Pinpoint Analysis - Part 4
Disclaimer
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
- Pinpoint Analysis - Part 3
What does methane gas, electronic fog, and incorrect compass readings have in common? Maybe nothing. Maybe everything.
From Part 3
We least left Les, Secretary Adams, and Commander Colbo discussing possibilities that might cause the US Navy to vanish while crossing The Bermuda Triangle. Several theories were offered, but none were acceptable.
Les jumped at the open door Adams gave him. “I know you don’t recognize the Triangle officially, but you do recognize it unofficially. And you know that is the answer. I just have to be the one to voice it since you can’t.”
“I like the methane gas theory better,” Colbo chimed in.
“But you know the methane theory doesn’t make sense. As a matter of fact, none of the other theories make sense. And you both know it. Methane might sink a ship. Air-bombs might sink a ship. Compass confusion might pull down an airplane or two. But they could be retrieved at the bottom of the ocean floor.
“Sir, your sonar equipment, you can spot wrecks with that. So if you want to blame methane, show me the ships and planes that have sunk below the surface. You yourself said, the planes and ship just disappeared from sight. And you know I’m right! You know I’m right!”
The heat began to rise in Les. In frustration, he pounded the table.
Colbo spoke again. “We need solid answers, Doctor. We have faith in you to find them. Maybe this isn’t all scientific, but we trust you to get to the bottom of this.”
Adams added, ‘That’s why we hired you. Keep at it, but keep it as scientific as you can. Send us your next report, and we’ll be back next week.”
Continuing
11:30 and Les quietly staggered into bed, being careful not to wake Deb. That didn’t last long, however. Deb woke to strange moaning as Les tossed and turned over and over.
“Les! Les! Wake up! Wake up! What’s wrong?” He was drenched with sweat and was bewildered.
“Les, what’s going on? Are you okay?
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Les struggled to put into words what he saw. “Deb, there were bright lights flickering on the surface of the water – very bright.”
“What water? The lake? The ocean? The pool?”
“The ocean. That’s all I know, but it was frightening. Just light, but it was frightening. Anyway, I’m okay now. It’s only 3:10. I still have a few hours left to sleep.”
The rest of the night passed uneventfully, and 7:00 a.m. found Les driving off to the lab. Susan had already arrived, and Les dreaded the day to come. He knew it would be very busy as he continued his research. Fortunately, in his mind, Les had the day planned out to the minute. All that changed when Les walked through the front door of the lab. Adams and Colbo were waiting for him just inside the door.
A surprised Les voiced his concern. ‘Secretary Adams, Commander Colbo, what are you doing here so early. I wasn’t expecting to see you until later in the week. “Sir, I can explain.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. It needs to be explained. So, what happened to our plane, Doctor?”
“Your plane?”
“The plane that went down in the night. This is the third plane we’ve lost in as many weeks, and we’re paying you well to get to the bottom of this. Let me remind you, too, Doctor, that your sea creatures are counting on you as well Shall we go to the conference room?”
A swell of relief covered Les. “He doesn’t know about Susan, at least not yet,” he thought.
“I’m sorry, sir. I thought you were waiting for your report. It’s not really late. Like I said, I wasn’t expecting until the end of the week.
His thoughts rambled on. “That should get Susan off the hook for now. Of course, I may have just nailed myself to the cross.”
Adams returned Les’s comment. “Yes, we are waiting for the report as well. Do you have it?”
Pulling a thick folder from the top file cabinet drawer, Les proudly placed it in Adams’s hands. He promptly placed it face-down on the table. “Now, about the plane. What are your thoughts?”
“Possibly Russian subs?” Les had no idea where that came from. Oh, maybe he did.
“No, forget that, sir. Tell me all you know about the last plane to go down.” Les grabbed his pen and notebook.
“We sent a supply plane to Bermuda last night.”
“You mean AUTEC?”
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“Look, Doctor. This is a classified mission. Information is shared on a need-to-know basis. You don’t need to know where it was heading.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Secretary, I do need to know. Location plays a very important part in this investigation. Never mind. What do you have that can be shared?”
“There were two men aboard. They were on the radar until they just vanished into thin air. No warning! Just disappeared into the night! Doctor, we have got to get to the bottom of this. Two more of men are missing.”
With his hands interlocked behind his head, Les stared at the ceiling, his mind racing. He almost verbalized his thoughts – “Secretary, it’s not the men you’re concerned about. It’s about your hundreds of thousands of dollars in planes and equipment that went missing that you’re concerned about.” He allowed the thought to pass.
“Mr. Secretary, Commander, the first ship disappeared exactly three weeks and one day ago, correct? That would be July 12th. The first plane went missing on the 18th., The second plane went down three days later. Now, the latest casualty goes down today, August 3rd.”
So, what are you saying, Doctor?”
“I can’t put my finger on it. I just have a feeling there’s a pattern to these disappearances. July 12th – one plus two equals 3. The 18th – one plus eight equals nine. Nine divided by three equals three. This was exactly six days after the ship disappeared. Six divided by two is three. And then, the 21st – two plus one equals three. Today is the third.
Think about threes. Exactly six days (two times three) from now will be the 9th (nine divided by three equals three.) Mr. Secretary, do you plan to have ships or planes in the area on August 9th?”
“Yes, yes we do.”
“It could be their death sentence. What else do you have?”
“I have the actual voice recordings from the plane and the tower. It’s a bad recording. There seemed to be a lot of static and confusion, but it may tell you something – listen.”
“Mayday! Mayday! Flight 45 losing altitude. Fog covering everything. Instruments and controls inoperable. What do you advise?”
A second voice could be heard.
“The dial is shot. We don’t have the capacity to travel this fast. This isn’t a fighter jet. We must be going in excess of 4,000 miles per hour.”
Les cut in. “Wait a minute. Play that back. Did you hear that disturbance in the background.”
Colbo reset the recording and played it. Although not clear and largely muffled by static, someone else was talking, or rather, screaming.
“What is that? It’s too bright. I can’t see. Oh, my eyes are burning.”
Les began to think. "Sir, what time did you say the plane went down?"
"It was exactly 3:08 a.m."
The bright light triggered a memory in his mind. He remembered a slight burning sensation in his eyes when he awoke from his nightmare. He also remembered the alarm clock read 3:10. "What's a minute or two." Had he experienced the plane going down telepathically? He allowed the thought to pass.
The pilot spoke again. “Mayday! Mayday! I repeat. Mayday! Very bright light approaching craft from below. We’re being swallowed by the light. Please advise.”
“Doctor, that was the last we heard from Flight 45. We have search planes out looking for her now, but I fear the worst. I don’t believe she’ll be found.
Secretary, Commander, do you have recordings of the other missing flights and of the ship?:
"Yes, back in Washington."
"Could you arrange for me to hear them. This recording asks more questions than it gives answers. And I'm afraid, some very big questions."
"Absolutely. I'll get them to you before the end of the week. What kind of questions are you looking at, Doctor?"
Les took another deep breath."Sir, you mentioned there were two men on the plane. Is that correct?'
"Yes. It was a supply mission. They travel light - just the pilot and co-pilot."
"Sir, there were three voices on the recording. Who was the third?"
A perplexed Adams looked at an even more perplexed Colbo. Les added, "We need to find that third voice. Get me the recordings as soon as you can. It raises a tough question, but if we can answer the tough stuff, the other stuff will come easy. At the very least, it's the best lead we've had.
Adams and Colbo dismissed themselves and headed back to Washington. Les was left with nothing to do but scratch his head in wonderment.
- Pinpoint Analysis - Part 5
Three downed planes - the same voice echoes from each. What's going on in the Bermuda Triangle?
© 2018 William Kovacic
