The Loyal Nine

by Steven Konkoly

  ALL EMPIRES COLLAPSE EVENTUALLY

  He turned to the class and took a moment to gauge their reaction. Let’s see what they think about this topic.

  “Okay, guys, what do you think I mean by this?” asked Sarge.

  A few hands shot up. Sarge pointed at a meek student in the back of the room. Time to come out of your shell.

  “Mr. Lin, what say you?”

  “Professor Sargent, I believe that in the history of mankind, every civilization ever formed has eventually disappeared or been replaced,” said Lin.

  “How does this come about, Mr. Lin?” asked Sarge.

  “They either go broke or get their asses kicked,” said Lin.

  This elicited a round of laughter from his classmates. Sarge was also amused. So much for Mr. Lin’s shell.

  “Thank you, Mr. Lin, for that concise, articulate answer.” Sarge chuckled. “All empires collapse eventually when they are defeated by a more powerful enemy or when their funding runs out.”

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, there have been no exceptions in the history of mankind. Empires are not typically the result of conscious thought. Empires form when a group of people is large enough and powerful enough to impose its will on others—or kick their asses,” said Sarge with a nod and smile to Lin.

  “But empires are expensive,” said Sarge. “Throughout history, how did the mighty empires of the world finance themselves?”

  Sarge saw the hands pop up. He chose Miss Crepeau.

  “To the victor go the spoils,” she replied.

  “Exactly. Thank you, Miss Crepeau,” said Sarge. “In the early 1800s, this phrase was coined by a New York politician, but we have President Andrew Jackson to thank for the modern-day patronage system, which is so prevalent in our government today. President Jackson believed it was healthy to clear out the prior administration’s workers and bring in fresh faces. This patronage policy resulted in many Jacksonian Democrats, his political supporters, being placed into important government positions.”

  Sarge allowed the playful banter between warring political factions in the class to settle down before interrupting.

  “Before the Republicans point fingers, I will remind you—the Southern Democrats of the early nineteenth century are the political equivalent of today’s Southern Republican base,” said Sarge.

  The class erupted in another round of political posturing.

  “So,” said Sarge, pausing to bring the class back to attention, “to Miss Crepeau’s point, empires have historically financed their governments through force and theft. The great empires conquer their lesser opponents, take everything they have, and extort protection money out of the conquered citizens. This is how all of the great empires of the world were formed.

  “Some might argue that the United States is different—and in some respects it is,” said Sarge. “America was not formed by conquering another, less powerful opponent, although the Native Americans might disagree. The Founding Fathers sought independence from what they considered oppressive rule from Great Britain. But the formation of the great American empire, if you will, is only part of the equation,” said Sarge.

  Sarge brought up a new screen.

  Who’s going to pay for this?

  “Part two of the formation of a new empire involves financing its operations,” said Sarge. “America didn’t conquer another nation and plunder its wealth. The premise of the American Revolutionary War included a revolt against the implementation of taxes on the citizenry. Clearly, there wasn’t a stomach for that. What did they do to pay for this new government?”

  The young law student, Ocampo, eagerly raised his hand.

  “Mr. Ocampo,” said Sarge, “what do you think?”

  “They fired up the printing presses, sir,” said Ocampo.

  “That’s true to an extent,” said Sarge. “The Constitution provided in Article One that the federal government had the sole power to coin money and regulate the value thereof. But the Constitution was devoid of reference to paper money. You see, the Founding Fathers had some experience with paper money. The Continental Congress, as Ocampo suggested, fired up the printing presses and financed the American Revolution with continentals. Unfortunately, although I would argue predictably, the continentals became worthless by the end of the war—to the point they were never spoken of again.

  “It wasn’t until the Civil War when the National Banking Act was passed that the paper dollar became the fully accepted currency of the land,” said Sarge. “The United States adopted a gold standard, and its currency value became universally accepted. This leads us to one of the most important acts of participation by our country in global governance in its history—the Bretton Woods Conference.”

  Sarge changed the slide.

  “After the conclusion of World War II, delegates from the forty-four Allied nations participated in the UN Financial and Monetary Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. This conference produced the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank,” said Sarge. “At the time, the United States was the world’s greatest economic power and had a lot of influence on the agreements reached. Study the history and background of the Bretton Woods system. This is a prime example of the impact of global governance.” Sarge changed the slide again.

  The Nixon Shock

  “Welcome to the Nixon Shock, the mother of all government economic intervention,” said Sarge. “In essence, among other things, President Nixon abandoned the gold standard and the United States dollar became strictly a fiat currency. This is when we fired up the printing presses, Mr. Ocampo, and we haven’t stopped since.

  “You see, America never grasped the whole concept of being an empire. We conquered, but we did not take anything like our predecessors. In fact, history will show that we lose money on every conquest. Typically, after destroying another country in battle, we then move in and pay to fix it back. We lose money every time,” said Sarge, returning to a previous slide.

  Who’s going to pay for this?

  “So how does a nation that conquers without obtaining the spoils of victory sustain itself?” asked Sarge. “They do it with debt. No other empire has ever tried to finance itself by borrowing from others. No other nation has ever tried to borrow its own currency, which it prints any time it chooses. As we have seen in recent years, if the burden of repaying this debt is too high, the Federal Reserve simply prints more dollars to satisfy its creditors. They call this Ponzi scheme quantitative easing. The United States government is paying its prior debt obligations by issuance of new debt obligations or the printing of new money out of thin air. There are people sitting in Federal Prison for this exact type of scheme.

  “Today, our national debt, the amount we owe our creditors, is twenty trillion dollars. Every year, we add another one point two trillion to this total,” said Sarge. “Many argue that this trend is unsustainable, which leads us back to our original premise.” Sarge changed the slide back to the beginning. He had come full circle.

  ALL EMPIRES COLLAPSE EVENTUALLY

  “All empires collapse when they are defeated by a more vigorous empire, such as China, Russia or any of a number of rogue nations who possess nuclear capabilities,” said Sarge. “Or empires collapse when their financing runs out. America has built up a tremendous amount of debt that is owed to countries that do not like us very much—like China and Russia.

  “I want you to consider this. Should China and Russia elect to devalue our currency, resulting in our allies such as Germany and Japan becoming skittish about purchasing more of our debt, what would be the fate of the almighty dollar?” asked Sarge rhetorically. “If the United States cannot continue to finance itself via debt instruments, then it must tax its citizenry at an unprecedented rate. I submit to you that there isn’t enough income or wealth in this country to cover the bill.”

  Sarge pointed to the screen.

  “I will leave you with this. If all empires eventually collapse, does this premise also apply to the United States? If so,
is this the beginning of the end?”

  Chapter 26

  February 9, 2016

  Lausanne, Switzerland

  Steven disconnected the call and scrambled out of the master bedroom, poking his head into the room across the stairwell landing. Slash sat up in one of the beds, reading his Kindle. Steven didn’t have to say a word. The look on his face told Slash everything he needed to know.

  “How far away?” said the operative.

  “Less than a kilometer. Bring everything with you,” said Steven.

  “This is all I brought in,” said Slash, following him down the stairs.

  “We’re on the move. Control has identified a recently arrived ISIS-backed terror cell less than a kilometer west of here. Intelligence suggests they will move against the Iranian delegation later tonight,” said Steven.

  The team rose from their seats without speaking and rapidly descended the stairs to the garage, taking their assigned positions inside the Range Rover. Each operative’s MP-7, suppressor and individual gear had been stowed in a dark brown nylon backpack in the passenger compartment, while the metal box rested in the SUV boot. Ammunition magazines for their concealed-carry pistols and the MP-7s were distributed between the backpacks and specially designed cargo pockets sewn into their pants. When they stepped out of the SUV near the target, they’d resemble well-dressed Europeans wearing backpacks. Four identical backpacks.

  Steven carefully backed the SUV out of the garage, onto the dark pavement, while the team screwed the suppressors to their submachine guns. If possible, they would make as little noise as possible taking down the terror cell. Once the SUV hit the street outside of the alley, he started to brief the team.

  “We’re headed to 4 Rue Voltaire. Sharpie, plug that into your phone and land us one block over,” said Steve. “Bugs, attach my suppressor before we arrive.”

  “I’m one step ahead of you,” said Bugs. “What are we looking at?”

  “Four, possibly five ISIS-trained European-zone-based jihadis holed up in a third-floor flat. Intel suggests they’re prepping for an attack later tonight, so we’ll either catch them off guard, praying for a good death, or we’ll meet them head-on ready to leave,” said Steven.

  “I’m hoping for the former,” said Sharpie. “ROE?”

  “Terminate with extreme prejudice. Control doesn’t want to deal with smuggling anyone out of Lausanne. Not with the conference underway less than a mile from here,” said Steven.

  “Jesus, the delegates are still at the hotel?” said Sharpie.

  “Yes. Control wants to keep this as quiet as possible, for as long as possible,” said Steven.

  “What if that’s—not possible,” said Bugs.

  “Highest priority is given to eliminating the threat,” said Steven. “Which way am I turning?”

  “After the Metro overpass, take a left onto Avenue Floreal and start looking for a parking spot. Voltaire will be the first east-west street after making the turn onto Floreal. We’re less than a minute out,” said Sharpie.

  “Got it,” said Steven, keeping the SUV’s speed under the posted limit.

  As he drove the SUV under the concrete Metro overpass, Steven slowed his breathing, hoping to slow his heart rate and calm his racing mind. Control usually provided a more detailed threat assessment, which added to his anxiety. They had an address and a rough number of targets, leaving a ton of variables unexplored and questions unanswered. Most of the answers lay on the other side of the door to apartment 3B, 4 Rue Voltaire.

  “Take a left up here,” said Sharpie.

  Bugs shifted the MP-7 from his right hand to his left and disengaged the safety, preparing to put the weapon into action covering the passenger side of the SUV. Two more clicks confirmed that the rest of the team was ready for an ambush approaching the target building.

  Steven turned the Range Rover onto Avenue Floreal, searching for a parking space on the cramped, one-way street. At 10:12 on a weekday evening, he’d be lucky to find a spot.

  “I’m not seeing a lot of parking options,” said Bugs.

  “Not any legal options. I’ll put us halfway on the sidewalk near the intersection,” said Steven, slowing down next to the last car on the street.

  “If a police car rolls down Voltaire, our illegally parked Range Rover will attract attention,” said Bugs.

  “Voltaire is a dead end to the left, and a one-way street to the right,” said Sharpie. “The chances of a police car passing by are slim to none. Most of the police will be busy with the Beau-Rivage Palace Hotel.”

  “We should be in and out of the target building quickly. Sharpie, you’ll stay street side and provide overwatch. If the police show up, they’ll most likely ticket the vehicle and leave,” said Steven.

  “What if they don’t?” said Sharpie.

  “Call a cab and have it meet us a few streets away. Control can deal with the car,” said Steven, pulling the SUV onto the curb.

  They exited in unison, clipping the MP-7s to custom-stitched anchor points under their mid-waist-length jackets. The weapons’ suppressors were partially visible below the jackets, but wouldn’t attract attention from a distance. With their weapons and backpacks in place, they strode onto Rue Voltair, scanning the doorways and windows for anything out of place. Sharpie crossed the street and headed toward a recessed stone porch that would give him a view of the intersection and the street in front of 4 Rue Voltaire.

  Steven led the rest of the team down the left sidewalk, passing a small neighborhood store with a red awning featuring “tabacs” and “journaux” in white letters. Some things are the same everywhere. He left the dark storefront behind, sliding next to a tightly manicured row of thick, leafless bushes. Streetlights suspended by electric lines between the apartment buildings cast an orangish glow on their approach.

  He read the building numbers as they passed several walkways cutting through the barren hedge wall, quickly surmising that the next five-story building on the left contained their targets.

  “Sharpie, this is Nomad. Radio check,” he whispered into the microphone hidden in his collar.

  “I read you Lima Charlie. Street level is quiet,” said Sharpie.

  “Copy. We’re making our approach to the outer door,” said Steven.

  “Understood. See you in a few minutes,” replied the former Delta Force officer.

  Steven turned onto the paver walkway leading to the building, peering into the shuttered windows above. Satisfied that they’d arrived undetected by anyone in the windows, he motioned for Bugs to take care of the door. The entry was a surprisingly unsecure, thick wooden door. Within thirty seconds, Bugs had picked the lock, holding the door open for Steven and Slash.

  Once inside, he rapidly paced the long foyer and assessed the building’s layout, determining that it consisted of a central hallway on each floor. Based on the number of balconies observed outside, he guessed that each side of the hallway contained four apartments. He had no idea if 3A faced the street or the back of the building. A stairwell entrance and a single elevator door were located in a small lobby in the middle of the foyer.

  “We’re inside. Everything is clear,” he said, getting a quick response from their lookout.

  He unclipped the MP-7 from the jacket’s interior hitch and extended the telescoping stock before opening the heavy, fireproof stairwell door. Electric wall sconces lighted the marble stairs, adding to the luxurious feel of the well-appointed Lausanne apartment building. Not the kind of place you’d expect to find ISIS extremists, but certainly the last place Swiss authorities would think to look. Fortunately for the Swiss, they weren’t the only ones looking.

  When they reached the third floor, Steven paused at the door.

  “If we can pick the lock quietly and breach, we’ll go with that option. If not, we’ll make some noise. I’ll make that assessment at the door. This is a no-flashbang, dynamic entry. I go first and peel right. Slash goes left. Bugs gets inside and follows whoever has to clear another room.
We don’t know the layout. Clear?” he said.

  The two men nodded, and Steven opened the door, peeking into the warmly lit hallway. All clear. He turned left and walked swiftly to the first door on the street side of the hallway. 3E. He shook his head and pointed toward the other side of the elevator lobby, following Slash and Bugs down the long hallway to the last door on the opposing side. 3A.

  Slash crouched to the left of the door, covering the offset entry across the hallway, while Bugs scanned the door with a military-grade, handheld metal detector. He ran the black device up and down the crease of the door, trying to uncover any internal locking mechanisms, like a deadbolt or floor-mounted security jam. He stopped two-thirds of the way up the door, two feet above the deadbolt. Bugs shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. They’d have to make some noise. The question was how much?

  Steven leaned in and whispered in Bug’s ear. “Small charge on doorknob and slide bolt. We don’t have time to get hung up on the door.”

  Bugs nodded and started preparing small, pre-wired charges while Steven passed the information to Sharpie. The likelihood of a neighbor calling the police was about to climb exponentially. When Bugs finished planting the charges, they double-checked their weapons and edged away from the door before Steven counted down from three with his fingers. When the last finger disappeared, Bugs remote detonated the “door poppers,” initiating their attack.

  Steven pushed the scorched door open, immediately scanning for targets in a ninety-degree arc to the right. He was oblivious to anything that didn’t resemble a human being, his eyes lining up a head in the MP-7’s Zeiss reflex sight. A single trigger squeeze sprayed the wall dark red as he shifted the sight to a man seated at a table in front of a flat-screen computer monitor. His second bullet punctured the next man’s forehead, knocking his limp body off the chair. He never heard the two suppressed bullets fired by Slash into the targets he’d seen in his peripheral vision.