Exit Plan by Larry Bond Read Free Book Online Page B

replied. “It will be as least a week, maybe two. The information I fed to our tame traitor and the IAEA report will take at least that long to percolate through the spy agencies. And then our enemies will have to gather their courage.”
     
    “What about Dr. Sabet?” Moradi asked. The program’s scientific leader had not been brought into Moradi’s plan and had recently found out about construction of the site near Qermezin and the changes at Natanz.
     
    “He was definitely not pleased when he discovered you had changed the plan and given orders behind his back,” Rahim answered. “He is being watched. His questions are being deflected to your office. And you’ve been ‘difficult to reach.’”
     
    “It would be best if we could share our plans with him,” Moradi suggested.
     
    “We can’t, and we’ve discussed this.” Rahim’s tone was firm. “His piety is beyond reproach, but I do not believe he would be willing to make the sacrifices required by your plan. And he would not agree with your assessment that the program is doomed to failure. He is too emotionally committed to its completion.”
     
    “I agree,” Moradi replied, “but he has access to a great many people outside the program. If he reaches out to them—”
     
    “Which is why he is being watched.” Rahim assured him. “If he does reach out, he will be detained.” Forestalling Moradi’s protests, he quickly added, “He will not be harmed. I would never permit such a thing. If our plans are successful, he would only be held incommunicado for a short while, until the attack.”
     
    “They will attack,” Moradi answered. “And soon.”
     
    ~ * ~

 
3.  APRIL FOOLS
     
     
     
     
    1 April 2013
    2030 Local Time/1630 Zulu
    USS Michigan
     
    “Please tell me this is just another bad joke,” pleaded Jerry Mitchell, as he looked up from the report in his hand.
     
    “Sorry, sir,” replied Lieutenant Jaime Manning, USS Michigan’s medical officer, “but this isn’t part of today’s festivities. Alex has really fractured his left arm, and I have to ground him from any further ASDS operations.”
     
    Jerry winced at the word “ground.” Even after a decade that word still had some bite to it. He rubbed his right forearm, just above the wrist, almost by reflex, feeling the scars from the rough landing after ejecting from his Hornet so many years ago.
     
    Not bothering to hide his frustration, he threw the report onto an already impressive mound in his in-box. As the executive officer of the blue crew on USS Michigan, his world revolved around paperwork. And while overseeing the ship’s administration was only one of his duties, it seemed to take up most of his time. Despite his best efforts, he scrambled just to keep up. Everything was getting done, but the process wasn’t pretty, nor was his stateroom. This little incident would add another report or two to Jerry’s growing to-do list. Turning back toward the doctor, he asked a one-word question. “How?”
     
    “Well, XO, as you recall, last night’s movie was 300.”
     
    “Tell me about it,” replied Jerry sarcastically. “I’ve been listening to the SEALs chanting HAROO! all day long!”
     
    Manning nodded sympathetically. “Yeess, it has been getting a bit tiresome. But anyway, Alex and Holt got into a lively debate over the scene where King Leonidas kicks the Persian messenger into the well. Alex claimed the segment had to be computer animation because there was no way a real human being could kick like that, with any force. Holt, of course, disagreed, claiming he had used a similar kick before and that it was very effective. The discussion got a little animated, and ended up with Alex challenging Holt to prove it. So they went off to missile compartment lower level to conduct a Mythbusters -like experiment and settle the issue.”
     
    Jerry sighed deeply as he rubbed his face; he had no trouble seeing why this story had a bad ending. Lieutenant (jg)