USSR Hoax

11 THE DECISION

With his mind elsewhere, Tom walked through his empty house, still mulling over if he should take on the dangerous operation Dick just offered him. When he entered the kitchen, he was surprised to see no evidence of dinner being prepared. That’s odd. He called out, “Anyone home?”

A squeaky voice penetrated in through the kitchen entry-way. “Daddy, Daddy.”

Tom turned to see his exuberant four-year-old son racing toward him across the linoleum floor. Tom knelt, opening his arms wide to catch his beaming boy. When Peter was inches away he launched himself. Tom snagged his son in midair, before twirling around, lifting the boy high above his head. “How’s my little astronaut?”

“Good, Daddy.”

Tom expected to see Anne behind Peter, instead he saw only their dog, Dino, running in. The beagle started barking at his treat jar on the kitchen counter. Tom set Peter down. “Where’s Mommy?”

Peter pointed out the door toward the backyard. “She’s outside.”

Tom assumed Anne must be working in the yard. “Well let’s go see her.”

“Okay!”

Tom smiled when his son grabbed his hand and led him through the kitchen. Tom shouted toward his dog. “Come on, Dino! No food right now.”

The dog eagerly followed as Peter led Tom toward the sliding glass door. The curtain was open and Tom could see Anne sitting outside in one of the lounge chairs facing the back fence, smoking a cigarette. The early evening sun was setting, casting a long shadow over the backyard. After Tom slid the door open, both Peter and Dino jetted out. Tom expected the ruckus to cause Anne to turn around, but she didn’t move. As he approached he noticed the ashtray on the small glass table was filled with cigarette butts. Curious what was up, he bent down to give her a soft kiss on the cheek. “Hello, honey.”

Uncharacteristically, Anne turned away before his lips could touch her skin. Confused and seeing red blotches on her face, Tom placed a reassuring hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

Anne didn’t budge or say a word. Peter was playing with his truck in the middle of the yard, unaware of what was going on while Dino chewed on a bone by his side. Tom gently turned his wife’s face toward his. He was surprised to see her eyes were red, bloodshot and puffy, an obvious sign she’d been crying. “Anne, what’s the matter?”

Surprisingly, Anne’s voice was filled with anger as she fiercely jammed her half-finished cigarette into the ashtray. “You know why I’m upset.”

Tom raised an eyebrow. He had no idea what could be bothering his wife. He sat on the other lounge chair across from her, dumbfounded. “No, I don’t. Why are you?”

Anne turned away, folding her arms. “Yes you do.”

Tom didn’t want to play twenty questions. “Honey, I’m sorry, but I have no idea what you’re talking about. I have a lot on my mind and I’m in no mood to play games. What’s bothering you?”

Anne turned back with fire in her eyes. “You’re right, let’s don’t play games. Why don’t you tell me why I’m so damn mad? What did you do lately that would hurt me?”

Tom was starting to worry she might be talking about the blonde in Cocoa Beach. “I need some help.”

Anne started waggling her finger at him. “Really? Think hard, and keep in mind wives talk. So you sit there and think a moment. I expect you to be up front with me on something that happened over the weekend that would break my heart.”

Flipping through a rolodex of events in his mind, the only thing Tom could come up with that could possibly upset Anne was having drinks with Connie. Assuming one of the astronauts must have slipped and told his wife, Tom had no choice but to come clean about that evening. The question was, how much should he admit, especially since nothing really happened. Only Chris knew that Connie was in his hotel room, and the odds were slim the bachelor told his ex-wife. So Anne only knew he had drinks with the girl. Tom had to make a gut decision whether he should be fully open or not. This time he listened to the angel on his shoulder.

“While at the Cape, I did have some drinks with a girl. A bunch of us guys were hanging out at the hotel bar and a few ladies joined us. One thing led to another, and I ended up sitting with this one particular girl.”

Anne looked him straight in the eyes. “I’m all ears. Go on.”

“Well, nothing happened.” Set on telling her the truth, Tom took in a deep breath before continuing. “Although I did eventually take her to my room.”

Surprisingly, the news didn’t shock Anne. Instead she just rolled her eyes. “You took this girl to your room, and nothing happened? Come on, Tom, that’s pretty hard to believe.”

Tom lifted both hands, palms up. “Seriously, nothing happened. I didn’t even touch her. It was stupid to take her there in the first place, and I’m not sure why I did. I guess I wanted to test myself and see if I could stay in control.”

Anne glared at him. “Did you?”

Tom nodded vigorously. “Absolutely. As soon as I closed the door, I realized it was a mistake. I was an idiot for even taking a chance on jeopardizing our marriage. In fact, after I closed the door, I was too scared to even take a step into the room. I held onto the doorknob as I apologized and said she had to go.”

“What did she look like?”

“Does that matter?”

Anne’s patience was clearly being tested. “What did she look like?”

Tom swallowed hard. “She was a blonde.”

“Attractive?”

After a long beat Tom shrugged and reluctantly answered, choosing his words carefully. “I guess so. I’m sorry. But please believe me, nothing happened.” Tom reached for her hand and squeezed. “You are everything I want in a woman. I love you so much.”

Looking toward their son, Anne chewed on her lower lip. “How do I know you’re telling me the truth?”

“Sweetheart, have I ever lied to you?” Tom let go of her hand and reached for her chin, once again turning her face toward his. “Look into my eyes. You know me. Am I lying?”

Anne’s dark eyes studied his intently.

With conviction, Tom said, “Nothing happened. I promise.”

“Promise?”

Leaning in close, Tom placed a soft kiss on his wife’s lips. “With all my heart.”

Anne looked back at Peter and pursed her lips, apparently contemplating what to do. “You should know that I heard differently, but I’ve got no proof. So I have to believe you, because I want to, and I don’t want to lose you. But if I ever find out you’ve cheated on me, I’ll never, ever be able to forgive you. You will forever ruin the trust I have in you. You will lose me. And Peter.”

Tom wondered what she’d heard. “I know. That’s what scared me in that room.”

Anne turned and grabbed his hand. “So no more bringing women to your room.”

Tom squeezed her hand. “Only if it’s you.”

Anne smiled, but it was still a Cheshire-cat sort of smile. Tom knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet on this. Only in time would he regain her full trust. Honesty had always worked with her so far.

Tom moved over to her chair and snuggled in close. They exchanged a passionate kiss. “I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too. Very much.” She drew a sharp breath. “Joan…told me this afternoon that she is concerned that David has been unfaithful to her, so when I heard…well, never mind. It’s just gossip.” Anne started wiping her face with the back of her hand. “I must look like a mess. I’m going to go freshen up before getting dinner ready.”

Quickly standing, Tom offered his hand to help her up. As she straightened, Tom extended both arms, offering her a big hug. Anne smiled and wrapped her arms around him. They both hugged tightly in silence for a moment before she whispered in his ear. “So, do I need to get a blonde wig?”

What a loaded question that was. Tom had no idea how to respond. As they pulled apart he simply shrugged and flashed a sly grin.

“Maybe I will if that’s what it takes to keep my man.” She winked before turning toward the door.

Once at the sliding glass door, Anne called out, “Oh, by the way, how’s Sam’s flight going?”

“All’s well. They’ll reach the moon later tonight.”

Anne smiled. “Great.”

After his wife entered the house Tom placed both hands over his face in relief, falling back into the lounge. I am never going to do that again. What an idiot you are, Tom, almost losing everything. When he removed his hands he saw his son by the chair.

“Are you okay, Daddy?”

Tom moved one of his legs to the ground and patted the lounge, welcoming Peter to hop on. “Your daddy is one lucky man to be married to Mommy and to have a wonderful boy like you.”

Peter climbed onto the chair and settled between his father’s legs. The boy looked up at Tom with loving eyes. “I am lucky to have you as a daddy.”

Tom grinned proudly. “We’re both blessed, Son.” Tom moved his other leg over slightly to give Peter more room. “Just remember, always treat girls nice. They’re like pretty, delicate flowers that you must take care of and cherish.”

Tilting his head, Peter obviously didn’t understand the metaphor. “Okay, Daddy.” His son changed gears unexpectedly. “Daddy, when are you going to the moon?”

Tom wondered what prompted the query. Though he had talked about it with his boy, the moon mission had not been discussed for weeks. With the decision if he should take on the operation and fly on Apollo 16 looming over him, Tom pondered if his son’s question was driven by a higher power. “I’m not sure, Son. Do you want Daddy to fly to the moon?”

A worried look appeared on Peter’s face. “Will you come back?”

Tom held his son’s hand and spoke in a reassuring tone. “Son, I would never take a trip if I couldn’t come back to you and Mommy. I love you both too much.”

Peter’s face relaxed. “Okay, I want you to go to the moon and get me a rock.”

Tom chuckled at the innocent request, especially considering he might be stealing some rocks. “I doubt I can do that, Son.” He stroked Peter’s chin. “But I know I will be thinking of you when I’m there. How about I blow you a kiss from the moon? Your own moon-kiss.”

That seemed to satisfy the boy. “Okay!” All of a sudden the boy jumped off the chair and ran toward the sliding glass door. Dino dropped his bone and quickly followed.

“Where’re you going, Son?”

“I want to show you something.”

Tom watched Peter struggling to slide open the stubborn door. Once it opened, the boy charged in with Dino close behind. Tom called out, “Peter, close the door.” Not hearing any response, Tom started to get up to prevent the air-conditioned air from streaming out when Peter reappeared at the doorway carrying something. The boy came outside without the dog. He used all of his might to close the door. As he hustled toward his dad, Tom still couldn’t make out what he had.

Peter hopped back on the chair and placed a stuffed Snoopy toy on Tom’s lap. “You can take my Snoopy to the moon. He’ll protect you.”

Tom lifted the stuffed animal and studied it. The cartoon character was wearing a white spacesuit, similar to the Apollo suit. It even had a big clear plastic bubble helmet around the dog’s head like an astronaut’s. Seeing the toy was the sign Tom needed. Right then, he decided to take on the operation. “That’s a good idea, Son. Maybe I’ll do that.”

Peter got off the chair. He walked back to his toy truck in the yard and resumed playing.

Curious, Tom called out while still holding the toy, “When did you get this, Peter?”

Without turning, Peter answered, “Mommy gave it to me today.”

The only astronaut Tom knew who had early access to the toys was Chris Riddick. Doubting that the man’s ex-wife passed the information on to Anne, Tom was convinced Chris must have been the one who told Anne about Connie. Though Tom’s blood started to boil at the thought of Chris divulging the secret, he sighed with relief that he had listened to the angel. If he’d left out the fact he had escorted the girl to his room, a fact Anne already knew, then she definitely would not have believed that he did stay true to her. Tom turned his head and looked at the imaginary angel on his shoulder. “Good call, buddy.”

TOM STARED AT the picture of President Kennedy hanging in Dick’s office while his boss locked the door behind him. Tom was amazed America was on the doorstep of making a reality of the young president’s crazy vision of landing a man on the moon and getting him back safely. Tom shook his head thinking the success of Apollo 11 could lead to him walking on the moon.

Dick fell back in his chair. “So what have you decided, Tom?”

Turning toward his boss, Tom said with confidence, “I’m your man.”

Dick let out a big sigh of relief. “Good to hear, because I had no plan B.”

“So how’s all this going to work?”

Dick’s voice became intense. “Well, fortunately the LRL building was finally certified, so we don’t have to worry about that damn building holding things up. Our focus now is on Apollo 11 returning home successfully with lunar samples. Once that happens, the Soviets will officially schedule Luna 15 to launch a few months later. Regarding stealing the sample from the vault, I’ve learned a VIP from Washington will be visiting to inspect the LRL building after Apollo 11. His focus will be on its security as well as to attest that the overall setup is sufficient to contain any possible contamination. This individual will be unaware of your operation. You will be the one escorting him around the grounds and eventually through the building, where you will snag the sample. Further details will be passed on once the material is safely in the laboratory.”

Tom took that to mean whoever was running the operation questioned whether Apollo 11 would be successful. Tom had no doubt the veteran crew would pull off the mission.

Dick picked up a piece of paper and extended it toward Tom. “Here’s a list of possible crew members you can select from for your flight.”

Excited he was now a commander and would have a say on who flew with him, Tom leaned over enthusiastically and grabbed the paper. He studied the list for a moment, which had four names on it for the Lunar Module Pilot and five for the Command Module Pilot slot.

Tom continued to scan over the list as Dick stated the obvious, “Unfortunately, we cannot break up any of the crews already training together. This is the list of the men available who I think can handle the job. I want you to pick your crew from this group.”

Tom was surprised to see Chris Riddick’s name as one of the possible CMP’s. No way in hell I’m picking that guy.

Dick leaned back in his chair. “Because you’ll be secretly snagging lunar samples during your mission, I suggest picking men who are not your buddies. This should make it easier to keep the theft from them. Having said that, I think Chris would be a good choice for your CMP. I know you have issues with the man, but having that built-in animosity will guarantee the two of you will never get close. I’m confident he can do the job.”

Shaking his head “no” adamantly, Tom couldn’t spit out the words fast enough to display his displeasure at the suggestion. “There is no way I’m flying to the moon with that guy. If he’s on that ship, count me out.”

Dick grinned and said with an edge of sarcasm, “Well, I thought since you took a punch for the man, you would be open to the idea.”

Tom’s head jerked up. “Who told you that?”

“I have my sources. Sounds like you have a soft spot for the guy.”

“That was a mistake. I should have let Chris get the crap beat out of him. I would rather fly with my son than that ass.”

Dick let out a hardy chuckle. “Is Peter ready to fly the command module around the moon?”

Tom’s serious expression didn’t waver. “Not yet, but maybe someday. I hear his Snoopy is.” He looked down at the list again, and saw Kirk Cooley listed as one of the CMPs. Kirk joined NASA with Tom and was considered one of the group’s top pilots. After performing well on a backup crew, Kirk was slated to rotate onto an Apollo mission right before he broke his leg water skiing. So he lost his slot. “Kirk looks like a good possibility.”

“He’s a good choice. Tell you what, you think about it for a few days and let me know your thoughts. But again, I don’t want you getting too close with your crew. Of course I want a strong team that functions as a unit, but you need to keep your distance. They can’t get wind that you’ll be embezzling a lunar sample during your mission.”

With all the training the men would go through, it would be a trick to not develop a bond with his crewmates. He just had to make sure he kept the heist a secret. “Understood.”