The War Planners Series

by Andrew Watts

  “Sure, sure, go ahead.”

  “Is my wife alright? I haven’t been able to reach her.”

  Lundy’s voice. “David, I spoke with her less than thirty minutes ago. We’ve got her coming into our office for a brief on the situation. Obviously due to the sensitivity of this matter we didn’t want to tell her everything over the phone.” David wondered if Lundy had called her number at the same time he had, causing it to go to voicemail.

  David said, “Thanks, Chuck. I appreciate that. Now about the Americans on the island…”

  Bob spoke up again, “David, we can’t go into details on this line, but rest assured that we intend to have all of those Americans in our possession within the next forty-eight hours. Now that’s probably more than I should share, but I want you to be able to sleep well tonight. Everyone in this room is fully committed to getting our people back.”

  David felt a huge wave of relief. Henry had a big smile on his face.

  “What about ARES and the Chinese attack? They are planning to put the country into a communications blackout. And a lot more. I told you the basics of the plans. And there are supposedly Chinese agents in the American government already. Now we’re not sure what to believe, but—”

  “David, again…the men in this room are the good guys. You don’t know us, but you know Lundy. And he can vouch for the rest of us. Just sit tight. Now that we know what’s going on, we’re going to be able to put our best people on it. US Cyber Command has already identified the ARES programs on many of our satellites and has begun operations to neutralize their ability to activate. And I personally am overseeing the personnel issues that you have brought up.”

  Henry held out his hand to David for a high five. David half-heartedly obliged.

  Crowley said, “You did it, guys. Your warning came in time. I would hate to think what might have happened if it hadn’t. And because we have you as witnesses, we can press the international community for unilateral punishment of those responsible. Please let me be the first to offer you a beer when you return.”

  A few men seconded the applause on the phone. Henry held up his beer in a mock salute.

  “What about our protection in the immediate future? Where should we go? We’re a little worried that Lena Chou’s people might be looking for us.”

  Philippe got the message he was waiting for. EXECUTE ORDER. APPREHEND MANNING AND GLICKSTEIN. LETHAL FORCE NOW RECOMMENDED. DELETE THIS MESSAGE AFTER READING.

  He deleted the message, opened up the car door and stepped out toward the hotel.

  “Stay here,” he said to the men in the car.

  Philippe unholstered his gun and was at the door before the men in his car knew what he was doing. He brought his pistol up to the lock of the door and fired twice. Two loud gunshots reverberated through the street. A few screams of surprise from the nearby streets. The sounds of his men, no doubt running to support him, regardless of his order. Philippe had to hurry if he was going to pull this off.

  The door reverberated and opened slightly, the lock blown out. He kicked it hard, and it slammed open. Philippe ran into the room with his weapon drawn.

  David heard the gunshots coming from outside.

  Henry sprang up near the window and waved his arm for David to come take a look. There were two sedans parked at the curb of the hotel across the street, right outside room 142, where Henry had placed the relay phones.

  Henry ran to the phone on the table and ended the call.

  David said, “What do we do now?”

  “We call them back with this phone, without the relay this time. The app that I installed on the phones across the street worked as the decoy. But now we have to use this actual phone without any relay that would throw off our scent. We call them back right now and set up a meet time and place. Then we leave this phone here and run, because they’ll trace this call as soon as we make it.”

  David said, “Okay. Set it up. Let’s roll.”

  Henry typed on the phone and disconnected the application that had served as a relay to the phones across the street. He dialed the number and laid the ringing phone on the table.

  “This is Lundy.”

  “It’s David. We’ve got a problem. There are men across the street that are firing rounds and went into a room that we had set up as a decoy. I don’t have time to explain further. We’ve only got a moment. We’re going to have to leave this location. I’m going to give you a rendezvous point. When can you have someone pick us up?”

  It sounded like Bob’s voice again. “Yes, David. We can come get you. We will have people on the ground there soon. You tell us where to be, and we’ll pick you up and bring you to a secure location.”

  David placed his finger down the map until he saw something that would work.

  Henry, standing at the window, said, “They’re leaving the room. There’s two cars full of them. Shit, one of ’em’s walking across the street and heading this way.”

  “Lundy, you said my wife’s on the way?”

  “Yes, David, she’ll be here soon.”

  “Talk to my wife. Ask her to tell you her favorite aunt’s name. We’ll be on that street in one hour.”

  Lundy said, “Yeah, I hear you—”

  David hung up the phone.

  Henry turned out the lights and said, “Where are we going?”

  “Beatrix Street.”

  Henry grabbed the bag with his new pistol in it. David brought the map.

  They ran out the door as fast as they could go and headed toward the far staircase. Now David was wondering if a fifth-floor room made sense. The minute or so that they spent going down step after step and working up a sweat was also plenty of time to wonder what awaited them on the bottom floor. Thankfully the door at the bottom of the staircase emptied into a vacant parking lot on the side of the building opposite the men in black sedans.

  Henry and David tried to look inconspicuous as they half-ran along the main street, taking the first turn onto a side road on their way to the meeting spot.

  Henry said, “What will we do if those guys in black sedans are waiting for us on Beatrix Street?”

  David thought about that and said, “Well, I guess you’ll get to try that new gun you bought at the pawn shop.”

  Henry said, “Got it.” He looked down at the piece, lying in the bag on top of a single box of ammo. He handed the bag to David. “You might want to take it instead. I’m a little low on my firearms experience. You should probably consider loading it too.”

  Philippe looked at the empty phones on the coffee table and swore to himself.

  The commotion outside was growing, until two men in suits that Philippe didn’t recognize got past his men. One held up a badge.

  “Are you Philippe Shek?”

  Philippe looked at the badge. ASIO. It was like Australia’s combined version of the American FBI and CIA.

  “I am he.”

  The ASIO agent said, “Could you come with me, please? We’d like to have a conversation.”

  Forty-five minutes later, David stood under the buzzing telephone wires of a small residential street. It was almost 11 p.m. local time now. No one was outside in the neighborhood. A slight breeze rolled through the coconut trees that lined the street. Henry hid behind one of them, trying to blend in.

  A white Mercedes SUV with the word POLICE painted on the side turned the corner at the end of the street and headed their way. David’s chest tightened as the vehicle approached. At least it wasn’t a black sedan like they had seen earlier. A positive sign. He gripped the pistol inside of the bag, getting ready for whatever might happen next.

  The SUV came to a stop directly in front of him. The passenger-side window rolled down and revealed a man wearing a button-down shirt holding a wallet ID. David could just make out the words Australian Security Intelligence Organization.

  “My name’s Wilson. I’m ASIO. Are you David Manning?” Australian accent.

  David, not knowing what else to say at this point a
nd still gripping the gun, said, “Who sent you?”

  “Bob Crowley and your friend Lundy. I can get them on the phone for you if you like, but I’d prefer if you would get inside first so we can get you to Larrakeyah.”

  “Where?”

  “It’s an army base ten minutes away. We’ve arranged a secure place for you to stay there. Look, I’m not sure what’s going on, but apparently you men are quite important and in danger. My job is to get you to safety as quickly as possible. If you would, please hop in. Bring the man behind the tree. Glickstein, I presume?”

  David sighed in relief and called out to Henry, “Come on, Henry. Let’s get in.”

  David slid across the backseat and Henry got in behind him. Wilson reached out of the window and shut the door with his hand, and the SUV zoomed forward.

  Wilson said, “Gentlemen, Mr. Crowley asked us to tell you that we’re your security for now. Like I said, we’ll be taking you two to the Larrakeyah Army Base for the night. You’ll be safe there. We’ve got armed guards outside, and we’ll move you in the morning.”

  He held his hand out and said, “You don’t mind if I take that weapon in the bag, do you? We’re going to have to go through security to get on base, and they might not like it.”

  Henry looked at David and shrugged. David handed him the bag with the gun in it. He said, “What about the men that were after us?”

  “We’re on it. We’ve identified who they are and it will all be resolved shortly. They won’t be bothering you any longer.” He smiled and said, “You can relax, gentlemen.” David saw the driver glance at Wilson as he spoke.

  Henry slapped David on the back. “Phew. We did it,” he whispered. He slouched back into the seat and closed his eyes. He looked like he had just dropped a fifty-pound pack that he’d been carrying for two weeks straight.

  David was thinking of his wife and children. “You still got that phone?”

  Wilson said, “Sure, you want me to call Lundy?”

  “Actually, I was hoping to speak with my wife.”

  “Sure thing. Actually, we’re almost at the base. Let’s get to where you’ll be staying tonight and I’ll set you up.”

  “Alright.”

  The SUV slowed and came to a stop at a security gate. Beams of bright light shone into the car. David squinted as a man in a beige military uniform walked from window to window, shining his flashlight inside. The Australian driver said, “Come on, now. Important cargo here, let’s get this moving.” He held up a badge of some sort so the man could see. The security guard read the ID and waved them through.

  The vehicle came to a stop outside a tiny single-story building that reminded David of a double-wide trailer. There were several more Mercedes SUVs scattered around the building, each with armed military men standing next to them. There must have been over a dozen men, almost all of them watching David and Henry get out of the car. Now this was security.

  Mobile lighting units had been set up. The kind that were used for road construction at night. There were no other buildings around. David could hear the sounds of a marina nearby. The dings and clangs of the loose parts of boats bumping into the hard parts as they bobbed in the water.

  Henry followed the two Australian men that had brought them there into the building. David was a step behind. His head ached and he was hungry. Wilson was telling them how they would be flown to a different location tomorrow.

  They entered the building and two other men sat across from each other at a large wooden desk. They both looked up. Strange looks in their eyes. A flat-screen TV in the corner of the room was tuned in to a twenty-four-hour news channel. The sound was off. David caught a glimpse of the banner at the bottom of the screen. Something about Iran.

  “Thank you, Mr. Wilson,” the man behind the desk said. This one had a European accent.

  Wilson said, “Quite alright. Mr. Shek, would you like them restrained now?”

  “I think now would be an appropriate time, yes.”

  David felt Wilson grab his arms from behind and heard the click of handcuffs.

  Henry wiggled and yelled, “What are you doing?” The man that had driven them there was handcuffing him too.

  David, looking around the room in alarm, didn’t understand. Then he saw tall black iron bars behind him. From the angle they’d entered the room, he hadn’t seen it. Now he did. This building was like one of those old jails you would see in a John Wayne movie. Half office for the sheriff, half jail. These men had just brought them to a jail and handcuffed them. Not very standard procedure for people you were trying to protect. Pretty typical for people you were going to lock up.

  The men were talking, telling Henry something. Reading the two men their rights, it sounded like. But David didn’t hear any of it. He couldn’t hear anything. He just stared blankly at the TV screen. The captions were on.

  * * *

  “We can now provide you the names of the two American men that are considered armed and dangerous. David Manning and Henry Glickstein are believed to be somewhere in Australia or the Philippines. A global police manhunt is underway. Authorities say they have recordings of the men claiming responsibility for stealing US military cybertechnology secrets and selling them to Iran. They also participated in planning attacks against the United States. No word yet on whether any of this is related to the other major news coming out of Iran today.

  “And a breaking news update on that other Iran story…the violent attack that has killed a top Iranian politician and his wife, who we have now learned is the niece of the Iranian Supreme Leader…The Iranian government has stated that they now have indisputable DNA evidence linking the American government to the attack. They have provided a name—Tom Connolly—a man Iran claims was the CIA operative who was behind the gruesome attack that left over two dozen dead. The US State Department has condemned the attack but has yet to put out a formal statement regarding this new DNA evidence.”

  * * *

  “Mr. Manning, do you understand what I have said, sir?” the man in the European accent was talking to him.

  David was nodding, but he hadn’t heard anything. Henry was screaming bloody murder about a lawyer.

  “Mr. Manning, you are being charged under international law for acts of terrorism. You have confessed to these acts. Would you like to make a statement?”

  David was numb. “I…I would like to speak to my wife.”

  “I’m afraid that is not possible at this time. If you please, step this way.”

  The Australians helped to haul Henry and David into the jail cell. There was a wooden bench, two small foam mattresses, and a toilet out in the open. A roll of toilet paper sat on the ground. Iron bars on three sides. A concrete wall on the far side.

  The European man said, “I am Philippe Shek and I work for Interpol. I now have custody over the two of you. You are not to speak with anyone but me. Anything you say can be used against you when you are tried.” He walked out of the door, dialing a number on his cell phone as he left. Two Australian men remained, sitting at the desk. They turned up the TV.

  Outside the jail, Philippe spoke on his phone.

  Lundy said, “Excellent job, Philippe. Lena was right about you.”

  “No problem, Mr. Lundy.”

  Bob Crowley’s voice. “Mr. Shek, can you assure us that they won’t be able to communicate with anyone for the next few weeks? This will be very important to us. If you have any doubt about that, we may need to look at more permanent measures to solve that communication problem.”

  Lundy. “What Mr. Crowley is saying is that we—”

  Philippe said, “I understand perfectly what Mr. Crowley is saying. I have worked with Lena before. I assure you that I am one hundred percent reliable for her purposes. I’ll need to transport them through multiple countries on the way back to the US. Manning and Glickstein will be tied up and unavailable for several weeks as many of these countries often will have jurisdictional issues, especially as additional criminal charges may cro
p up.”

  “Excellent. That will do nicely, Philippe.”

  The two Australian guards were glued to the news. So were David and Henry.

  Iranian authorities are claiming that weapons on the ground were made by both Israeli and American manufacturers.

  The headline at the bottom of the screen read MASSACRE IN IRAN and had a subtitle of AMERICAN CIA AGENT IMPLICATED.

  David whispered to Henry, “None of that was supposed to happen for a year. I mean, this was all thought up just a couple of weeks ago. There’s no way—”

  The newscaster’s voice said, “Iranians are claiming that they have information linking US intelligence operative Thomas Connolly to the scene, where the Iranians were brutally slaughtered. The car carried…” The anchorwoman read off several Iranian names that David didn’t recognize, then said, “…the mother of the two children is the niece of the Ayatollah, Iran’s Supreme Leader, and the wife of one of Iran’s top political leaders. She was at the Iranian Naval Base in a naming ceremony celebrating Iran’s newest submarine, which was…”

  Henry said, “They did this because of us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t you see? They moved up the attack on Iran because they knew we were out here.”

  David shook his head. “We can still tell someone. We warned Lundy. This will all get cleared up. They told us—”

  Henry shook his head, “David, it’s over. If they moved up Iran, they will have moved up the timing for the rest of the attack plans. Our credibility is shot. We’re terrorists now. They’ve got us on tape saying that we provided a foreign government with information on ARES and planned attacks on the United States. We won’t be warning anyone. Lundy and Bob and all of those people on the phone…whether they really were who they said they were or not…they must be on Lena’s side. It’s over. We lost.”

  David, hands in his face, said, “So what happens now?”