Chapter nineteen: Warehouse Mission
The sleep was more or less good. Lori, Natasha and Mike woke up to the alarm Lori had on her phone.
"Good Morning." Lori said very tired.
"Morning. Did you sleep well?" asked Mike.
"No." said Natasha.
"Then your day is going to be bad today. Prepare to break into a fortress guarded by guards with assault rifles."
"This day is definitely going to suck." said Natasha.
"Just Listen how fucked up our plan is. We steal a Nuclear bomb that was produced illegally. We gonna steal this Nuclear bomb from a place that is guarded like a Military Airport." Lori said.
"Its not a bomb its the core of a bomb." Natasha said.
"That doesn't make this whole situation better." Lori sat up.
"Should we get help from someone?" Lori asked.
"From where and who do you want to get help?" Mike asked.
"Everyone we find."
Natasha and Mikes looked at Lori like they never heard such nonsense.
"Oh yes. Hey Mister, do you want to steal a nuclear bomb with us? If thats your idea, we could put on the hanfcuffs by ourself." Mike said.
"What just an idea."
"A pretty stupid idea." Natasha said.
"Get ready girls. Go put on your suits." Mike said.
Lori and Natasha went into the bathroom and came out a moment later dressed in suits and ties.
"Oh you look perfect." said Mike.
"Thanks. But there is one thing we need to change." Lori said, and opened the first upper buttons of Natasha's shirt, so that her cleavage could be seen.
"What are you doing?" Natasha asked confused.
"The guards will look more on what you have then thinking." Lori said.
"Hey hey hey. Im not comfortable with my daughter doing that." Mike said.
"Yes. Lori, you too." Natasha said, undoing the first few buttons on Lori's shirt so that Lori's cleavage could also be seen.
"Thats not better Natasha. In the other way, Lori is pretty attractive. So, you two will distract the guards." Mike said.
"Can we finally go?" asked Lori.
"Yes. Come."
Lori took the duffel bag with the guns and the three of them left the hotel as if they had never been there. They got into Mike's VW Golf and drove off. They first went to a McDonald's drive in. Lori and Mike each had a cheeseburger, and Natasha two cheeseburgers. However, she only ate half of the second, saving the rest for later. Mike drove out of Great Lake City. Eventually they stopped next to a corn field.
"Do you have any tips Mike?"
"Walk in this building like you are the Boss." Mike said.
"So, like we belong there?" Natasha asked.
"Yes. Act like you own this place." "That's good."
"Yes. But how does this core look like we are looking for?" Lori asked.
"In the document stood, that the core is smaller then a volleyball, and looks like its made out of silver."
"Okay. I think Natasha and you Lori can do it. Pick me up when you are finished."
"Wait? We leave you here?" Lori asked.
"Yes. I'll take my gun, and then I hide in the cornfield."
Mike got out and grabbed his M1 Garand and ammo. He looked again at Lori and Natasha.
"You will definitely be successful. Take care of yourselves.''
Then Mike disappeared into the cornfield. Lori got out, and then sat in the driver's seat.
"Shall we go?" asked Lori.
"Yes."
Lori drove off. They arrived at the Warehouse and Lori parked the VW Golf on a parking Lot. They got out, and Natasha took her assault riffle.
"So, we just get in now?" Lori asked.
"Yes. Otherwise it won't work."
They saw guards standing in front of the warehouse. Six in all.
"Natasha, put your gun away." Lori whispered.
"Nah, i'll handle this."
They stepped to the guards. Apparently they saw Natasha's assault riffle, because they loaded their assault riffles.
"Stop there! Gun away!"
The guards yelled. Lori was started by that. But Natasha just raised her hands.
"Yo, chill. We are from the NRC. We need to get a fuel element here for the university. So put your guns away."
"Can you identify yourself?" asked the guard.
"Yes we can. Linda... show the gentleman your passport and certificate." said Natasha.
Lori understood, and took out "Linda Silverlake's" passport and showed him the security guard. Natasha showed him "Claire Cooper's" passport.
"Doctor Claire Cooper and Doctor Linda Silverlake. And they are from the NRC. Why do you have the assault rifle with you Doctor Cooper?" asked the guard.
"If someone wants to take the load we're supposed to pick up, they'll get twenty loads of lead instead." said Natasha.
"Good point."
"We want to get in there. Can we?"
"Yes.. I mean, you are allowed because you are from the NRC."
"Good. Linda, follow me."
Lori and Natasha got in the Warehouse with a guard. They entered an office in which some scientists were.
"Boss, those are NRC members. They want to get a fuel element for researching purpose." The guard said.
"Let them through." A Scientist said.
Lori and Natasha were then instructed to walk down an aisle. The corridor was long. At some point they stood in front of a bunker door. There was a radiation warning sign on the door and the inscription, "Caution! Radioactive substances and ionizing radiation! Keep dose low!" In front of it were two guards with assault rifles. Lori showed them the fake ID. The guards each held a card to a reader and an alarm sounded. The massive bunker door opened and Lori and Natasha stepped through. Ahead of them was a second bunker door, and they noticed the first bunker door closing. Then the second opened. Before the two was again a long corridor. Then they saw two doors on either side. One was inscribed "Enrico Fermi" and the other door was inscribed "Royal Woods I II".
"Natasha, look. There is Royal Woods written on this door."
"Do you want to go in?"
"Yes."
Lori opened the door and they saw a huge hall in which stood Blue Containers larger than Vanzilla.
"There they are." Natasha said.
"What? The cores?"
"No. Thats the waste of Royal Woods."
"Waste?"
"Nuclear waste."
"And where are the cores?" Lori asked.
"As I remember, the document said hall Beta."
"You should touch one."
"What?"
"A Castor. One of those Radioactive waste Containers."
Lori got frightened like never before.
"Are you crazy?"
"Come on. Touch it. I will also touch it."
"Okay. I want."
The two approached the massive CASTOR containers and at the same time touched a CASTOR labeled Royal Woods II 2019. The CASTOR was warm. Almost hot.
"It feels warm." Lori said.
"I know."
"Why does it feel warm?"
"The fission products in the fuel Elements decay. Heat gets generated. You feel Nuclear Power right now."
"Okay. Thats... Interesting."
"Come Lori. Let's go. We need to keep our dose low."
Lori nodded, and both left the hall. They walked on trough the floor, and reached a door with the writing, "Hall Beta". They entered, and saw a bunch of smaller containers.
"Is it in one of these?" Lori asked.
"Yes. One of those several hundred containers."
"How do we find it?"
"Look out for the container with number 576-687-856. Thats one of those we are looking for."
"Should we separate and look for ourself?" Lori asked.
"Okay. Remember the number?"
"576-687-856. That's the number we need." The two looked around and walked alone through Hall Beta. Then Lori found number 576-687-856. Bingo.
"Claire Cooper!" Natasha came running.
"I said just call me Cooper!" Lori pointed to the number.
"Good work Lori."
"What are we going to do now?"
"We take it out. And take a look."
Natasha opened the container and stared in awe at a shiny silver sphere, smaller than a volleyball, with the words "Drop and Run!" had engraved.
"It is wonderful." said Natasha.
Lori felt nervous.
"Natasha. I want to go."
"Yes. But... I have to Touch it."
Natasha reached out and touched the ball. She was warm.
"It feels warm."
"Why do you touch it?" Lori asked confused.
"I don't know. But it's so beautiful."
"Focus on the Mission!"
"Yes... Yes..."
Natasha was like flashed from the appearance of this core. Lori now realized what drop and run in the sphere means. Its so dangerous, that you should drop it, and run away. Lori pulled Natasha away, so almost that she fell over.
"Are you crazy?" Natasha asked.
"Do you know how dangerous that thing is?"
"Yes."
"It says drop and run! And its a Bomb core! Think!"
"And it fell warm..."
Natasha looked shocked at her right hand.
"I touched a bomb core! Oh my god how stupid am I?"
Lori sealed the container.
"Let's go." Lori and Natasha carried the container out of Hall Beta, and saw a couple of guards walking towards them.
"Is that what you need?" asked the guard.
"Yes. Thats what we need."
"Okay. We will put in the system that you took it for the NRC."
The security guards took the two back to the office and got a scientist holding a MacBook Air. He looked at the number and typed something into his computer.
"Okay. Its now in the system."
"So we can go?" Natasha asked.
"Yes. You can go."
They left the Warehouse with the Container.
"We did it. We did it." Lori said amazed.
"Stay calm."
"Come on. Let's put it into the car."
The two placed the container in the trunk of Mike's VW Golf and drove away unnoticed. Fifteen minutes later they reached the cornfield. They got out and stood in front of the corn field.
"Mike!"
"Dad!"
"Mike!"
Mike came out of the cornfield.
"Hi girls. You got this damn thing?"
"Yes. We got it." Natasha said.
"Went perfectly." Lori said.
Mike hugged Natasha.
"You made it girls. Im so proud of you."
"Thanks dad."
Mike broke the hug and hugged Lori.
"Thank you Lori. Your parents can be proud of you."
"I wish they would. But after I slapped mom, I doubt that."
"That will be fine again. Family stays together."
"I know. But I still feel bad."
"It would be bad If you not feel like this."
"You think so."
"You wouldnt have a heart if you didn't feel like this."
"Thanks, Mike."
"So. Now let's go home."
"Okay dad." Natasha said.
Mike got in the driver's seat and Lori and Natasha in the back seat. Mike pulled onto the freeway, and headed toward Royal Woods. Fifty miles from Royal Woods, Lori noticed that Natasha had red spots on her right hand and was scratching herself. Lori was shocked.
"Natasha? Your hands!" Lori said shocked.
"It's nothing." Natasha said.
"What's going on there?" Mike asked.
"Natasha touched the core and now she has Red spots on her Hand."
"You what?"
"It's nothing bad. It just itches."
"You touched that damn thing?"
"Calm down. Nothing bad happens."
"Nothing bad? Those are radiation burns on your hand."
Natasha got in a panic.
"Oh my god! What have I done? Oh I get radiation sickness for sure! oh my god."
"Natasha, you are so smart, why did you do this?" Lori asked.
"I do not know."
"That isn't good at all Tasha." Mike said worried.
"What's going to happen?" Natasha asked scared.
"I don't know. I hope you don't loose your hand."
Mike pulled up on the shoulder of the freeway and got out with Natasha. He emptied a bottle of water over Natasha's hand. Then the two got in. When they reached the Stevensons' house, Natasha was very pale. Mike and Lori carried the container with the core into the house, and Natasha slowly walked into the living room and lay down on the couch. She was dizzy and breathing loudly. Lori came to her.
"Hey, Natasha. Are you alright?" asked Lori worried.
"No. I'm faint. And I feel weak."
"Natasha thats not normal."
"No I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes I am sure." said Natasha.
But deep down, she wasn't sure. Mike came into the living room. He looked very close to Natasha.
"I'm sure that's radiation sickness." Mike said.
Natasha got in a panic.
"No... That can't be true..."
Mike turned around.
"Lori, get some pretzel sticks and coke from the kitchen, and a bowl to throw up in."
Lori disappeared into the kitchen and came back with the things Mike had mentioned. Mike gave Natasha a pretzel stick.
"Eat slowly."
"I know dad."
Natasha ate slowly. Eventually Lori went home and night fell. Mike woke up in the middle of the night. Natasha had thrown up. Mike went into the living room and cleaned up the vomit. Then he turned to Natasha.
"Natasha, I'm very sorry about how you're feeling right now. But it's all your fault!" Mike said calmly.
"I know dad." Natasha said weakly. "Remember what happened to Harry Daghlian and Louis Slotin after they took the Demon Core too far?"
"Both died in agony."
"Trying to sleep."
Mike kissed Natasha on the cheek. He wanted to go. But Natasha held him back.
"Please do not leave me alone."
"Okay Tasha."
Mike sat down next to Natasha. Natasha put her head on his lap. Eventually they both slept.
End of the Chapter