by George Nagle
“What’da mean? It was a little scary, the way he acted.” Daen pulled out his sunglasses as they headed west into the afternoon sun.
James nodded. “Exactly. He was scared, dude. That had all the makings of a bully overreacting like a scared little kid.”
“Let me guess, man, his breathing went up or his hands turned red?” Daen rolled his eyes before remembering James couldn’t see behind his sunglasses.
“Actually, those probably happened, but given his general health, that wouldn’t be singularly detectable by the catecholamine rush. No, his muscles tightened and his eyes dilated. Or I should say his pupils. But there was no detectable light change.”
Daen just shook his head, but James didn’t see it. A moment later, James interpreted the silence correctly and said “Smart ass,” in a joking tone.
“Hey, I noticed that Andrew kid finished with the camera before we left. You think it’s an issue, man?” Daen asked.
“Oh, did he? I doubt it,” James dismissed the concern. “He was still putting things away and probably didn’t have it on.”
Later that day, with his most immediate potential connection to the Spara situation essentially worthless, James informed Tom and Andy that he’d have to exercise other options, options that would take time.
They agreed, equally perplexed by what had taken place. Tom asked if James or Daen planned to do anything with Patrick to destroy his operation. Neither wanted to right now, but they’d circle back to it later and bring Jake in to help.
Andy was fine with this. Tom grumbled a bit, but in the end, he agreed it could wait.
Chapter Seventeen
Now that James had some extra wiggle room, he wanted to focus on Operation Joshua and take care of the Tans once and for all. It would certainly help relieve some of the stress he was carrying. In fact, even though he was happier than he’d ever been in his life, thanks to Carissa, the stress from Operation Joshua, Spara, work, and all the other things he did for the group was getting to be a lot, even for him.
He was still getting everything done and doing it well, but he also was being a lot more direct with people. Some of his co-workers took this as arrogance and thought he was showing off.
The truth was, he was trying to help others along by giving them logical suggestions that they interpreted as telling them what to do. James knew he processed things more quickly than most people, mainly because he didn’t have time to slow down to their speed. But at this point, with the problem pointed out to him, he did not feel that correcting any co-worker relationship damage was worth the time.
Instead, he wanted to focus on the next steps he and the major had put together. They were setting up a facility near Pittsburgh where they could train for their number one task of evacuating the children. That was simple enough. The more challenging part was going through a variety of scenarios, as kids could often be unpredictable.
That wasn’t the only unpredictable thing. They didn’t have an accurate headcount on the number of kids or adults/older teens in the compound. On top of that, they didn’t know what kind of resistance they would face, aside from the fact that they were attacking a fortress. This spawned a debate that played out between James and the major about two weeks after his and Daen’s encounter with Scalpini.
“Look, I understand. I really do, but that doesn’t change the fact that we’re going into an operation with a high number of unknowns. Worrying about motivation is the least of our problems,” the major said with a lot of animated movement from behind his desk.
James was leaning on the other side of the desk, his fingertips on his forehead. He let his fingers run through his hair before saying, “Keeping this operation as secret as possible is paramount. I have no doubt your team can execute and keep it to themselves, but this is different. We need the right guys.”
“Just how is it different? And before you answer that, I have other things I want you to answer first. What is the main objective?”
“Safely removing the kids from that hellhole and getting them to the safe location I’m arranging,” said James in a low voice. He had made contact with what seemed to be a very decent organization in Kyrgyzstan. He couldn’t transport the kids too far, but given the resources he thought would be available after the operation, he felt confident about the plans he was making for them.
“Right, is that the primary?” The major stood up.
“I just said it was, Ian.”
“Good.” The major walked around the desk and stood over James before continuing. “My primary objective, which is only superseded by yours, is to get my boys and myself home alive. I know my team. They know me. I would follow any one of them into hell and back if they asked. Just like I will with you. You have to trust me,” he told James. “This group needs no extra motivation to stay quiet. They’re all on board and have no idea what we’re extracting. They are doing it for me,” the major stressed. “I may not have the exact best individuals for the field, but damn it, I have the best team, and I am not going without my team.”
James sat looking at him for a moment as tension filled the room between two individuals who both were rarely wrong. James then said, “Lame finish. I was expecting something a little more awe-inspiring than that.” He cracked a big grin.
“You son of a bitch,” the major laughed as the tension broke. “You try coming up with something to convince a hardhead like you that sounds all inspirational without sounding like a douche on the spot.” He turned to go back to his seat, adding, “Still leaves open what to do about this EMP thing. My guys are good, but this sounds like something we haven’t ever faced.”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll work something out before we enter training.” James still didn’t know how he was going to do that. His last contact with Calvin had been positive, but he needed to find a way to get him involved without knowing exactly about what.
***
James returned to Aberdeen the next day. Just in case something happened, he was glad he’d arranged to spend a few weeks working there and, consequently being with Carissa, before leaving for the training and operation. He didn’t have a fear of dying, though he had to admit it had crossed his mind lately.
This was his life, planning for “in case something happened.” He’d often been made fun of as a child, and even as a young adult, for his ability to anticipate scenarios and plan for them. It made him different and weird, something he’d decided to embrace a long time ago. Carissa didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she seemed to adore the fact that he could do that.
“You know, Love,” she said to him the night before he left, “what if you don’t come back, then?” She was lying on his chest as they watched television. She’d been rather cuddly and provocative that night. It was nice, but James was also appreciative of the fact that she wasn’t constantly “touchy feely” most of the time.
James momentarily froze inside, but played it cool. “Is that a question or a wish, Risa?”
“Don’t be a prat. I mean if you aren’t back in time for Judy’s party,” she said, poking him in the ribs playfully.
“Ah, right, the party,” he said as she nuzzled his chest. He felt the tension leave his body in relief. “Well, if I end up staying longer, I’ll arrange for the surprise to be held at the same place a week later. I actually think it will come as more of a surprise if we do it then, but it won’t tie into your announcement of her moving to your branch. Unless you just wait to do that announcement. Plus, then the puppy we’re getting her should be able to be able to make the party, as it will be old enough. Should make for a better time for her.”
“Why didn’t I think of that? Wonder if I can get the transfer delayed any longer?” Carissa said thoughtfully, more to the room than to James.
“Just tell them you’d rather do it during the middle of the month than at the end with closing,” said James.
“Oh, right, didn’t even think about that. Always thinking, you. And you definitely were thinking something else when I broug
ht up the party,” claimed Carissa.
“Not really too much, just that the program was back on.”
She gave him another poke and he grunted.
“But you did think something. Heard your heart beat faster, I did just then.”
He didn’t even think, just blurted, “That’s because my heart will always race at the thought of never seeing you again.”
Apparently James hit a chord with those words, and the television program was forgotten. They made love twice before Carissa fell asleep cuddled up next to him.
***
The next day, he headed off without waking Carissa, though he left her a little note. It was going to be a long four to six weeks before he could see her again.
Before his flight left, he headed to Cambridge to see what he could extract from Calvin, or maybe Dr. Watterson, about how to dismantle this EMP force field.
He arrived at the university with about an hour in which to get the information he needed. Calvin and Raymond were in the lab, along with Regan and Regina. Luckily, as James walked in, the ladies were saying goodbye, though it looked like they wanted to take the guys’ tongues with them. They giggled as they passed James, and both pinched and then slapped him on the butt.
James was astonished. He certainly hadn’t encouraged that. Calvin just shook his head, but Raymond spoke.
“Ah, sorry about that, mate. They are a bit frisky. My bum has a permanent red look to it as often as they do that. Not always so sure it’s Regina doing the grabbing. They kind of sneak it at you.”
“Ah, right,” James said, mainly because he didn’t know what else to say.
Calvin took off the safety goggles he was wearing and turned to James. “How’s it going? Need any more information on how the fields work or such?”
James hesitated a moment, wondering if he should just be direct or not, but time was pressing and he had nothing to lose. “I wanted to ask, how would you disable the EMP?”
“What EMP?” Raymond asked, but Calvin dived right in.
“Good question, but you can’t disable an EMP once it starts. You can prevent it, but once it goes, it goes until it becomes too weak to be detected. It still follows the laws of energy, mate,” Calvin said, slightly puzzled.
James was stuck. He didn’t want to directly mention Yan again, but he needed to get the twins talking about his experiments. He decided to play stupid.
“Wait, you were talking about creating an extended EMP?” He used his hands to make a big arch in the air.
“That?” Calvin said with a small chuckle. “Nah, mate, told ya. Can’t be done. Least that’s what Dr. Watterson says, unless it’s really cold.”
“If that is the case, remove the cold.” Raymond returned his attention to the circular test ring, but continued, “That will stop the sustained EMP.”
“You said someone had done it before and got the boot out,” James said quickly.
“Not quite, said he was trying to do it. Never got it to go for any real length of time.” Calvin moved to turn a switch for his brother, even though Raymond hadn’t given an indication he wanted him to.
“Oh, Yan’s stuff,” Raymond said, followed by a click as Calvin turned the switch. A faint humming could be heard.
“Brilliant,” they said as one, looking at an oscilloscope.
James had no other option now. He needed them to be interested, and telling the truth, or part of it, was the best way to generate that interest. “What if I told you that an extended force field is possible? And more importantly, that it can be done in open conditions on a massive scale?”
They laughed. “I would say that the girls hit the wrong end and you need some sense knocked into ya, mate,” Calvin said.
James grabbed a sheet of paper, crudely sketched the layout, and described passing through it with the stone markers. He described the issues with batteries and electronics. He even told them about the use of older vehicles.
“You are barking mad, mate,” Calvin spoke first. “First, you don’t even have a conductor capable of that. It would be extremely expensive and have to be rather thick and run right around the perimeter to start. And then how are you keeping it …?”
James cut him off. “Wait, there is a natural layer of some metal. Very visible.” He drew the cliff behind and tried to put in the layer of what he thought was lead. “What if that goes underneath the …? What are you staring at?”
“Look a bit familiar, Raymond?” asked Calvin.
“Just a bit, like that antenna-like set Yan did two weeks prior to getting escorted out. Made out of iridium, weren’t it? Thought Dr. Watterson was going to have a heart attack when the invoice showed up a month later. Had a total of fifty grams, small fortune.” Abruptly, Raymond got up and left.
His brother’s departure did not strike Calvin as odd. He merely commented, “Right, Yan was here a lot those two weeks and then had that row with Dr. Watterson about his idea. And you say this exists in an open environment?”
James nodded as Raymond returned with two videotapes in his hand, proclaiming, “Got ‘em.”
Turned out Raymond had videotaped the lab and had cameras set up to automatically record any activity that went on. The tapes he’d recovered filmed the two weeks Yan had experimented with the iridium wire.
In a matter of minutes, they’d found a section where Yan was alone in the lab and conducting an experiment. Sure enough, any electronic object he placed over the circle failed. However, the equipment inside operated just fine, as did the equipment outside.
They did notice that the antenna portion that extended out like an arch was starting to glow toward the end of the experiment and that Yan slowly powered everything down.
“Wow, brilliant,” said Raymond in a hushed voice.
“That’s an understatement, brother,” said Calvin in an equally awed voice.
James was starting to run short on time. “Listen, how would you eliminate the EMP force field?”
They seemed to come out of their trance. “No idea,” they said together.
“We still have that wire, though,” said Raymond.
Calvin nodded. “Yeah, we’re going to have to give that a go. But you said this is out in the world. Do you know where? Can you take us?” He was getting excited.
“No, I mean, yes. Yes, I know where it is, and no, I can’t take you. I just need to know how to dismantle it.” James spoke a little firmly. He needed to get transport units in to rescue the children, and that required the force field to be down. Taking out the fortress would probably take down the EMP, but the kids needed to be out first.
“We have to study it. We might be able to figure it out. Seeing it operate is the only way to know,” Calvin said.
“Listen, I think I’ve set you on the right path. No doubt this will leapfrog your research. If you can figure out how to dismantle the EMP, call me.” James wrote out his number. “You at least owe me that.”
He paused, knowing he needed more of a guarantee that they’d take action. “I’ll see about getting you out to see the real one operate, but you need to act quickly. I need a response in ten days.” He said that just to tempt them, as he had no intention of taking them into the field.
He turned to walk away but stopped and came back, pulling all the cash he had out of his wallet. “This,” he held up the cash, “is for whatever you want, but I need you to keep this to yourself and not anyone else. Not Dr. Watterson, or even the girls.”
The twins nodded and took the cash. Students always needed money, and James was going to wager that stack of pounds would go a long way.
“No worries, mate. This is with us. It will make our careers, and we want to see it in real time. We’ll ring you as fast as possible,” Raymond said.
James shook hands with them and walked out. He then ran to the car and drove a bit recklessly to the airport. It was a good thing he had some experience with high speed driving, because he needed every second he could get.
At the airport, he li
terally screamed down the hall for them to not close the door to his flight, but he made it.
Chapter Eighteen
James, the major, and his team had been together for three days and finally had the training course set up to give a reasonable mock version of the fortress where the kids were being held. James’s instructions were very clear. He didn’t miss a detail, and he pushed everyone to get things done while working hard himself.
He had just made final arrangements with Noi after securing the funds out of an account the group didn’t know about. Simultaneously, he was dealing with work-related problems and keeping projects going on that front.
On the fourth morning, the major sought James out and pulled him aside.
James knew something had to be up and it had to be personal, as this was not how Ian Doyle customarily did things.
“What’s wrong? Everything okay at home?”
“Home is fine, but since you asked, you are what’s wrong,” the major said flatly.
James did a double take. “What?”
“You’re ordering the team around and haven’t earned the right to do so,” the major said. He was not a man to mince words. “This is my team. ‘Team’ is the operative word. Each man here respects the others. Each man can step up and take the lead, and each man knows when to follow. You haven’t demonstrated any of that to them. You’re barking orders without giving them the full vision of what’s happening. How can you expect them to work if they don’t know what they’re working toward or why?”
“Look, we don’t have time to …” James started, but the major raised his hand.
“I’ve said my piece. You take the action you feel best, but I can tell you I wouldn’t want these men walking into this operation thinking this is how you’re going to lead them. I’ve had to stop Jason and Kevin from grabbing hold of you more than once. They’re staying in line out of respect for me and because I’m vouching for you. Don’t make me out to look a fool. Fix this.” He walked away.
