Red North!
Page 50
CHAPTER 41
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At 12:25 a.m., Jansen made a final call to a plant number.? Rob answered immediately.
"Everything set to go?" he asked Rob.
"Yes.? We're ready."? Rob was getting nervous.? This was serious business and not something to be taken lightly.? Things could go wrong-very wrong.? The upside was a lot of money.?The downside was, well, unknown.? A nuclear power plant is a complicated machine.? Three stories tall, it looked particularly large and menacing tonight.? Hopefully, what they were attempting to do would be worth it.
Hearing some hesitation in Rob's voice, Jansen said, "Don't bail on me now.? Stick to the plan.? You got it?"
"I'm all right.? You just make sure you hold up your end!" Rob said, trying to hide his apprehension.? "What happens if Street doesn't go along?" Rob's breathing was becoming labored and he tried to hold down the gorge rising in his throat.? This had sounded like a good plan months ago, but now he wasn't so sure.? It was starting to look too risky. But he was committed, and that realization suddenly made him nervous and wonder if there was a way out of this for him.?
"It's your job to make sure he gets the message.? We'll take care of the rest." Jansen was getting pissed.? He didn't like relying on people he hadn't trained with. ?Rob and this team from Waxman were unknowns to him.? He'd just have to work through it, but it was time to calm everyone down.? He needed Rob.
"I want you to calm down . . . right the fuck now!? We're going to do this.? My men and I will do the heavy lifting.? You just do your part and everything will be fine.? Got that?"
Rob's nerves were frayed. "I'll be ready!? Remember, once we start this, there's no turning back."?
Just then, Jansen heard a plant PA announcement being made in the background.
"No!? He can't do that! He's ramping down!" Rob said more to himself than anyone else.? "I gotta go!" he said to Jansen, hanging up.
"Shit!" Jansen swore as he put his phone away.? Their plan called for the plant to be at full power.? With the plant at full power, the fear generated by the accident they had in mind would be at the maximum.? Besides that, it involved less activity in the plant, and he had a greater chance of controlling the situation and not having his men observed as they moved about the plant.?
Rob had been in on discussions with the FBI and helped them reach their decision to also hold power at 100 percent.? He wanted them to hold off any actions until morning.? By then, it would be too late for them to do anything.? But if they got wind that the plant was ramping down tonight, they might alter their plans and decide to do something before everything was ready.? He had to get to Street and stop him from doing this.? He went to his secure phone that didn't register on the other end to show who was calling. Dave answered the phone almost immediately.?
"What the hell are you doing?" Rob practically screamed into the phone.? "I told you to hold at full power!"
Dave stared at the phone.? "Who is this?" he demanded.
"You know perfectly well who this is.? I'm the one calling the shots.? You will stay at 100 percent power, or else . . ."
Dave interrupted him because he didn't want to hear the rest of that threat.? "We can't stay at full power.? We have a problem with the screens and have to reduce to half load and secure a circ water pump.? The high tides have kicked up the kelp and it's plugging the screens."?
Dave thought the voice on the other end of the phone sounded familiar, but the person seemed to be trying to alter his voice.? He just hoped his lie sounded convincing.? But he was getting pissed now and his natural assertive tendencies were coming out so he decided to take the initiative and said, "Even an idiot like you can appreciate that if we don't act now, we may lose the circulator altogether."
Rob was trying to think quickly.? He was immediately intimidated by Dave's tone and accusation, and knew that wasn't the position he wanted to be in.? He didn't know the plant that well, but what Street was saying made sense to him.?He'd heard about kelp and screen problems for years, especially in the winter.? He also knew enough to understand that if the PA announcement had been made, the plans were already set and the plant was probably already ramping down.? Shit!?
Rob gritted his teeth and said, "All right.? But 50 percent power.? No lower!? Do you understand what will happen to your wife and kids if you disobey me?"
With a lump in his throat, Dave said, "I understand, you piece of shit!"
"Good.? Don't disappoint me.? I'll call you later with further instructions."?
With that, Rob hung up.? Damn!? This wasn't supposed to happen.? Okay . . . okay . . . get control.? Their plans should still be okay at 50 percent power-if nothing else goes wrong.?
Dave hung up the phone, realizing that whoever it was, had heard the announcement about the ramp down in power.? Whoever just made that phone call was on site.