The Boulder Creek Project: Colorado 1987–1988

By Peter Eisenhut

Do not let the title fool you. This story has absolutely nothing to do with a flood control project or a Parks and Recs project! As in his first novel, the Pen Project, the author, Peter Eisenhut, combines espionage, romance, and historical events into one suspense-thrilling story. The Boulder Creek Project takes place in 1988, twenty years after the Pen Project. The author recounts a last-ditch effort by the Soviet Union to maintain their image as a powerful worldwide nuclear force by crippling our missile defense early warning system. The Soviets conspire with the Chinese to introduce a Trojan virus into computer code that the IBM Corporation is about to release to the Department of Defense. Jon Wilson, now a high-level officer in the CIA, enlists the help of Peter Troutman, now a senior-level employee at IBM. They work together with the FBI in an attempt to save the United States from Soviet aggression. Will they be able to prevent the occurrence of a doomsday scenario?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Apr 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781982201418

Peter Eisenhut

Peter S. Eisenhut is a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Rochester. He worked for two international organizations and as an independent consultant. He now spends his time doing volunteer work, hiking, and writing. The inspiration for his novels comes from his career experiences and his travels. Fateful Affairs follows his third novel, Final Project, his second novel, The Boulder Creek Project and his first novel, The Pen Project. Peter lives in Columbia Maryland with his wife Jean. For more information, visit Peter's author page on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/author/petereisenhut-usa. Or, his website at https://www.petereisenhut-author.com.

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Copyright © 2018 Peter S. Eisenhut.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

The Boulder Creek Project is a work of fiction set in a historical setting. Apart from actual people and events generally known to the public, all names, characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any similarity to reality is coincidental.

Balboa Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-9822-0127-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-0128-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-0141-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018903807

Balboa Press rev. date: 05/22/2018

Contents

BACKGROUND

PROLOG

Chapter 1   INTELLIGENCE

Chapter 2   THE ASSIGNMENT

Chapter 3   KICKOFF

Chapter 4   AUDIT

Chapter 5   SECURITY SWEEP

Chapter 6   THE BOMB

Chapter 7   AFTERMATH

Chapter 8   PROOF

Chapter 9   HOLIDAY WEEKEND

Chapter 10   NIGHTMARE

Chapter 11   BAD NEWS

Chapter 12   TRIBUTE

Chapter 13   WARRANTS

Chapter 14   THE SERVICE

Chapter 15   HOMEWARD BOUND

Chapter 16   FINAL REPORT

Chapter 17   A NEW BEGINNING

Chapter 18   CLOSURE

EPILOG

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Also by Peter Eisenhut

The Pen Project

(Saigon 1967)

copyright 2016

BACKGROUND

The Cold War between The Soviet Union and the United States began shortly after World War II and ended in 1992, when the Soviet Union dissolved. During this period, the mobility of trade and people between the two countries was severely restricted. Also during this period, both countries amassed stockpiles of nuclear weapons. These weapons included intermediate range missiles as well as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The ICBMs that could travel between the Soviet Union and the United States were the most feared. The people in both countries lived in fear that one country or the other would initiate a nuclear war, either by design or inadvertently. Perhaps the only thing that avoided such a war was the concept of mutually assured destruction (MAD). If one country sent an ICBM to the other, there would be time for retaliation—each country was too large to destroy it all at once.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan devised the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). His idea was that if the United States could devise a way to defend against a nuclear attack, we would no longer fear the possibility of one. The concept was to create a superior missile warning and tracking system along with a weapons system that could intercept and destroy anything the Soviets may launch in our direction. Almost immediately, the defense industry in the United States began researching possible weapons. The initial concept was to expand our use of spy satellites to detect and track incoming missiles. Laser weapons on other satellites would then intercept the incoming missiles. The potential use of satellites to wage war resulted in the reference to SDI as Star Wars.

If the United States were successful in developing this SDI missile shield, it would put the Soviet Union at a disadvantage. By 1986, the Soviet Union was experiencing the ill effects of economic stagnation. To keep up with the United States’ nuclear defense, the Soviets would be required to spend money and resources that they could ill afford. If the Soviets did not keep pace, the United States would gain superiority as the world nuclear power. Mikhail Gorbachev, head of the Soviet Union and General Secretary of the Communist Party, was very concerned about the Reagan administration’s plan to have nuclear weapons in space. He also knew that it would take years and billions of dollars to develop this capability. He thought it would be a waste of resources, especially for the Soviet Union.

Both Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan were of like mind when it came to reducing the threat of nuclear war. Their meeting in October of 1986 in Iceland set the framework for a reduction in land based Intermediate range missiles. During a visit to Berlin, Germany, in June of 1987, President Reagan challenged Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall. Gorbachev and Reagan signed the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in December 1987. The treaty went into effect in 1988 after congressional approval. However, no agreement was reached on ICBMs, and no agreement was reached that would curtail the development of satellite related technology. The United States continued to develop its SDI. By the end of 1987 an architecture and phase I plan was completed and approved by the Pentagon and by Congress.

Meanwhile, Gorbachev initiated perestroika in 1986 and glasnost in 1988. Gorbachev intended perestroika to restructure the Soviet government to foster economic growth, which at that time was stagnant. He intended glasnost to give more freedom and openness to the Soviet citizens. Many hardliners in the Soviet Union, including the KGB, opposed these changes for fear of losing control and stability. Would they lose control of their nuclear arsenal? These fears may have been justified. Glasnost may have accelerated the downfall of the Soviet Union. During the years 1988 through 1991, several of the socialist republics declared independence from the Soviet Union. In August of 1991, the hardliners made one last desperate attempt to retain centralized control over the Soviet Union. The coup against Gorbachev and Yeltsin failed. The Soviet Union officially dissolved in December of 1991. The threat of a nuclear attack from Russia diminished.

Mikhail Gorbachev received the Nobel peace prize in 1990, and to this day, he travels the world lecturing for world peace.

PROLOG

The weather in the spring of 1987 was typical for Colorado Springs. It was beginning to warm up, but in mid-April, it could go either way. One day could be warm and sunny, the next day cool and rainy. Today was a nice day. The sun was out, and the weather was warm and dry. The temperature would reach 70 degrees by mid-day. Jim Hoffman was wearing a work shirt and jeans. He was on his way to meet a real estate agent, but did not care how he looked. After all, it was Saturday morning and he had yard work to do later on.

So far, 1987 was not a good year for Jim. His wife was ill from a long bout with Parkinson’s disease. Her condition was slowly deteriorating and he could no longer provide the assistance that she required. He had arranged for a caretaker to come in during the day while he was at work, but he could see that at some point she would need to be in a long-term care facility. His wife’s illness had overloaded him with medical and caretaker bills. He needed money badly. Medical plans at most small private companies were inadequate or non-existent. Jim’s company was no exception. He had asked his boss for help. His boss told him he wished he could help, but he just could not do it.

Jim reasoned that selling his house would help resolve his financial difficulties, but he was not having much luck. He was no longer under contract with any particular broker, and he had arranged to meet with yet another real estate agent. She had called him unexpectedly. On the phone, she sounded promising. She said she was an independent broker and could offer a lower commission. She also said she had several buyers that had already expressed an interest. Jim saw this as an opportunity, so he set off to meet this woman at a coffee shop not far from his house.

Jim arrived at the coffee shop and surveyed the scene. The coffee shop had an outdoor patio, and the weather was perfect for sitting outdoors. Each table had an umbrella to provide shade from the sun. Most of the tables were already occupied, and as he had never met this lady before, he wondered how he would know who she was, or if she was even there. He stood at the edge of the patio and slowly scanned one table after another until he spotted a woman seated alone. Their eyes met and she motioned for him to come to her table. Now he wondered how she knew who he was. As Jim walked over to her, she rose from her seat, and he could not help but notice how attractive her figure was. Otherwise, she looked like the typical agent, and he had met enough of them to know. Except for a low-cut blouse, he thought she was dressed very professionally, but like many of the real estate ladies he had met with recently, she had a seductive alluring look about her. She had long black hair, light colored skin, and wore sunglasses.

Mister Hoffman, my name is Ursula Behr. She spoke with an air of authority and confidence. My last name is German like yours I assume.

Pleased to meet you ma’am, he said as he extended his hand. He had been raised on a Colorado ranch and he was ex-military. That was how he addressed a woman he just met.

Mister Hoffman, here is my business card. As you can imagine, I acquired the nickname Teddy. Please call me Teddy. May I call you Jim?

Yes ma’am… . I mean of course … Teddy, he said as he took a quick look at her card and tucked it into his wallet for safekeeping.

Jim, tell me how you like your coffee.

Uh black, he replied.

Please have a seat. When I return with the coffee, we can talk about your needs.

When she returned, she had two cups of coffee and two crullers.

Oh, what do I owe you for this? he asked.

Jim, this is on me. I believe I can help you. Please tell me a little more about your situation.

Yes, well I need to sell my house to bring in some money to help pay my wife’s medical bills.

I see. May I ask what she suffers from? Is it cancer?

No. It’s Parkinson’s.

I see … but don’t you have insurance with your employer?

Very little, and at some point I will need to move her to a long-term care facility. There is no insurance for that.

I am very sorry Jim. May I ask what you do for work? Teddy had already done her homework and she knew the answers to all her questions, but she did not let on. Jim had a great job as a contractor to the US Air Force newly reorganized Space Command. His company was deeply involved in the redesign of the network that would communicate satellite reconnaissance data between ground stations and the Cheyenne Mountain complex. The work was highly classified. Jim was a Junior Partner in the business, and on the surface, the business was doing well.

I work for a company that has a contract with the government, he told her. I design data networks.

I see. It sounds very technical.

They continued to chat and get to know each other better as they finished their coffee and crullers. Then Jim said, Teddy I have had little luck with previous agents. What is it that you will do that they were not able to do?

Teddy responded without hesitation. Three things Jim … First, I will represent you, not the buyer. Second, I will not be exclusive. Technically, you, the owner, are selling the house. I will advise you and bring in potential buyers. My fee will be half the standard fee—three percent, not six. Third, I already have interested parties lined up. Jim, you were asking one hundred fifty thousand for your house. I think I can get you that price, especially now. The time of year and the economic environment are both favorable. You have no downside with me. I was showing a couple around the area last weekend and they saw the sign in your yard. They expressed an interest. I can bring them over to look at your house. I will call first of course. We can meet here again next Saturday to review our progress. Are you okay with that?

Yes, I am. Thank you, he responded. What else could he say? Teddy was very convincing.

****

Next Saturday morning, they met again. This time the weather was cool and rainy so they took a table inside. The conversation got more personal than the previous Saturday. Teddy asked Jim about his wife and then pressed him for more details about his financial needs.

Jim, I think the market value of your house is around one hundred fifty thousand. How much will that leave you after selling expenses?

I have seventy thousand left on my mortgage from ten years ago.

So you would net about seventy-five thousand after expenses.

No, unfortunately I also have a second mortgage for twenty- five thousand, so I would only net about fifty thousand.

But still, do you need more than that for you wife?

I already owe more than that, and I will need even more.

How much more?

Another hundred thousand.

Have you no other sources? You have a high paying job don’t you?

Yes, but our contract is coming to an end. Much of what I am paid is based on the contract revenue we receive. I have already spent my share, and we don’t have another contract going forward.

But surely you can find another way to get the money you need.

Actually, I thought I found one. I made the mistake of trying to make some money by betting on basketball games. I thought I knew what I was doing, but I didn’t. I got in over my head and ended up owing twenty thousand dollars to a loan shark. I don’t know how I can pay it off, and I am starting to get threats. To be honest, I am scared. I need another way.

I see, she said in a sympathetic tone. Will your company’s design be the one that the government implements?

Yes. Why do you ask?

Jim, I have an idea that may help you, if you are willing to do something that is not quite legal. Do you want to hear about it?

It got his attention. Of course, as long as I don’t end up in jail.

I have a connection to an organization that helps people who are in situations like yours. They are like a charity and they could give you a hundred thousand to help your wife.

What is illegal about that?

They will want something in return, she said and then paused.

Are you going to tell me what?

"I will, but you will need to tell me yes or no before we leave here."

What happens if I say no?

She took a sip of her coffee, looked him in the eye, and said, "If you say no, we will never see each other again."

Before I answer, tell me the status of the two couples that saw my house last week?

The one said they could not go above one hundred forty thousand. The other is on the fence. If I talk to them more, I think they will offer the full one hundred fifty thousand.

Jim paused while he weighed the choice in his mind. If he declined to hear what she offered, he had a chance to sell his house and net fifty thousand. If he listened to her proposal and said no, he would get nothing. If he listened to her proposal and said yes, he would get one hundred fifty thousand.

Okay, Teddy, please let me know your proposal.

This organization will deposit one hundred thousand into your bank account with a letter indicating the charitable reason for the gift. They will do this as soon as you have completed what they want—

And that is what? he interrupted.

They want you to provide documents describing your network design and the associated protocols that are used.

Ooh … Teddy. That’s a tall order. You are asking me to steal classified documents.

Well, not quite Jim. You should be able to make copies of the documents without anything actually going missing. If the copies were in your briefcase, and you accidently misplaced your briefcase, it would be excusable if anyone found out. But if you do it right, no one will know.

I don’t know. I need time to think.

Think about your wife. The risk is much less than the risk you took by gambling on sports and you want your wife to get the treatment she needs … don’t you?

What are you going to do with these documents?

"Jim, you know I can’t tell you that—and its best for you if you don’t know."

After a long pause, he finally gave in. Okay, I’ll do it. When do you need this?

One week.

Teddy, can we make it two weeks. Here’s why. We’re scheduled to make copies for the Air Force the week after next. It would be easier to do this unnoticed at that time.

Okay Jim, two weeks it is.

Where and how do I deliver it?

When you have the documents ready, you leave a message on the number on the card I gave you. I will give you details then.

****

Almost two weeks later on a Friday at lunchtime, they met again. According to Teddy’s instruction, Jim brought with him a very thick attaché case loaded with documents. He arrived as instructed at precisely noon, the busiest time, especially on a workday. They sat at a small table for two. Jim set his attaché case on the floor under the table and gently slid it toward her side. They ordered sandwiches and ice tea after which Jim excused himself for a few moments to use the rest room and wash up. When he returned, the food and tea were already on the table. Jim and Teddy chatted while enjoying the lunch—all very friendly. Teddy told Jim that she had an offer for him on the house, and handed him an envelope. Jim opened it and was pleased to find a written offer and a binder check for $2,000, a sign of good faith. Then Teddy asked, Jim, did you bring the documents?

Yes, just as you instructed. Everything is there as you asked. When will the hundred grand be in my bank account?

If all of the documents are there, the money will be in your account within the next two hours. Jim, it was a pleasure doing business with you. I wish your wife the best.

With that, Jim said thank you, got up, excused himself, and walked to his car, leaving the attaché case behind. Teddy had a smile on her face as she watched him leave and thought about what would happen next.

Jim went directly home after lunch and gave his wife the good news about the offer on the house. Then he called the bank and checked the balance in his bank account. Sure enough, a deposit for $100,000 was there waiting to be cleared. Teddy had kept her word. Now, he and his wife could sell the house and move into a less expensive garden apartment. Later when needed, she could go into a long-term care facility. Jim was pleased that his wife would have the resources she needed, and he felt the relief he had needed for so long.

Unfortunately, Jim’s jubilation was short lived. An hour later, he began to feel the burning in his gut and in his chest. Perhaps it was something he had eaten for lunch, he thought. His wife called an ambulance, but it was too late. Jim died that afternoon of an apparent heart attack on the way to the emergency room.

Chapter 1

INTELLIGENCE

Jon Wilson was in the hallway of a large office building. Alarms were sounding and people were flooding the hallways. What is going on? he asked aloud. An incoming missile attack, he heard. He looked up as if it would be possible to hear or see something above him. Then, the next thing he knew, he was awake staring at the fan hanging from his bedroom ceiling. He immediately rolled over to his left and shut off the alarm. Then he rolled back to his right. Mary Lou, his girlfriend, was just beginning to stir. He got up slowly, hoping she might enjoy a few more minutes of peace, and made his way to the bathroom, to relieve himself, brush, shower, and shave. When he returned to the bedroom, Mary Lou had fallen back to sleep. He had already laid out his clothes for today, so he quietly picked up the pile and went off to his den to dress. He had a very important meeting today and he needed to look very professional. Today he would be wearing his gray suit, a white shirt, and a dark blue power tie that Mary Lou had given him for Christmas.

Jon and Mary Lou got along well and had been living together for almost a year. Each had been married once before. Neither had kids, and except for Mary Lou’s mother, neither had family. Jon’s marriage ended twenty-one years ago while stationed in Saigon. Back then, he had a supportive wife whom he adored, but the stresses of his work and his attraction to other women got in the way. At that time, Jon was officially an employee of the Department of State and he had an office at the US Embassy. However, his real job was working covert operations for the CIA. He was also an ex-special forces officer. He was six feet tall, weighed about 190 pounds, and was handsome. His charming personality was icing on the cake. Women could not resist him. Of course, this was upsetting to his wife. To make matters worse, she wanted to have kids and live the American dream in a stable environment. He could not give that to her. Saigon was a war zone. As one might expect, his marriage did not end well. Over the years that followed, Jon became accustomed to the notion that the traditional American dream was never going to be his. You know, a wife, kids, house in the suburbs with a white picket fence and a dog, etc. At 54 years old, Jon was more mature now. He cared for Mary Lou and he had learned to remain loyal. However, he was not sure about getting married again.

Mary Lou McGuinness was twenty years his junior and she was attractive. She was about five feet eight inches tall, trim, and very fit. Mary Lou had light colored skin and light colored hair. Her light hair belied her name, but McGuinness was her ex-husband’s name. She and Jon had met two years ago while jogging along a path overlooking the Potomac River. He fell in love with her short wavy light brown hair, her cute seductive smile, and her obvious intelligence. They dated, and decided to live together in Jon’s condominium almost a year ago, when her lease expired. She told Jon about her own misfortune with marriage. She told him that she had grown up in a rural town in North Carolina, received a degree from Duke University, and then married her high school sweetheart. She said that she and her husband lived in relative poverty in the same rural town where she grew up until they divorced due to her husband’s drinking. Meanwhile her father died and her mother moved to the west coast. After her divorce, Mary Lou went to live with her mother in Oakland California. While there, she worked at a travel agency by day, and earned a master degree in management at night. According to Mary Lou, however, living with her mother was difficult. Her mother was a devout Catholic and did not approve of her dating unless she got an annulment, and they did not agree on many other things as well. Mary Lou needed her independence, so after only four years, she came to DC to look for work, and make a new start in life. She was able to land another job working for a travel agency, but since she had experience and a master’s degree she quickly became the manager of the Travel Star Agency in nearby McLean Virginia. She told Jon she felt secure in their relationship, and she was happy. Mary Lou understood Jon. She told him that it was okay with her if they did not marry.

Jon worked at the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia, about a mile from where Mary Lou worked. When they moved in together, they decided they only needed one car. Jon had just bought himself a fancy dark blue BMW, so Mary Lou sold her old clunker, and they shared his car. Normally they would drive into work together, but today would be different. Today, she would take the car to McLean herself, and Jon would take the Metro. Jon was a high-ranking officer at the CIA in charge of special projects. He had set up a meeting for today with his intelligence counterpart at the Pentagon. Other high- ranking officials from other agencies would also attend. This was a very important meeting concerning new intelligence he received affecting the nation’s security. He would walk to the nearby Grosvenor Metro station and take the Metro all the way to the Pentagon.

Jon fetched the daily paper from the front door of his condominium apartment, and took it to the kitchen. As he began preparing the coffee, he could hear Mary Lou stirring in the other room. She found the aroma of freshly brewed coffee very inviting and it would not be long before she would join him in the kitchen. Meanwhile, he poured himself some orange juice, swallowed his blood pressure pill, prepared a bowl of cereal and milk, and opened the newspaper.

Today was Thursday March 17, 1988. Iran-Contra Indictments Returned was the headline! The Iran–Contra affair was a complicated