Mitch Rapp 05 - Memorial Day by Vince Flynn

Author:Vince Flynn
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780743453981
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: 2004-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

REIMER’S VOICE ONCE again filled the room from the overhead speakers, but this time there was something noticeably different about it. Homeland Security Secretary McClellan was the only one in the conference room at the Mount Weather site. Treasury Secretary Keane had gone off to speak to the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, and Vice President Baxter was off licking his wounds somewhere. General Flood and Secretary of Defense Culbertson were busy handling the situation with the other three ships. So that left the president, Chief of Staff Jones, CIA Director Kennedy, Secretary of State Berg, and National Security Advisor Haik.

Upon hearing Reimer’s voice, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him on the screen.

Reimer’s no-nonsense scowl had been replaced with a bit of a grin. “Mr. President, I have some good news to report.”

“By all means, let’s hear it.”

“We’ve X-rayed the container and believe the device in question to be a naked physics package.”

The term was lost on President Hayes, but he assumed by the broad grin on Reimer’s usually dour face that there was something positive in this discovery. “Mr. Reimer, I have no idea what a naked physics package is, but since this is the first time I’ve seen you smile all morning, I’m going to assume that in this case, naked is better than fully clothed.”

“You sure could say that, Mr. President,” Reimer laughed.

“So what exactly is a naked physics package?”

“Sir, it’s essentially,” Reimer held his hands up to form a circle, “a sphere of weapons-grade nuclear material minus the fire set and explosive material that are used to trigger the implosion.”

Hayes thought he followed it. “So this thing is basically the core to a nuclear bomb…and nothing else.”

“For the most part that is correct, sir.”

“So it can’t go off.”

Reimer thought of explaining the one exception, but the odds of it happening were so small it wasn’t worth getting into. “Without the explosives and fire set, sir, there is no way for it to reach any measurable yield.”

“So we’re in the clear?” asked Valerie Jones.

“That’s correct. The nuclear material, as it sits, is no real threat to the city of Charleston.”

The room burst into celebration over the good news. There were sighs of relief, nervous laughter, and even a few hugs. The president and the others on the council congratulated Reimer and his people on a job well done. After just a minute things settled down, and Hayes was about to ask Reimer a question when the door to the conference room opened. One of Valerie Jones’s people entered the room and walked briskly to the chief of staff’s side.

Jones listened for only a second and then grabbed the phone in front of her. She stabbed her forefinger at the blinking red light and said, “Tim.” She listened intensely for a full ten seconds. Several times she tried and failed to cut the other person off. Finally she said, “Tim, I get the picture. Have him in your office in fifteen minutes.

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