“I understand that our diplomats have turned over a response from our top military directly to China that if there is a nuclear explosion on Hawaii, the U.S. will at once retaliate with nuclear weapons on their three nuclear production facilities, and the ten largest Chinese cities, plunging their nation into the Dark Ages.”
“All we have to do is find the bomb and defuse it before they set it off,” DeWitt said.
“Any idea where it could be on Pearl?” Wade asked. “Did it come in by ship, or is it in a suitcase? No, they don’t have any weapon small enough yet for a suitcase.”
“Wouldn’t even need a ship,” Ching said. “They could drive it right into Camp Catlin Naval Reservation adjacent to Pearl. Any delivery truck could haul a bomb in. Leave the truck or camouflage the bomb in a wooden box and drive away.”
“They want us on the job to help find the bomb?” Wade asked.
“Right. CINCPAC has asked for you and the two top nuclear-deactivating men that I have to come to Pearl as quickly as possible. He thought you might have some additional equipment or gear here that you would need. He wants all of you on-site right now. We’re attaching them to your platoon. You’ll fly out of here as soon as we can get some clean cammies for you, a good meal, and another briefing.”
“Sir, any machine we can use to sniff out this package?” DeWitt asked.
“Not unless the bomb is leaking radiation, which we hope it isn’t.”
“Do they still have those prisoners from the CINCPAC takeover?” Murdock asked.
“I’m sure they do.”
“Might be a place to start. Questioning them. We must have something to start with. Anything. We can’t fine-tooth-comb five or six hundred acres, hundreds of buildings, and all of the ships in Pearl.”
“They lay out any kind of a schedule or deadline?” DeWitt asked.
The admiral scowled. “Damn them, they did. Tomorrow at noon we have to broadcast a message that we will receive a delegation from the Chinese battle group. Also, they say that all military operations against Chinese forces on land, sea, and air must cease immediately. That was about two hours ago.”
“Have you shut down your chase?”
“Partially.”
“What’s the highest-ranking Chinese we captured at Pearl?”
“One of them claims he’s a colonel in the Chinese Marines.”
“I didn’t know that China had any Marines.”
“Over five thousand from what this colonel says.” Admiral Magruder flipped a pencil onto his desk. “That’s it. We have your Sea Knight serviced and ready to go.”
“Let’s go now,” Murdock said. “No sense in keeping the Chinese waiting. We’ll get a better feel of it when we get on-site.”
“Good hunting,” Admiral Magruder said.
“Oh, Admiral. Work out some way to stall them on that 1200 deadline tomorrow. Not a chance we can find the thing by then. Also, it’s portable, so they may be moving the nuclear device around right under our noses.”
“That’s a Roger, Commander. I’ll tell Admiral Bennington that you’re on your way.”
The fifteen SEALs and the two nuclear technicians deplaned at Hickam Field, next door to Pearl Harbor, looking much better. They had washed up as best they could, changed into clean cammies, and stowed their firepower.
A Humvee and Commander Johnson met them at the chopper. He explained the four planners were to report to CINCPAC GHQ at once. The rest of the platoon would be taken to the quarters on Pearl they had used before.
“Everyone is on this one, including a team from NEST that is flying in from Guam,” Johnson said. “I think this whole bomb scare is a bluff, but it has to be checked out.”
“How the hell do you inspect every square foot of land and building in Pearl in twelve hours?” DeWitt asked.
Ten minutes later, the same four SEALs who had talked with Admiral “Tombstone” Magruder on the carrier stood at attention in front of Vice Admiral Bennington.
“Be seated, men,” the admiral said. There were six others in the room, half military, half in civilian clothes. “No need for introductions, we’re all here to get a job done. So far we’ve decided on several courses of action. Every ship that has docked during the past week is in the process of a minute inspection of all spaces for any large heavy object that could be a somewhat crude Chinese nuclear device.”
“What about Hickam?” Murdock asked. “Close counts in nuclear weapons and this device must be small enough to be hauled by a modest-sized truck. Security is not as high at Hickam as it is here.”
The admiral nodded at a three-striper. “Get on it. Tell them we’ll send search parties to help if they need us.”
“Sir,” Murdock said, and waited.
“Commander Murdock.”
“Do we still have the POW Chinese Marine colonel?”
“Indeed. He’s been in questioning for the past two hours. He tells us nothing and spouts Chinese propaganda he’s been spoon-fed since he was in diapers.”
“Sir, he looks like our only handle on the situation. He must know something. I’d like to put him one on one with one of my SEALs, Kenneth Ching, who is Chinese.”
Admiral Bennington twirled a lead pencil in his fingers for a moment, then eased it down on the desk. His face, a bit long, now showed signs of strain. He rubbed his eyes with his left hand. “Yes, give it a try. Can’t hurt.”
Murdock nodded at Dobler and Ching, who left the room with Commander Johnson, their liaison.
“Anything more, Commander?” the admiral asked, looking at Murdock.
“Yes, sir. Anyone here from NEST?” He referred to the Nuclear Energy Search Team.
“I am, minding the local store,” a civilian in light blue coveralls at the back of the room said. “Our five-man team is flying in from Guam.”
“Do you have a local center here with equipment?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You have leaded sheets and components to completely shield a leaking nuclear device?”
“Yes, sir. Bottle it up tight for as long as you want.”
“Wouldn’t that shielding work in reverse as well? Wouldn’t it prevent any radio signals from penetrating the lead shielding?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then I suggest that you have such material loaded on a truck and ready for deployment.”
The admiral nodded. “So when we find the device, we cloak it in a lead blanket and no firing sequence of signals could get through to activate the bomb. Yes. Get on that, Casemore.”
The civilian stood and hurried out of the room.
“Commander, to bring you up to date, a thorough and systematic search of all ships, aircraft buildings, and grounds is now under way. We have over three thousand officers and men scouring the base. It’s been the opinion in this room that if they were clever enough to slip such a weapon on-base, they would have an ingenious method for concealing it. This whole threat may be a hoax, but it is the kind of problem that we must take seriously. The lives of more than a million people are riding on our decisions, our actions, and our ability to find the device.”
DeWitt attracted the admiral’s attention. He pointed at DeWitt.
“Sir, is there a holding area on-base for damaged or leaking nuclear devices?”
A voice came from the side. “I can answer that. Yes, we do have such a facility. A week ago all but four devices were transshipped to another base where the items are being deactivated and disposed of. The four remaining items have been on-site for a little over two months, and we know that none was made by the Chinese. We believe we’re clear in that area.”
The phone on the desk buzzed three times. Admiral Bennington picked it up. He said hello and lifted his brows, then pushed a button on the phone and the speaker came on.