Chapter Ninety-Six Iran Ablaze

Khasanjani stayed up late enough to know that the Shahab-3 missiles that his forces had fired at Israel have been intercepted by their Arrow II anti-missile system. Damn Jews, their technology always seems to be two steps ahead of us. Yet, he somehow doubts this to be a Jewish counter-attack, not this quickly. His ears refuse to make sense of what he’s hearing.

Fully dressed, he stumbles out of his bedroom and runs right into his wife, who is trying desperately to keep the children quiet and assured that they are safe. “That’s right. Listen to your mother,” their father says, then pushes right past her.

“Doesn’t anyone know what the hell is going on here?” he yells to the only guard in sight. “Get me my driver. I have to get to my office and find out what’s happening.”

Likewise, on the opposite side of the city, the Ayatollah Ahmajid is running like a madman down the stairs of his home, taking two at a time, his head bare – as is his scalp. He hears the sirens, but cannot imagine what’s happening. Israel cannot reach us with their planes and still be able to return safely home from this great a distance. This must be something else, but what?

Ahmajid receives Khasanjani’s third attempt to reach him by phone. “Fadil, what’s happening? The Jews cannot be reacting this quickly to our firing two rockets at them,” Khasanjani shouts into the phone over the noise in the streets. “They would have to have a plan in place. And even if they were planning a strike, it would take time to put into action.”

“I agree, Mahmoud. Calm down. I don’t know anything for sure yet. Maybe this is a reaction to something else altogether. I’m going to try and find out. Call an emergency meeting of the council. I will see what I can learn. Tell them we’ll convene in thirty minutes.”

The Ayatollah runs to the rooftop of his home, and looks about him in all directions. Practically deafened by the sound of ongoing explosions, he realizes that the explosions and fire are all coming from the west. Then it hits him. It is coming from one of our enrichment plants. Has there been a catastrophe at the plant? Is that what we are dealing with?