Jordan replied, “I’m here to offer you a financial boon to your budget in exchange for a very sensitive piece of property.”
The chancellor said, “I understand you to mean the nuclear weapons that we disavow having. Those weapons definitely do not exist in a bunker.”
Jordan said, “Those would be the ones. I need two of them.”
The chancellor asked, “How much money are we talking about to turn a blind eye to your presence in the secret hiding place that the world’s security forces can’t find.”
Jordan answered, “About six million United States dollars.”
The chancellor said, “That is a huge portion of our nation’s budget. The economic sanctions that the world’s governments have placed on us have nearly bankrupted our economy. I have no other alternative but to accept your offer.”
Jordan said, “I want to take this to the next level. I understand that some of the nuclear weapons in your possession are macabre.”
The chancellor replied, “They’re nuclear weapons. Of course they’re macabre. The destruction they do is horrific.”
Jordan asked, “How macabre are they?”
The chancellor replied, “I don’t know why you’re continuing this line of questions. What are you getting at?”
Jordan said, “I am getting at the fact that there are rumors that you are holding MACABRE weapons.”
The chancellor said, “I told you that all nuclear weapons are macabre.”
Jordan said, “You know what I am talking about, and you are just being difficult and evasive. Do you have the advanced nuclear cluster bombs or not?”
The chancellor replied, “Those are just a myth. They don’t really exist. No one has those weapons.”
Jordan said, “I know that you‘re lying to me. I know that you know what the acronym macabre is.”
The chancellor said, “Yes, I know the acronym. It is Modified Advanced Cluster Atomic Bomb Reactor Extreme. It doesn’t exist.”
Jordan asked, “Then how does the rest of the world have classified pictures of your stockpile?”
The chancellor answered, “The world is using some superimposing software. Those pictures are fakes.”
Jordan said, “Why are you being so evasive when I know the truth?”
The chancellor said, “Okay, we have the damn things!”
The chancellor began to sweat and shake in anger. He hadn’t wanted to tip his hand to Jordan, and he really hadn’t wanted to commit to selling the deadliest weapon ever invented to a complete stranger.
Jordan said, “Now that we have that resolved, tell me about them.”
The chancellor said, “The bombs are designed to completely destroy a target for all eternity. The main bomb detonates when it is dropped, just like a standard atomic bomb. Then the satellite bombs encase themselves in the melted debris from the initial explosion. They are coated with Sta-Kul Extreme, so they can withstand temperatures of five million degrees.”
Jordan asked, “Is that Celsius or Fahrenheit?”
The chancellor said, “The whole world is now metric, so Fahrenheit is no longer used, even by you stupid Americans.”
Jordan said, “Okay, go on explaining.”
The chancellor continued, “The small bombs are every bit as powerful as the main bomb, but they won’t detonate with the initial explosion. Instead, they’re stable until the temperature drops below 200°. Then just one of the mini bombs detonates, and begins the reaction again. This process repeats until all 20 of the satellite bombs have detonated. The damage to the land is nearly permanent. This is the most damaging weapon in our arsenal, but it was supposed to be a secret. I can’t sell it to you.”
Jordan said, “I realize that you could kill me where I stand to keep me quiet, but I think the money is too dear to your heart. I think that we still have a deal.”
The Chancellor replied, “You’re very cocky. How do you know that I won’t kill you where you sit?”
Jordan replied, “Because I’m sure that you did your homework. You called me Captain Green. That means you know who I am and what I’m capable of.”
The Chancellor said, “Yes, I know who you were. The past is no guarantee of the future.”
Jordan said, “If you were going to kill me, you would’ve done it by now.”
Jordan was working very hard to control his breathing and heart rate. He had worn cooling clothing to control the sweat. To the Chancellor, he seemed nearly invincible.
The Chancellor said, “How do you know that I won’t renege on the deal once you are clear of my office?”
Jordan replied, “Because you know who my connections are. You don’t want a full scale war on your hands when you don’t have the resources to feed your people.”
The Chancellor said, “I must accept your offer, even though I hate that I’m even talking to you right now. Our country is so crippled from sanctions that we can’t turn down any infusion of cash.”
Jordan said, “How will the weapons be delivered to me?”
The Chancellor said, “I will have them loaded on your plane at 7:45 tomorrow morning.”
Jordan replied, “How do I know that you’re giving me genuine merchandise?”
The Chancellor asked, “How do I know that you won’t burn me with the payment?”
Jordan said, “You’re just going to have to trust me.”
The chancellor said, “To ensure that the merchandise is genuine, you may have your agent inspect them, or you may inspect them yourself. I wouldn’t anger a man to whom I am selling a nuclear weapon. I hope that your plans do not include an offensive against Iran?”
Jordan said, “I would not betray someone who has untold stockpiles of nuclear weapons.”
Jordan left the room and headed out of the castle. He needed to clear his head and get all of the nervous energy out of his system. He couldn’t allow anyone in the castle to see that all of his strength was a façade. He had to make everyone think that he was a force to be reckoned with, even though he knew that he was really just a weakling disguised as a strongman.
When Jordan returned to his hotel room, he broke down. He could no longer hold back the fear in his soul, and tears came streaming down his face. He began to wail and cry in terror. He was terrified, because until he felt the ground beneath him at the Albuquerque International Sunport, he wasn’t entirely sure that his mission would succeed. He fell to his knees and shook like a terrified man. He was so scared that he continued to shake for the next two hours, until he fell asleep on the floor. Luckily, he had to go to the restroom an hour after that, so he was able to lie in the bed for the rest of the night.
Jordan woke the next morning ready to put on a show and complete his mission. He couldn’t show any weakness for even a second in front of the Iranians. He had to show his strength to ensure that they wouldn’t double cross him. His acting was masterful during the inspection of the cargo.
Jordan said, “I’ll just have a look at the cargo, to make sure that everything is in order.”
He walked into the cargo bay and inspected the two bombs in the crates and a third crate containing cargo that even the Iranians didn’t know existed. The third crate held four Iranians who had joined the mission. They were being smuggled out of Iran in the crate. The crate had been disguised to look like archaeological artifacts so that neither the Iranians that loaded the plane nor anyone else would be able to tell what was inside the crate. The weapons looked genuine from afar, but only a closer inspection could guarantee that they were real. The first one had all the required elements to be a real nuclear weapon, so it passed the test. The second looked flawed from afar, but upon closer inspection, it was only a superficial flaw. The third crate was in good shape, and the people inside were doing fine. They didn’t even mind the cramped conditions. Both weapons passed the inspection, so Jordan decided he should pay for the cargo. He didn’t want to start a war with anyone, as the group was a peaceful one.
Jordan said, “Here’s your payment for t
he cargo,” and handed the chancellor an envelope stuffed with cash.
The chancellor said, “I’m sure you won’t mind if we conduct our own inspection. We must make sure it’s all there.”
Jordan said, “Go ahead.”
The chancellor’s liaison took the envelope and ran the contents through a bill counter. The money was, in fact, correct.
The chancellor said, “Well, looks like everything is in order. You‘re free to go.”
Jordan signaled Clive that it was time to leave. Clive had been waiting in the pilot’s lounge during the exchange, so he didn’t know what the cargo on his plane was. Jordan wanted to keep it that way. Clive started the plane, and Jordan began the long journey home. He planned his return route without any stops, just one nonstop flight to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The hiding place that Jordan had told Scout about was located just about five miles south of Albuquerque, on the former site of Kirtland Air Force base. That site had once stored nuclear arms, and the storage facilities were still intact and very secret. Jordan felt very secure leaving them there while the group prepared for the voyage to Mars.
As Jordan and Clive boarded the plane, Jordan’s thoughts began to turn to all of the things that could go wrong. He fought off these feelings and tried to concentrate on getting back to the United States in one piece. He had an experienced pilot who could evade attack once in the air, and the plane was even more durable than the one he chartered to Russia. The plane also had weapons to defend itself, but Jordan was unaware of the improvements that Clive had made to his plane. Clive took his seat in the cockpit and Jordan took his seat as a passenger.
The engines began to scream, and Jordan couldn’t wait to see the ground beneath him fade into the distance. The plane began to taxi down the runway, and then made the turn to takeoff. Jordan kept his eyes on the men outside for any sign of trouble, but found none. He thought that the men could be waiting for the most vulnerable moment to strike him. The plane began to accelerate down the runway, and the engine noise was deafening. The tires then left the runway, and Jordan knew that this was the plane's most vulnerable moment, because it could not defend while taking off, nor could it change direction to evade attack. The men below, however, just wanted him to be gone so that they could disavow any knowledge of his existence. The plane climbed high into the sky and faded from view. Jordan was safe from the danger his mind created.
Clive’s plane landed in Albuquerque twenty-three hours after it left Tehran. The flight had been very smooth, and uneventful. That did not, however, mean that Jordan was now home free. He still had to smuggle this bomb past customs enforcement and hide it in the bunker beneath the old base. As the plane taxied toward the hangar, Clive asked Jordan where he wanted the cargo to go.
Jordan answered, “I need you to hangar this plane for about twelve hours, and leave the cargo exactly where it is.”
Clive said, “What the hell are you trying to pull, here? We have to be inspected by customs.”
Jordan said, “That’s why I had you hangar your other plane from the beginning.”
Clive said, “I had wondered about that.”
Jordan said, “I have very sensitive cargo that I can’t afford to lose on this plane, and I need you to just trust me on this one. Now, let’s take this plane to the hangar and then come out in the other plane.”
Clive said, “That’ll look suspicious, like we’re trying to avoid an inspection. Besides, the markings on the planes are different.”
Jordan said, “No, they’re not. I had them repainted to be identical for this very occasion. I also changed the radios. We need to be super-fast, though, and bring that other plane out of the hangar within seconds of stopping this one.”
Clive said, “You’ve gone through a lot of trouble to make sure no one sees us in this plane. What the hell are you hiding?”
Jordan said, “I can’t tell you. I’ve got the other plane warming up so that when we arrive at the hangar we can kill this one’s engines. It needs to look like an oversight that we didn’t go directly to customs.”
Clive said, “Alright, I’m going to trust you this once, but if you burn me I’ll kill you.”
Jordan said, “I’m very aware of the risk. I knew the risks when I started.”
The plane slowed to a crawl as it entered the hangar, and Clive stopped the engines. The two men jumped out of the plane and boarded the second one, which was already running. The transfer took only forty –two seconds to complete, and the men were in their former positions on the new plane. The second plane emerged from the hangar and proceeded to the customs inspection area.
When the plane arrived, the customs officials were curious as to why the plane had headed directly to the hangar.
The officer asked, “What happened over there? Did you forget about inspection?”
Clive said, “I don’t do a lot of international travel, so this is not a part of my everyday routine. I guess I just had a slip. I’ve got nothing to hide, though.”
The officer said, “I hope not, for your sake.”
The customs enforcement officers searched every millimeter of the plane. They even took sections apart looking for anything that shouldn’t be on the plane. The wheels came off, panels were removed, and all of the compartments were disassembled so that the men could find anything that shouldn’t be on the plane. The inspection took six hours to complete, and produced nothing. Jordan had made sure that there was nothing on board the plane except what he said would be on the plane. He had had that stuff planted on the plane during the time when it was being painted.
The officer said, “Looks like you really did just forget. Sorry about your plane. You’re free to go.”
Clive said, “You destroyed my plane for no good reason, and now you’re going to have me put it back together? I don’t even think so!”
The officer said, “Hey, you were acting suspicious, so we were justified.”
Clive said, “No, you weren’t. You are going to put this plane back together or I am going to file a lawsuit and bankrupt you.”
The officer said, “You can’t do that.”
Clive said, “I am former Major Clive Walker. I’ve done it before to ignorant officers who abuse their authority, and I know that I can do it again.”
The officer ordered his men to put the plane exactly the way it was before the inspection. He knew of Clive’s’ legend. He didn’t want to lose his career over this. It took the men two additional hours to reassemble the plane, and Clive and Jordan then re-boarded the plane. They took it to the hangar again and locked the hangar up so that no one would see that there were actually two identical planes stored inside. They left the planes and went to their hotel for the next ten hours.
In the middle of the night, both men returned to the airport to retrieve the cargo on the plane. Jordan told Clive to start the plane and make a short run to the old Air Force base. Clive complied, and six minutes later, they were at the old base landing strip. Jordan instructed Clive to bring the plane fifty yards up the runway. The plane came to a rest and the men emerged.
Jordan said, “Okay, wait here.”
Clive said, “Are you ever going to tell me what the hell is going on?”
Jordan said, “When we’re on Mars.”
Clive said, “So this is all part of the mission?”
Jordan said, “Yes, but this part is only known to the core of the group and we’d like to keep it that way.”
Clive said, “I don’t see how it’s important enough to be kept a secret from all but five people?”
Jordan said, “It’s the most important part, but it’s also the most dangerous part in more ways than one.”
Clive said, “Alright, do what you’ve got to do.”
Jordan exited the plane and found a trap door on the tarmac. He opened the door to reveal a stairway.
He thought, “Yes, I’m in the right place. My memory is as sharp as a saber."
Jordan went into the cargo bay and loaded the first cr
ate on a hand truck. He wheeled the cargo to the stairway, and then dragged it down the stairs. Once at the bottom, he placed it with the empty crates that were still stored in the former nuclear arms facility. All of the crates were identical, so no one would know what was inside without actually opening the crates. He then repeated the process for the second crate. Both weapons were now securely stored. He locked the trap door exactly as it was before his arrival so that no one would get suspicious of an intrusion. Jordan then entered the plane once more and instructed Clive to head to Portland.
“Portland! I’m tired. I don’t want to go to Portland right now,” Clive protested.
Jordan said, “There is a second cargo that I can tell you about that needs to be in Portland soon.”
Clive said, “And why didn’t you tell me about this other cargo before?”
Jordan said, “So that you could plead ignorance. It’s still illegal cargo.”
Clive asked, “What illegal cargo?”
Jordan said, “Iranians that have joined our group. We smuggled them here along with the other cargo. Just take off, and I can watch the plane until it’s time to land. I do have some flight time of my own. I’m just not very good at the taking off and landing yet.”
Clive pushed back and prepared the plane for takeoff. Jordan had made sure that the plane was full of fuel well in advance, as he knew that they would need it for the journey. The plane took off and the passengers began the final leg of the journey.
Chapter Ten
Lane and Notah
Lane Blake called Scout as soon as the plane landed in St. Petersburg. He couldn’t wait to join the people who were going to change the course of human history. A society without money had been a dream of his since he was a teenager. Even in the Air Force, he saw that he was putting his life on the line every day during the war and he was paid peanuts. Meanwhile, his commanding officers were safely sheltered in some bunker making three times his salary. He thought it was ridiculous.
MARS: Renaissance Page 9