Order of Succession - E-book - ePub

Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire Deputy Chief Linda Kertchbaum just happens to be working a call back on an engine when she spots heavy black smoke. It isn't in their district, but since they are the closest she tells the lieutenant to check it out as dispatch sends them the other first alarm companies to that location for a train derailment and fire. Linda is the first on the scene and with the lieutenant checks out the derailment.
It is three box cars on their side with black smoke coming from a slit in the open door. Linda goes on the top of the car on its side and carefully opens the doors to find what looks like two chemicals that should not be transported together. Her worse fears are confirmed with she has the lieutenant spray a small amount of water into the car; the water cause the fire to intensify. It is sodium and a pesticide in a box car labeled auto parts.
Linda takes command and since she is also Secret Service prevents the FBI from taking over since she outranks the head Fed in Pittsburgh. She has to let the fire burn itself out because putting water on it is the worst thing she can do. However a major storm is coming so she must extinguish the fire with sand and tarp the cars before the storm arrives. With a driving sideways rain drenching everything she manages to get the final car door closed and tarp before the sodium can get wet.
The incident last a week. In that time, they discover it is terrorism. Worse, they think the attack was a diversion and the real target will come on January 20 at the Inauguration of the President, only she has no proof. Now she must convince the President, his advisors and Cabinet of this. Her problem is twofold, the Secretary of Homeland Security does not think amateurs, especially a female firefighter from Pittsburgh, could be right about a terrorist attack his Department didn't know about.
The second problem is the same Cabinet Secretary may be the man behind this attack so he can use the Order of Succession to make himself President. Now Linda and her team must prove he is the one behind this pending attack and find a way to stop him.