Trudy consulted her pad. Every four weeks, the materials are removed by truck and are transported to a radioactive containment facility in western Pennsylvania jointly controlled by the Department of Homeland Security and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The next delivery was scheduled for two days from now.

So about twenty-six days of radioactive waste, Don said. How much is that?

The hospital doesnt know, Trudy said.

They dont know?

They inventory the waste and track it in a database. The database was accessed and erased by whoever stole the material. The amounts differ from month to month, based on treatment schedules. They can recreate the inventory from treatment records, but its going to take several hours.

They dont back up that database? said Swann, the tech guy.

They do back it up, but the backup was also wiped clean. In fact, records for the past year were wiped.

So someone knows what theyre doing, Swann said.

Luke spoke up. How do we know this is an emergency if we dont even know what was taken?

Several reasons, Trudy said. This was more than a theft. It was a well-coordinated and planned attack. The video surveillance cameras in strategic parts of the hospital were turned off. This includes several entrances and exits, stairwells and freight elevators, the containment vault, and the parking garage.

Did anyone talk to the security guards? Luke said.

The two security guards who manned the video console were both found dead inside a locked equipment closet. They were Nathan Gold, fifty-seven-year-old white male, divorced, three children, no known ties to organized crime or extremist organizations. Also Kitty Faulkner, thirty-three-year-old black female, unmarried, one child, no known ties to organized crime or extremist organizations. Gold worked at the hospital for twenty-three years. Faulkner worked there eight years. The corpses were undressed, their uniforms missing. They were both strangled, with obvious facial discoloration, swelling, neck trauma, and ligature marks associated with death by garroting or similar technique. I have photos if you want to take a look.

Luke held up a hand. Thats okay. But lets assume for the moment that it was men who did this. Does a man kill a female security guard and then put on her uniform?

Faulkner was tall for a woman, Trudy said. She was five foot ten, and heavyset. A man could easily fit into her uniform.

Is that all we have?

Trudy went on. No. Theres a hospital employee who was on shift and is currently unaccounted for. That employee is a custodial staff member named Ken Bryant. Hes a twenty-nine-year-old black male who spent a year in pre-trial detention on Rikers Island, and then thirty months at Clinton Correctional Center in Dannemora, New York. He was convicted of robbery and simple assault. Upon release, he completed a six-month jail diversion and job training course. Hes worked at the hospital for nearly four years, and has a good record. No attendance issues, no disciplinary issues.