MANO

CHAPTER 2

Mano had spent so much time undercover that there were times when he had forgotten he was a cop and there to do a dangerous, dirty job. There were nights when he had nightmares, mostly about his cover being blown. He supposed that was inevitable, given the perilous nature of his role, constantly on guard against saying the wrong thing and watching every nuance of his language and remembering at all times to use the lingo of the streets.
He had blended in well with the triads. It helped that he hadn't been working the streets long enough to pick up the unique vocabulary of the job and his face wasn't well known. The infiltration had been easy enough, and a union official had placed him in a job where his presence could be felt. The triads were always on the lookout for reliable men and Mano had stood out as a man to watch, particularly after he broke up a fight between two co-workers. It had been noted he had a commanding presence and possible leadership skills. They noted he was cool in a crisis, and when they looked into him further they discovered only what they were supposed to. They found out he had been military but that a cloud hung over his service. The "dishonourable discharge" intrigued them and made them wonder what he had done. They'd have stayed clear if the discharge had been honourable.
They were tricky like that.
They were always on the lookout for flaws and inconsistent behaviours.
It was what made them dangerous.

* * *

Mano had called another team briefing, but this time he had brought in an expert from one of Honolulu's top universities to discuss the threat they may be facing from a radiological explosion. There were also experts from their own crime labs who could understand the science behind what was being said. He had some trouble organising the speaker for a Saturday briefing but Mano could be very persuasive when warranted.
The university speaker was a tall, confident woman with brackish hair and a pair of spectacles perched precariously on her long nose. Her name was Professor April Lee and she had been previously cleared as having top security clearance for these type of briefings. She was speaking now to the room at large; a room that contained Mano, Nui, Pono, Kaimi and a few others from the crime lab. Also present was Chief of Police Dan Kali who Mano was answerable to. Although technically he was answerable to the Chief, in many ways he ran his own ship and was his own man. Inviting the Chief to sit in wasn't just a courtesy though. The man had command of the whole department and could bring a lot of manpower in if the need arose.
"Deaths from a radiological dirty bomb would be minimal," Lee was saying.
"Minimal?" Kali questioned in a disbelieving tone.
"Yes, minimal," Lee stressed. "The real damage would be psychological and it could affect our tourist industry for decades to come. Think of Chernobyl, gentlemen, and you get some idea for the scale of this thing."
Kali's thin face still showed puzzlement. "But how can you say minimal?" he queried again.
Nui had been doing his homework and had been reading up a lot on the threat. "It's like this, boss," he explained. "The fallout is contained within a relatively short zone. You have to understand what we're talking here. This isn't a nuclear explosion. Conventional explosive is used and when combined with isotopes of polonium-210 like we found at the airport, then that's where the real threat lies."
Lee looked at him like he was her favourite pupil.
Mano decided to ask a question of his own. "Besides polonium-210, are there other compounds we should be on the lookout for?"
"Quite a number, Mano," Lee explained. "In your searches at airports and ports keep your people's eyes peeled for anything in vials or capsules...liquid that doesn't look right...funny looking powders. If in doubt, seize. Better safe than sorry. What you're looking for is caesium chloride-190 powder. It can glow blue in the dark. Other agents include americium-241, californium-252, cobalt-60, iridium-192, plutonium-238, radium-226, and strontium-90."
"Quite a list," Kali commented drily. "Where would they get this stuff?"
April shrugged. "Quite a few places, Chief," she explained. "The former Soviet States have stockpiles of the stuff. Undocumented medical centres, diagnostic centres, industrial storage areas, lighthouses, and the good old black market."
"Why lighthouses?" Mano asked intrigued.
"They use strontium-90 in the beta emitting radioisotope thermoelectric generators that power the beacons in lighthouses," April Lee replied.
"I see," said Mano, in the tone of voice that suggested he didn't see at all. Science had never been his forte, and although he had been required to do it in high school, he had hated every minute of it. His best memory had been the boy who stuck the thermometer up his ass when the science teacher had told the pupils to pass it around for inspection. The loud crack of the broken thermometer was nothing compared to the laughter which bubbled in the throats of every boy present as the hapless trickster tried to explain away the circumstances of the break. The story went down in school folklore and was still laughed at years later during school reunions.
He still had questions for April Lee. "What about anthrax, professor?" Mano's face expressed curiosity.
April Lee smiled briefly, but it was gone before the assembled group could read anything into it. The question showed that there were misconceptions out there, even amongst smart cops like Mano who had probably seen a news bulletin somewhere about anthrax attacks. It showed why her services were very much in demand and why she was always being asked to brief some team on the dangers involved. "You're probably thinking of the attacks following 911. Again the attacks involved a powder sent through the US postal system - a brown, sugary substance - but it doesn't form a component for a dirty bomb."
"What about sarin?" Kali added, thinking of the Tokyo attacks.
April Lee nodded. "Tokyo was a chemical attack and the sarin used was in a liquid form. As I stressed earlier Chief, you need to concentrate on powders and liquids in your stop and search procedures."
The only other woman in the room asked a question. She was one of the laboratory supervisors. "Are there any special precautions we need to take in the lab'."
"There are," April Lee confirmed. "If you'll hang back Doctor Iekika with your people, I'll brief you privately.
She gave a private nod to Mano.
"Okay, people," Mano decided. "Let's wrap it up. Brief your teams and let's get moving on this." His eyes switched to the Chief. "Anything to add, Chief?"
Kali nodded his appreciation. "Keep your teams focused," he added, "and let's nail these people."

Author's note: Mano is now complete and is available on Amazon.co.uk and sites like Smashwords. Currently being upgraded.