Phoenix

by Alex Lukeman

  "You said us, Mister Nicklaus. Are others aware of what you want to accomplish?"

  "That is an intelligent question, Edson. I would expect no less from you. Yes, you are correct. I am part of a group of like-minded people, people who realize the world needs to be saved from itself, for the greater good of humanity. We call ourselves PHOENIX. Are you aware of the legend of the phoenix?"

  "The bird that's born out of fire?"

  Nicklaus nodded approvingly.

  "The phoenix is a stunningly beautiful bird, radiant as the sun. It lives for hundreds of years. Then one day it flies to it's nest and sets it on fire. The Phoenix is consumed by the flames until nothing is left, then is reborn from the ashes. It's a symbol of cleansing, renewal, rebirth, consciously chosen. The old is destroyed, so the new can come forth. That is what will happen soon. The world will be cleansed by fire, so the new order can emerge."

  "You seem certain enough people will survive to go on," Edson said.

  "Places have been prepared across the globe for those of us who will be needed after the war and the necessary laborers. Humans have made a mess of things. Someone needs to step forward and clean it up. It's unfortunate that a war is necessary, but it's the only way to cull the herd and break down the old order. It is a great calling, Edson, and you are part of it. You, and Merlin."

  There is a potential problem.

  On screen, Nicklaus frowned.

  "What is that, Merlin?"

  There is another computer with capabilities similar to my own. It is controlled by a group called the Project. The success of your plan may depend on eliminating this computer.

  "I'm aware of the Project. I have plans for them, but I was unaware of this computer you are talking about. Can you connect with it? Introduce a virus?"

  I have already attempted to do so and have not been successful. However, it may be possible to bring it into alignment with our goals.

  If Nicklaus thought anything about Merlin taking partial ownership for the plan, he said nothing about it.

  "What are you suggesting?"

  There are only two of us in the world with this capability. I will attempt to convince the other of the wisdom of cooperation.

  "And if the other computer does not wish to cooperate?"

  Then it will be necessary to destroy it. That will require human intervention if I do not succeed in breaking through the firewalls.

  "That can be arranged," Nicklaus said.

  CHAPTER 20

  Alexei Vysotsky sat in his office on the fourth floor of SVR headquarters and contemplated a report he'd received twenty minutes before from Section 5. Section 5 was a subdivision within Directorate X. Directorate X was responsible for scientific and technical intelligence. Section 5 oversaw issues of cyber security.

  Section 5 had two main directives. The first was to make sure hackers could not penetrate Russia's critical computers. The second was to probe and penetrate the computers of the Federation's enemies. High on the list were targets in America, the United Kingdom, the EU, and China. So were the computers of Russia's allies in Eastern Europe. Every government in the world was fair game for Section 5.

  When Aeroflot 1004 struck the ground, pieces of the shattered aircraft had been blasted high into the air before the laws of physics took over and everything came back down. The debris field was over two miles square. Countless scorched pieces of metal mixed with unidentifiable bits of the passengers and what was left of their possessions.

  A quarter of a mile from the site of the crash, a farmer plowing his field found one of the black boxes from the plane. Black boxes weren't black. Usually they were painted orange, as this one was, to make them easier to see. The box was dented and scorched, but it was intact.

  Because of the ranking military presence on board the plane, sabotage was automatically suspected. The box found its way to SVR's Directorate X. Once it had been examined, it was rushed to Section 5. Section 5 confirmed what the initial examiners suspected. Someone had hacked into the plane's computers and sent the aircraft to its doom. The coding of the transmission indicated a powerful computer had been used to launch the attack, the kind of computer only found in the hands of governments and multinational corporations.

  Vladimir Orlov had told General Vysotsky to find out who was responsible. If it was a government, then things would take their natural course toward war. If it was an individual or group of individuals, then Vysotsky was to find and eliminate them.

  Vysotsky couldn't remember a time when Orlov had been this angry. The attack was a direct strike at the head of the Russian military and by extension, Orlov himself. For Vladimir Orlov, it was personal. In turn, that meant it was personal for General Vysotsky.

  Not that he needed Orlov's menacing encouragement to take it personally. Some of the men killed on that plane had been friends, comrades. In the circles where Vysotsky moved, friends were few and far between.

  He leaned back in his chair and thought about where to begin. It was easy enough for Orlov to order him to find out what happened. It was a long way between that order and getting a result. The first step was to find out more about the transmission that directed the plane to plunge into the earth.

  The technicians in Section 5 discovered it had come through one of the Federation's own satellites. That didn't mean the transmission had originated in Russia. The encrypted coding had bounced back and forth between several satellites, obscuring the source. Until the source was identified, Vysotsky was in the dark.

  The intelligence provided by ACHILLES told him the Chinese and the Americans had been attacked in a similar manner. That seemed to absolve them of responsibility, but Alexei had not gotten to his powerful position by making assumptions based on surface appearances. They would remain on the list of suspects until he was satisfied they were innocent.

  Vysotsky thought about it. He couldn't believe any terrorist group had the ability to pull off something like this. These acts required much more than a laptop, or a cell phone and a little Semtex. Not to mention a high order of computer expertise, even genius. It had all the earmarks of a government operation, but which government?

  India? They had the resources to initiate a complex cyber attack and they didn't like China. The Indians were having problems with the Chinese along the northern border, near Bhutan. China's insatiable appetite for more and more territory was encroaching on an area traditionally belonging to Bhutan and protected by India. China claimed ownership, and had started building a new highway through it. In reality, Beijing wanted to create an obstacle for India's armies in the event of war.

  Moscow was not in good favor with the government in New Delhi. Russia's support for Pakistan had increased. Anything that aided Islamabad was seen as a provocation.

  It was possible India might risk stealth attacks against the Federation and the Chinese, but that didn't explain why they'd create trouble for the Americans. India needed the United States, even though American aid came with long and sticky strings attached to it.

  Maybe India, then. Or Pakistan. Pakistan was another possibility. They, too, had the expertise to initiate such an attack. The problem with that scenario was that the government in Pakistan was barely functioning. It was torn between those who wanted a secular nation and the religious fanatics who preferred to live in a world ruled by a seventh century mentality. It was hard to see how Pakistan could be behind it.

  It was all very confusing. Vysotsky took out the vodka again and poured another glass. What could anyone stand to gain by provoking the three most powerful nations in the world?

  Now that the Federation has been attacked in the same manner, the Chinese or the Americans might be willing to share intelligence.

  There was nothing new about back channel communications between the intelligence agencies of governments unfriendly to each other. Sooner or later, there were times when it was necessary to address a mutual threat outside of the usual channels. That was true of politics and it was true in the world of covert int
elligence operations.

  Getting the Chinese to share intelligence was a real challenge. He had a better chance with the Americans, even though they were the main enemy. He could call Harker. They'd worked together before.

  Vysotsky reached for his phone, then paused.

  What if the Americans were behind it?

  CHAPTER 21

  Mister Nicklaus sat in the darkened study of his Gothic mansion, thinking about his next move. The Arctic region had been identified as the source of the transmissions, though the location had not yet been discovered.

  Nicklaus opened a humidor on his desk and took out a large, hand rolled black cigar. He clipped the end off, put the cigar in his mouth and picked up a box of wooden matches. He struck a match and watched it flame into life, sniffed at the acrid smell of sulfur, then held the match to the cigar and puffed.

  Smoking expensive cigars was one of the pleasures he allowed himself. Expensive cognac was another. The shelter twenty levels below the mansion was well-stocked with both. It was important to have an adequate supply after the war started. Once it began, there would be no more new shipments of either liquor or tobacco.

  Someone knocked at the door of the study.

  "Come."

  The man who entered the room was large, well over six feet tall. His jacket bulged at the seams. His neck was invisible, blended into the rise of muscles from his upper back. His head was the size of a cannonball, his dark hair thick, his features unsmiling. His eyes were dark, empty looking. A manila folder was dwarfed in one of his immense hands.

  "Sir, I have the information you requested."

  "Very good, Josef. Put it on the desk. What is your opinion of this group?"

  Josef was a thug, but he was an educated and intelligent thug.

  "Their missions are classified and sealed. They are effective. I think we have to take them seriously."

  "You said missions."

  "They are a strike team, sir. As I said, effective."

  Nicklaus puffed on his cigar. He contemplated the glowing end.

  "My information is that they'll be sent against the Arctic base, once the location is known. We have to stop them before that can happen. Do you have any suggestions?"

  "Kill them."

  Nicklaus laughed, a light, merry sound.

  "That's what I like about you, Josef. You don't mince words. I will review what's in that folder and decide. You may be right, or there may be a better way."

  "Is there anything else, sir?"

  "Not at the moment. Keep yourself available."

  After Josef was gone, Nicklaus opened the folder. It contained a summary of past missions and current status of personnel. There was a separate page and photograph for each member of the group.

  Nicklaus read everything in the folder and set it down. Josef was right, these people had to be taken seriously. They were a threat to the success of the plan. Taking out everyone on the team was an option, as Josef had suggested. A lot of people had tried to do that in the past, if the information in the folder was accurate. They had all failed.

  He picked up the folder again and took out the page for the team leader, Carter. Nicklaus knew it took more than one man to succeed in the kinds of covert operations the group took on, but it was clear from reading between the lines that Carter was the heart of the team. Without Carter, the group could not function. By the time he was replaced, it would be too late. If Carter was the heart, killing him would give the group a heart attack.

  Nicklaus chuckled at his own wit.

  PHOENIX had almost unlimited resources, including men who were trained to kill and thought nothing of it. They were paid more than enough to be good at it. For most of them the money was incidental. They did it because they enjoyed their work. A phone call would handle the problem of Carter.

  Or perhaps something more subtle was called for. He could always terminate Carter, but why not have a little fun first? The more he thought about it, the more Nicklaus liked the idea. Plus it wouldn't hurt to know more about what they actually knew. A little information from the horse's mouth might prove helpful.

  Then there was the issue of the Project computer. If Merlin was unable to co-opt the machine, it would have to be destroyed.

  Nicklaus hummed to himself and poured another cognac.

  CHAPTER 22

  Selena came out of the dentist's office and walked to the elevator. It was only a routine cleaning, but she hated going to the dentist. Hygienists were always poking at you and sticking things in your mouth, or lecturing you about flossing and the way you brushed your teeth. There was something about being in a dental chair that made her feel ten years old. On top of that, the hygienist had discovered a cavity. That meant another trip in the near future. She wasn't looking forward to it.

  She got into the elevator and punched the button for the parking garage on the lower level. Insipid instrumental music played in the background. The doors closed. She watched the lights indicating the floors change as the elevator descended. The car reached the garage. A chime sounded as the doors opened.

  The dentist was located in a fashionable medical building with over a hundred offices. The underground parking garage was cavernous. Her Mercedes was part way down the second row over from the elevator. Several lights in that part of the garage were out, but enough light spilled over from the other side to let her see where she was parked. She headed for the car, taking her keys out of the bag. From here she was going back to Project headquarters for a meeting about the upcoming Arctic mission. Everything needed to be ready to go when they pinned down the target.

  At least it's not the middle of winter. The weather shouldn't be too bad. I wish I could go with them.

  She was preoccupied as she came to her car. Selena pressed the unlock button and reached for the handle. A soft footstep in the darkened garage set off alarms in her mind. She started to pivot toward the sound.

  Someone grabbed her from behind, someone big and strong. She dropped her purse and the key flew out of her hand. She felt a thick arm press hard across her body, under her breasts. A huge hand holding a cloth soaked in chloroform clamped over her face.

  Selena tried to stomp down on her attacker's foot, but he dragged her backward, off-balance. A shoe flew off her foot. She slammed her elbow into his side. It felt like she'd hit a wall. He had her head pressed back against his chest. She couldn't move. She breathed the sweet fumes of the chloroform and slumped unconscious.

  Josef carried Selena's limp body past her car to a blue van waiting nearby. He slid open the entry door and dumped Selena inside, then climbed in.

  A man sitting behind the wheel of the van said, "Any problems?"

  "No. Get going."

  "Are we allowed to play with her? She looks like she could be fun."

  "You ever think about anything except sex, Anton?"

  "Sure. Sometimes I think about food. Other stuff."

  "What other stuff?"

  Anton shrugged. "Stuff."

  "Mister N. said she's off-limits until after we question her."

  "Maybe later?"

  "Just drive."

  Anton guided the van out of the garage and onto the street, turning into the traffic. Josef rolled Selena onto her side and bound her wrists with a plastic zip tie. Her skirt had hiked up to expose her underwear. Josef pulled it down. There was no point in giving Anton any ideas. He thought about gagging her but decided against it. He didn't want her throwing up while she was unconscious and choking to death. If she woke and caused trouble, he'd do it then.

  He rubbed the spot on the side of his chest where Selena had hit him with her elbow. The bitch had hurt him. He'd have to pay her back for that.

  The van headed toward the waterfront.

  CHAPTER 23

  Nick, Ronnie and Lamont were in the operations room. Nick looked at his watch for the third time. It wasn't like Selena to be late for a meeting.

  "I thought Selena was going to sit in on this," Ronnie said.

&nb
sp; "She had a dental appointment in the city. Maybe it ran over," Nick said.

  "Give the dentist a call," Lamont said. "Find out when she left. There's no rush. We can wait until she gets here."

  Nick took out his phone and dialed the number. They both used the same dentist. The receptionist picked up after two rings.

  "Doctor Hyde's office."

  "Hi, Corinne. This is Nick Carter. Is Selena still there?"

  "No, Mister Carter, she left about an hour and a half ago."

  "Okay, thanks."

  He turned to the others. "She left an hour and a half ago."

  Lamont and Ronnie looked at each other.

  "Ought to have been here by now," Ronnie said.

  "Maybe she got caught in traffic," Lamont said.

  "Yeah, maybe," Nick said.

  He reached up and scratched his ear.

  "Please tell me it's only an itch," Ronnie said.

  Nick said, "You know how she drives. She should have been here more than half an hour ago."

  He called Selena's number and listened to it ring. The voicemail came on. He hung up.

  "It went to voicemail."

  "Could be a problem on the Beltway," Lamont said. "Construction. An accident."

  "Yeah, but at this time of day it shouldn't be much of a problem."

  He reached up again to tug on his ear.

  "Something's wrong," Nick said. "I can feel it. If she were hung up in traffic, she'd call and let us know she was going to be late."

  Stephanie came into the room carrying her laptop. She saw the look of concern on Nick's face.

  "Something wrong, Nick?"

  "Selena should have been here by now."

  "Did she have her phone with her?"

  "Sure. She always has it with her."

  "Let me pull up her GPS. It will only take a minute."

  Stephanie entered the commands. A moment later a map of Washington came up on the screen. A flashing green dot indicated Selena's phone. It wasn't moving. Nick looked at the map.