Resistance to what? Stephanie thought. They're talking about Americans killing Americans. The way this is written, they might as well be talking about going to the dentist.
Section 4 discussed disposal of civilian casualties. Preparations were extensive. There was an inventory of earth moving equipment and related items, including 150,000 stackable, individual burying units of plastic.
Burying units, Stephanie thought. This is bureaucrat speak for coffins. The coffins were stored at the empty FEMA centers.
Stephanie felt goose bumps. She shivered.
Section 5 discussed rules of engagement and the arrest and detention of Americans deemed undesirable or unfriendly to the government. Armed resistance was to be met with deadly force. Citizens would be given a grace period of one week to turn in all firearms. Anyone found with a gun after that time would be considered an enemy of the state and treated accordingly. The Violent Crime Act of 1991 was cited as the legal justification for seizing all privately owned firearms.
Section 6 proposed creating an intermediate judicial system modeled on the Universal Code of Military Justice, with absolute powers. It would supersede the existing civilian courts until something more permanent could be established. It would ultimately be administered jointly with the DOJ under authority of Executive Order 11310.
Section 7 pointed out the need to inventory and seize food supplies and any properties deemed useful. Food and fuel stockpiles would be established at central distribution points and then rationed out according to regulations yet to be established.
Section 8 listed key military installations and their roles in the plan. There were references to other documents that spelled out military involvement in detail.
Section 9 outlined a centralized system to identify and track all citizens, using existing technology and current databases. An RFID chip would be implanted in every man, woman and child under the guise of medical vaccinations against biological warfare.
The final paragraph acknowledged that it would be necessary to modify procedures as needed.
Stephanie sat in shock, trying to comprehend what she had read. She printed the memorandum and disconnected from the Pentagon. She sat in her chair and stared at the monitor screen. Phrases from the secret document stuck in her mind.
Psychological consequences.
Inventory and seize food supplies.
Disposal of civilian casualties.
Identify and track all citizens.
Enemy of the state.
150,000 coffins.
Stephanie rose from her chair and walked to Elizabeth's office. Elizabeth looked up at her as she came in the door.
"Stephanie, what's the matter? You look like someone just died."
"I know what Ajax is," she said.
Elizabeth waited.
"It's a secret plan to take over the government and establish a police state. It's filled with legal rationalizations to justify the take over."
"You can't be serious."
Stephanie handed the printed pages to Elizabeth and sat down. She waited while Harker read them.
Elizabeth looked up at her. Her voice was quiet. "Where did you find this?" she asked.
"On the Pentagon servers. It's buried behind heavy encryption. No one who didn't know about it could ever find it. I was looking for something about Ajax and got lucky."
"Someone told Edmonds we were interfering with a classified military operation," Harker said. She tapped the papers with her finger. "I'd say this qualifies"
"Remember what we were talking about right after Rice was shot? We were speculating that someone could be getting ready for a coup."
"I remember."
"I think it's started and this is the plan. A lot of thinking has gone into it and years of preparation. It has to be more than a cadre of senior officers behind this. They couldn't do it alone. The infrastructure like the FEMA camps couldn't have been put in place without support from senior government officials. They must be part of the plot as well."
"It would explain the assassination attempt on Rice," Harker said. "He would never be part of something like this."
"According to this memorandum, they want to impose martial law on the whole country. It would look like a legitimate response to a terrorist attack or a breakdown in civil order. Congress couldn't do anything about it once martial law was declared, not for a minimum of six months. The main authority is Executive Order 11615, signed by Nixon back in 1971."
"That order has never been rescinded?"
"No."
"Riots like the one in Russia would provide a perfect excuse," Harker said.
Stephanie nodded. "What happened in Novosibirsk could have been a test to see how well their weapon worked. They were going to do the same thing in Riyadh and London before we stopped them."
Elizabeth picked up her pen and began tapping it on the desk.
"I'm going to have to tell Vysotsky what we've learned," Elizabeth said. "Sooner or later he'll discover that the signal came from an American satellite. Maybe I can soften the bad news and convince him that we're dealing with it."
"What are you going to say? That someone in the Pentagon wanted to test an American weapon so they decided to use it on Russia? I don't think that's going to go over very well."
"I'll get him involved in the investigation, like we did before. That should buy us some time."
"He may think it's a trick," Stephanie said.
"He may. But I have some credibility with him. He's an intelligent man. It's to his advantage to let us do the heavy lifting, as long as he feels confident we're telling him the truth."
"And if he stops feeling confident?"
"I'll deal with that if I have to. Let me think about this."
Elizabeth set down her pen and looked across her desk at Stephanie. "What have we got ourselves into?"
"I don't know," Stephanie said, "but I know one thing."
"What's that?"
"We're running out of time to stop it."
CHAPTER 33
Alexei Vysotsky was in a foul mood. He was under heavy pressure from Red Square to find out what had happened in Novosibirsk. The Kremlin wanted a scapegoat. Alexei had no intention of playing that role.
His encrypted, private phone signaled a call. Vysotsky looked at the caller ID.
Harker. What now?
He pressed a button under his desk that blanketed the room with electronic interference. In Russia, some things never changed. Though his office was regularly swept for listening devices, Vysotsky assumed it was bugged by the FSB, Russia's internal security apparatus. Even someone in his high position of trust was not beyond suspicion. If FSB suspected he was collaborating with the Americans on his own initiative, his head would be on the block.
"Director Harker," Vysotsky said. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your call? Tell me that you have something interesting to share with me."
"Hello, Alexei. I can guarantee your interest but before I continue, I need your word that this conversation will remain between us for the present."
"I'm not sure I can do that, Director."
"Nonetheless, I must insist. I need to discuss a difficult subject that requires the greatest discretion. A mistake on your part or on mine could create serious problems between our countries. Even war."
Vysotsky's dark mood had vanished. All his senses were on alert. He respected Harker, even admired her. She would not make such a request without good reason. She had aroused his professional curiosity, knowing he would be unable to refuse.
Vysotsky was under no illusions about himself. No one achieved his position of power without sacrificing some of his humanity. He was a ruthless man, but he tried to balance that by being an honorable man, within his definition of honor. If he gave his word, he would keep it. It was clear Harker had learned that about him. His estimation of her went up another notch.
"Very well, Director. You have my word."
Elizabeth took a deep breath and plunged in. "I am cer
tain that the events in Novosibirsk were a test run for the deployment of a new weapon."
"An American weapon?"
"Yes. Now you know why your discretion is required."
"We suspected this," Vysotsky said. He felt his blood pressure rising. A tight band seemed to be squeezing his head. With an effort, he controlled himself.
"You tell me it was an American weapon and ask me to keep quiet about it. That is too much, Director. Even from you."
"Hear me out, Alexei. It was not a sanctioned operation. I have discovered a conspiracy against our government. There is a plan to establish a police state here in America. Novosibirsk was a trial run in anticipation of using that weapon on our own people. You need to know about this. Our government is not behind the attack."
For the next 10 minutes, Elizabeth briefed Vysotsky on the raid in Alaska and on what had happened in London. She told him about the Ajax Protocol. When she was done, Vysotsky was silent.
Maybe I should go ahead and let that plot develop, he thought. Let the Americans destroy themselves.
"Still there, Alexei?"
"What are you going to do about it?" he said.
"Track down the conspirators and stop them," Elizabeth said. "I don't know who can be trusted. Someone got Vice President Edmonds to tell me to back off. I don't know if he's involved or not, but I've got no support from the White House until Rice recovers. Once I find out who talked to him, I'll have a better idea of who is behind it."
Vysotsky said, "Others are looking at what happened at Novosibirsk. They are certain to discover that your satellite sent that signal. Once that happens, there's nothing I can do unless I can show significant progress against the fascists who committed this crime."
"Understood. Alexei, I'm only asking for a little time. I understand that you need to protect yourself and that the interests of your country comes first. A militaristic take over in our country would be very bad news for everyone, especially Russia. It cannot be allowed to happen. We have a mutual interest in preventing it."
Vysotsky considered what she had just told him. She was right. Russia and the US did have an interest in common.
"Very well, Director. I'll keep this to myself as long as I can."
"I may need your assistance."
"What kind of assistance?"
"I was thinking of one of your special units," Elizabeth said. "It depends on what I find."
"Zaslon? You contemplate a joint operation?"
"I know it's unorthodox, but yes."
Vysotsky could hardly believe what he was hearing. Harker was director of one of America's most secretive intelligence agencies and she was asking him if he would be willing to deploy Russian special forces on American soil. He would mull over the implications later.
"If you have need of assistance..." Vysotsky said.
"Thank you. When this is over, perhaps you and I can meet again, like we did in Denmark."
"You are not worried that you will be considered a traitor?"
"No more than you."
Vysotsky laughed. "If I did not know better, Director, I would think you were proposing an assignation."
"Purely an exchange of views, Alexei. In the interests of international cooperation."
After he had hung up, Vysotsky thought about the conversation. Had she been flirting with him, at the end? In his mind's eye he conjured up a picture of Harker, her petite form and milk white skin.
She's a lovely woman, he thought. Attractive. I wonder what will happen if we meet again?
Vysotsky dismissed the thought and considered what he had learned. He didn't doubt that Harker's information was correct. She would never have called him if she was not certain of what she had learned. If the American plotters succeeded, it would almost certainly mean war. Harker wanted help. The act of sending a Zaslon unit into the United States could be construed as an act of war. If he did it without authorization from higher up, he would either end up against a wall or making ice cubes in Siberia.
Vysotsky lived for these moments when the great game took on urgency. Sometimes he missed the old days, when he'd been a field operative in the KGB. Now he had power, but with the power came the need to deal with the endless bureaucratic nonsense of the Kremlin bureaucracy. Elizabeth Harker was like a breath of fresh air.
Not for the first time, Vysotsky regretted that she was American.
CHAPTER 34
The next morning, Nick, Selena and Ronnie had landed in Washington and were on their way back to Project headquarters. Elizabeth, Lamont and Stephanie were in Harker's office. Elizabeth phone signaled a call. She looked at the display.
"It's Hood," she said. "Hello, Clarence..." she began, then stopped. "What? You're sure?"
The others watched her. "You're certain. All right. Yes. Thank you." She ended the call. She looked at the others, her face tight.
"Edmonds is sending a security team to shut down our operation. Hood thinks he intends to take us into custody with some excuse about national security."
"What?" Lamont said. "Are you kidding? He can't do that. Why would he do that? I thought only Rice could shut us down."
"Only Rice can," Harker said. "But it looks as though Edmonds thinks he has the authority. Until it gets sorted out he can create a lot of trouble for us."
"I guess you really pissed him off," Lamont said.
"It's more than that," Elizabeth said. "Something else is going on here."
"What do we do?" Stephanie asked.
Lamont was about to say something when the klaxon hammering of the security alarm drowned him out.
"What the hell..." he said.
Elizabeth flipped a switch on her desk. The monitor on her wall came alive. Three white Suburbans with Department of Homeland Security markings were coming down the drive toward the building.
"What are they doing here?" Lamont said.
"Edmonds must've sent them," Elizabeth said. "I don't think we'll wait and see what they want. It will take them time to get in here. Let's go."
They got up and headed for the spiral stairs leading down to the lower level. Stephanie grabbed her laptop from the desk. The cat was lying on the couch. Lamont scooped him up and held him against his body. Burps had been getting fat and lazy. He looked up at Lamont as if to ask what he was doing, but made no effort to escape.
Their footsteps rang on the metal steps as they hurried down the stairs.
Elizabeth had always been a believer in overkill when it came to security. She had installed an emergency escape tunnel from the computer room. It ran under the lawn and flower gardens and emerged a hundred yards away from the house in a tool shed. The entrance to the tunnel was out of sight behind one of the Crays, the only clue to its existence a thin outline in the wall. Stephanie pressed on a wall panel and the door slid open with a quiet, pneumatic hiss.
Lights came on in the tunnel. The door closed behind them. They walked quickly to the far end and climbed up into the tool shed. Lamont looked out through the screened window. From here they could see men in dark suits standing outside the building, arguing with one another.
There was a door in the back of the tool shed, out of sight from the house. Close by, a thick stand of oaks bordered the building. They slipped in single file from the back of the shed and into the woods. From there, a faint path ran through the western part of the property until it came up against the security fence. There was a gate here, electronically locked. Harker entered a code on a keypad mounted by the gate. It opened with a soft click.
Beyond the fence, camouflaged under the trees, was a single car garage. Another electronic keypad gave access to the interior. Inside was a dark blue Chevy SUV. It looked like any other SUV. There was nothing to make it stand out, but a close observer might have noticed that the glass seemed thicker than usual, the bumpers heavier.
"Slick," Lamont said. "I didn't know this was here. Will it start?"
"There's a solar feed to keep the battery charged," Elizabeth said. "It will start. The
tires are a little low, but they'll do. You drive. I'll signal the others."
They climbed into the car and Lamont started the engine.
"Where to?"
"The Marine Corps Memorial," Elizabeth said. "Follow the track through the woods. In half a mile we'll come out on paved road."
Lamont put the car in gear and headed for the highway. Elizabeth looked at her watch. It was 9:30 in the morning. She took out her phone and punched in a series of letters and numbers.
Alpha Red. MCM. 10:00 AM. MAX.
She pressed send. "I gave them a half hour," she said.
"What do you think is happening?" Steph asked.
"What's the plan, Director?" Lamont reached the road. They bumped onto the pavement and headed for Washington.
"I don't know yet. We'll talk it over at the Memorial."
CHAPTER 35
Nick, Selena and Ronnie showed up about 10 minutes after Elizabeth and the others arrived at the monument. When they saw Lamont behind the wheel of the Chevy, they came over to the SUV and climbed in.
Nick looked wired. Selena and Ronnie didn't look happy. It was only the second time Elizabeth had used the emergency signal. She described the raid on Project headquarters. Stephanie briefed them about the Ajax protocol.
Through the windshield, Nick could see the Memorial and the flag that flew for all of the Marines who had died in the service of their country. The Ajax protocol was a betrayal of everything that flag stood for.
"Those sons of bitches," he said. "What are we going to do about it?"
"Before we can do anything, we need a new base of operations," Elizabeth said. "We have to assume all Project resources are either unavailable or monitored. The old safe house is compromised, we can't go there. I'm open to suggestions."
"I know where we can go," Selena said. "My place."
"Your condo? That won't work, they're bound to be watching it."
"Not the condo, not Washington. There's an island."
The Ajax Protocol (The Project) Page 12
