Collateral Damage (Stone Barrington 25)

“No, don’t do that. You’re in the loop on this, so I’ll tell you, and you can tell her.”

“All right.”

“The Oak Ridge nuclear plant has run some tests on the fissionable ma

terial found in the California device. It’s a match for a smaller sample that turned up a few months ago that is suspected to have originated in Iran.”

The hairs on Holly’s arm stood up. “That hasn’t been confirmed?”

“No, but we have samples of the enriched uranium from the stores of all the other nuclear-capable countries, and it doesn’t match any of them, so it has to be from either Iran or North Korea.”

“I see,” Holly said. “Is anything else known about the California material?”

“No, but the fact that the late Dr. Kharl supplied the material is another connection to one of those two countries.”

Dr. Kharl, who had assembled the California device, was recently deceased, an order that Holly had transmitted from the director, after presidential approval. He had been instrumental in the Pakistani nuclear weapons program, as well as the North Korean program, and had been thought to be available to just about anyone with the cash.

“I agree,” Holly said. “Anything else, before I drop this bombshell on the director?”

“Just don’t expand the loop. See you later.” Coleman hung up.

Holly hung up, too. That meant she couldn’t bring it up at the briefing. She went back into the room and waited, trying to hide her impatience, while Lance concluded his report. He was talking of the penetration of an Iranian army unit connected with that country’s nuclear program.

The director glanced at her. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she said when Lance had finished, “unless there’s something else of level one importance, you’ll have to hold any other information until tomorrow’s briefing. Thank you all.” She stood up, signaling that everyone should leave, and with a motion of her head indicated that Holly should follow her.

Holly left the room and followed the director to her office, where she took the indicated seat.

“You’ve learned something new,” Kate said.

“First, Felicity and her people were not aware of the existence of Jasmine Shazaz, but now they are, and they will be checking out the Cheyne Walk house. I told her about that on my own authority, reasoning that MI-6 could get in there faster and more thoroughly than London station could, and with less of a local flap, and I think she’ll feel obligated to share.”

“I concur.”

“A second thing: Tim Coleman called and asked for you, but declined to interrupt your briefing. Since I’m in the loop he told me that Oak Ridge has determined that the enriched uranium in the California device most likely came from either Iran or North Korea, since it was introduced by Dr. Kharl and is not a match for that of any of the programs we’re familiar with.”

“I’m glad you didn’t blurt that out in the briefing,” Kate said.

“No, ma’am, I know the loop is small. I don’t even know if it includes Lance.”

“You and I are the loop in this agency,” Kate replied, “and we’re going to keep it that way. Outside, it’s the Secret Service, Mike Freeman of Strategic Services, and Stone Barrington, who somehow managed to stop the clock on that thing without blowing us all to kingdom come, and Dino Bacchetti. And the president, of course, which accounts for Tim Coleman being inside, too.”

“There’s one other,” Holly said.

“And who might that be?” Kate asked sharply.

“The reporter from Vanity Fair, Kelli Keane, who was in the room with the device when it was stopped.”

“Good God,” Kate moaned.

“Stone had a very serious word with her afterward, and impressed on her the importance of the event never having taken place.”

“Do you think that will be enough to keep her lid on? I mean, she’s a journalist, for God’s sake!”

“Stone thought she got the message.”

“Did he threaten her?”

“I don’t believe so.”