James Born - Burn Zone

Lina mumbled, "Asshole."

Colonel Staub stepped closer, standing next to the small office. "I should have a little extra time to deal with you, Lina." He looked at Pelly. "Where is the third member of your little group? The DEA man."

Pelly answered, "I didn't see him. These two had Ike in a parking lot down the road."

Suddenly, the glass to the office shattered, at the same time the thunder of a gunshot echoed through the giant metal structure.

Pelly ducked, drew his Beretta and scanned the large storage area. There were several doors an assailant could've entered. He raised his pistol, seeking a target.

He glanced at his prisoners and was shocked to see that Duarte had managed to vanish in that second of distraction. Lina still stood, shocked, next to Colonel Staub.

The colonel looked at Pelly and said, "Take the bomb somewhere safe. You know what to do. Make it quick."

Pelly fired two shots as he moved. He grabbed Ike's arm and dragged him toward the door, too. He heard return fire, but thought it was directed more toward the colonel.

In a matter of seconds, he and Ike had the truck with the bomb and were headed down the street.

ONCE ALEX DUARTE HEARD THE FIRST SHOT, HE ACTED WITHOUT hesitation, ducking slightly and running first to the side, as Pelly focused his attention toward the shooter, then back into the rows of stacked merchandise. The tall shelves allowed him to disappear in a matter of seconds.

He heard a few more shots and some return fire as he turned down one row toward the sound of the shots. He knew it was Félix Baez. No one could've slept through that racket back at the truck. He'd really used his head, following the pickup truck back to the warehouse.

"Félix," shouted Duarte.

"Here," came one quick response, but it was enough, and Duarte found his friend.

Félix crouched behind a shelf. "I was hoping Lina would make a break, too. Now we gotta get her back." He turned and fumbled with his DEA identification, where, like all good cops, he had an extra handcuff key secured. He had Duarte free quickly.

Félix said, "The hairy guy and Floyd just ducked out the front door."

Duarte peeked down the aisle and saw Staub with a gun to Lina's head.

Félix said again, "Let's get Lina."

Duarte shook his head. It hurt to say it, but he did. "We need the other two."

"No way they're more important than Lina."

"They have a nuclear weapon in that truck."

Félix just stared at him and said, "The back door is this way." They both scurried toward it, then barreled out the door and into the Cobalt.

As Duarte started the car, Félix said, "We need backup."

Duarte said, "He took my cell. Where's yours?" He stomped on the gas, just seeing the taillight of the truck as it took a corner a few blocks away. The little car bounced and rattled over a curb and onto the street.

Félix said, "My phone is lost in this mess in the backseat."

Duarte could hear him sift through old newspapers and food wrappers as he searched for his Nextel.

Félix called out over his shoulder as he looked in the back, "Who was the dead, naked woman?"

"My guess is she could activate the bomb." He bumped over railroad tracks, still having the truck in sight. They tried to close but the little whining engine couldn't do it. They stayed in sight several more minutes as the truck weaved in and out of the light traffic, leading them farther and farther from the warehouse and Lina. Duarte's stomach hurt just thinking of her back there with Staub. But they had to find the truck.

"Staub killed Gastlin, didn't he?"

"Yeah."

Félix was silent as he sat forward without his phone, simmering. Duarte could see his face change color as the DEA man thought about the Panamanian police colonel.

They automatically fell into a grid search, hoping to catch a glimpse of the truck or at least see a cop he could hail for help.

Duarte turned his head to his friend and said calmly, "Félix, look for your phone again. We need to get help." He hoped it might distract the DEA man as well as help them as their situation grew more desperate.

Then Duarte saw Pelly's plan in his head. He slammed on the brakes, throwing the unprepared Félix hard into the dash.

Félix cursed then said, "What? What is it?"

Duarte started to back up the small car to turn it around and said, "Staub said he had a replacement for the dead woman. A replacement to arm the weapon. This was a trick. They're going back to the warehouse."

Pelly had no idea why the colonel would kill the pretty Ukrainian scientist other than her looks. It was done, so it no longer mattered. He had worked for the colonel so long that he knew what the man thought in certain situations. He knew his job was to draw Duarte and his partner away from the warehouse so that he could bring the bomb back and have the new scientist arm it. He had even had to slow down a couple of times so the little Cobalt driven by Duarte would catch up enough to keep him interested. Then, when he had him near the other side of the city, Pelly lost him for good and returned, using a good, direct route he had memorized on his trek away from the warehouse.

The entire ride back, Ike seemed like a different man. Quiet and nervous, he only looked up occasionally. He seemed disturbed by Lina and her actions.

Pelly gained respect for her. Not only was she beautiful, she was willing to take drastic steps as part of her duties. She was great. He wondered if he would ever get to see her again when all this unpleasantness was finished.

Staub raised the garage door as soon as Pelly drove the truck back into the lot. He spun it around and backed into the bay next to poor Professor Tuznia's Audi. He popped out of the pickup and felt some relief when he saw Lina, unharmed and tied to a chair next to the office door. A boney, balding, nervous man was next to her, smoking a cigarette. Obviously the new professor.

As Pelly walked behind the Audi, he noticed the trunk lid was open and the naked body of Professor Tuznia lay curled in the clean, empty trunk. The colonel had not even bothered to close her eyes. Pelly took a second and pushed down her eyelids.

Colonel Staub said, "Quickly, Pelly, take Ike and uncrate the front of the weapon. We have little time to waste."

The skeletal, balding man paced back and forth in front of the office, then changed his direction and headed toward them near the truck.

With Ike's massive shoulders and arms, they easily slid the crate back onto the tailgate. Pelly used a crowbar from a nearby shelf to pry open the wooden face of the crate.

The colonel joined them as the bald man reached in and swept away some packing straw. He had apparently already discussed with the scientist what was needed and shown him the cash.

The man worked amazingly fast, fastening wires and then splicing in his own plug. The plug fit into the back of a cell phone. The man taped the phone next to the open space on the bomb where the wires came out.

The man looked up at Staub. "When you want to detonate, call number of phone."

Pelly thought the man sounded German, with his sharp sounds and Ws changed to Vs.

Staub looked at a small sheet of paper. "I have the number."

The bald man said, "On the fourth ring, it will answer automatically. Press the numbers one, two, three, four, and that will trigger the mechanism. It will then initiate the first reaction that will then start the fissionable material."

Staub smiled. "How big will the blast be?"

"This is a warhead that would've been launched by a Soviet SS-18 missile. Modified, of course. Should be very good explosion. The tamper material is U-235. This surrounds the core. It should yield ten full kilotons. Enough."