Going Nuclear

"Shh," James said after I got out of the truck. "They're asleep right now. Get everything ready while I put them under." I nodded my head and quietly opened the back of the truck. I pulled out a ramp and attached it to the back, then opened a metal box that was already sitting inside. When I turned back around, James had Doris/Svetlana in a burlap bag over his shoulder. He dumped her inside the box.

"Is she," I began. He shook his head.

"No, but she'll be out for several hours," he said. "I'll be right back." A few minutes later, he returned with Mike and dumped his body in the box next to hers. Then he grabbed what few things they had in the room and placed them in the box. As I watched, he cuffed their hands behind their backs, making sure the chains were intertwined. He had also stuffed their undergarments in their mouths. I closed the box and locked it up. They were crammed in so tight, there was no way they could move, much less escape. When I finished, I looked at my watch.

"You have time to get back before the test?" he asked. I nodded my head.

"Oh, yeah," I said.

"Let me know how it goes," he said. I thanked him and left as he wiped down everything he had touched. I got to the test site just in time and was ushered in by the military police.

"Thought you weren't gonna make it, Cap," one of the guards said.

"Just wanted to grab a bite to eat before the test," I said. They looked inside the back of my truck quickly before waving me on in.

"Take care, Cap," the guard said before throwing a salute. I saluted him back and drove on inside. I got to the tent where the weapon was being readied for the test. Once I finished my part of the job, I sent every one else on their way as I always did. Fortunately, I was able to park my truck so that my movements couldn't be seen from the camera set up several miles away.

Once I knew everyone else was gone, I backed the truck to the tent, opened it up, then lowered the ramp and grabbed the dolly. It took some doing, but I managed to get the box centered on the dolly. It wasn't easy, let me tell you. Doris/Svetlana didn't weigh that much, but Mike easily weighed as much as I did, if not more.

I finally got the box under the scaffolding that held the weapon and noticed there was a metal plate that went across the scaffolding underneath the bomb, perhaps for structural support. At least it would hide what was under the weapon and that's all I cared about. I unlocked the box and opened it up slightly.

They were starting to wake up and blinked their eyes a few times before they recognized me. They were both quite surprised to see me as I knelt over them.

"So," I said. "I take it you wanted to get a good look at our atomic technology. Well, here ya go. In terms of yield, it's really not much bigger than the bombs we dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but it'll do. If it's any consolation, you won't feel a thing when it goes off. You'll be here one second, then gone the next. Just like that," I added, snapping my fingers. I could tell Doris/Svetlana wanted to say something, so I pulled the gag out of her mouth.

"You imperialist pig," she spit. I stuffed Mike's underwear back in her mouth and laughed.

"You lying, cheating commie bitch," I said in response. "I know all about you and Comrade Schmidt here. You've got about 15 minutes or so to make your peace with whatever it is you commie pinkos worship. By the way, I want a divorce. Goodbye and enjoy Hell." Her eyes went wide as I slammed the box shut and locked it back up. I knew there was no way they could escape.

After I replaced the dolly, I removed the canvas tent and stuffed it into another metal box, then loaded it up into my truck as I always did. I took a last look around, then left the site the way I came, just as I always did. My hands were trembling and I was shaking inside. I took several deep breaths before I reached the protected observation area and had managed to calm down a bit before I parked the truck and went inside.

I joined the rest of the observers after I grabbed my protective gear and we took our normal precautions. Soon, I heard the countdown and knew all hell would break loose in just a few seconds. Sure enough, it did. I knew that Doris/Svetlana and her accomplice were now vaporized and would never be seen or heard from again.

I waited a bit before looking, like everyone else, then took in the mushroom cloud as it lifted into the sky. Using my binoculars, I looked at what would've been ground zero. I'm not sure why, I knew there would be no evidence of what I had done. Still, I was compelled to look.

When everything died down, I went through the monitoring stations like everyone else, then returned the truck and got into my car. I was still shaking when I got home. I had never done anything like this in my entire life, and I just knew I was going to Hell.

"It's over," I told James when I called him from the house.

"Good," he said. "Give it a day or so, then report her missing. If you need to talk, let me know."

"I will," I said. "Thanks for everything." He laughed.

"Just wait till you get my bill," he said. I laughed for the first time that day.

...

Pops stopped talking and looked at me, guilt and sadness in his eyes. I stopped the recording.

"It's okay, Pops," I said, giving him a hug. "You said yourself they planned to kill you when they were finished. You not only saved your own life, but you protected the country from two hostile foreign agents. You've got nothing to be ashamed of." He nodded his head.

"I've been telling myself that ever since," he said. "Still, it weighs on me, you know?"

"I know, Pops," I said. "But we were at war, remember? You did what you had to do. It was either you or them. And personally, I'm glad you did it. Otherwise you and I would have never met." As I looked, a tear formed in his eye and he smiled.

"I never thought of it that way, son," he said.

"You know, you're the bravest man I ever met, Pops," I said. "I'm proud of you." He held me tight and I could feel his tears soaking my shirt. After a few minutes, he wiped his eyes and looked at me. The guilt and sadness were gone.

"Maybe telling you this was what I've needed all these years," he said. "I carried the weight of that inside me ever since."

"I'm curious, though," I said. "What happened afterward?"

"Well, I waited a couple days, then filed a missing person's report," he said. "They came back a few days later and said her car was found over at the motel, but they never found any trace of her. They said it was possible she met up with someone and took off with him. Said I'd probably never hear from her again." We both laughed at that.

"That would be one helluva phone call," I said, causing him to laugh out loud. "What happened after that?"

"I let a couple months go by, then went to see Capshaw, at James' suggestion," he said. "James and I decided it would be best for me to act as though the marriage was real, even though we knew it wasn't. Capshaw filed for divorce on the grounds of abandonment. I went to Reno and in a few minutes it was a done deal. On my way out of town, I stopped and tossed my ring in the Truckee River, just as he suggested. For the next several years, I halfway expected to see federal agents come by, but they never did. I retired from government service in the 1960s, then took up a job teaching. That's where I met Patricia. The rest is history."

"How did she keep in contact with her superiors?" I asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know," he said. "And I never did find out. Guess it doesn't matter now, does it?"

"I guess not," I said.

Our visit was cut short when a nurse tapped on the door. She came in and announced it was time for dinner, so I said my goodbyes.

"Make sure you bring that lovely young girl of yours by," he told me.

"I will Pops," I said. "Maybe tomorrow, if that's okay."

"Look forward to it," he said.

That night, Karen and I went out for dinner, drinks and dancing. She brought a few things with her, including a large paper sack with something inside she said was a surprise. Later, after we made love in my apartment, she turned to me.

"Are you alright, Trey?" she asked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" I asked her.

"Well, it just seems that you're a million miles away," she said. "What's on your mind?"

"I went by and saw Pops today," I said. "He told me the rest of his story." I briefly recalled what he told me.

"Wow," she said. "Remind me never to get on his bad side." I chuckled at that. "Are we gonna go see him tomorrow, maybe after I kick your ass on the miniature golf course?"

"Sure, if you want to," I said. The next day, we played a game of miniature golf, and yes, she beat me. And no, I didn't let her. She would've seen through that in a heartbeat. Later, we went to see Pops. She had taken the bag with her and took it inside the nursing home. His eyes lit up when he saw us coming in.

"Well hello there, young lady," he said as she gave him a big hug.

"I have something for you," she said, handing him the paper sack. He opened it and pulled out a plastic blanket container that held an afghan. She helped him open it and took out the afghan.

"I just finished this the other day," she said. "I know you like afghans, so I made one for you." He smiled as he held it in his hands.

"This is wonderful," he said. "Thank you, I love it." He turned to look at me.

"Son, if you don't marry this girl, I will," he declared.

"You're right, Pops," I said. I took one of Karen's hands in mine and knelt in front of her, right next to my grandfather. I looked into her eyes.

"Karen," I said. "I'm madly in love with you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" She looked surprised at first, then broke out into a wide smile. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed my face.

"Oh yes, Trey," she said. "I'll marry you! I love you so much!"

"I love you, too," I said. We heard clapping from the door and turned to see several nurses clapping and smiling. Pops joined in as well.

We married a couple months later, and the nursing home brought my grandfather to the church so he could celebrate it with us. He handed me an envelope, which contained a set of first class airline tickets to Las Vegas, along with reservations at a top hotel.

A few months later, his health had deteriorated to the point where he was transferred to the hospice wing of the nursing home. Karen and I spent as much time as we could by his side. I could tell that while his body was shutting down, his mind was still very active. I could also tell that he no longer carried any guilt about what he had done.

On my last visit, he was lucid enough to tell me that he had made his peace with God and was ready to join his beloved Patricia.

"Don't cry for me, son," he said quietly. "We'll be together again. I promise. I love you, son." I held him as he took his final breath. I couldn't help myself. I cried.

"I love you too, Pops," I said in between sobs. When I looked at his face, I saw that slight mischievous smile I had grown to love ever since I was a little boy and knew he was in a much better place. Karen came in and held me as we both mourned his passing.

He was laid to rest in his uniform with full military honors next to his wife, Patricia. The honor guard carefully folded the flag that draped his coffin and presented it to me along with a salute. He had fought for his country and deserved all the honor due him, I thought.

A few days later, I received a letter from his attorney asking me to stop by his office. I was curious to know what he wanted, so I went.

"Your grandfather left everything to you," the lawyer said. "His house, money, everything. All told, it's a considerable amount, even after his final expenses. If you want, I can set you up with a financial advisor to help manage it. He also wanted me to give you this," he added, handing me a large sealed envelope that looked fairly old. "I've had it in my safe for a number of years. Don't ask me what's in it, because I have no idea. Your grandfather said it was only to be opened after his death."

"Thanks," I said. "And yes, I'd like to meet your financial advisor," I added after seeing the rather significant amount of money Pops had left. I didn't open the envelope until after I had gotten home. I was shocked at what I found. It seems Pops HAD kept everything, including a copy of the report written by James Ham, and a yellowed divorce decree declaring his freedom from one Doris Harrison, nee Hastings, on the grounds of abandonment. There was even a picture of the house they lived in.

That night, Karen and I went through it all, shocked. It seems everything Pops told me was true.

The last sheet appeared to be a photocopy of something printed from an old official report, in Russian. It looked like something that was part of a giant cache of documents that had been released from the old Soviet KGB. Attached to it was an English translation. As best as I could tell, it appeared to be a series of field reports from one Svetlana Federova, telling her superiors in Moscow that she suspected her target, meaning Pops, might be aware of her real identity.

Her earlier reports said only that she had become intimate with someone very familiar with the American atomic weapons efforts. She never mentioned Pops by name, but it was clear she was frustrated with her inability to get anything useful out of him, telling her superiors that all he wanted to do was have sex and watch "capitalist television."

Later dispatches revealed even more frustration, with her superiors telling her that she should become more aggressive in her efforts. Her last dispatch indicated that she and Michel were planning something drastic.

"I will deal with him at the earliest convenience," she told her superiors. Karen and I had a good laugh over that. The KGB report said that neither Federova nor her German-born assistant was ever heard from again. They even speculated the two had run off to get married, but they simply couldn't be found. The operation was stamped, "Dead."

"They have no idea," I said, causing Karen to laugh.

...

Notes:

I did my best to stay true to the history of the period, and with the tests that took place at the time.However, I exercised a bit of artistic license with the final test scene.As for tossing the ring in the Truckee River, that is an old tale that has been around for years.Some say it never happened, but a local news outlet said it did, but not as much as some stories might suggest.

For those who may wish to nitpick this or that (and you know who you are), please remember, this is a work of fiction.It is not real, at least as far as I know...