In the morning Rahman came to the safe house to take Nagib and Alia to inspect the devices. Once again a convoy of three jeeps manned by armed soldiers was waiting to take them to PINSTECH. Nagib realized that the institute was located in Nilore, which was on the outskirts of Islamabad. On the way to the site Rahman proudly told him that most of PINSTECH's former directors had obtained their doctorates in the West, mainly the UK, US, Canada and Japan, but the current director got his doctorate in nuclear engineering from Peshawar University. They used one of PINSTECH's side entrances and once Rahman showed his ID they were waved through with no further checks. The two escorting jeeps parked near the gate and the jeep with Rahman, Nagib, Alia and the driver who was obviously also from the intelligence services, drove up to a small hangar. As they approached the hangar its doors opened and they drove in and parked by a small cubicle that served as the temporary office. Anwar was already waiting for them there and when they got out of the car he came forth to welcome them.
Alia noted two standard 29" suitcases in the middle of the hangar and saw that the agent who had driven their jeep was now holding a video camera and recording everything that took place in the hangar. Anwar who was holding a radiation detector led them towards the suitcase. He opened one just as one would open a suitcase with clothes, and placed the detector close to the metal pipe that was strapped to one side of the suitcase. The detector's clicking sound increased a little in volume and in frequency indicating the presence of some type of gamma emitting material. However, when Anwar stepped back a few meters the clicking ceased. Anwar showed Nagib that the reading from the detector was around one count per second (1 cps in scientific jargon) that was pretty much the background level in that hangar. He closed the suitcase and placed the detector so that it touched the suitcase and the reading increased very slightly to 2 cps.
Anwar looked at Nagib's reaction and said "OK, so you know there is something radioactive in the suitcase, and you know that external radiation is very low, but you probably want to know if there is any plutonium here, don't you?"
Nagib said "Yes, can you convince me that this is the real thing?"
Anwar asked him "As a scientist from Los Alamos National Laboratory you have probably heard the story about Beria's visit to the laboratory that produced plutonium".
Nagib smiled "Of course, I know it. Can I touch the device to feel if it is hot?"
Anwar responded "By all means, please put on the polyethylene gloves and touch the metal pipe". Nagib adorned the gloves and hesitantly touched the pipe, feeling that it was slightly warmer that the surrounding objects.
He said "Well, I am sure that you did not heat this pipe before we got here and believe that the heat comes from the decay of some radioactive material. How do I know that it is plutonium and not something else?"
Anwar, who had anticipated a degree of skepticism, signaled to Rahman to bring his laptop from the small office. When the laptop was switched on, Anwar searched the files and displayed a spectrum. He explained that this was a display of the intensity of the signal from alpha-particles as a function of the particle energy, and pointed to distinct peaks that he said arose from alpha-decay of plutonium atoms.
Nagib studied the spectrum and said "I am now convinced that the material from which the spectrum was recorded was indeed plutonium. I take your word that this material is inside these pipes".
So in a formal tone Rahman, looking at the video camera, said "Dr. Nagib Jaber, do you formally acknowledge that these two suitcases contain a small nuclear device?"
Nagib faced the camera and said "I do, and I hope that they were constructed according to the blueprints I gave you."
Anwar said "I solemnly testify that they were, but with a small caveat — they have not been tested. I would be grateful if you now fulfill your part of the deal and hand over the other blueprints". Anwar then explained to Nagib how to detonate the suitcase bombs and said that it was very simple because the devices did not have a sophisticated Permissive Action Link (PAL) that is installed to prevent unauthorized arming or detonation of a nuclear weapon. Anwar said that all they needed to do was to make sure that the battery pack was fully charged and set the digital timer that was much like the type used on microwave ovens in every modern household.
Now came the tricky part that Nagib and Alia had discussed the previous evening. He said "I am fully ready to complete the deal as soon as we are out of Pakistan with the two suitcases" and waited for Rahman's reaction.
As expected Rahman, barely controlling the anger in his voice, said "The agreement was that as soon as you inspected the devices and approved them you would deliver the rest of the schematics".
Nagib protested "But if I give you the blueprints while still in Pakistan you can simply arrest me and take back the two devices and there is nothing I can do about it. I need some kind of insurance or at least strong assurances that this won't happen".
Rahman looked flabbergasted and said that he needed permission from General Masood to alter the agreement and left them standing in the middle of the hanger while he stepped into the small office to call the general.
Meanwhile Anwar looked at the situation rationally and said to Nagib "I understand your apprehension and am sure that we can find a viable solution. As one scientist to another I can say that if the Pakistani authorities had any intention to renege on the deal they could have done so any moment after you stepped on Pakistani soil. Remember that officially you never entered the country and no one who cares about you knows where you are, and you are certainly in no position to go to the American embassy — they would probably shoot you first and carry out an investigation later."
Nagib replied "So what do you propose?"
Anwar said "The best solution for everyone is that you turn in your American passports and Rahman will issue you with original Pakistani passports and allow you to leave the country. The two suitcases can be sent as part of a "diplomatic pouch" that is immune from being searched to any Pakistani embassy of your choice. You will go there and collect the suitcases that will be handed to you as soon as you deliver the rest of the blueprints. What do you think of this?"
Nagib consulted with Alia and after a few minutes said "This sounds reasonable but we need to retain our American passports to enter the US freely."
Meanwhile Rahman returned all worked up with a red face and ready for an outburst, but Anwar said "Before you say anything please listen to the following proposal" and reiterated the discussion. Rahman nodded and said that it was a good solution although the general had other ideas about how to terminate the negotiations, and then laughed and said "Nagib and Alia you must be dreaming of being able to use your US passports ever again. The minute they will be used for buying an airline ticket, presented at a passport control booth at any border crossing in the world or used in a hotel, car rental agency or anywhere else the NSA will know about it instantly and within minutes you'll be under arrest if not worse." Nagib thought about this for a minute but held on to the American passports saying that he would feel better with them. Rahman said that it would take 24-hours to issue Pakistani passports and asked them if they wanted any particular name on them. Alia said she always like the name Fatima and suggested that for her husband Munir would be nice. Nagib agreed and said that their last name should be something symbolic that represented their objective and suggested "Abu Jihad". Everyone smiled and Rahman invited Munir and Fatima Abu Jihad to accompany him back to the safe house. They left the hangar after making sure that the suitcases were stored in a locker and a guard was posted at its door. The convoy made its way back to the safe house.