Sully Metusack remained lighthearted in spite of the seriousness of the pending operation and typically jostled around, told off-color jokes, and teased everyone to keep his mind clear. Ivan Krilenko, who didn’t say much under normal circumstances, sat in quiet contemplation, his eyes closed as he focused his concentration on the approaching op. Colt Hamil’s preparation was an anomaly. While most men slowed themselves down to achieve tranquility, the normally hyperactive Hamil preferred to stay busy. His preparation consisted of re- inventorying and securing all the available equipment, rechecking the vehicles for any last-minute attention, and glancing again at the weather satellite for any changes in road conditions that might affect his route. But when Colt finally sat behind the wheel, he was a model of composure.
As the team readied to depart, the men, dressed in black nomex, strapped on various weapons and ammo, adjusted their night-vision goggles, and established the variable radio frequency for the mission. They were split into three groups: Tom Starkovich, Sully Metusack, and Ivan Krilenko would be the first to enter the facility, followed closely by Rafael Nuzam and Terry Ventura, who would set the explosives after the first team breached the lab. Colt would drive Kilmer and Dallas Weaver in the Humvee, waiting near the main gate for the guard station to be cleared. According to plan, Kilmer expected to pick up the cargo and be back at headquarters by 01:30 hours. It was time to get the mission underway.
Two black, windowless service vans rolled out of the Bayshore team headquarters. The black Humvee exited last, stopping briefly for Weaver to close the overhead warehouse door. At the first intersection, each vehicle went in separate directions to throw off any potential surveillance, even though none was expected. The night was clear and pitch black, just as Kilmer had wanted. Conditions were nearly perfect for the mission.
“Tooz, Team Leader,” Kilmer said into his voice-activated radio that operated hands-free. “Advise b’fore goin’ in.”
“Affirmative, Team Leader,” Metusack replied. “We’ll arrive on site in ten. After staging, will confirm our move. Stand by.”
“Righto, Tooz,” Kilmer replied.
“Rafie, Team Leader-any burrs?” Kilmer asked his second-in-command, leading the demolition team.
“All clear, Team Leader,” Rafie reported, understanding that these perfunctory questions were merely to check communications. “Same schedule…about ten. Will advise before entry.”
“Ten-four, Rafie,” Kilmer said. “Keep the channel clear.”
Tooz, Stark, and Krilenko arrived at the Lawrence Livermore Lab site and parked about 100 yards from the fence closest to the water tower. Both cargo vans would be abandoned. It mattered little where they parked so long as they weren’t spotted by the lab’s photo-security surveillance, which initial reconnaissance indicated only extended fifty yards beyond the perimeter fencing. Abandoning the vehicles at this distance was considered reasonably safe.
Rafie had registered ownership of both vans to individuals known by Homeland Security to be sympathetic to Al-Qaeda dissidents. This was the first step in misdirecting the law enforcement who would be investigating the crime.
As the first team approached the lab, the men could see its impressive size from miles away. The facility’s sparkle of lights illuminated the horizon ahead like a desert mirage shimmering in the night. Even though it was near midnight, Lawrence Livermore Lab looked to be in full operation: Steam rose from two large, chimney-like structures, a flashing beacon rotated atop a massive radio transmission tower, and the facility showed every sign of an active, research-intensive operation. Had any of the men really stopped to contemplate the difficulty of breaking into this compound, they might have reconsidered the decision.
When the first team had parked, they began gathering the gear they would take into the facility. Stark and Tooz would climb the tower to set up Thor, the M-24 sniper weapons system; although Thor was lightweight compared to other weapons of this caliber, a close proximity to the tower was necessary to avoid fatigue hauling everything 100 feet to the top. Krilenko moved ahead to isolate a section of the electric fence he would cut through to access the facility. Gear in hand, the men made their way to the perimeter.
Krilenko cautiously approached the fence. He located the photo cameras surveying the perimeter and fired a paintball-like projectile at each camera, splashing an oily substance on the lens. In this manner, security wouldn’t be unduly alarmed by the lack of clarity, but would simply send a guard to investigate; totally defusing the camera would warrant a more forceful response. He next donned protective gloves and stood on a thick rubber mat to affix a bypass conductor across a single panel of the fence. This allowed the 10,000 volts of current buzzing through the perimeter fence to continue flowing uninterruptedly. The bypass completed, he cut a six-foot square opening in the fence to allow access. They were ready to breach the Livermore facility.
“Team Leader, Assault Team’s ready; standing by to breach,” Tooz said.
“Ten-four, Assault. Wait on Demo Team before goin’ in,” Kilmer said, sticking to their choreography of the op.
“Team Leader, Demo. We’re on site right behind Assault Team; will rendezvous shortly,” Rafie replied.
“Good oh, mates. Square off. Transport Team’s standin’ by…stay frosty,” Kilmer said, using his trademark phrase for wishing good luck but advising caution.
Within moments, Nuzam and Ventura joined Starkovich, Krilenko, and Metusack at the opening in the fence leading into the lab compound. Using thumbs-up hand signals, they each indicated they were ready, and the men in turn stepped through the fence.
“Team Leader, both teams active…stand by,” Rafie reported.
The men used their night-vision goggles to advance directly to their assigned posts. The water tower was only fifty yards from the fence opening, and after unfolding the access ladder mounted on the side of the tower, Stark and Tooz immediately began their ascent. Krilenko took a position atop a cargo truck parked nearby, across from a large warehouse. This elevated vantage point allowed a superior position to cover the sniper deployment and watch for stray guards; he was certain someone would eventually investigate the faulty camera aimed at this part of the compound.
At the same time, Rafie haphazardly dropped additional telltale paraphernalia along his way to intersect the electric substation: personal possessions and a small fanny pack containing articles that couldn’t be confused for anything but Middle Eastern in origin. The substation provided the electrical power for the entire Livermore complex, and Ventura would use a brand of C-4 plastic explosive known to be manufactured by Al-Qaeda sources. It was Rafie’s goal to throw off Homeland Security by implicating a local terrorist organization in the heist. As Rafie planted evidence to be found in the aftermath, Ventura set the explosive to blow the substation.
With help from Tooz, it was just a few minutes before Stark had set up the tripod to deploy the sniper system. He took a comfortable spread-eagle position, lying on his stomach behind the powerful weapon he called Thor. Tooz helped configure the clips of. 308-magnum ammo, which he laid alongside the gun’s feed mechanism. In this manner, Stark could easily trigger semi-automatic rounds without difficulty. This part of the mission completed, Tooz bade Stark farewell and began his decent.
“Team Leader, Thor’s ready to rock,” Stark whispered softly into his mike.
“Ten-four, Stark,” Kilmer replied. “Hang a tick for the lights.”
Rafie was covering Ventura while he wired the C-4 plastic explosive to the substation. The structure was protected by another chain link fence, but this was easily infiltrated, allowing Ventura access to the building. There were two massive transformers that received power off the grid from Pacific Gas and Electric, which the substation distributed through high-voltage cables throughout the compound. Ventura had previously determined from the aerial photos that blowing the transformers would take out the entire facility in one strike. He estimated two pounds of plastic would disable the structure. In just a minute, he was ready. The mission was about to escalate.
“Team Leader, Surgeon…the substation’s rigged to blow. Your call,” Ventura reported.
“Ten-four, Surgeon…stand by. Stark, ya game?” Kilmer asked, making sure his sniper was ready to neutralize the main gate.
“Green light…guard in the crosshairs…he’s out with the lights,” Stark replied.
“All teams, Team Leader. Brin’ the thunder…operation’s a go,” Kilmer said, giving the final command. The mission was now underway and success depended on everyone’s commencing their orders and working in concert.
No sooner had Kilmer given the command than there was a deafening explosion that rocked the entire compound. The lights were immediately doused and the emergency backup lighting system spontaneously
