Chapter 3

"We need a plan," Elizabeth said.

"I have a question," Selena said. "Are we going to bring in Ronnie and Lamont? And what about Valentina?"

"Not yet. Let's wait and see what happens. For now, the four of us are enough."

"Don't forget Freddie," Stephanie said.

"Are you listening, Freddie?" Elizabeth asked.

I am always listening, Director, unless I have been instructed not to.

"If you have an idea, feel free to jump in."

That is a confusing instruction, Director. I am unable to jump.

Nick stifled a laugh. Freddie sometimes took offense if he was laughed at. For a computer, he had become remarkably human. Sometimes it was annoying as hell.

"I'm sorry, Freddie," Elizabeth said. "It's just an expression. It means to contribute if you feel you have something to add."

I will add this information to my database.

"What's our first assumption?" Selena asked.

"That whoever took those bombs is a serious player," Nick said. "I can't see a bunch of amateurs pulling off something like that."

"The satellites will have something," Stephanie said. "Those shipments are tracked. There must be something we can use."

I am accessing the satellite photos now .

"Excellent, Freddie. Please display them on the monitor."

A large monitor sat on the end of Elizabeth's desk. Images from the satellite assigned to the OST transport began to appear as Freddie relayed them. A series of still photographs captured the journey of the trailer and escorts as they left Dyess and headed toward Amarillo .

The progress of the convoy was normal until it reached Estilline, before the bridge across the Red River. The satellite record showed the police cars and the stop, then the diversion from 287 onto 86. Everything seemed fine until the truck slowed and pulled over to the side of the road.

The rest followed in short order. Two cop cars pulled up. The escorting agents got out of the SUV's. Then the cops shot them and the driver. One of the hijackers climbed up into the cab and disabled the security measures, including the tracking signal that locked the satellite on target. Still overhead, the bird continued to record events on the highway. Another truck pulled up, and the transfer of the bombs began. The satellite moved out of range, but not before photographs showed the truck that now held the bombs headed back toward Estilline.

"What about the driver?" Nick asked. "Maybe he was in on it. Or maybe someone else at OST."

"He's dead, isn't he?" Stephanie asked.

"That doesn't mean he wasn't involved," Elizabeth said.

"I don't think he was," Nick said. "Watch the part where the terrorists shoot everyone." Nick pointed at a man in the photos wearing a ball cap. "That's the driver. He was trying to get back into the cab when they shot him.  I think he was trying to disable the trailer. But he doesn't make it."

"Or he was double crossed," Selena said.

"Yeah, could be."

Stephanie said, "Freddie, have you found out anything about him?"

Yes.

Stephanie sighed. "Please put it up on the monitor."

Certainly, Stephanie. All you need to do is ask.

They studied Wardell's records, neatly typed out on the monitor. It was complete from birth, including work history, military records, and finances .

"This guy looks like Mister Clean," Nick said. "Married twelve years. Did a tour in Afghanistan. He was an E5, worked in the motor pool for his unit. No bad marks, honorable discharge. He's got two kids."

"Any big deposits lately?" Selena asked. "Maybe a new Corvette? Something like that? What do drivers for OST make in a year?"

The average wage is about seventy eight thousand a year plus benefits.

"He was just getting by on his salary," Nick said. He read down the report. "His wife is a stay-at-home mom. Two kids and a mortgage. He had two thousand in a savings account and a little over eight thousand in credit card debt. She's got a couple of department store cards, but nothing major."

"For the moment, let's rule him out as a willing participant," Elizabeth said. "I want to know who was responsible for the computer in that truck, the one that controlled all the security features. Who knew the codes?"

I can find that out, Director.

"I think you're right, Director. It has to be an inside job," Nick said. "Nothing else fits."

The codes used are single use only, issued out of OST headquarters in Albuquerque.

"Freddie, who had access to the codes? Did the escorts know?"

Negative. Two people are responsible for the codes. Someone at the destination and someone at OST headquarters. The computer on the truck is programmed by satellite command."

"Whoever did this is a traitor," Nick said.

"You wonder why someone would sell out his country like this. Hand over nuclear weapons to terrorists," Selena said.

"Probably money."

"Maybe it's someone who just hates America on principle."

"There's a lot of that going around these days," Nick said.