Lethal Trajectories - Michael Conley [23]
“Yes, Prince Mustafa, they will,” replied the arrogant and cunning general. “The dirty bombs are now encased with either cobalt-60 or cesium-137 particles. Once detonated with conventional explosives, a bomb will render the area around it a radioactive wasteland for decades. We have a sufficient number of dirty bombs to booby trap all of our main oil fields, with a few extras for use elsewhere—like, perhaps, targets in Israel.”
“Wonderful,” Mustafa replied. “What about our demonstration atomic bomb?”
“Our atomic bomb can be ready for explosion at the prescribed time, and the four smaller reserve nukes can be readied within ninety-six hours of notice. The demonstration bomb will have the strength of roughly forty kilotons of TNT—twice the size of the infidels’ A-bomb on Hiroshima. With our delivery systems, we can also threaten the infidels with an electromagnetic pulse attack.”
Bawarzi interrupted again. “Please refresh me, General, on the destructive range of our EMP weapon.”
Mustafa’s irritated frown was ill-disguised. Has Bawarzi remembered anything that has been planned?
“Certainly, my brother,” Ali Jabar replied, obviously eager to show off his knowledge. “The electromagnetic pulse bomb is merely an atomic bomb that is exploded about a hundred kilometers above an enemy target. The massive release of electrons from the explosion at that altitude blankets the area with a power surge more powerful than a lightening bolt. It immediately destroys all electrical circuitry in cars, computers, electrical power systems, and so forth. It is truly our greatest weapon of mass destruction.”
With growing excitement, Ali Jabar said, “If you will recall, our brothers attempted a very crude EMP attack off the coast of New York back in 2015 and almost pulled it off. They launched a nuclear device atop a scud missile from a freighter about fifty kilometers off the New York coast, but it failed to reach altitude and detonate. Had it succeeded, it would have destroyed electrical systems across the entire eastern seaboard. When the attempt was uncovered, the American infidels lost all confidence in their security and changed their entire system.”
Mustafa knew Ali Jabar could talk for hours about his beloved EMP bomb and interrupted. “The reliability and potency of the atomic weapons and delivery systems developed secretly under the brilliant leadership of General Ali Jabar is to be commended. Our threefold threat of using our nuclear capabilities in conventional, EMP, or dirty-bomb configurations will be a deterrent to any infidel military actions against us.”
Mustafa could see Ali Jabar beaming and moved the meeting on to other pressing matters. Finally satisfied that all necessary preparations were in place, Mustafa called an end to the meeting.
Following a prayer session, they left the meeting one by one, exercising the elaborate security precautions that had enabled them to avoid detection over the past couple of years. They left with a clear sense of mission and glory, knowing their years of intensive planning and risk of exposure would soon be over.
9
Mankato, Minnesota
14 September 2017
Pastor Veronica headed toward her car, feeling irritated after a drawn-out church council meeting. She had received a call from an alcoholic woman requesting her help, and she was anxious to attend to her parishioner’s need and not squabbles over getting less expensive brands of toilet paper for the church. Out of habit—a bad one, she acknowledged—she tuned into the Wellington Crane show for the drive to her parishioner’s house.
“…. And if there are any buffoons out there on foreign policy, Wellington,” she heard the shrill voice of Senator Tom Collingsworth say, “it’s those rank amateurs in the Burkmeister administration. Here you have one of our greatest allies and truest friends, Japan, being mauled by the Chinese navy in a massive and disproportionate use of force over an