The Plot

Part 5

       Brad entered the huge hangar. The spacecraft, which resembled a 747 Jumbo jet, stood silently in the half darkness. The main lights were off with just a few maintenance lights providing illumination. It was after midnight, the maintenance staff had all retired for the night, but would be up at five am doing final preparations on the spacecraft which was due to lift off six hours later.

Brad had deliberately waited until this late hour so he could do his own inspection of the craft with no one around. When he had talked to Jack Hobbs three days earlier he had been disappointed to see that the names of the two engineers rostered to do the final check on the space shuttle were not on the list of suspects working at the island. So puncturing a fuel tank at the last minute was probably not the plan of the saboteurs.

He circled the spacecraft twice, then climbed the ladder to the entry hatch which had been left open. The interior lights were on, but dimmed. Quietly Brad walked through the entire craft, and with the aid of a powerful torch looked closely for anything that appeared out of place.
After two hours his inspection was complete. No sign of a bomb or anything unusual. He wished he knew exactly what he was looking for. He climbed down the ladder to the hangar floor where he stood for several minutes looking at the spacecraft wondering exactly how the saboteurs were planning to destroy it making it look like an accident.

A click and then the sound of one of the hangar maintenance doors opening behind him made him whirl around in surprise.

*****

The phone chimed. "Answer", Grace said, and Tracy's head and shoulders appeared in a holographic imaged hovering above the phone receiver. "Hello, Mum. What's happening? Have you found out how they're going to do it?"

"Not yet," Tracy answered, "Brad is checking out the Iridium now while no one is in the hangar. It's after midnight here. I'm in the accommodation wing. He wanted me to wait here. He's worried that our saboteurs might work out why we're both here since we are not on the passenger list for tomorrow's flight. And I'm worried about you and Shannon. I've called Security and they're sending an officer to stay with you for the night, just in case."

"Okay, but Mum, no one is going to be able to get into the house. It's locked up tight."

"I know, but I'll sleep a lot better tonight if I know you have extra protection. "Security is sending Lynn Miller. You know her, she's been with the company for years and I completely trust her. I've explained the situation to her. You'll be safe with her."

Lynn Miller arrived twenty minutes later. Grace offered her a cup of coffee and the three of them sat at the dining table discussing the situation.

"Your mother has explained everything to me," Lynn said, "I'll stay with you till after the shuttle lifts off tomorrow morning, and don't worry. If anyone tries to get into this house they won't get past me." She put her hand on her gun belt.

They talked for a while, then the girls went to bed. Lynn walked around the house checking all the windows and doors. High strength security screens were fitted to the windows, and the doors had similar strength screen doors. It would take a battering ram to get through them. The house also had eight cameras mounted to the exterior eves giving high definition views around the entire building.

Lynn made herself another cup of coffee, then sat down in front of the computer screens and watched for any sign of activity outside.

*****

At exactly eleven o'clock in the morning, island time, the space shuttle Iridium rolled down the long runway increasing speed and lifting off into the blue sky. Soon it was just a speck in the sky to the east as it rapidly increased altitude. 

Two maintenance men stood by the hangar watching the shuttle disappear. One of them glanced at his watch and nodded to his friend. "Fourteen minutes," he muttered in a low voice, "It should make a beautiful fireball falling out of the sky."

*****

Grace and Shannon were sitting at the breakfast bar having cereal and toast for breakfast when Tracy called. 

"Hi, Mum, what's happening?" Grace asked.

"The Iridium just lifted off," Tracy replied, "Brad and I have...." her voice faded off into static.

"Mum, are you there? Mum?" Grace tried over and over, but all she got was static before the line dropped out.

"Did you lose the call?" Lynn asked.

Grace nodded.

"That sometimes happens with satellite calls from the island," Lynn explained, "She'll call back shortly when the link is working again. Hello, what have we got here?"

Grace and Shannon both looked at the security screen showing a view of the front door.
A tall dark haired man wearing a jacket with the Silver Star logo on it strode quickly to the door and pressed the buzzer.

"That's Ed Shearman," Lynn observed, "He works in Space Logistics. What's he doing here? I hope it's not bad news." 

She pressed the intercom button. "Ed, this is Lynn Miller. Is anything wrong?"

He answered in an urgent tone. "Lynn, there's a security incident at the centre. They need all security staff on duty immediately. We couldn't get you on the phone so I came straight here. I'll take over here so you can head back there now."

Lynn glanced at the girls looking puzzled. "Do you know what the incident is, Ed?" 

"I think it's something to do with the spaceflight today."

"Hell! Okay, hold on a sec." She walked to the front door and unlocked it.

Ed stepped inside. "You better get going," he urged, "They need you there ASAP."

"I'll get my bag," Lynn replied, walking across to the table by the couch.

Ed turned to the two girls. "You must be Grace and Shannon," he smiled, "Don't worry about a thing. I'll look after you until Lynn gets back or they send someone else."

Shannon stared at him. "Your voice," she said slowly.

"My voice? What about it?"

"I know it!" she exclaimed, then frantically turned to Lynn who was walking to the door with her bag on her shoulder. "Lynn, this is the man who chased me and grabbed me that night outside the centre! He's one of the saboteurs!"

"What?" Lynn whirled around reaching for her stun gun, but she was not fast enough.

As quick as lightning Ed pulled a gun out of his jacket pocket and fired it at Lynn. She crumpled to the floor.