MARCH 12, ‘25 // House. “Another possibility is that their target was the nuclear reactor located just outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,” the announcer went on. “It appears that at some point the passengers revolted and succeeded in overwhelming the hijackers. They were unable to navigate the plane properly, and it crashed.” “Blah blah blah.” William Clingford made a crooked face and laughed as he spilled his whiskey to the floor. William was the head of the Time magazine team of reporters who worked in Washington. He was a wellknown journalist, and the other reporters trusted him. “Don’t they realize that we ourselves saw the pilot heading straight into the White House?” he muttered angrily William took a packet of cigarettes out of his front coat pocket. He was so upset that he completely forgot that he had been bragging to everyone he knew that he had decided to stop smoking. The Beehive suddenly became quiet. Dozens of conservatively dressed men appeared and dispersed among the reporters. It was obvious that they were secret service agents, and that an important person was expected to show up soon. It took just a few minutes for the agents to take control of the entire room. Each one had a tiny earphone in one ear; their hands grasped their weapons, and it was clear that they were prepared to shoot at a moment’s notice. The reporters instinctively turned around to face the main door. Their mouths dropped open when they saw the Secretary of Defense standing there. The Defense Secretary walked to the bar in the middle of the room, which was slightly raised above the rest of the hall. Deep worry lines had appeared on his face. “Do you recall a time when such an important government official came here to speak with us?” the reporters whispered among themselves. The Secretary of Defense banged a spoon against one of the crystal glasses on the counter in an attempt to quiet the crowd. “I understand that you have questions concerning the plane that crashed outside of Pittsburgh.” From every corner, he saw the reporters nodding their heads. “You have every right not to accept the announcement,” he said with the twinge of a smile. He realized that he now had their full attention. “The announcement was false,” he continued. “Are you telling us the government lied? And you’re admitting it?” William Clingford’s voice rose above the crowd. The Secretary of Defense raised his voice and lifted his hands for quiet. “I ask you to work with us to keep silent about what actually happened near the White House this morning. For the interests of the United States—in fact, for the sake of the entire world—it is important that the public thinks that the story is true.” He paused again to observe the audience’s reaction. “I am turning to you, this time, for the sake of humanity.” There was a trace of supplication in his voice. “Help us convince the world that that the story is true, that this is what really happened to the plane that was on its way to crash into the White House.” The reporters’ natural rebellious instincts were held in check. They realized that this situation was different. There was something much more important at stake than an exclusive news scoop. “We still don’t have exact numbers for the number of people injured in the Twin Towers,” the Secretary continued in a confidential tone. “We have no doubt, however, that there are thousands of victims. Yes, thousands. The United States and the free world received a hard blow this morning. We have no idea what lies ahead of us, and I am asking that you do as I have requested.” The audience remained silent. This was the first time that they had been asked to keep their mouths shut. In the overwhelming silence, the Secretary continued in a clear voice, “I meant what I said. I want everyone here to give me his word.” In one voice, the men in the audience replied, “We give you our word. We promise.” The Secretary’s eyes widened for a moment. He was clearly both surprised and touched by the spontaneous show of support by this sector, which stood at the helm of the freedom of the press. “May G-d bless America and the free world,” he declared, then turned and left the club. (To be continued) 188
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