Surrept (14 page)

Adriana hands her two one hundred dollar bills, "They will, or they just might lose me to you."

Shelly smiles, "That will be fine, too. Let me get your change."

Adriana speeds down the highway heading southeast toward Denver; she passes a sign that reads
Denver 514 miles
.

***

Across the country at Homeland Security headquarters, the Operation Pot Luck briefing is already in session.

CIA intelligence Chief Leo Matz drops his sandwich and interrupts the group's brainstorming session "We now have over eight thousand casualties in the U.S. and over forty-seven hundred confirmed casualties in Great Britain. These statistics were updated as of this morning. The numbers are climbing fast." He looks at Kevin Anderson, assistant director of the FBI.

"Kevin, is the Department of Justice refusing to allow these suspects to be interrogated by our agency? I want to let you know that we have made a direct request to the White House in our willingness to participate in the domestic interrogations with those foreign nationals in concert with your people."

Assistant Director Anderson replies, "Leo, we are rounding up eighty-six other suspects, six of whom we suspect are principles directly related to this event. No refusal of any kind has been issued, and we intend to fully comply with the presidential directives as agreed. I think it will be better suited though now that we have them being detained at one facility in Colorado at Buckley Air Force Base, then that will ease the interrogation process and it will be to all of our advantages as a whole. We anticipate having custody of all the players on board in the next sixteen–to twenty-four hours. We are trying to avoid martial law by giving the president as much as we can as soon as we can."

Leo stares at the FBI director with disdain. "That's just great Kevin. This thing happened in perfect unison nationwide in sixteen minutes. We have verified through all of our Middle East operatives and discovered that this imam cleric that was in the Al Jezeera video, Abdullah Haddad Aziz, originally known to us from the Mujahedeen, as one of Bin Laden's top three during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. He was born in either Herat or Kandahar. That puts him as a native leader of the forces our troops are now battling in the Afghanistan theater."

Leo Matz points as he speaks. "Aziz has been instrumental in opium transportation out of Afghanistan and Pakistan for twenty-six years, and has been in the control of trade routes between the two countries and the taxing and pillaging of travelers and caravans between Afghanistan and Pakistan most of his life. He has amassed great wealth in the process. He has not been seen in over a month, prior to this Al Jezeera video release. There is nothing in the video that validates his location, except when it was made, by the evidence of the Arabic publication posted on the wall as part of the backdrop."

Anderson and the group listen as the CIA man dumps his intel.

Leo continues, "The AK forty-seven rifles showed dust from sand or soil indicative to that region. That was our people's best conclusion, by forensic video analysis. We do know that the video was originated by an electronic file from a server located in western Canada, and was also transferred three times in three time zones, before arriving in Islamabad at an Al Jezeera assistant editor's desk via e-mail file. This is the odd thing, which does not make sense. It was not a recoded DVD, like the Bin Laden network uses."

"At this time, there is nothing to indicate Bin Laden's network is behind this attack. Therefore, we have to assume that this imam cleric was used by others. We believe to send this message, as if he is a part of an Al Qaeda/Taliban coalition, based on these staged, seemingly logical conclusions. However, we now have confirmed intelligence that his alliances within the Taliban were not just factions that were only securing and providing passage for Al Qaeda operatives, but were in fact other unknown operatives and were part of their own agenda."

He scans the room confirming he has their attention. "So this poses only a greater unknown alliance than we had anticipated. We believe that this group, whoever they are, is a much more complete and organized threat to the world by the joining of forces within radical Islam. It is the CIA assessment that we should step up drone strikes and black ops in every venue we have identified worldwide, striking like controlled lightning and ignore the collateral damage to non participants if we have to."

He looks around the room to evaluate the reaction to his last statement, and then continues his pitch. "We have to execute and destroy all known targets that are verified enemies, with extreme prejudice. This includes those leaders and sources known to us now as enemy combatants and/or Islamic extremists, regardless of their involvement, and demonstrates that we are willing to open the gates of hell on those that would challenge us by attack on our soil."

Leo realizes he has shown his emotion and conviction to act as strong and fast as possible as he did in the last administration. "I have shared these views with the president and the secretary of defense just before I arrived here. The secretary of defense concurs with our position and will reaffirm that position at our White House briefing this evening."

Chief Intelligence Officer Leo Matz thinks hard. He needs to get this group on board now; they are running out of time. He says, "So Assistant Director Anderson, I don't believe you have sixteen hours to play cop. In addition, I would strongly advise that we go into this presidential briefing at the White House in two hours with like thinking. This for the safety and security of this country as our terrorized citizens are demanding results and are expecting this administration to react in a big way that needs to make Hiroshima look small. The entire world is watching."

Matz knows he has the room now as he wraps his pitch up. "We must suffer whatever social and political ramifications due to our actions necessary to indemnify the United States' position as a world power. Otherwise, folks, we will lose that position while watching millions, if not billions, of Muslims celebrate their hatred and religious victory in the deaths of our citizens. Citizens who were innocently on their way to work and school, who senselessly were gassed and poisoned, like insects." Leo looks at all of them. "Do we want to witness the continued celebration of terror, and death, as we have all watched the past day and a half, on every media venue in the world?"

The entire group is awestruck by Leo's dissertation. They are all left looking at him with a less objective view than before. All of them are now realizing that he is probably correct in the action necessary: to try to end the madness.

Kevin Anderson leaves the table, and he heads for the helipad first. He wonders if the world has changed forever and fears that change for him and his family, as well as the rest of the world.

Chapter Nine

Dana is sitting with her father at his Cherry Hills estate in the den/theater room with the two big dogs, Moose and Sassy. They are watching the latest news on the attacks in London and the United States. Dana is sipping hot chocolate on the love seat, which has been her spot for years. Moose is lying at her feet as always when she is home and Sassy is next to her dad as usual. There is a low fire burning and the afternoon wind is blowing the bare trees trying to bud. The newscast goes to commercial.

"Daddy, what do you think is going to happen?"

Richard Underwood loves having his girl with him. "Honey, only God knows. Nothing like this has ever happened and this could the beginning of a history none of us want to consider or remember."

Dana is confused. "What does that mean? A beginning of history none of us wants to consider?"

"If this country does not respond and get these people responsible for this horrific attack, then we will look like easy pickings for every nut-job terrorist in the world. Especially those who want to see us suffer and fall for this kind of extortionist's bull. The world will look at this country as weak and a target, and we will lose ground on almost every front, politically and economically. Moreover, we could end up with more mosques than churches, just as Great Britain is today. And the foundation of this country will be ruined forever and you could possibly end up wearing a black robe with your face covered, if they have their way."

She sips her cocoa. "So what do you think the president is going to do?"

Richard Underwood says, "Our new president is faced with the very scenario the last administration warned about, which seemingly they were using for their agenda, but now has come to fruition whether by manifest destiny or by coincidence. Hell, maybe they knew what they were talking about, I don't know. Regardless, he has to deal with this now and I mean right now, not tomorrow or the next day. He has to respond and identify who is the enemy, where is the enemy, and kill the enemy, who its allies are, and whoever else shares this philosophy of terror."

He gets up to pour himself a little scotch. "Otherwise it will happen again. That is why we bombed Japan at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was an example to the rest of the world that if you want to play you will have to pay." He returns to his chair. "I hope this president rises to this important decision and the best plan ever made by any administration in history. If he doesn't, then we are toast."

Dana has never heard her father speak like this. "Daddy, I'm scared."

"You are not alone, because right now the whole damn world is scared. Just remember what I used to tell you when you were little and worried about monsters in the closet, do you remember?"

Dana rolls her eyes back as her head hits the back of the leather love seat. "No matter what, tomorrow the sun will rise and the birds will sing, and if they don't then it will be so dark, cold and quiet, that it won't matter anyway."

Underwood laughs at his daughter's rendition of his past advice. "So don't be scared. Just be happy we're together and you got cocoa and a blanket, with your pal Moose there to keep your feet warm."

***

The streets outside the Middle Eastern deli are mostly deserted. Omar has finally gone home to Kari; Ahmed is down in his basement room working on the laptop studying information on foodborne illnesses and infections in food proteins. He clicks on a file of bacteria mutations; he studies the incubation tables and makes some notes on a legal pad.

He clicks to a page that he has compiled of a cross-contamination schedule of advanced proteins and bacteria gestation periods of trichinosis in pork. He has named it, "The Swine Variance." He cross-references viral diseases with a list of infections such as salmonella, clostridium battalion as well as listeria and E. coli. He hits the print tab and smiles, knowing he now has the formula for the world's most deadly foodborne super viral infection. Ahmed collects his printed formula and turns off the laptop as he thinks,
This is going to change the world.

***

A few miles away Reggie Haynes arrives at his downtown body shop and parks across the street. He watches one of his employees from the car.

He is just checking on how his people work when he is away from the shop. He pulls into the driveway and greets one of his people. "Did the Lexus get prepped for paint?"

"Yeah, and the fenders and the hood came in on that Suburban. They don't have the bumper or the grill yet. They said it would be in tomorrow around eleven before they can get it here."

Reggie looks over at a German import. "And is the Beamer is done? It looks good with that extra clear coat."

His employee answers him. "It just needs to be rubbed out and it's ready for delivery." We will start on the Lexus tomorrow. It's too late to start it today, unless you want to kick down with some overtime?"

Reggie puts on his mean-boss ugly face. "Man, you must be tripping. You eat with that mouth, and that is a dirty word, 'overtime.' Now just clean up and get that Suburban going then with those parts. Hey, did the UPS guy come today?"

"No man, he hasn't shown." He looks at his watch, "And if he hasn't come by now, he is not coming today, he's usually here by ten in the morning."

Reggie walks into the office and looks out the window, checking the street for surveillance. He then goes into the shop and walks past his painter and body man who are working. He looks out the back gate and checks the alley; something is telling him that the heat is nearby. He decides to cruise the block and check out his intuition.

He jumps in his car and waves to his mechanic that he is going to look around by pointing his index and middle finger at his own eyes as he pulls away; he wonders to himself if paranoia can destroy you.

***

In Vancouver, the man is having his usual late lunch at one of his favorite Middle Eastern restaurants. An unexpected guest enters the restaurant.

The English man represents a Saudi family that the man does business with in Arabia. He watches him as he enters the restaurant. His bodyguard-driver moves to intercept the visitor and stops him to search him.

The driver signals that the Englishman is clean. The man motions with his fork for the surprise guest to join him at his table. The man looks into the eyes of the Englishman as he takes a seat. He studies his face. "What brings this unexpected visit, Darren?"

He is obviously nervous about coming unannounced. "They want to see you in Abu Dhabi as soon as possible, and they sent me to extend this invitation personally and collect you and return immediately."