comfortable. It should only be a few more minutes.”
Cowboy walked out and left them alone. Bentley sat down in one of the two over-stuffed leather chairs facing the oversized mahogany desk. A small gas fireplace on an interior wall was flanked by bookshelves crammed with an assortment of hard cover books.
Jake studied the books. The books were all old and he didn’t recognize any of the titles. “The fireplace. It doesn’t belong with the rest of the room. I would have expected a wood-burning fireplace with a large mantel and brick hearth. Not a gas fireplace”
“Very observant.” Bentley leaned forward, propped his elbows on his knees, and interlocked his fingers. “You’re right, though. It’s not a real fireplace. I mean, it is but it isn’t. By the way, if it’s any consolation, I didn’t know either.”
Jake looked at Bentley. “You’re doing it again, talking cryptic. Didn’t know what?”
“I didn’t know there was an operative planted in Yasir’s camp." Bentley said.
Jake heard a thump behind the fireplace and stepped back. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Bentley rise and start walking toward the fireplace. Just as he reached it, the fireplace shifted back several inches and slid to the side behind the bookshelf.
Jake stared into an empty elevator. “That explains the fireplace. What the hell kind of place is this?”
“Follow me and I’ll show you.” Bentley stepped inside. “Come on.”
The elevator doors opened thirty seconds after they closed. Jake guessed they must be at least a hundred feet below the restaurant, but Bentley told him it was only fifty.
Jake scanned the expanse in front of him. Two different worlds separated by fifty feet of rock and dirt. Above, the serene relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant with its vistas of the West Texas desert. Below, the hustle and bustle of a factory floor. A sterile factory floor. Workers wore blue aprons with matching caps and latex gloves. A light buzz of action could be heard as people scurried from station to station. On either side of the expanse were two rooms with exterior staircases leading to work areas atop the rooms.
“As you could tell from the Steakhouse above and the workshop down here, he’s somewhat of an eccentric man. And he has a few quirks. But don’t we all?” Bentley pointed to the far corner. “Recognize that?”
Jake noticed the mock-up of the TEMPEST tent. “I do.”
“That’s his showcase area.” Bentley smiled.
Jake started to move away from the elevator when Bentley grabbed his arm. “Not yet, Jake, stay here. If you wander off, we’ll have an upset host. Even I don’t have carte blanche to walk around freely. You’ll see what he wants you to see when he wants you to see it.”
“Isn’t that a bit much?” Jake furrowed his brows. “I mean, we are on the same team.”
“Sit tight, Jake. You’ll understand after you meet him. He’s a man of—“
“Scott Bentley, you old pirate. How the hell are you?” The old man rounded the corner from behind the elevator, grabbed Bentley’s arm, and shook his hand so hard Bentley’s shoulder was bouncing up and down.
Jake noticed immediately the man looked familiar, but he couldn’t place where he’d seen him.
Bentley motioned toward Jake. “I’d like you to meet Jake Pendleton.” Bentley motioned back toward the old man. “Jake, this is Mr. Wiley.”
Jake shook Wiley’s hand and noticed the old man didn’t greet him with the same enthusiasm he gave Bentley. “You look familiar, have we met?”
Wiley glanced at Bentley. “No, I don’t believe so.”
“I know I’ve seen you somewhere before.” Jake couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity with the old man. Where had he seen the man before?
“You two follow me.” Wiley turned and walked away.
The old man stopped at the closest station, spoke in Spanish to a young woman who was hand-winding metal coils then motioned for them to follow again. Jake looked at the old
Cowboy walked out and left them alone. Bentley sat down in one of the two over-stuffed leather chairs facing the oversized mahogany desk. A small gas fireplace on an interior wall was flanked by bookshelves crammed with an assortment of hard cover books.
Jake studied the books. The books were all old and he didn’t recognize any of the titles. “The fireplace. It doesn’t belong with the rest of the room. I would have expected a wood-burning fireplace with a large mantel and brick hearth. Not a gas fireplace”
“Very observant.” Bentley leaned forward, propped his elbows on his knees, and interlocked his fingers. “You’re right, though. It’s not a real fireplace. I mean, it is but it isn’t. By the way, if it’s any consolation, I didn’t know either.”
Jake looked at Bentley. “You’re doing it again, talking cryptic. Didn’t know what?”
“I didn’t know there was an operative planted in Yasir’s camp." Bentley said.
Jake heard a thump behind the fireplace and stepped back. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Bentley rise and start walking toward the fireplace. Just as he reached it, the fireplace shifted back several inches and slid to the side behind the bookshelf.
Jake stared into an empty elevator. “That explains the fireplace. What the hell kind of place is this?”
“Follow me and I’ll show you.” Bentley stepped inside. “Come on.”
The elevator doors opened thirty seconds after they closed. Jake guessed they must be at least a hundred feet below the restaurant, but Bentley told him it was only fifty.
Jake scanned the expanse in front of him. Two different worlds separated by fifty feet of rock and dirt. Above, the serene relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant with its vistas of the West Texas desert. Below, the hustle and bustle of a factory floor. A sterile factory floor. Workers wore blue aprons with matching caps and latex gloves. A light buzz of action could be heard as people scurried from station to station. On either side of the expanse were two rooms with exterior staircases leading to work areas atop the rooms.
“As you could tell from the Steakhouse above and the workshop down here, he’s somewhat of an eccentric man. And he has a few quirks. But don’t we all?” Bentley pointed to the far corner. “Recognize that?”
Jake noticed the mock-up of the TEMPEST tent. “I do.”
“That’s his showcase area.” Bentley smiled.
Jake started to move away from the elevator when Bentley grabbed his arm. “Not yet, Jake, stay here. If you wander off, we’ll have an upset host. Even I don’t have carte blanche to walk around freely. You’ll see what he wants you to see when he wants you to see it.”
“Isn’t that a bit much?” Jake furrowed his brows. “I mean, we are on the same team.”
“Sit tight, Jake. You’ll understand after you meet him. He’s a man of—“
“Scott Bentley, you old pirate. How the hell are you?” The old man rounded the corner from behind the elevator, grabbed Bentley’s arm, and shook his hand so hard Bentley’s shoulder was bouncing up and down.
Jake noticed immediately the man looked familiar, but he couldn’t place where he’d seen him.
Bentley motioned toward Jake. “I’d like you to meet Jake Pendleton.” Bentley motioned back toward the old man. “Jake, this is Mr. Wiley.”
Jake shook Wiley’s hand and noticed the old man didn’t greet him with the same enthusiasm he gave Bentley. “You look familiar, have we met?”
Wiley glanced at Bentley. “No, I don’t believe so.”
“I know I’ve seen you somewhere before.” Jake couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity with the old man. Where had he seen the man before?
“You two follow me.” Wiley turned and walked away.
The old man stopped at the closest station, spoke in Spanish to a young woman who was hand-winding metal coils then motioned for them to follow again. Jake looked at the old
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