Dark Coup (19 page)

Hodges stopped and looked up, quirked his mouth like he was mentally reciting or flipping through a giant book, and then started over.  “I think the key things to touch on,” Hodges said, “are population control, manipulation of the economy, and governmental influence far beyond anything you’ve ever dreamt of, all with an end goal of consolidated wealth and power for a select few.”

“This is for real,” Sanford asked.  He was having a hard time not shaking his head but Hodges didn’t even notice.

“Potentially,” Hodges said.  “Yes.”

“No,” Sanford said.  “We’re wasting our time here on blue skies and BS if this doesn’t have a point.”

“Yes,” Hodges said.  “I really think this is for real.  I can’t prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt–nobody but the people on the inside can–but when I’ve laid out what I believe are the facts, the evidence is pretty damning.”

Sanford nodded for Hodges to continue.

“The Council on Foreign Relations was founded in 1921,” Hodges began.

…

“Stop,” Sanford said almost two hours later.  “I can’t hold any more.  I’m not questioning or second-guessing you, because I’ve seen and heard a little too much crazy recently, but I can’t process anymore right now.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t stop me sooner,” Hodges said.

“I cried uncle after about forty-five minutes the first time,” Tuttle said.

“I’ve heard the old saying that the love of money was the root of all evil,” Sanford said, “and that power corrupts, but this, this is…”

“Astounding,” Hodges suggested.  “Mindboggling, staggering, overwhelming, inconceivable…”

“You’re not helping,” Sanford said.  “Control for the sake of control.  Power for the sake of power, no other reason; it’s obscene.”

“I haven’t heard it put that way before,” Hodges said, “but that’s a really good description.”

Sanford shook his head.  “What about this HAM network,” he said after a few seconds.  “Is anything happening there?”

“Actually, yes, Sir,” Tuttle said, “quite a bit in fact.  Nothing of any substance, but there’s been a lot of traffic.  Either they have no idea that the system’s been compromised or they’re doing a great job of keeping me busy with bogus routine traffic.”

“How many…locations have you identified so far,” Sanford asked.

“At least six distinct locations,” Tuttle said.  “And I can positively ID three of them by voice as well.  One of them participated in the raid on Fort Campbell.”

Sanford shook his head.  “That had to be rough,” he said.  “Knowing what they knew going in, not really being a willing participant.  Damn.”

“I notice you haven’t asked for the IDs yet,” Hodges said.

“Have you,” Sanford asked.

“No, Sir,” Hodges admitted.  “Probably for the same reason you haven’t.  I can’t disclose what I don’t know.”

“Plausible deniability,” Sanford said and looked at Tuttle.  “And you
believe
you
may
be able to
possibly
ID three of them by voice, is that correct?”

“Yes, Sir,” Tuttle said, “that’s correct.  Three at most, maybe.”

“We’re going to have to make contact with them at some point,” Sanford said.

“Yes, Sir,” Hodges said.  “And we risk blowing the whole thing.  Eventually though, you’re right, we’re going to have to work together.”

Chapter Twenty

It was late, but Olsen checked the door of his office to make sure it was locked.  Once he was sure he was alone, he picked up the radio at the agreed upon time, just before it came to life in his headphones.

“This is Pillar Four,” Olsen said.  “You know my voice by now, I’m not going to authenticate.”

“We have protocols for a reason,” the voice on the other end said.

“No,” Olsen said.  “
I
have protocols for a reason.  You have protocols because you think you need them or they make you feel important.  This line is so heavily encrypted that unless one of us is compromised, authentication is a waste of time.  So quit wasting my time and get to the point of this week’s meeting.”

“My, getting awfully full of yourself, aren’t you,” the voice said.  “Remember, you can be replaced at any time.”

“Actually,” Olsen said, “I don’t think I can or you would have done it by now.  You threaten and you bluster, but so far that’s all you’ve done for over half a year.  If you had someone else that could take my place you would have had them do it by now, so let’s cut the crap.”

“Temper, Colonel…” the voice started.

“Is the President still alive or not,” Olsen interrupted.

“Excuse me,” the voice was obviously not used to being cut off.

“I asked if the President was still alive,” Olsen repeated.  “The plan was that Air Force One would land and he would be taken to where you were.  You’ve said he’s been briefed but that’s all.  It’s been a year since this thing started and I want to know if the Commander-in-Chief is still alive.  Yes or no.  One word.”

“Colonel Olsen…”the voice began again.

“Is
not
a yes or no,” Olsen said.  “I’m beginning to lose patience with you people.  The next word that comes out of your privileged, entitled, overindulged mouth had better be either yes or no or I’m closing this connection and I’m locking out your location.  Don’t try my patience.”

“Yes,” the voice said, but obviously through gritted teeth.  “Colonel, do not interrupt me.  Your President, your Commander-in-Chief, has all but abdicated his responsibilities.  When we explained the situation to President Clement he was…reluctant, at first, to accept the reality of the situation.  It didn’t take long, however, to convince him once we reminded him of who his main campaign contributors were.”

“Of course,” the voice said, “we have contributed heavily to both sides over the years, but it has been an effective insurance policy that has kept both the executive and legislative branches in our pockets for quite some time now.”

Olsen was silent.  He already knew some of what he was hearing, and had suspected much of the rest, but to hear it blatantly laid out like this–he didn’t dare interrupt again.

His handler sighed.  “This contingency plan was just that, a contingency plan.  It was never intended to be a primary course of action.  The seed vault in Norway, useless to us right now.  The fifty-square-mile self-sustaining cities sit idle and incomplete on every continent.  This plan was only in place in case of a sudden disaster; a worldwide pandemic for instance, or perhaps a worldwide power outage.”

“What good is this contingency plan if you can’t use it long term,” Olsen asked.

“The plan is fine, Colonel, the voice said.  “It still allows us to carry out our long-term agenda.  We’ll just be a little less comfortable while the world is prepared for us to return.  Understand this, Colonel, your actions are not accidents, you are part of a plan and we
will
see that plan through to completion.  We are fully prepared to wait this disaster out, if necessary, but when we emerge, it will be into a world of
our
design,
our
making. Things simply happened earlier than planned.  And after all, that’s why you hire the best and most capable, isn’t it?”

“What about everyone else,” Olsen asked, “the Senators and Representatives that were with the President when he arrived?”

The voice laughed mirthlessly.  “They have been put to work,” he said.  “Everyone must find their place and we really have no use for politicking.”

Olsen was disgusted by what he’d learned, but no matter what, he was still just a small part of the plan as a whole.

“It’s still going to be months before…” Olsen started.

“Too long,” the voice interrupted.  “It’s already been a year and the plan was for eighteen months to two years.  The other regions are making much faster progress and Europe is almost completely pacified.  Asia took a bit longer but, except for Japan, that is almost completely pacified as well.  Africa is taking longer but there are large portions there that, like your mountains of West Virginia, are unaware that the power has even gone out.  You see, I
was
paying attention during your last outburst.”

“Africa doesn’t have nearly as many guns to manage as I do,” Olsen said.

“Deal with it, Colonel.  Soon,” the voice said.  “Make examples and the rest will fall in line.  Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are empty platitudes without a Life to pursue them with.”

“I want to talk to the President,” Olsen said.

“I’m sorry,” the voice on the other end said.  “That won’t be happening.”

“Then this conversation is over,” Olsen said and reached for the power switch on his radio.

“Don’t,” the voice said, “cut the connection, not yet.  You need to learn the fine art of negotiation.”

“I’m not negotiating,” Olsen said.  “I’m dictating terms.”

“No,” the voice said, “you’re expressing wants and desires, which is the only thing you are in any position to do.  Don’t try to change your tactic at this point, it’s too late.  Now, what is the status?”

Olsen sighed into the open microphone.

“What,” the voice said, “is the problem, the real problem?”

“Potentially,” Olsen said, “dissention in the ranks.  It isn’t something I can’t handle, but it’s spreading.  Slowly, but it’s spreading.  Nobody thinks I’m aware of it but not all of my information comes from official reports.”

“Then deal with it,” the voice said.

“You keep saying that,” Olsen said, “like it’s no big deal.  You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The voice laughed again and this time it was in true amusement.  “You seriously believe that,” he asked.  “I have been ‘dealing with it’, whatever
it
was for the last forty years.  I have made and destroyed careers at the highest levels in both the public and private sectors of every country of importance on this planet.  I have manipulated public opinion in a matter of days,
days
, over something as insignificant as a personal slight.  I don’t use individuals as pawns, I use corporations, governments and yes, militaries.”

“
I
know,” the voice said, “how to
deal with it
.”

“I thought you could rely on your people’s sense of duty and honor,” the voice continued.  “I thought you said that they would obey and get the mission done.”

“There’s obedience,” Olsen said, “and there’s blind obedience.  We cultivate at least some sense critical thinking in our men.  They aren’t going to jump off a cliff just because I say so.”

“Then your people need direction,” The voice said.  “They need an enemy they can see, touch and feel.  You say you have been holding the threat over them for too long with nothing to show for it.  Give them an enemy.”

“
Who,”
Olsen said, almost plaintively and hating the sound of his own voice.

“Haven’t you been listening,” the voice asked, scorn obvious even over the radio.  “It doesn’t matter who.  It doesn’t matter how.  All that matters is how you present it.  Were there weapons of mass destruction in Iraq?  It doesn’t matter.  Was the U.S. Government complicit in the attacks of 9/11?  It doesn’t matter.  Are there UFOs at Area 51?  It…doesn’t…matter!”

The scorn was gone now as the voice continued.  “You control what media remains,” he said.  “Say it often enough and convincingly enough and it becomes the truth as far as the masses are concerned.  Once again, though, what is the status?”

Olsen gritted his teeth, but answered the question.  “Taking Fort Campbell has finally had the desired effect,” he said.  “More of the bases are falling in line and being less…difficult about it.  Things should speed up from this point forward.”

“And what of your other little…problem,” the voice asked, “that rebellious group camping out in the park?”

“Now that Campbell is ours,” Olsen said, “they are next on the list.”

“Excellent,” the voice said, “and you are mistaken, Colonel.  You can be replaced at any time, remember that.  Also remember that if the time comes that you need to be replaced, you know far too much to be allowed to simply walk away.”

Then the connection was cut from the other end.

“No more,” Olsen said after he turned off the radio and locked the drawer.  “That was the last time you do that to me.  We play this game by my rules from now on.”

…

“Major,” Lieutenant Hodges said, as he passed Sanford in the hall.  “When you get a moment?”

With a nod, Sanford continued to his office to prepare for yet another briefing with the Colonel.  Olsen’s behavior was becoming increasingly erratic and unpredictable.  He was lashing out at people for no reason, and his obsession with consolidating authority with the military had risen to fanatical levels.  Today’s briefing was about Fort Bragg and, of all places, Shaw Air Force Base–which had been giving them the least trouble of any installation, bar none.

Not that Sanford equated “no trouble” with blind obedience…not anymore.  The modified HAM radio had opened their eyes to just how large the rebellion against the Colonel and his increasingly draconian orders was.  Sanford shook his head to clear it, and focused back in on the briefing.  The last thing he needed was to give away something that they hadn’t learned through standard channels.

…

“Talk to me, Lieutenant,” Sanford said, once they were outside earshot and on their way to the garage.  They’d had to minimize the number of meetings they had at the communications truck, but Hodges was adamant that they meet there today.  “And make it good news.  Olsen is considering going after Lejeune next.  I do
not
want to go head-to-head with a base full of Marines.”

“As long as you promise not to react,” Hodges said.

“Believe me,” Sanford said, “I’m beyond anything you could say to surprise me.”

“Tuttle finally broke the encryption,” Hodges said.

“I won’t say about time,” Sanford said.  “I know it couldn’t have been easy.  I will say the timing is just about perfect.  We need
something
to work with.”

“You aren’t going to believe who, or what, he’s working for,” Hodges said.