"Understood," Jonathan said, knowing that three guards were dead, and more would follow.
"Remember, Sergeant Davies, I can call your house at any second. You don't want me to have to do that," Aiguo said.
"I understand," Jonathan whispered, turning away from the image of the guard shack on his screen.
Jonathan's hands were shaking. He had to fight the urge to throw up. The three guards secured behind him could see what had happened on the large monitors at the front of the room. They all began yelling and cursing. All Jonathan could see were the faces of his wife and two daughters.
"I'm a murderer. There's no going back," Jonathan said, while turning back to his screen.
The tripwire for the Harris Security Plan had been activated, but no one was listening.
CHAPTER 37
The Davies House
3400 Avent Ferry Road
New Hill, North Carolina
August 2, 2017
1900 hours EST
"I have some leftover spaghetti from last night, if you'd like some. I have to give the girls their supper, and spaghetti is one of the few foods they'll eat without fussing," Dorothy said, while pulling a large pot out of the fridge.
"No, I'm not hungry, but I'd like some green tea. Chonglin said you made a good pot of tea.
"Sure, I'd be glad to," Dorothy said, as her heart began pounding in her chest.
"I don't hate this woman, but she's with them. That makes her as bad as they are. This is my chance," Dorothy thought, as she removed the canister of modified green tea from the pantry.
"I'll put the water on to boil, while I warm up their food in the microwave," Dorothy said.
A few minutes later, the girls were both making a mess of the spaghetti. Emily was still learning to use a fork, so more sauce went on her face than in her mouth. Lingli smiled as she watched them eat.
"I always hoped for children someday. Now I don't think I want to bring a helpless child into this barbaric world," she thought, while sipping on her hot tea.
"This green tea has an odd aftertaste, earthy, like parsnips," Lingli said, while Dorothy sat opposite her drinking coffee.
"I don't drink it. Your friends asked for it when they let me go shopping," Dorothy said.
"She's had almost a full mug. It has to start taking effect soon," Dorothy thought, while getting up to get more coffee.
Lingli drained the mug, went to set the mug on the table, but tipped it over. She stared at her hands, and then began rubbing her fingertips together. Then she looked up at Dorothy, standing at the kitchen counter, sipping on her coffee.
"You poisoned me," Lingli said, and tried to push away from the table, but felt her knees buckle and fell to the floor.
"Yes, I would have enjoyed watching that big bastard suffer more than you, but you'll have to do," Dorothy said, as she put down her coffee, walked over to the table, and knelt down beside Lingli.
"It's called conium maculatum, poison Hemlock. It grows in our backyard, down by the creek. I found it a month ago, right before your friends showed up and took over our lives. Jonathan was going to get some Roundup and kill it, but he didn't want to do it while he was on night shift. I kept the girls away from the area. I understand that it takes a while to die from this poison. I read once that they gave this to Aristotle. I don't think it's painful. First you lose control of your limbs. Then you will lose control of your bowels, and then other organs will shut down. Eventually, your heart will stop. I had to guess at the dosage. My estimate was for that big bastard. He's twice your size, so you should go quicker. I'd like to say I'm sorry, or that I feel guilty about doing this, but I'm not, and I don't. You brought this on yourself," Dorothy said, while slipping the 9mm from Lingli's holster, and setting it on top of the table.
Lingli couldn't control her limbs anymore, but her mind was fully alert. She knew that Chonglin would laugh at her and call her stupid. Then he would make fun of the other women who had become China's first female Special Forces soldiers.
She could feel her heartbeat become irregular. Her lungs seemed to stiffen, as if they were filling up with water or becoming paralyzed. Then she remembered Aiguo's last words to her, "A tiger has no mercy when it hunts . . . prey is prey, whatever its age or sex. I have made this mistake before on this long mission. Never get to know your enemy as a person. That was part of my training. I took it as just another lesson. Instead, it was a warning."
"But still . . . I would not kill them . . ." Lingli whispered, as she closed her eyes, her last breath gurgling in her lungs, and died.
Dorothy stared at the dead woman, her mind filled with elation and horror. She had saved her girls, but she knew that this woman's dead face would haunt her forever.
She glanced at the clock on the kitchen wall. It was 7:20 PM.
"Jonathan, I have to call Jonathan and tell him we're free," Dorothy said.
Her cell phone still sat in the charger on the kitchen counter. She had been warned by Chonglin not to touch it without permission.
"Jonathan, baby, please pick up," she said, while autodialing his cell phone.
There was no answer. It was as if his phone was dead or turned off. Then she remembered . . .
"Oh God, he's some place the signal won't reach. The plant . . . the damn concrete . . . the walls are too thick," Dorothy said, as she stared at the girls.
Callie had slid from her seat, and was standing over Lingli, staring at her. Emily was finished eating and was busy spreading the remaining spaghetti across the surface of her high chair.
"Come on girls, I have to get you cleaned up. Then we're going for a car ride," Dorothy said, while scooping Emily out of the high chair, and taking Callie by the hand.
Ten minutes later, Dorothy, Callie and Emily Davies left their home on Avent Ferry Road for the last time. As they headed away from the house, Dorothy dialed 911.
CHAPTER 38
Security Building
Harris Nuclear Plant
5421 Shearon Harris Rd
New Hill, North Carolina
August 2, 2017
1910 hours EST
The black van pulled up in front of the Security Building. Twelve men exploded from the van like fire ants from a mound. Two plant workers were exiting the Security Building, having worked over from day shift. Both were shot down by silenced weapons.
Team Claw remained behind at the entrance to cover their rear. Team Fang formed a stick and entered the Security Building. They turned right, crouching behind a glass-topped wall, walked 30 feet, then turned left, and left again. Two guards sat behind consoles on the other side of a row of metal/explosive detectors and x-ray machines. They looked up. Both were taken down with single shots to the head.
A third guard sat in an armored cubicle called The Box, elevated to the right of the entrance area. This location was the second tripwire of the Security Plan. If the entrance area was attacked, the guard in The Box would lock the turnstiles and call for help.
Sergeant Carlos Vance was the last of the 'Old Guard'. He had been working at the plant since 1987. He was a Vietnam veteran, and was scheduled to retire on December 1st. He thought it was an unannounced drill until his men began dropping. He knew what men looked like when they were shot in the head from close range. Skull fragments and brain matter were splattered on the wall behind them. Blood went everywhere.
"Holy shit! We're under attack," Carlos said, as an assault team swarmed into the inspection area, through the turnstiles and into the Protected Area of the plant.
"No, no, no . . . the turnstile gates are key card access only. That's impossible," Carlos said, as he pressed the alarm button on his console.
A warbling alarm should have sounded all across the plant site, but nothing happened. He picked up the Hot Line that connected to the 'Iron Throne' in Command Central. It was turnover, but one of the duty officers would pick up the line.
"Command Central . . . we're under attack," Carlos said, as the phone on the other end was picked u
p.
. . . .
Jonathan Davies had unlocked the door to The Box. He could hear the sound of silenced gunfire over the Hot Line, as Sergeant Carlos Vance cursed, and then died. He looked down at the phone and gently set it back on the cradle.
. . . .
The two assault teams formed up on the other side of the turnstiles. Sergeant Guan and Team Fang stood aside, as Aiguo formed up Team Claw for the attack on the remainder of the security force left in the building. Aiguo glanced at his watch.
"1913 . . . the meeting will be over in two minutes. We have to go now," Aiguo thought, while placing his key card in the reader that isolated the security offices from the open hallway.
He stepped aside as the door opened. Team Claw passed him and began proceeding down the hallway. There were three rooms on each side. They peeled off one by one and cleared each room as they came to it. They were all empty. Each man joined the end of the stick after clearing a room. The last room on the right was the largest. It served as a training, briefing and turnover room.
Aiguo glanced at his watch once more, thinking, "All of the remaining personnel should be in that room for another 90 seconds."
With a gesture from Aiguo, Team Claw reformed, weapons forward, and proceeded down the hall. Aiguo was third in position, crouched behind Chonglin and Bingwen. Heng walked backwards, covering their rear.
The door to the last room was open. From the sounds, turnover was still in progress. Aiguo glanced around, verifying that each man in Team Claw was ready. He held up three fingers, then two, then one. When his fist closed, he, Chonglin, and Bingwen stepped into the room and began firing. The remainder of the team spread out beside them. Only two guards managed to remove their weapons from their holsters before they were killed.
In less than ten seconds, 25 officers were shot down. Chonglin was stepping over and through the piles of bodies, using his knife to dispatch anyone who moved or made a sound.
Thirty seconds later, Team Claw had reformed back in the hallway, and headed back to the main hall, and Team Fang.
"1916 . . . back on schedule," Aiguo said, as his team exited the security area.
Team Fang was still in position covering both ends of the main hall. Three more bodies were piled up to one side, employees who were exiting the plant after working over their scheduled hours.
"Sergeant Guan, have your team proceed to their next assigned targets," Aiguo ordered, while changing the clip in his pistol.
"Sling your weapons. You know the drill. You must control your emotions and your actions. Walk slowly, be casual. The guard in each tower will be ready to go home. They will probably be looking at you as you approach the stairway leading to their position. Once you get inside, terminate the target. Make sure that the door is closed before you shoot," Sergeant Guan ordered.
Each man nodded, slung his weapon, and started breathing deeply, trying to come down off the adrenalin high of the assault.
"Comrades, this part is critical. We must secure these positions. Once this is over, the plant is ours. Then we proceed to Phase 2," Aiguo said, as the six men began to walk for the main exit leading outside, and to the remainder of the plant.
Security Tower #3
1921 hours EST
"Jeez, who is this clown? Look at him strolling across the yard. Ten minutes and I'm off the clock. It must be some new guy. We'll see how he likes it tomorrow morning when I show up late for turnover," said Security Officer Maurice Jones, while standing at the guard rail atop Tower #3.
"What an asshole. This is going to be one of those 'I had it, you got it' turnovers. My bowling league starts at 8 PM. I'll look pretty damn stupid bowling in combat boots," Maurice said, while reentering his armored guard tower.
"Damn, that idiot even brought his own weapon. Now I can't turn my weapon over to him in the log. I'll have to stop at the damn armory and sign the weapon back in before I leave," Maurice said, as he flipped open his log book and began writing the turnover entry.
He had just finished writing the entry, and signing it, when the door opened.
"That's odd I didn't hear a click as the door lock deactivated," Maurice thought, while turning around.
The last thing that Maurice ever thought was, "Why does this asshole have a silencer on his weapon?"
At 1937 hours EST, First Lieutenant Gong Aiguo, of the Siberian Tigers, received the notification that the last Security Tower had fallen. The Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant now belonged to him.
CHAPTER 39
Harris Nuclear Plant
5421 Shearon Harris Rd
New Hill, North Carolina
August 2, 2017
1940 hours EST
The Security Building
Aiguo stood at the western end of the Security Building. His sense of accomplishment was almost overwhelming. He had destroyed the security force without having one casualty.
"If this was combat, I'd receive an Order of Republic. I would be a hero of the people of China for this accomplishment, but that doesn't matter now. The mission isn't finished," Aiguo thought, as his team assumed defensive positions at the end of the building.
"Jian, Chonglin, take these buildings on the left. Clear every floor. They are all common plant workers. Kill anyone you find. I don't want anyone working against us. Remember, our mission is not to capture this plant. It is to use this plant to destroy America. We don't need any of these people," Aiguo said.
The two men nodded, and began running toward different doors into the first big building on the left. The Service Building held the Maintenance shops and offices, the cafeteria, and most of the offices for Plant Management.
"Renshu, Bingwen, as per our plan, proceed to the Main Control Room. Kill any personnel that you come across on the way. Once you reach the Main Control Room, order them to trip the plant. It will remain stable for at least 24 hours with no further actions. After that has been performed . . . kill them all. We don't need them. Return here when you have completed your mission," Aiguo ordered.
Renshu and Bingwen both nodded, and began trotting toward the Turbine Building. At the northwest end of the Turbine Building, on the 305' elevation, was a massive, steel security door. It was the first of three barriers between the Main Control Room and the rest of the plant. Jonathan had unlocked them all.
"Sergeant Davies, lock the turnstiles inside the Security Building. Open Security Gate No. 1. I have a vehicle that I need inside the fence," Aiguo ordered, over the comm link.
"Understood. When will you free my wife and family?" Jonathan asked.
"When the mission is complete. I need your continued cooperation. As long as you provide that, your family will be safe. When this is over I will free them. That was our agreement. Now do as I requested," Aiguo said, while walking back into the Security Building to verify his other orders were being carried out.
Moments later, the brown truck pulled inside Gate No. 1 and parked on the right side of the Security Building.
Across the plant site, day shift holdovers and night shift staff were slowly finding out that this was not a normal day at work.
The Service Building
Site Vice President Gail Jacobs was working late. She always worked late. She had been married twice and divorced twice. Husbands and children had never fit into her schedule. Two husbands and three children now lived apart from her. Now she sat in her corner office, alone, staring out the window at her nuclear plant. Security was having another drill. They were always having drills.
"Now what are they doing?" she asked herself, while rising out of her custom leather chair, and staring at the west end of the plant.
"It looks like he just threw a body over the rail of the guard tower. What the hell are they doing? That looks like a safety hazard. What if someone was standing down below? I don't even see a spotter down there to keep people away. The Security Director is going to hear about this," she said, as two armed men came running toward the Service Building.
Gail began t
o reach for her phone. She paused, as two shift workers walked out of the Waste Processing Building and began walking toward the Service Building. They were supposed to stay clear of the area when security was playing, but they didn't seem to be concerned. She noticed one of the guards point at the two workers. One of the guards seemed to shoot at them. They both spun to the ground. One of them was still crawling back toward the Waste Processing Building. The door to the building stood open. A man was standing there, staring at the carnage. Then he turned and went back into the building.
"Oh my God! Is she bleeding? These drills are getting pretty realistic," Gail said.
When the shooter ran over to the worker and shot her again, Gail saw skull fragments and more blood. The President's warning flashed into her mind.
"Oh my God! This isn't a drill," she told herself, sat back at her desk, and picked up the phone.
"Who do I call?" she asked, and stared at her phone.
She speed dialed the Security Director, but there was no answer. Then she tried the Shift Lieutenant at Command Central, again no answer.
"That's impossible. That place is always staffed, just like the Main Control Room," she said.
She could feel her heart pounding as she selected an outside line and dialed 911.
"911, what is the emergency?" the operator asked.
"My name is Gail Jacobs. I'm the Site Vice President at the Harris Nuclear Plant. We have security guards killing people on site. At least, they're dressed like security guards. I can't get in touch with anyone in Security," she said, knowing that she was rambling.
"Ma'am, I hope this isn't a joke. We've had a lot of these calls since the President's speech. We prosecute people for making false reports on 911," the operator said.
HARRIS (Detonation) Page 14
