Red North!
Page 79
CHAPTER 60
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Red Two played it by the book written by Nick; shoot out the cameras if possible, cut a hole in the fence, and charge through the plant's outer defenses.? Within seconds, the team members found themselves inside the plant perimeter.? Without hesitation, they took off at a run and headed for a stairwell near the back of the auxiliary building that they were told would lead to the Unit 1 containment emergency airlock.? In the confusion and delays from the intake ruse, and the incapacitated camera system, they were able to get across the yard and move up the stairs with no shots being fired at them.?
They were prepared to return fire to keep people at bay, but only if they had to.? They didn't know who the good guys were and who the terrorists were-everyone was likely to be dressed the same way.? They could have used rubber bullets, but to do that they would have had to change out the bolts in their rifles-and the rubber bullets were only good for a limited range.? They had to safeguard the good guys, but they also needed deadly force for the terrorists, should they encounter any.? They'd have to be at the top of their game to distinguish between them.? A moment's hesitation could cost someone their life.
At the top of the stairs, Hays, the Red Two team leader, noticed the vestibule door to the emergency airlock was open.? Shit!? They were too late.? Someone had already gotten inside.? Hays knew they'd have to go in after him.? Whoever was in containment now was the enemy, and the gloves were off.?
"Henderson, with me.? Pak, cordon off this area.? Nobody gets in or out!"
"Copy that, boss," said Pak.
Hays and Henderson worked their way carefully over to the airlock.? They were just about there when their earpieces squawked.?
In a quiet voice, they heard, "Danger close.? Danger close!? Two guys approaching, one in uniform, one in civilian clothes.? Both armed."
"Is the guy in civilian clothes an older guy?" Hays asked.
"That's affirm."
"Hold your fire!? I think he's one of us."
As Hector and the Old Man came running up, Hays stepped out of the shadows and said, "Stop right there!? Identify yourselves.? Don't do anything.? There are several guns on you."
The Old Man spoke up, "Code word is green."?
"Response is blue," said Hays as he lowered his weapon.?
Hector wasn't so sure.? The Old Man turned to him and said, "These guys are Nick's team.? They're the good guys"
Hector looked over the situation, saw the door to containment open, and immediately got on the radio.? He knew this would be broadcast in the clear and that CAS and whoever else was listening would hear him.? At this point, it couldn't be helped and probably didn't matter.?
"All units, this is Hector.? Unit 1 containment emergency airlock outer door is open.? I'm on scene but containment has been compromised.? Say again, Unit 1 containment compromised.? Stand fast.? Do not fire on anyone in this area.? Area secured by friendlies."
A short pause, followed by, "What?? Just who the hell are 'friendlies'?? What the hell is going on Hector?"
"Do as you're told, God damn it!? I don't have time for this!? Hold your fire in this vicinity, do you copy?"
A brief pause, followed by "Copy that, Hector," as the central alarm station radio operator relayed that information to the rest of the security force. ?Hector breathed a sigh of relief.? This was some treacherous ground he was standing on.? God help him if he was wrong about any of this.?
The Headlands Delta responders stopped in their tracks, not knowing what the hell was going on.? Several of them called CAS to confirm the order to stand fast.? The fence had just been blown open, and they didn't like the idea of doing nothing.? This wasn't right.?
"I said stand fast!? Good guys are holding containment.? Stand clear!"
The Old Man went over to Hays.? "How long have you been here?"
"Just got here, sir."
"The door wasn't opened too long ago.? We have to assume the terrorist is still in there then.? We need to get him out.? Preferably alive so we can ask him where he planted his charge."
"Copy that.? What else do we know?" asked Hays, as Hector came over to join the discussion.
The Old Man said, "One guy in there, armed, probably carrying explosives.? The control room was compromised, but Nick took care of that.? The plant's under attack, gentlemen, and we must get inside and stop the guy before he can do what he was sent in there to do."?
"What's the plan?" Hays asked, knowing only that this old man in front of him was an extension of Nick.
"We'll make two teams.? I'll take Hector with me.? You two guys go together.? There are two stairwells.? We each take one.? Odds are he's near the lower level, near the reactor coolant pumps.? They would be the easiest things to damage with a small charge.? We know where to look, so we'll do the searching.? You guys secure that back stairwell."?
Hays looked at him and just nodded his head.
"One more thing.? It's going to be very hot and very loud in there.? We won't be able to talk well unless right in front of each other.? Don't use your comm gear.? The radio interference may trigger a reactor shutdown by tripping sensitive reactor trip relays.? The reactor is still on line.? If you stay outside the bio shield, which is the outermost walkway, you'll be okay.? If you have to go inside, toward the reactor, radiation levels will go up dramatically. Radiation kills, gentlemen.? You won't see it or feel it.? If you start to get a metallic taste in your mouth, get the hell out of there.? If you must go in, limit your stay time to a few minutes only, understand?"
The Old Man paused.
"Gentlemen, I don't have to tell you that if something happens while we're in there, we won't be able to open the doors to get out.? We have to contain things inside containment at all costs.? Do not open those doors.? Are we clear?"
He looked each man in the eyes.? He saw no hesitation whatsoever-only determination.?
"Let's go," said Hays.
The Old Man nodded.? He marveled at the courage of the men beside him, and felt a deep sense of pride in being associated with them.? That pride gave him confidence that they would succeed.
He walked over and led them into the already unlocked labyrinth that led to the outer of two airlock doors.? He flipped a switch that looked like a light switch, then looked through the deadlight and saw that the inside door was closed.? That was good.? If it were open, the interlock, which prevented more than one door from being open at a time, would have prohibited them from opening the outer door.? The guy who went in probably didn't know that and just instinctively closed the inner door behind him.
The Old Man reached up to the side of what looked like the main door hand-wheel and opened a small valve to equalize the pressure across the door.? They could hear a small hiss as the air escaped from the area between the doors.? A minute later, the hissing stopped and the Old Man read a gauge, which told him the pressure had been equalized.?
Gripping the hand-wheel, he rotated it counterclockwise to open.? A few turns later, he could see the dogs holding the door in place release, and the massive door swung open gently and easily.? It opened inward so that any pressure from inside containment would push on it to keep it closed.? They all stepped over the lip of the watertight door and into an inner chamber. ?Once inside, the Old Man closed the door behind them and spun the hand-wheel clockwise to dog the hatches.? If anyone was claustrophobic, this would be a bad time to realize it.
The Old Man moved to the inner door and repeated the process to equalize the pressure across the door with the inside of containment.? He then swung the huge inner door open and they stepped across the threshold and inside the massive Unit 1 reactor containment building.?