Lee Dunway, a hardened CIA undercover agent receives a frantic call from his ex-wife Julie informing him that their young daughter, Gail, has been kidnapped. Julie was warned not to notify the FBI or the police. She believes Lee is Gail's best chance to be rescued alive. Lee is pulled into a connecting plot of intrigue and deadly sabotage. America is on the verge of producing cold fusion energy from the Helium-3 isotope that is secretly being mined on the moon. A space shuttle has launched from a top-secret base in Alaska to bring back the first twelve ton load of He-3, which must be left in earth orbit for a later descent. This knowledge has opened the door to a treasonous conspiracy involving members of the U.S. Congress and other high ranking officials called the Centurions. They plan to steal the high valued He-3 while it circles the earth as a means to manipulate world currency markets and finance their goal to form a one world government. Lee and two others must find a way to highjack the He-3 before they do. CODE NAME: TOTAL ECLIPSE is fused together by a bittersweet love story and a perplexing betrayal Lee must come to grips with to simultaneously rescue Gail and stop the Centurions.

Code Name Total Eclipse

A NovelBy Gary L. Lucas

Trafford Publishing

Copyright © 2012 Gary L. Lucas
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4669-5429-8

Chapter One

Saturday, November 26, 2011

A winter storm had arrived in the villagelike setting of Colorado Springs. The temperature was two degrees below freezing. Gusting winds from the northwest rushed in and spiked to ten miles an hour, creating a harsh windchill. Snowflakes swirled in tornado-like fashion across mountainous slopes, thoroughfares, shopping malls, and school yards. The pristine flakes covered everything, confirming the frigid arrival of the welcomed ski season. To all ski enthusiasts around the area, this was a delightful addition to the joyful atmosphere of a four-day Thanksgiving weekend.

At a nearby hotel acclaimed for its highbrow clientele, two Air Force Academy graduates who had opted for a winter evening wedding were celebrating with an evening reception. Senior cadets and others wished them well before they left to become the first husband-and-wife team to attend the air force flight training program.

The newlyweds were holding hands and kissing as they whispered words of love to each other. Rising steam from the mugs of hot buttered rum on their table fogged a small portion of the giant window next to them. She giggled softly as she drew a heart and an arrow with her finger on the fogged area, and she kissed him again as the ballroom lights dimmed. Flames from the huge dining room fireplace cast a warm hue upon the white stucco ceiling, the sage-colored walls, and the young couple's faces. The dancing flames highlighted their radiant smiles as they whispered romantic suggestions into each other's ears.

Most of the cadets, sitting closer to the fireplace, were pointing toward the mammoth dining room windows, noting a break in the clouds, which provided a beautiful view of the snow-covered mountains flanking the hotel. The luminous full moon was a thumb's width above the mountaintops and seemed close enough to spot the Apollo 11 landing site, one cadet remarked as he lowered his outstretched arm.

This was not an unusual happening for this dynamic city sprawling beneath the highest feature in the area, the fourteen-thousand-foot Pikes Peak. During wintertime, an influx of skiers taking to the many lodges and nearby slopes was an anticipated occurrence. Business owners in this town welcomed winter as the season to be jolly. This was the time of year for increased profits generated by a surge of sales centered on open-air activities.

For Dr. James Hollis, PhD—a world-renowned astrophysicist and the chief operations manager of scientific projects for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) inside Cheyenne Mountain—tonight would be anything but routine after he attended the wedding and reception of his colleague's son.

Unknown to the people of this quaint community and the rest of the earth's population, tonight would be anything but normal. Dr. Hollis and a group of his covert associates would set off a dramatic chain of events that would protect the Constitution and democratic political structure of the United States from a subversive attack. And if successful, their efforts would lessen the chances of the United States from being forced into a widespread nuclear war.

Tragically, if the plan failed, Dr. Hollis would be deemed a traitor and suffer the loss of everything he had worked so hard to accomplish during his professional career. He would be charged with treason and could be imprisoned for a minimum of twenty-five years. He would have shamed his family, and he would likely be deserted by his wife and two children.

At thirty-seven, James Hollis was five years older than his wife, Cindy, whom he had married when he was thirty-one. He was six feet tall and had the toughness of a muscular man, but was slender in appearance. He had curly black hair with traces of gray, a short full beard, and pale green eyes. According to some accounts of his research associates, his extrafirm handshake was one that people remembered to guard against.

Most of his friends had married earlier in life, and the same was true of Cindy's friends. She had pursued a career in business management during her early years. Cindy was twenty-six when she finally met the man of her dreams, and they exchanged the sacred vows of marriage soon after.

Hours after his friend's son's wedding reception, James was standing in front of his bathroom mirror, brushing his teeth before leaving for his drive up Cheyenne Mountain. He suddenly froze as memories of his military combat experiences flashed through his mind. What prompted those kinds of thoughts popping up, he didn't know. But just as quickly, he smiled as his thoughts turned to happy memories of the night he fell in love with Cindy.

He had almost committed to a military career but was thankful now that he had left active duty and pursued his educational goals. Notably he did complete his ROTC commitment, plus an additional year for attending Ranger and Special Forces training. This required a tour of duty outside the United States. He felt sure that he would not have met Cindy had he stayed in the army. After his discharge, he had pursued a graduate degree, a PhD, and a postdoctoral education. After this, applied research had filled most of his waking hours. His social life was not much of a priority to him. One evening, some fellow researchers at the government complex in Livermore, California, talked him into attending a social dinner at a mutual friend's house. Reluctantly he agreed, with the stipulation he would leave early to resume his work in one of the labs. Upon arriving at his friend's home that evening, he chose a glass of red Zinfandel off the silver serving tray carried by a smiling gray-haired gentleman in a tuxedo. Peering around the living room, he saw a fellow research scientist from an adjoining laboratory and proceeded toward him, but an unexpected blow to his right shoulder caused him to spill his wine. He stopped, looked down, and saw substantial stains on his open-collared shirt and the sleeve of his cashmere sport coat. He immediately heard a lovely voice say, "I'm sorry—that was clumsy of me. I'll get a towel and clean the spots before they stain your clothes permanently." She rushed toward the kitchen before he could muster a reply or get more than a passing look at her.

His thoughts centered on her voice, the beautiful face he had seen for only a second or two, and her sensual perfume. He stood motionless, staring at the kitchen area, waiting for her return. When she rushed back with a cup of tonic water and a hand towel, he scrutinized her dark tan and voluptuous figure snuggled into a black sleeveless dress, her stark green eyes, and her auburn hair. The closer she got, the more excited he became. Bewildered, he felt his heart start beating faster, and his breathing almost stopped.

"I'm so sorry," she said and then began wiping the stains.

Now he could smell her perfume again while gazing at her face and alluring eyes. "It's nothing. Please don't be concerned," he feigned, wanting her to continue.

She scrubbed at the stains and apologized again in her soft voice.

If there is such a thing as love at first sight, this might be what it feels like, he thought. Then he found himself blurting out, "Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?"

Startled, she stared into his eyes, slowing her efforts to clean the stains. "Well, I don't mind—if my husband doesn't."

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, blushing in a boyish fashion.

"Hey, I'm...