William Bernhardt - Capitol offence

"Panic."

Mike nodded grimly. "Terror. Which is the primary objective of terrorists."

"How hard are these bombs to make?"

"Unfortunately, not very. Contact with water is enough to set cesium off. Ice, even. Like all alkali metals, it's highly reactive."

Loving's lips tightened. "Criminy. I thought this case was about vengeance. Not weapons of mass destruction."

"More like weapons of mass disruption. It's all about the psychological effect. Which can actually be a great deal more devastating than killing a lot of people in an explosion."

"You think those guys up there are terrorists?"

"I think they're supplying materials to terrorists. Through the black market."

"There's a black market for this stuff?"

"Big-time. Has been steadily growing since the mid-nineties. The main problem is transportation. This junk can be deadly. You've got to have a protective carrier. Most people wear protective clothing, especially if they're handling it. Even your major-league zealots don't want to be around it. Who would?" He sighed. "But the black market still seems to flourish. Greed and zealotry can be a lethal combination."

"In Oklahoma?"

"You might be surprised. It's everywhere. Haven't you read about the Chechen bombs? The spy assassinated with radioactive materials in London? Surely you remember that Jose Padilla, the al-Qaeda terrorist, was planning to detonate a dirty bomb in the United States. The first robbery from a radiotherapy clinic occurred in Brazil; the thieves got a capsule filled with cesium-137. It usually takes the form of a powder, or sometimes a piece of silvery metal about the size of a postage stamp. They keep it in stainless-steel tubes, but that doesn't stop the radiation-only lead can do that. Those Brazilian thieves planned to sell it but got sick before they could. In the meantime, they managed to contaminate two hundred and fifty people and kill five."

"Geez Louise."

"Not too long ago there was another robbery on the East Coast. These little creeps made off with twenty-seven tubes. We know the stuff ended up on the black market. The authorities couldn't stop it, but they shut down the facility. Terrorists started looking elsewhere. That brought them to Oklahoma."

"When did you find out?"

"When we found the irradiated body in the woods just north of the Arkansas River."

Loving winced. "Who was it?"

"That's the thing-we don't know. The body was too ravaged to be recognizable. Print and DNA checks didn't produce results. After Dr. Barkley determined that it was radiation poisoning, I started investigating the hot lab at St. Benedict's-the only source of radioactive materials in town. After talking to the head administrator, we began an inventory and I eventually learned that some of their cesium was missing."

"How much?"

"A scary amount. Almost twenty tubes."

Loving whistled.

"The security in there is a lot less than what you might find at a government stockpile or a nuclear power plant. Which is why those jerks upstairs have been able to get away with this."

"There must be some precautions."

"Only a few of the docs have access. You need a magnetic key card to get in and you're supposed to sign out for anything you take. Not hard regulations to get around. Especially if you have an oncology doctor working for you."

A light went off in Loving's head. "Joslyn Thomas worked in oncology. Would she have had access to this stuff?"

"Probably."

"You think she was in on this operation?"

"Either that or she found out about it." Mike paused. "Maybe her accident wasn't all that accidental."

"Why did you come here tonight?"

"My investigation led me to the remaining oncologist, Dr. Gary Sentz."

"The brother of Christopher Sentz."

"Another disturbing bit of synchronicity," Mike murmured. "I found out about his little rendezvous tonight because I, uh, managed to find a way to intercept his text messages."

Loving grinned. "That was one busy signal tower."

"What do you mean? You haven't been doing anything illegal, have you?"

"Perish the thought." He jabbed Mike in the side and pointed. "Look! Sentz!"

Loving pushed his night goggles back into place and started up the hill, careful to cling as closely to the ground as possible.

Dr. Sentz emerged from the back door. He was wearing some kind of outfit. A big baggy uniform with a helmet.

Loving looked more closely. It was a hazmat suit. Guess he couldn't blame Sentz for being careful, given what Mike had told him.

"What's that thing he's pulling?" Loving whispered. It looked like a lawn fertilizer, but Loving suspected that wasn't it.

"That's the pig," Mike whispered back. "It's a transport vehicle. Basically a covered bucket on wheels. Made of lead, of course. Hospitals keep them around to transport cesium from one facility to another."

"Or from a facility to a terrorist."

"That too."

They both crept closer. Loving could pick up some of what Sentz was saying.

"… map will get you to the exchange point in the desert. Everything has been arranged. They take charge of the stuff. All you have to do is be there."

"Why aren't you coming with us?" Shaw asked.

"Because I'll be the first suspect when they notice radioactive materials are missing. I have to be inside making sure everyone remembers that I was here all night."

"Shouldn't we be wearing one of those suits?"

"Are you planning to open the canister?"

"No chance."

"Then you'll be okay. I had to handle it. You don't."

"How do I know these guys we take the hot stuff to won't kill us?"

"You've been watching too much 24. They don't want to kill off their source. Who knows when they might want more? Now stop talking and open the back of the truck."

Loving steeled himself. If they were going to do something, this was the time.

"What's the plan?" he asked Mike. "Do we move in or follow the truck?"

"I don't want to rely on following the truck in the dark."

"I put a GPS tracker on the back bumper."

Mike arched an eyebrow. "I can see now why Ben pays you so well."

"I wish."

"But I still think it's too risky. I want to bring these thugs in now. Especially if they have something to do with two murders."

"I'm ready when you are."

"Uh-uh. There's more of them than us. And I think there's at least one more accomplice somewhere on the premises."

"Don't you carry a gun?"

"Yeah, and so do both of those men up in the driveway. I don't want to start a shootout with radioactive cesium in the crossfire."

"Good point."

"I'm going to crawl back to my car and radio for reinforcements."

"Better hurry."

"I will. It won't take long." He grabbed Loving's arm. "I know your rep, Loving. Do not go in there on your own. Understand? No matter what. Wait for me."

"Whatever you say. You're the professional. I'm just the talented amateur."

Mike grimaced. "Back before you know it."

Mike skittered down the hill and into the parking lot. Loving decided to move in for a closer look. He had no intention of doing anything stupid. But the more he saw and heard, the more useful he would be later when they were trying to drag out a confession. Or to extract information about the murders.

Lying flat on the ground, he crept forward, pulling himself along by his elbows. In less than a minute, he had made it back to the retaining wall. He was barely fifteen feet away from them.

Shaw and his accomplices finished loading the pig into the back of the truck. Loving saw now why only a small but secure truck was required. Their cargo didn't occupy that much space. But it was far more valuable than most cargo that did.

"Careful going over any bumps," Sentz said.

Shaw gave him a harsh look.