Malkin rubbed her chin. “It would keep all the guards from being drawn off by a distraction, but it still seems a strange way to protect something.”
“Whoever’s running this show does a lot of strange things, so think about it and see what you can come up with,” Wiz said. “Anyway, there’s another implication to that strategy.”
The thief looked at him questioningly.
“In a D&D game the monsters get tougher as you get closer to the treasure.”
“… so anyway,” Jerry finished. “All we’ve got to do now is get to this place in the desert where we can make the jump back to our world.” Jerry spread out a Nevada road map. “It’s a couple of hours north of here.” He put his finger down. “Right here on this dry lake bed.”
“Oh boy!” Gilligan said almost reverently.
“Boshemoi!” Kuznetsov added.
Jerry looked up from the map. “Now what’s wrong?”
“That’s part of Nellis Air Force Base,” Gilligan said. “Restricted area.”
“Worse than restricted,” Kuznetsov said. That is Area 51, Groom Lake. Top-secret testing area for F-119, SR-25 and other aircraft your government swears do not exist. That is most tightly guarded piece of land in whole country. Almost as tight as places in Soviet Union—when there was a Soviet Union.”
The Russian looked over at Gilligan. “He cannot tell you this because of agreement he signed when he left Air Force. Me, I signed no such agreement.”
“Well, we don’t have to come in through the front gate. It looks pretty deserted out there and we’ll be gone within a couple of minutes of reaching the power vortex.”
Gilligan kept a poker face. Kuznetsov just grinned. “As soon as you set foot on land they will be after you.
Whole place is loaded with sensors. They get lots of experience chasing tourists who come to watch secret aircraft flights.”
“Not to mention Soviet spies,” Gilligan added.
Kuznetsov’s grin grew wider. “No need for Soviet spies to sneak in that way. Anyway, it is too far to go- before they grab you.” He quit smiling. “The guards are also authorized to use deadly force.”
“But we’ve got to get in there! It’s the only way we’re going to get back.”
Kuznetsov considered. “Okay. Only one thing to do. We fly in.”
“That’s nuts!” Mick Gilligan protested.
“Maybe nuts, but here,” he stabbed his finger down on the map, “is close enough we can maybe get in and land before we are stopped.” He considered. That is if they do not shoot planes down without warning for trespassing.”
“That was your trick,” Mick said sourly. Kuznetsov was beginning to wear and the whole conversation was making him profoundly uncomfortable.
“So we have to get three people and a dragon into this super-secret base in an airplane.”
“Four,” Gilligan said. “I’m going with you. All the way back.” He looked at them. ‘That’s my price for helping you.”
“You know you may never be able to return,” Bal-Simba told him.
“I thought of that.”
The wizard looked at him closely and then nodded. “Very well. You are welcome.”
“We,” Kuznetsov said with a gesture at Vasily and himself, “will go with you.”
Gilligan scowled. “Why?”
“Technical expertise. You need someone who knows the area—” he glanced at Gilligan significantly “—and will tell what he knows.” Then he shrugged. “Besides, thumbing your nose at authority is a Russian thing. You would not understand.”
Mick shook his head. ‘This particular nose-thumbing is gonna get you thrown out of the country—or worse.”
Kuznetsov grinned broadly. “That is why it is Russian thing. It is no fun thumbing nose at authority unless you can get in big trouble for gesture.”
Then,” Mick predicted, “you’re gonna have more fun than you’ve ever had in your life. You may even the laughing.”
The Russians only grinned.
“Okay, so we’ve got to get six people and a twenty-foot dragon in there and land on a dry lake bed. That’s going to take a pretty special plane.”
Vasily, who had been leaning up against the wall spoke for the first time. “I think I know where.”
“So far the buzz is positive.” Mark Toland gestured toward the Hilton suite’s window and the Convention Center beyond with a wave of his champagne glass. “Everyone’s impressed and no one’s quite sure what we’ve got.” He smiled broadly. “FUDware at it’s finest.”