Going Nuclear

I looked at the faded black-and-white photo that fell out of my grandfather’s old unit book. I recognized my grandfather right off. He was dressed in his Army uniform, with his hat sitting at a rakish angle on his head.

Standing next to him with her arm draped over his, was an attractive woman wearing a long skirt, blouse, and jacket that was typical of the period. I looked on the back of the photo and saw, “Grove and Doris, Hawaii, 1946,” handwritten on the back. Grove was my grandfather’s name — Grover Harrison. To me, though, he was always just, “Pops.”

So who was Doris, I wondered. I knew it wasn’t my grandmother — her name was Patricia. I had never heard my grandfather ever mention anyone named Doris. Perhaps she was just a girlfriend from his time in the war. I decided to ask him about it the next time I saw him, which would be later that day.

I put everything back and went to my apartment, which took up the entire basement of my grandfather’s house. I moved here at his insistence several months ago when he went to the nursing home. It made sense the way he explained it. He wanted someone to look after things while he was gone and it would save me money as well.

For several years now, my grandfather had been suffering from a number of medical issues. Thankfully, Alzheimer’s or dementia weren’t among them. Nevertheless, it got to the point where he could no longer do the things he used to do and with my parents deceased, there was no one to take care of him in the way he needed.

Sure, he had someone come by once a week to clean the place and gardeners came by once a week to look after the yard. But that wasn’t enough. I did as much as I could, but I work during the week. At this stage, he needed full-time care, especially considering that he was now restricted to a wheelchair all day long.

“It’s not easy getting around when you’re 99 years old, you know,” he would say in that Minnesota accent of his. “Things start to break down about that time.”

So I took a shower and grabbed a bite to eat, then headed to the nursing home. When I got there, I waved to the nurses at the front desk and signed in.

“How’s my grandfather today?” I asked Julie, the nurse at the desk.

“Frisky as ever,” she said with a smile. I smiled back.

“Did he try to pat you on the rear end again?” I asked.

“Of course,” she said. “He does that every morning when I take him his breakfast.” I laughed and headed to his private room.

“Hey, Trey, come on in, son,” he said when I knocked on his partially-open door. That’s me, by the way — Trey Harrison. I walked in and gave him a manly hug.

“Hey, Pops,” I said. “How’re you feeling this morning?”

“Oh, fair to middlin’ I guess,” he said. We talked about a number of things — fishing, news, the general state of the union — for a while. Then I pulled out the photo.

“Whatcha got there, son?” he asked. I handed it to him and watched as his face changed. A number of emotions crossed his face — sadness, anger and maybe a bit of guilt. He looked down and handed the photo back. “Where did you find that?” he asked.

“It fell out of your old unit book from the war,” I said. “I was just curious about who she was. I never heard you mention anyone named Doris before. Was she a girlfriend or something?”

“Something, all right,” he said. “I thought I had gotten rid of all her pictures. Obviously not.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean to drudge up bad memories.”

“It’s all right, son,” he said. “I guess if there’s anyone who has a right to know about her, it’s you. Listen, why don’t you get us a cup of coffee, then close the door and I’ll tell you about her.”

“Sure, Pops,” I said. I grabbed us each a cup of coffee — decaf for him — then closed the door and sat back down. While I was up, I turned on the audio recorder on my phone, hoping I had enough space to get the whole thing.

“Thanks, son,” he said after I handed him his cup. He collected his thoughts for a bit before he continued. “Just so you know, you’re the only person I’ve ever told this to. I don’t care if you record it for yourself, but this absolutely cannot be repeated to anyone, ever. Do you understand me?”

“Sure, Pops,” I said. “I’m recording, but it’s just for me.”

“Okay,” he said. He took a sip of coffee and looked up for a minute before continuing.

…

Grove’s story, as transcribed from the audio recording:

I should probably start from the beginning. I was halfway into my junior year of college when the Japanese hit Pearl Harbor. Like everyone else, I went down to enlist. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to because of my flat feet. They had never bothered me before, but I didn’t argue. So I went back to school and finished my degree in physics.

After I graduated in 1943, the government came to me, if you can believe that. Said they needed my expertise on a new project. Apparently, my flat feet weren’t a problem anymore. So I agreed and signed on the bottom line.

They put me through a quick officer’s candidate school, made me a second lieutenant, put me in the Army Corps of Engineers and assigned me to something called the Manhattan Project. I was shocked when they told me what it was all about. Who would’ve ever thought about using nuclear material for a bomb?

It was an exciting time. I actually got to work with some of the most renowned scientists of the day, including J. Robert Oppenheimer and Enrico Fermi. I learned more from them than I did in my whole time at college.

I was one the more than 400 people at the Alamogordo site when the first bomb test was conducted. We didn’t even know if the damn thing would work. But it did, and the world changed that very day.

I was sent to Tinian, an island in the Pacific, where I was to help set up and load the bomb that would be used on Hiroshima. We all hoped this would work, and would cause the Japanese to surrender. The bomb worked just fine, but they didn’t surrender. Three days later, we sent another bomb, this time to Nagasaki.

We all knew the stakes were high. If the bomb didn’t work, or if the Japanese didn’t surrender, we would have to send our boys in to take the nation by force. And if that happened, we knew the casualty rate would be extremely high. Fortunately, it worked. The next day, the Japanese offered to surrender. On August 12, the United States said it would accept the offer to surrender. In early September, the formal surrender ceremony took place.

I stayed on Tinian for a while and took part in the damage assessment phase of the attacks on Nagasaki. I still have nightmares about that. It wasn’t just the physical damage that got to me — that was bad enough. It was seeing the survivors and the things they were dealing with. Yes, I was proud that I had helped end the war, but I wasn’t proud of the fact that the two bombs I helped deliver to Japan killed over 100,000 people. That still sticks in my craw.

I made my reports and was finally reassigned to something that would turn into “Joint Army/Navy Task Force One” in February 1946, about the time news broke of a Soviet spy ring in Canada that caused a bit of a stir. I went to Hawaii and pulled R&R there for a while, and that’s when I met her.

She introduced herself to me as Doris Hastings, originally from Norman, Oklahoma. She was a delightful woman, and quite beautiful. We spent a lot of time together, dancing and making out on the beach.

Of course, she could do a lot more than dance. The things that woman did with her mouth drove me nuts. We had what you would call a whirlwind romance and got married by a justice of the peace in April 1946.

Later that year, I was involved in something called “Operation Crossroads,” which consisted of two nuclear tests in the Bikini Atoll. There was a third test scheduled, but that one got canceled.

I re-upped in 1947 and was made part of a joint operation to perform nuclear testing in Nevada. Doris and I moved to what was then the town of Las Vegas, since that was just an hour or so away from where the new testing facility would be located. Believe me, it was nothing compared to what it is now.

Anyway, we continued our lives and I thought things were going well between us. One day, though, as I was making my way home from the test site, I saw Doris’ car parked at a motel on the edge of town. That was 1948, I think. My memory’s not quite what it used to be. What was she doing there, I wondered. I could only think of one reason why she would be at a motel, and it certainly wasn’t good.

…

I stopped the recording when a nurse tapped on the door. Pops and I looked up and saw the young woman enter the room. She walked over to my grandfather and smiled down at him.

“Are you ready for your therapy, Mr. Harrison?” she asked.

“Only if you’re taking me,” he said with a smile and a wink. I couldn’t help but smile watching the old man flirt with the young nurse. She smiled back and unlocked the wheels, then began pushing him to the door.

“I’m gonna be a bit busy for a while, son,” he told me. “Come by tomorrow and we’ll talk some more.”

“Sure, Pops,” I said, giving him a goodbye hug. “Take care of my grandfather, now,” I said to the nurse.

“Of course,” she said. I left the room and headed home. I looked through his things, trying to find a clue about this woman, but found nothing. I looked through all of his old papers, and saw a number of commendations, letters, awards, but nothing that even mentioned this Doris woman — not even an old marriage license or any records related to a house in Las Vegas. Of course, if there had been anything left, it would probably have been long gone by now, I thought.

I looked at my watch and remembered I had a date with Karen that night, so I got ready and left to pick her up. We had been dating exclusively for the last several months and I was nearly at the point of popping the big question. She looked good, as always, wearing a fairly short green dress that accentuated her eyes and flaming red hair. She also showed off a lot of what Pops called “a great set of gams.”

As we sat at the Texas Roadhouse eating, she looked at me with concern.

“Are you all right, Trey?” she asked. “You seem to be a million miles away.”

“I went to see Pops today,” I said.

“Is he all right?” she asked.

“Yeah, feisty as ever,” I said.

“Well, what’s the problem?” she asked, concern on her face.

“I found this today in one of his old unit books from the war,” I said, pulling the photo from my pocket. She looked at it for a moment before speaking.

“This is your grandfather?” she asked. I nodded my head. “Good-looking man. I can see where you get your looks from. He kinda reminds me of that actor, Errol Flynn. Who’s the woman with him?”

“Her name was Doris. Pops said he was married to her before he married my grandmother,” I said. “Funny, I don’t recall him ever mentioning her before. My parents never mentioned her, either. I looked, but I couldn’t find anything in his stuff mentioning her. No letters, notes, cards, nothing. And you know how he held onto everything.”

“Sounds like a mystery to me,” she said. “So, are you going to go all Sam Spade on me now?” I laughed.

“No, but I am curious,” I said. “I mean, what happened to her?”

“Well, I happen to know some people who search public records for a living,” she said. “I can make a couple calls and see what comes up, if that’ll help. If he was married to this woman, we should be able to find something. What was her name again?”

“He said it was Doris Hastings, and she was supposedly from Norman, Oklahoma,” I said.

“Well, if there is anything, I’m sure we can find it,” she said.

“That would be great,” I said. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” she said with a smile. “So, what did your grandfather do during the war?”

“He says he was part of the Manhattan Project,” I said.

“Wasn’t that the bunch who dropped the bomb on Japan?” she asked. I nodded my head. “Wow,” she said.

“Yeah,” I said. “He never talked about it before. I know he worked for the government until the late 60s, then went into teaching. That’s where he met my grandmother.”

“Hmm,” Karen said. “Interesting.” We dropped the subject and finished our dinner, then went for a drink and some dancing and finally back to my place, where she reminded me again of why I found her so alluring and sexy.

The next morning, she woke up early and padded upstairs to fix us a light breakfast. I rolled out of bed and went upstairs after doing my morning business and throwing on my robe. I got upstairs to see her wearing nothing but an apron, buttering some bagels. Cupping her firm and delectable rear end, I gave her a kiss.

“Watch it now,” she said, laughing. She handed me a bagel, which I gladly accepted. I poured us each a cup of coffee and we sat to eat at the breakfast nook.

“Why are you up so early?” I asked.

“Well, I need to get home to get ready for work,” she said. I knew she worked at the DMV office. Her job put her in front of people most of the day, renewing vehicle registrations and that sort of thing.

“Why don’t you move some stuff in here so you don’t have to leave so early?” I asked.

“Why, Trey, that almost sounds like a commitment,” she said with a smile. “Are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely,” I said, kissing her hand. “I could get used to waking up to this every morning.”

“Yeah?” she asked. “Well, you know what they say about redheads, right? You’ve never seen me get pissed off.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to be on my best behavior,” I told her.

“Damn right,” she said with a smile. “I guess we could try for a bit, if you really want to up things a notch. So, what’s on your plate today?”

“I have a server install this morning,” I said. “I should be finished with that about 2:00 if all goes well, then I’ll go over to see Pops. I wanna hear more of his story.”

“Okay,” she said. “Don’t forget, I’ll be over at Mom’s after work. She promised to help me with something I’ve been working on. I’ll call you this evening, okay?”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said. “Tell your mother I said hello.”

“I will,” she said. “Mom really likes you, you know.”

“Yeah, I like her too. She reminds me of you for some reason,” I said, causing her to laugh.

“Are we still on for this weekend?” she asked. “Remember, you promised to give me a rematch at the miniature golf course.”

“Of course,” I said. “Maybe we can go see Pops if you want.”

“Sure,” she said. “You do know that all he does is look at my legs?” I ran a hand up one of her legs.

“Can you blame the old guy?” I asked. “I like looking at these legs myself.”

“You’re such a naughty boy,” she joked.

“Only with you,” I said, prompting a smile. After we finished our breakfast, she went back downstairs and threw her clothes on, then headed out. I kissed her at the door and watched as she got into her car and drove off. I headed back into the kitchen and poured a bowl of cereal. Karen was a wonderful woman, but she ate like a bird.

I finished my cereal and went back downstairs to get ready for the day. I only had one server install, which suited me just fine. For the last several years, I worked as a self-employed IT consultant, mostly doing work for various computer manufacturers.

They provided the equipment, scheduled the appointments and I did the work, along with whatever maintenance the client agreed to. The client paid the manufacturer, who, in turn, paid me. The hours were good, the pay was great, and I liked the boss, a man whose face I saw every morning in the mirror.

The installation went as I had planned, and by 2:00 pm, everything was up and running just as it should. The client signed off on the work, happy to see the new system in place. I jumped in my work truck, scanned the paperwork with my portable scanner, emailed it to the manufacturer, and headed over to see Pops.

“Hey, Pops,” I said, hugging him. “How’re you doing?”

“Oh, fair to middling, I guess,” he said in that accent I loved so much. “I guess you wanna hear more about Doris?”

“Yeah,” I said. “If that’s all right.”

“Sure,” he said. “Get some coffee and I’ll tell you some more.” I poured us each a cup of coffee and put his cup in the holder attached to his chair. I sat down and started my voice recorder.

“So, where was I?” Pops asked.

“You had just seen Doris’ car at the motel the first time,” I said.

“Oh, yeah,” he said. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment before continuing.

…

Grove continues his narration:

After I saw Doris’ car at the motel that first day, I went home in a state of turmoil. She had never given me any clue that she wasn’t happy in our marriage. She was always loving and warm. I had no idea there was a problem. Perhaps, I thought, it’s true the husband is always the last to know about these things.

I knew I needed to get more information before doing anything rash. For starters, I needed to act normally, which was hard. I was hurt, humiliated and more than a little upset. It would be very hard for me to respond to her normally if, in fact, she really was cheating.

I also knew I had to take decisive action, given the sensitivity of my position. Something like this could be used against me by a hostile foreign power. I had been through all the security briefings and had heard this was the type of thing the Reds like to use as blackmail.

I grabbed the telephone book and looked for a private investigator. I called one going by the name of James Ham and spoke to his receptionist. She put me through to him and I made an appointment to see him first thing in the morning. My next call was to my boss. I explained the situation to him and he agreed I needed to get to the bottom of it, so he gave me the day off.

Shortly after I got off the phone, Doris pulled in. She came into the house carrying a bag of groceries and set them down on the kitchen counter. I looked but didn’t see anything out of whack. Her clothes looked fresh, her makeup wasn’t messed up and her hair looked as good as it did when I last saw her. She came over and kissed me on the cheek and I didn’t detect any strange odors.

“So, how was your day?” she asked.

“Okay, I guess,” I told her. Even though she was my wife, I was forbidden from giving any details of my work, so I often spoke in generalities. “Just dealing with things as they come up. How was yours?”

“The same,” she said. “Did some shopping, then went to the store and picked up some stuff for dinner.”

“So, you didn’t go anywhere else or see someone today?” I asked.

“No, nothing else,” she said. “Why?” I couldn’t believe it. She just lied to my face. How long has she been lying to me like this, I wondered.

“Oh, nothing, I was just curious, that’s all,” I said. Damn. Damn, damn, damn. “What’s on your plate for tomorrow?”

“Probably more of the same,” she said. I’ll bet, I thought to myself. I changed into some civvies and joined her at the table for dinner. After dinner, we grabbed some sherry and sat down to watch a bit of television. We bought one of the first TVs mass-produced, an old RCA.

There wasn’t a whole lot to watch in those days, not like today, but we enjoyed the old Kraft Television Theatre. Milton Berle was also a favorite of ours, and I always enjoyed the old Superman serials and The Life of Riley. The old Candid Camera came out about that time, too, I think. They sure don’t make ’em like that anymore, I tell ya.

Anyway, we watched some television, then went to bed. I had a hard time trying to be the same with her that night, but I managed. I think Doris noticed something was off, but she never said anything.

The next day, we had breakfast as usual. I put my uniform on, grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed out. I didn’t want her to think I was doing anything different, so I stopped at a diner for some coffee before I met with James.

I got to his office and was ushered in by a blonde gum-chewing receptionist. James looked up as I came in, stood, and shook my hand. He sat back down, lit up a cigarette, and looked at me through the smoke.

“So, what can I do for you today, Captain, uh, Harrison?” he asked, referring to my rank while glancing at a paper on his desk. I told him about seeing Doris’ car at the motel and explained that my work was quite sensitive, without saying exactly what.

“So, you suspect your wife is running around on you and you want me to get to the bottom of it, is that it?” he asked.

“Yes, it is,” I said.

“All right,” he said. “Let me have what you got on her — a picture, the make of her car, her license plate, and so on, then give me a week or so to see what I can come up with. I like to know as much as possible about her, so I’ll call some colleagues in Hawaii and Oklahoma and see what we can come up with. Might take a few days and cost a bit extra if you’re okay with that.”

“Yes, of course,” I said. You have to remember, we didn’t have all the fancy gadgets and doo-dads you youngsters take for granted today. Nosiree. A gumshoe had to work hard to get the goods back in those days.

I gave him the information on her car, the color, make and license plate number, then I handed him a picture. The same one you found, in fact. His brow furrowed for a bit when he looked at it. I didn’t understand why at the time, but I would later on.

“Okay,” James said. “In the meantime, don’t do anything stupid. Let me do my job. It could be nothing. Maybe she’s meeting an old friend or member of the family. You thinking about getting a divorce?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I guess it depends on what you find out.”

“All right,” he said, handing me a business card. “That’s the name of an attorney I highly recommend. My receptionist will handle my retainer. I like to have something upfront to get started, then I’ll bill you for the rest when I’m done. Fair enough?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” I said.

“Call me in, say, 10 days, and I should have a full report for you,” he said.

“Thank you, Mr. Ham,” I said.

“You’re welcome, and good luck, Captain,” he said, standing up while offering me his hand. I shook it, then left and settled up with the receptionist. I looked at the card and asked for directions, which the receptionist was more than happy to provide. I drove to a small house on the edge of downtown that had a sign that read, “Wilbur Capshaw, Attorney at Law. Divorces handled here, quickly.” Back then, Nevada was considered the divorce capital of the country.

I parked and went inside, where another blonde receptionist escorted me into the office of Wilbur Capshaw, Esquire. I couldn’t but wonder if blonde receptionists grew on trees here. Wilbur stood and shook my hand when I came in and asked me to take a seat.

“What can I do for you today, Captain?” he asked.

“Well,” I said. “I’m thinking about getting a divorce and was wondering about my options.”

“You came to the right place,” he said. “You looking for a quick ‘Reno’ divorce?”

“I’d like it to be quick,” I said.

“I can handle that for you, easily,” he said. “On what grounds are you looking to divorce?”

“Possibly adultery,” I said. “I’m not sure yet.”

“Oh?” he asked. “Why not?”

“Well, I don’t have any conclusive proof yet,” I said. “I got someone looking into it for me.”

“By someone, you mean, Mr. Ham?” he asked. “He called and said you might be coming by. I get a lot of business from him.”

“Uh, yeah,” I said. He nodded his head. “So, how does this work?” I asked him.

“How long have you been here in Nevada?” he asked.

“Several months, since I was assigned here last year,” I told him.

“Good,” Wilbur said. “So residency isn’t an issue. According to the law, you only have to have lived here for six weeks. Can you get someone to testify that you’ve been here all that time?”

“Absolutely,” I said.

“Even better yet,” he said. “Well, basically, the way it works is this. Once you decide to do it, come see me. I’ll get the paperwork done, get it filed, and have her served, then arrange for an attorney in Reno to go into court with you. You’ll need to get there on your own, either by car or train. I suspect you already have a car, right?”

“Yes, I do,” I said, nodding my head.

“Once there, you’ll go into the courthouse, you or your attorney will present your case and if she doesn’t contest it, you’ll walk out a few minutes later a free man, divorce decree in hand. Later, if you want, you can even toss your wedding ring in the Truckee River.”

“Just like that?” I asked.

“Pretty much,” he said.

“Well, I’d like to see what Mr. Ham finds first,” I said.

“I understand,” Wilbur said. “You don’t want to go off half-cocked. Just so you know, though, you can still divorce her. Hell, I know of a fella who divorced his wife ’cause she wouldn’t let him listen to the radio.”

“Wow,” I said.

“Yeah,” Wilbur said. “He called it ‘cruelty,’ if you can believe that. Take your time, make sure this is something you want, then come see me. I’ll still be here.”

“Thank you, Mr. Capshaw,” I said. “I may just do that.”

“My pleasure, Captain,” he said, standing up. We shook hands and I left. When I got back into my car, I realized it was time for lunch and went back to the diner to eat and think about my options. I ate my lunch and thought back, wondering what it was I had done wrong. I always put her before myself and did my best to treat her with respect and love. How could she do something like this? Before I knew it, it was 2:00 pm. I couldn’t sit there all day, and I didn’t feel like getting drunk. I had an idea and headed out after paying my bill and leaving a nice tip for the waitress who had been so patient with me.

I drove by the motel where I saw her parked before and didn’t see her car. Good, I thought. I decided to go home and surprise her. When I got to our house, though, I saw a strange car with California plates parked out front. I pulled into the driveway and parked next to Doris’ car, then headed for the door.

…

Pops and I both looked up as we heard a tapping on the door, interrupting his narrative. I turned the recording off as a nurse stuck her head in the door.

“It’s time to get you ready for dinner, Mr. Harrison,” she said sweetly. He smiled back at her.

“Already?” he asked. “My, time flies when you’re having fun.” I stood up and hugged Pops.

“I’d better get going, then,” I said. “I’ll be by tomorrow if that’s okay.”

“That’s more than okay, son,” he said. “See ya then.” I nodded at the nurse as I left and went home.

When I got there, I checked my schedule for the next day, which happened to be Friday. I didn’t have any installs scheduled, but I did have some maintenance work planned, which could all be done remotely. I sat at my computer and started searching.

I found several old articles mentioning James Ham and also learned that he had served in the Office of Strategic Services, or OSS, during the war. The OSS, I knew from a documentary I once saw on the History Channel, was the forerunner to the CIA. I also found mention of Capshaw, a divorce lawyer who made a ton of money facilitating quick divorces during the 1940s and 1950s.

Don’t get me wrong — I never once had any reason to doubt my grandfather. I just wanted to find something — anything — that could corroborate his story. After dinner, I got a call from Karen. She was at her mother’s house working on a project of hers. She loved to knit and crochet and often sought help from her mother, who was an expert.

“So, how did it go with your grandfather today?” she asked.

“It went well,” I said. “I’ll probably go over tomorrow afternoon when I get finished.”

“Okay,” she said. “Don’t forget we have a date tomorrow night.”

“How could I forget something like that?” I asked. She chuckled at that.

“By the way, Mom said to tell you hi,” she said. I heard her mother in the background yell out, “Hi, Trey!” I laughed.

“Tell your mother I said hello,” I told Karen. I could hear her turn to her mother.

“Trey said to tell you hello, Mom,” she said before turning back to the phone.

“By the way, Trey Harrison,” she began. “I love you. I know I don’t tell you that as often as I should, but I do.”

“I love you too, Karen,” I said. Karen had been hurt badly in the past and wasn’t one to express love at the drop of a hat. I felt truly lucky that she felt as though she could tell me that. And the truth of the matter was, I really did love her.

“I’ll see you tomorrow night, okay?” she asked.

“I’ll see you then,” I said. We said our goodbyes and ended the call.

The next day, I finished my work earlier than I had anticipated. I spent some time checking my schedule for the next week, sent out my time sheets so I could get paid, and headed off to see Pops. I wanted to hear the rest of his story.

When I got to the nursing home, I said hello to Julie, who smiled as I signed in and then went to his room. I gave him the customary hug and poured us each a cup of coffee, placing his cup in the holder.

“So, how are you and things with that redhead?” he asked. “What’s her name? Karen?”

“Yes, Pops, it’s Karen, and things are really good between us,” I said.

“You thinking about marrying her?” Pops asked. I nodded my head.

“I think so, Pops,” I said. He nodded his head and smiled.

“You know, it’d be perfectly okay by me if you want to, you know, move her into the old place,” he said with a wink.

“You mean, live in sin?” I asked sarcastically while acting shocked. He laughed.

“I may be old, but I’m not stupid,” he said. “She’s a good influence on you, son. And I know your grandmother would approve as well.”

“Thanks, Pops,” I said. “I just wish Mom and Dad were still here.” He smiled and patted my knee.

“I know, son,” he said. “So do I. But it’s time you started looking toward your future. And I think Karen should be a part of that. But that’s not what you’re really here to hear is it?” I smiled at that. He leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. “Let me see, where was I now?”

“You just pulled in front of your house and saw a strange car out front,” I said. Having read some online stories, I knew the “strange car out front” routine well as quite a few writers included that in their stories.

“Oh, yes,” he said. He gave me a minute to start my recording before he continued.

…

I parked my car and took a deep breath before walking into the house. What would I find, I wondered to myself. Would she be in his arms? Would they be having sex in my bed? I screwed up my courage and got out of the car. I walked in the house, not knowing what I would find.

When I stepped inside, I saw a tall, well-built man in a dark suit sitting on the couch. He stood up as I walked inside. Doris was in the kitchen, fixing dinner. She came out when she heard the door open, and I saw her wiping her hands on the apron she wore around her house dress.

“Grove, you’re home early,” she said. “I was just starting dinner. Please, meet my cousin, Michael J. Smith, from Ardmore, Oklahoma. Mike, this is my husband, Grove.” The man extended a hand and I reluctantly shook it. I noticed what appeared to be a smudge of lipstick on his mouth and I took note of a slight scar that ran across his right cheek.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said in perfect English. I would have thought that being from Oklahoma, he might have a slight western accent, but he didn’t. I found it rather odd. But then again, I hadn’t met that many people from Oklahoma before.

“A pleasure to meet you, Mike,” I said. “Please, have a seat. I’m just going to get out of this uniform if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” he said with a smile. Something about that smile set me on edge. Don’t ask me what it was, but I just didn’t feel too good about it. I opened the door to my office, and set my briefcase down, double-checking to make sure it was locked. I closed and locked the door, then went into the master bedroom to change.

While there, I listened to see if I could hear them say anything, but I didn’t. I looked around but saw no evidence that they had done anything here. I changed out of my uniform and went back into the front room. I poured myself a drink and noticed Mike had already helped himself.

“I hope you don’t mind,” he said. “Doris said I should help myself.”

“Since you’re her cousin, I see no need to say otherwise,” I said. “How does that saying go? Mi casa es su casa.” Mike looked confused for a moment before reacting. Had he not heard that before?

“Oh, well, thank you,” he finally said. We sat in the front room as Doris stayed in the kitchen.

“So, what is it you do, Mike?” I asked. “And what brings you here to Las Vegas?”

“Well, I’m a salesman,” he said. “I spend a lot of time on the road. And I just happened to be passing through on my way to Reno. I’m sure it’s nothing as exciting as what you do,” he added, attempting to goad me into bragging about my job.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I said. “You get to travel a lot and see new things all the time. I’m stuck in the same old pile of dirt every day. So what is it you sell?”

“Building supplies, mostly,” he said. “Nothing retail. It’s all for contractors. You’d be amazed at how much building has taken place after the war.”

“I noticed the scar,” I said. “Were you in the war?”

“Yes,” he said. “I got this from a Kraut bullet. Were you in the war?”

“Yes,” I told him. “I spent time in the Pacific theater. I’m sure I didn’t see as much action as you did in Europe.” He shrugged his shoulders.

“We all did our part,” he said. Doris came out and called us to the table. We sat, eating, and I think I studied them almost as much as they seemed to be studying me. I couldn’t help but wonder if they were really cousins, or if that was just a story they told me to throw me off.

When we finished, Mike stood and kissed Doris on the cheek. I noticed the way she looked at him. Something wasn’t right about this.

“That was delightful,” he said. “We’ll have to do this again.” He turned to me and extended his hand, which I accepted. “I must be going now. Thank you for allowing me to share dinner with you, Grove. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” I said. After he left, I helped Doris clear the table, and then sat down in the front room after pouring us each a drink.

“Nice fella, your cousin,” I said when she sat down.

“Yes, thank you,” she said.

“You two seemed pretty close,” I said.

“We always were close,” she told me. I’ll bet, I thought. “I haven’t seen him since he left for the war.”

“Hmm,” I said. She looked at me strangely for a minute.

“You seem preoccupied with something,” she said. “Is everything all right?”

“Of course,” I said. “Just thinking about something that recently came up. I’ll work through it, though.” She smiled and curled into my arms as though nothing was going on.

I was on pins and needles for the next several days, waiting to see what James had learned. Of course, I gave him all the info I could on Mike — a description of him and the car he drove, along with the California license plates attached to it. He nodded his head in appreciation when I finished.

“Thanks, Captain Harrison,” he said. “This will help a lot.”

A few days later, I called James to see if he had any information for me.

“Actually, I do, Captain,” he said. “Can you swing by on your way home from work today?”

“I’ll be there,” I said. I left a bit early and stopped by his office. His receptionist showed me right in.

“Good to see you, Captain,” he said, lighting up a cigarette.

“So, what did you find out?” I asked anxiously.

“Several things,” he said. “First of all, my colleague in Hawaii did a records check. Did you see the justice who married you sign the wedding license?”

“No,” I said. “It was signed when I looked at it, though. He said he would file it for me.”

“Well, it turns out there was no marriage certificate filed,” James said. “Ever. In fact, the justice who supposedly married you was found dead from a gunshot wound a few days after your ‘wedding.’ The truth is, as far as the authorities there are concerned, you were never married.”

“What?” I asked.

“There’s more,” he said. “The woman you know as Doris Hastings is really a Russian.”

“Really?” I asked. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely,” he said. “I thought I recognized her face from the photo you gave me. Her real name is Svetlana Federova, and she’s an agent with the KGB. I last saw her in Bavaria toward the end of the war. I thought she had been killed, but apparently not. The man you know as Michael Smith is really Michel Schmidt. Formerly of the Waffen SS. Word in the intel community was that he was recruited as a double agent by Federova and went to the Soviet Union after the war.”

“Holy cow,” I said. “Maybe we’d better call the FBI or someone.”

“Ordinarily, I’d agree,” James said. “But I’m afraid that could cause you a lot of trouble. Being duped by a Soviet spy wouldn’t look too good on your record. It could also cost you your clearance and possibly your job.”

“But I had no idea she was a Russian,” I said.

“Doesn’t matter,” James said. “I suspect they’ve targeted you for something. What, I don’t know exactly, but I do know they plan to kill you when they’re done. I can also tell you that they’ve been quite active.” He pulled out a few black and white photos of the two of them, naked, in a motel room.

“How did you get these?” I asked.

“It’s best you don’t know,” James said. “But that’s the least of your worries. With there being no official record of your marriage, there’s no way you can divorce her.”

“So, what do we do, then?” I asked.

“I have an idea that will take care of everything,” he said with a sly smile. We talked and plotted for about the next hour or so.

…

Pops stopped talking and looked up at me before speaking. I saw a tinge of guilt and shame in his face. I stopped the recording.

“Is everything all right, Pops?” I asked.

“This next part is the hardest part of the whole story,” he said. “I just hope you won’t think ill of me afterward.”

“Pops, there’s nothing you can say that will ever change how I feel about you,” I said. He nodded his head.

“I hope that’s the case, son,” he said. “I want you to know I’m not proud of what I did.”

“That’s okay, Pops,” I said.

“Okay, son. Here goes,” he said. I started the recording again and waited for him to finish.

…

I waited until the day of our next test, just as James and I had planned. He had been keeping an eye on both Doris/Svetlana and Mike and had their routine down pretty well. It seemed that Mike had a motel room and Doris went to see him nearly every day. I called James and he informed me the two of them were in their motel room and would probably be there for a few hours.

It wasn’t unusual for me to come home in a government truck. I used it often in my work while setting up test sites. You see, part of my job was to make sure everything was set up for each test. That meant I was the last one on site before the detonation.

When James told me where they were, I made sure I had the gear we discussed earlier. I went to the motel and met James. Fortunately, their room was on the first floor and in the back of the motel. No one would see us go in or come out of the room, he said. As we planned, I made sure I wore a pair of green overalls and a cap so no one would recognize me as an Army officer.

“Shh,” James said after I got out of the truck. “They’re asleep right now. Get everything ready while I put them under.” I nodded my head and quietly opened the back of the truck. I pulled out a ramp and attached it to the back, then opened a metal box that was already sitting inside. When I turned back around, James had Doris/Svetlana in a burlap bag over his shoulder. He dumped her inside the box.

“Is she,” I began. He shook his head.

“No, but she’ll be out for several hours,” he said. “I’ll be right back.” A few minutes later, he returned with Mike and dumped his body in the box next to hers. Then he grabbed what few things they had in the room and placed them in the box. As I watched, he cuffed their hands behind their backs, making sure the chains were intertwined. He had also stuffed their undergarments in their mouths. I closed the box and locked it up. They were crammed in so tight, there was no way they could move, much less escape. When I finished, I looked at my watch.

“You have time to get back before the test?” he asked. I nodded my head.

“Oh, yeah,” I said.

“Let me know how it goes,” he said. I thanked him and left as he wiped down everything he had touched. I got to the test site just in time and was ushered in by the military police.

“Thought you weren’t gonna make it, Cap,” one of the guards said.

“Just wanted to grab a bite to eat before the test,” I said. They looked inside the back of my truck quickly before waving me on in.

“Take care, Cap,” the guard said before throwing a salute. I saluted him back and drove on inside. I got to the tent where the weapon was being readied for the test. Once I finished my part of the job, I sent everyone else on their way as I always did. Fortunately, I was able to park my truck so that my movements couldn’t be seen from the camera set up several miles away.

Once I knew everyone else was gone, I backed the truck to the tent, opened it up, then lowered the ramp and grabbed the dolly. It took some doing, but I managed to get the box centered on the dolly. It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. Doris/Svetlana didn’t weigh that much, but Mike easily weighed as much as I did, if not more.

I finally got the box under the scaffolding that held the weapon and noticed there was a metal plate that went across the scaffolding underneath the bomb, perhaps for structural support. At least it would hide what was under the weapon and that’s all I cared about. I unlocked the box and opened it up slightly.

They were starting to wake up and blinked their eyes a few times before they recognized me. They were both quite surprised to see me as I knelt over them.

“So,” I said. “I take it you wanted to get a good look at our atomic technology. Well, here ya go. In terms of yield, it’s really not much bigger than the bombs we dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but it’ll do. If it’s any consolation, you won’t feel a thing when it goes off. You’ll be here one second, then gone the next. Just like that,” I added, snapping my fingers. I could tell Doris/Svetlana wanted to say something, so I pulled the gag out of her mouth.

“You imperialist pig,” she spat. I stuffed Mike’s underwear back in her mouth and laughed.

“You lying, cheating commie bitch,” I said in response. “I know all about you and Comrade Schmidt here. You’ve got about 15 minutes or so to make your peace with whatever it is you commie pinkos worship. By the way, I want a divorce. Goodbye and enjoy Hell.” Her eyes went wide as I slammed the box shut and locked it back up. I knew there was no way they could escape.

After I replaced the dolly, I removed the canvas tent and stuffed it into another metal box, then loaded it up into my truck as I always did. I took a last look around, then left the site the way I came, just as I always did. My hands were trembling and I was shaking inside. I took several deep breaths before I reached the protected observation area and managed to calm down a bit before I parked the truck and went inside.

I joined the rest of the observers after I grabbed my protective gear and we took our normal precautions. Soon, I heard the countdown and knew all hell would break loose in just a few seconds. Sure enough, it did. I knew that Doris/Svetlana and her accomplice were now vaporized and would never be seen or heard from again.

I waited a bit before looking, like everyone else, then took in the mushroom cloud as it lifted into the sky. Using my binoculars, I looked at what would’ve been ground zero. I’m not sure why, I knew there would be no evidence of what I had done. Still, I was compelled to look.

When everything died down, I went through the monitoring stations like everyone else, then returned the truck and got into my car. I was still shaking when I got home. I had never done anything like this in my entire life, and I just knew I was going to Hell.

“It’s over,” I told James when I called him from the house.

“Good,” he said. “Give it a day or so, then report her missing. If you need to talk, let me know.”

“I will,” I said. “Thanks for everything.” He laughed.

“Just wait till you get my bill,” he said. I laughed for the first time that day.

…

Pops stopped talking and looked at me, guilt and sadness in his eyes. I stopped the recording.

“It’s okay, Pops,” I said, hugging him. “You said yourself they planned to kill you when they were finished. You not only saved your own life, but you protected the country from two hostile foreign agents. You’ve got nothing to be ashamed of.” He nodded his head.

“I’ve been telling myself that ever since,” he said. “Still, it weighs on me, you know?”

“I know, Pops,” I said. “But we were at war, remember? You did what you had to do. It was either you or them. And personally, I’m glad you did it. Otherwise, you and I would have never met.” As I looked, a tear formed in his eye and he smiled.

“I never thought of it that way, son,” he said.

“You know, you’re the bravest man I ever met, Pops,” I said. “I’m proud of you.” He held me tight and I could feel his tears soaking my shirt. After a few minutes, he wiped his eyes and looked at me. The guilt and sadness were gone.

“Maybe telling you this was what I’ve needed all these years,” he said. “I carried the weight of that inside me ever since.”

“I’m curious, though,” I said. “What happened afterward?”

“Well, I waited a couple of days, then filed a missing person’s report,” he said. “They came back a few days later and said her car was found over at the motel, but they never found any trace of her. They said it was possible she met up with someone and took off with him. Said I’d probably never hear from her again.” We both laughed at that.

“That would be one helluva phone call,” I said, causing him to laugh out loud. “What happened after that?”

“I let a couple months go by, then went to see Capshaw, at James’ suggestion,” he said. “James and I decided it would be best for me to act as though the marriage was real, even though we knew it wasn’t. Capshaw filed for divorce on the grounds of abandonment. I went to Reno and in a few minutes, it was a done deal. On my way out of town, I stopped and tossed my ring in the Truckee River, just as he suggested. For the next several years, I halfway expected to see federal agents come by, but they never did. I retired from government service in the 1960s, and then took up a job teaching. That’s where I met Patricia. The rest is history.”

“How did she keep in contact with her superiors?” I asked. He shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know,” he said. “And I never did find out. Guess it doesn’t matter now, does it?”

“I guess not,” I said.

Our visit was cut short when a nurse tapped on the door. She came in and announced it was time for dinner, so I said my goodbyes.

“Make sure you bring that lovely young girl of yours by,” he told me.

“I will Pops,” I said. “Maybe tomorrow, if that’s okay.”

“Look forward to it,” he said.

That night, Karen and I went out for dinner, drinks, and dancing. She brought a few things with her, including a large paper sack with something inside she said was a surprise. Later, after we made love in my apartment, she turned to me.

“Are you all right, Trey?” she asked.

“Yeah, why do you ask?” I asked her.

“Well, it just seems that you’re a million miles away,” she said. “What’s on your mind?”

“I went by and saw Pops today,” I said. “He told me the rest of his story.” I briefly recalled what he told me.

“Wow,” she said. “Remind me never to get on his bad side.” I chuckled at that. “Are we gonna go see him tomorrow, maybe after I kick your ass on the miniature golf course?”

“Sure, if you want to,” I said. The next day, we played a game of miniature golf, and yes, she beat me. And no, I didn’t let her. She would’ve seen through that in a heartbeat. Later, we went to see Pops. She had taken the bag with her and took it inside the nursing home. His eyes lit up when he saw us coming in.

“Well hello there, young lady,” he said as she gave him a big hug.

“I have something for you,” she said, handing him the paper sack. He opened it and pulled out a plastic blanket container that held an afghan. She helped him open it and took out the afghan.

“I just finished this the other day,” she said. “I know you like afghans, so I made one for you.” He smiled as he held it in his hands.

“This is wonderful,” he said. “Thank you, I love it.” He turned to look at me.

“Son, if you don’t marry this girl, I will,” he declared.

“You’re right, Pops,” I said. I took one of Karen’s hands in mine and knelt in front of her, right next to my grandfather. I looked into her eyes.

“Karen,” I said. “I’m madly in love with you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” She looked surprised at first, then broke out into a wide smile. She threw her arms around my neck and kissed my face.

“Oh yes, Trey,” she said. “I’ll marry you! I love you so much!”

“I love you, too,” I said. We heard clapping from the door and turned to see several nurses clapping and smiling. Pops joined in as well.

We married a couple of months later, and the nursing home brought my grandfather to the church so he could celebrate it with us. He handed me an envelope, which contained a set of first-class airline tickets to Las Vegas, along with reservations at a top hotel.

A few months later, his health deteriorated to the point where he was transferred to the hospice wing of the nursing home. Karen and I spent as much time as we could by his side. I could tell that while his body was shutting down, his mind was still very active. I could also tell that he no longer carried any guilt about what he had done.

On my last visit, he was lucid enough to tell me that he had made his peace with God and was ready to join his beloved Patricia.

“Don’t cry for me, son,” he said quietly. “We’ll be together again. I promise. I love you, son.” I held him as he took his final breath. I couldn’t help myself. I cried.

“I love you too, Pops,” I said in between sobs. When I looked at his face, I saw that slight mischievous smile I had grown to love ever since I was a little boy and knew he was in a much better place. Karen came in and held me as we both mourned his passing.

He was laid to rest in his uniform with full military honors next to his wife, Patricia. The honor guard carefully folded the flag that draped his coffin and presented it to me along with a salute. He had fought for his country and deserved all the honor due him, I thought.

A few days later, I received a letter from his attorney asking me to stop by his office. I was curious to know what he wanted, so I went.

“Your grandfather left everything to you,” the lawyer said. “His house, money, everything. All told it’s a considerable amount, even after his final expenses. If you want, I can set you up with a financial advisor to help manage it. He also wanted me to give you this,” he added, handing me a large sealed envelope that looked fairly old. “I’ve had it in my safe for many years. Don’t ask me what’s in it, because I have no idea. Your grandfather said it was only to be opened after his death.”

“Thanks,” I said. “And yes, I’d like to meet your financial advisor,” I added after seeing the rather significant amount of money Pops had left. I didn’t open the envelope until after I had gotten home. I was shocked at what I found. It seems Pops HAD kept everything, including a copy of the report written by James Ham, and a yellowed divorce decree declaring his freedom from one Doris Harrison, nee Hastings, on the grounds of abandonment. There was even a picture of the house they lived in.

That night, Karen and I went through it all, shocked. It seems everything Pops told me was true.

The last sheet appeared to be a photocopy of something printed from an old official report, in Russian. It looked like something that was part of a giant cache of documents that had been released from the old Soviet security services. Attached to it was an English translation. As best as I could tell, it appeared to be a series of field reports from one Svetlana Federova, telling her superiors in Moscow that she suspected her target, meaning Pops, might be aware of her real identity.

Her earlier reports said only that she had become intimate with someone very familiar with the American atomic weapons efforts. She never mentioned Pops by name, but it was clear she was frustrated with her inability to get anything useful out of him, telling her superiors that all he wanted to do was have sex and watch “capitalist television.”

Later dispatches revealed even more frustration, with her superiors telling her that she should become more aggressive in her efforts. Her last dispatch indicated that she and Michel were planning something drastic.

“I will deal with him at the earliest convenience,” she told her superiors. Karen and I had a good laugh over that. The report said that neither Federova nor her German-born assistant was ever heard from again. They even speculated the two had run off to get married, but they simply couldn’t be found. The operation was stamped, “Dead.”

“They have no idea,” I said, causing Karen to laugh.

…

Notes:

I did my best to stay true to the history of the period, and with the tests that took place at the time. However, I exercised a bit of artistic license with the final test scene. As for tossing the ring in the Truckee River, that is an old tale that has been around for years. Some say it never happened, but a local news outlet said it did, but not as much as some stories might suggest.

For those who may wish to nitpick this or that (and you know who you are), please remember, this is a work of fiction. It is not real, at least as far as I know…