“If you were told that, it’s probably the truth as we know it.”
“Hold one, please, for Senator Frankenheimer,” the caller said.
Senator George J. Frankenheimer (Republican-Nevada) was chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee.
General McNab and Lieutenant Castillo heard their caller—faintly, as if he had his hand over the telephone microphone —say, “All I could get was the deputy commander, Senator.”
Another voice faintly said, “Shit,” and then a moment later, more audibly, said: “Good morning, General. This is Senator Frankenheimer. I’m afraid I didn’t get your name.”
“McNab, Senator.”
“How are you this morning, General?”
“Very well, thank you.”
“General McNab, are you familiar with the AFC Corporation? ”
“I know the name, Senator.”
“They are, as they like to say, the cutting edge of data transfer technology.”
McNab didn’t reply.
“AFC stands for ‘Aloysius Francis Casey,’ ” Senator Frankenheimer announced. “The founder, who also serves as chairman of its board of directors.”
Again, McNab said nothing.
“Can you hear me all right, General?”
“I hear you fine, Senator.”
“AFC has facilities all over the country—primarily in Massachusetts, where they are close to MIT, and in Silicon Valley in California—and they have chosen to establish their primary research and development laboratory in Las Vegas, where Mr. Casey maintains his primary residence. He’s a constituent of mine, in other words, and has been very generous in contributing to my election funds and to those of the Republican party.”
McNab said nothing.
“Mr. Casey wants to come to the Special Warfare Center, General McNab, and asked me to sort of smooth his path, which I am, of course, delighted to do.”
“What does he want to do here?” McNab asked.
“He didn’t share that with me, General.”
“When would he like to come?” McNab asked.
"He will arrive at Pope Air Force Base about eleven o’clock.”
“In a military aircraft?”
“In his own airplane.”
“Senator, are you aware that Pope is closed to civilian aircraft? ”
“Mr. Casey is apparently aware of this, as another thing he asked me to do—and I was happy to do—was ask the secretary of the Air Force to make an exception for him. He will land, as I said, at Pope around eleven. May I suggest, General, that it would be in all our interests if Mr. Casey was made to feel he was welcome?”
“I take your point, Senator,” McNab said.
“Roll out and brush off the red carpet, so to speak.”
“Right.”