Chapter 7: Discovering the truth, helping Hale

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Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., and in the Pentagon, men and women are working. With them in the room are the Joint Chiefs and the Secretary of Defense. Walking in the room is another man in uniform. It's a lieutenant officer. He salutes to them.

Man: Lieutenant Michael Rodriguez, reporting, sir. 

Chairman: (Salutes) At ease, lieutenant. What do you got for us?

Michael: I've gotten word from McMurren. They're not picking up any radiation, sir. It's really strange. I mean, Airman Kelly said there was an exposed core. 

Chairman: The breach may not be as bad as we thought. 

Michael: It's just odd. (Looks at a general) General Creely, sir. Permission to speak, sir.

Creely: Speak. 

Michael: What was the last transmission that Major Deakins said again?

Before he could say anything, the phone by them starts ringing. Secretary of Defense Baird answers it. It's Giles Prentice, Baird's partner. He's on a plane, making his way to McMurren.

Giles on phone: Sir, what if this wasn't an accident? 

Baird: What are you saying, Giles?

Giles on phone: In his final transmission just before the crash, Major Deakins said Captain Hale lost it. Now we all assume that to mean pilot error or equipment failure, but what if he meant...Hale intentionally lost the plane?

Michael: (Whispers) What?

Baird: But why would he do that?

Giles on phone: Two nuclear weapons would be worth a lot of money. 

Chairman: To who, son? There are easier ways to buy nuclear weapons. Go to one of the old Soviet Republics, they'll fix you up with a couple for the prince of a BMW. 

Giles on phone: Sir...I meant how much would they be worth to us? How much would we pay to get them back?

Michael: Let me say something, sir. (To Giles on the phone) Mr. Prentice, that's impossible. You're telling us that Hale crashed the plane on purpose before releasing the nukes? Heck, no. Not only does the colonel had his two best men on that plane, but both of those nukes are monitored by satellite scans. I tell you, it would useless for anyone to try and steal them. 

Baird: (Stops him) Relax. (To Giles) Hold on.

He walks to Creely to talk to him. Michael walks over to them. 

Baird: Lieutenant Rodriguez is right. These nukes are monitored, and they have codes or something that prevent people from using them.

Creely: Of course. 

Baird: And no one knows these codes, right, except for the President and you guys?

Creely: Access to the codes requires the highest security. 

Baird: Yeah, but I mean not even the pilots have these codes, right? 

Michael: Permission, sir?

Baird: (Looks at him) Go ahead. 

Michael: What the general means that, only officers with the highest ranks have access to the codes. Such as First Lieutenants, Captains, Majors, Lieutenant-Colonels, and Colonels. And only higher rank pilots have access to the codes. So, yeah. 

Baird sighs at this, not liking the answer. Michael stands down. 

Chairman: Where's that N.E.S.T. team now?

Captain: They just took off, sir. The E.T.A. in Utah is 96 minutes. 

Chairman: (Nods, looks at Michael) Lieutenant, get on a chopper, and head over to Utah at McMurren. 

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