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There was one picture； taken when Kestrel graduated from the University of California at
Berkeley。 The picture was twelve years old； but Finn recognized the man he had seen in the
Green Parrot。 The clean line of the chin； the tilt of the head； the alert eyes； the smile that was
confident without being aggressive – all were unchanged by the years between Berkeley and
Juarez。
“Is that the man you saw？” asked Groves。
“Yes。 He was in the Green Parrot yesterday； talking to a Mexican whore called Rubia。 She’s very
good at sucking information out of GIs。 She gives the information to Refugio and he sells it to
whoever is interested。 I’ll just make sure that Rubia gets the right information。”
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“Won’t she be suspicious？”
“You haven’t seen my agent。 Twenty and looks fifteen。 That red…headed son of a bitch is the only
person I know who lies better than a whore。 He’s been to Rubia a lot lately。 She won’t be
suspicious。”
Groves grimaced。 “I don’t like depending on a prostitute。”
“She’s just the bait。 I’ll give Kestrel the hook myself； through a more reliable source。 Ana
Oshiga； Takagura Omi’s secretary。”
“That traitorous bitch；” muttered Groves。
“If Kestrel is any good as a spy – and that skinny file says he’s damn good – he’ll have collected
enough information by now to be red hot on the subject of Los Alamos。 And he’s a samurai as
well as a spy。 What I’ll tell him will make the test irresistible。”
“You’re sure？”
“The only way I can be sure is to sack him up and bring him myself。”
“No。 It can’t be official。 Anyway； I want you at the test site。 Or rather； above it。” Groves smiled
grimly。 “You don’t believe me yet； not really。 After the test you will。 Then you’ll know how
important the rest of your job is – guarding the uranium on its way to Tinian。” He drummed his
knuckles on the table。 “Could you send one of your agents with Kestrel？”
“Why don’t I just give him an engraved invitation signed by President Truman and the Joint
Chiefs of Staff？” Finn closed the folder and dropped it on the desk。 “Where do you want him；
and when？”
“By 0100 of the 16th； Kestrel should be on the north side of Oscura Peak。 That’s fifty miles；
north…northwest of Alamogordo。 That should give him a good view of Trinity Site； where we’ll
detonate the bomb。”
“If I’m that specific； he’ll know it’s official。 I have to give him just enough pieces to let him
discover the answer himself。” Finn frowned。 “How close does he have to get to be impressed？”
“Any closer to the blast than five miles and he’ll be cooked。”
“How about just curling his hair？” suggested Finn dry…
“Ten miles。 Twenty。 Thirty。 Maybe more。”
“Thirty miles！”
“If the atomic bomb works； it’ll be as obvious as sunrise。”
“You keep saying ‘if。’ Don’t you know？”
Groves slammed his hand on the desk。 “There’s more to this than whores and coded messages；
Captain。 We’re dealing with a totally new kind of energy。 It comes from the binding force of the
most basic structure in the universe； the atom。 Have I lost you？”
“No； General； I’m standing right in front of you。”
“See if you can stay in front of this。 We’re building two kinds of atomic bombs； using two
different heavy metals。 One bomb uses plutonium； one uses a very rare isotope – type – of
uranium called U…235。 Both plutonium and U…235 are very very scarce。 The uranium bomb is
relatively simple。 The plutonium bomb is not。 Getting it to go off is like setting fire to a bucket
of water。 Everything depends on sixty…four perfectly shaped charges set in a perfect circle
around a perfect sphere of plutonium。 If the charges go off simultaneously – and by God I’m
talking about hundred…millionths of a second！ – the plutonium will be evenly imploded； critical
mass will be reached； and BANG！ Still with me？”
Finn nodded； although all he was certain of was that he was getting more hard information
about Manhattan in two minutes than he had in two years of digging。
“Now； we’ve had hell’s own time getting the plutonium’s charges to go off together。 The only
way to be sure we’ve got the engineering right is to test the bomb。 The scientists want that。 The
sob sisters want that。 The gun soldiers want that because they think it won’t work and then they’ll
get their goddamn invasion。 But I don’t want the test because once that fat round bomb goes off
we only have one atomic bomb left。”
“For the love of Christ – you can’t win a war with one bomb； no matter how powerful it is。 You
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are crazy； General！”
“Maybe；” agreed Groves as he picked a piece of chocolate out of the box。 “We won’t have
enough plutonium to make a second plutonium bomb until August。 So we’ll wait until then to
drop the uranium bomb。 That way； if one atomic bomb doesn’t convince the Japs； we’ll have a
plutonium bomb to follow up。 But one bomb should do it。” Groves looked up at Finn。 “That’s
what you’ll be guarding。 The bomb that will end World War II。”
“If the bomb works。”
“You better pray it does； gun soldier。”
Finn looked away from the General。 The smell of chocolate seemed the only real thing left in the
room。 The past ten minutes were as disjointed and bizarre as any he had ever survived。 Two
impossibly powerful bombs made of metals he had never heard of； one bomb slated for a test
and one for Japan； and a third one not even built yet。 Tactics that seemed foolish； if not
diastrous； a demonstration that wasted half an arsenal for no better reason than politics。
“What you’ve told me doesn’t make sense；” said Finn； his voice flat。
“It doesn’t have to – you’re a captain； not a general。 All you have to know is what to do。 First：
you will get that Jap spy in place no later than 2200； July 15th。 Second： you will drive to Fort
Bliss； get on the C…46 that will be waiting and fly over the test。 Third： you will be in Hunters
Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco by 0700 of the 16th of July。”
“There’s only one of me； General。 I can’t be sure Kestrel stays in place unless I stick with him。
That doesn’t give me much time to get to Bliss and then to Trinity； and then fly on to San
Francisco。”
Groves shrugged irritably。 “I didn’t say you had to lead the damn Jap up the mountain。 Just give
him enough information that he can’t stay away and follow him long enough to be sure he’s
going in the right direction。 Then get your ass to Fort Bliss。”
“And when I get to Hunters Point？”
Groves smiled。 “Beginning at 0700 of the 16th； you’ll stand guard over a billion dollars’ worth
of uranium 235； the guts of the only atomic bomb that will be left in the world。 The uranium will
be loaded on the battleship Indianapolis by 0700。 The ship will weigh anchor at 0800。 You will
sit on that uranium until you deliver it to Colonel Paul Tibbets on a Pacific island called Tinian。
Then he； not you； will become the most important man in the world。 Do you understand your
orders？”
“Yes。 But why send me to Hunters Point？ I don’t know a damn thing about atomic bombs or
battleships。”
“You’re a survivor； Captain。 You should have died twenty times in Burma or Mexico； but you
didn’t。 If the Indianapolis is attacked and men with their skin on fire and their guts hanging out
run around screaming； you wouldn’t panic。 You’d get that uranium into the special raft we’re
shipping with you。 You wouldn’t stop to play Good Samaritan； you wouldn’t let wounded
survivors into the raft with you； you wouldn’t do one fucking thing but keep that uranium afloat。
There aren’t many men I could say that about。 But I’ve read the reports about you。 I’ve watched
you。 You’re as fast and nasty as those rattlers you grew up with。 You’ll get the job done no
matter who you have to kill。 Is that clear enough for you？”
“Yes； sir。 Very clear。”
“Good。 Now come with me。 I want you to see the material you’ll be guarding。 Uranium 235 has
some special characteristics you should be aware of。” Groves laughed as though he had made a
joke； but did not explain the punchline。 “Captain。”
“Yes？”
“If that uranium goes to the bottom of the Pacific； I’d advise you to go with it all the way。 And
don’t bother holding your breath。”
This time General Groves did not laugh。
Moscow
97 Hours Before Trinity
Page 17
（Excerpt from NKVD document sent by courier to Vanessa Lyons。 Decoded。）
COMMENCE IMMEDIATELY FINAL STAGES OF BRONX INTERCEPT。 DO NOT
FAIL。 STALINGRAD WILL BE AVENGED。 LAVRENTI BERIA
Los Alamos
97 Hours Before Trinity
Silently； Finn followed General Groves through the administrative building。 Once it had been a
dormitory for wealthy boys。 Now it was a warren of small offices。 Beyond the windows； the
Jemez Mountains lifted their rugged faces to the sky。
There was a stretch of dusty gravel lined by rectangular government…issue buildings。 To the east；
the sky grew lighter second by second； a lemon…colored dawn was bleaching into a white desert
day。 Lights in all the buildings were still on。 They had been on when Finn arrived at midnight。
Los Alamos recognized neither night nor day； only the consuming imperatives of war。
Once the plateau had been a beautiful setting for a boarding school。 The cabins remained； but