Live Bait

by David Archer

  His eyes were blackened and his lips were split, with blood on his chin. There was a bleeding gash on his left cheek, as if he’d been struck by someone wearing a ring. “Geez,” Sam muttered.

  “I’m going to ask you again,” said a voice off-camera. “We know that you were the agent who stole nuclear devices from the Russians in the early nineties. You convinced an entire submarine crew to defect, and to help you smuggle them out of the base. We want to know where they are, today.”

  “And I’m telling you I don’t know,” Harry said, and the pain and fatigue in his voice tugged at Sam’s heartstrings. “I’m retired, they don’t let me have that kind of information anymore.”

  “You know,” said the off-camera voice, “if I were dealing with anyone else, I might believe that. You, on the other hand, are Harry Winslow. You know more secrets of the government than almost anyone else, and I happen to know that you are still consulted by most of the American intelligence agencies on a regular basis. Now, try again, Mr. Winslow. Where are the bombs?”

  “I don’t...”

  That was as far as Harry got, because a large man stepped into view and struck him across the face. Blood shot out of his mouth and splattered onto the floor, and Harry cried out at the pain. The big man hit him again, and then again, and when he drew back for another strike, Harry said thickly, “All right, all right, that’s enough!”

  The big man stepped out of view again and the voice came back. “Well? Where are they? Don’t try to stall, Mr. Winslow, no one is going to come to your rescue.”

  Harry gasped a few times, then leaned his head back against the chair. “I'll tell you,” he said after a few seconds. “It won’t matter, because you can’t get to them in any case. They’re at the Baldwin Ranch, outside of Tucson. The old gold mine on the ranch, it’s actually an entrance to an underground base. Kinda like Area 51, it’s a warehouse for secret materials. That’s where they were the last I knew.”

  Harry sagged against the chair, and the voice said, “Is he telling the truth?”

  “According to the polygraph and voice stress analysis, he is,” said a woman’s voice. “I think he’s simply ready to die, and doesn’t care anymore about keeping secrets.”

  “Is he?” asked the man. “Are you certain he’s given us the truth?”

  “As certain as I can be,” said the woman. “I can’t see any sign of deception, and all of this equipment seems to indicate he’s not lying anymore. I could tell he was lying when he insisted he didn’t know the answer, so I would say he’s given you the truth as far as he knows it, at least.”

  The man hesitated. “Mr. Winslow, is there a chance the bombs have been moved since you were last aware of them?”

  Harry slowly shook his head weakly from side to side. “I doubt it,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of places you can hide things like that, and even fewer places where the security can handle them. Baldwin Ranch is a special warehouse for dangerous items. That’s where they are, and I hope they blow your heads off when you try to get in.”

  There was a moment of silence, and then the big man stepped into view once again. He put a pistol to Harry’s head and squeezed the trigger, and Sam and Indie both gasped as blood and gray matter splattered against the wall.

  “Relax, Sam,” Ron said with a grin. “Harry’s fine, but Hollywood lost out when Q decided not to go into special effects. He rigged all of that up, and I’ve never seen anything more realistic.”

  Sam looked up at him. “That was too realistic,” he said. “But it fits perfectly with an idea I had earlier.”

  THIRTEEN

  “What kind of idea?” Ron asked. “I’ve seen that look in your eye before, Sam, and it makes me nervous.”

  Sam shrugged his shoulders. “Why should it make you nervous? The only logical course of action is to shut down the PAF and put Heinrich in prison, where he belongs. We know that he wants me for killing his nephew, and we are already baiting a trap for him. I’m only going to suggest we sweeten the pot by letting him think he has a chance to get to me while he’s at it.”

  “Sam, Heinrich Wegner is a cold-blooded killer, and an international criminal. I don’t know where his actual politics come from, but everything I’ve read about the guy tells me that the PAF is nothing but a tool he uses to enrich and empower himself. I don’t really like the idea of you painting a target on your forehead.”

  “I second that,” Indie said. “Sam, this is too risky.”

  “No, it’s not,” Sam said. “I’m the one who killed Hendricks, his nephew; if we put me into this whole situation, we can be pretty certain he’s going to swallow the bait and come after me. When he does, we're going to be ready to take him down.”

  Indie squeezed his hand. “Sam, you’re talking about using yourself as bait! That could be suicidal!”

  Once again, Sam shrugged. “Leaving him out there, knowing he wants to come after me, would probably be even worse. I’m the one he wants most, so I’d be the irresistible target. If I were him, I might be leery of trusting Reese over the bombs, but if he thinks it will give him a chance at me at the same time, it’ll be irresistible.”

  Ron stared coldly into his eyes. “And what if he does manage to kill you? Never mind the fact that we lose the best investigator we’ve ever had, what about your family? You need to think about this, Sam.”

  “I am thinking about it,” Sam said. “Ron, I’m going to be worthless to you if I have to stay hidden all the time, and I’d only be endangering my family. How long would it be before Heinrich would decide to try to use them against me? Or, what happens if he decides to take me out while they’re with me?”

  The man behind the desk simply looked into his eyes. “As much as I hate to admit it,” Ron said, “you’re making some valid points. Okay, so how do we do this? Tell me your plan.”

  “It’s simple,” Sam said. “We let Heinrich believe that I’ve gone rogue, that I’ve thrown in with Reese on this whole deal. Get my family hidden away, along with Harry and his wife, and then we let Reese make his phone call. The only difference is, now he gets to explain that it was Sam Prichard that helped him track down the Soviet Sixpack, and that I want a share in the reward. Heinrich will play along because it will give him the chance to look me in the eye while he puts a bullet through my head.”

  Ron was silent for almost a minute, and it was obvious that the wheels in his head were spinning. “I can’t say I like this idea, but it does make sense. It would also strengthen the story of how Reese avoided being arrested back in Illinois. All right, I’ll play along. Meanwhile, Gary should be back here with your kids and your mothers shortly. We’ll take care of your family, Sam, but you and the team are going to have to make sure you all come back safely. A lot of people are going to get very upset if you get yourself killed.”“Yeah, and I’m one of them,” Indie said.

  “I’ll do all I can to avoid that, I promise you,” Sam said. “Arresting Heinrich has to be the main priority, though. He represents a threat to the entire world, not just me. He and the PAF have to be shut down while they’re still small enough to handle without a war.”

  Ron nodded once. “All right, then,” he said. “Nine o’clock in the morning, right here. Have your team with you.”

  Ron turned back to his computer and Sam knew that the interview was over. Sam rose and pulled Indie to her feet, and the two of them walked out of the room. They were quiet as they walked down the hall to Sam’s office, but once they were alone, Indie looked at him.

  “Do you really think this is the smart move?”

  “I think it’s the only move. Beauregard said that I was going to end up in more danger than I’ve ever known, right? Well, we know he’s never wrong, but at least this way I can control the way that danger comes. If Heinrich wants me that badly, then I’m going to use that obsession against him.”

  They sat on the couch in his office and Indie leaned against him. “And what do the kids and I do if you get yourself killed?”

&nb
sp; “You’ll get by,” Sam said, after a moment’s hesitation. “I know it would be hard, babe, but I also know how strong you are, and you’d get the kids through it. Just promise me that you won’t let it ruin your life, that you won’t turn down a chance to be happy again someday.”

  “God, Sam, you sound like you expect to die. I haven’t had you long enough to think about losing you, Sam, so don’t expect me to be able to think about what I would do if that happens.” Tears were starting to run from her eyes and track down her cheeks.

  Sam turned and put his arm around her as she wiped away the tears and snuggled up to him.

  “You pick the lousiest times to volunteer yourself for a suicide mission, do you know that?”

  “I have absolutely no intention of making it a suicide mission,” Sam said. “What I’m planning to do is draw Heinrich close enough for us to take out his people and place him into custody as quickly as possible.”

  Indie looked up at him for a long moment, then leaned her head on his shoulder again. “I just don’t know how I could cope with it if I lost you now…”

  Sam thought for a second, then kissed the top of her head. “I’m going to do my best to make sure you don’t,” he said. “That’s all I can promise you right at this moment.”

  “Indie?” Indie’s mother, Kim, called out to her as she and Grace came rushing into the office. “Oh, thank goodness you’re safe! I’ve been worried all the way here.”

  “I’m okay, Mom,” Indie said. “Where are the kids?”

  “They’re down in the lobby,” Grace said, “with a couple of ladies that came along to help with them. Bo is sleeping and Kenzie is watching videos on my phone. We came down because we needed to talk to you, find out what’s happening.”

  Sam nodded. “Did they tell you what’s going on yet?”

  “Mr. Collins just said to grab some things,” Grace said, “and come with them, because there was some kind of danger that might affect us and the kids, so we were supposed to go to some safe house. That’s all we know at the moment, so what’s really going on? Sam?”

  Sam let out a sigh. “On my last case a couple days ago, there was a gunfight and I had to kill a man. Turns out his uncle is the terrorist behind that whole situation, and he’s put a bounty out on me. Ron made arrangements to take all of you to somewhere safe while we deal with the situation, and you will be taking Harry and Kathy Winslow along with you. Harry is helping us out with this case, but now he needs to disappear for a while. Sending him with you seemed like the best option, and it gives me a little extra peace of mind knowing he’ll be there to help protect you.”

  Kim nodded. “This is what Beauregard was talking about,” she said.

  Sam nodded. “Yes, I suppose so. He said somebody was going to be angry at me, and he was right again.”

  “I’m talking about today,” Kim said. “He told me something was going to happen, and to give you a message.” She raised her face to look Sam in the eye, and he saw the fear in her own. “Beauregard says to tell you that Indie has to go with you. If she doesn’t, you will die, and so will many, many others. If she does, then you have a chance to come through alive and save everyone else.”

  Sam stared at her. “Okay, no way,” he said. “I know exactly how dangerous the situation is, and there is no way I’m taking my wife into that.”

  Kim shrugged and looked downward again. “Then you will die, and probably the rest of your people, as well. I don’t know the whole situation, but if you die, the bad guy will be able to kill millions of people before this is over.”

  Sam, his heart racing and his mind chasing after, stared at her. He took several deep breaths, then got up and went to his desk. He punched the button on his phone that would ring through to Ron’s office.

  “You got Ron.”

  “I think you need to come down here,” Sam said. “There’s been a new development, and I don’t trust my own judgment at this moment.”

  “Oh-kay,” Ron said. “I'll be right there, Sam.”

  “Sam,” Indie said as he hung up the phone, “Sam, I have to go with you. I don’t understand it either, but Beauregard says…”

  “Beauregard isn’t real,” Sam said emphatically. He looked at his mother-in-law. “Kim, there’s got to be more. I know you can see bits of the future, but you’ve got to be able to give me more than just this. I’m going into the one of the most dangerous situations I’ve ever seen, probably worse than Lake Mead. How can you ask me to take Indie into that?”

  “I’m not asking you anything, Sam,” Kim said. “I can assure you, I do not want her going with you, that’s the last thing I could ever want for my daughter! But Beauregard says there’s no choice, that if she does not go, you will die and the bad guy will get his hands on something that can kill millions of people, and he’ll use it! As much as I love Indie, as much as I hate the thought of her going into danger of any kind, how can I balance that against the thought of millions of people dying? And maybe Beauregard isn’t real to you, but he is certainly real to me. He’s never been wrong, Sam, never! You know that, so why do you even bother trying to convince yourself he might be this time?”

  Tears were streaming down her face as she spoke, and Sam couldn’t help softening a bit. “Look, all I meant was…”

  “I know what you mean,” Kim cut him off. “You think he is just a figment of my imagination, and maybe you’re right. That doesn’t change the fact that the only time I know anything about what’s going to happen is when Beauregard pops up inside my head and tells me. Maybe he’s just a psychological construct, I don’t really know, but I don’t really care, either! All I care about is the many, many times he has saved our lives.”

  Sam started to speak, but then he realized that Ron was standing in the office doorway. He motioned for his boss to come on in, and then asked Kim to repeat Beauregard’s warning.

  Ron stared at her for a long moment, then turned to Sam. “You said you don’t trust your own judgment,” he said. “I’m not sure I want you to trust mine on this, but everything you’ve ever told me about Beauregard, you said he was always right. Everything he told you proved to be true, right?”

  Sam nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.

  “In that case,” Ron said, “I think you need to do exactly what he tells you to do. I don’t know why having Indie with you will make a difference, but apparently it will. I’m going to suggest you accept his warning and take her along, Sam.”

  Sam nodded again. “Yeah,” he said. “I guess there really isn’t much of a choice, is there?” He looked up at Ron. “Where’s Harry?”

  “He and Kathy went up to one of the guestrooms. He wanted to get a shower to wash off all the makeup and fake blood, and then they were going to take a nap.”

  “Naptime is over,” Sam said. “Get him down here, now.”

  Ron started to say something, then got up and walked out of the office. He was back ten minutes later with Harry Winslow right behind him.

  “Grace, Kimberly,” Harry said. “It’s good to see you ladies again. I trust you have been well?”

  “Cut the crap, Harry,” Sam said. “Ron tell you what’s going on?”

  “He did, on the way down here. How can I help, Sam?”

  “You can tell me just how in the hell this thing is going to go south on me. Beauregard says Heinrich could get his hands on something that would let him kill millions of people. Are we talking about the Sixpack, here?”

  Harry looked him in the eye. “Those bombs have been disarmed,” he said. “The nuclear material was removed shortly after I delivered them. However, I have to suppose that it would be possible to replace it with other fissionable material and make them functional once more. That’s the only possibility I can think of.”

  “Well, what about this place, this Baldwin Ranch? You said it’s a place where dangerous things are stored; is there something else there that could be that deadly?”

  Harry shook his head. “I’m sure that there almo
st certainly is, but I wouldn’t know what,” he said. “When I spoke with the Joint Chiefs, I tried to make sure of that, but I couldn’t get a straight answer. Most of what that vault houses are items that have been neutralized, but may still hold value of some sort. A lot of them have nothing but political value, if we ever needed to reveal the fact that they existed at all. These bombs, for instance, were only retained because of the potential political value in revealing their existence. The Russians know we have them, and the threat of going public has made them blink on several occasions. That would be a major embarrassment, since they have denied that these bombs were ever built in the first place.”

  “So, if Heinrich could get his hands on enough plutonium, he could make these bombs explode?”

  “Theoretically, I would have to say yes,” Harry said, “though it isn’t really that simple. These were hydrogen bombs, which involves plutonium-239 along with uranium-238 and a captive amount of compressed hydrogen gas. A normal atomic bomb works on fission, splitting the nucleus of an atom, which causes other nuclei to split and creating a chain reaction that releases an immense amount of energy. In these bombs, the process starts the same, but the detonation of the plutonium causes the hydrogen atoms to fuse. That releases far more energy from fusion than from fission, which is why the hydrogen bomb is so much more powerful. If Heinrich can get his hands on plutonium-encapsulated hydrogen, he could theoretically make these bombs as powerful as they ever were, perhaps even more so.” He blinked. “Of course, the detonating mechanism is the same, so even just the addition of plutonium-239 and a uranium tamper would create a simple but effective atomic bomb capable of destroying the city the size of Los Angeles.”

  Sam ran a hand over his face. “And if we mess this up, he could end up with six of them. Maybe we should just abort this plan, or redo that video to point him to a different location.”

  Harry shook his head. “It’s too late for that,” he said. “The Baldwin Ranch is a compromised secret, anyway. Its existence is already known to most of the intelligence community in the world, so it’s the most logical place for these bombs to be stored. That’s precisely why this plan will work. Changing it now would only complicate matters, and could possibly make Heinrich so suspicious that we wouldn’t be able to draw him out again.” He clasped his hands together and looked Sam in the eye. “Sam, I don’t know what Beauregard’s problem is, but I have every confidence that you can set this trap and spring it. Besides, just getting the bombs out of that vault would take heavy equipment and many hours. While I know that Beauregard has always been right in the past, I cannot imagine any scenario that would allow Heinrich and company to actually remove them from it.”