by Ron Walden
Where the pipe comes out of the ground from the pump station, there is a sign designating this spot MILEPOST 0. Tour buses bring their passengers here to take pictures. Six caribou were feeding under the elevated pipe and sign. They paid little attention to the red crew-cab pickup making its rounds.
Dan finished his exterior patrol and returned to the gate. He called Charley on the radio, asking him to access the main vehicle gate allowing him to enter the fenced facility. He checked the buildings and equipment areas, following his normal routine.
It was 0218 when Dan walked onto the warehouse. Gwen was there, in the back of the shop, working on an electronic metering device. She had a look of relief when she saw Dan. Dan looked around the large shop area; he was the only other person there. The pig, a gleaming metal cylinder, was on a special stand in the center of the shop area. The rear cover plate was off and the interior was exposed. There were several large crates with locked lids in a semicircle around the stand. A table nearby contained tools and testing equipment.
Gwen retrieved a dropcord from the work table and turned on the light. She placed it inside the pig and illuminated an electronic world of science that could have looked comfortable on the Starship Enterprise.
Dan looked inside and shook his head.
“I have to be honest with you Gwen; I haven’t the slightest idea what I am looking at. Turning the television on is the outer limit of my electronic expertise. To me, this machine looks just like it did last time it was here. Show me what has you so spooked?”
“I’ll try to explain. Yesterday when I looked inside here, I was fascinated by the changes in the design. See up there, toward the center, on the left. That thing that looks like a control panel. I noticed that entire center section had been completely redesigned. The circuitry in this area is so miniaturized and more efficient it piqued my curiosity. I began to mentally follow circuits and admire the changes. This is the most efficient and advanced pig I have ever seen.
“Then I discovered something strange. See that wiring harness coming from the cover plate in the front?” She paused while Dan looked inside and nodded recognition. “That circuit was never in the old pig. And it doesn’t integrate with the new system on the left side. It’s a whole different kind of electronics. I’ve seen similar electronics only one other time. When I was at MIT, my husband and I were part of a team experimenting in the design of detonation devices for nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles. My husband was the expert in nuclear electronics, but I learned only enough to recognize what’s here.” She pointed to another area with the drop cord light. “I thought the fissionable material may be in the nose, up there ahead of that bulkhead where the wire harness comes through. I checked and there is no radiation detectable on the outside of the nose, but there is a very low reading inside at the bulkhead. I made some crude sketches of the wiring and have looked at it to see if there could be another possibility, but the only answer I can come up with is a nuclear device.”
Dan still did not know what he was looking at. “Can this thing explode now?”
“No. That’s strange too. There’s no detonator inside. The cannon plug for it is there though. See that flat cannon plug with about 40 or 50 pins? That goes to the regular pig computer. That round one on the right, in the rib…yes there…is connected to the wiring harness and circuitry going to the nose of the pig, ahead of the bulkhead.” There was strain coming into her voice.
With the noise from the turbine engines running the pumps, the two had not heard the footsteps behind them. It startled them when the voice with an oriental accent asked, “What are you doing?” The two stood and faced the scowling man in the gray visitor hardhat.
Dan tried to appear relaxed, but he didn’t think it was working.
“I was making a security check and saw the pig sitting here. I just stopped to look inside. Gwen here says it’s the latest thing. I’m Dan Webster. You…just visiting?”
“Mr. Yamazawa.” He bowed slightly without taking his eyes from them. “I am TMC foreman on this pig contract. I must inform you, this machine contains very confidential instrumentation—the property of TMC. My company would be very upset to learn that Trans Alaska Pipeline Company had sent people to inspect inside our unit. For your welfare and the interest of my company, I must demand that you leave this area and not return.”
“I’m sorry if I upset you, but my duties demand I look everywhere inside this pump station and that includes this shop. My duties aren’t meant to interfere with your work or compromise your trade secrets, but I’ll do my job whether you like it or not, Mr. Yamazawa. Come on Gwen we have other things to do.” Dan walked from the shop with Gwen in the lead. Dan’s truck was parked just outside the shop door.
“Get in.” He slammed her door and walked to the driver side of the pickup. As they drove slowly under a yard light Dan could see Gwen was wide eyed and tense. He reached to touch her hand and could feel her trembling.
Her voice was weak when she spoke. “I have never been this scared. Now do you believe me that something is going on?”
“If I was skeptical before, I’m convinced. You’re right about a lot of things. I still don’t know about nuclear bombs, but I’ll take your word that you understand it. What I do know though, is that Mr. Yamazawa made his threat clear, and he did it with enough authority that I’m convinced you were right about the power of the people involved. There’s no way to know how deeply involved the management is or how many people. One thing is for certain, we can’t use the regular telephone communication system. It goes to the Bragaw Street office, and there’s no way to know who’s listening. You got any ideas?” Dan could see she was calming down now.
“No, I don’t, but there is one thing I know, I don’t feel safe here. I’m taking a commercial flight out of Deadhorse as early as possible.”
“Before you just run off, let me try to figure out what to do next…to maybe work out a plan.” Dan thought a minute. “When you get off, go to your room and change into civilian clothing and eat breakfast. Give me that much time anyway.” Thoughts kept tumbling through his head. “Meet me at the gatehouse about 0700. Dress warm and bring a coat.”
“Dan, please, I …”
Dan wasn’t listening. His training in the police force had taken over and a plan was forming. “Bring those drawings you made.” He patted her arm. “I have friends who can help us, but we’ve got to get off the north slope to see them. We’re too remote up here and if anything happened …, well, we have no backup. We could disappear and they could tell any story they wanted. Whoever ‘they’ are.”
“Dan, stop you’re going to fast. I can’t, I can’t….”
“Gwen. You’re the only one who knows about the device. You recognized it. I’ll be the first one to get you out of here if we find it’s too dangerous.” Gwen looked long and hard at Dan. She felt with his expertise, they would be safe enough, for a while, anyway. She sighed, as she stepped from the truck.
“Tomorrow is going to be a very long day.”
Gwen waved to Dan and began to climb the steel stairs to the compressor building, the anxiety and fear still with her.
Dan drove back to the gatehouse and called Charley in the control room. “Sorry I took so long. I got tied up on some other stuff. Go ahead and switch the gate control back to me now.”
“No problem. It’s all yours, see ya later.”
It was not going to be easy to get off the north slope without a lot of people knowing about it, and Dan wanted to go as quietly and quickly as possible. He would try to get confirmation on his little bit of information. He picked up the phone and called the maintenance shop. The night mechanic answered.
“Hi Dooley, have you got a spare pickup I can borrow for today? I need to go to Deadhorse, but …”
“I ain’t supposed to lend equipment out, but if you need one, I can let you use one from the projects. They have so many trucks they can’t remember where they all are.” Dooley laughed.
�
��It’s okay to keep it overnight, then?”
“Awright. Who is she?”
“You know better than that.”
“Well. Sure keep the truck. Just don’t put any dents in it.”
Next, Dan called the hanger at the Deadhorse airport. The early shift was just coming in and would be drinking coffee, waiting for the early morning helicopter flight to arrive for fuel. The phone rang several times then a sleepy voice came on the line.
“ERA Services, Williams.”
“Hello, this is Dan Webster with Pipeline Security. Would you do me a favor and look outside and see if Steve Ortmann’s Cessna 185 is on the ramp?”
“It’s not here, Steve left last night to go to Fairbanks.”
“What about the Cessna 206,” Dan asked.
“It’s not here either; his brother took it to Colville River. The only thing here is the PA-14, that’s the Piper Family Cruiser. What’s the deal?”
“I have permission from Steve to fly his planes when I need them. I have an emergency to take care of, and I need a plane. Would you top the tanks on the PA-14 and check it over to be sure it is okay to fly? I‘ll be there about 7:30 this morning. And, remember, this is a security flight.”
The attendant felt important to be in on a security operation.
“He just had the 100 hour inspection done on the plane; that’s why it’s here, so I know it’s airworthy. I’ll fuel it, check the oil, and give it a preflight inspection for you.”
“Thanks,” Dan said as he hung up the phone.
There were several telephone lists under the plastic cover on the desktop. He located the number for Deadhorse Flight Service and dialed the number.
“Flight Service.” Came a reply.
“What’s the weather from Deadhorse to Bettles to Fairbanks?”
“Should be a bluebird day all the way to Fairbanks. There will be high scattered at 20,000. Winds from the north at 10 miles per hour until about noon, and they are expected to change to southerly at about 5 to 8 miles per hour. There may be some low scattered in the area of high peaks over the Brooks Range. The altimeter at this time is 29.98 and rising. Looks like great flying weather on the north slope. What is your aircraft number?” Flight Service personnel at Deadhorse usually had time to be friendly.
“November 4289 Hotel. Thanks for some good weather for a change.” Dan tried to joke with the briefer.
“That’s Steve Ortmann’s airplane. Is he going to let you fly his pride and joy?” he asked, good naturedly.
“Yep, I guess he figures if I ding his airplane, he can come get mine in exchange. There are about 40 PA-14s still flying and he and I each own one. Thanks again for the briefing. Talk to you later.” He hung up the phone and began to make fresh coffee for the officers coming on duty.
He tried to think. Did he have everything covered? Were the assumptions they were being made correct ones? Did Gwen really know about nuclear electronics? One thing was for certain, if he was wrong, he’d be unemployed by tomorrow. But the gamble was too great; if they were right, and did nothing, many lives could be lost.
“What the hell, go for it,” he thought.
CHAPTER SIX
0550 hours, and the sun was high. Except for a faint fog bank just visible to the north over the Arctic Ocean, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
Out the window Dan could see a long tail jeager bird diving on something in the tall grass on the edge of a pond. Two officers in blue and gray uniforms with blue security hardhats were walking from the PLQ toward the gatehouse. They were joking with each other as they came into the shack.
“I hope you made better coffee this morning,” Rod teased as he entered. The two officers went to the back office to get their duty belts and weapons. “How was your night, Dan?”
“It’s been quiet until about a half hour ago. The place starts hopping when project crews begin to arrive. Nothing unusual though. I’m going to make a schedule change, though. I have to go south for a day, maybe two. I hate to change shifts like this but I have to. Kenny, I want you to stay on days and be available to tend the sick and wounded on projects. Just give the gate to control if you have to leave for any reason. Rod, will you stay for a while this morning and help get the project crew signed in and then get some rest and come in tonight to cover my shift? It’s important. If anyone asks, just tell them I had to go to Pump Station Three and Four. The pig is scheduled to go into the pipe at 1400 hours. Most of the administrative people and the pig crew will leave shortly after that and things will be less frantic around here.”
“What brought all this on?” Rod asked.
“I can’t tell you just yet. Sorry Rod, I’ll let you know as soon as I can.” Dan wanted to trust his compatriots, but he knew the danger of information leaks.
“Kenny, can I see you in the back office a minute?”
Kenny gave Rod a curious look and followed Dan into the office. Inside the office, Dan turned and closed the door.
“I need your help, Kenny.”
“What the hell is going on, Dan? You know I would do anything to help you but, I don’t like all this secret stuff. What do you need?” Kenny seemed irritated.
“I need you to call the Pump Station Supervisor and tell him that you saw Gwen Stevens this morning and that you medi-vacced her out to Anchorage. You can make up some medical reason. It is important that no one know that we left together or where we went. I know you don’t like doing this without all the information, but I can’t give you any more right now. If the Sarge calls and wants to know where I am, just tell him that I will call him as soon as possible. I can’t stress enough that I don’t want anyone to know we’re gone. Will you do that for me?”
Kenny studied Dan for a moment then said, “Yeah, I’ll do it. I guess I know you well enough to know that you are not being foolish with Gwen. But I hope you’ve thought about what happens when all this gets out. Some one is going down the tube, and I don’t want it to be me.”
“Thanks, Kenny. I’ll see to it that you don’t get any blame.” The two men left the back office and walked into the bright security office. Dan removed his duty belt and hung it on a hook. He put his weapon in the locker and passed the keys to Rod.
“I’m going to get some breakfast and change clothes, then I’ll be back.” He picked up his hard hat and walked to the PLQ.
It was 0645 when Dan returned to the guardhouse. Both men were still there, and it was obvious they were discussing the situation.
Rod was the one to speak.
“We’ve been talking about whatever it is you’re doing, and we want you to know we’re behind you. We just want you to know you can count on us for anything, okay?”
Dan was relieved, “Thanks guys, right now you don’t know how much that means to me. I’m going to have to get a move on. Rod, give me a ride over to the vehicle shop?”
Dooley was just walking out the door when Dan and Rod pulled into the parking lot. Dan got out and waved to him. Dooley didn’t say a word but tossed him a set of keys and pointed to an unmarked blue pickup. Dan started the truck, rolled down the window and asked Dooley if he wanted a ride as far as the main gate.
“No thanks, it’s such a nice morning I think I’ll walk.”
Gwen was walking toward the main gate when he backed the blue truck into the parking spot. He thought a minute and then stepped out of the truck and entered the guardhouse. He got the keys from Rod and opened the weapon’s cabinet. He took his duty weapon and two speed loaders. He closed the cabinet and returned the keys to Rod. Rod raised his eyebrows and tightened his lips. He knew this was extremely important for Dan.
Rod opened the main vehicle gate enough to allow Gwen to exit the fenced facility. She waved at Rod as she passed the window in front of his desk. She could see Dan striding down the metal stairs on the north side of the guard- house. They met at the blue pickup. Dan waved to his two friends as he opened the truck door and said “Good morning” to his traveling companion.
“We�
�ll see,” she replied.
She was wearing a plaid shirt and blue jeans. Her blond hair was combed out and hung to her shoulders. Dan reached for the key, paused, and looked at her.
“Last chance. Still sure about this?”
“Last night I was unsure and terribly frightened. But this morning, I’m very sure. Since I left you, I reviewed my drawings. Something seemed familiar about the wiring coming from the bulkhead. Then it hit me. That wiring harness was taken from a soviet nuclear warhead. I don’t know from what kind of delivery system, but it’s a low yield type that has been around for a long time. Dan. This is really scary.”
Dan didn’t stop at the intersection with Spine Road—just checked traffic and sped onto the wide dirt road.
“There’s one question we haven’t thought about. Where do you think they’ll detonate this thing? It’s going to have opportunity to travel the full length of the pipeline. We have no way of knowing where it’ll blow.”
“I’ve thought about it a little, but there’s not enough information.” Gwen brushed her hair back and secured it with a barrette from her shirt pocket. “We don’t know who’s behind it. We don’t know their motives. We don’t know where the device is destined. It doesn’t look like the detonator will be installed here. Which means it can only be installed at three other places: Pump Station number Four, Ten, or at the exit point at the Marine Terminal at Valdez. Those are the only places the pig can be taken from the pipeline. We can trap the pig anywhere on the line, though.”
“What do you mean ‘trap the pig?’” Dan asked as he began to slow for the checkpoint. He rolled down the window to be able to speak to the guard. When exiting the checkpoint, the guard would only require the driver’s badge number and name and the vehicle number. In less than half a minute they were on the road again.