Chapter One: The Puzzle

Dust billowed behind the sedan as it traveled down a dirt road; it’s driver following the directions. He brought the car to an abrupt stop; there was a Y in the road that wasn’t on the map. A sign posted further down one road to the right Simply stating Private Property. David Perkins got out of the car surveying his surroundings got back in and turned right. The roadway began to narrow until it wasn’t much more than a cow path, but there were some fresh tire marks in the mud. He stopped the car not wanting to get stuck. Perkins removed his service revolver placed it in the glove box. Left the car a second time and began to follow the path to the cabin just ahead. A second sign was posted informing that trespassers would be shot on sight. He approached the log cabin cautiously. An old four by four was parked off to the side; smoke came from the cabin’s chimney; he knew they were home. The door of the cabin opened partially, a double barrel slid out from behind the door.

 “That’s plenty far enough mister,” Perkins stopped in his tracks.  

 “I didn’t come for trouble; I just want you to hear me out, Mr. Reid.”

“And there won’t be none; you just get yourself back in your car, you’re on my land, private property; so you get your city ass back in your God damn car before I unload on you. Whatever it is you want we don’t want any part of,”

 “I just want to talk to your son, just want one question answered then I’ll be on my -," One barrel unloaded just in front of Perkins. Dirt flew up just in front of him from the blast.

 “There are no answers for you here; you leave my son out of whatever it is you want with him; Tommy ain't going be talking to you or anyone else,”  

Perkins stepped back a few feet. David heard the click as the old timer cocked the other barrel in his shotgun.   

“The second one will be a little higher Mr., just do us all a favor and get the hell out of here.”

 “I’m afraid I can’t do that Mr. Reid, I just want to talk to your son, it won’t take long; at least hear me out. Then if you don’t like what you hear I will go and leave you alone.”

The shotgun went back through the screen door and closed; Perkins breathed a sigh of relief. A man in his late sixties came through the door; a rifle slipped through a window.

Reid was about five foot five walked towards him stopping about twenty feet away.

 “I don’t want any trouble just to talk, Tell him to put the gun away so we can speak please.”
 
 “No- I guess I won’t do that Mr.; Tommy’s a better shot than I am. Now what the hell do you want with my boy; why can’t you people leave us be, Tommy, don’t need this Mr.; you people are all the same.

“My Name is David Perkins, I’m from a special branch of the government, and I was told that Tommy might be able to help in a special investigation I’m conducting I-,”

“Now that you got that off your chest, you can leave, there’s no help for you here Perkins; you best be on your way,”

Perkins began to walk backward; he could see Tommy through the old curtains holding the shotgun.

 “Fine I’ll be on my way, but your country needs Tommy's help there are lives at stake, it’s a puzzle to us, and I heard Tommy used to work for us. All I ask is that Tommy looks at it, see what he can make of it. I’ll stay here if you want.”

Reid looked over his shoulder towards the window Perkins saw the shotgun slide back through the window. Soon the screen door opened and Tommy stepped out on the porch.

He was in his twenty's, was easily six foot six; broad shoulders blonde hair. He wore bib overalls no T-shirt and work boots;  his face held no expression. David walked cautiously to the porch, held out his hand to Tommy;

"I have heard good things about you, it's pleasure to meet you."

Tommy just turned and went back inside the cabin. Perkins lowered his hand and followed Samuel Reid into the cabin.

Inside, the cabin was surprisingly tidy. There were a few pictures on the wall David noticed one that had Mr. Reid, Tommy, and a woman, he imagined it was of Mrs. Reid. Tommy went down a hallway David Perkins followed him. Tommy sat on a stool behind a work bench. There were diagrams and intricate drawings of circuits in the corner what look like a form of a ham radio; monitors lined the wall. Tommy sat expressionless; David took a printed page from suit jacket pocket and laid it on the bench in front of Tommy. Tommy reached for the paper and unfolded it thoughtfully smoothed it out. The paper held a series of numbers and letters that found on any word search puzzle. Tommy took a scribbler and began to go to work. He drew circles on a few of the numbers and encircled letters. He paused then began to transpose them into his notebook.

While this was going on, David looked over the room; wires led to a power box, he could see through the window there were solar panels a large satellite dish, and a large windmill was turning posied on what looked like a long flag pole.

 “Did Tommy build all of this Mr. Reid?”

Reid nodded. “It’s a hobby of his; we're off the grid out here, Tommy has always had a knack for such things, way over my head; I have tried to help but I just get in his way.”

Soon Tommy was finished, he opened up a map of the United Sates and pointed to an area.

Perkins looked at the map and knew the area that had been pointed out.

“Is it a bomb Tommy? does it give you a clue of what will happen there?” Perkins asked.

Tommy wrote down elements that you would see from a periodic table into scribbler.

"What does that mean Tommy," Perkins asked.

Tommy looked into David Perkin's eyes "Bad, very bad men. He wrote down three letters  R D D.and 1200 hours onto the paper. David Perkins knew what that meant; It was a dirty boom that would be set off noon tomorrow somewhere in the Washington Metro rail system.