“What’s everybody doing here?” Jason asked.
“Susan just wants to ask you a few questions.”
“I don’t know-”
“Roll, Lyle,” Susan said as she extended the microphone toward Jason. “Did you and the crew bring up the canisters labeled U-235?”
“What?”
“The canisters, the cargo you found on the German U-boat. What did you find?”
“Nothing.”
“Jason, we have the pictures, the ones you shared with Nicole. Now, tell us what you found down there. Where is this submarine?”
Jason shot Nicole an angry look. “I don’t know exactly. It’s out in the Gulf Stream. About ninety feet down.”
“We have a problem,” O’Brien said, heading for the cockpit door.
“What kind of problem?” Dave asked.
“Jason is about to get crucified on television.”
“That is indeed a problem. Max, stay here.”
Lyle, the camerman, zoomed in, the frame filling with Jason’s nervous face. “Who made the dive?” asked Susan.
“Nick and Sean.”
“What did they do with the canisters?”
“Nothing.”
“Did they and you know those canisters may contain weapons-grade uranium?”
“What?”
“Jason, this is a very serious matter. How much of this material did they find?”
“Two canisters, I think.”
“What was the condition of the U-boat?”
“Broken in half.”
“Did they know what was in those canisters? Did they try to open them?”
“I think Sean might have known.”
“We saw pictures of a jet engine and something that looked like a rocket. What did Nick and Sean say about those?”
“Not a lot.”
“How about the human remains? We saw pictures of a skeleton.”
“I don’t know about-”
“How many skeletons?”
“I don’t know.”
“Jason, can you take our crew back out there?”
“No, he can’t,” O’Brien said, coming from behind the cameraman.
Susan whirled around and stuck the microphone in O’Brien’s face. “You weren’t truthful when you told us you didn’t find a U-boat. Why’d you lie?”
“Is that how you get your kicks-ambushing a kid, hitting him with questions?”
“This is a serious matter, potentially one of national security. We have the pictures. We saw what you found. You said you didn’t find the sub?”
“I didn’t. Another member of my crew did.”
“Where is it located?”
“In the Atlantic Ocean.”
“This is not a time to be coy, Mr. O’Brien.”
“Excuse me. Come on, Jason, we have charter prep work to do.”
“Mr. O’Brien, did you bring up any of those canisters?”
“No.”
“Have you alerted the proper authorities about this find?”
“Looks like you’re doing that for me, the authorities and everyone else.”
“America’s safety may be at risk if those canisters contain enriched uranium.”
O’Brien said nothing. He started for Dave’s boat, Jason following.
“Mr. O’Brien, we understand there are human remains in that sub, correct?”
O’Brien was silent.
“You’re jeopardizing national security by acting this way.”
O’Brien turned toward her. “What way? By remaining silent about a potentially, and the operative word here is potentially, deadly substance if it is U-235. Seems to me, Miss Schulman, you are the one compromising the safety of the nation by your zeal to be the first to put this on television rather than to be responsible and shut the hell up. Don’t attempt to follow me on private property.” O’Brien stepped onto
“Come on,” Susan said. “We got some great stuff! Let’s get in the truck and start editing. I’ll have Manuel call the network news desk to see if they want us to do a live feed.”
“What about Jason?” Nicole asked.
“What about him?”
“You embarrassed him! He’s going to look like an idiot on TV.”
“Hey, no offense to your boyfriend. It’s part of the job. Get used to it.”
O’Brien looked at Jason. “How’d that reporter get those pictures?”
“I don’t know! I swear.”
“How’d you get them from my camera?”
“I downloaded them to my cell when you and Nick were in the bridge.”
“Damn! Why?”
“I don’t know. I’m sorry. I didn’t know this would happen.”
“Who saw the pictures?”
“Only Nicole.”
“Jason, I thought I had made it clear not to say anything!”
“I didn’t know Nicole would do this. I’m not sure how she got them off my phone. We were celebrating my birthday, and I had too much to drink. After she looked at the pictures, I went to the bathroom.”
“And she simply e-mailed them to herself.”
“Oh, shit ….”
“Oh shit is right, Jason. Take your phone off your hip. Look at the sent e-mails.”
Jason searched through the phone’s digital records, his face pinched, hands trembling. “She sent it and then deleted the file. But it’s here.” He glanced away, his face reddening, eyes searching. “I trusted her.”
“And I trusted you,” O’Brien said. “Let me see your cell.” Jason handed him the phone. “Is your girlfriend’s number the last one called?”
“Think so, yeah.”
O’Brien scrolled to the next number, memorizing it before returning the phone.
Dave handed Jason a bottled water and O’Brien a Corona.
Jason said, “I’m really sorry. I did something I shouldn’t have. I wish I could take it back or make it up to you. If you want to fire me, Sean, I understand. I deserve it.”
O’Brien was silent. Max trotted over to Jason and he rubbed her head.
O’Brien said, “You’re right. I should fire you. But I won’t. You’re a young guy who made an old mistake. You let your small head think for you.”
