The Loyal Nine

by Bobby Akart

  “Yes, of course,” said Morgan.

  “Recently, another group has emerged that appears equally skilled in cyber tactics,” said Katie. “They call themselves the Zero Day Gamers. The analysts at CTIIC believe this group was responsible for the cyberattack on the Nevada Energy power grid, resulting in the Las Vegas blackout last month.”

  “Has the Nevada incident been officially labeled a cyberattack?” asked Morgan.

  “No, sir, the official explanation is a group of squirrels infiltrated the transformers at their primary power generating station,” said Katie.

  “Why would anyone believe that?” asked Morgan.

  “Because the media told them so,” replied Katie dryly. “The White House and our office played an active role in controlling the narrative on that one. The White House does not want the world to know about the vulnerabilities of our power grid to a cyberattack. The United States is wholly unprepared for a coordinated attack on the grid.”

  “What is the relationship between Anonymous and this new group, the Zero Day Gamers?” asked Morgan.

  “Based upon my investigation and the information received by Cyber Threat Intelligence, the two groups operate independently of each other,” said Katie. “But that is about to change.”

  “How so?” asked Morgan.

  “A message was posted by Anonymous onto Internet websites frequented by hackers and cyber-security experts this week,” said Katie.

  “What does it say?”

  “It came in the form of a picture sir,” said Katie. “With a poem superimposed over the image of the Guy Fawkes mask. It will be easier if I email it to you.”

  “Aren’t your activities scrutinized?” asked Morgan.

  “No, sir. Ironic, isn’t it? This department was formed to monitor the movements of every government employee, yet nobody is assigned to watch us,” said Katie. “I’ll send you the image now.”

  Morgan checked his emails and the image finally came through. The text read

  Ode to the Zero Day Gamers,

  ‘tis a game you want to play.

  Our name comes with no disclaimer,

  we’ve no need to gameplay.

  Our countermove has been made,

  of this, the world will soon know.

  For us, our legion is on a crusade,

  for you, your name is apropos.

  WE ARE ANONYMOUS.

  “They’re taunting the other group, it seems,” said Morgan.

  “I believe so,” said Katie. “The Zero Day Gamers responded with an image of a white skull superimposed over a black and blue computer-generated image. I am sending it to you now.”

  Morgan received the email and examined the image. It read:

  ZERO DAY GAMERS

  One man’s gain is another man’s loss; who gains and who loses is determined by who pays.

  “Their name is a play on words,” said Morgan. “A zero-sum game is a situation in which one person’s gain is equivalent to another person’s loss. The net change is zero.”

  “That’s correct, sir,” said Katie. “The substitution of the word day in the place of sum reflects this group’s expertise in exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities in a computer network.”

  “If they took down the Las Vegas power grid, they’re playing a dangerous game,” said Morgan.

  “Yes, sir,” said Katie. “It was the act of shutting down the grid, coupled with the walkout of the unions immediately after the outage, which leads me to believe the hackers worked in concert with the unions. This puts them in a class by themselves—as cyber mercenaries.”

  Katie continued. “You asked for my working theory, so here it is. I believe the Zero Day Gamers have achieved some notoriety in the hacker world through their accomplishments. I believe the Anonymous group has become jealous or envious. As a result, Anonymous has issued a challenge to the Zero Day Gamers—a challenge in the form of hacking the Treasury Department’s network. They are now challenging the Zero Day Gamers, in a not-so-friendly game of one-upmanship, in the form of a virtual cyber war.”

  “When will you know more about this Zero Day group?” asked Morgan.

  “Technically, I am not involved in that investigation. The CTIIC will continue to maintain jurisdictional control over both Anonymous and the Zero Day Gamers.”

  Morgan thought for a moment.

  “Miss O’Shea,” started Morgan, “I am going to arrange a promotion for you. I am going to contact the President’s Chief of Staff immediately. David McDill, or one of his associates, will be in contact with you. You will become the liaison between the two agencies and will report directly to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. But Miss O’Shea—you will always report to me first, understood?”

  “Yes, sir,” said Katie.

  Morgan thanked her and hung up. If this situation could not be contained, then it must be profited from—now and in the future.

  Chapter 47

  March 27, 2016

  100 Beacon

  Boston, Massachusetts

  Sarge sat with his legs propped up on the coffee table in the Great Hall, watching the news networks with Julia. He held her head against his chest and stroked her hair, absorbed in the digital chaos. Neither had said a word in the last half hour. Riots continued throughout the United States. European economies continued to teeter on the edge of collapse, tanking the markets. Tensions were escalating in the Middle East. The collapse Sarge had always feared loomed closer than ever.

  “It’s happening, isn’t it?” asked Julia, breaking the silence.

  “I think so,” said Sarge. “Sometimes I wonder if my choice of reading material or news networks would provide me a different outlook on life.”

  “How so?” asked Julia. “Are you telling me you’re no longer going to read my column? Did you block me on Twitter?” They laughed.

  He took another sip of his Tanqueray and tonic.

  “Here’s what I mean,” said Sarge, pausing all six screens and setting down his drink. “Let’s examine the screens one at a time.”

  The first screen was the FoxNews channel, which showed a picture of retired General Bob Scales—military analyst. In the split screen was a map of Eastern Europe, showing the significant advances of pro-Russian forces into Europe.

  “Russia has advanced into Eastern Europe, virtually unchecked,” said Sarge. “They were deterred for a time in Mariupol, but all the Mariupol operation did was delay the inevitable. Putin’s been quoted as saying his forces could reach any western European city in a matter of a few days. Meanwhile, NATO is scrambling to bolster the land forces they’ve gutted over the past decade. It won’t be enough, and that’s only one front.

  “Putin sent a small taskforce of warships and troop carriers to occupy an abandoned NATO facility in the Arctic. The polar route for the Russian Navy to our Atlantic Seaboard is closer than most people realize. Combine that with the recently arrived intelligence vessels in Cuba, and I’d say he’s testing our mettle.”

  “The Russians are preparing for war,” said Julie.

  “Either that, or they’re positioning themselves for the power grab that will result from a Eurozone collapse. The current geopolitical climate doesn’t exactly favor a strong, coordinated response to Russian aggression.”

  “We’ve alienated most of the European countries,” replied Julia.

  “Exactly,” said Sarge. “I doubt the Germans or the French would join in the fray unless they were directly threatened. The English and Canadians will support us, but to what extent? The political climate in both countries won’t support a proactive, sustained military posture against Russian expansion. And let’s be honest, neither country has the military resources to make a significant difference. Their support will be symbolic at best. Russia, on the other hand, has maintained or bolstered their relationships with key agitator-states around the world. China, North Korea, Iran, Syria. And now, through the BRICS alliance—Russia has gained a foothold in South America and in South Africa.
They’ve assembled a gang of psychotic ruffians while we’re losing our grip on key, historic allies. The balance will tip in their favor if this continues.”

  Sarge pointed to the television providing coverage by the BBC of the Eurozone debt crisis.

  “And even if Russia and the United States stop their chest-beating, the Ukrainian conflict has already devastated the euro,” said Sarge. “The European- and U.S.-sponsored sanctions against Russia have harmed the Europeans more than the Russians. Russia simply established new trade partners, like the Chinese and Iranians.”

  “For over a year, the Europeans stood steadfast in refusing to negotiate with the Russians on the trade and energy sanctions,” said Julia. “When Russia completely cut off the supply of gas to Ukraine late last year, they called Europe’s bluff.”

  “It didn’t help that our administration blocked shipments of gas from the United States due to environmental concerns,” said Sarge.

  Sarge shook his head. He hated to say these things out loud—the threats became more real.

  “Ukraine was in a desperate situation regarding its natural gas supplies. They began to tap the pipelines dedicated for European consumption, creating a shortage in Europe that further damaged the Eurozone economy. Between the energy war and the trade war, Europe is on the brink of collapse,” said Sarge. “It’s just a matter of time before Greece, Italy and Spain fold under the weight of their respective governments’ debt. When France and Germany decline to bail them out, guess where they’ll turn? The only solvent country still making friends in the world—the new USSR.”

  “That’s a scary thought,” said Julia.

  “Even scarier for the people of those countries. The old USSR patented the concept of austerity measures. Which brings us full circle to another organization that could benefit from the concept of austerity—The Federal Reserve.”

  “I was amazed that the information leaked didn’t have a bigger impact on markets,” said Julia.

  “The White House expertly blamed the leak on a disgruntled Edward Snowden type of employee, and the administration-controlled media did the rest. The timing of the announcement didn’t hurt, either. Late Friday before the start of Easter weekend? Well played. The story didn’t get the airtime it deserved. Momentum is the key to any news story, as you well know. This one will sputter along until it fades into obscurity.”

  “The Federal Reserve System lives to fight another day,” said Julia.

  “Maybe. Maybe not. They still have another opportunity to hang themselves. Interest rates have risen dramatically in the last several months. A year ago, the Congressional Budget Office projected interest rates would reach four percent by 2020. According to the CBO, every one percent increase in interest rates would raise our annual deficit by over two hundred billion.”

  “Two weeks ago, during an editorial meeting, we discussed the volatility of rates. At the time, rates had just been raised a half percent to three points,” said Julia. “Rates have risen in the last two weeks by another half point. Is four percent just wishful thinking?”

  “I hope not. The rapid interest rate increase has not reached the point of hyperinflation, but if the Fed continues to artificially inflate the money supply by printing it, we’re in for a rough ride,” said Sarge. “I think we already owe enough money to China.”

  “What would happen if China stopped buying our debt?” asked Julia.

  Sarge wanted to believe China had nothing to gain by collapsing the United States economy. They held large amounts of our debt, and we were the largest importer of their goods.

  “The Chinese have chastised us for our runaway deficits and overspending,” said Sarge. “And they’ve already begun to diversify their holdings—away from U.S.-dollar-dominated debt. My bet is that China has plans for a new world currency.”

  “I saw an image come across the AP wire the other day,” said Julia. “It was a picture of a billboard in Bangkok, purchased by the Bank of China. It read RMC: The Right Choice for the New World Currency. The Bank of China is owned by the PRC.”

  “That is significant,” said Sarge. “This means China is advertising the renminbi overseas at one of the busiest airports in the world.”

  “Why haven’t the Chinese dumped our dollar?” asked Julia.

  Sarge reached forward to finish his drink.

  “The U.S. would experience a tremendous amount of short-term pain,” said Sarge. “But the world markets would stabilize, and we would call on our allies in the emerging markets to pick up the slack. Simply put, we would replace the Chinese with new creditors. Believe it or not, there are many who believe that would be a good thing. It could certainly give the U.S. more leverage during trade negotiations. It’s difficult to negotiate with your bank when you owe them money—with no repayment in sight.”

  “Do you think we’re facing an imminent collapse?” asked Julia.

  “I don’t know. We live in a dangerous and complicated world,” said Sarge. “There have been times when I felt our preparations were unnecessary. This isn’t one of them.”

  PART FIVE

  Chapter 48

  April 8, 2016

  Equinox Sports Club

  Boston, Massachusetts

  “So then I knocked him out,” said Donald.

  Sarge stared at him, smiling and shaking his head.

  “Well, aren’t you the badass?”

  His friend impressed him sometimes. Donald had relayed his experience at the Chestnut Hill Mall, with Susan and the girls. They had locked themselves in the store for hours, waiting for police to escort them to their car. The man Donald hit was arrested, leaving Sarge to wonder if any of the thousands of protestors who invaded the mall that night had been arrested.

  “Last set, buddy,” said Donald.

  “Let me do some negatives while I have you spotting me,” said Sarge. “Add a plate on each side and I’ll drop it down slow.”

  Sarge and Donald Quinn were finishing up a workout at the Equinox Sports Club downtown. The Equinox was an upscale exercise club featuring a basketball court, an indoor swimming pool, a boxing studio and an internationally renowned squash program. The location was convenient for Sarge, who lived less than a mile away, across Boston Common. For Donald, who had become a more frequent guest at 73 Tremont Street, the Equinox represented a chance to decompress after meeting with their benefactor, and spend time with other friends caught in 73 Tremont’s gravity.

  Sarge and Donald worked out together frequently. They tried to stay in good shape, although their aging bodies objected more often than not. In addition to the weight-lifting regimen favored by Sarge, Donald stressed the importance of cardiovascular health. You never know when you might have to bug out—on foot. The two friends complemented each other, pushing their limits and keeping them in shape for the inevitable.

  “Let’s walk the track and cool down,” said Sarge. “I need to run some things by you.”

  For the next thirty minutes, Sarge and Donald discussed the impact of current events on their work and lives. Donald brought Sarge up to speed on a few preparedness ideas he had recently implemented, and Sarge talked about his book and the surprising impact that it had on the presidential campaign. America’s sovereignty had become a hot-button issue for many, and attack ads against both the Republican and Democrat front-runners frequently featured a variation of the words or theme—Choose Freedom.

  “Let’s get everyone together soon,” said Sarge. “We’ll make it a social gathering of sorts. I was thinking about having a get-together on the eighteenth.”

  “The Boston Marathon is on that Monday. Are we all going to run around the Great Hall until we hit twenty-six point two miles?” asked Donald.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you? I thought it would be a nice day to enjoy some good food and drink while watching the marathon on TV,” said Sarge. “That Monday is Patriots’ Day, so nobody should be tied up with business. I’ll coordinate with anyone out of town right now. You and Susan should come
over with the girls the night before. It’ll be difficult to get around the city that morning. There’s plenty of room.”

  “I’ll talk to Susan about it,” said Donald. “She might like the idea of walking the Common early with the girls.”

  “Perfect,” said Sarge. “Let me make some calls and I’ll let you know. I have a feeling we may be getting together more frequently.”

  Sarge hoped he was wrong, but his gut instincts were usually dead-on. Donald checked his watch.

  “Hey, I better get a shower,” said Donald. “The boss insists upon punctuality.”

  “Indeed he does,” said Sarge.

  They shared a laugh as they made their way to the locker room. Sarge enjoyed the relationship he had developed with Donald. Sometimes unusual circumstances resulted in lifelong friendships.

  Chapter 49

  April 8, 2016

  Boston Common

  Boston, Massachusetts

  Sarge stepped into the crisp spring air with Donald. Office dwellers and business types scrambled in all directions on Avery Street. Too many people. With the domestic situation deteriorating, he’d started to give more and more thought to the high population density of his beloved city. Logically, putting a little space between him and the masses made a lot of sense, but he simply hadn’t reached the point where he could envision living in the country. Rural areas didn’t offer him the amenities of the city. Amenities he had grown accustomed to. But there is security in the country and clean air. Almost on cue, an MBTA bus roared past, leaving behind an invisible cloud of noxious fumes. Hadn’t they replaced all of the diesels with natural gas? Of course not. The money for the upgrades had been siphoned off somehow. He took a shallow breath and shook his head, meeting Donald’s glance.