Free Lethal Circuit by Lars Guignard Page A

a very cool gas was introduced into a very hot reactor and the super heated gas was shot out a nozzle creating lift. How they were able to create a reliable working fusion reactor we have no idea. Nobody anywhere has been able to do anything similar since. And not for lack of trying.”
    “So what are you saying? The Nazis were smarter than everyone else?”
    “Look. The way my people explained it to me is that a part of science, maybe not the biggest part, but a part, is luck. Who knows? Maybe the Germans got lucky. What we do know is that they incorporated the cold fusion reactor into their aircraft. The record shows two full-size, fully functional Horten 21 bombers were shipped from Nazi occupied Konigsberg to their Japanese allies in Tokyo in the spring of 1945. Our guess is that they wanted the Japanese to take the war to the Pacific Coast. Knock out Los Angeles. But at that point the Japanese war effort was already on shaky ground. For whatever reason, probably because Tokyo was about to be bombed back to the Stone Age, the decision was made to hide the Horten 21 somewhere in occupied China. Long story short, your father and I have been working together for the last two years trying to find it. I’m sure the fact that he’s gone missing is connected to our work, Michael. I’m breaking every rule in the book in telling you this because I think we can help each other. You knew your father and I knew what he was looking for. Together we might stand a chance.”
    Michael turned his attention from the screen and just stared into Kate’s wide almond eyes. Finally he said, “It’s crazy.”
    “No, Michael, it’s real.”
    “Trust me. It’s crazy.”
    “Why?”
    “Because now I have to figure out what your long lost airplane has to do with this.”
    Michael reached into the pocket of his cargo shorts and withdrew the Lucite sphere he had taken from the factory. He watched Kate’s eyes widen as she took hold of the clear sphere, staring intently as cosmic snow fell on the globe of the Earth within, tiny green LEDs twinkling in harmony with its rotation. In that brief moment, Michael actually felt a chill run down his spine as he watched the world he thought he knew dissolve into nothing, to be replaced by something as yet unseen.

12

    T HOUGH K ATE HAD little idea what the snow globe might represent, they had at least reached a truce which allowed them to pursue the one commonality in their quest so far — Chen. It didn’t take a genius to see that all roads led back to him. A quick internet search cross-referencing him against Chohow Industries revealed the man’s place of residence and that he was in fact president of the aforementioned company. After that, all it took was a phone call to his secretary to learn that he was unavailable because he would be at a business dinner all evening. From there it was a short cab ride to the garish, gated Mediterranean-style condominium complex Michael now found himself outside of.
    The complex, located in Shenzhen’s outlying farmlands, consisted of maybe fifteen five-story buildings, each containing what looked like forty units. Kate’s plan was simple. Since the gate guard had a closed-circuit view of the entire compound, she needed a diversion and Michael was it. He was to show up at the front gate with his backpack and a guide book asking directions to the nearest bus station. If Michael could win her fifteen seconds away from the prying eyes of the guard, Kate could hop the wall on the highway side of the compound and put in a call for assistance from one of the outdoor security telephones that were staggered between the buildings. The guard leaving his post would give Michael an opportunity to sneak in through the front gate. The guard would then see that the call had been an error and Michael and Kate would be free to go about the business of breaking into Chen’s townhouse in peace.
    That was the theory. In practice Michael discovered that either guards at