Deshano said, “That would be large enough to take out downtown Jerusalem with TNT or the fuel alone would do it.”
Landenberger said, “Get Harazi on the phone now. WE MUST MOVE FAST!”
Dazdraperm took the incoming call on the encrypted line. They talked briefly and both agreed they did not understand why a missile was headed in that direction. “It is President Landenberger. He wants to talk to you.”
“We are considering sending up a defensive intercept,” said Harazi. “We are not entirely certain that it would be successful. We think it would intercept.”
Landenberger said, “We are getting the EIS ready to do an intercept. It will be our first practical use of it. Everything up to now has been a test.”
Harazi could hear Bumgardner on another line in touch with the EIS commander in Redzikowo, Poland. “They are tracking it now. They can deploy their system anytime in the next fifteen minutes. They will accept permission from Landenberger only.”
“Keep that line open. This could go down to the wire.”
Landenberger asked, “How certain are you that your system might work?”
“Not certain at all. If you think you can bring it down, I’d let you do it.”
“That might be best politically. This is a system that has the blessing of the international community. It is pretty much an automatic system. We can always say we had no idea where the IRBM originated and the system went ahead and did its job. It does not take sides.”
“I’ll talk this over with my military and get back to you in a few minutes.” He had General Alabbar on the line. “President Landenberger thinks the EIS can take out the missile and I am inclined to let him do it. Stand by in the event something should go wrong with their intercept.”
“Yes Mr. Prime Minister — standing by with twelve minutes to impact. One more thing — it appears that Iran is massing troops along the Iraqi border.”
Dazdraperm continued to pace the floor. “We should think this through carefully before we authorize anything.”
“Let’s see where we are. The EIS can take out the missile for us. Iran may not have a nuke on board. In fact it is unlikely in that only one missile is pointed at us. They are massing troops along the Iraqi border. What kind of strategy is that?”
“IRBM? Landenberger and General Alabbar think the missile is an IRBM. This was a missile that they were experimenting with, isn’t it?”
Several blew up on the launching pad and they kept it hidden as best they could.”
Dazdraperm looked out the window with his hands clasped behind his back for nearly a minute and then said. “I think I have it. This whole thing is a ploy to get us to launch our defensive system at it. When we take it down they will claim it was a test and that we interfered with it. They will use it to wrangle up support against our evil ‘Zionist’ country that goes about bringing down every missile that comes near it. Of course they will claim that the missile was not nuclear and they will probably salvage the missile to support their claim.”
“If we let the missile land in Jerusalem we will gather Western support against Iran on a scale never imagined until now.”
“Yes, but we cannot allow our citizens to die.” Dazdraperm helped himself to a baklava and sipped on coffee while he took a seat. “They would divert the missile at the last possible moment so that it goes into the ocean. They cannot allow the missile to actually land on our soil. Our own people would insist upon a full-scale war in retaliation.”
“The real clue is the troops they are placing on the Iraqi border. It makes no sense. It is so much saber-rattling. They are attempting to provoke us and the USA. They probably don’t care if it is the EIS or us. They prefer it to be us.”
“If all this is true, then what do we do?”
“We do nothing. We will watch and observe the missile change its course when all looks hopeless.”
“If we are wrong?”
“Many of our people will die however the world will see what they are capable of doing. It could be a wake-up call to the world, much like Pearl Harbor when it awoke a sleeping lion. We may lose a battle, but win the war in time.”
General Alabbar was on the line. “We have two minutes to launch our system.”
“We are going to stand down,” said Harazi.
“The missile is certain to land in Jerusalem.”
“We are hopeful it will be diverted in the next two minutes. Your order is to stand down and not fire our defensive system.”
“Yes, Mr. Prime Minister. We are standing down. Defensive intercept will not take place.”
“Let’s get Landenberger now. We have about ten seconds until he launches the counter EIS.”
“Landenberger here — we are ready to engage the EIS defense shield on your command.”
Harazi was firm. “DO NOT LAUNCH THE EIS. It is a trick. DO NOT LAUNCH!”
Landenberger said, “Are you positive we have a few seconds. I am ready to give the command to our Poland base. All is in readiness—”
“STAND DOWN ABORT NOW!”
The president gave the order to EIS command. “ABORT. REPEAT — ABORT THE EIS. DO NOT ENGAGE!”
Harazi quickly explained how they arrived at the decision while the screens showed the IRBM racing at mach 1.7 at Jerusalem. If they were wrong they would pay for it with their lives. It was headed directly for the government buildings.
The world seemed to stand still at the Pentagon while all eyes remained fixed upon the pulsating blip that would bring a certain fiery death to the leaders of Israel.
Closer….
Closer….
Landenberger could hear his heart beating wildly against his chest. If they are wrong…? God I pray we are doing the right thing. May heaven help us if we have made the wrong decision.
Prayers were muttered by many. Everyone knew what was on the line here.
Then it happened….
The blip took an ever so slight turn.
It sailed over Jerusalem in three seconds and headed out into the Mediterranean Sea. Several minutes later the blip was extinguished.
A cheer went up in the Pentagon and most everyone found someone to embrace. Landenberger shook the hands of the Cabinet members and the generals while everyone returned a heartfelt warm embrace.
Robinson said, “Well done, Mr. President,” as the two patted each other on the shoulder.
“It is Harazi and Dazdraperm that figured this out. I must confess that I was reluctant to give the order to stand down. It did not appear to be the correct decision at that moment. Thank God I listened. You do not go against the order of a world leader when lives are on the line.” He watched the screens as the troop movements did a 180 at the border and the ships returned to their previous courses.
“Bastards. They should all rot in hell for this.”
“Mr. President… I have never heard such language from you.”
“Believe me — you do not want to hear what I am really thinking.”
“I can well imagine as I am sure we are all thinking very much the same. I harbor no disrespect for anything you would ever say, Mr. President.”
Chapter Twenty-three
Larry Deshano wasn’t taking chances with the most dangerous criminal in the world.
The route was laid out from the ADX supermax prison, often referred to as the “Alcatraz of the Rockies” to Denver International, some 123 miles north. He had decided too much could happen in a helicopter and decided to go with a military convoy on route.
Chris LE Blanc, often called “The Wizard” was housed with the most notorious criminals of the decade that included racketeer bosses, unibombers, serial killers, Neo-Nazi fanatics and assorted terrorists. Twenty-three percent had killed inmates in other prisons and were deemed too dangerous to be anywhere else. Prisoners lived in solitary confinement in a concrete 7’ X 12’ cell and were let out an hour a day to exercise alone in a concrete pool-like structure. The guards were their only human contact.