Spontaneous

by DiMirra

  Gunther just grunted and I hung up.

  My sat phone rang. It was Saudi Arabia.

  "Your Highness?" I answered.

  "Gianni, you're a magician, as usual. Your information was right. These three are such a gift and even fluent in Arabic. There was a little scuffle at the hanger once the conspirators realized I was not in the palace. My Guardians subdued eight good men without firing a shot. The balance of conspirators have been rounded up and will be executed after they talk."

  "Sire, I have it straight from Don Francisco, they are to stay with you as your personal guard, for your lifetime."

  "By the way, Gianni, your earlier request has been granted. I believe they are ahead of schedule."

  "Also, we are bringing in a new oil field. It shall be called the Castillo field and the best well shall be called The 'Gianni.' It will belong to your family in perpetuity."

  "Sire, you are too kind. Within three days, I will present myself at your palace. We need to speak about the violence that has become pervasive, which is not in accord, with Islam. We must not let this stand. You, and you alone, have the power to stop it and I can give you the tool."

  "What you say is true. It has been a great burden for me to bear. The days will be long, awaiting your arrival."

  As I was walked toward a waiting chopper, I saw a CIA bird coming in for a landing at the airfield. Out jumped Jackson Campitelli, the senior man with the CIA in South America. We had become fast friends over the last twenty years. He was one of the few men I trusted outside my family. He was a tall man, maybe six feet, four inches. His charming character and good looks did much to belie his mental and physical toughness.

  "Johnny, what the fuck are you doing!"

  "Good to see you too, Jack," I said.

  "Don't give me that shit. You know full well the Director has her satellite on this base. You're the richest guy in the world by a factor of ten, why aren't you, no, why aren't we, on some monster yacht in some paradise with a hundred beautiful women and a ton of cocaine, drinking Pina Coladas?"

  "You know, Jack, I frequently ask myself that question and I do not have an acceptable answer."

  Jack and I shared the same persuasion in women -- drop dead gorgeous, busty and mature.

  "I promise you one thing Jack, as soon as this settles down to a dull roar, I'll charter that 90-meter ship that you like so much, the one with a helicopter and sport fishing boat. I will also stock it with the requested 100 women and contraband."

  He made a noise that sounded like a harrumph to me.

  "Since you're not answering her calls after she picked up that episode with Colonel Johnson, and not to mention the Premier of China's plane on your base, she's hysterical."

  "Jack, it's about to get a lot worse and I have to get to the compound. Jump in and lets go."

  I boarded the chopper. We lifted off for a short flight to our Castle outside of Bogotá. It was approaching 16:00 hours so I knew the Globemaster was in range of Taroudant.

  I received a text message from Uwishun confirming that the Premier of China's aircraft, direct from Beijing, had landed at our airfield and taxied to our side of the field. I had just learned this from Campitelli.

  The live virus was already in transit to Zheng at Applied Nano. I'd had an earlier report that was promising, from Zheng. They had a clear path mapped out. All that was left to do was to take it from paper to the live, weaponized virus. It was at this moment that I had my first misgiving about where the virus had originated . . .

  Since the virus infection had been active in Western China for better than a week, with no travel restrictions, predictions from our computer models were horrendous. There was an unofficial report from Raffa that stated three million dead, another 15 million infected with 50 million dead projected. The Western provinces of the Uyghur Autonomous Region, Gansu and Qinghai were already out of control.

  They needed martial law, "no-go zone" status and to be nuked to control contamination to more densely populated provinces. There was a smaller, but growing contamination in Shanxi that was even more troubling.

  I put in a call to Ali. "Hi son. What have you got lined up for Turkey?"

  "Father, we have excellent contact with the mayor of Hakkari through Reza. The Globemaster is loading now, including extra protective gear, with an estimated time to departure of 25 minutes. They'll be over target five hours and 20 minutes from now. We'll do a HALO of 40 men on the target vehicles, then a second one 15 minutes to the north, securing a four-lane road that the Mayor has blocked off, for our runway. Thirty minutes on the ground, then airborne for Dubai. His Highness has granted permission and has a suitable dhow docked at Sharjah for further transport. We are still working out targeting and will report back in a few hours."

  . . .

  The Airbus was over the mid-Atlantic on a direct course to Washington, DC. The ride was smooth, with little traffic, at 40,000 feet. The engineers were going through the checklist to arm the device and making sure all was ready. Finely made and brilliantly colored Prayer Rugs were spread. There would be a ceremony.

  Chapter 22

  Family Compound in Columbia: 17:30, January 20th

  Cristina greeted me at the helipad. She tried to hold down her stunning dress to prevent rotor wash from blowing it up but with little good effect. Her red lace panties looked magnificent. Jackson just chuckled.

  Although we had been apart mere days, the stress I had endured made it seem like years. We shared an epic hug. As I drank in her scent, a feeling of wellbeing washed over me. While we walked to the Castle, hand I hand, I asked her to have the chef prepare a Veal Francese for 7pm. I would join Robert and Cristina at dinner and tell them what was going on.

  I immediately took Jack to my office for a videoconference with Ali.

  "Baba, nice job with Gunther," Ali commented. "We are processing him now. I think it will work out for all concerned. Hi Jack, I didn't see you at first, I guess you're cleared for this intel."

  "Perhaps Johnny will have to kill me if you tell me," Jack said as he smirked.

  I nodded my head in agreement and said, "The Globemaster will complete its HALO in one hour and forty minutes. We have a plan involving an Emirates Airbus, will get back to you when it's hatched."

  "Proceed."

  "'Brothel' is operational," Ali continued, "with light resistance at the moment. This appears to be an Albanian operation with experienced crew. Jasim is leading the assault. He says they encountered huge caches of weapons, including Stingers. All that will come out with them. Also, large quantities of heroin and hashish. Our boys commandeered two city buses for the girls, who are in transit to the docks as we speak. We have some Ravens up and it looks like pursuit will arrive in a few minutes. The Defiance will cover our retreat with 40MM Bofors and we have two squads on the docks with dual .50's."

  Jack looked at me and mouthed the word "Brothel."

  Ali continued, "The only strategic news from the EU is Ebola emergence in the Nordic countries."

  I said, "This is about to get really ugly. Ali, I believe it's time to brief the Director of the NSA. Please set up the secure line and use a triple split screen."

  Jack and I had espressos. I lit a cigarette. It went well with that dark Italian roast. He helped himself to a Cohiba and the room took on a magical aura. I was transported back in time to the Savoy hotel in London, where Churchill held court during the 'Great War.' There Don Francisco first met him and then took part in all of the stories he would regale me with throughout my youth.

  Jack sat off to the side, wanting no part of this, as the screen jumped to life and there the Director sat, looking haggard and perhaps ill.

  She jumped right in with both feet. "Castillo, what do you know about an arsenal outside of Tripoli blowing up?"

  "Director, we are aware of that incident and have some video of the aftermath. It appears to be a missile strike of unknown origin."

  "Huh. Moving on, is Colonel Johnson dead?"

  "I believ
e he is, Director. He insulted my bodyguards. They took umbrage with that. By the way, we have his full confession and those of his men as well, along with all the documents authorizing his covert missions over the last five years. I will send you a link to a password protected site where you can view this content at your convenience, before I give it to the Washington Post."

  "You son of a bitch. I saw the video. They were eating him alive. What the Hell were those things and where do they come from?"

  "They are the future of military assets, Director. Let me bring you up to date on some strategic intel you may not have.

  "You didn't answer my question fully."

  "Madam, I cannot disclose the nature of that project, I'm actually sorry that you saw them. Director, what is the status of the Tareq?"

  "The Tareq was located and neutralized. Our subs Olympia and Norfolk were lost in that action."

  "Director, most importantly, China is under attack by militant Islamists from their Western provinces, who have managed to weaponize an airborne, fast acting, Ebola virus variant. The new Chinese models show casualties in the 300-million range. They will have to use nukes to stop the spread, so be prepared of multiple launches over there in the near future."

  "Oh my God! Are you sure of this?"

  "The information comes direct from the Premier. It gets worse. Some of our assets in the EU are telling us this Ebola is all over Europe. It appeared in the Nordic countries this morning. Director, I advise you to pass all this on immediately to the Joint Chiefs and the President."

  She hesitated for a moment like she was woozy. She began to perspire profusely. Her skin color was changing to a bright and angry red. She looked right at me. In a moment of clarity, her eyes maniacal, she screamed in agony, "You fucking bastard!"

  She slumped over in convulsions. It was getting ugly.

  Jack jumped up and was looking at the screen in amazement when I gave Ali the "cut transmission" sign, which he did.

  Jack said, "Johnny, what the fuck was that?"

  "That was the grisly end of somebody who tried to kill me."

  "She was the director of the National Security Agency."

  "Jack, the entire world is in an end-game right now. Whole populations are throwing off their political leaders' dominance. There will necessarily be cleansing and devastation. We just happen to have front row seats and perhaps a little influence in certain directions and ability to push outcomes. Not only countries, but the whole world, needs better leadership and a second chance to get it all right."

  "There will be no repercussions," I said. Do you need to be at the Gold Works for tonight's raid?"

  "It's all set. Teams are in place. I have a really good man on it. I think I would like to stay and see how this all plays out tonight."

  We adjourned to the dining room for Chef Mario's signature dish. He also included a Leroy 1955 Volnay Santenots, a wine so profound there are no words to describe it.

  During our meal, I apologized to Robert for the subterfuge I used to bring him here to be with us. Then I explained a number of possible scenarios to my Family.

  Robert asked, "What do your computers tell us will happen in the next 48 hours?"

  "Beginning tonight, the world, as we know it, will change forever and in ways we cannot anticipate. The models say casualties will exceed two billion worldwide. All the world's governments will fall with the exception of Russia, China and a handful of well-run smaller countries. There will be complete chaos for months, on an unimaginable scale, in the United States, Europe, India and China. We suspect that eventually military leaders will rise in the States and the EU and begin the rebuilding process. Those who were prepared will survive."

  We moved to my study for espressos with Grand Marnier or brandy on the side. We quickly established a secure link with Ali at Taroudant.

  Chapter 23

  Outside Bogotá, Columbia: 20:30, January 20th

  "Baba, the big show is about to begin," Ali reported.

  "'Operation Globemaster' is complete. The package is in Sharjah. We had three killed in action and seven wounded, including Sydney, who is critical."

  "Shit!" I said, "Please keep me up to date on his status."

  "According to your instructions, we leased an Emirates plane. They provided two committed pilots. The scheduled departure is one hour from now. The ETA is 1 hour 20 minutes later. As Miche says, 'You reap what you sow.' The virgins will be busy tonight.

  "Hi Cristina. Hi Robert. Are you guys having a party?"

  Everyone was glued to the screen as if it was the World Cup. Behind Ali, we saw a 120-inch screen with 16 feeds from satellites and drones. So much was going on that it made one dizzy going from one feed to another. It was rather like a great tennis match, only this was deadly real.

  "I direct your attention to screens 4 and 5," which Ali highlighted. "This is the retreat from Operation Brothel."

  Cristina gave me a quizzical look. I just winked at her.

  We could see a steady stream of 40MM fire from the Defiance. It was having the intended effect on the pursuit vehicles. They caught fire and men literally exploded. It had been a robust pursuit but under the withering fire, it stalled. We could see the rescued young women boarding the awaiting naval craft even as our men boarded their launches for the return to the Defiance and safety.

  There was a live shot, from a US network, of the Capital Rotunda with limos going and coming.

  Washington, DC was on lockdown for the State of the Union address. It was so cold that additional emergency shelters had opened for the many homeless Vets. By contrast, the rich, the powerful and the clueless were bejeweled and decked out in their finery as they arrived at the capitol building. By look of them and judging by their animation, one would have thought everything was right with the world.

  Ali continued with his update. "Screens 12 and 13 are drone shots of Granada gold works, all quiet at the moment.

  "Raffa reports it's pure pandemonium in China but the Premier and the Army are committed to what must be done. In fact, I believe the first ten targets will be hit within the hour. The entire Red Army is in the field with shoot-to-kill orders, not crowd control."

  It was 9:12 PM on the East Coast, the President had settled into his address with opening statement on the domestic issue in the Northeast. Everyone was there -- the cabinet, both-houses, the Federal Reserve Chairwoman, 4 Supreme Court justices, the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff, campaign bundlers, celebrities and dignitaries galore.

  Ali changed subjects. He read from a screen and directed us to screens seven and eight.

  "Hacker groups, US government contractors, certain countries and other individuals have taken down numbers of military satellites, and as well, the SOSUS (Sound Surveillance Under Sea) network. We believe this is an inside job by infiltrators encouraged by policies of hiring in this administration.

  "Sixteen minutes ago, a coordinated attack was launched on the deployed US naval assets. We believe that China, Russia, India, Iran and Israel are participating. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend.'

  "Here's the best information on results at present --

  "Aircraft carriers Nimitz, Vinson, Lincoln and Bush are sinking.

  "Carrier assault ships Bataan, Iwo Jima and Makin Island are mortally wounded and sinking.

  "Missile Cruisers Anzio and Port Royal are down and perhaps so are two nuclear submarines.

  "Loss of life is expected to exceed 30,000. This was an all-out attack with over 140 cruise missiles launched in four different theaters of operations.

  "Cutbacks in the US Navy left the Task Forces under-shipped and under-manned. Basically, America's presence in the Pacific, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Arab Gulf has come to an end."

  About the same time we got this information, one could see a naval aide to SecNav, a Captain, making his way down the aisle in the Congressional Chambers. We could see him whispering in the ear of the Secretary of the Navy.

  Then, the Navy Secretary was making his way do
wn to the well of Congress, when some apparently devastating information flashed on the Presidents' teleprompter.

  The President, taken by surprise, shot a menacing glance at an aide, who urged him to look at it. He stammered and lost his train of thought as he realized the gravity of the situation. He then announced to the audience that the Nation was under attack by hostile forces. He seized the opportunity to declare martial law and suspension of the Constitution for the duration of hostilities.

  The chambers went into an uproar. The President asked for quiet so he could complete his coup d'état with the seizure of all firearms in the possession of private citizens. It was the one 'final solution' that he had not been able to push through congress. These were the last words he was to utter as the room descended into bedlam.

  Robert was jumping up and down, screaming at the television, "You stupid bastards, you cannot suspend the fucking Constitution!"

  I said, "The worst of it, Robert, is that I advised them to move the fleets three days ago. We knew something was up but couldn't prove it."

  . . .

  The Saudi Airbus was on final approach and lined up, landing to the north at Reagan National airport.

  The radio squawked to life --

  Washington Tower -- "Continue approach, Royal Saudi 5 . . .

  Washington Tower -- "Royal Saudi 5, Final Runway 01/19."

  Royal Saudi 5 -- "Roger that."

  Forty seconds later -- "Royal Saudi 5 going around."

  The pilot looked at his mentor and smiled. They were 12 seconds from the Capitol building and detonation. The pilot jammed the throttles forward. The jet jumped ahead. They maintained treetop level to make it impossible for the Patriot batteries to target them.

  Then they crossed the river, passing over the golf course, and the first alarms went out. The pilot was counting down 6, 5, 4 and went into a steep climb at 3, 2, 1, detonation.

  It was a 50-megaton air burst at 300 feet altitude about a thousand yards from the Capitol Building. The fireball bloomed, searching for its maximum diameter, rising at the rate of 500 feet per second. It had already reached its 10 million degrees temperature.