Read Online Killerwatt by Sharon Woods Hopkins - Free Book Online

had
printed and aligned it next to the illustration Billy Dan was examining. “I
already know that much. I also know that it’s a schematic of a transformer.
What I need to know is what kind of transformer?”
    Billy Dan used his free hand to reach into another
shirt pocket for his cigarettes. He tapped the box and a fresh one slid out. He
fished into the same pocket that had held the glasses and produced a lighter.
With the cigarette securely lit, he inhaled deeply. When he exhaled, he
whistled softly and let out a long stream of blue smoke.
    Placing the cigarette in the ashtray, Billy Dan
drummed his leathery fingers on the table. Then he angled forward. “This is the
type of transformer that we use in all of our power substations.”
    Randolph noted that Billy Dan used the possessive
“we,” apparently still associating himself with his longtime employer.
    Billy Dan turned the drawing around toward Randolph.
“What does this mean?” He pointed to the strange symbols. “What’s this writing
all over it?”
    “I think that writing is in Arabic, and I’m not sure
what it means.”
    Billy Dan picked up the drawing and fiddled with his
glasses to study the paper again.
    “See these areas with Xs on them?” Billy Dan said,
holding up the photocopy. He pointed with his right index finger. “These are
strategic oil points. Why are those marked?”
    Randolph had previously noticed dark marks on all
the areas that Billy Dan pointed out. “That’s part of the mystery. Tell me,
what do you think those marks signify?”
    Billy Dan shook his head. He reached for his
cigarette and inhaled, then stubbed it out. The partially extinguished butt
gave off an acrid smell. “The only significance to me is that those areas are
lubricating points. If a power transformer developed a leak or a problem of any
kind at any one of these points, then that transformer could go dry and
possibly burn up.” Billy Dan set the copy down then tucked the glasses back
into his shirt pocket. He picked up his coffee and sipped.
    “What happens when a transformer burns up?” Randolph
asked.
    “We replace it.”
    “Can’t it be fixed?”
    Billy Dan’s cigarette continued to send a spiral of
smoke into the air above them. He shook his head. “We’d have to replace it.
Once a transformer burns out, that’s all she wrote.”
    “But you have backup transformers in case one
fails?” Randolph bent over the drawing. The men were inches apart. He wondered
if Billy Dan noticed him sweating. “Then all you’d have to do is hook up a new
one, right?”
    Billy Dan glanced around. He lowered his voice. “No,
we don’t have backups. We’d have to bring one up from Arkansas.”
    Randolph blinked. “How long would that take?” He
stared into Billy Dan’s gray eyes.
    “Three days.” Billy Dan held up one finger. “One day
to drive down and get it.” A second finger joined the first. “Another to
install it,” he continued. A third finger formed the complete salute. “A third
day, or part of a day, to get the power switched over.”
    Billy Dan picked up his foul-smelling cigarette and
firmly ground out the remains. “Ordinarily, we switch one substation to another
to pick up the load and never have any down time if a transformer does go out.
It happens automatically.”
    “You don’t keep any spares on hand?”
    Billy Dan chuckled. “Spares? Heck no. They cost a
fortune. Besides, we don’t ever have problems with transformers actually
failing. We inspect them regularly. With routine maintenance, they last a
helluva long time. In fact, we haven’t had to replace one in over six years.”
Billy Dan reached into his shirt pocket in search of his pack of cigarettes. He
slid one out, and held it, unlit. “That one only needed replacing because
lightning hit the chain link fence around the substation and arced across the
transformer, causing a fire in the ‘B’ assembly.” He pointed to the schematic.
“Here.” The spot he identified