he didn’t want to let Conrad or the Marshall kid out of his sight. Each was handcuffed in a separate bedroom and only given a brief bathroom break every few hours; no communication between them was allowed.
Terry Ventura did most of the driving, but Kilmer needed to spell him occasionally to assure he didn’t overtire and have an accident. They stopped only for fuel-the bus had been stocked with provisions to serve the needs of six men for up to four days without refreshing. This was more than enough to carry them through to their destination in West Point, Kentucky.
The mission parameters called for the team to make the 2300-mile trip to the 300-acre catfish farm owned by Emil Struffeneger, located outside West Point. Struffeneger’s Wildcat Catfish Farm was an aquaculture facility with an annual production of 3 million pounds of channel catfish. The fish were raised in a series of large ponds constructed adjacent to the Ohio River. The Wildcat complex was an ideal base of operations because it was readily identified as a hugely successful enterprise with a stellar record, and thus would not be suspected as a hideout. The team would be easily accommodated and well-hidden at this location.
Most importantly, the Wildcat enterprise figured prominently in the transport of gold bullion following the conclusion of the operation. Struffeneger used a fleet of 3,000-gallon water trucks to haul catfish throughout the southern states. Wildcat had also established a market in Galveston, Texas, so it would not be out of the ordinary to see one of their transport vehicles that far from Kentucky. The trucks provided a perfect cover for transporting the gold bullion out of the Fort Knox area.
As the Wildcat trucks were commonly recognized by local law enforcement, the probability of a thorough search of the trucks was predictably remote. By lining the bottom of the fish tank with bullion bars, and then filling the truck with the usual amount of water and catfish, these trucks could easily pass through road blocks looking for the missing gold; law enforcement would never suspect that bullion was on the bottom of each load of fish. If a nosy inspector did look inside, all he would see was black to the bottom of the tank. The water, fish, and the aerators used to keep the fish alive would perfectly disguise the gold. Kilmer had no idea what the connection was between Holloway and Struffeneger, but had to admit the transport idea held considerable appeal.
One of the noteworthy problems with stealing gold from Fort Knox was how to dispose of the gold once it was in their possession. Holloway’s plan called for Kilmer and his men to use the gravity machine to level the security surrounding the Fort, infiltrate the gold containment area, and steal 2,600 bars, the equivalent of $1 billion dollars. Once stolen, Struffeneger would transport the gold bars in a dump truck to Wildcat, where it would be parked in one of the large barns on the property. After the initial blitz of investigation and roadblocks was relaxed, Struffeneger would start hauling small loads of gold bullion to Galveston. Holloway would then trade the gold with the Russians for drilling rights on the oil-rich Siberian slopes. He figured to leverage $1 billion in gold into another $20 billion in oil.
Kilmer questioned the advisability of trusting Struffeneger with such an integral part of the plan, but Holloway vouched for him as a long-time family friend who could be relied on without question. Emil and his wife, Helene, were highly respected in the community-they had a productive business that employed a dozen people, their twin daughters were academic standouts at the top of their division in 4-H, and they volunteered liberally at community events. From every perspective, the Struffenegers were considered upstanding and conscientious citizens.
It was therefore puzzling why they would get involved with a terribly dangerous endeavor like the one Kilmer’s team was undertaking. It was yet another testament to the persuasive power (or maybe coercion) of Alastair Holloway. He obviously has some hold on the Struffeneger family, but all Kilmer really cared about was that he need not cover his back around the man-unknown team members could cause the whole operation to go bust. The Struffenegers role in housing the team and handling the delicate process of transporting the gold to Texas was assured by Holloway. Beyond that, there was nothing much he could do but accept the decision.
But still, the bigger problem for Kilmer was the logistics of breaching Fort Knox with just seven men. Without Weaver and Krilenko, he would be invading the fortress with only Hamil, Nuzam, Starkovich, Marlon, Metusack, and Ventura. He didn’t count Mills, considering him a liability once the job was underway, and Struffeneger would only drive the truck, so essentially he was about to break into the second-largest gold bullion depository in America-widely recognized as the symbol of security impregnability-with only seven men. Crikey, I must be goin’ berko, he thought.
Located thirty miles southwest of Louisville, Kentucky, the depository was protected by the Fort Knox military base. The two-story structure, roughly the size of a Costco superstore, was constructed in 1936 by the U.S. Treasury Department. It contained 16,000 cubic feet of granite, 4,200 cubic yards of concrete, and 700 tons of structural steel surrounding the vault.
The building protected the two-level steel and concrete vault guarded by a twenty-ton steel door. No one person was entrusted with the combination to the vault; multiple guards secretly entered individual codes, but only when the electronic time-lock allowed this input. The vault itself was constructed of two-inch-thick plate steel and completely enshrouded by a foot of concrete. The depository was self-contained and equipped with its own emergency power and water system. There was even an underground pistol range for use by the guards to sharpen their shooting skills.
Security outside of the main structure was even more formidable. Standing atop the four corners of the steel fence marking the boundary of Fort Knox were the permanently manned guard stations. These guard posts and the building itself were equipped with the most advanced electronic alarms: video surveillance, perimeter laser sensors, infrared scanners for detecting heat sources, motion-sensitive automatic weapons, and multiple security alarms.
The depository was also protected by several escalating layers of military security from the Fort Knox Army base, including a rapid deployment attack force only five minutes away. The base also had Apache helicopter gunships, the 16th Cavalry Regiment, and the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the Army 1st Infantry Division that totaled over 30,000 soldiers. The Infantry soldiers deployed with associated tanks, armored personnel carriers, and artillery to defend the depository from multiple assaults. Fort Knox was possibly the most secure property on the planet.
Kilmer’s plan called for Dr. Conrad to use his machine to crush the building and vault housing the gold bullion. But first the extensive perimeter security would need to be neutralized. Conrad predicted the dish’s focal point could be widened to simultaneously knock out the guard stations. Once security was deactivated, the team would have free rein of the facility for no more than a few minutes.
Assuming their primary assault was accomplished, the logistics of carrying off $1 billion worth of gold bullion was still extremely challenging. The gold was stored in bars that resembled an ordinary building brick, though somewhat thinner. Each gold bar contained approximately 400 troy gold ounces worth about $400,000 at the current market price. The actual weight of each bar is twenty-seven pounds. To steal $1 billion would require the team to make off with 2,600 gold bars weighing 70,000 pounds, or thirty-six tons. Just thinking about the enormity of the problem made Kilmer’s head spin.
There was no practical way to count the bars once they had breached the vault, after it had been crushed by the gravity machine. The team would deploy a ten-wheel dump truck and a massive frontend loader to drive into the open vault and scoop up as much gold as the dump truck could carry. Most likely the team would make off with much more than the 2,600 bars that Holloway stipulated.
The real crux of the problem was to get out before the Cavalry arrived. From start to finish the breach could take no more than a few minutes or no one would get out alive. Just driving the three-mile distance between the nearest road and the depository itself was problematic. Conrad estimated that the nearest safe distance to deploy the machine was 300 yards. Beyond this distance he couldn’t guarantee the gravitons would exert sufficient gravitational force. But it was all theoretical, as he was quick to say. This was another unknown variable that would have to be dealt with in the field.
“We’re approaching Kansas City,” Terry Ventura shouted from the driver’s seat of the bus. “We need fuel, and I need a break. Colt radioed…he’s found a good truck stop at the junction of Highway 70 and 64, where we turn off to Louisville. If you don’t mind, I’m going to get off the freeway there.”
“Bloody well, pally,” Kilmer replied. “It’s time we took a stretch. We’re makin’ tracks.”
Walking into Jarrod’s bedroom, Kilmer said, “Git off yer arse. If ya need to pee, now’s the time.”
So, we’re heading to Louisville, Jarrod thought. He overheard Ventura’s information. I’ve got to get this to Sarah.
“So tell me, Chief,” Jarrod said, deciding to confront Kilmer again. “What happens after you complete the
