Moments later, a speedboat drifts slowly toward the small bay where Secret Service agents sit in a boat, well lit at dusk. Unlike team 1’s van, penetrating from the north, the boat only contains four men, the opportunity for concealment being far less.
Two men stand at the bow of the boat. At their feet on the deck: the other two men, lying prone, and four AK-74 assault rifles fitted with under-barrel grenade launchers.
“Stop your boat!” the Secret Service agent calls out through a megaphone. “This is restricted water!”
The leader, a man named Hamid, cups his hand and yells toward the agents. “Can you tow us ashore? Our engine’s dead!”
“Turn your boat around!”
Hamid opens his arms. “I can’t. Engine’s dead!”
The man standing next to Hamid, his head turned downward only slightly, says to the men at his feet, “On my command.”
“Then drop anchor and we will send for help!”
“You want me to—”
“Do not advance! Drop anchor now!”
The agents on the boat scramble, one heading to each side of the boat, one to the bow, each of them yanking off tarps, exposing mounted machine guns.
“Now!” whispers Hamid, reaching down for one of the weapons.
The hidden men jump to their feet with their AK-74s, their grenade launchers, and open fire on the Secret Service.
Chapter
99
In the communications room, reading the text messages between Nina and our Benedict Arnold from Sunday, May 6, I now see how Lilly became involved. It was our insider’s way of getting Nina to access me directly without going through anyone else, keeping the insider’s fingerprints off the whole thing. Nina’s reply:
Nina (7:23 AM): You want me to tell the president’s daughter?
U/C (7:28 AM): Yes. If you give her the information, she will deliver it straight to her father. And the president will deal with you directly.
Nina (7:34 AM): Do you think the president will make this deal with me?
U/C (7:35 AM): Of course he will. Amnesty from your home government in exchange for saving our country? Of course he will! But you’ll have to go see him. Can you do that? Can you get to the US?
Nina (7:38 AM): Do I have to see him in person?
U/C (7:41 AM): Yes. He wouldn’t take your word for this over the phone.
Nina (7:45 AM): I don’t know. How do I know he won’t ship me to Gitmo and torture me?
U/C (7:48 AM): He wouldn’t. Trust me.
The truth is, I don’t know what I would have been willing to do to stop this virus. I would have interrogated Nina if I thought it would get me answers.
But it never got that far, because Nina made it clear—through Lilly, and then when she came to see me—that she had a partner who knew the other half of the puzzle. They were a package deal, Nina said, and if I detained her at the White House, I’d never meet the other half of the puzzle, and I’d never be able to stop the virus.
Which is where we find ourselves now.
Nina (7:54 AM): If I do this if I go see his daughter in Paris how do I know the president will take me seriously?
U/C (7:59 AM): He will.
Nina (8:02 AM): Why? U didn’t
U/C (8:04 AM): Because I’m going to give you a code word that will give you instant credibility. The moment he hears that code, he will take you seriously. No question.
Nina (8:09 AM): OK what is code
U/C (8:12 AM): I have to trust you. This is codeword-classified information I’m disclosing. I wouldn’t just have to resign my position. I’d go to prison. You get that?
Nina (8:15 AM): Yeah Edward Snowden Chelsea Manning?
U/C (8:17 AM): Basically. I’m risking everything to help you. I’m trusting you.
Nina (8:22 AM): We have to trust EACH OTHER. I won’t ever tell anyone who you are or what you told me. Swear to God!!
U/C (9:01 AM): All right. I am taking the risk of my life right now. I hope you understand that. I hope I can trust you.
Nina (9:05 AM): I do. U can
So that’s how Nina learned “Dark Ages.” And the day after this exchange of text messages—just five days ago, this past Monday—Nina found Lilly in Paris at the Sorbonne and whispered “Dark Ages” in her ear. Lilly called me, and I’ve spent the last four-plus days trying to figure out who the insider is.
So far I’m no closer to knowing that. I scroll down to the next page—
“Mr. President!” The voice of Casey, calling to me. “We’re ready!”
I rush out of the communications room, Alex following me, and find Casey, Devin, and Augie in the war room.
“Ready to activate the virus?” I say. I put down my phone on a desk and stand behind Devin.
Casey turns to me. “Mr. President, before we do this: you understand that we don’t know whether the virus is communicating between devices. It’s possible that each virus on each device around the country is independently timed to go off. But it’s also possible that the virus on one computer will signal to the others, that it will send an ‘execute’ command to set off the virus simultaneously on all affected devices.”
“Yes, you said that before.”
“My point being, sir, I hope this works—but if it doesn’t, and the virus detonates on the Pentagon server, it might activate on the millions and probably billions of devices around the country. Our worst-case scenario will come true if our plan doesn’t work.”
“It worked on the trial run,” I say.
“Yes, it did. We’ve done our best to reverse-engineer the virus for our trials. But I cannot tell you with 100 percent certainty that our re-creation was perfect. We’ve only had hours to do this, working quickly. So I can’t tell you this will work on the real virus.”
I take a deep breath. “If we do nothing, this virus will go off soon anyway,” I say. “Maybe a minute from now, maybe a few hours at most—but it’s coming soon. And this scheme we devised—it’s the closest thing we’ve come up with to stop the virus. Right?”
“Yes, sir. It’s the only thing that’s even remotely succeeded.”
“So?” I shrug. “Do you have a better idea?”
“I don’t, sir. I just want you to understand. If this doesn’t work…”
“Everything could go to shit. I get it. This could be a big win for us, or it could be Armageddon.” I look at Augie. “What do you think, Augie?”
“I agree with your reasoning, Mr. President. This is our best bet. Our only bet.”
“Casey?”
“I agree. We should try it.”
“Devin?”
“Agreed, sir.”
I rub my hands together. “Let’s do it, then.”
Devin’s fingers hover over the keyboard. “Here goes—”
“What?” Alex Trimble, standing near me, jumps as he puts his finger against his earbud. “North route has been breached? Viper!” he yells into his radio. “Viper, do you copy, Viper?” In one fluid motion, Alex is on me, gripping my arm and pulling me. “In the communications room, Mr. President! We need to lock down. It’s the safest—”
“No. I’m staying here.”
Alex tugs on me, not relenting. “No, sir, you have to come with me right now.”
“Then they’re coming with,” I say.
“Fine. But let’s go.”
Devin unhooks the laptop. Everyone rushes to the communications room.
Just as the sound of heavy gunfire echoes in the distance.
Chapter
100
After barreling the white van through the barricade, Lojzik slows it almost to a complete stop as he searches for the unmarked dirt road. There. He missed it. He stops, throws the van in Reverse, backs up past the road, and makes the left turn. If he hadn’t been told it was there, he would have missed it altogether.
The path is narrow enough to accommodate only a single vehicle. And it’s dark, the falling sun completely shrouded by the tall trees on each side. Lojzik grips the steering wheel and cranes his neck forward, unable to gain too much speed on the uneven terrain but slowly accelerating.
Only a half mile until they reach the cabin.
On the lake, a firefight.