Ken Follett - Code to Zero (2000)

Slowly, Anthony lowered his arms, but he did not drop the gun.

'Drop it, or I'll shoot!'

Anthony gave his twisted smile again. 'No, you won't,' he said. 'Not in cold blood.' Still pointing the gun at the floor, he began to walk backwards, making for the open door that led into the laboratory. Luke remembered noticing a door there that looked as if it led to the outside.

'Stop!' Billie cried.

'You don't believe that a rocket is worth more than a human life, even if it's a traitor's life,' Anthony said, continuing to walk backward. He was now two steps from the door.

'Don't test me!' she cried.

Luke stared at her, not knowing whether she would shoot or not.

Anthony turned and darted through the doorway.

Billie did not shoot.

Anthony leaped over a lab bench, then threw himself at a double door. It burst open, and he disappeared into the night Luke leaped to his feet Billie came towards him with her arms wide. He looked at the clock on the wall. It said ten twenty-nine. He had a minute left to warn Cape Canaveral.

He turned away from Billie and picked up the phone.

.

10.29 P. M.

The scientific instruments on board the satellite have been designed to withstand take-off pressure of more than 100 gravities.

When the phone was picked up in the blockhouse, Luke said: 'This is Luke, give me the launch conductor.'

'Right now he's-'

'I know what he's doing! Put him on, quick!'

There was a pause. In the background, Luke could hear the countdown: 'Twenty, nineteen, eighteen-'

A new voice came on the line, tense and impatient 'This is Willy - what the hell is it?'

'Someone has the self-destruct code.'

'Shit! Who?'

'I'm pretty sure it's a spy. They're going to blow up the rocket You have to abort the launch.'

The background voice said: 'Eleven, ten-'

'How do you know?' Willy asked.

'I've found diagrams of the wiring of the coded plugs, and an envelope addressed to someone called Theo Packman.'

'That's not proof. I can't cancel the launch on such a flimsy basis.'

Luke sighed, suddenly feeling fatalistic. 'Oh, Christ, what can I say? I've told you what I know. The decision is yours,'

'Five, four-'

'Hell!' Willy raised his voice. 'Stop the countdown!'

Luke slumped in his chair. He had done it. He glanced up at the anxious faces of Billie and Marigold. 'They've aborted the launch,' he said.

Billie lifted the hem of her sweater and stuffed the pistol into the waistband of her ski pants.

'Well,' said Marigold, somewhat lost for words. 'Well, I declare.'

Over the phone, Luke heard a bunch of angry questions in the blockhouse. A new voice came on the line. 'Luke? This is Colonel Hide. What the hell is going on?'

'I've discovered what made me take off for Washington in such a hurry on Monday. Do you know who Theo Packman is?'

'Uh, yeah, I think he's a freelance journalist on the missile beat, writes for a couple of European newspapers.'

'I found an envelope addressed to him containing blueprints of the Explorer's self-destruct system, including a sketch of the wiring of the coded plugs.'

'Jesus! Anyone who had that information could blow up the rocket in mid-air!'

'That's why I persuaded Willy to abort the launch.'

'Thank God you did.'

'Listen, you have to find this Packman character right now. The envelope was addressed to the Vanguard Motel, you may find him there.'

'Got it.'

'Packman was working with someone in the CIA, a double agent called Anthony Carroll. He's the one who intercepted me in Washington before I could get to the Pentagon with the information.'

'I talked to him!' Hide sounded incredulous.

'I'm sure of it'

I'll call the CIA and tell them.'

'Good.' Luke hung up. He had done all he could.

Billie said: 'What next?'

'I guess I'll go to Cape Canaveral. The launch will be rescheduled for the same time tomorrow. I'd like to be there.'

'Me, too.'

Luke smiled. 'You deserve it. You saved the rocket' He stood up and embraced her.

'Your life, you goop. To heck with the rocket, I saved your life.' She kissed him, Marigold coughed. 'You've missed the last plane from Huntsville airport,' she said in a businesslike tone.

Luke and Billie separated reluctantly.

'Next one is a MATS flight that leaves from the base at 5.30 a.m.,' Marigold went on. 'Or there's a train on the Southern Railway System you could catch. It runs from Cincinnati to Jacksonville and stops in Chattanooga around one a.m. You could get to Chattanooga in a couple of hours in that nice new car of yours.'

Billie said: 'I like the train idea.'

Luke nodded. 'Okay.' He looked at the upturned table. 'Someone's going to have to talk to army security about these bullet holes.'

Marigold said: 'I'll do it in the morning. You don't want to be waiting around here answering questions.'

They went outside. Luke's car and Billie's rental were in the parking lot. Anthony's car had gone.

Billie embraced Marigold. 'Thank you,' she said. 'You were wonderful.'

Marigold was embarrassed, and turned practical again. 'You want me to return your rental to Hertz?'

'Thank you.'

'Off you go, leave everything to me.'

Billie and Luke got into his Chrysler and drove away.

When they were on the highway, Billie said: 'There's a question we haven't talked about'

'I know,' Luke said. 'Who sent the blueprints to Theo Packman?'

'It must be someone inside Cape Canaveral, someone on the scientific team.'

'Exactly.'

'Do you have any idea who?'

Luke winced. Yes,'

'Why didn't you tell Hide?'

'Because I don't have any evidence, or even much of a reason, for my suspicions. It's just instinct. But, all the same, I'm sure.'

'Who?'

With a heart full of grief, Luke said: 'I think it's Elspeth.'

.

11 P. M.

The telemetry encoder uses hysteresis loop core materials to establish a series of input parameters from satellite instruments.

Elspeth could not believe it. Just a few seconds before ignition, the launch had been postponed. She had been so close to success. The triumph of her life had been within her grasp - and had slipped through her fingers.

She was not in the blockhouse - that was restricted to key personnel - but on the flat roof of an administration building, with a small crowd of secretaries and clerks, watching the floodlit launch pad through binoculars. The Florida night was warm, the sea-air moist. Their fears had grown as the minutes ticked by and the rocket remained on the ground; and now a collective groan went up as technicians in overalls swarmed out of their bunkers and began the complex procedure of standing down all systems. Final confirmation came when the mobile service tower slowly moved forward on its railway tracks to take the white rocket back into its steel arms.

Elspeth was in an agony of frustration. What the hell had gone wrong?

She left the others without a word and walked back to Hangar R, her long legs covering the ground with purposeful strides. When she reached her office, the phone was ringing. She snatched it up. Yes?'

'What's happening?' The voice was Anthony's.

'They've aborted the launch. I don't know why - do you?'

'Luke found the papers. He must have called.'

'Couldn't you stop him?'

'I had him in my sights - literally - but Billie walked in, armed.'

Elspeth had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of Anthony pointing a gun at Luke. It only made things worse that it was Billie who had intervened. 'Is Luke all right?'

'Yes T- and so am I. But Theo's name is on those papers, remember?'

'Oh, hell.'

'They'll ,be on their way to arrest him already. You have to find him first'

'Let me think .. ..he's on the beach ... I can be there in ten minutes ... I know his car, it's a Hudson Hornet, 'Then get going!'