The 14th Colony_A Novel

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by Steve Berry


  Spetsnaz units (chapter 11) still exist today and the information about them noted in chapter 19 is correct. Leaping from a high-altitude plane in the middle of the night is something any spetsnaz officer could accomplish. The jump described in chapter 37 is taken from real-life experiences. Soviet forward attack plans against an enemy, using these specialized units (chapter 55), existed.

  The KGB became a master at both active and passive intelligence measures, its tentacles stretching into every corner of the world. Especially the United States, which was the USSR’s glavny protivnik (main adversary). The vast majority of Soviet espionage activities were channeled into preparing for an inevitable conflict with America (chapter 10). The Woods (chapter 49), where its most feared First Directorate established its headquarters, was a magnificent facility. Its rise and fall, as told in the story, are accurate. KGB employees did in fact receive a multitude of special privileges, becoming insulated from the suffering of ordinary Soviets (chapter 49). That privilege would also explain how it was able to so easily inflict so much pain on so many of its own people. Intourist still exists (chapter 45), though now privatized, no longer the official state travel agency.

  The Society of Cincinnati continues to be America’s oldest homegrown fraternal organization (chapters 14, 18). Its beginnings, and the apprehensions about it described throughout the story, are taken from reality. George Washington himself eventually saved it from dissolution. Benjamin Tallmadge, America’s first spymaster (chapter 34), was an original member, but his keeping of a journal and his involvement with any war plans of the United States and a secret tunnel beneath the White House are my additions to history (chapters 14, 18, 20, 23, 34, 39, and 60). Anderson House, though, is real and can be toured (chapter 18, 20). It still serves as the society’s national headquarters. The basement library is there and contains one of the finest Revolutionary War collections in the world. The ballroom and orangery are stunning, but the video room on the second floor (chapter 23) is fictional.

  Yuri Andropov existed as described (chapter 33), except for Fool’s Mate. He hated both Reagan and John Paul II (chapter 52). The West did fear him (chapter 50) but, thankfully, he died after only 15 months as general secretary. The ten-year-old American girl mentioned in chapter 33, who wrote a letter to Yuri Andropov, published in Pravda, was Samantha Smith. Her actions, and Andropov’s response, became a 1982 media circus. Andropov did in fact use the opportunity to lie to the West, proclaiming he was stopping all work on a missile defense system (chapter 33). Lies like that, part of a more widespread disinformation and propaganda campaign, were all too common from the Soviet Union. In 1983 Samantha visited the Soviet Union, but Andropov was too ill to greet her. Sadly, she died in a 1985 plane crash.

  The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) existed (chapter 29), created as detailed in chapter 30. Historians disagree, but some assert that its main purpose was not to develop a workable missile shield, since that was way beyond the scope of technology at the time. Instead, the idea had been to convince the Soviet Union that it might be possible, driving it to spend billions of rubles that it could not afford (chapter 30).

  And that was exactly what happened

  Which only hastened the regime’s downfall.

  Along the way the United States acquired a multitude of innovative technological advances, but a complete and workable missile defense shield remains only a dream.

  The U.S. Navy Riverine Squadron was one of the most decorated units from the Vietnam War, suffering huge casualties. Women being a part of the unit has only recently become a reality (chapter 53). George Shultz (chapter 18) and Cyrus Vance (chapter 9) served as secretaries of state. John Paul II did visit and forgive his assassin (chapter 52) and the USSR is still, to this day, the most likely candidate to have ordered the 1981 papal assassination attempt.

  The White House grounds, Lafayette Park, and Pershing Park (chapter 76) are correctly laid out. The Cabinet Room inside the White House is there, and Nixon did purchase and donate the table (chapter 58). The burning of both the Capitol and the White House by the British in 1815 happened (chapter 59 and 70). The War of 1812 was regarded as “Madison’s War” and the British hated having been forced to fight it (chapter 39). In August 1815 American troops did flee the federal district without putting up a fight. Contrary to legend, on that day Dolley Madison did not save Gilbert Stuart’s famous painting of George Washington (which now hangs in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery) (chapter 67). Instead, that feat was accomplished by others.

  St. John’s Church arose at the same time the White House was reconstructed (chapter 70). I came across this fact during a tour of the church (which anyone can take) and immediately decided that a connection between the two events made sense. The President’s Pew inside the church is real (chapter 70). I was also able to venture down into the church basement (not part of the tour), which is described accurately in chapters 75 and 76—with one exception. There is indeed a difference in the wall, but not with contrasting brick. Instead, the actual break is of concrete, supposedly where a former coal chute existed to fuel the boilers, now sealed. Its presence, though, spurred my imagination, so I added a tunnel from there to the White House. Also, on occasion through its two-hundred-plus-year existence, the church has been closed for renovations, just as in the novel (chapters 73 and 75).

  This story addresses the 20th Amendment to the Constitution along with the 1947 Presidential Succession Act. Both are riddled with legal flaws and inconsistencies, creating Supreme Court–ready issues that Congress has been unwilling to address (chapters 42 and 48). The USSR’s fascination with those problems is my addition, but the former Soviet Union did study every aspect of our society, searching for weaknesses. January 20ths that fall on Sunday have always been treated differently, with two swearing-in ceremonies occurring (chapter 58)—one on Sunday, the other Monday. In 1985 that was the case with Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration. The designated survivor is real (chapter 58), he or she chosen by the White House chief of staff. It’s also true that the highest person in the line of succession (per the 1947 act) who survives an attack becomes president, whether that person be the designated survivor or not (chapter 48 and 79). Also, unlike in the novel, on those rare Sunday occurrences the vice president is always sworn in separately and at a different location.

  RA-115s remain a mystery. No one has ever seen a suitcase-sized nuclear weapon produced by the Soviet Union. However, Stanislav Lunev (chapter 11), a former Soviet military officer and the highest-ranking intelligence operative to ever defect to the United States, describes them in his memoir, Through the Eyes of the Enemy. In the 1990s Congress held hearings on their existence, and the description used herein for the weapon is taken from those hearings (chapter 68). The trigger-warming aspect (chapter 68) is my addition. And there was a 60 Minutes story, as recounted in chapter 11, which the Soviets tried to discredit with misinformation about its producer.

  KGB weapons caches have been found across Europe and the Far East (chapter 19), but none has ever been located in this country (chapters 66 and 68). Former archivists have proved to be the best source of information. The definitive account is the The Sword and the Shield: The Mitrokhin Archive and the Secret History of the KGB, published in 1999 (chapter 11).

  Finally, there is Canada. The Founding Fathers desperately wanted it to become our 14th colony. The Articles of Confederation did contain language that would have allowed it to automatically join the new nation (chapter 39).

  But that never happened.

  And two invasion attempts failed.

  Canada again came onto our radar in the early part of the 20th century. The invasion plan from 1903 is real (chapters 59, 61, 62), and most of what is recounted in chapter 61 is quoted verbatim. On May 21, 1916, the War College filed its own invasion plan and all of the money spent and preparations detailed in chapter 62 happened. The massive war game at the Canadian border in August 1935 occurred. More concerns about Canada arose during World War
II, particularly if England fell to Germany, and a ninety-four-page document was prepared on how best to secure control. There’s even a 1977 book on the subject: The Defence of the Undefended Border, by Richard A. Preston. Of course, the Society of Cincinnati having anything to do with that is fiction.

  Unlike my other novels, this one deals with a more recent historical period. The Cold War. It was fascinating to learn some of its secrets, which are only now beginning fully to come to light. At its peak the KGB employed over 700,000 people scattered across twenty-plus directorates.

  Sharp of Sword. Tough of Shield.

  That was its motto.

  Both the CIA and the NSA were created in direct response to its presence. KGB agents posed as diplomats, reporters, businessmen, professors, even ordinary citizens, infiltrating anything and everything. Nothing was sacred. Once, even the piano tuner for the governor of New York was reputed to be a KGB asset. In the memoir mentioned above, Sanislav Lunev made a comment that Stephanie Nelle thought profound enough to never forget (chapter 11).

  It’s good advice.

  Both frightening and instructive.

  The best spy will be everyone’s friend, not a shadowy figure in the corner.

  ALSO BY STEVE BERRY

  COTTON MALONE NOVELS

  The Patriot Threat

  The Lincoln Myth

  The King’s Deception

  The Jefferson Key

  The Emperor’s Tomb

  The Paris Vendetta

  The Charlemagne Pursuit

  The Venetian Betrayal

  The Alexandria Link

  The Templar Legacy

  STAND-ALONE NOVELS

  The Columbus Affair

  The Third Secret

  The Romanov Prophecy

  The Amber Room

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  My sincere thanks to John Sargent, head of Macmillan, Sally Richardson who captains St. Martin’s, and my publisher, Andrew Martin. Also, a huge debt of gratitude is offered to Hector DeJean in Publicity; Jeff Dodes and everyone in Marketing and Sales, especially Paul Hochman; Jen Enderlin, the sage of all things paperback; David Rotstein, who produced the cover; Steven Seighman for the excellent interior design work; and Mary Beth Roche and her folks in Audio.

  As always, a bow to Simon Lipskar for another great job.

  And to my editor, Kelley Ragland, thank you.

  A few extra mentions: Meryl Moss and her extraordinary publicity team (especially Deb Zipf and JeriAnn Geller); Jessica Johns and Esther Garver who continue to keep Steve Berry Enterprises running smoothly; Colonel Barry King for his help with military hardware; Hayden Bryan at St. John’s Episcopal Church for opening doors and showing me around; and Doug Scofield for introducing me to Fool’s Mate.

  Without fail, to my wife, Elizabeth, who’s quite brilliant.

  In 2013 Elizabeth and I hosted a Danube River cruise with fans. We were unsure what to expect, being confined for eight days on a small riverboat with a group of total strangers. Anyone would be a little apprehensive. But the experience was marvelous and 20 new friends emerged from that trip. During the cruise, as we toured the various stops, collectively we’d all follow Elizabeth, who carried an orange paddle. After a while we began to call her Mama Duck. Naturally, we became baby ducks. Since that time we’ve visited with nearly all of those 20 new friends, some more than once. A few of the characters in this story are even named for them. For those of you I missed, don’t worry, your time will come.

  So this one’s for the Ducks.

  Of which Elizabeth and I are proud members.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  STEVE BERRY is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of ten Cotton Malone novels and four stand-alones. He has 20 million books in print, translated into 40 languages. With his wife, Elizabeth, he is the founder of History Matters, which is dedicated to historical preservation. He serves as a member of the Smithsonian Libraries Advisory Board and was a founding member of International Thriller Writers, formerly serving as its co-president. Visit his Web site at www.steveberry.org. Or sign up for email updates here.

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Epigraph

  Prologue

  Present Day

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Chapter 77

  Chapter 78

  Chapter 79

  Writer’s Note

  Also by Steve Berry

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  THE 14TH COLONY. Copyright © 2016 by Magellan Billet, Inc. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.minotaurbooks.com

  Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein

  Cover illustrations: seal © Tom Hallman; Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1815, in which U.S. forces defeated British Army © Archive Images / Alamy; background map © Historical Map Works LLC and Osher Map Library / Getty Images

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

  Names: Berry, Steve, 1955– author.

  Title: The 14th colony / Steve Berry.

  Other titles: Fourteenth colony

  Description: First edition. | New York: Minotaur Books, 2016. | Series: Cotton Malone

  Identifiers: LCCN 2015045816 | ISBN 9781250056245 (hardcover) | ISBN 978125009179 (signe
d edition) | ISBN 9781466862616 (e-book)

  Subjects: LCSH: Malone, Cotton (Fictitious character)—Fiction. | National security—United States—Fiction. | Presidents—Succession—United States—Fiction. | Targeted killing—Fiction. | Secret societies—Fiction. | Political fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Espionage. | GSAFD: Suspense fiction. | Spy stories.

  Classification: LCC PS3602.E764 A615 2016 | DDC 813/.6—dc23

  LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015045816

  e-ISBN 9781466862616

  Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].

  First Edition: April 2016

 

 

 


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