Go Out With A Bang!

by Gary Weston

  'I've been so worried,' said Steve. 'Ferret. What happened to you?'

  'Don't ask.'

  'We had a narrow escape,' said Sandra. 'Nick. Work with Ferret on the computer. Maybe get him something for the pain. I guess he's getting old.'

  Chapter 60

  Nick couldn't believe his eyes. 'No.'

  'Yes,' said Ferret. 'It makes sense, Nick.'

  'Are you saying they've built this?'

  'They built it. You saw it yourself. Straight off the main dude's computer. We can get somewhere with this. I'll get the others in here.' Ferret called the others into the library and they gathered around the computer.

  'Oh, Jeez,' said Steve. 'Is that thing for real?'

  'That's impressive,' said Frank. 'A mobile missile launcher. How on Earth did they put something like that together?'

  'A team effort,' said Sandra. 'For nearly a year they have been getting all the components together. They would have had the funds to set up a good engineering workshop. Between them they'd have all the skills they need. Ferret. Can you and Nick translate the text that goes with the graphics?'

  'These are rudimentary schematics,' said Ferret. 'They aren't engineering blueprints to manufacture anything from, so not all the graphics are detailed with text. Give us an hour and we'll get what we can from it. If somebody could rustle up some grub for us, we'll get onto it.'

  Leaving Nick and Ferret in the library, the others went to the kitchen to eat. It was a simple feed of crusty bread sandwiches and juice. Titch took a tray full to Nick and Ferret who were so absorbed in their task, they hardly noticed him. Titch quietly returned to the others.

  'How the hell do we stop a missile launcher?' he asked.

  'We have to find it first,' said Steve. 'Maybe there's a clue on their computer.'

  Sandra said, 'The big problem for the terrorists was getting the weapons into the conference centre. This way they don't have to. The air force will have the no fly zone covered by radar, but the missile will be much faster than any aircraft. Impossible to shoot down.'

  Hank said, 'Being mobile, it can be anywhere, moved at a moments notice. Ah, Nick. Ferret. Success?'

  Ferret said, 'To a degree, yes. We still have some text to decode, but we can tell you what we have found so far. There are three types of warhead.'

  'Three?' said Sandra.

  'One is a powerful explosive. Big enough to blast a hole in the side of the building. They have two of those. The second type is a nerve gas in a highly pressurised container. Two of those. The third is a thermonuclear device. Only one of those.'

  'Good God,' said Steve. 'Thermonuclear? Is that like an atom bomb?'

  'No. Not really. That would use either uranium or plutonium. One word we have for sure is hydrogen. This is like an H bomb.'

  'Not radiation, then?' said Frank.

  'We can't rule that out,' said Nick. 'The fusion or thermonuclear warheads are not only very destructive, they can give off lethal gamma radiation.'

  'Oh, shit,' said Steve. 'What sets it off?'

  'That's where the detail is lost, so we had a look at how other missiles worked.' said Ferret. 'In the full sized missiles, an atom-bomb trigger could be used. That releases neutrons bombarding the lithium liner, which starts the fusion process generated from the isotope. The fission of the uranium jacket and the emitted by the reaction, produces the radioactive fission material. Gamma radiation. It isn't an area I'm familiar with, but our research has suggested that they'll probably use tritium. It's an isotope of hydrogen mixed with deuterium. Pretty old science from the nineteen fifties. This means a lower ignition temperature can be used. The isotope would be in a lithium liner and the whole device in a uranium jacket.'

  'That is one hell of a sophisticated piece of kit,' said Hank.'These people know what they're doing.'

  'So,' said Frank. 'The explosive missiles breach the outer building. The missiles carrying the nerve gas would enter the building through the hole made, as would the thermonuclear warhead. The nerve gas would stop the evacuation and create more confusion. The nuclear missile would also enter the building for maximum impact and then it would be...well. Game over.'

  Sandra said, 'If that nuclear missile goes off, what sort of death and destruction are we talking about?'

  Ferret said, 'I'm no expert, but from what we found out on line, the physical destruction from the thermonuclear or fusion, device, compared to a comparatively sized nuclear or fission weapon is actually far more devastating. But the gamma radiation is pretty damned awful. Being on the edge of the city, it would kill hundreds, if not several thousand, in a very nasty way.'

  Frank shook his head. 'They would do that to people, to children?'

  'This is why I'm trying to stop them,' said Sandra.

  Ferret said, 'I can't stress the devastation and death this will cause.'

  'No doubt followed by World War three,' said Sandra.

  After a reflective moment, Frank asked,'How big would the vehicle have to be to carry all that?'

  Ferret said, 'Surprisingly, not as big as we might think. The missiles have their own propulsion system. The schematics show a flatbed pickup truck. Here's a printout. The launcher has a total length of eight feet. It's on a hydraulic pivoting lifting platform for the trajectory. The whole thing is computerised. The missiles have a diameter of thirteen inches and is about six feet in length. This doesn't seem to be a weapon of mass destruction as being capable of killing hundreds of thousands. Just to kill the inhabitants of the conference centre and anyone unfortunate to be in the immediate vicinity up to several miles. Possibly a few thousand.'

  'It's a nightmare,' said Steve. 'You two have done a phenomenal job.'

  'Like I said before,' said Ferret. 'We are still working through it, but I expect that for a successful strike, factors are keyed into the launcher like distance, land elevation, building height and wind speed and direction. Once that's in, they press the buttons and fire the missiles. There's a purpose built space under the launcher for storage of the missiles.'

  Frank said,'This is ridiculous. We have to warn everyone to get out of the conference centre. Evacuate the city.'

  'The problem with that,' said Sandra, 'is that the terrorist's will be watching their every move. They see a mass exodus, boom. If not then and there, then some other place, some other time. We have to track them down and stop them before they have the chance to attack.'

  Frank said, 'But at least all those in the city will have a chance to get away if we warn them. The terrorist's could be about to fire the missiles this very minute. How can we live with ourselves if the missiles are launched and we could have got people out of harms way? I hope you can live with that, because I don't think I can.'

  'On the other hand,' said Sandra, 'if we try to evacuate the entire city, and that spooks the terrorist's into firing the missiles anyway, and we had a chance to track them down before that happened, how do we live with ourselves then, Frank? Why don't we put it to the vote?'

  'We'll vote on it,' said Steve. 'I'm with Sandra.'

  One by one they voted, leaving Sandra and Frank to last.

  'You know how I feel,' said Sandra. 'Frank. Say no, It's five each. A stalemate. Please. Give me your support.'

  They all looked at Frank who was wrestling with one of the biggest decisions of his life. 'Okay. I'll support you, Sandra. I just hope to God we are doing the right thing.'

  'So do I, Frank,' said Sandra. 'Thank you.'

  Steve said, 'Great. And all we have to do is to find the launcher. And the conference starts tomorrow evening.'

  Chapter 61

  Prime Minister Sinclair Carlisle mingled with the other political leaders. The conference centre was knee deep in security agents. It was ridiculous and he told Paul Rose as much. 'I want all of them out of here.'

  'I suppose one hundred and ninety six agents in the same room are a little overwhelming. Does that include me?'

  'Yes. And again, yes. All I can think is, thank God Chrissie isn't
here. She'd be freaking out.'

  'She does have a security agent phobia.'

  'I'm beginning to develop one. Look. Rosy. We aren't all exactly going out on the town on a pub crawl. Hey. Not a bad idea. Can we go out and have a pub crawl?'

  'Would you prefer a serious response to that question, or a sarcastic one?'

  'You know something, Rosy? I once had a really strange idea. I become Prime Minister, I can do what the hell I want to do. I got a whole bunch of pals here, and I can't go on a bloody pub crawl in my own city? See something wrong with this picture?'

  'I suppose you could stop being prime minister and go on the town with your pals.'

  'Remind me. How many times have I fired you this year?'

  'Seventeen.'

  'Can't you take a hint?'

  'No. And you poor slobs are going to have to slum it with Micheline standard food and the finest booze, all paid for by the tax payer. So guess what?'

  'We're all staying in here?'

  'Finally.'

  'You're fired.'

  'Whatever.'

  Rose rounded up the agents, and although some looked concerned at the request to leave the room, they all eventually left.

  'Thank goodness for that,' said Randolph Milliner, President of the United States of America. 'I can breathe again.'

  The German Prime Minister Franz Grober agreed. 'Agents. I see them from the moment I open my eyes to the second I go to bed. The minute I start dreaming about them, I'm retiring.'

  With the agents gone, they could relax. One or two even loosened their ties. Even the waiting staff were happier, being able to do their jobs without being jostled by the agents. It was an informal evening, with very little business discussed. They all knew what was all about. The event was a showcase. The world was in an economic straight-jacket, millions thrown out of work; austerity regimes driving things to new lows and the Japanese out on a limb spending up big time with trillions of yen, trying to stimulate their economy.

  Most had little idea on how to get back on track. The intention was to show the world they cared and shared their pain. But that evening was all about chatting and getting over any jet lag.

  Milliner said, 'at last I can relax a little. I'd have loved to have seen the sights, though, Sinclair.'

  'I can only apologize, Randy. I did actually suggest a pub crawl, but apparently I'd have to resign first. Seriously, on a one by one basis, we could cope. Protecting ten of us in these troubled times would be a logistical nightmare. You are all more than welcome to come back again and I will personally make sure you have a great time.'

  'At least we get a break from our partners,' said Grober. 'Love her to bits, but a few drinks with you boys is a real treat.'

  'I'm with you on that one,' said Milliner.

  Carlisle suggested, 'Let's not over indulge tonight, though. We have the media in here in the morning, so no bloodshot eyes, eh?'

  Grober sighed. 'Pity we have to spoil it by doing work.'

  'I'm sure we'll survive,' said Carlisle.

  Chapter 62

  'I'm just glad everyone agreed to stay with me and Ferret.' They had the pool to themselves. Sandra had her suspicions the others were giving her and Steve some quality time together.

  Steve said, 'Frank could have gone either way. I must admit I was surprised when he finally said he was in.'

  'I wouldn't have held it against him if he had gone home to his family. Same goes for the rest of you.'

  'It was the nuclear thing that did it for Frank. He said to me later, “how dare those sons of bitches bring a thing like that into our country.” He wants to get stuck into them.'

  'We need a little luck to go with our efforts. We need to find them and fast.'

  * * *

  'It's a fantastic piece of engineering,' said Nick, looking at the computer monitor. 'Terrific precision.'

  Ferret said, 'Assuming they have achieved that level of accuracy on the actual missiles. This would have to be machined in a well equipped factory to make it work.'

  'They couldn't smuggle them into the country?'

  'Perhaps a few components could get through,' said Ferret. 'Where the materials for the isotope came from, is anyone's guess. Russian black market perhaps. And how the hell they smuggled it into the country I can't even imagine. The proof that enough money can solve most problems. Oh! But look at this. Interesting.'

  'What is it?'

  'Hang on a minute. Let me just check the code again to be certain. I was right. Jeez. It's a laser guidance system. I didn't get that before. I thought it was just a part of the warhead. This in the nosecone homes in on a laser target aimed at the building. In theory, the laser could be positioned anywhere. Oh. Here it is, attached to the top of the launcher, near the rear end.'

  'Ah!' said Nick. 'Does that mean they'll fire it at night?'

  'It does not. Daylight, nighttime, it doesn't make any difference to the laser. Having said that, the only way the beam could be detected in the daytime is by infrared goggles. And by the time the beam was seen, it would be too late. Game over.'

  Nick asked, 'What would you say was the range of the missile?'

  'More than enough,' said Ferret. 'It's the range of the laser that matters. Between one and two miles, depending on the type used. I'm thinking two maximum.'

  Nick said, 'Any other factors than distance?'

  'The laser beam needs to have nothing obstructing it. No other buildings in its way. It doesn't matter about the missile. It'll follow the laser, no matter what.'

  'In that case, we need to be looking for an elevated launching site, no further then two miles from the conference centre.'

  Ferret put a map of the area on the screen. 'Forget any buildings. They have the launcher on the back of a truck. The launch site needs to be reachable by road.'

  'Okay. Here's a possibility. Here. And maybe here.'

  'Too far out.'

  'This hilly area here.'

  'No roads.'

  'Right. Not there. This is going to take ages.'

  'I'll get the beer,' said Ferret.

  Chapter 63

  It took an hour and a half for the media people to go through the security screening in the foyer. All equipment was scrutinised, five times over. Men and women went through x-ray and metal detectors. Some complained about overkill, but were given the option. Be checked over, or leave. None left. At last, Carlisle took the small temporary stage, the wall behind him covered in all the flags from the participating countries.

  'Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for your cooperation this morning. We make no apologies for what may seem like excessive security here today. We live in uncertain times and we are taking no chances. I'll field any questions before the photo opportunity. You.'

  'Trinity Squires, Chanel eight news. Sir. Could you give us some idea of the itinerary of this conference?'

  'Trinity. Enjoyed your feature on third world poverty last week, by the way. Good job.' It didn't hurt to get them onside. 'This conference has been many months in the planning. The world has had it tough for too long. Our intention is to slug it out and try to resolve some of the things holding us back from moving on. I suggested best of ten rounds, but realised President Milliner has a much longer reach.'

  The light hearted joke got a polite ripple of laughter.

  'Over there.'

  'Tom Gatskill, Radio Two news.'

  'Love your station, Tom. If I ever have trouble getting off to sleep at night, I tune in to you. Only kidding, Tom. Love your insightful comment. Go for it.'

  'Sir. There have been other such conferences. What makes this one different?'

  'Shh. Don't tell them, but the Chinese haven't been invited.'

  Another ripple of laughter.

  'I jest. Some of my best friends are Chinese. We'll catch up with them one of these days.'

  After a couple more questions, Carlisle stood with his peers, all looking confident and business like. Carlisle had fielded the questions with his calm a
nd charming style, sending the media away smiling, feeling as if he had actually answered a straight question with straight answer.

  'Right,' said Carlisle. 'A spot of lunch, then on with the show.'

  * * *

  President Milliner sipped his water. 'Here's where I'm coming from. I learnt my best stuff about economics from my dad, over forty years ago. He was a coal miner. If he didn't work, we didn't eat. He earned every dollar from the sweat of his brow, lying on his belly in the shit, swinging a pick in a three foot seam. He told me this. “Son. You wanna buy something worth a dollar, don't go shopping with ninety cents. You have a dollar to invest, make damn sure you double that dollar.'

  'Some point to this?' said the French Prime Minister.

  'You bet your ass there is. My dad also told me this. It was the time when we were sending all our work offshore. Dad said, we're selling our jobs and that's going to cost us. I grew up watching that prediction come true. Time to get our jobs back.'

  'That's a whole can of snakes you're opening,' said Carlisle.

  'You saying I'm wrong?'

  'Hell, no. I'm just saying, stock up on anti venom first.'

  Chapter 64

  For Ferret and Nick it had been a tedious process, testing their staying power to the maximum. They had made an early start and had selected and eliminated the possible launch sites, one by one. Several hours later, they had listed a total of seventy two possible launch sites, between one and two miles of the conference centre, reachable by road, with sufficient elevation. It also became abundantly obvious, they couldn't check them all out without help. It was time for a meeting. In the lounge, all eyes were on the whiteboard.

  'This,' said Ferret, 'Is the city. Here is the conference centre, on the edge of the city, three miles from the airport. We know they are intending to use a mobile missile launcher. It has a laser guided system. From that, we deduce the launch site probably wouldn't be more than two miles from the centre. It also needs to be a reasonably elevated site. It took awhile, but we have broken it down to seventy two possible launch sites.'