up stood and read the entries in Judy’s calendar again care-
fully. Smoke seemed to have made a lot of notes about Karen.
Karen who? Karen 472-3656, that’s who. Why did he write her
phone number down so often? Aha,