Quantum Touch Collection - Books 4-6

Chapter 4-2

When the door opened, the president and Putin led a line of men through. The Russians followed the example of the Americans in line, standing next to them in two lines. Heads nodded, hands shaken, the message had passed they were all working together. The Russian president introduced Colonel Mitchell to Marshal Kirinyenko, who said in almost perfect English, “To stop this truck, rocks may be our only form of road block. All my men have flashlights.”

“Marshal, we want to avoid shooting if possible. We should line the road, take out tires. I hope we can take prisoners. But I"ve told my men not to get shot.”

“I have told mine the same.” While they were talking, Fritz had set the map, leaving a twenty-mile cushion along the road where the truck was headed. “You only have a few minutes, Colonel. You should go now,” said Fritz.

The soldiers entered Russia on the run and kept running, flashlights showing the way, as Fritz held the door. The sound of boots crunching on stone and soft commands in two languages came through the portal as the hall emptied.

“Mr. President, the truck turned off, heading north,” said Major Barclay, holding the computer for the presidents.

“What should we do?” asked Putin.

“Hold up, Fritz,” said the president. “Come here.”

“Ash, take the door.”

The president told Fritz that the truck had turned off about three miles before the insertion. He asked if Fritz could change the map. “We need to get our guys back quickly.”

“Hold this,” the major said, handing the computer to the president. She ran to the door, grabbed a rifle from a startled soldier still in the hall and ran through. They heard her calling, “Colonel Mitchell.”

Fritz looked at the computer image. The truck moved along a straight line but seemed to be slowing down. President Putin said, “Yes, they slow down. But it is dark there. Can you make the picture better?”

“Lin, can you work this thing,” Fritz asked. She handed TJ to him and enhanced the picture as the soldiers started to file back.

“Gentlemen, they turned off and are slowing down. We"re going in hot,” said Major Barclay, wearing trousers and a sweater. Marshal Kirinyenko looked at her and then at Mitchell, who said. “I"ll explain later, Marshal.”

“Fritz, maps,” said the major. “We"re guessing. If there"s a road there, they will be about here,” Jane pointed. “Let"s go.” The entrance began again. Major Barclay directed the troops in three different directions, telling them to form a perimeter.

“THEY"RE COMING back,” called the president.

“Ash, direct traffic,” Fritz said. “Al, would you tell the truck driver they"re coming.”

The soldiers began to appear. The Russians spoke quietly among themselves. Moments before, they had been somewhere in Russia and were suddenly standing in a hallway. Between groups of returning troops, Captain Dolan led soldiers carrying a box labeled with the international symbol for radiation hazards. A couple of soldiers moved to the doors and placed the box in the open truck. Everything had happened quickly and smoothly. Putin merely observed.

Trailing the last soldiers, Colonel Mitchell and Major Barclay came back, her arm slung over the colonel"s shoulder. Jane"s right pants leg was stained with blood and torn at the knee. “Medic,” Ashley shouted and followed Jane to the hospital room. The colonel walked to the presidents and Marshal Kirinyenko. Fritz heard the colonel say, “Mr. President, none of them would give up. Sorry sir.” Kirinyenko nodded to his president.

“Mr. President, if you would like, we can send your men home now,” said the president.

“That is acceptable, Mr. President. But if I may, I have questions.”

The two presidents went into Ashley"s classroom. When they returned, President Putin waved Marshal Kirinyenko over, and whispered to him. The officer nodded, saluted, and told his men to prepare to leave. At Fritz"s door, Colonel Mitchell thanked his Russian counterpart.

“All set, Colonel,” said Fritz.

“Nice to have met you, Marshal Kirinyenko.” Still grappling with the strangeness, the Russian shook hands with the colonel, saluted, and signaled his men to move to the door. With Tony beside him, Fritz watched as the column of Russians marched single file back to their own country, some smiling or nodding heads as they passed. Next to the door, one of the Americans who spoke Russian listened for comments he could relay to the colonel. When the portal cleared, Fritz removed the map from his desk and reset the portal to Putin"s home.

“THANKS, FRITZ,” said the president. “I told him about our new technology that affects atmospheric pressure. We can cause wormholes and walk inside from place to place. It"s secret for now, I told him, but we want to use it to reverse climate change. I suggested a joint study with their scientists. It will keep him wondering. He asked where we were. I told him Oklahoma. Tornado country. I think the portal is safe.”

“Not bad, Mr. President. That"s as implausible as time travel, so he"s sure not to believe you.”

“Sleight of hand. Colonel, time to go home.” The immediate increase in hallway echoes reminded Fritz that his students would soon return.

As if this mission were daily routine, the machine went into motion. The truck with the warhead left, the buses began to load, and the clean-up crew waited outside. Linda and Ashley, alerted by the activity, left the hospital room.

“Where"s TJ?” asked Fritz.

“Jane has him. They"re wrapping her legs, so they"re both sitting still,” said Linda.

Ashley was frowning. “She must have a four-leaf clover or a rabbit"s foot or something I don"t know about.” Since they had met in September, Jane had been wounded three times. In November, she had been shot when terrorists attacked the president"s car in Washington. His wisecrack that Jane had a better scar than he did hid a touch of envy.

“Time for me to go home,” said the president. “Sorry guys, but New Year"s Eve is postponed. We still have the ship bombing to figure out. And now this.”

* * *

“THE RUSSIANS must have followed our comrades. We heard the gunfire but lost contact. I don"t think any of them survived. The warhead was captured, I think.”

“Don"t concern yourself. Stolen nuclear material gives the Americans and the Russians something to think about in the new year. Besides, we"ve saved enough to buy more men. We don"t need to pay that lot. Just get more. Oh, and Happy New Year.”