Generation M by Scott Cramer Read Free Book Online

down a bridge. He had been part of the demolition team that blew the midsection of the Brooklyn Bridge.
    Thomas returned with the fuses and a remote detonator. “What landmark are you planning to alter this time?”
    “The old man wants me to blow the ferry terminal.”
    “You have a demolition buddy,” Thomas said. “Lieutenant Mathews stopped by thirty minutes ago. Same job.”
    As he approached the terminal, Dawson was still scratching his head over Admiral Samuels independently assigning the same task to two officers.
    He checked that his two-way radio was off. Wireless fuses operated at a unique frequency, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
    The terminal building housed a machine shop, the remains of the Zodiac fleet, and a ferry that once transported cars and passengers across the East River.
    He found Lieutenant Mathews lying prone on the dock, reaching her arm over the side and planting a charge on the piling.
    She got to her feet and picked up her satchel of explosives. “What can I do for you, Dawson?”
    Mathews had cold blue eyes that complimented her disposition. Ever since her recent promotion to Lieutenant, Junior Grade, she had started calling him Dawson. It might not have bothered him if she had said it in a friendly way, but she spit it out as if it were a bad taste in her mouth. Mathews was someone to keep an eye on. Given the chance, she’d stab anyone in the back to gain favor with the brass.
    “Apparently, we received the same orders from the admiral,” he told her.
    “I’m here on Doctor Perkins’s request.” Her face remained a steely mask.
    Once again, the left hand didn’t know what the right was doing. “Let’s divide and conquer,” he offered. “I can take care of the east side of the building.”
    “What’s that saying, Dawson? Too many cooks spoil the broth. I can handle it.”
    Eight years of submarine duty had taught him a valuable lesson: hit pause before you react and say something you’ll later regret.
    “I plan to carry out my orders from Admiral Samuels,” he said in a measured tone. Then, he gestured to the east wall of the ferry terminal. “That’s where I’m starting. Whatever we do, let’s be safe.”
    Mathews shot him a death stare, and then grudgingly pointed to where she had already planted charges. Together, they mapped out where they’d place additional charges.
    Standing next to the east wall, he molded the blocks of C4 in his hands, affixed them to the joists, and inserted the wireless fuses. After positioning his last cake on a joist, he met her on the dock where she was molding her last block of C4 into a ball.
    She inserted a fuse, cocked her arm, and hurled the ball high onto a ledge close to the ceiling. “One for good luck.”
    They retreated to a safe distance. Both he and Mathews raised the antennae on their remote detonators, then powered them on. Lights blinked red then green. Each positioned a finger on the detonation button.
    “On the count of three,” she said. “Three, two, one. Fire in the hole.”
    Thirty simultaneous explosions sent out clouds of dust, and sharp thunderous booms bounced off buildings across the river and echoed back. The ferry terminal did its best to remain standing, but after several agonizing seconds, the groans and creaks began. A moment later, it seemed to surrender and collapsed in a heap of rubble that roiled the water.
    As Mathews briefed Doctor Perkins on the successful demolition over her walkie-talkie, Dawson decided he’d give the news to Admiral Samuels face-to-face.

1.09
EMORY CAMPUS
    In the quad, Lisette stopped running, turned, planted her feet wide, and folded her arms. She waited for Sandy to catch up.
    “I’m not going to Medical Clinic 3,” Lisette told her. “You can’t make me.”
    Breathing hard from the chase, Sandy held out her hand. “That’s fine. I don’t like that place, either. I have another office. We’ll do the exam there. It’s kind of messy, though.”
    “Pinky