“Nonexistent,” said Kramer. “Part of the European ideal—move across the continent freely and without check.”
“Doesn’t help them now,” said Kilmoran.
“And Britain?” asked Thomas. He had close affiliation with the country, having many friends from there in the past.
“If they are able to maintain isolation, then they might be the only country left in Europe,” said Vanessa.
“But sir,” said Richards. “Being an island does not guarantee 100 percent protection. Look at Australia.” Richards flipped open another pad. “Infection in four cities now.”
“Do we know the cause yet?” said Thomas.
“A ship ran aground on their northern coastline, and infection began,” said Richards. “The English channel is tiny in comparison between Britain and Europe.”
“So Australia will fall, too?”
“Yes,” confirmed Richards. “There are so few countries left now. This virus spreads like fire among foliage.”
“And Homeland Security?” Thomas looked now to Dennis Blanchard, a distinguished man who always donned a three-piece gray suit. He had decades of political experience in Washington, dealing with the tough issues. Placing him in charge of Homeland Security was a no-brainer.
“Sir, confusion has led to rioting in most major cities across the country. The National Guard has been activated in nineteen states to maintain order,” said Blanchard.
“What about basic public services?” asked Thomas, thinking of the hospitals, schools, and fire services first.
“Patchwork,” said Blanchard. “Hospitals are under siege from frightened civilians and overloaded with the number of injured because of rioting. Medical supply shortages are being reported across the board, and states are reluctant to share anything they have a surplus of.”
“Everyone is holding on to what they have,” said Thomas. The thick smell of coffee and sandwiches made him feel queasy. He could still taste the mouthwash.
“I have instructed General Richards and the army to prepare to move in and assist in public order where necessary.”
“New York alone is proving the most volatile hotspot,” said Blanchard. “Over six thousand arrests in two hours. Enormous public gatherings to protest. Parts of the city are considered ‘no-go’ areas by the police and health services.”
“That isn’t acceptable,” said Thomas. “Mob rule will not be tolerated.”
“The army stands ready,” said Richards.
“But the problem here, sir, is we have a real divide in the country appearing,” George Houston, Director of the FBI, said.
“Explain,” said Thomas. He refused coffee from Gail.
“Before that newspaper article, we had pro-life and pro-evolution bickering to deal with, along with a smattering of protests about the virus,” said Houston. “Now, it’s all-out social war between these two groups, and their numbers are swelling. Dr. Roberts discussing how certain groups in society will certainly be sterilized has led to violence against these groups as people seek someone to blame.”
“In other words, if the diseased had not been so selfish, having babies, the aliens would not have had to create a virus in the first place.”
“Yes,” said George.
The simplicity of their argument perplexed him. Nothing this complicated could be summed up in such a basic statement.
“Antigovernment riots are popping up in every city,” said Blanchard.
“In the past hour, we’ve seen huge increases in attacks against the disabled, diseased and socially different,” said Houston. “I should like no one to be under any doubt about the seriousness of what we face. Society has begun to fracture, and I have real fear for what the next twenty-four hours hold.”
“What are we doing to combat that?” said Thomas, keeping his tone steady. A million-person riot in Paris caught his eye on the television. French police were beaten back with sticks and bricks, until they were in full retreat.
“Homeland Security is working with the FBI to try and thwart organized violence. We’re keeping tabs on current and potential ringleaders.”
“We could always arrest Bloodworth and Hashcroft if things continue to deteriorate,” said Houston. Clarice Bloodworth and Robert Hashcroft led the pro-life and pro-evolution movements.
“Could we find cause?” asked Thomas. “As a last resort, of course.”
“The FBI can always find cause,” said Houston. “If you want it done, it will be. But I’d recommend against it at the moment. We do it now, and it will cause uproar. I’ll keep them under close surveillance.”
“Okay, keep Gail updated,” said Thomas. “I want to make it clear, this government will not deny the published article. I plan to make a full speech to Congress and the nation, clarifying the article and stating the government’s position, along with our intended course of action.”
“Which is?” asked Kramer.
“That the article is true, and we are working closely with the Alien Council in developing a vaccine.”
“You actually plan to announce that?” asked Kilmoran.
“I’m not going to lie anymore,” said Thomas. “They’ve got the truth already, so we might as well get out there and shape the situation before someone else does. If we don’t, then the government will definitely fall.”
Gail handed him a note.
“Yes, of course,” he said to her. Section 51 was now ready to present their own course of action to the cabinet. “Key members of Section 51 will now be joining us for this meeting. Dr. Roberts, head of the CDC, will be one of them. He will answer for his crimes at a later date.”
“Yes sir,” was the general agreement from the room. Although he noticed many sour-faced expressions, he expected his request to be fulfilled. He nodded to Richards, who lifted a phone and said, “Proceed.”
Freda, Christopher, Peter, and Ursula all transported into the room without notice. A few of Thomas’s colleagues jumped from their chairs; others tried to remain impassive.
“Mr. President,” said Freda respectfully. She was as small and well dressed as before. He noticed she seemed to prefer solid block colors—now a full dark navy ensemble.
Everyone took their seats again.
“Freda,” said Thomas. “Freda is the official representative of the Alien Council.”
His team nodded and mumbled, unsure how to approach their first alien, except Richards.
“If you’d like to begin.”
“Thank you, Mr. President. While work continues on the vaccine and progress is being made, we must take more immediate action to save lives,” said Freda. She approached the table. “Dr. Roberts and Professor Barrington have both recommended that attacking the frontlines of viral infection may help hold it back. The aim of this would be to give Europe and Britain those vital few hours’ respite.”
“Are we talking about evacuation or war?” asked Richards.
“What we’re proposing is a humanitarian rescue,” said Ursula. “We take as many as we can from France and bring them to Ireland and mainland Britain. We’re calling it Dunkirk 2.0.”
Trust a scientist to come up with a name like that, thought Thomas. It slightly amused him.
“What was Dunkirk?” asked Kilmoran.
“During World War II, over the course of a week, 300,000 soldiers were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk and brought back to Britain before the Nazis closed in,” said Ursula. “What made it so endearing was that it wasn’t just the Royal Navy that did it, but civilian ships as well.”
Thomas was surprised the Defense Secretary hadn’t heard about it.
“Sounds like a defeat,” said Kilmoran.
“On the contrary,” said Thomas. “Three hundred thousand soldiers were saved. That, Madame Secretary, is no defeat.”
Kilmoran blushed as all eyes turned on her, aware of the polite presidential putdown.
“If we send as many ships as we can, akin to the infamous Dunkirk rescue, then we could save tens of thousands. The United States has two aircraft carriers in British waters from the military exercises. They alone can carry 10,000 people. That, along with every ship in Britain—we might be able to get 100,000 out, maybe more.”
“Those are big ifs,” said Kramer.
“This whole situation is a big if, Madame Secretary,” said Ursula. “But here is what I do know for sure. If we do nothing, no one will be saved, and every person on mainland Europe will become infected. We have the ships and the troops to make this happen.”
“How would we hold back the spread of the infection long enough to make this work?” asked Richards. “We’ve seen it taking over a country in the blink of an eye.”
“We equip every single aircraft we can with sarin-43,” said Peter. “Then, get confirmation from Germany and Spain for more specific target coordinates. We send in our bombers, who kill as many infected as possible. In the meantime, every ship in Britain will head to western France to evacuate as many as we can.”
“I take it you mean highways and such?” said Richards,
“Exactly,” said Peter. “We cut off all modes of easy transportation to France especially.”
“It’s a two-pronged approach,” said Ursula. “The reason we have selected Western France as the evacuation point is because it should be, geographically, the last point in Europe to become infected. We get as many people to head as westward as possible and take whoever we can.”
“And if one is infected?” said Jacqui. “We could lose Britain and Ireland, as well.”
“At the rate this virus infects the host, we will know immediately if someone is infected,” said Peter.
“And we can’t have Britain’s airspace overrun,” answered Ursula. “This evacuation is by sea only. We let it be known publicly that any plane that attempts to land in Britain will be shot down. Tell anyone left in Europe—head for Brest. It’s a French town with a large port, big enough for aircraft carriers to dock.”
“I want to save as many as possible, as well, but you’re talking about an exodus from Europe,” said Thomas. “It’ll be chaos.”
“From a military point of view, there are far too many variables,” said Richards. “We are putting two of our aircraft carriers in direct danger. So many things could go wrong, apart from infection. But we’ve lost enough people today, Mr. President. I’m in favor of trying to save some. In my opinion, we should go in.”
Seeing Richards’s resolve, the rest of the advisors agreed. But just as soon as everyone felt a moment of hope, an aide rushed in, handing the general a note. His face fell.
“Mr. President,” he said, removing his reading glasses, “we’ve just detected nuclear detonations in Russia and India. Dozens of them. Intelligence suggests what is left of their governments are attempting to contain infection by destroying entire cities.”
“Just Russia and India?”
“Numerous nuclear detonations across the Middle East and Asia. The Middle East has definitely fallen.”
Thomas tried to imagine ancient civilizations falling. Was this how it happened throughout history? An unstoppable force, which they could never defeat?
“Sir?” said Gail.
“We are losing the world, bit by bit. General, move our armed forces up to DEFCON 1. Gail … I need to speak to the European leaders. We’re running out of time.”
Chapter 36
“Live in five minutes, Prime Minister,” said Donald Cockle, his spokesperson.
William Stone gathered his thoughts. Over 600 members of Parliament settled down, looking in only one direction. The chamber was packed to overflowing, which only added to the sense of national urgency. Britain was in a danger not experienced since the Second World War. They had to rise to the challenge, and Stone would drag every ounce of courage he had left to the speech. It was make or break now.
“Ten seconds,” said Cockle.
Stone stood up, and the chamber hushed. He watched as the fingers counted down from five.
“I address you now, not from Downing Street, but from the heart of our democratic nation. The Houses of Parliament have stood the test of time against every threat this nation has faced. A phrase was coined many years ago, calling them the ‘Mother of All Parliaments.’ I can think of no more apt place for me to be addressing the county on the eve of our greatest challenge yet.”
He stopped and took a breath, looking around the chamber. The country was only a few hundred miles away from a virus that marched towards it like an unbeaten enemy. That, though, always brought out the best in Britain and her politicians.
“I know most of you are sitting at home, frightened. You’re worried about the future of your family, your friends, your town, your city. The government is, too. The vast resources available to both us and the United States of America have been called into service, and we will utilize every asset at our disposal to protect our countries and the future of our race. Never before have we faced such a threat to our very existence. We do march towards victory, but we have not yet won the final battle. British and American scientists continue to work around the clock. I have been assured a vaccine is imminent, and we have the facilities for mass production. Help is on its way.”
People across the chamber stamped their feet and clapped, showing their support for the prime minister.
“Almost 100 years ago, the British proved to the world our ability to pull together in another time of crisis. The Dunkirk evacuation saw 300,000 of our boys rescued from the beaches of war, in the face of Nazi annihilation. Every ship at the disposal of the Royal Navy, along with fishing boats, trawlers, garbage boats, and many more civilian vessels and their crews, sailed into that warzone without even being asked. Men and women not in the armed services took it upon themselves to set sail and rescue their fellow countrymen. Even as the skies raged with war and the English Channel turned a blood red, our nation came together. It was one of the most defining moments in British history. That act of human kindness showed the world our determination and our resolve.
“Moments ago, I spoke to the American president. We discussed the harrowing situation on the European mainland. The virus has penetrated Germany and Spain’s farthest borders, continuing its march westward like many foes before. In agreement with the American president, I believe it is time to resurrect the spirit of Dunkirk and the British people, once more!”
The chamber erupted with deafening applause as Stone ramped up the rhetoric and passionate determination in his speech. To rally the nation to such a task, he’d have to bring out patriotism to its zenith. The public was frightened, and he needed to transform that into utter defiance.
“I refuse,” roared Stone, thumping his hand on the podium, “to abandon millions of innocent Europeans—our friends and comrades—to a grisly fate. Britain has always stood firm in the face of all adversity. We’ve always backed the underdog, and we have never been defeated!” Stone’s face was red with gusto, the energy in the packed chamber reaching fever pitch.
“The British people have a unique tendency to pull together, every man and woman, in the charge to total victory. No less has ever sufficed. I ask each and every one of you now to show that golden quality once more. The remaining countries on this planet, our home, have called upon us, and we must answer that call. I have informed anyone left in Europe to head for the western tip of France, the city of Brest. The Royal Navy and every ship in its mighty fleet will steam to that location to rescue as many as possible. This is not a war of nations but a war against humanity itself. We are all together now. But the Royal Navy will greatly benefit from all those ‘little ships’ that made the original Dunkirk rescue such a triumph in history. I call upon e
very person in this nation to do their duty. Anyone who has any type of watercraft, take up arms, head for Brest, and do your duty. Do your duty not only to King and Country, but for all mankind. Once again, the lights are going out all over Europe, and it is true things may never be the same again, but we can make a difference right now. Thank you, and good luck.”
In the most unparliamentarily fashion, members in the chamber jumped to their feet, giving him a standing ovation. The prime minister continued to stand behind his podium, solemn and determined. He’d never admit it, but keeping the tears back was darn difficult. Even the British stiff upper lip was feeling the emotion.
“I think you just clinched it,” said the Home Secretary. Jonathan Pinkerton had flown in from mainland Europe, where he’d been stranded at a crime prevention conference. Stone had personally authorized an emergency rescue operation for him and his team.
“Let’s hope so,” said Stone, leaving the chamber with senior ministers. “We have this one opportunity to save lives. It’s not going to come again.”
Chapter 37
Operation Dunkirk 2.0 was now in full swing, with the British public defying international expectations by coming out in mass force. The scenes were staggering, and the media made sure they were broadcast across the world. From cruise liners to fishing boats, aircraft carriers to patrol boats, every ship was brought to bear.
Christopher listened to the news report and could see Brest flooded with thousands of people, desperate for rescue. He, on the other hand, was not feeling jubilant at all. While Dunkirk 2.0 had brought some much-needed unity to the world, something to smile about, he was facing another internal crisis now.
“CIM, scan again,” he said.
“Still nothing?” asked Peter, arriving with Ursula.
“No,” said Marina Black, Section 51’s operations manager.
Christopher didn’t really focus on what his team was saying. He watched them, Marina with her bushy hair and defiant manner—she was convinced Freda would be found—but he tuned out. Something like this was not in his old friend’s nature. “When was she last seen?” said Ursula.
The White Death Page 19
