“I’m going to call the Oregon,” Halpert said, “and ask what to do.”
AS SOON AS he hung up after talking with Fleming, Cabrillo phoned Hanley to report what he had learned.
“I’ll have Stone start looking into it immediately,” Hanley said.
“Maybe Hickman is not planning to destroy the meteorite at all,” Cabrillo said, “but do something else entirely.”
Just at that instant Halpert radioed. “Hold on,” Hanley said to Halpert, “I’ll put you on a three-way with Mr. Cabrillo.”
Once they could all hear one another, Halpert explained what had happened.
“ARE YOU READING the locator signals from the trucks?” Cabrillo asked Hanley.
Hanley glanced over at the screen Stone was pointing at. Three moving dots were illuminated. “We have them,” he said, “but there’s another problem.”
“What’s that?” Cabrillo asked quickly.
“We lost the signal from the meteorite a few minutes ago.”
“Damn,” Cabrillo said loudly.
The line was silent for a moment as Cabrillo thought. “Here’s what we are going to do,” he said after the pause. “I’m sending Adams and Truitt back to the ship in the Robinson for chemical exposure suits—Michael, you and the others wait until they arrive.”
“Okay, boss,” Halpert said.
“Jonesy and I will stay here in the Range Rover,” Cabrillo continued. “As soon as the trucks have a definite direction selected, we’ll try to intercept them. Has the other team reached Heathrow yet?”
; “They just met up with Gunderson and Pilston at the Gulfstream in the last five minutes,” Hanley said.
“Good,” Cabrillo said. “Make sure Tiny keeps the plane warm—they may need to move at any second.”
“I understand,” Hanley said.
“Have Nixon prepare the suits,” Cabrillo said. “The helicopter will be there in ten minutes.”
“We’ll do it.”
“Now just keep this line open and keep telling me the direction of the trucks,” Cabrillo said.
“Okay,” Hanley said.
Sitting in the Range Rover, Cabrillo put his hand over the telephone. “Dick,” he said, “I need you to fly with Adams to the Oregon and pick up a crate of chemical exposure suits. We think Hickman has introduced some sort of chemical agent into the mill. After you pick up the suits, go directly to Maidenhead—Halpert and three others are waiting there.”
Truitt didn’t ask any questions; he simply opened the door of the Range Rover and raced through the darkness to where Adams had the Robinson idling on the heliport and climbed inside. After he explained the plan to Adams, the helicopter lifted off and started flying toward the Oregon.
“THEY HAVE TURNED onto the main motorway, the M4, that leads into London,” Hanley reported to Cabrillo.
“Mr. Jones,” Cabrillo said, “can you find us the quickest route to the M4?”
“With everyone in central London for the New Year celebrations,” Jones said, “I’d say quick might be a stretch.”
Sliding the Range Rover into gear, he backed up and then headed down the road leading out of Battersea Park. His plan was to cross the Battersea Bridge and take Old Brompton Road over to West Cromwell to the A4, which led to the M4. Even at this late hour the going would be slow.
HICKMAN AND THE trio of trucks had it easier. They drove through Maidenhead on the Castle Hill Road, which was also the A4, then turned onto A308, which led directly to the M4. Fourteen minutes after leaving Maidenhead Mill they were approaching exit number 4 to Heathrow Airport.
AT THE SAME instant the trucks were slowing to exit the M4, Truitt and Adams touched down on the rear deck of the Oregon. Nixon was waiting with a wooden crate containing the chemical suits and he raced out, opened the rear door, and stowed them across the rear seats while Adams kept the rotor turning. After closing the rear door, Nixon opened the front door and handed Truitt a printed sheet with directions to make sure the suits were airtight, then secured the front door and backed away.