"This is Maysun. Loud and clear."
"How's Tommy?"
"Fine."
"Have you gotten ahold of anyone?"
"Not yet, but I'm at the aircraft and I just about have this radio working. It has better range than these little ones. What's happening? I've heard a lot of firing."
"You get that radio up, there's someone I want you to call. His name is Dublowski and he'll be listening on.." Thorpe proceeded to relay to Maysun the necessary information. While he was doing so, Parker had been sitting on the hood of the Humvee, deep in thought.
"Come up with anything?" Thorpe asked as he turned off the radio.
"If, as you say, they took out the flight line, the security force for our missile wing will have to come here by vehicle," Parker said. "They'll have the vault door override code with them."
"You can be sure McKenzie's thought of that."
Parker nodded. "There's only one road they can take to get from Barksdale to the Omega Missile LCC."
"Ambush," Thorpe summarized.
"Right." Parker slapped her hand on the hood of the Humvee. "And that's why we need this."
"Let's roll," Thorpe said. "McKenzie might have set up an ambush, but I doubt he'll have it pointing both ways."
"Let it go, McKenzie," Kilten said. "We've got more important things to worry about. Thorpe and Parker are not going to be factors in this."
"Thorpe isn't going to just sit around," McKenzie argued.
Kilten waved a hand around the LCC. "Even if he can deal with the men up top, there's no way he can get in here. Believe me."
"You let me worry about security," McKenzie said. He pointed at the REACT computer. "Are we all set?"
It was Lewis who answered. "We have complete control of REACT and Omega Missile with the laptop."
"We've got their attention," Kilten added. "They'll give in. It's working just as I planned."
McKenzie nodded. "Good." He pointed to the other side of the room. "Could you show me how to operate the thermal surveillance cameras? Despite what you say, I'm concerned about Thorpe running around up there."
Kilten and Lewis got up and walked with McKenzie around the front of the consoles. Lewis began explaining the working of the surface security system.
As soon as they stood up, Drake slid over to the laptop and pulled a 3.5-inch disk out of his vest. He put the disk into the REACT laptop and began typing.
The screen cleared and then a prompt appeared:
To access target matrix from drive A hit enter
Drake hit the enter key. A listing appeared on the computer screen:
TARGET: GRID: WARHEAD
Tel Aviv, Israeclass="underline" ftr295867: 20 megaton
Arlington, Virginia: puy859345: 20 megaton
To confirm target matrix, press enter.
Drake hit the enter key.
Target matrix accepted and programmed.
Drake cleared the screen and ejected the disk. He slid it into his vest and moved his seat away from the laptop.
Chapter Sixteen
"Sir, we have inquiries coming in from the National Security Agency about the Kentucky launch," Colonel Hurst announced. "They say the Russians have picked it up and tracked the missiles. The Russians have moved up one level of strategic preparedness."
Lowcraft looked at Hill. "If Kilten keeps this up, we're going to have the Russians or the Chinese or both launching on us."
Hill pointed at the red phone. "I'll inform the president. He can contact the Soviet president and the Chinese premier." Hill paused. "Do you have any positive news I can give the president?"
"The EOC at Barksdale has sent out a contingent of Security Police to the Omega Missile LCC," Lowcraft said. "They're moving on ground so it's going to take a little while."
"When will they reach the LCC?" Hill asked.
Lowcraft turned to Hurst who answered, "Forty minutes, sir."
Hill kept his focus on Lowcraft. "And when they get there? Can they do anything?"
"They have an override code for the vault door,"
Lowcraft said. "If they get in, they can abort Omega Missile."
Hill nodded. "All right. I'll tell the president."
"Are we set?" McKenzie asked Drake in a low voice.
"Matrix is in," Drake said.
McKenzie looked at Kilten, who was back at his place at the main console. "I think this will get the message across."
"And satisfy our clients," Drake added.
"Fuck them," McKenzie said. "I ain't doing this for them."
Drake raised an eyebrow. "They paid for all the gear and their money is the reason the Canadians signed up."
McKenzie ignored the issue. "What about the silo? You know what to do?"
"Yes. It won't take long."
McKenzie slapped him on the shoulder. "Get going. Time's-a-wasting."
Drake walked to the side of the LCC where several waist-high panels were bolted in the wall. He began unscrewing the bolts to one of the panels.
"What is he doing?" Lewis demanded.
"Mind your business," McKenzie snapped.
Kilten had been typing at the laptop when suddenly he looked up. "What is going on?"
McKenzie walked over and stood behind Kilten.
Kilten was reading the screen. "Someone's programmed a target matrix for two missiles!" He spun to Lewis. "Did you do this?"
"No!"
"Who did this?" Kilten demanded.
"My friend Mr. Drake did it," McKenzie smiled. "You had Captain Lewis as your wild card, I have my own. You didn't think I was going to rely completely on you, did you?"
Kilten pointed at the REACT computer. "This wasn't part of the plan!"
McKenzie shook his head. "Here we go again. No, this wasn't part of your plan. It's part of mine. How do you think I was able to get all these fellows here and purchase all this gear? On the promise of a payoff? Using my credit card?"
"I've got other clients who have paid very well, up front, and they want those two locations targeted and hit. If those assholes in the Pentagon weren't going to pay, and there's a good chance they won't, then I made sure the men and I would be taken care of regardless."
Kilten reached for the keyboard. "I won't allow it."
McKenzie grabbed him by the shoulder and spun the seat about. "You no longer have any say in things. You've served your purpose. You've accessed Omega Missile for me through REACT." He pointed at the laptop. "That's all you were necessary for."
Lewis pulled his pistol and pointed it at McKenzie. "Let him go!"
"Oh, the traitor speaks," McKenzie said. His own guards had their weapons pointed at Lewis. Drake paused in opening the maintenance hatch. "Did our good professor get to your sense of moral responsibility or your wallet?" McKenzie asked.
Beads of sweat stood out on Lewis's forehead. "Just back off. No one's supposed to get hurt."
"Too late for that," McKenzie said, "I'm afraid it must be you who backs off." McKenzie drew his silenced pistol. "You fail to realize that you weren't part of the original plan and you're not part of my plan. Therefore, as far as I am concerned, you are not what I would call essential personnel."
Lewis shifted his gaze to Kilten, then back at McKenzie. The muzzle of his gun wavered. "Hey, I just want my money. There's no need for us to be turning on each other."
McKenzie's weapon was centered on Lewis's forehead. "You've seen too many movies," he said. "Where both parties lower their guns, shake hands, swap a few brews, and live happily ever after. Do you know what they teach us to do in a situation like this in Special Operations training?"
Lewis held up his free hand. "Hey, I don't think—''