James Born - Burn Zone

The man didn't look remorseful or proud to Pelly. He was just another guy trying to make a buck off his skills.

"And this phone will detonate it anywhere?"

"Anywhere Nextel has service, so not too many places, but it should work if it has a signal."

"Excellent," said Staub as he motioned for Pelly and Ike to help shove the whole crate back into the truck. Then Staub looked at Ike and said, "Start driving."

The wide man said, "Now?"

"Of course now."

"Where?"

The colonel looked at him like he was an idiot. "Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada."

"Where in the hell is that?"

He handed him an envelope. "Here is a map, and a number to call when the bomb is in position."

"Why there?"

"It is the perfect target. Symbolic, military and devastating."

Ike moaned, "It'll take me more than a day just to drive there."

"We have time. I will not call the number until you say the truck is in position and you are a safe distance away."

Ike just stared at the colonel and swallowed hard.

The colonel raised his voice. "No delays. Get started, now."

Pelly and Colonel Staub watched as Ike shuffled over to the pickup truck, closed the tailgate on the open bomb, crawled into the driver's seat and slowly pulled the truck out as Staub used a remote to open the big door. Pelly could tell Ike was a beaten man.

Pelly waved to his American comrade.

Ike gave him a dispirited nod back.

The colonel said, "Good luck, Ike. You will be a hero in the new America."

Ike didn't look thrilled with his potential status as hero. He backed into the lot and paused. Then, after about thirty seconds he pulled onto the street and headed toward downtown Houston.

Staub turned back toward the office. He called over his shoulder, "Thank you, Professor. Here is your cash." He gestured toward the crate now at the door of the office.

The bald man said, "I will count."

"As you wish." Staub placed his phone and a few things from his pocket on a shelf outside the office, then turned toward Lina, who had been following the tall colonel with her eyes every time he moved.

Pelly felt a twinge of anxiety the way the colonel looked at Lina and said, "Now to tie up loose ends."

Duarte felt sure they had been gone too long on their wild-goose chase when he found the street to the warehouse again. As he came down the street, he saw a vehicle, then said, "Unbelievable. It's the truck."

Félix said, "You gotta leave me off. I'll get Lina."

Duarte didn't answer.

"I can call in help from the office phone. C'mon, just slow down. I'll jump."

Duarte nodded, watching the truck turn the first corner. He slowed the small Chevy Cobalt as Félix opened his door and sprang out onto the street. He wasn't graceful as he lost his balance and tumbled toward the curb, but Duarte relaxed a little when he looked in the rearview mirror and saw his friend struggle to his feet and start loping toward the warehouse.

After turning the corner, Duarte saw the truck moving at a reasonable speed and punched the gas to close the distance. He had no gun, so he knew he'd have to ram the truck to disable it. He was prepared to do anything and sacrifice anything to keep a nuclear weapon that he had allowed into the country from being detonated.

PELLY WATCHED AS THE BALD PROFESSOR QUICKLY COUNTED the stacks of cash in the box. He may have been a physicist, but he wouldn't finish hand-counting the crate full of cash until early morning. He'd have to count a sample then get moving. Pelly wouldn't mind sending the bald man on his way as broke as when he arrived. That was cash that could be used to expand the business. Business that would probably suffer after the colonel made the call to the trigger phone.

The bald man looked up at Pelly, apparently noticing his face for the first time. He flinched and said, "I need help getting this to my car."

It was an order, not a request. Pelly said, "It'll cost you a million bucks."

The professor stared at him.

"That's only about ten of the stacks of hundreds. You can afford it."

"I could hire a real monkey for a lot less." The man had no humor in his voice, but it didn't matter. The comment was all Pelly needed.

He turned toward the man, who had foolishly gone back to counting his cash. He shifted his Beretta for a fast draw, although right now he didn't plan to use it.

As he took a step toward the man, he said, "You think that's funny, Adolf?"

Duarte even took his foot off the gas as he came closer to the truck. Whoever was driving didn't seem to be paying any attention at all and didn't know there was a car coming up behind him. Duarte backed off as he saw a main road coming up in the distance. Traffic would give him better cover and maybe a chance to get some help.

The little Cobalt dropped back and its engine lost the constant whine that Duarte was becoming accustomed to.

The truck came to a stop at the intersection and lingered. Duarte eased up behind the truck and caught a glimpse of William "Ike" Floyd in the driver's seat. His hangdog expression and blank stare explained why he had not moved, even though there was no oncoming traffic.

Duarte made some quick calculations as to his chances of jumping out of his car and grabbing Floyd before he drove off. But he waited, wondering why Floyd was hesitating.

He had to work on the assumption that the bomb was functional and that it was still in the back of the pickup truck with the small camper top.

He considered his options as the truck slowly pulled onto the larger road.

Pelly stepped closer to the professor hunched over the box of cash. Before he threw the first punch, he knew what would hurt the man the most.

Pelly said, "Hey, look at me."

The man turned his head to look up at the standing Pelly.

Pelly drew the pistol, placed it on the man's forehead, pulled back the hammer and said, "Get out. Right now."

"But my money."

"Will do you no good in hell." Pelly tensed his finger, and the man sprang to his feet and darted toward the outside door. A smile crept across his face as he stepped out of the office and back into the warehouse.

Then Pelly heard the colonel's voice rise. He turned to see his boss leaning in toward the bound Lina and cursing at the FBI agent. He bent in close to her and placed a hand on her forearm, squeezing and speaking into her ear.

Pelly said, "Hey, boss, we need to go."

The colonel didn't turn to look at him, but said, "Not yet, Pelly. I have to teach this whore a lesson."

Pelly had heard Colonel Staub make similar comments over the years, always to disastrous effects on the women he was speaking to. Pelly felt his stomach tighten as he tried to determine what, exactly, he was feeling. Was this remorse? His hand slipped onto the handle of the Beretta and said again, "We have to go, boss."

Staub ignored him, still focusing on Lina. He whipped out the small automatic pistol he had in his belt and swung it in a wide arc, striking Lina in the temple. Her head lolled to the other side as the colonel lined up for his follow-through.

Pelly shouted, "Wait."

It was just loud enough for the colonel to look up.

He looked as shocked as Pelly felt. Somehow, without conscious thought, Pelly had drawn his gun and had it pointed at his boss.

The light traffic on the four-lane street made keeping the big F-150 pickup truck in sight easy.

Duarte kept one car in between them as he became more anxious about stopping William Floyd before he managed to get to an interstate. He had pulled alongside the truck twice. The driver's window was open and Floyd looked like he was extremely preoccupied, running his hand over his face and then hanging his head out the window slightly, trying to get air.