Chapter 38

"So... What is this?" Shawn asks as we approach a bag that was abandoned at the train station.

"Anything that can fit into a bag that size." Wolford informs.

"At least if it's a explosive, it won't be that big."

"Smallest ever nuclear warhead was about that size, and it destroyed 3 km squared." I supply

"Thanks Cameron. I am now scared shitless."

Shawn and Wolford get behind cement pillars while I approach the bag.

As I approach the bag I begin to smell charcoal, sulfur, and saltpeter; And hear a faint ticking.

I grudgingly walk up and unzip the bag to find a chemical mixture hooked up to a old alarm clock. The alarm on the clock goes off and a fuse lights.

"Okay back up." I say walking back to Shawn and Wolford.

"What is it?" Wolford asks.

"It's either an explosive or a smoke bomb. Depends on the amount of charcoal in it."

"Wha..." Shawn begins as a plume of smoke erupts from the bag.

"Smoke bomb... IT'S A SMOKE BOMB GUYS! WE'RE FINE!" I yell at the rest of the officers.

The rest of the officers relax as we go up to Bogo.

"Why a smoke bomb?" Bogo asks

"May not of been meant to be a smoke bomb." I say

"How so?"

"Explosives are simple to make, just have to get the mixtures right. Meet me at this location." I say handing him some coordinates.

"When?"

"Earliest convenience."

Two Hours Later... Farm outside of town

"Why are we here?" Bogo asks as he walks up with a few other senior officers.

"Follow me. I had the lab techs help me set some examples up."

We walk over to a few tables at the edge of a empty building foundation.

"Look here." I say pointing at the desks. "Get behind the glass and put the gear on." I say pointing at some portable plexiglass windows with ear muffs and protective glasses.

"Okay. Get on with it." Bogo says

"Okay. Here we have a standard issue Army grenade." I say holding up a hand grenade. "Watch the explosion." I say as I throw it.

"Okay." Bogo says after the grenade explodes.

"Next. Industrial fertilizer " I say as I pull out a pocket knife and open a bag of fertilizer dumping it in the foundation. "Add diesel." I say dumping a jerry can of diesel on the pile. " And ignite." I say igniting a piece of cloth on fire and tossing it.

The concoction explodes leaving a shitty smell.

"Wow..." Bogo says

"That's what the Oklahoma City bomber used. Now, You can't get that kind of fertilizer anymore, but the point is across... Now, we have powdered chlorine." I say as I place a bag of pool chlorine on the ground and grab a bottle. "Add brake fluid and run." I say as I dump the bottle and run.

The pile erupts in flames after a few seconds.

"Incendiary." Bogo says.

"Now. For the same thing as the station." I say as I grab three zip lock bags of powder.

"Charcoal." I say emptying a bag of black powder into a flower pot.

"Saltpeter." I say emptying a bag of white powder into the pot

"Sulfur." I say putting a mask on and emptying another bag of yellow powder into the pot.

"Mix gently." Say as a grab a wooden spoon and gently mix the powders and stuck a fuse in the mix.

"Light and Run fast!" I say running away.

I duck behind a wall as the pot explodes.

"That was earlier?" Bogo asks.

"No this is."

I say repeating the process but with double the saltpeter.

"Light and run." I say as I light another fuse.

The pot begins to produce a thick cloud of smoke as the mixture burns.

"What's the difference?" Bogo asks.

"Second mixture had twice the amount of saltpeter. So it combusts slower."

"So we have a bomb maker who can't make bombs right?"

"No. He wanted to make a smoke bomb, It is harder to make the smoke then it is to make the explosive." I say.

"Why?"

"Message. He won't be doing that again. You can't buy sulfur at the store. You need to buy it from somewhere that keeps track of sales."

"So this won't happen again?"

"70% Probability that it won't. Never certain."

"I'm going to get a drink. you coming?"

"Yep."

Move along. There is nothing else.

See? Nothing!