by Jack Strain
Dutch Schultz let General Mahler’s words hang in the air for a few moments and then took that as his cue to send everyone back to their respective departments. The lights were on throughout the night at every single major Government office building remotely connected to national security. Every military officer at the Pentagon, every intelligence and Homeland Security officer, and the entire White House team worked relentlessly through the night.
The resources of the most powerful nation on the planet were being mobilized at a rapid pace. Every frame from every digital feed that covered yesterday’s tragedy was being examined, every transmission caught by technical means was being evaluated, and American field agents throughout the globe were given orders to shake down every contact, every lead, every asset to find out who was behind the attack and to determine if another NBC attack was imminent. Inter-agency task forces were being established, and traditional turf wars were being ignored because someone had to answer for what happened yesterday. Someone would have to pay.
Schultz brought the morning meeting to order and signaled to the DCI (Director of Central Intelligence) Nicholas Tomasso, a former West Pointer and Congressman from New Mexico, to begin the briefing. The balding and physically imposing CIA Director stood up, opened his briefing book, and waved towards an aide who handed out some supplements while another pulled up the PowerPoint. Tomasso looked as haggard as everyone else in the room, but his voice was strong and deadly serious.
“We have a lot of ground to cover. We just confirmed via technical means that the press release sent out by a group calling itself Allah’s Soldiers for Unity and Vengeance is genuine. They like to refer to themselves as Allah’s Avengers. CIA has been tracking this group, but other than a series of suspected attacks in Syria - primarily against Russian forces they were not on our radar.”
Vice President Martha Brentwood surprised everyone by interrupting. With a voice oozing with aggressive sarcasm she asked, “Well are they on your radar now, Nick?”
Tomasso struggled to rein in that famous Dago temper of his, paused just long enough for his dark, angry eyes to meet those of the vice president who did not waver from her own glare. As far as she was concerned, the men and women in this room let down their country and especially their president, and Martha Brentwood wasn’t in the mood to play nice.
“Yes, Madam Vice President, they are very much on our radar and will be until we take them all out.”
Tomasso waited for VP Brentwood to say something else, then continued. “As I was saying, we lumped this group among one of a hundred off-shoots since ISIS forces were broken when Raqqa fell a year ago. We now know that they are more disciplined and dangerous than anyone suspected. Based upon analysis performed by the Israeli military, we can confirm that the sarin agent used yesterday matches the database of old Syrian chemical stocks.
As of this time, we cannot determine if this group has the potential for more chemical attacks. Obviously, we have no other choice than to go under the assumption that they retain this capability and have the technical means to deliver the agent against mass targets.”
The CIA Director paused for a moment to allow that last piece of intel to sink in and then continued, “There has been an unprecedented level of inter-agency cooperation with other foreign intelligence agencies. Obviously, Israel’s Mossad is deeply embarrassed and highly motivated to cooperate; also, the Saudis and Turks have been very responsive. However, it was Russia’s foreign intelligence agency, the SVR, who reached out overnight with a complete dossier on the leader of the group and the suspected mastermind of the operation.
“We were able to confirm Russia’s intel packet via the Saudis. They have been following this man for some time. He name is Bahadur Rahimi. He is an Iranian national, a member of their elite Quds Force, and has been active for the past fifteen years serving everywhere from Iraq to Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria. He is a very dangerous individual skilled in all aspects of insurgency and intelligence-related terror support operations.
“We know for a fact that he was highly active in Iraq and responsible for dozens of American fatalities when Quds Force members actively supported Iraqi insurgents and began introducing those deadly IEDs (improvised explosive devices) with shaped-charge penetrators.”
Vice President Brentwood angrily blurted out, “Are you telling us that the Iranians are behind this?”
Tomasso answered back, “No that’s not what I’m saying Madam Vice President. Yes, this Rahimi guy is Iranian, but he left the Quds Force a year or so ago. The Iranians consider him a renegade who began waging a private war against Russian forces in Syria. His group believes in Muslim unity, Shia, Sunni, no different. Rahimi preaches death to any infidel or any Muslim who turns his back on his fellow Muslim brothers by siding with the infidels. That’s why yesterday’s attack killed Christian, Jews, and Muslims alike. Any Muslim who accepted this deal was a traitor. Period.”
Refusing to back down from her line of questioning, the former Congresswoman from Tennessee and one of the leading Conservative voices in the country said, “Look, Nick, hear me out on this one. What if this whole unity horseshit was a ploy by the Iranians to give cover to the creation of an even bigger terror group than either Al Qaeda or ISIS, this time under their control? Don’t forget both Hamas and Hezbollah coordinated their rocket attacks. This can’t be the work of some fringe group. Iran is behind this, I can feel it.”
National Intelligence Director Daniel Cushing pushed back, “Madam Vice President if I may, there is nothing in the intel to support that this was backed by the Iranians or any nation-state. Though it would be convenient.”
Feeling increasingly frustrated, Dutch Schultz jumped in and forcefully said, “Madam Vice President if we can let Nick finish his brief and cover what we know then we can expand the discussions.”
After eighteen months of being relegated to the sidelines in the Wolfe administration, Vice President Martha Brentwood gritted her teeth and forced herself to offer a quick smile to the president’s right-hand man who nodded back.
Schultz added, “Nick, what else do you got?”
The DCI motioned to an aide and said, “Pull up slide fifteen. I won’t get into the details how these bastards were able to pull this off because the Israelis are trying to figure that one out. The big issue remains trying to determine if they can strike again. I have every single agent and asset out in the field, and all the Agency’s technical resources focused on learning everything we can get on these bastards, but this will not happen overnight.
“As for casualties, the place was packed, so we are looking at upwards of fifteen hundred dead, another thousand or so wounded to varying degrees. Hundreds of EMT people and hospital staff, really anyone who tried to help the survivors, were contaminated by the sarin residue left all around. I’m told that the death count rose because there simply wasn’t enough NBC protective gear on hand. Every chemical decontamination unit from all over the globe is being mobilized. The IDF just doesn’t have much in the way of capability on this. It will take months to decontaminate the site fully.”
Schultz turned to Homeland Security Director, noted academic and twenty year veteran of the Defense Intelligence Agency, Dr. Kara Dietrich and said, “Kara what does the threat board look like here in the States?”
The tall, blond haired, and stylishly dressed, terrorism expert stood and began her brief, “Dutch, every agency under my control has initiated elevated security measures at every airport, border-crossing point, port, train station, and subway, and doubled our security presence at all designated high-value targets. But we are limited by some ongoing issues.”
Motioning towards Attorney General Archer Stetson, the quintessential Southern gentleman from the fine state of Mississippi, Dietrich said, “Archer, your National Security Division folks at Justice have been too slow for my taste on getting my people the warrants and FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) requests approved that we need to increase our surveillance capability. You hav
e too many holdovers from the previous administration, and now it’s going to bite us in the ass.”
Attorney General Stetson was about to answer back when - very dramatically - the twin doors into the Situation Room swung open and two Secret Service agents entered followed by President Wolfe. They were flanked by the two most controversial men in the Wolfe administration: National Security Advisor General Michael Wright and Special Presidential Advisor Baxter Davis.
The shocked men and women seated around the table quickly came to their feet. President Wolfe’s friend and Chief of Staff, Dutch Schultz couldn’t believe that the shell of a man he saw last night could be ready to handle the duties of president again. He stood along with everyone else and watched as the president confidently strode into the room, impeccably dressed in a black suit and tie, hair perfect, and looking very much in charge.
Most were unsure of what to say. What words could possibly be enough to bring comfort to or express their profound sympathy for the president and his family? Most simply nodded, a few hands were thrust out as he walked past, but the room was deadly silent as everyone respectfully waited for the president to take his seat.
Wolfe wore a mask not of anger or even sadness, but more like one of resolve. His normally lively green eyes signaled to all in attendance nothing short of a steely-eyed determination to address the matters at hand. This was a moment of national crisis, and the president looked intent upon discharging his duties on behalf of an angry and fearful American public.
His voice was not the same. It lacked the warmth and light-heartedness his aides had come to expect. In its place, the words were clear, direct, and spoken in a deadly grave tone. President Wolfe quickly took his seat and wasted little time, “By the looks on all of your faces, it’s pretty clear that no one expected me to show up today. I was not sure myself until about five thirty this morning. But I have a job to do. We all have a job to do. The country needs a president, not a grieving father. I have many matters to handle today, not least of which is to . . . to . . .”
Wolfe’s voice trailed off, and a hint of sorrow crept into his voice. He quickly shook his head to ward away an image of his Liliana. A few seconds ticked by and several eyes met across the table in an uncomfortable acknowledgment of the man’s grief.
Wolfe quickly cleared his throat and continued, “On behalf of my family, I need to know that arrangements are being made to secure the bodies of Jason and Liliana. More importantly, I am here this morning to inform you that I have already come to a decision that is long overdue. In forty-eight hours, I am convening a joint session of Congress and will deliver an address to the American people.
At this joint session, I will be asking for a formal declaration of war against any and all terrorist organizations and the nation-states guilty of supporting them. This madness, these horrors are coming to an end. I’m going to end them. I have been watching these animals for forty years take hostages, seize airplanes, send suicide bombers, and now after yesterday . . . No more. It’s ending now.
“We have been bullshitting the American people for too long. Most Americans think we’re basically safe, that 9/11 was some fluke - but how safe are we really? Those people are just waiting for the next opportunity to kill us, and now they have chemical weapons. What’s next? Nukes, that’s what. Well, not on my watch.
“And what have we been doing all these years? Fighting half-assed. Sending drones around the world killing a few at a time. Big deal. We’ve become a laughingstock, a punching bag to these people. Our so-called war on terror has been nothing but a joke, and I’ve been no goddamn different. Playing by the same bullshit rules that every other president has played by and what has it gotten us? Nothing but more death.
“Starting today, this country will begin waging a true war on terror without restraint, without mercy. I’m telling each and every one of you in this room that if you can’t come on board then get the hell out or I’ll fire you. Period. Don’t tell me what we can’t or shouldn’t be doing. I’m only interested in hearing how we kill more of those bastards - how we are going to punish any country who helps these animals. How we are going to win. Am I clear?”
The men and women in the room didn’t say a single word and listened with rapt attention as their president just gave them marching orders to wage war on a global scale. He didn’t raise his voice once, just that same flat tone filled with determination. He was coherent and clearly in command of his faculties. This didn’t sound like an emotional grieving father; it sounded like a leader who had had enough and was utterly determined to win.
Look at them; they’re not sure if I’ve gone crazy or what. Some of them get it - Wright gets it, Brentwood gets it - though not sure about Dutch. He looks more worried about me than anything else.
Wolfe quickly scanned the faces around the table, nodded at them, stood and said, “I’m leaving Mike to cover the details. He’s speaking for me. I made it clear to him what I expect from everyone. I’m counting on everyone here to do their part. I will expect a complete brief tomorrow morning.” Then he exited the room.
Dutch Schultz couldn’t believe his own eyes. Jesus Christ, where in the hell did that all come from. Comes in here all dramatic as hell flanked by that bastard Davis and talking about waging a holy war of some kind. I gotta talk to him.
Schultz quickly announced, “Look, folks, I’m turning the meeting over to Mike. Obviously, he has a lot of ground to cover. I need to touch base with the president.” Dutch scooped up his briefing book and headed towards the door to catch up with the president.
National Security Advisor General Michael Wright strode to the front of the room. The hawkish retired career intelligence and special operations officer spent years in the intelligence community, held senior commands in several combat zones, and was deputy director at the Defense Intelligence Agency until he retired to help advise then-candidate Douglas Wolfe. Wright created significant controversy when he criticized the previous administration’s weak anti-terror policies and some in the media labeled him as anti-Muslim. He stridently objected to this label and could be heard many times voicing his anger and frustration at the liberal American media. His influence on the president was significant, especially in all matters of national security.
The tall and physically fit Wright offered up a grim but confident expression and announced, “General Mahler, the president has asked me to direct you to have the Joint Chiefs draw up a global war plan to hit every active terror group and nation-state that supports terrorism. Iran is number one on top of your hit list.”
General Mahler abruptly cut in, “Whoa hold on here. As far as I understand things, CIA has concluded that Iran is not behind yesterday’s attack. In fact, if I read things right probably just the opposite.”
Wright did not like being interrupted even by a man who, as a retired four-star general, outranked him, but as the National Security Advisor he now held the upper rank, especially in the eyes of the president. “Jimbo, I was getting to it. Regardless, if we can conclusively tie the Mullahs to yesterday’s attack, it doesn’t matter. For forty years, Iran has been the leading exporter of terror and has never faced justice. Hell, we didn’t do a damn thing for eight years while they were killing Americans in Iraq, and I know for a fact it used to burn your ass when you were over there.”
Vice President Brentwood was the first to really get it. Her blue eyes lit up at the possibilities and said, “Didn’t everyone hear the same words from the president as I just did? This is a true war on terror. The Iranians have had this coming for decades. Isn’t that correct General Wright?”
Nodding at the vice president’s encouraging words, “Exactly Madam Vice President. Let me make this simple and direct, so we are all on the same page. We are not talking about boots on the ground in every hellhole corner of the Middle East. The president explained it to me like this: Iran’s oil-financed infrastructure has been generating billions of dollars a year and has been able to support terrorism for decades. If we destro
y that infrastructure, let’s see how much money they have left over to fund these terrorists after they have to replace their airports, their ports, their bridges, their electricity, oil pipelines, all of it.”
A visibly shocked Secretary Mahler hesitated a second before responding, “Jesus Christ Mike, you’re talking retribution, not war.”
“No. You got it wrong Jimbo. Think like the president; he’s a business guy first and foremost. It was his idea, not mine. He said ‘how can build a new luxury hotel if the three you owned were destroyed in a storm? You can’t do it.’ So yeah, part of it is retribution as you call it, but the other part is all business. And it’s not just Iran. He truly wants a global plan of action. This is no shit. Everything is on the table: air power, naval power, cyber warfare, even boots on the ground, anything and everything, so think big. No more pinprick bullshit, you got me? And I’m not done. You haven’t heard the other fronts he’s directed to be part of the initial plan.”
Sitting in the corner of the room next to a bank of hi-def monitors, the White House Chief Strategist Baxter Davis watched Wright deliver a virtuoso performance. It was exactly the talk President Wolfe wanted to convey. He listened as the NSA laid out the other nations on the chopping block. No more half measures, the room was abuzz with the scope and audacity of the general outlines to this true war on terror.
Baxter flew up to New York City last night to see the president, a man he greatly admired - a man for whom he would do anything on his behalf. Baxter Davis saw himself as not only a patriot but also a man on a mission to change a soft and weak America that he viewed with disdain. He considered himself a culture warrior and waged war for the hearts and minds of his fellow Americans via his media company, Davis News Corp.
He was prepared to do anything to expose the political establishment - both Democrats and Republicans - but he held a special disdain for Republicans who were all talk, but no balls. He described himself to his readers over the years as a true Reagan Republican, but he loved President Andrew “Old Hickory” Jackson more than any president in American history. He was a patriot and a populist who was a powerful president because he served the people, not the special interests at the time and feared no man.
