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ed him through the open doors into another huge hallway； this one lined with shops。 Directly across from the entrance was a large gedunk…a store selling snacks； magazines and other sundries。
〃I was expecting a yeoman。〃
〃The phone started ringing and he sent me down。〃
As she led him along the corridor； he asked； 〃How long did it take you to learn your way around in here？〃
〃Oh； I'm still learning…I've only been here five years。 It's confusing at times。〃
They went up a long ramp that opened onto the A…Ring； the central corridor that overlooked the five…acre interior courtyard。 As they proceeded around the ring； Jake glanced through the windows at the grass and huge trees and the snack bar in the center。
〃Have you ever been here before？〃 she asked。
〃Nope；〃 said Jake Grafton。 〃I've always managed to avoid it。〃
After she had gone what seemed like a hundred yards or so； she turned right and ascended a staircase with a ninety…degree bend in it and at the top turned right。 They were still on the A…Ring； but on the fourth level。 After another fifty feet she veered left down a corridor； then right onto another corridor that zagged away at an angle。 〃Now we're walking back toward the outside of the building；〃 she said。 〃There are five concentric rings in the Pentagon。 The inner is the A…Ring； and next is B； and so forth； with the outer being E。 They are connected by ten radial corridors like the spokes of a wagon wheel。 It's supposed to be efficient but it does confuse newers。〃 She grinned。
This corridor had little to mend it。 It was lit by fluorescent lights； and over half the tubes were dark。 The walls were bare。 Not a picture or a poster。 Dusty； tied…down furniture was stacked along one wall。 It looked as if it had been there since the Elsenhower administration。 Catching Jake's glance； the guide said； 〃It's been there for three months。 Some of the offices got new furniture。 This is the old stuff。〃 The piles were posed of sofas and chairs and scarred and battered metal…gray desks。 〃These places on the ceiling where the plywood is？〃 Jake looked。 The plaster was falling off from water seepage from the roof and asbestos was being released。
At the end of the corridor stood a magnificent large painting of Admiral Dewey's flagship； Olympia； entering Manila Bay。 Spots illuminated it。 The guide turned right and Jake followed。 The overhead blue mantel proclaimed： 〃Naval Aviation。〃 Here the hallway was well lit； painted a yellowish pastel and decorated with pictures of past and present naval and marine aircraft。 This straight stretch was long； a third as long as the outside； of the building。 Almost at the end； his guide turned left into a large office。 The sign over the door said： 〃Assistant； Chief of Naval Operations； Air Warfare。〃 Beside the door was a blue sign that read： 〃OP…05。〃 This was the office of the senior U。S。 Naval Aviator； Mr。 Naval Aviation。
The room was large and contained numerous windows facing south across the huge parking lot toward Arlington。 Wooden desks； blue drapes； wainscoting on the walls。
A mander greeted Jake。 〃I'm a little early；〃 Jake said； glancing at his watch。
〃I'll see if the admiral's free。〃 He was。 Jake was escorted in through a swinging double saloon door。
Vice Admiral Tyler Henry rose from his chair and came around his desk wearing a warm smile to greet Jake。
〃Good to see you again； Captain。〃 The men had met on several occasions in the past； but Jake was unsure if Henry would remember。 After he pumped Jake's hand the admiral motioned to a chair。 〃Please； be seated。 Have any trouble getting here this morning？〃
〃I rode the Metro this morning； sir；〃 Jake said as the admiral seated himself behind his desk。 It was dark wood； perhaps mahogany。 A matching table extended outward from the main desk； forming the leg of a T。 It was at this table Jake sat。
〃Good idea。 Parking places are all for car pools and flag officers。〃 He pushed the button on his inter box。 〃Chief； did mander Gadd sweep the office this morning？〃
〃Yessir；〃 was the tinny reply。
〃Are the window buzzers on？〃
〃Yessir。〃
〃Please close my door。。。 Window buzzers are little security gizmos to vibrate the glass。 Supposed to foil parabolic mikes； but who knows？〃 the admiral explained。 〃The damn things play waiting room music； and I can't hear noises like that anymore。〃 Jake listened hard。 He could just hear the beat and a trumpet。
The admiral leaned back fortably in his chair as the door to the office closed behind Jake。 〃Soundproof；〃 he muttered； then smiled。 〃You look surprised。〃
Jake smiled； his embarrassment showing。 〃Seems like a lot of trouble to go to just to talk to the guy who's going to be designing the new officer fitness report form。〃
The admiral smiled broadly。 〃That job has been floating around with no takers。 No； we have another project for you that is going to demand expertise of a different sort。〃
Jake was having trouble holding his eyebrows still。 〃I thought；〃 he said softly； 〃that I was a pariah around here。〃
The smile disappeared from Admiral Henry's face； 〃I'm not going to bullshit you； Captain。 Last fall when you disobeyed a direct order from a vice admiral； you may have torpedoed any chance you had of ever getting promoted again。 Now with hindsight and all； most people can see you did the right thing。 But the military won't work if people go around telling flag officers to get fucked。 For any reason； justified or not。 And the congressmen and politicos from SECDEPs office who interfered with a navy investigation of that incident made you no friends。〃
He raised his hand when Jake opened his mouth to speak。 〃I know； I know； you had nothing whatever to do with that and you couldn't control the politicians even if you tried。 No one can。 They go any damn place they want with hobnail boots。 Still； they raised hackles when they implied the navy couldn't or wouldn't be fair in its treatment of a naval officer。〃
〃I understand。〃
The admiral nodded。 〃I suspect you do。 Your record says you're one of our best； which is why I asked for you。 We need a shit…hot attack pilot with a ton of smarts and a gilt…edge reputation who can waltz a little project through the minefields。 You're him。〃
Jake flexed his hands and rearranged his bottom in his chair。 〃I didn't think my reputation was quite that shiny。 And I've never had any Pentagon duty before。〃
Henry pretended not to have heard。 〃Do you want to hear about the job？〃
〃I'm just a little surprised； sir。 Shocked might be a better word。 I'd thought。。。〃 He punched the air。 〃What's the job？〃
〃You'll be working for Vice Admiral Roger Dunedin。 He's NAVAIR。〃 NAVAIR was Naval Air Systems mand； the procurement arm of naval aviation。 〃He needs a new program manager for the Advanced Tactical Aircraft； also known as the ATA。 If and when we get it； it'll be the A…12。〃
Jake Grafton couldn't suppress a grin。
The admiral laughed。 〃The fact we have this project is unclassified。 ATA； A…12； those are the only two things useless in the whole program； and those two terms were just recently declassified。 The project is black。〃 Jake had heard about 〃black〃 programs； so highly classified that even the existence of the program was sometimes a secret。
The admiral rapped a knuckle on the desk。 〃So far； it appears to be one of our best…kept military secrets。〃 His voice fell to a murmur。 〃No way of being sure； of course。〃
Henry fixed his eyes on Jake。 〃The A…12 is our follow…on airplane for the A…6。〃 The A…6 Intruder was the aircraft carriers' main offensive weapon； an all…weather medium attack plane。
〃But I thought the A…6 was going to remain in the inventory into the next century。 That was the justification for the A…6G project…new graphite…posite wings and updated avionics。〃
〃The A…6 had to have the new wings just to stay in the air； and the A…6G avionics are going into the A…12。 We were trying the new gee…whiz gizmos out in the A…6G； until they canceled it。〃 The A…6G had died under the budget cutters' knives。 Henry smiled wickedly。 〃The A…12 will have something even better。 Athena。 Do you know Greek mythology？〃
〃A smattering。 Wasn't Athena the goddess of war； the protector of warriors？〃
〃Yep； and she had a quality that we are going to give to our new plane。〃 He paused and raised one finger aloft。 When he grinned like that his eyebrows matched the curve of his lips。 〃She could make herself invisible。〃 Jake just stared。
〃Stealth technology。 The air force built a land…based fighter： that's first…generation stealth technology。 Then came new paint and radar…absorbent materials and the flying…wing shape…that's second…generation。〃 His voice dropped conspiratorially。 〃We're building an all…weather； go…anywhere anytime carrier…based attack plane that will equal or exceed the A…6 in range； speed and payload； and carry advanced sensors that will make the A…6 look blind as a cornfield scarecrow。 These sensors…anyway； they're a whole new generation beyond the A…6。 And the A…12 will have third…generation stealth technology…Athena…which will make it truly invisible to radar。 A stealth Super…Intruder； if you wish。 That's the A…12。〃 Henry's eyebrows danced。
〃And that； my friend； is the secret〃
The admiral smacked his hand on the des