Fallout by James W. Huston Page B

air-to-air missiles.”
    Luke nodded.
    “It has long been our intention to conduct actual air-to-air test firings of those missiles with telemetry, so we can get the most accurate information possible on their performance. It has never been done because we don’t have airplanes capable of firing them. The MiGs are capable. So part of this deal is that you would agree to test the Russian missiles from the MiG-29s within the first twelve months of the school’s being open. That way we can get the telemetry we need.”
    “Seriously? You want us to actually fire them?”
    The Undersecretary smiled. “I thought you might be agreeable to that condition.”
    “We’d get
paid
for that work?”
    “Aha, the businessman wakes. Yes. Of course. You would be paid handsomely through a government contract for your work.”
    “Why did you need to come here to tell me that? Why not call?”
    “I’m not actually here to see you. I’m on my way to Tonopah to see how much needs to be done to get the air base ready. I flew into Reno, and you were nearby. I thought I’d stop and tell you myself.”
    “So what do I do now?” Luke asked.
    Merewether grinned in a way that made Luke uneasy. “Someone from my office will be in touch. Your letter of resignation has been accepted, as well as that of your friend, Lieutenant Thurmond. You’ll both be out of the Navy in sixty days.” Merewether extended his hand.
    Luke smiled as he shook Merewether’s hand and tried to control his excitement. He couldn’t wait to tell Katherine. “I look forward to it,” he said, as Merewether returned to his car and it began backing out of his long driveway. Watching it go, all he could think of though was what Thud’s father had said in their meeting: “Don’t trust the government, don’t trust the government.” But then Thud’s father was paranoid.
     
     
    Bill Morrissey wasn’t accustomed to getting interesting data that didn’t fit with other things he knew. He was used to getting no data, or bad data. But having good, hard intelligence that he couldn’t explain drove him crazy. And now there was more. He looked at Cindy Frohm who had asked to see him right away. She had new information that had just come across her desk. “Talk to me,” he said.
    “The armory was attacked in the middle of the night. Pakistan isn’t telling anyone about it. Not even us, officially. We got this through our Air Force attaché in Islamabad. We’ve had it confirmed. Ten or more men attacked the armory, killed the gate guard and three guards at the armory itself. No shots fired by the guards at all. Two of them were found miles away and two at the armory.”
    “And this was on a Pakistani Air Force base.”
    “Yes.”
    “How the hell do you break into an armory on an Air Force base? You just walk in?”
    “Hard to say. Pakistan isn’t sharing any of this with us.”
    “What was taken?”
    “They’re not sure.”
    Morrissey rolled his eyes. “How can they not be sure?”
    “Whoever took the weapons destroyed the records.”
    “Isn’t that where we think they kept some of their nukes?”
    “Right, but not the warheads. Just the bombs that were to carry the nuclear warheads.”
    “So were those taken?”
    “Nope. We’re sure their nuclear program is unaffected. And their nuclear warheads are known to be stored elsewhere.”
    Morrissey was puzzled. Especially when he tried to match it to the border incident. Warhead-grade plutonium and nuclear-warhead-carrying bomb casing. That was what was common. Except they didn’t get the plutonium at the border, and they didn’t take the bombs from the armory. “Why destroy the records?” he asked.
    “Only reason would be because they didn’t want anyone to know what they took.”
    “But why? What’s so unique or valuable that they wouldn’t want anyone to know?”
    “Only the nuclear-capable bombs, but those are all accounted for.”
    Morrissey closed his eyes and rested his chin on his hand.