Alan E. Nourse & J. A. Meyer

Alan E. Nourse & J. A. Meyer Read Free

Book: Alan E. Nourse & J. A. Meyer Read Free
Author: The invaders are Coming
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thirty-yard
intervals." He turned to Alexander. "What we need to know now is how
much U-metal was stolen. Do you know how much is missing from the plant?"
    "No U-metal is missing from the
plant," Alexander said tightly. "I checked on the way out. There are
exit monitors at all the gates and none of them have recorded radioactives going out."
    Bahr
stared at him. "Are you trying to tell me that a road alarm goes off five
miles from your plant indicating hot-stuff being moved away from the pile, and yet nothing has disappeared out of the plant?"
    "I
don't know what tripped the road
Geiger," Alexander snapped. "All I know is that nothing could have
been smuggled from the plant. Our security system is quite thorough."
    "Your
security system stinks," said Bahr. "Your guards are probably asleep,
or in town drunk. You couldn't even get a truck full of troops up here for
fifteen minutes. By God, Carmine, make a note of that. We'll have a look at
that security system before we're through here." He turned back to
Alexander. "Do you by any chance keep an inventory of the U-metal at the
plant?"
    "Certainly,"
Alexander said, his face very red.
    "Well,
take another one right now. Shut down the whole lousy boiler factory if you
have to, but I want every slug of U-metal and every cubic inch of slush
accounted for."
    "You're
out of your mind," Alexander said. "All of greater St. Louis is using
our heat and power. You can't just turn off a power plant the way you cut a
station off the air."
    "Look,
Major," Bahr grated. "There's been a U-metal theft. It's slipped past your security system. I
want to know how much metal has been taken. Now are you going to order the
inventory, or am I?"
    "You
have no authority inside that compound," Alexander insisted.
    Bahr
looked at him. Then he turned and walked to the 'copter. He grabbed up the
radio mouthpiece. "Get me Unit C," he said.
    The radioman spun the dial rapidly.
"Listen," Alexander burst out. "I warn you . . ."
    "This
is Bahr," the big man said into the mouthpiece. "Bahr
talking. There is a change of plan for Unit C. I want all personnel to
land inside the compound at the Wildwood Plant. I said inside. I want a complete inventory on the U-metal in
that plant. I want to know how much has been stolen, and I don't care how you
find out."
    "If
your 'copters are fired on, it'll be your own responsibility," Alexander
said. "My men have orders . . ."
    "They
won't be fired on," Bahr cut him off. "Nobody fires on DIA
'copters."
    Overhead,
six fiery red circles made by jet-tipped 'copter blades were moving across the
field toward a patch of woods, buzzing just over the treetops, hanging
motionless for a moment as Geigers were dropped
through the trees and then reeled up again, then moving on.
    Alexander
turned to the radioman, bristling with rage. "I want to send a
message," he said. "Crash priority."
    "Sorry, sir. This unit is busy now." "This is
crash priority," Alexander snapped. "You heard him," Bahr said
without turning. "Use your own radio."
    Alexander
scuffed back through the mud to his Volta, turned on the sending unit, and
contacted the relay back at the plant. "This is Alexander. I want a crash
priority through to Washington. Urgent, personal, to John McEwen, Director,
DIA. Reference Wildwood Power Plant: Your assistant, Bahr, orders shutdown of
entire project for investigation—stop—exceeding authority—stop—request you
direct him rescind this order pending further study and evidence—stop. Harvey Alexander, Major, nine-two-three Security. Reply
immediately. Out."
    He
dropped the mike back in the slot and sank back in the Volta. Suddenly he
realized that his hands were trembling. Unless he had a quick response from
Washington he was in trouble, bad trouble. He groaned inwardly. As if there
hadn't been enough trouble in the past six weeksl He
knew enough about how the DIA worked . . . why hadn't he just kept his mouth
shut, co-operated, and then struck back through the proper channels

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