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FBI agent Stoneman grabbed a blank notepad and pen before lifting the telephone receiver. “Stoneman.”

“Alex Stoneman? Of 815 Morganton Road?” The voice was unfamiliar to Alex. Multiple questions fired in his mind. His address was classified information, as is typical of all FBI agents, or any law enforcement branch for that matter.

“Who is this?” Alex wrote down ‘security breach’.

“Call me Bo. Have I got your attention?” Bo’s voice sounded like a bully tormenting his latest victim. False empathy dripped from every word.

“You do, I haven’t even finished filling out my first day’s paperwork.” Alex continued taking notes. He wrote BO in big letters on the top of the pad. “How do you have my…”

“Forget the trivial stuff Alex. Now listen carefully, because I’m only going to say this once. There is a bomb in the airport. Specifically in security’s unclaimed luggage. You have two hours. Do not shut down the airport, alert the media, change schedules or routines. Do not tell your superiors or anyone else. If you do, the bomb will go off instantly. Also, I have my very powerful sniper rifle pointed at your home. Breathe a word of this to anyone, and you become a widower. However, do as I say and maybe no one gets hurt. Test me boy and people will die. Starting with your wife. Still with me Alex?”

“Yeah.” Alex tore off the sheet of paper, and crumbled it into a ball, tossing it in the trash.

“Okay, good. I’ve been reading your file. I must say I’m surprised the Bureau let you in with your sad little GPA. Did daddy have some connections?”

“You tell me.” Alex tested Bo, to see if he really did have a complete file.

“No. You’re an orphan.” Bo laughed. “Okay, Alex since it’s your first day, I’m going to cut you a break. I will give you a clue. What did the rabbit say to the carrot?”

CLICK.

Alex returned the phone receiver to it’s place. He reviewed the phone call mentally. This person was well connected, knowledgeable of the inner workings of the Bureau and this airport. Alex felt certain Bo could back up his threats. Almost ever fiber in his being said he should take this to his new boss. Would the Chief even believe him?

“Knock, Knock.”

Alex swiveled to see a balding man in his forty’s standing in the doorway to his office. “Hello, I’m Dave Johansen. I’m supposed to take you on a tour of the airport. Got coffee yet? What do you say? Ready for a long walk?”

“I’ve got all this paperwork. You know tax and insurance stuff. Can we go a little later?” Alex pleaded. Then a new thought occurred to him.

“Of course.” Dave said, “Say, seven thirty?”

“Is this a joke? Hazing the new guy?” Alex wanted desperately for that call to be fake. However threatening his wife was not funny.

“What do you mean?” Dave’s face gave no indication of any frivolity.

“A joke, you know, on the new guy.” Alex gestured toward himself, and raised his eyebrows.

“Who told?” Dave looked around, but saw no one nearby. “Yeah, typically I’m supposed to take you somewhere, and get you really lost. Took me half a day to find my way back. This airport is like a city unto itself.”

Alex realized they were speaking about two different things altogether. Bo was legit. “Oh. I see. Okay well, I’ll see you in a bit for that tour.” Dave left, and Alex felt the weight in his stomach return. The phone rang again.

“Alex Stoneman.”

“Very good Alex.” It was Bo. “You may not be as dumb as you look. Remember, keep your mouth shut.”

CLICK.

Alex stood, then grabbed his jacket. He walked out of his office, and began looking in and out of other offices. Most were not occupied with workers yet. He found what he was looking for at the receptionist’s desk. A parent.

“Hi, I’m Alex Stoneman, it’s my first day.” Alex flashed a badge to the receptionist.

“I’m Gloria Jenkins, and honey, you don’t have to show me that. You wouldn’t be in here if your weren’t Bureau. That and you’d have a nicer jacket.” She smiled and offered a hand, which he accepted.

“Right, I know this is going to sound strange, but I heard half a riddle this morning, some kids, you know, and well, I saw you had pictures of kids on your desk. I was wondering if you’d heard it.” Alex wondered if she would by his lies. He had been trained to lie, so it came naturally. “I just can’t concentrate with that half-heard in my head, you know?”

“Oh, child, I’ve heard them all. Tell it to me baby.” She had turned now to her computer and was typing something, but that didn’t keep her focus off their conversation.

“What did the rabbit say to the carrot?” Alex rolled his eyes, like this was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard.

“Oh, man, come on. That’s an easy one. It’s second grade humor. Even if I hadn’t heard this, they follow a simple pun formula.” Gloria continued typing.

“So what’s the answer?” Alex fought to keep the urgency from his voice.

Gloria stopped, looked at Alex and said, “It’s been nice gnawing you.”

“Thanks Gloria. Thanks a lot.” With that he bolted for the Airport’s main security hub.

He heard Gloria behind him say. “Anytime baby. Anytime.” The typing resumed.

As he all but ran, Alex tried to remember what he’d learned about his new assignment. Most of it came from wikipedia. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, is located seven miles south of the central business district of Atlanta. It has been the world’s busiest airport by passenger traffic as well as landings and take-offs. Hartsfield holds its ranking as the world’s busiest airport, both in terms of passengers and number of flights, Fifty-seven percent of Hartsfield-Jackson’s airport passengers do not stay in Atlanta but go on connection flights elsewhere. The Atlanta airport has more nonstop flights and destinations than any airline hub in the world. It serves 243 nonstop destinations, including 72 international destinations in 45 countries

The crimes monitored and stopped in the past five years include theft, drug trafficking, prostitution, extortion, kidnapping, and murder. The FBI’s presence has been continual in that time, and has returned significant results.
The Bureau had either cursed or blessed Stoneman to work in the world’s largest airport, the jury was still out on that. With this current dilemma Alex was thinking the former.

“You don’t have jurisdiction here.” Inter-department teams could easily turn into pissing contests and name calling.

“Look, it’s my first day, I’m just getting a feel for the place.” Alex played the nice guy card. It was usually the fastest way over obstacles. If this didn’t work, he began to size the man up for a fight.

“Sorry, pal. You need authorization. Unless my boss phones me, you can’t…”

Alex swallowed. He had been focusing his breathing, and steeling his muscles for the first blow. He played a final gambit, “Sir, I didn’t want to say this… it’s so embarrassing. I think my bag was taken. I was taking a tour, and left it at a terminal. I don’t even know which one.”

The older man, looked into Alex’s lying eyes once again. “Alright, today’s stuff is close-by, if it was in a terminal, it was scanned, so I guess this will be alright, but something in that bag better have your name on it.

“Thank you, Officer. Thank you.” Alex followed the man down a corridor. No one else occupied the hallway. They had just entered the large storage room, piled with endless suitcases, briefcases, and a multi-colored assortment of other odd items.

“What color is it? I’ll help you look.”

“You shouldn’t have asked.” Alex then swung his elbow, connecting to the man’s temple. He fell to the floor instantly. “Sorry.” Alex instinctively said to the unconscious officer.

Sprinting toward the pile, Alex estimated there were over three dozen bags. He checked his watch. He had only twenty five minutes left. Each one varied in size and shape. It took nearly ten minutes, but Alex found what he was looking for. A simple black bag had an easyJet ticket attached. That was odd of itself, but the departure was listed as Nice, France. “Nice gnawing you. Very cute Bo.” The finishing touch was the skycap’s writing, of “B” and “O” on the ticket.

Having little choice or time, Alex opened the main compartment. Inside was a metal box a cell phone and Bluetooth ear-piece. Attached to the phone was a piece of paper, on it written “Use the earpiece, and call the number –Bo”. Alex complied.

“Have any trouble with Henry?” Bo’s voice continued steady, even mirthful at speaking with Alex again. His favorite victim was back for more.

“No, he is right here with me.”, Alex said.

“And knocked out, no doubt. You were cutting it close on time. Perhaps the death of your wife doesn’t motivate you like it should? Having difficulties? Do you want to know who comes to visit while you’re not home?”

“I found the bag. I found the box.” Alex didn’t take the bait. He couldn’t let Bo push his buttons, at least no any more than he’d been doing so far.

“In about two minutes, every federal employee is going to come rushing into that room. I want you to tell them EXACTLY what I say.”

“Why are you doing this?”, Alex demanded.

“Does the name Rigoberto Alpizar mean anything to you Alex?” Bo’s voice actually took on some new emotion.

“Should it?”

“DON’T PLAY GAMES WITH ME!” Bo’s voice distorted over the tiny ear phone speaker. Alex put the cell on the floor, and began to work on the box-bomb. He had earlier grabbed a small toolkit of small screwdrivers, wire cutters and electrical tape from his desk.

“Okay, okay. No, I don’t know the name.” Alex worried he has said too much, pushed too hard.

“The man was unstable. Mentally. Probably what you think of me.” Bo chuckled lightly.

“I think you’re driven.” Alex said calmly. He got the top cover off, and saw a huge mish-mash of circuitry surrounding what appeared to be three bricks of C-4 explosive.

“Good answer. Miami, December 2005, Alpizar claimed to have a bomb. I was the Sky Marshal that took him down. Yet instantly there was a public back-lash against the department over it. Everyone said we should have known there was no bomb, he’d been through security multiple times. But I know better. No system is fool-proof, and you’re looking at something that got through the cracks just fine.”

Just then the door to the cavernous room burst open. A swat team filed in, along the wall.

“Ah, the cavalry is here, ready to play?” Bo cackled in Alex’s earpiece. “Again, repeat after me.”

“EVERYONE STOP!” Alex copied Bo’s words. “I HAVE A BOMB, WITH A DEAD-MAN’S TRIGGER.”

“That lie is the only thing keeping you alive Alex, remember that.”

“What do you want Stoneman?”, it was the Chief he’d met earlier that day. His boss, and now opponent.

“Tell them you want four million dollars.”

Alex complied.

“Where do you expect me to come up with that?”, Chief Gordon replied. “My ATM?”

“Lock-down storage locker F-22. Columbian drug bust of April 2003. The cash is still there.”

“No evidence is left on-site.”, Gordon replied. “You’ve been misinformed.”

“No,” Alex continued using Bo’s words, “You’re storing it there. I’ve seen it, and now everyone here knows about it. You can’t cover it up any longer.”

In a quiet whisper Alex said to Bo, “Gordon was your chief?”

“Yeah. They drummed me out, on dishonorable discharge no less. No pension, no references. I joined at twenty one, and served for over three decades. What do I have to show for it? NOTHING.”

“You’ll never see this money.”, Alex replied.

“True, and I’d never shoot your wife. It’s enough for the truth to come out today. I may have nothing, but Gordon, who threw me under the bus will have less than nothing, once he’s in prison. Do you know what happens to Feds in there? Oh, and have fun disarming the bomb.”

CLICK.

“Hello?” No answer. “HELLO?”

“What is it Stoneman?” Gordon shouted back across the room.

A loud beeping came from the bomb. It had just gone active. A kitchen timer began counting down from 3:00.

“The bomb is active!”, Alex pulled his wire clippers out of his pocket. “Get everyone out of here! NOW!” Alex screamed.

“Get the bomb squad here now.” Gordon bellowed. Spittle flung from his mouth as he barked orders.

An aide replied, “There was a bomb call on the other side of the airport. It will take them at least ten minutes to get here.”

“Alright, everyone back! BACK!”, Gordon decreed. A SWAT team member hoisted the still unconscious security officer over his shoulder and carried him out also.

“You know anything about these things?” Alex called over to Gordon.

“Didn’t you build it?”, Gordon replied.

“No, the guy on the phone. This is all because of you, and some guy named Alpizar. The Sky Marshal that took him out was on the phone. He’s been pulling the strings today.”

Gordon took this in, color draining from his face. They had all been played today. “Let me see.” There was now only two minutes left. Gordon came in for a look. “This is ridiculous. He has been watching too many movies.”

“What? Why?” Alex asked.

“There are four wires. Red, blue, orange, and green. Cut the wrong one, and it’s game over.”

One minute.

“Sir, is that money there?”, Alex asked. “I mean it doesn’t seem to matter much at this point.”

“Yeah. I was going to retire next month. I guess I’ll have to make new plans.”

Alex moved his clippers toward the bomb.

“What are you doing?”

“Nice gnawing you.” Alex said, looking at his work. He cut the orange wire. The timer stopped with fifteen seconds to go.