by Alex Lukeman
"Mmm."
Selena turned over on her side. Nick left the loft and took the elevator to the ground floor. He stepped outside and stopped. His day was about to get complicated.
A black Cadillac limousine idled by the curb. A uniformed driver stood by the passenger compartment. As Nick came out of his building, the man opened the door for him.
Adam. I thought I was done with him. How does he always know when I'm going to come out of the building?
"Please get in, Mister Carter," the driver said.
The last time Adam had showed up, he'd sent Nick after an ancient book written in Arabic that held a terrible secret. It had almost been his last mission, but somehow he'd survived.
He still didn't know who Adam was, only that he belonged to a secretive organization dedicated to opposing evil that dated back to the Knights Templar. Not the simple darkness of unenlightened humanity, but fundamental evil that corrupted people and used them to try and control the world. Adam had once told Nick he'd been recruited into a war between the forces of darkness and the forces of light .
Sometimes he was forced to admit Adam might be right. When he looked back at some of the things that had happened since he'd joined the Project, the idea of dark and light forces waging war through humanity made sense.
Nick wasn't a religious man. He didn't consider himself a spiritual one. Yet when Adam got involved he found himself in situations unlike any he'd encountered before, situations that went beyond his understanding. For want of any other word, he had come to think of them as somehow spiritual. One thing he did understand was that Adam knew things he didn't, and that it was a good idea to pay attention to what he said.
Reluctantly, he got into the car and settled down on the leather seat. The driver shut the door. He heard it lock.
It was like every other time he'd gotten into Adam's Cadillac. The windows were blacked out, making it impossible to see out of the car. The rear passenger section was partitioned from the floor to the roof by an opaque sheet of black glass. It was impossible to see whoever was sitting on the other side. A speaker and a closed drawer were mounted in the glass. A partition of the same black glass separated the rear compartment from the driver and the front of the car.
"Good morning, Nick."
Adam's voice was distorted by electronics. For all Nick knew, Adam was a woman. Hell, for all he knew there wasn't anyone on the other side of the partition. Maybe he was listening to someone talking over a radio.
"Adam. I didn't expect to meet up with you again."
"I have the feeling you had hoped we would not meet again."
There was a touch of amusement in the electronic voice.
"I'm not going to deny it," Nick said. "Why are you here?"
"Surely you can guess?"
"The missing bombs? "
Nick felt the car begin to move. It was like riding inside a silent cocoon made of polished wood, black leather, and black glass.
"The world is in great danger."
The electronic voice filled the compartment.
"This is not just another simple terrorist act, if the cruelties of those people can ever be called simple."
"Aren't you being a little overdramatic? They can make a lot of trouble with the plutonium, but they can't set the bombs off."
"Unfortunately, they can."
"Wait a second. Those arming mechanisms are supposed to be foolproof. They self-destruct if someone tries to mess with them."
"Almost nothing in this world is foolproof," Adam said. "The people who stole the weapons have recruited a traitor who happens to be a genius with computers and electronics. He understands how the bombs work. He will remove and redesign the firing mechanism and nuclear components, then repackage them. Once he succeeds, the terrorists will have nuclear bombs they can detonate at will."
Nick imagined a mushroom cloud rising over a city somewhere in the world. A fierce pain began behind his left eye. He raised his hand and rubbed his forehead. The drawer in the partition slid open.
"Take the pill you find there," Adam said. "It will help the headache."
Nick picked up the pill and looked at it. It was a red capsule.
"How did you know I had a headache?"
"Just take the pill, Nick. It will act quickly. There is a bottle of water in the compartment on the door. "
The headache felt like someone was driving a spike into the top of his head. He found the water, screwed off the top, and swallowed the pill with a gulp. A minute later, he felt the pain begin to recede. He took a deep breath as the tension eased.
"Any chance I could get a supply of these?" Nick said.
Adam laughed.
"They won't be necessary, Nick. The headaches will go away."
"I'm glad to hear it, but I've got a feeling you're about to give me one."
"I'm sure that you remember AEON."
"AEON? I thought that was finished."
"Almost. There is still one man left," Adam said. "He provided the money for the theft of the bombs. He is filled with hatred and anger. He justifies it with corrupt ideology and tells himself that what he is doing is best for the earth. He intends to destroy the existing social order and seed a new society that will rule the world, one divided into two classes existing in a symbiotic relationship."
"Two classes. I can guess what they are. Rulers and serfs."
"He would not put it that way, but yes, you are right."
"And he intends to use the bombs to bring that about?"
"Let me ask you a question, Nick. What do you think would happen if a large nuclear weapon detonated in Moscow?"
"The Russians are paranoid as hell. They would assume we had attacked them."
"And if other explosions targeted Western capitals?"
"We would think Russia or China was responsible."
"And that would mean?"
"It could start World War III," Nick said.
"The weapons that were taken are capable of killing many millions of people," Adam said. "A general war would kill billions. "
"But what would be the point?" Nick asked. "What good does it do to start a nuclear war? There wouldn't be anything left after that. You can't start a new society in a radioactive wasteland."
"Any sane person knows that, Nick. The problem is that this man is not really sane, not in the way we understand it. He is terminally ill. He sees this plan as his legacy, a way to be remembered forever. He believes the elites he deems worthy to rule the world will survive. He's right, up to a point. They have spent years preparing underground bunkers and stocks of supplies in anticipation of a nuclear war. He thinks they will emerge after the initial dangers are over and establish the new society, using the common people who have survived as labor."
"That's crazy," Nick said. "There won't be any place on earth that doesn't get radioactive fallout. Even if where you are doesn't take a direct hit, the radioactivity will get to it. The jet stream will make sure of that. It doesn't matter where you are in the world."
"You and I know that," Adam said, "but we don't think like they do."
"Who's behind this, Adam?"
"His name is Gregor Kondor. He lives in Switzerland."
"The billionaire?"
"Yes."
"I know who he is," Nick said. "He's been funding trouble around the world for a long time. But I didn't know he was part of AEON."
"Kondor and AEON are one," Adam said. "He is the last initiate. The others are dead. There are many people among the elites who agree with AEON's philosophy, but were never an official part of the organization. Kondor doesn't care if they were initiated. He knows they will act in ways to further AEON's goals. You should know something, Nick. He hates you. You, personally."
"Me? Why? I've never met the man. "
"You were responsible for the ruin and death of Johannes Gutenberg. Gutenberg was the only man Kondor ever called a friend. Gutenberg initiated Kondor into the Order."
"It figures he'd be friends with tha
t bastard," Nick said.
"I tell you this because you have begun looking into the theft of the weapons. Kondor will learn of your involvement. You pose a threat to the success of his plan. He will make it his mission to destroy you and your friends before he dies."
"He might find that a little difficult," Nick said.
Chapter 26
Nick was unable to see through the blacked out windows, but it felt as though the car had moved out of the city traffic. They were on a highway, keeping a steady speed.
"Where are the bombs?" Nick asked.
"In Hungary. I cannot tell you exactly where, but I rely on you and your friends to locate them."
"But you know where they are?"
"Only that they have been moved into an abandoned military installation."
"You can't tell me more than that?"
"I have already given you as much information as I am allowed to. We can only intervene in human affairs up to a point, and only under certain conditions. I am bound by rules. You will have to discover the exact location yourself, but I do not believe it will take you long. I have confidence in your group's ability to succeed."
It was useless to argue. It wasn't the first time Adam had withheld important information because of his rules. With a start, Nick realized his headache was gone.
"All right. Tell me this. Who has the bombs now?"
"The weapons are in the hands of a group of Chechen terrorists who wish to avenge the crimes committed against their people by the Russians and the West."
"The West? What do we have to do with it?"
"The president of the Chechen Republic was killed by the Russians during the First Chechen War. Your NSA gave Moscow the information it needed to accomplish his assassination."
"Shit."
"Yes."
"Do you know the targets? Where they plan to detonate the weapons? "
"No. A safe assumption is that Moscow is one of them. The Chechen code of honor demands revenge, and the Russians are the primary enemy. The bomb that was intercepted in Missouri was destined for Washington. It is likely they intend to strike Western capitals."
"Maybe they'll use all the bombs in Moscow."
"I do not believe so," Adam said. "One bomb, if it is programmed to full capacity, will obliterate Moscow from the face of the earth. There is a religious element involved. All of the West is considered an enemy. They think it is God's will to attack the infidels wherever they can. They are wrong."
"This is a nightmare," Nick said.
"Humanity has an unlimited capacity for turning its darkest thoughts into destructive reality. What redeems you is an equally great capacity for creating beauty and expressing love."
The car slowed, stopped, then began moving again. Nick figured they were back in the city. He already knew the answer to his next question.
"What do you want me to do?"
"You must find the weapons before they are detonated and destroy them," Adam said.
"Kondor looks like a good place to start."
"That seems logical, but he will not tell you anything," Adam said. "He does not have long to live. Kondor does not fear death, nor is he in control of what happens at this point. He has done what he set out to do, delivered weapons of mass death into the hands of people who will use them. He has provided them with money, the expertise to alter the weapons, and everything they might need to succeed. I would suggest you wait to confront him until after you have dealt with the immediate threat."
"You said he would find out we were involved. When he does, he's likely to come after us."
"He will send people, yes."
"Then it makes sense to go after him now. "
An electronic sigh came through the speaker.
"You must be careful to separate the personal from the greater need," Adam said. "When Kondor sends his minions, there will be time to deal with them in the moment. You are forewarned, therefore it will not be easy for him to surprise you. You must keep your eye on the goal. If one of those weapons is detonated, it will trigger the end of your civilization. You have a larger obligation to humanity."
The car came to a halt. The door lock snapped open.
"If even one bomb goes off, it will escalate to a major nuclear exchange between the great powers. I don't need to tell you what the results will be. You must succeed, Nick. It is your duty."
"You don't expect much, do you?"
"Goodbye, Nick," Adam said. "Good luck."
"Yeah, right," Nick said.
He got out of the car. He was back in front of his apartment building. He watched the Cadillac pull away, Adam's words echoing in his mind.
Duty. Duty overrode everything. Duty kept you moving forward when everything inside you screamed retreat. Adam had known what button to push.
At least his headache was gone.
Chapter 27
The mood in Elizabeth's office was grim. Lamont, Ronnie, Stephanie, and Selena were all there. Nick had just finished briefing them on what Adam had told him.
"One of these days your friend Adam is going to come up with some good news for a change," Elizabeth said.
"I wouldn't call him a friend. Adam doesn't strike me as the kind of person who has friends," Nick said. "All I know is that he's been right every time in the past. If he says the terrorists have someone who can arm those bombs, I believe him."
"There can't be many people with that kind of knowledge," Stephanie said.
"Adam said he was a traitor. Those bombs are American. It has to be someone who knows them inside and out, maybe someone with a grudge. That has to be a short list. We need to find out who it is."
"It could be someone in the Air Force," Elizabeth said. "Someone familiar with the B-61."
"Or the plant at Pantax," Stephanie said. "Isn't that where they service and manufacture the bombs?"
"Yes. It's possible it could be someone there."
"Adam said the bombs were in an abandoned military installation. We can start looking at them and eliminating the unlikely ones," Stephanie said. "Freddie can save us a lot of time."
I am confused by this statement.
"What is confusing, Freddie?"
Time is an abstract concept. It is not a tangible item that can be saved. Therefore the statement is illogical .
"It's an idiom, Freddie. It means that by taking certain actions the amount of time needed to accomplish a given task can be shortened. In this case, it means using your abilities to identify abandoned military facilities in Hungary and then eliminating ones which would not be suitable for the terrorists. You can do it much more quickly than we can."
Do you wish me to also identify and prioritize facilities that could be used by the terrorists to modify the weapons?
"Yes, Freddie, that would be very helpful."
Processing.
"Should we ask the Hungarian authorities to help?" Selena asked.
"No," Elizabeth said. "The last thing we need is for word to get out that three strategic nuclear weapons are in the hands of terrorists, much less that the bombs are in their country. It would leak immediately. It would cause panic."
"How do you want to proceed, Director?" Nick asked.
"Once we have an idea where they might have stashed the bombs, you're going to Hungary."
"Why us? Why not one of those nifty CIA strike teams? Or Lamont's old buddies."
"I've already discussed this with Clarence. The White House doesn't want anything to come back and bite them if things don't work out. If Hopkins takes the leash off the CIA or sends in a SEAL team, he leaves himself open to potential problems from Congress and his political enemies. He sends us, we don't exist. If it blows up, there's nothing to come back on him."
"How did we end up with a creep like him for president?" Lamont said.
"People who vote without thinking," Nick said.
"Think of it this way, Lamont," Elizabeth said. "We neutralize this threat, you'll have the thanks of a grateful nation."
"Su
re. That and a dollar will get me on the bus."
"Not anymore," Ronnie said. "You ridden a bus lately? "
"What about this man, Kondor?" Selena asked. "Shouldn't we go after him? Question him?"
"Adam didn't think that was a good idea," Nick said.
"Adam isn't the one who has to chase down the bombs."
"Kondor has already done all the damage he can," Elizabeth said. "Adam is right. He can wait until we've dealt with the Chechens, unless he decides to interfere. But we're not going to forget about him."
"I want Valentina back in here," Nick said. "We need her. Once we find them, those people aren't going down without a fight."
"Do you know where she is, Selena?" Elizabeth asked.
"The last time I heard from her she was in Utah, heading south to see the Grand Canyon."
"Good. We'll locate her by her phone. I'll get Clarence to send a helicopter and pick her up. You'd better call and give her a heads up."
"She won't be happy about it."
"She'll get over it," Elizabeth said.
Chapter 28
Valentina sat on a wooden bench overlooking the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, taking in the spectacular view. A low, stone wall in front of her bench was all that kept her from stepping off into space. There wasn't anything like it in Russia, not really. The closest thing to it was probably Charyn Canyon, near the border with China. That was like a desert ditch, compared to this great chasm in the earth.
The blazing sun brought out a thousand layers of color in the steep, rugged walls. Sharp peaks and harsh valleys stretched away in the distance. Passing clouds cast great, shifting shadows that rolled over the landscape like a silent ocean.
She'd driven across the broad plains of Kansas and Nebraska, marveling at vast fields of wheat and corn. She went north to South Dakota and stood at the foot of Mount Rushmore, looking up at the images of America's great presidents. Then she'd headed west into Montana and its magnificent mountain scenery, then down through Idaho and Utah toward the canyon.
Looking out over the canyon she felt relaxed for the first time in years. There was something healing in this awesome display of nature, something that provoked a sense of majesty greater than herself. One look at the canyon was enough to remind anyone how insignificant they were in the overall scheme of things. It was humbling and freeing at the same time .
