Nothing to Lose

wreckage. What would they find?”
    “Evidence.”
    “For sure. They’d identify the materials involved. Suppose they found TNT and depleted uranium?”
    “They’d make a list of possible sources.”
    “Correct. Everyone in the world can buy TNT, but DU is rarer. It’s a byproduct of an enrichment process that occurs in maybe twenty places.”
    “Nuclear powers.”
    “Exactly.”
    “A list of twenty suspects wouldn’t help.”
    “Exactly,” Reacher said again. “And the intended victim isn’t going to stand up and take responsibility, because the intended victim didn’t know anything about anything in the first place. But suppose we were nudged in the preferred direction?”
    “How?”
    “Remember Oklahoma City? The Federal Building? That was a big explosion, but they knew it was a Ryder truck. Within hours. They’re great at putting tiny fragments together.”
    “But presumably one uranium fragment is like another.”
    “But suppose you were a state-sponsored terrorist from overseas. You’d want maximum bang for the buck. So if you didn’t have quite enough uranium when you were building your bomb, you might use other stuff to pack it out.”
    “What other stuff?”
    “Maybe pieces of wrecked cars,” Reacher said.
    Vaughan said nothing.
    Reacher said, “Suppose the guys in the hazmat suits found fragments of Peugeots and Toyotas sold only in certain markets. Suppose they found fragments of Iranian license plates.”
    Vaughan was quiet for a moment, working it out. “Iran is working with uranium. They’re boasting about it.”
    “There you go,” Reacher said. “What would happen next?”
    “We’d make certain assumptions.”
    “And?”
    “We’d attack Iran.”
    “And after that?”
    “Iran would attack Israel, Israel would retaliate, everyone would be fighting.”
    “Precipitating events,” Reacher said.
    “That’s insane.”
    “These are people that believe red cows signal the end of the world.”
    “These are people who care enough to make sure ash gets a proper burial.”
    “Exactly. Because by anyone’s standards that’s a meaningless gesture. Maybe it’s just camouflage. To make sure no one looks at them too closely.”
    “We have no evidence.”
    “We have an End Times nutcase with technical expertise and twenty tons of TNT and twenty tons of DU and four Iranian cars and a limitless supply of shipping containers, some of which were last seen in the Middle East.”
    Vaughan said, “You think it’s possible?”
    “Anything is possible.”
    “But no judge in America would sign off on a search warrant. Not with what we’ve got. It’s not even circumstantial. It’s just a crazy theory.”
    Reacher said, “I’m not looking for a search warrant. I’m waiting for dark.”

    Darkness came two hours later. With it came doubts from Vaughan. She said, “If you’re really serious about this, you should call the State Police. Or the FBI.”
    Reacher said, “I would have to give my name. I don’t like to do that.”
    “Then talk to that MP lieutenant. He already knows your name. And it’s his bag after all.”
    “He’s looking at medals and a promotion. He won’t want to rock the boat.”
    It was still raining. A steady, hard downpour.
    Vaughan said, “You’re not a one-man justice department.”
    “What’s on your mind?”
    “Apart from legalities?”
    “Yes, apart from those.”
    “I don’t want you to go there. Because of the radiation.”
    “It won’t hurt me.”
    “OK, I don’t want to go there. You said there were fertility issues and birth defects.”
    “You’re not pregnant.”
    “I hope.”
    “Me too.”
    “But these things can linger. I might want children one day.”
    That’s progress, Reacher thought. He said, “It’s the dust that’s the problem. And this rain will damp it down. And you don’t have to come in. Just drive me there.”

    They left thirty minutes later. Halfway was a small place but it took a long time to get out of it. People were driving cautiously, like they usually did in storms in places that were normally dry. The roads were running with water, like rivers. Vaughan put her wipers on high. They batted back and forth, furiously. She found the turn east and took it. Within a minute the old Chevy was the only car on the road. The only car for miles around. Rain battered the windshield and drummed on the roof.
    “This is good,” Reacher said.
    “You think?”
    “Everyone will be indoors. We’ll have the