“The New York police department was the first law-enforcement entity to arrive at the UN. They secured the audiovisual department until our people could get there. Interpol is claiming jurisdiction in the matter, due to it being international property. Nevertheless, we had time to do a hurried forensic search of the area. No fingerprints other than those of authorized personnel were found. The UN A/V department’s ten technicians were all accounted for during the incident.”
“CIA?” the president asked.
“Sir, we just don’t have enough to go on. The slides could have been done commercially or on any one of three hundred million home computers with Photoshop. The systems are just that prevalent. We just don’t have enough.”
“Well, we obviously have to maintain freedom of the seas, so from that aspect, even though I am taking this threat seriously—” He looked at the faces around the room. “—we have no choice but to continue oil and gas shipments. Admiral Fuqua, do we even have half the resources to guarantee the safety of these vessels?”
“Sir, we’re spread so thin at this moment that we can’t even guarantee the safety of our own warships, much less that of commercial shipping. It will be a good three months until we have our battle-group strength up to our normal peacetime standard, much less being placed on a wartime footing.”
“Thank you for your candor. Does analysis have anything on the wording of the document? And how in the hell are all of our supposedly secure computer systems being compromised?”
The question was not directed at any one individual in the room. However, National Security Advisor Harford Lehman stood and directed another question to General Kenneth Caulfield. The general had become somewhat grayer in the last six months, and was beginning to show his wear.
“Ken, have we advanced any theories on the weapons or entity used in the attacks on Venezuela and Texas City?”
“Nothing from the intelligence end of things, and the nuclear fingerprint is a dead end. That material is from an entirely unknown breeder reactor. As for the vessel, or vessels, all we have is the sonar tape that shows something that everyone, even the General Dynamics Electric Boat Division, says cannot exist.”
The National Security Agency assistant director cleared his throat.
“Go ahead,” said the president.
“The wording of the document has indications of American or British leanings, but nothing at this point is verifiable. The words our analysts call ‘old school’ have them leaning toward not just an ecoterrorist, but a religious one at that.”
The president spoke up. “For right now, let’s just say we have a threat from someone with a lot of punch backing their words. Ecological terrorism, no matter how noble a cause, is still terrorism. I want facts delivered to me on the claim noted in the text about how damaged sea life has become. This will be something I have to address in the press, although I doubt this entity is out to garner public sympathy with the point they are making.”
The men around the table became silent as the president turned away and looked out of the large window. Then he spoke without turning back.
“Admiral Fuqua, order this threat tracked down and destroyed by any means necessary.”
EVENT GROUP CENTER,
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NEVADA
Niles sat at one of the desks in the upper tier of the amphitheaterlike computer center. He watched as Pete Golding on the floor far below instructed his department on how he wanted Europa’s every transaction of the day before tracked. He called it bleeding her system. He likened it to the old ways of physicians bleeding a person to assist in healing. They were about to break down the most powerful computing system in the world and siphon her information out, one program and one line of code at a time.
Niles placed his glasses back on, gathered the latest communiqué from the president that listed the threat to the nation and the world, and was about to rise when suddenly every light in the computer center flickered, went out, came back on, flickered again, and then steadied.
“What in the hell is going on around here?” Pete asked as bells started to chime.
“Dr. Golding, my internal messaging system has been compromised,” Europa said electronically and in print on the main screen.
Pete glanced up at Niles, who was now standing and peering at the glowing green type on the thirty-foot-wide and twenty-foot-high main viewing screen at the front of the center. He then walked over to his desk situated at the center of the technician stations lining the floor. He leaned into his microphone. Before he could say anything, Carl Everett walked in; he had been in the hallway outside when the computer alarm sounded. He exchanged a look with Niles, who shrugged his shoulders.
“Europa, query; compromised by whom?”
“Unknown source, Dr. Golding. I have instructions.”
“Europa, initiate your security protocols,” Pete ordered as if he were scolding a child.
“I am unable to comply at this time, Dr. Golding. Security override Alpha-Tango-Seven is in effect.”
“I have not authorized an AT-seven override. Shut down outside access.”
“What in the hell is an AT-seven security override?” Carl asked Niles, who was now looking very concerned.
“Alpha-Tango-Seven is an override that can be initiated from a terminal other than Europa. Even our Group cell phones, laptops, and home PCs are Europa secured. This message is not from an internal source—someone from an unauthorized computer has used one of Pete’s most secure overrides to get a message to us,” Niles explained.
The double doors of the center opened and Alice joined Carl and Niles.
“What in the hell is happening?” Alice asked. “Every computer terminal in the complex went offline!”
Niles didn’t answer her; he was looking at the main screen.
“Jack Collins used this security override last month during the Atlantis operation, when he accessed Europa from an unsecured location.”
Everett remembered that indeed they had, from a cybercafe.
“Shut down complete—”
“Thank you, Europa, now begin a trace as to—”
“Alpha-Tango override reestablished. Incoming message being received,” Europa said, cutting Pete off.
“Goddamn it, shut down the outside source. Authorization, Golding—”
“Pete, allow the message through,” Niles called from his elevated position.
“Niles, this could be a virus!”
“Allow it through; we may be getting something from our mysterious saboteur. Besides, if they wanted only to send Europa a virus, they could have done it without us knowing, since they seem to know our systems as well as we do. Let the message through.”
Pete shook his head in exasperation, but leaned over the microphone to comply with his orders.
“Europa, content of message?” Pete asked.
The main viewing screen went dark as Europa complied. As they watched, bright red letters started appearing, and scrolled with incredible speed.
DEPARTMENT 5656, DR. NILES COMPTON, GREETINGS FROM A FRIEND. UNDOUBTEDLY, BEING AN AGENT FOR THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, YOU ARE IN POSSESSION OF THE DOCUMENT DELIVERED TO THE UNITED NATIONS AND TO YOUR PRESIDENT.
Niles passed the message he had received earlier from the president over to Alice and Everett. He noticed Virginia’s absence for the first time.
AS A SCIENTIFIC AND HISTORICAL BODY, YOU MUST APPRECIATE THE GRAVE SITUATION PRESENTED BY THE LOSS OF SEA LIFE IN THE WORLD’S OCEANS DUE TO THE CORRUPT MEASURES TAKEN BY GOVERNMENTS AND INDIVIDUALS AROUND THE WORLD. THE DEFENSELESS NOW HAVE A DEFENDER. THE THREAT OF FORCE ISSUED IN THE UNITED NATIONS COMMUNIQUé IS GENUINE, AND ITS PARAMETERS CAN AND WILL BE ENFORCED. THEREFORE, WE CALL UPON YOU, DR. COMPTON, AND YOUR DEPARTMENT TO ASSIST ME IN MAKING YOUR GOVERNMENT, AND THUS THE WORLD, UNDERSTAND THEIR DIRE POSITION IN REGARD TO THIS MATTER. FAILURE WILL RESULT IN THE TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF EVERY MAJOR SEAPORT IN THE WORLD BY A NUCLEAR RESPONSE.
IN A SHOW OF GOOD F
AITH, I WILL TURN OVER TO YOUR GROUP AN ITEM THAT WAS LOST TO YOU SOME TIME AGO, ONE THAT YOU WOULD WISH TO RECOVER. I ASK FOR A TRADE, DR. COMPTON: YOU FOR THIS ARTICLE. THIS DEMAND MUST BE MET BEFORE THE DEADLINE MENTIONED IN THE COMMUNIQUé. THERE WILL BE ONE ATTEMPT MADE, AND ONE ATTEMPT ONLY. UPON FAILURE IN THIS ENDEAVOR, THE MANIFESTO DELIVERED TO ALL GOVERNMENTS WILL TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY WITH EXTREME FORCE, AND THE ATTACKS MENTIONED IN THIS COMMUNICATION WILL BE IMPLEMENTED IN A WEEK’S TIME. DR. COMPTON, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY YOUR PRESIDENT CAN VALIDATE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS MATTER.
LATITUDE 41.071 N, LONGITUDE −71.85706 W 0230 HOURS.
END COMMUNICATION.
Movement on the computer center main floor started immediately as technicians ran to their stations. They didn’t have to receive orders from Pete to move.
“Connection terminated at oh-nine-twelve and thirty-two seconds—origin has been traced by Europa to the Eastern seaboard, location unknown,” one of the white-coated technicians called out.
“Microwave relay station Greenland is the closest we can get to a trace. It dead-ends there,” another said aloud.
“Get me the location of those coordinates!” Pete ordered.
Europa used the main viewing screen as she pushed the pirated communiqué aside, then brought up a satellite map of the United States. The view adjusted to the eastern half of the U.S. and then centered on Long Island, New York. It kept magnifying on a large object by the sea.
“Europa computes latitude 41.071 north, longitude −71.85706 west is Montauk Point, New York—specifically, the lighthouse,” Pete’s assistant said as he straightened from his console.
“Okay, let’s start digging deeper on that trace; they had to have left more of a footprint than just the Greenland microwave relay.” Pete looked up at Niles and the others. “Boss, I have a feeling that whoever they are, they have codes for some or all of the U.S. communication satellites.”
Niles listened to Pete’s orders and comment, then looked at the three people around him. “Alice, get all department heads into the conference room immediately. Captain, make travel arrangements for New York, fastest possible route. Plan defensively; we’re dealing with a very shrewd criminal at the very least.”
“Yes, sir. May I ask your thoughts?” Everett said.
“Captain, this is no coincidence. This is the same person who destroyed two levels of our complex, and obviously the one responsible for the UN message. Therefore, our priority is to damn well find out what it was they didn’t want us to know on levels seventy-three and seventy-four. Let’s move. We don’t have a lot of time.”
“That’s not what I mean. You’re not going to trade yourself for whatever it is they have, are you?” Everett asked, knowing that Jack would never allow the director to place himself in harm’s way for something that had not been substantiated.
“I have every intention of meeting their demands.” He looked at Everett and the others one at a time. “We need to know who and what we’re dealing with, so unless we can find out something before tonight, yes, I’m going.”
As Carl Everett met with Jason Ryan to decide how to proceed to this mysterious meeting, Pete Golding and Alice Hamilton asked for a meeting with Director Compton to deliver extremely bad news. They were shown into Compton’s large office, where Niles was meeting on a video monitor with the president of the United States.
“I’m sorry, Niles, I would like to have the luxury of time, but I don’t. I have ordered the navy to provide escort for all oil shipments heading to U.S. shores. The Russians, Chinese, and British are joining the effort. Not all vessels will be covered, at least in this first phase, because there are just so many already at sea. Starting tomorrow, though, no ship leaves Middle Eastern waters without guns surrounding them. As for regular commercial traffic, we are quarantining all ships in port and ordering those at sea to come home. The coast guard will try and get them in, but again, we can’t protect everyone.”
“We still believe that whoever was responsible for the sabotage here at the complex is responsible for the world threat. They want to meet, and will provide a good faith measure to attain that meeting—they want to trade whatever they have for me. They insist upon me being a go-between. I need your permission to proceed,” Niles said as he rubbed his right temple.
The president sat silent for the longest time. Then he picked up a piece of paper from his desk.
“My analysts believe we’re dealing with a terrorist element that is only using ecological concerns to mask their real intensions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says their claims of sixty-one percent loss of seagoing species are hogwash. This may be a move to throw our economy—which, I might add, is more dependent than ever on foreign oil—into utter chaos. Thus far, I’m leaning to that suggestion, because in all honesty, Niles, no matter how bad we think things are with the ecology and global warming, economically we can do nothing about it. We need oil and that is that. I’m not here to debate the right or the wrong of it.”
“I’m not defending these people, Mr. President; I’m a realist, and I know we can’t just choke ourselves to death because of our thirst for oil. However, my people are telling me that this communiqué is telling more of a truth than what your people are saying. The sea has at the very least lost fifty percent of all life that it once supported, and that is a direct result of overfishing and water contamination.”
“I’m not about to sit here and argue with you, Niles; you tell me what to do. Do I just toss seventy million Americans out of work because an outside nutcase says that his group is shutting down the sea lanes? Am I supposed to look at the people of the northeast and say, sorry, no heating oil this year? We don’t have the strategic reserves to see us through one damn winter.”
Niles took a deep breath and shook his head.
“However, since this is the only lead we have on these people, I want your security chief to liaise with the director of the FBI—you are to stay in place in Nevada. Any attempt by you to go to the meeting, I’ll have you placed under house arrest.” The president held up his hand when he saw Niles start to protest. “The FBI is in charge.”
“My people are leaving within the hour, and will be in New York at the U.S. Air Force facility at Kennedy by six tonight.”
“Who’s leading the Group?”
Niles looked into the monitor. “Captain Everett will handle our end of things.”
“I’m sorry, Niles; you’re too valuable to swap for anything they may have at the moment.”
The monitor went dark and Niles slammed his glasses down on the desk.
“What have you two got?” he asked rubbing his eyes.
Alice moved toward the credenza and poured Niles his fifth cup of coffee in the past hour and a half.
“Niles, our culprit erased the inventory and forensics files on all artifacts stored on the two affected levels,” Pete announced as Alice sat down in her usual chair in front of the large desk.
Compton looked up and saw Pete was angry and tired.
“I really don’t know why we expected any different. There would have been no sense in destroying the articles physically if you left a computer record of those finds available.” Alice didn’t say this to anyone in particular. She also looked tired, far more than Niles had ever seen her.
“I hate to ask this, Alice, but no one knows those vaults any better than you and the senator. Do you think—?”
“Yes, but it will take time. Garrison and I will go through the paper files. Maybe we can see what was in them to help you. Since this faction hit even the old Cray system at the old facility, we lost those records also. They were goddamned thorough. However, we’re flying in the hard copies from Arlington. I’ve already asked security to pick the senator up at home and bring him in.”
“Well, at least the senator had the foresight to have the hard copies of the files stored in Arlington; otherwise our saboteur might have gotten to those also,” Pete said, perching his glasses on his forehead so he could rub his e
yes.
“Okay, have them all faxed out here.”
“Is Carl ready to go out East?” Pete asked.
“Yes, he’s taking Ryan and Mendenhall. I’ll tell him the bad news about the FBI; he’s not going to be happy,” Niles answered, replacing his own glasses. “I suspect the FBI will set up an ambush to retrieve our item, and try for at least one or two arrests.”
“Is that advisable?” Pete asked.
“I didn’t have much of a choice. Look, one thing we better get used to here, threats have been made by an unknown source to make the nation do something that would send us back to the Stone Age. We, as a country, for better or worse, have set ourselves up for this through our arrogance. Now someone is trying to pull the plug on our neon society, and we can’t let that happen, not yet, not until we can get alternatives online and people accept them. The president wants other eyes out there and is desperate for information. I can’t really say I blame him, Pete.”
The door opened and Virginia Pollock walked in. She looked tired, and her eyes refused to meet those of her friends.
Niles looked at Virginia, wondering where she had been. Then he looked at everyone around his desk.
“Every American knew this day would come, and now it has. If they didn’t stop whoever this was, a hundred years of ignoring the earth was about to come back and haunt them. Now pay attention. Pete, we’re calling an event for in-house personnel only, and from this moment on, I want you to order Europa to close the complex. No external communication is to be allowed. I want cell frequencies jammed, and all passes revoked. Captain Everett and his team are the only exceptions, and I hate to say this, but I even want his phone monitored while off base. Shut down the gates; turn off communications for the pawnshop. Keep it open, but seal the elevator into the tunnel.” He looked at Alice. “All senior department members are to be escorted by security and will be quarantined in the main conference room for the duration of the FBI’s and our department’s operation. Pete, use my terminal and order Europa to seal the complex.”
Leviathan: An Event Group Thriller Page 10