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to '74。 Appointed to the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1972 by Nixon； continued there under Carter。
〃Apparently； Niemeyer was a player on the stealth project in '77。 He was on the Air Force selection mittee that chose the B…2 stealth bomber； made by Northrop…Boeing。 The official record； however； shows that Niemeyer voted for the loser in the tender； a consortium made up of General Aeronautics and a small electronics pany from California called Entertech Ltd。〃
Pete Cameron said； 〃So why would he steal a preliminary land survey about some university research station in Antarctica？〃
〃See； that's the thing；〃 Alison said。 〃I don't think it's the same station。〃
〃What？〃
Alison said； 〃Listen； I was looking in this book I bought by one of those Antarctic guys； a guy named Brian Hensleigh。 According to him； Wilkes Ice Station was built in 1991。〃
〃Uh…huh。〃
〃But Niemeyer disappeared in 1979。〃
〃So what are you saying？〃 Pete said。
〃What I'm saying is that Niemeyer was looking up a station at that location twelve years before Wilkes Ice Station was ever even thought of。〃
Alison paused。 〃Pete； I think there were two stations。 Two stations built on the same piece of land。 One in 1978…the one for which a land survey by C。 M。 Waitzkin was drawn up…and another in 1991。〃
Pete Cameron leaned forward； spoke into the phone。 〃What do you mean； you think they built the second station on top of the first one？〃
〃I don't think the people who built the second station… Wilkes Ice Station…even knew about the first one；〃 Alison said。 〃Brian Hensleigh doesn't mention it at all in his book。〃
〃So what was it？〃 Pete said。 〃Niemeyer's station； I mean。〃
〃Who knows；〃 Alison said。
At that moment； Andrew Trent saw the sheet of notepaper in Pete's hand； took it； and began examining it。
Alison said； 〃So； what about you？ Get anything newsworthy on your travels？〃
〃You could say that；〃 Cameron said as he recalled in his mind everything Trent had told him about his unit's slaughter； his official 〃death；〃 and the Intelligence Convergence Group。
〃Hey；〃 Trent said suddenly from across the room。 He held up Cameron's SETI notes。 〃Where did you get these？〃
Pete broke off from Alison and looked at the notes he had made at SETI。
COPY 134625
CONTACT LOST…》 IONOSPHERIC DISTURB。
FORWARD TEAM
SCARECROW
…66。5
SOLAR FLARE DISRUPT。 RADIO
115； 20 MINS； 12 SECS EAST
HOW GET THERE SO…SECONDARY TEAM ENROUTE
Pete told Trent about his visit to SETI； told him that the notes were his record of what had been caught on the airwaves by SETI's radio telescopes。
〃And these coordinates；〃 Trent said； pointing to the words 〃…66。5〃 and 〃115； 20 mins； 12 secs east；〃 〃they refer to a research station in Antarctica？〃
〃That's right；〃 Pete said
Trent looked hard at Pete Cameron。 〃Do you know anything about Marine Force Reconnaissance Units； Mr。 Cameron？〃
〃Only what you've told me。〃
〃They're a forward team；〃 Trent said。
〃OK；〃 Pete said； seeing the words 〃forward team〃 on his notes。
〃Scarecrow。。。；〃 Trent said； staring down at the notes。
Pete looked from the notes to Trent。 〃What's a Scarecrow？ An operation？〃
〃No；〃 Trent said a little too suddenly。 〃Scarecrow's a man。 A Marine lieutenant。 A friend of mine。〃
Pete Cameron waited for Trent to say something more； but he didn't。 And then suddenly Trent looked up into Cameron's eyes。
〃Son of a bitch；〃 Trent said。 〃Scarecrow's down there。〃
〃What do you mean？〃 Alison said a few minutes later。 〃You think there are Marines down at that station？〃
〃We think so； yes；〃 Cameron said； excited。
〃Jesus； there's a secondary team en route； too；〃 Trent said； looking down at the notes again。 〃Shit。〃
Trent turned to Cameron。 〃Hang up for a second。 I have to make a phone call。〃
Cameron told Alison he'd call her back。
Trent quickly dialed a number。 Cameron just watched him。
〃Yes； hi； Personnel； please；〃 Trent said into the phone。 He waited a second； then said； 〃Yes； hi。 I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find Lieutenant Shane Schofield； please。 It's a family emergency。。。。 Yes； I'll hold。〃
Trent waited a full minute before someone returned to the line。
〃Yes； hi；〃 Trent said。 〃What…oh； I'm his brother…in…law； Michael。〃 There was a pause。 〃Oh； no；〃 Trent said softly。 〃Oh； my God。。。。Yes； thank you。 Good…bye。〃
Trent practically slammed the phone down。 He turned to Cameron。 〃Holy shit。〃
〃What？〃
〃According to the United States Marine Corps Personnel Department； First Lieutenant Shane M。 Schofield died in a training accident in the South Pacific at 0930 hours yesterday morning。 Arrangements are being made to contact his family right now。〃
Cameron frowned。 〃He's dead？〃
〃According to them he is；〃 Trent said softly。 〃But that doesn't necessarily mean it's true； now； does it。〃 Trent paused。 〃The secondary team。。。〃
〃What about it？〃
〃There's a secondary team on its way to Wilkes Ice Station right now； right？〃
〃Yeah。。。。〃
〃And according to the United States Marine Corps； Shane Schofield is already dead； right？〃
〃Yeah。。。〃
Trent thought about that for a long moment。 Then he looked up suddenly。 〃Schofield's found something。 They're gonna kill him。〃
Cameron got Alison back on the phone。
〃Quick； send it through now；〃 he said。
〃All right。 All right。 Just hold on a second； honey buns；〃 Alison said。 Cameron heard the clicking of puter keys at the other end of the line。
〃OK； I'm sending it through now；〃 Alison said。
On the far side of the living room； Trent flicked on his puter。 He clicked through several screens； came to his e…mail screen。
A small information bar at the bottom of the screen blinked：
YOU HAVE NEW MAIL。
Trent clicked on the 〃Open〃 icon。
A list appeared immediately on the screen：
ALL…STATES LIBRARY DATABASE
SEARCH BY KEYWORD
SEARCH STRING USED：LATITUDE …66。5°
LONGITUDE 115° 20' 12〃
NO。 OF ENTRIES FOUND： 6
TITLE
AUTHOR
LOCATION
YEAR
DOCTORAL THESIS
LLEWELLYN； D。 K。
STAMFORD； CT
1998
DOCTORAL THESIS
AUSTIN； B。K。
STAMFORD； CT
1997
POSTDOCTORAL THESIS
HENSLEIGH； S。 T。
USC； CA
1997
FELLOWSHIP GRANT RESEARCH PAPER
HENSLEIGH； B。 M。
HARVARD； MA
1996
THE ICE CRUSADE： REFLECTIONS ON A YEAR SPENT IN ANTARCTICA
HENSLEIGH； B。 M。
HARVARD； MA
1995 AVAIL： AML
PRELIMINARY SURVEY
WAITZKIN； C。 M。
LIBCONG
1978
It was the list Alison had got from the All States Database。 The list of every work that referred to latitude…66。5° and longitude 115° 20'12〃。
〃All right；〃 Pete said。
〃What are you going to do with it？〃 Alison's voice said over the speakerphone。
〃We're gonna use this list to find their addresses；〃 Trent said； typing quickly at the keyboard。 〃The e…mail addresses of the academics down in Antarctica； so we can send a message to Schofield。〃
〃We figure that most university professors have e…mail；〃 Pete said； 〃and we're hoping that Wilkes Ice Station is patched in to a satellite phone so that the message can get through。〃
Suddenly Trent said； 〃All right；