Chapter 14
Indiana Jones and Marcus Brody approached the imposing granite and steel edifice of the Federal Building on Broadway and entered through the gargantuan glass doors of the front entrance. They crossed the lobby to the elevator and entered.
"Where to this morning gentlemen?" The elevator operator asked in a well practiced cheery sounding voice.
"Fifth floor," Marcus answered.
"Fifth floor it is," the operator responded as he pulled the sliding safety door and pushed the button for floor number 5. From the looks of him Jones suspected that the young man was probably a college student earning a little extra money on the weekend.
With a small jerking motion the elevator began moving up. After a few moments another small jolt signaled their arrival on the fifth floor.
"Fifth floor! FBI! Navy Department Offices!" The young operator called out enthusiastically as he slid the door open.
They exited the elevator and walked down the carpeted paneled hallway until they arrived at office number 523. It was a medium sized office with five desks arranged near a large central conference table, with another smaller office in the back. As Indy and Marcus entered, all heads turned.
A slim older man with receding gray hair spoke first. "Good Morning Professor Brody," he then looked at Indy. "And you must be Professor Henry Jones."
Indy gave a faint smile and nodded his head.
"Allow me to introduce myself," he walked over to shake Jones' hand. "I am Special Agent Brandon Walker, Bureau of Naval Intelligence."
"A pleasure," Jones said as he shook the agent's hand.
A moment later another man came out of the back office. He was younger than Walker, but a bit on the portly side. He had sandy hair and a small mustache.
"And this is Special Agent Brandt," Walker introduced him.
Brandt gave a nod of the head. "Professor Brody we've already met…Professor Jones nice to meet you," he said cordially but curtly.
Walker spoke again. "Well then gentlemen, can we offer you some coffee?" He said as he gestured them towards the back office.
"Sure I could use another cup," Jones said.
"I don't know," Marcus joked. "I've heard some pretty disturbing stories about that US Navy coffee."
Walker laughed. "I assure you, they're all true."
Walker poured Jones and Marcus each a cup of steaming black coffee and the four men entered the small office in the back of the room. Brandt closed the door and then went around to sit in the chair behind the lone desk. Walker sat down on the edge of the desk and motioned for Indy and Marcus to sit on a long leather couch. A small square coffee table sat between the couch and the desk.
Brandt was the first to speak.
"We don't want to waste your time gentlemen, nor ours, so I will get right to the point. Professor Jones how well did you know a certain Professor Donald Garston?"
Jones paused for a moment, and then answered. "I knew Don. He was a colleague. I'd worked with him in the past, but never too extensively."
"When was the last time you worked with him, or spoke to him?"
Jones looked thoughtful. "The last time I saw and worked with Don was during a symposium on Pacific Archaeology at Stanford in '35. Before that we had worked together at Princeton in the early thirties."
Walker now spoke. "Have you spoken to him at all in the past year?"
"No, like I said the last time was two years ago at Stanford," Jones answered.
Brandt studied him for a moment, and then said. "Are you sure Professor Jones?"
"Yes I'm sure," he felt a twinge of uneasiness from Brandt.
"You're telling me that you have not corresponded with, or spoken with Professor Donald Garston since 1935?" Brandt asked with just a touch of sarcasm in his voice.
"That's what I said Mr. Brandt. Do you have reason to doubt me?"
"Frankly yes," Brandt quickly answered.
Walker now spoke, in a more friendly tone. "What Agent Brandt is getting at here Professor is that we think that you may have some important information from Professor Garston."
"Why would you think that?" Jones asked.
"Because," Brandt answered abruptly. "To cut through the baloney here Jones, whether you know it or not, Garston was working for the US Government. He was in regular correspondence with us at the Bureau. He was passing important information to us concerning the disposition and movement of Imperial Japanese Forces in the Micronesian Islands area of the Pacific," Brandt nodded his head as he spoke. "Three weeks ago his reports suddenly and abruptly stopped."
"I still don't see what this has to do with me," Jones said.
"Well I'll tell you what it has to do with you," Brandt continued. "Before his messages stopped, Garston told us that he thought the Japanese were on to him. Three days ago the Japanese authorities on Pohnpei, Caroline Islands, regretted to report to the US consulate in Guam, that archaeology Professor Donald Garston, who had been conducting field work in the islands, had died by accidental drowning."
Brandt paused, and Walker spoke again. "You see Professor Jones, Garston's last message to us consisted of just a name, and an address. The message simply said: Professor Henry Jones Junior, New York Metropolitan Museum of Art."
"His last message?"
"Yes, we fear that the Japanese have taken Professor Garston into custody," Walker said. "In fact, we fear that he has been killed."
"I'm very sorry to hear that. Don was a friend, and a dedicated archaeologist. But I guess espionage is a dangerous business," Indy said.
"So Professor Jones, I'll ask again," Brandt said, his voice now taking on a more arrogant tone. "Have you or have you not been in recent contact with Professor Donald Garston? And why did he name you in his very last message?"
Jones looked down at the floor for a moment and then back at Walker and Brandt. "Well Mr. Brandt, maybe you should phrase your questions differently. You asked if I'd been in contact with Don Garston. Like I said, I haven't spoken to Don since '35. But just yesterday I received a letter from him."
"A letter?"
"Yes, he posted a letter from Guam."
"Do you have the letter with you?" Brandt asked.
Jones reached into his breast pocket and withdrew it. He passed it over to Walker, who handed it to Brandt. Brandt read it and then gave it back to Walker. Walker then read it and placed it in his pocket. Indy opened his mouth to speak, but Brandt spoke first.
"Where is the journal?"
"I have it," Jones said.
"We want it," Brandt retorted.
"And I want my letter," Jones said as he pointed to Walker's breast pocket.
Walker then spoke again. "Professor Jones, there was more to Professor Garston's activities in the Carolines than just reporting on the Imperial Japanese Forces."
"I know," Jones said. "I've read the journal."
"And what is in the journal?"
"Don's research notes… his field log…his theories on the origins of the Nan Madol megaliths."
"Professor Jones we need to take possession of this journal from you as soon as possible," Walker said.
Brandt now spoke up again. "Personally I think it's a bunch of hogwash, but the boys in the War Department and their scientists are very interested in Professor Garston's research. We want the journal Jones, and you'll give to us, is that understood?"
Brandt's tone raised the fur slightly on Jones' back. "Look Mr. Brandt," he said. "First of all, I didn't come here to be spoken to like an errant schoolboy. Secondly, Don Garston sent that journal and that letter to me, not you."
Brandt stood up behind the desk. "No Professor Jones you look," he waved his finger reprovingly at Indy. "You don't know what you're dealing with here. You're out of your league. You are not in the comfortable confines of your classroom. We're talking about the Imperial Japanese Forces, the US Government, and some other things that you wouldn't understand. This is no place for some bookworm Professor to go poking his nose into. You'll give us the journal Jones, because I'm telling you to!"
Jones sat and listened calmly to Brandt's outburst, and then stood up. "I'm leaving Marcus," he said.
Agent Walker now moved subtly towards the door as he spoke. "Please Professor Jones, sit down. I assure you this is a matter of extreme importance to us, and to the Government. Your cooperation is essential."
Jones paused. "Then call off your rabid dog here," he said as he glared over at Brandt.
Brandt just glared back. "Like Agent Walker said Jones, sit down! I'll tell you when I'm done with you, and I'll tell you when you can leave."
"That's it Marcus, I'm done here," Jones said as he purposefully strode towards the door.
Brandt now raised his voice to a shout. "You walk out that door and I'll have you arrested and brought back in handcuffs! We can continue this conversation from an FBI holding cell if you'd like!"
Jones turned back around. "Frankly Mr. Brandt I don't give a damn. It wouldn't be the first time I've been interrogated in a jail cell, and it probably wouldn't be the last. But the fact is that this conversation, if that's what you want to call it, is over."
"Please gentlemen," Marcus interceded. "Please, let's all just settle down a bit, shan't we?"
"Yes, please Professor Jones," Walker implored Indy. "Please sit down."
Walker looked over at Brandt, his eyes sending a silent message. Brandt caught the look, and held his tongue just before he was about to spout off again.
Indiana Jones paused at the door, then after an imploring look from Marcus, he walked back over and once again sat down on the couch. But he continued to glare defiantly at Brandt.
Marcus spoke next. "Mr. Brandt, you must understand that this journal was indeed sent to Professor Jones," he talked in an even, low-key manner to try to dissipate the heat generated by Brandt and Indy's conversation. "There was a reason for that I'm sure. Professor Garston trusted Professor Jones with the journal archaeologist to archaeologist."
He paused for a moment, and the continued. "Perhaps you should consider the fact that there may be knowledge in that journal that Professor Jones would be the one best suited to be able to utilize to the benefit of all involved."
But Brandt's arrogance was unabated. He rolled his eyes slightly. "Look Professor Brody, to me one bookworm is as good as another."
Jones bristled at Brandt's use of the inappropriate term but held his tongue.
Brandt continued. "The fact is, we have top men standing by to take over from your good Professor Jones. Besides Jones has proven himself to be anything but the type of man I or anyone else associated with this project would want to have working for them."
Indy looked down, smiled and shook his head at Brandt's use of the words 'top men'. Now where have I heard those words before?
He looked up and directly into the eyes of Brandt. "Mr. Brandt, I've had experience with the likes of you, and your 'top men' before. I didn't like how it turned out then, and I don't like where this is going now," he paused. "But most of all Mr. Brandt I don't like you."
Jones stood up. "Now I'm going to leave. The journal, and this letter…" he reached into Agent Walker's pocket, retrieved the letter, and held it up in the air. "Both belong to me. There's nothing in the journal that deals with anything other than archaeology. And I'll determine what will be done with it."
Walker moved once again to block the door but Brandt motioned with his hand to let Jones pass.
"You're making a big mistake Jones," Brandt said. "We'll be at your residence on campus tomorrow at 12 o'clock sharp. If you're not there with the journal there'll be a warrant out for your arrest," he looked over at Marcus. "Professor Brody, you have about 24 hours to knock some sense into this guy before he lands himself in some serious trouble…that his librarian won't be able to get him out of."
Marcus placed his hat on his head and followed Jones out through the door. As he approached the door to the hallway Walker said "Professor Brody, please, I hope you can convince Professor Jones that it is best for all involved if he fully cooperates."
Marcus said nothing, but nodded cordially as he exited out into the hallway and walked towards the elevator.