rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第66章

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and　serving　as　the　usual　landing　zone　for　the　shuttle；　the　base　had　another；　much　less　public　function：　it　was　one　of　the　nation's　six　staging　areas　for　RAID　teams　that　would　be　activated　in　the　event　of　a　chemical…biological　incident。
　Virtually　unknown　to　the　public；　the　Rapid　Attack　and　Incursion　Detail　was　similar　to　NEST；　the　body　of　specialists　who　hunted　lost　or　stolen　nuclear　weapons。　The　contingent　was　housed　in　a　squat；　bunkerlike　building　in　the　western　section　of　the　airfield。　In　a　nearby　hangar　were　a　C…130　and　three　manche　helicopters　that　would　ferry　the　team　to　the　emergency　site。
　The　Ready　Room　was　a　cinderblock…lined　area　the　size　of　a　basketball　court。　Along　one　wall　were　twelve　cubicles；　separated　by　curtains。　In　each　was　a　Level　Four　biohazard　suit；　plete　with　a　rebreather；　a　weapon；　and　ammunition。　The　eleven　men　who　made　up　this　incursion　team　were　quietly　checking　their　armaments。　Like　SWAT　teams；　they　carried　an　array　of　weapons；　ranging　from　assault　rifles　to　shotguns　to　various　sidearms。　The　only　difference　between　them　and　SWAT　was　the　lack　of　snipers。　RAID's　business　was　close…in　work；　responsibility　for　securing　the　perimeter　with　the　long　guns　belonged　either　to　the　army　or　to　a　federal　SWAT　unit。
　The　twelfth　man；　mander　Jack　Riley；　was　in　his　makeshift　office　at　one　end　of　the　room。　He　looked　over　the　shoulder　of　his　mo　officer；　seated　in　front　of　a　portable　munications　unit；　then　back　at　Smith。
　〃The　shuttle's　almost　down；　Jon；〃　he　said。　〃We're　starting　to　cut　it　kind　of　close。〃
　Smith　nodded　at　the　tall；　rangy　man　with　whom　he　had　trained　at　USAMRIID　and　later　served　with　in　Desert　Storm。　〃I　know。〃
　Smith　had　been　watching　the　clock　too。　He　and　Klein　had　left　Washington　for　Groome　Lake　two　hours　before　the　president　and　the　others　had　boarded　Air　Force　One。　Klein　would　go　directly　to　the　test　site　while　Smith　would　hook　up　with　RAID。　En　route　to　Edwards；　the　chief　executive　had　spoken　with　Riley；　apprising　him　of　an　emergency　situation　onboard　the　shuttle；　but　leaving　out　the　details。　He　also　told　him　that　Jon　Smith　was　on　his　way　and　that　Riley　and　his　team　would　take　their　orders　from　him。
　〃What　about　the　manches？〃　Smith　asked。
　〃The　pilots　are　sitting　in　the　cockpits；〃　Riley　replied。　〃All　they　need　are　two　minutes'　notice。〃
　〃Sir；　we　have　ining　from　Air　Force　One；〃　the　mo　officer　said。
　Riley　picked　up　the　phone；　identified　himself；　and　listened　closely。　〃Understood；　sir。　Yes；　he's　right　here。〃　He　passed　the　phone　to　Smith。
　〃Yes？〃　Smith　said。
　〃Jon；　this　is　the　president。　We're　about　sixty　minutes　out　from　Groome　Lake。　What's　the　situation　on　your　end？〃
　〃Prepped　and　ready；　sir。　All　we　need　are　the　plans　for　the　chamber。〃
　〃They're　ing　through　right　now。　Call　me　when　you　and　Riley　have　gone　over　them。〃
　By　the　time　Smith　hung　up；　the　mo　officer　had　the　ining　faxes　laid　out　on　a　worktable。
　〃Looks　like　an　industrial　incinerator；〃　Riley　murmured。
　Smith　agreed。　The　blueprints　showed　a　rectangular　area　one　hundred　forty　feet　long；　forty　feet　wide；　and　sixty　feet　high。　All　four　walls　were　constructed　of　specially　reinforced　concrete。　A　part　of　the　ceiling　was　actually　a　ramp　that　would　close　and　seal　when　the　shuttle　was　inside。　At　first　glance；　it　might　have　looked　like　a　parking　or　storage　area。　But　on　closer　examination；　Smith　saw　what　Riley　had　alluded　to…　the　walls　were　studded　with　pipes　that；　according　to　the　blueprints；　were　connected　to　gas　lines。　Smith　could　only　imagine　the　kind　of　inferno　they　would　create　when　lighted。
　〃We're　taking　it　as　an　article　of　faith　that　the　shuttle　is　clean　on　the　outside；　right？〃　Riley　said。　〃Nothing　could　have　gotten　out？〃
　Smith　shook　his　head。　〃Even　if　it　could；　the　heat　from　reentry　would　scour　the　orbiter's　skin　clean。　No；　it's　the　interior　that's　the　hot　zone。〃
　〃Our　kind　of　playground；〃　Riley　said。
　〃Yeah；　except　this　time　we　might　have　to　take　it　away　from　somebody　else；〃　Smith　said。
　Riley　pulled　him　aside。　〃Jon；　this　operation　hasn't　been　going　exactly　by　the　numbers。　First　the　president　calls　and　tells　me　to　break　out　the　team。　All　he　says　is　that　we're　going　to　some　place　in　Nevada。　That　turns　out　to　be　some　spook　base　at　Groome　Lake　where　the　shuttle's　going　to　make　an　emergency　landing　because　it　encountered　a　biochem　hazard。　Now　it　looks　like　you　intend　to　incinerate　the　damn　thing。〃
　Smith　walked　Riley　out　of　earshot　of　the　rest　of　the　team。　A　moment　later；　one　of　the　RAID　members　nudged　his　buddy。
　〃Look　at　Riley。　He　looks　like　he's　about　to　toss　his　cookies。〃
　In　fact；　Jack　Riley　was　wishing　that　he'd　never　asked　Smith　what　was　onboard　the　orbiter。
　
　
　
　
　Megan　Olson　accepted　the　fact　that　she　had　run　out　of　options。　The　nest　of　wires　had　defeated　her。　None　of　the　binations　she'd　tried　worked。　The　air…lock　door　remained　frozen。
　Standing　back　from　the　door；　Megan　listened　to　the　chatter　between　Reed　and　mission　control。　The　shuttle　was　only　minutes　from　entering　the　atmospheric　window　through　which　it　would　return　to　earth。　She　had　exactly　that　long　to　decide。
　Megan　forced　herself　to　look　at　the　explosive　bolts　set　in　each　corner　of　the　door。　During　her　training；　her　instructors　had　pointed　them　out　to　her；　saying　that　they　were　really　a　redundancy。　The　shuttle　crew　was　never　meant　to　use　them。　They　were　there　in　case　a　NASA　ground　team　had　to　enter　the　shuttle　during　an　emergency　evacuation　after　the　orbiter　had　landed。
　After　it　lands；　the　instructors　had　emphasized。　And　only　if　entry　through　the　main　hatches　was；　for　one　reason　or　another；　impossible。　They　had　cautioned　her　that　the　bolts　were　on　a　timer　that　would　give　the　ground　team　enough　time　to　take　cover。
　〃These　things　create　a　controlled　explosion；〃　she　recalled　the　instructors　saying。　〃You　don't　want　to　be　within　fifty　feet　when　they　blow。　〃
　Megan　estimated　that　at　best　she　was　fourteen；　maybe　fifteen　feet　from　the　air…lock　door。
　If　you're　going　to　do　it；　do　it　now！
　From　her　training　and　her　rides　onboard　the　Vomit　et；　Megan　knew　that　the　descent　through　the　earth's　atmosphere　would　be　even　more　jarring　than　the　liftoff。　She　recalled　Carter　saying　that　it　was　like　riding　a　Brahman　bull　at　a　rodeo。　Everything　and　everyone　had　to　be　strapped　down　securely。　If　she　remained　in　the　air　lock；　she　would　be　hurled　against　the　walls　until　she　was　unconscious…　or　worse。　Her　EMU　would　undoubtedly　tear；　so　even　if　she　survived　reentry；　what　Reed　had　loosed　in　the　ship　would　eat　her　up。　But　there　were　alternatives。　She　had　to　give　herself　a　chance　to　get　to　the　Spacelab；　find　Reed's　monstrosity；　and　destroy　it　before　the　shuttle　was　too　close　to　the　earth。
　Megan　felt　a　calm　descend　over　her；　even　though　her　heart　was　pounding　like　a　jackhammer。　She　fixed　her　attention　on　the　hexagonal　bolts；　painted　red　with　a　yellow　dot　in　the　center。　Pushing　off　the　wall；　she　floated　across　the　floor。　When　she　reached　the　bottom　right　bolt；　she　pressed　the　yellow　dot。　A　tiny　control　panel　slid　forward。　The　LCD　blinked　at　her：　ARM/DISARM。　Carefully；　because　the　EMU　suit　glove　made　her　fingers　clumsy；　she　pressed　ARM。
　Shit！
　The　timer　immediately　set　itself　for　sixty　seconds；　a　shorter　time　span　than　Megan　had　anticipated。　She　slithered　to　the　next　bolt　and　quickly　set　it。　Pushing　off　the　floor；　she　anchored　herself　and　activated　the　top　two　bolts。　When　she　was　finished；　she　had　twenty　seconds　left。
　She　took　two　steps；　and　then　floated　as　far　away　from　the　door　as　was　possible。　Even　though　she　had　pulled　down　her　visor；　she　could　still　see　the　four　pulsing　lights　in　the　center　of　the　bolts。　She　knew　she　should　have　her　back　to　the　air　lock；　or　at　least　stand　sideways；　so　that　the　explosions　wouldn't　catch　her　in　the　face。　But　as　the　seconds　counted　down；　all　she　could　do　was　stare　at　the　winking　lights。
　
　
　Two　levels　above；　on　the　flight　deck；　Dylan　Reed　was　getting　the　final　signals　from　Harry　Landon　at　mission　control。
　〃You're　right　on　target；〃　Landon　said。　〃Reentry　looks　good。〃
　〃I　can't　see　the　counter；〃　Reed　said。　〃How　much　time　to　mo　blackout？〃
　〃Fifteen　seconds。〃
　A　munications　blackout　was　a　natural　occurrence　during　reentry。　The　interruption　lasted　about　three　minutes　and　was　still；　even　aft