Lenny grinned. “There are two options. Number one, just use the built-in scanner if the object is small enough to fit inside. Number two, we’ve adapted the 3-Sweep software that can make a 3-D model from a single photograph, so you can just take a few pictures of something, extract them into 3-D, and then print it out. Or number three, if you know how to use CAD, you can literally just design something and then print it out. The software in the computer already has about fifteen thousand 3-D images stored in it.”
Noah stood and looked at the printer for several seconds, then turned to Wally. “I want one, and give me a couple of refills on the explosives and inks. I'll need a few dozen of the detonators, too.”
Wally grinned from ear to ear. “I had a feeling you might like that,” he said. “Would it be safe to assume that your cartel people might be receiving some presents in the near future?”
“Yeah,” Noah said. “They're likely to think I'm Santa Claus.”
TWO
Wally led them through several other sections of this facility, but Noah didn't choose any other devices. He ended the tour by leading them out into a parking area behind the building. There were numerous vehicles there, ranging from beat-up old pickup trucks to new luxury cars. Two security guards sat in a small air-conditioned office, and they waved at Wally.
“We'll need two cars,” Noah said. “Anything special about these?”
Wally grinned again. “Nothing like James Bond's cars,” he said, “but don't let their looks deceive you.” He pointed to a line of cars and pickup trucks. “Every vehicle in that line has a lot more power than you would expect. We're talking the eight hundred horsepower range, so don't let it get away from you.”
“Eight hundred horsepower?” Sarah asked, incredulously. “That's pretty serious.”
Noah looked at her, and one side of his mouth lifted in what she thought was almost a grin. “Pick the one you want,” he said, and then pointed at a small utility van. “We'll take that one, besides whatever Sarah wants. How long would it take to get a florist's logo on the side?”
“About an hour,” Wally said. “We've got about ten thousand logos already made up, it's just a matter of printing it out and sticking it on. No addresses, no phone numbers; people don't pay much attention to those, anyway. I’ll get that started right now.” He took a walkie-talkie out of one of his pockets and spoke into it for a minute. “Okay, I was wrong,” he said as he looked at Noah again. “Our camouflage division has a flower shop sign ready to go. They'll be out to put it on in just a few minutes.”
“Sounds good,” Noah said. “What about license plates, registration, insurance cards?”
“We can put any state tag on it you want, and create registration and insurance cards to match. The van’s registration, for instance, will come back to a flower company with its headquarters here. Incidentally, any of these vehicles are disposable. If you need to ditch one, just go ahead. The registrations trace back to a dummy outfit, a dead end. If you crash one or have to leave it behind for some reason, don't worry about it.”
Sarah walked around the lot for a few moments, then pointed at a silver Chrysler 300 sedan. “My father always said that was one of the best-handling machines he'd ever driven,” she said. “If I'm going to have that much horsepower, I want something that can cope with it.”
“You’re going to love that one,” Wally said. “Incidentally, it’s all-wheel drive, with some very special tires that grip the road like nothing you’ve ever seen. That sucker will take a corner at seventy miles an hour if you really want to, but that’s just the beginning. Let me show you some of the special features of this car.” He went to the guardhouse and got the keys to both of the vehicles they had chosen, tossed the van keys to Noah and then walked directly to the Chrysler. Sarah followed him and slid behind the wheel at his invitation.
“Okay, you’re gonna love this. This car is one of several that we designed specifically to help you teams escape when things go bad, or duck the local police as necessary. In order to accomplish that, we’ve added some things you’re sure to like.” He pointed at a spot on the dashboard and told her to press it. A panel opened up and she saw a dozen buttons arranged in rows of four. “The top row of buttons changes the license plate. There are four different sets installed, and each one is registered to a car identical to this one. Pretty cool, right?”
Sarah was grinning at him. “That’s slick,” she said.
Wally held up a finger. “But you haven’t seen the best part. The next two rows of buttons do something even more special. Push the second button, and you’ll see.”
Sarah looked at him suspiciously. “It’s not gonna, like, throw me out of the car, is it?”
“No, no,” Wally laughed. “Trust me, just push it.”
Sarah eyed him for another couple of seconds, then reached over and pushed the button. She was watching the dashboard as if expecting something to happen there, when Wally said, “See what I mean?”
She looked up, and that’s when she realized that the silver hood of the car had suddenly become a dark green. Her eyes went wide. “Did this car just change color?”