The Nuclear Option

This story is part of an ongoing series.

The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and

constructive

criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

Part 15 - Your Iron Houdini At Work

"Are you reading his transmitter?" asked General McFarland. "The one he swallowed?"

"We had him until he got to Sharples Elementary." said Major Martin. "Then the signal started fluctuating and then went out. They've set up a massive dampening field in that area. We're trying to mitigate the interference, but it's not helping us lock on again."

"Find the source of that field, then!" McFarland practically yelled. Then he said more quietly: "If Troy has fucked this up, then we're screwed. We don't have a Plan B."

MG Just said "General, we have the SEALs ready to go. Maybe we should email the perps, tell them I'm coming to the BigAgraFoods warehouse."

"What good would that do?" McFarland said cynically. "

Troy has the Mutanix and the papers!

What are

you

going to offer them, when he has what they want?"

"If we get a fix on Commander Troy's location," said Just, "we can send the SEALs in and secure the weapon."

The geeky guy looked up from his computer and, in his nasally, cynically geekish voice said "Where is Special Agent Allgood?" The Generals looked around, realizing that Melina Allgood was not there.

"I'll go find her." said Just.

"No." said McFarland. "Stay here. Lieutenant! Go find Supervisory Agent Allgood!..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The line of vehicles on the University-Midtown Highway, waiting to go through the checkpoint the military had set up was very long. No one could leave the Town & County without having their cars checked, which included opening trunks or the back doors of SUVs. The Fourth Amendment right of Citizens to be secure in their persons and effects was being blatantly violated in the name of a '

national emergency

'.

The military vehicle sped past the line of vehicles, knowing that there was no oncoming traffic; all traffic into the County was stopped, with no exceptions made but for military vehicles. At the checkpoint at the County line, the vehicle stopped.

The M.P. saluted, then said "What is your destination, ma'am?"

"Valley Villages." said the female Asian Army Captain. "General McFarland sent us with paperwork that is needed there."

"Yes, ma'am." the M.P. said, returning her I.D. "Thank you. You may pass." He saluted, and Keiko Shimono saluted back, then drove down the road. No one saw her turn left on County Road 96, leading to State Highway 142.

"Well," said Barsbane in the shotgun seat, "that was easy."

"And just in time." Shimono said. "We have less than five minutes left to get as far away as we can before the device goes off." She gunned the motor, speeding up.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"She's not here." said the Second Lieutenant as he came back into McFarland's office. "The gate guards said she left with Troy, and she said she had been authorized to leave by you, General."

"Damn!" muttered Just. "She was supposed to monitor the situation from here. Just what the hell is she up to?"

"And what is the Iron Crowbar

really

up to?" asked The Geek, who'd been listening as he typed. "He's your threat, General..."

"Harrumph!" growled General McFarland. "I don't know if the greater threat is the nuclear weapon that could go off at any second, or the sheer stupidity of people like

you

working for me. Right now, punk, the Iron Crowbar and Special Agent Allgood might be our only hope. And

your

only hope."

"Like I care." said the snotty Geek. He was already the computer equivalent of a meth lab slave to the Government; he saw his possible death as freedom from that worthless existence...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Noooo!" Cindy gasped as Chief Moynahan told her the news in his office. "He did

what?

"

"The Iron Crowbar volunteered to take whatever it is that they wanted from BOW Enterprises to the perps." said Chief Moynahan. "He swallowed a transmitter so that we can follow him, and of course they're watching where he goes... as are weeeeeee..."

"He walked right into it again." said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone, who was also in the office, and was looking very glum.

Cindy's hands were in her head. If her last associations with Don were the arguments over the Press, she would never forgive herself... and now he was literally going to go get a nuclear bomb from ruthless killers...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As my eyes adjusted to the very low light, I quickly pushed my belly against the rail where my hands were. My hand felt the bobby pin that I'd secreted on my belt, hidden by my badge, which the perps had missed. Carefully extracting it... knowing that if I dropped it, it would be all over... I removed it from my belt and then used it to pick open the handcuffs. Seconds later, I was free of them.

I reached down and pressed the buttons on my belt that would activate the powerful transmitter there, the transmitter that had saved me from certain death at the hands of Dr. Casey B. Walker of the CIA. (

Author's note: 'Dream Weaver'.

) I hoped that it could defeat the criminals's dampening field, set up by equipment in the red warehouse. I tried the doors of the trailer; they would not open, being padlocked shut.

I ran over and turned on the lights that had been turned off, turned off the device playing '

Music Box Dancer

', then over to the men of the weapon's crew. Two of them were barely alive. Still, one of them, perhaps the team leader, whispered "Get help, stop the weapon from going off. Don't worry about us..." He fell unconscious.

I raced over to the weapon and the timer box. I knew something about alarms and electronics, and I could see that this device was pure genius... it was like the timer used in the Ward Harvester warehouse: if the circuit broke, a device attached to the nuke's explosives would activate, forcing one piece of radioactive material into another at critical mass, setting off the explosion.

I attempted to remove the skin of the warhead; if I could get to the polonium ring that was needed to start the chain reaction, the weapon might not explode, or would at least be a dud. I would die, but the County would be saved...

But as I attempted to pull back the panel near where the wires from the timer went in, I saw that it was wired, too. I couldn't get in. I turned my attention to the timer box again. It required a seven-number passcode, I knew. I also knew I had three tries, and the first two failed tries would take a minute off the timer each. The third failure would set off the bomb. The counter was counting down, less than four minutes now.

I heard noises outside, and what sounded like banging on the back doors. Someone was outside! They were attempting to knock the padlock off!

Seconds later, I was nearly blinded by the bright light of the doors being opened. I saw a shadowy figure rush in and up to me. It was Melina.

She had a thick rectangular box with her. The top opened to reveal a computer monitor. She plugged a USB cord into it, then handed me the clips on the wires at the other end of the cable as she said "Do you know which wires are the main leads to the timer?"

I did, and I attached the clips on the wires. Then she activated something on the computer. I saw it working through numbers. I realized that it was testing all of the codes that could be put in the timer, and doing so at a faster rate in a second than what humans could do in hours...

or years

.

With a

*DING!*

the computer monitor showed a number: 2715573.

"Here goes nothing." Melina said as she typed it in. The timer countdown stopped... at "00:20". We held our breaths for a second. Nothing happened.

Melina looked at me with a sly grin, and said: "Don, I know when we were married that you were always trying to get me off with a bang. But isn't this taking it just a little bit too far?"

I began whimpering a laugh, and then I just could not stop laughing for a moment. It wasn't

that

funny, but the relief and release of tension just all coalesced in me at that point...

Then I realized we had casualties. I went to the trailer doors, seeing the TCPD's heavily armored SWAT Team outside. "MEDIC!" I screamed.

Part 16 - The Human Element, Redux

The TCPD SWAT team cleared the red warehouse, finding it empty. Meanwhile, right behind them were the military's heavily armored combat team. They rushed to secure the weapon, blocking paramedics from getting in.

*TWEEEET!*

The blast from the Police whistle had been emitted by Your Iron Crowbar. As everyone froze, I yelled "People, that weapon is going nowhere! Get out of the way and let my paramedics take care of those men!"

Only then did everyone seem to see the three men in the far corner. Paramedics, who had been blocked, were able to come into the truck. I undid the prisoners's handcuffs with the bobby pin, and they were carried out. The dead man was also extracted.

"Good God." I muttered as Melina and I walked towards my Police SUV. "I know securing the weapon is important, but that was ridiculous." I then got out my cellphone, which worked: the SWAT Team had shut down the dampening field generators. I called Teresa Croyle.

After completing the call, we got to the car. Once in the SUV, I asked "Is that one of those 'trillion-calculations-per-second' computers?"

"Not quite to that level." Melina said. "But close enough, and the actual speed of it is classified." I just nodded. People simply have no idea of how powerful the

Government's

computing power is. It saved me today, but it was scary as hell to think about...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Teresa drove her Police SUV inside the cordon around University Hospital, and to the parking lot where only "authorized vehicles" were allowed to go. In the SUV with her were Sheri Smith, Dottie Abernathy, and Nancy Lockhart.

As they got out of the vehicle near the Emergency Room ambulance bay, a number of military people and other people in suits and ties were milling about. The Second Lieutenant came up to them. "They're bringing your husbands here now. We don't know who is who; we only know that two are alive, and one is dead."

Teresa was incensed at the Second Lieutenant's seeming callousness at telling the wives that one their husbands was dead, though how else was he supposed to say it? The Lieutenant simply walked away as the first vehicle came in. It was the Police Commander's SUV.

Teresa came over and made sure Melina and I were all right. Melina went on in to the Hospital, where the FBI was creating something of a secure perimeter zone. Teresa then pointed out to me where the wives were standing and waiting, alone, with no support from anyone in the military nor the Office of Secure Transportation.

"It's awful how they've treated them, and now this, making them wait like this." said Teresa, a tinge of anger in her voice as we saw the looks on their faces, the horrible moments of waiting... knowing that one of their husbands was dead, not wanting their friends to suffer, but each one naturally hoping that it wasn't her own husband that would not be on an ambulance.

And then those ambulances arrived. As two men were taken off the vehicles, Dottie Abernathy and Nancy Lockhart saw their husbands and rushed to their sides, then went into the hospital with them. Sheri Smith stood there, all alone, the realization hitting her that her husband was never coming home again. She began shaking as the tears began flowing.

There was only one thing Teresa Croyle could do for Sheri, and she did it: she went up to the young widow and took her into into her arms, whispering "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." as she held her up. Sheri collapsed, sobbing, hanging on to Teresa as her only lifeline in this moment of unspeakable misery.

I watched, pain in my heart, but also realizing something else: years before, a young girl, sitting all alone enduring the grief of the death of her older sister and spiteful words from her mentally deranged father, was helped by a Police Officer. Today, Teresa Croyle was paying it forward, now herself the Police Officer being there so that a young woman did not have to endure the unendurable alone.

Never had I been so proud to be part of the Town & County Police Force... and to be Teresa Croyle's friend...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Captain Damien Thompson all but ran down the hallway to the Chief's office. He knocked on the door and went on in, knowing that the Chief and Commander Ross were meeting in the room. FBI Special Agent Tim Jennings was in the room with them.

"Sorry to barge in, Chief," said Thompson, "but I just got word that they've found the nuclear device and secured it. Commander Troy is okay; he went to University Hospital, but reports are that he's fine."

"Thank God!" said Cindy. "I'll call Laura."

"Don't bother." said Dr. Fredricson as she came into the office behind Thompson. "And he better have a damn good explanation for this, or he's going to be sleeping on the couch with Bowser."

Maybe it was all the tension being let out, but Cindy began laughing, and could not stop...

Part 17 - Solution: The Mole

Teresa took Sheri Smith into a waiting room in the Hospital, where Father Romano took over the duties of staying with her. So far, no one else had come to Sheri, not to offer condolences nor tell her what had happened to her husband.

"Looks like the two guys that survived are going to make it." Teresa told me as she came outside. "Dr. Cordell went in there and supervised their treatment personally."

"I am really glad we have him here." I said.

"Father Romano is going to drive my SUV back to Headquarters." Teresa said. "So I'm officially your bodyguard and Guardian Angel right now. So, what's next for us?"

"Let's go to the Old Mill, before the military people pack up and go." I said. "Ah, there's Jack Muscone. Hi, Jack!"

"Ah, there you are." said Muscone. He walked over to us.

"Do you have something for me?" I asked.

"I sure do." said Muscone. "A freshly printed Federal warrant. Melina got all the proof, though I'm not sure how, and I don't think I want to know. Oh... congratulations on recovering the nuke. After this is over, I'll buy you a double cheeseburger... and we will talk about you walking into these traps like that."

Maybe it was the release of the tension, but Teresa began laughing at that, and could not stop for a moment.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The first floor entrance area of the Old Mill is a large open area, which we call the Atrium. A large number of people were gathered there to hear General McFarland's speech.

"Thanks to all of you," he said, "the weapon was recovered, the crew recovered with two men still alive, and a major crisis averted. You are all to be commended for your hard work and your professionalism. And with that, I am declaring an 'ENDEX' to this operation. Let's pack up and go home." There was applause, then everyone started breaking up to do whatever they needed to do next.

*BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!*

"General Just speaking." said Major General Carl Just into his cellphone, which had been the one ringing.

"General, this is Captain Croyle with the Town & County Police." said Teresa. "You called earlier about our evacuation plan?"

"Ah, yes." said General Just. "Well, we no longer need that, and------" Then it hit him. "Er, where are you, Captain?"

"Right behind you."

Just turned to see Captain Teresa Croyle holding up her cellphone with what was for her a smile, then disconnecting the call. Next to her was a man in black clothing and a beige trenchcoat... and the red crowbar restored to his grubby paws.

"Captain, what is this about?" Just asked, his voice somewhere between amusement and anger.

"Commander Troy will be explaining, General." Teresa said.

"Yezzz." I said, handing the red crowbar to Teresa. "General, if you'll just do me the favor of keeping your hands where I can see them at all times, I would be grateful." I said as I began walking up to him. I pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and came around him, fastening the cuffs to his left wrist.

"What the..." Just said. Others stopped moving and talking, watching.

"Carl Just, you are under arrest." I said. "And despite your hatred of our Constitution, I will recite to you your considerable rights anyway. You have the right to remain silent------"

"I know the rights." Just said angrily. "What the hell is this about?"

"Why, I'm arresting you in the Constitution's name." I said. "For conspiring to steal a nuclear weapon, conspiring to make terroristic threats, conspiring to embezzle industrial secrets from BOW Enterprises, and possibly first degree murder in the commission of these felonies, as your actions resulted in the death of Randy Smith, a human being. And before all is said and done," I added, "we might be adding high treason to those charges."

"Troy! What the hell are you doing?" barked General McFarland as he barreled into the room. Anyone who had not been watching, now was.

"He's just executing this warrant, General." said FBI Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone, handing McFarland the legal document. "We obtained this from Federal Judge K.M. Landis early this morning. We have the proof that General Just conspired with the criminals that stole the nuclear device and transported it here to ransom industrial secrets from BOW Enterprises..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

At Police Headquarters, Major General Carl Just had to suffer the humiliation of being undressed with his mouth taped shut, to prevent any possible cyanide pills from being used. He was then dressed in the favored fashion statement of the 'guests' of the Town & County Police Force, an orange jumpsuit.

After being taken through full booking, Just was brought into Interrogation-1. General McFarland, Jack Muscone, Dr. Laura Fredricson, and myself were waiting for him. Lt. Rudistan was asked to wait in the hallway outside; to his disappointment, the 'Ikea rules' would have to be suspended for this one. The Monitor Room was very full at the moment, as well.

"All right, Commander, I've been patient." said McFarland. "Consider me to be General Just's legal representation. Now explain yourself. Completely."

"I think we should give General Just here the chance first." I said, then my eyes bore in on Just as I said "It might go easier on you if you do."

"I've got nothing to say." said Just, who looked tired and defeated.

"Well then," I said, "I'll just explain things to General McFarland, and you can correct me where I go astray, okay?" The Monitor Room lit up at that one; Cindy explained to Tim Jenkins what that excitement was about. Jack Muscone's beady black eyes also sparkled with amusement, and anticipation. Laura... well, she was used to me.

"First, I'll tell the chronological story, and then I'll tell how I got onto you." I said. "Many years ago, you were a Lieutenant in the Chemical Corps, and on the verge of not being promoted. You had formal counseling statements, and a couple of bad Officer Evaluation Reports (OERs) where you were negatively cited for statements about blacks that caused you to have low marks on the EEO portion of the OER. You also did not do well physically; you barely the PT test at Officer Basic Course, which resulted in you losing a slot to Airborne School because you did not meet their PT standard, and you either failed or barely passed your PT tests while you were a Lieutenant."