Black Flagged Apex

Chapter 2





7:25 AM

White House Situation Room

Washington, D.C.



Frederick Shelby sat in one of the prime seats at the long conference table. Two seats away from the president of the United States, he was content to be included in the upper echelon of attendees. The conference table had been reconfigured to seat an expanded group of the most important people in the U.S. government, in what could easily be described as the most important conference room in the entire world. Technicians had worked feverishly yesterday to configure the room exclusively for the command and control of the government's response to the terrorist plot uncovered by the CIA.

Video conference cameras adorned the table, next to each imbedded computer terminal. Flat-screen monitors covered nearly every square inch of eye-level wall space, each presenting a different map, data table or news report. The constant flow of information on the screens brought the static walls alive with vivid, high-definition colors. The information flowing to these screens was controlled by analysts sitting at the mobile "watch floor" station in the far corner of the room.

This two-tiered hub consisted of four stations packed closely together, each housing three flat-screen monitors for operators to analyze and manipulate. The mobile station's electronics suite had been modified to communicate with the nerve centers of every agency and unit involved in the operation. All crisis-related communications sent to the White House would filter through the station and be appropriately disseminated. In anticipation of the complicated, multi-agency effort required to handle the crisis, the president decided to transfer complete responsibility for information management from the White House situation room's central watch floor to the mobile hub. If necessary, situation room technicians could add another mobile station and double the conference room's information management capacity.

He stared down the long table, very much enjoying the picture he saw. The generals and admirals were about as far away as possible from the president, without putting them at a kiddie table, which was where they belonged in his opinion. Especially after last night's debacle and the clear implication that someone in their ranks had tipped off Sanderson. He had been so close to catching Sanderson, only to have the rug pulled out from under him, in what could only be described as a calculated, carefully planned publicity stunt. Fortunately, he had kept his cool. A few more choice words the other night, and he might be a lot further away from the president. Everyone sat quietly as the flat-screen monitors simultaneously changed to a CNN broadcast.

"CNN ran this twenty-five minutes ago, and we're already getting hit left and right with domestic requests for information and civil emergency funding. Pay attention," the president said.

International news correspondent Michael Foreman appeared on the screen next to an inset map of western Russia. As he started speaking, the map zoomed in to the Kola Peninsula and the location of Monchegorsk appeared. The words "Breaking News" were stacked above the CNN tagline "Civil Unrest Reported in Russia."

"This is Michael Foreman with breaking news in Russia. A shockingly bizarre Reuters news story is quickly shaping into a potential nightmare for the world community. Samantha Rivers reports live from St. Petersburg."

"Thank you, Michael. I'm standing outside of St. Petersburg square, next to a group of protesters that will join thousands of their fellow countrymen inside the square to demand open access to Monchegorsk. As it stands, only military traffic is allowed on the main highway leading out of St. Petersburg to the beleaguered city, strictly enforced at checkpoints and by ominous patrols of armored vehicles. Until earlier today, most of the media crews had been operating out of Petrozavodsk, a little over two hundred kilometers to the north. Hundreds of military vehicles poured through the small city on their way north to Monchegorsk, which is another two hundred and fifty kilometers north. Abruptly, military and police units forced all media crews back to St. Petersburg, where we have been told to remain indefinitely.

"Confirmed news from the area is scarce, but persistent rumors of a deadly epidemic continue to surface. So far, nobody has been able to confirm the shocking and unbelievable footage sent anonymously to Reuters, suggesting that the Russian military is systematically destroying the city and killing its inhabitants. Russian officials have made no comment. One thing is for certain, the Russian government has taken extraordinary measures to seal off the area surrounding Monchegorsk. What is truly frightening is the fact that the world hasn't seen an emergency government response on this scale from the Russian government since Chernobyl."

"Thank you, Samantha. And now we turn to CNN's very own national security advisor, Brett Russell."

The screen froze, and the president returned his gaze to the table.

"And therein lies our problem. The media didn't skip a beat making this a national security issue, and they don't know the half of it…yet. We need to accelerate our efforts to safeguard the American public, and I'm not sure it can be done without drawing attention to the fact that the Monchegorsk situation is directly related to our national security and could very well be the tip of the iceberg. I want to leave this room with an effective, short-term strategy that we can improve upon for the long term. Here's what I think. We can't deploy the National Guard to watch over the nation's water treatment plants without answering some difficult questions. Homeland is already getting crushed with inquiries from state and local law enforcement agencies. We prudently raised the threat level to Orange, without providing details about the threat. This is highly unusual. We've only raised the threat level this high five times on a national level, and we've always provided details. I don't feel this strategy is sustainable beyond noon today. I want to hear your thoughts."

Frederick Shelby made a quick decision to jump into the thick of things. The FBI's task force stood at the vanguard of efforts to stop whatever might be headed to U.S. shores, and he wanted to make sure everyone in the room understood that fact. The squeaky wheel got the grease, or in this case, the resources.

"Yes, Mr. President. I think we all need more information on the incoming threat. What exactly are we dealing with? I've read the reports, but the information is vague at best. I think we could better shape the nation's response with more precise information," Shelby said.

Many of the attendees muttered agreement with his comment, while a few displayed mildly disapproving faces. He committed these to memory. It was always good to know who might not be on your side when things went sideways. The secretary of state, secretary of defense, White House chief of staff and, no surprise here, the director of the CIA. Even Sarah Kestler, the White House counterterrorism director looked a little annoyed.

"Our CDC liaison answers the technical questions about the Zulu virus," the president said.

"Zulu virus?" one of the generals said.

A tall man with exceedingly dark hair and matching eyebrows stood up from the far end of the table. He looked nothing like a scientific type to Shelby.

"Good morning. I'm Dr. Marston Phillips, assistant deputy director for the CDC's Office of Infectious Diseases. This is my colleague Dr. Pradeep Chandrashekar, who heads the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response," he said, gesturing to the man in a dark blue suit seated next to him at the conference table.

"So, to answer your question briefly, we are looking at a weaponized form of herpes simplex encephalitis, genetically modified to aggressively attack the brain's temporal lobe. Worse yet, we suspect that the modification has reduced the virus's lethality."

"Isn't that a good thing?" interjected James Quinn, national security advisor.

"Normally, yes. Left untreated, herpes simplex encephalitis has a high fatality rate. Near seventy percent."

The entire room broke into murmurs at the presentation of that statistic.

"Treated aggressively, we can reduce this to thirty percent," the scientist continued.

"Thirty? That's still extremely high," the national security advisor said.

"Correct. For an infectious disease, this is a worst-case scenario in terms of lethality, but keep in mind that viral encephalitis is not a highly transmittable disease, like the avian flu. This is partly why cases of viral encephalitis are still extremely rare," Phillips said.

"So this should be relatively easy to contain if released on U.S. soil?" the homeland security director asked.

"May I?" Pradeep Chandrashekar asked.

"Please," said Phillips, who sat down to let his colleague continue.

"If the Zulu virus is released into a public water source, containment of the disease itself will not be our biggest challenge. Physical containment of the impacted community and the management of information will be your biggest priority. Weaponized encephalitis is the ultimate biological weapon."

"But if it's not contagious, at worst we're looking at highly localized terrorist incidents. Tragic and horrific, but manageable," the White House chief of staff said.

"You're missing the bigger picture here, Mr. Remy. Herpes simplex encephalitis does more than produce casualties, and if the virus in question has been modified as suggested, the impact of its release can't be understated. Here are the statistics for the unmodified virus. In those treated aggressively, less than three percent regain normal brain function. This can vary from very mild to severe impairment, depending upon several factors. Early treatment with high dose, intravenous acyclovir is the only modifiable factor scientists have identified. However, this may not be an option in our situation. Testing isn't complete, but the initial research conducted by Edgewood indicates that the weaponized strain in question races to the temporal lobe, leaving little hope of recovery."

"How can you know that for sure?" Shelby asked.

"We can't, but based on the information surrounding the current situation, we have to assume a worst-case scenario," Phillips interjected.

"And what is that?" Shelby continued.

"If released in a municipal water supply, unknown to the population, it has the potential to affect nearly everyone. Take a small town of twenty thousand people. Even if we discovered the attack immediately after the virus circulated through the drinking water and treated everyone in the town with acyclovir, 95% of them will suffer neurological impairment at varying levels. 19,000 citizens. Neurological impairment will range from…" he paused and glanced at the president and the director of the CIA, who shared a glance, and nodded almost imperceptibly toward Phillips.

"Full homicidal rage and hyper-aggressive behavior to minor seizures. Brain damage in almost every case. Edgewood's initial report indicated that we would likely be dealing with the more serious end of that spectrum. The reports gathered by…" He stopped again and looked to the CIA director.

Shelby started to get even more annoyed. He could tell that Phillips was uncomfortable taking the conversation any further, and he knew exactly why. Prior to entering the conference room, Shelby had been cornered by the national security advisor, who informed him that there could be no direct mention of Sanderson's team during the meeting. They could be called "intelligence assets in Europe" or "on-site ground assets," but specific reference beyond that was forbidden.

They didn't have time for the paperwork before the meeting, but information regarding Sanderson's present and future involvement with the government would be classified Compartmentalized Information Security (CIS) Category One. The Black Flag program was once again one of the most highly classified secrets of the United States government. Obviously, Phillips had been given the same speech. He wondered who else had been yanked aside by the national security advisor. Not everyone, or they wouldn't have to dance around this issue during the meeting. The president ended the uncomfortable pause.

"The effects of the virus in question have been confirmed firsthand in Russia. We are dealing with the worst end of that spectrum. I don't mean to cut you off, Dr. Phillips, but let me say what needs to be said. If that virus is released, we face the likelihood of trying to contain an entire city or township of brain-damaged citizens, many of them mentally deranged and violent, who face no hope of recovery. I can't even begin to fathom how we would handle 19,000 cases like Dr. Phillips suggested in just a small township. People would have to be detained and treated compassionately, even the ones that would require maximum-security institutionalization. Imagine this happening simultaneously in fifty-eight separate cities across America. This is the ultimate terrorist weapon, with the potential to tear apart the fabric of American society.

"I want to focus on taking steps to protect our citizens from the release of this virus in the United States, while responsibly and cautiously preparing them for the possibility of an attack. The joint FBI and Homeland Security task force based out of our National Counterterrorism Center is already fast at work tracking down domestic leads. We have assets doing the same thing abroad. So, how do we start preparing the public, while not hindering investigative progress?" the president said.

"We have to be careful with raising the threat level. Orange is significant, but taking it to Red could tip off the group preparing to attack. Possibly accelerate their timeline or cause them to go to ground. Whatever we do, we can't tip them off until the investigation has reached a critical mass," Shelby said.

"But going to Red would leave no question in anyone's mind that this was the real deal. If we're planning to activate the National Guard, I don't see how we can avoid it," said Marianne Templeton, secretary of Homeland Security.

"Going to Red will cause a widespread panic. We need to slowly ease into this, based on the immediacy of the threat. We can activate the National Guard without going to Red," the White House chief of staff said.

"I don't think we can get away with that for very long. Dr. Chandrashekar, where does the CDC stand in terms of a response?" Templeton asked.

"We're already assembling first-response teams and deploying them nationwide, so they can reach anywhere within the continental U.S. within a few hours. These teams will confirm the presence of the virus and allow full-scale resources to be deployed. We'll coordinate with Health and Human Services to educate the public as determined by the administration. We're working up media packages, public education announcements, and response guidelines for first responders," Chandrashekar responded.

"Pauline, what can we expect from your department at the outset?" the president asked.

Pauline Rosenberg, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services leaned forward to see around Director Shelby.

"Mr. President, my department will work closely with the CDC to ensure the rapid and targeted deployment of our National Disaster Medical System assets. Under your recent directive, we have created and disseminated several National Planning Scenarios intended to guide federal, state and local disaster planning efforts. Unfortunately, efforts to implement the recommendations proposed by these scenarios are still in their infancy at the state and local levels. The sooner we alert state and local governments, the better. These scenarios are designed to focus response efforts for geographically limited disasters projected to produce significant casualties in the tens of thousands. A bioweapons attack is one of the scenarios. State governments need to start readying a response."

"I agree with you, Ms. Rosenberg, but we need to figure out how to do this without creating a panic," the president said.

"What are we doing directly on a federal level?" he asked.

"On a federal level, we are preparing all of our deployable medical response assets. We have fifty-five Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and thirty-one Federal Medical Stations that can be deployed within twenty-four hours. All of the equipment and personnel are being assembled as we speak. Once CDC identifies a hot zone, we will commit these additional assets and start intensively coordinating with local medical and law enforcement authorities. Nineteen thousand patients will require an incredible effort at every level, which will quickly outstrip local resources. Mr. President, you should be prepared to immediately declare any area hit as a federal disaster."

"Nineteen thousand was only an example. The number could be in the hundreds of thousands, depending on the target city," Dr. Chandrashekar informed them.

"What about the Strategic National Stockpile and Project BioShield? We've spent close to forty billion dollars on bioweapons defense since 9/11 and the anthrax attacks. Five billion alone for vaccines," the White House chief of staff said.

"Unfortunately, most of that money went to purchasing and stockpiling vaccines and drugs to counter anthrax and smallpox, which have always been considered to be the most likely bioterrorism threats. We've also put a considerable amount of funding into research for an antidote to botulism toxins. The rest went to research to improve treatments to exposure to chemical and radiological weapons. We have no stockpile of anti-virals suited to treat a weaponized version, or any version of herpes simplex encephalitis."

"What about the drug companies that make the ones we need?" the chief of staff asked.

"We're in contact with them right now, to see how quickly they can increase production of these drugs. The production of oral valacyclovir can likely be increased immediately, but the intravenous acyclovir will present a problem. Unfortunately, the intravenous solution is the standard of treatment for HSE. High doses of orally administered valacyclovir are only theoretically effective in this case."

"Shit. We have nothing stockpiled to defend against this?" the chief of staff asked.

"Not at the moment."

"I'll get on the phone to the CEOs of these companies as soon as I leave the room and make sure you have their undivided attention," the president said.

"Where do we stand right now in the investigation?" asked Sarah Kestler, White House counterterrorism director.

This was Shelby's chance to shine, though he knew that most of his own taskforce's success depended heavily on Sanderson's team's efforts in Europe. All of this was a cruel twist of fate and irony for Shelby, one that scorched his very soul with the fires of mistrust and suspicion. Sanderson had burned them all twice now: two years ago by destroying the HYDRA investigation for his own selfish purposes, and one day ago by forcing the president to grant his entire band of criminals a blanket immunity agreement. Each scenario had been carefully crafted and manipulated by Sanderson.

Deep down inside, he wasn't completely convinced that this whole terrorist threat wasn't Sanderson's plan from the very beginning. He would never forgive Sanderson for the two high-profile embarrassments placed in his lap, and despite the immunity agreement, he would have his revenge. He'd have to be patient and extremely cautious, but he'd find a way to send that traitorous bastard to prison for the rest of his life. He already knew where to start the process.

He stared down at Major General Bob Kearney and nodded. He hadn't been surprised to see his friend in the meeting, but the presence of Rear Admiral DeSantos seemed unusual. Why the Strategic Services Branch (SSB) needed to sit in on one of the most important meetings in history was lost on him, unless the SSB was Sanderson's new home. Kearney would be seething if this turned out to be the case, but the arrangement might prove useful. Kearney was an ally that might prove instrumental to bringing Sanderson down. If Sanderson's crew was attached to the SSB, a subordinate command to Kearney's DIA, Shelby's commitment to bringing Sanderson down might be easier than expected.

Clearing his throat, he stood up to address the president.

"Task Force Scorpion will focus investigative efforts in two directions. Since Al Qaeda operatives were last in possession of the virus in Europe, our primary focus is on suspected Al Qaeda cells in the U.S. These cells typically operate independently, but based on the coordinated plan foiled in Europe, we suspect that this will be a coordinated effort here at home. The larger the network, the more likely we will pick up leads right away. I have tripled the number of agents to the International Terrorism Operations Section assigned to Al Qaeda and made this the FBI's number one investigative priority. Homeland Security has made a similar shift in its resources," Shelby said, nodding to Marianne Templeton.

"Our second focus is on domestic terrorism networks. Intelligence gathered in Europe indicated the remote possibility that one of our homegrown terrorist groups may be involved, though this has not been confirmed, and the extent of their involvement is unknown. Special Agent Ryan Sharpe, Task Force Scorpion's leader, has worked extensively within the Domestic Terrorism section for the past few years and is intimately familiar with all of these groups. His assistant, Special Agent Frank Mendoza, is a rising star within the Al Qaeda investigative section. I've put our best people on deck for this and am confident that we'll start making significant progress immediately," he finished.

"And our overseas assets? How do they fit into this?" asked the national security advisor.

Both Shelby and the director of the CIA started to answer this question at the same time, neither one of them wanting to back down.

"Director Copley?" the president said.

"Thank you, Mr. President. Intelligence suggests that Al Qaeda planned to use a medical supply distribution company in Germany to ship the remaining virus to the U.S. Discreet assets are moving quickly to that site and—"

"Should I be worried about this?" the secretary of state, Colin Hyde, interrupted.

Shelby chuckled to himself and had to exercise every last bit of restraint not to visibly show his amusement. Should he be worried? Hadn't he seen the results of the CIA's discreet assets in Stockholm? They nearly destroyed half of a city block in broad daylight. The Black Flag teams were the secretary of state's worst nightmare. An international incident steamroller on autopilot to tear up as much of Europe as humanly possible. He should be very worried.

"We can talk about that a little later, Colin. Based on the information we've shared with Germany already, I don't think they'll have a problem with what we have in mind," the president said, nodding for Director Copley to finish.

Shelby couldn't restrain himself and barely managed to turn an outright laugh into a cough.

"If we're lucky, the virus may still be sitting in Europe. If not, they'll do everything possible to figure out where these canisters were shipped. Evidence found in Europe indicated that several Al Qaeda cells made hasty exits from the European scene. If the canisters were shipped recently, as suspected, Task Force Scorpion might have a chance of grabbing it all at once on the ground here."

"You mean we're not even 100% sure this is inbound?" Joseph Morales said, speaking up for the first time.

Morales was the Department of Justice's assistant attorney general for National Security (AAG-NS) and directed three other AAG's within the National Security Division that handled the legal aspects of counterterrorism, counterespionage and intelligence gathering. Shelby rarely clashed with Morales, since his position was newly appointed by the president, and they mostly saw eye to eye on issues regarding domestic counterintelligence and counterterrorism. Most importantly, his attorneys spent most of their time focusing on foreign intelligence gathering methods. Frankly, he was surprised that the president had included him in this meeting, as he could imagine no circumstance on earth under which the administration would bring him up to speed on the details of their most current foreign intelligence gathering asset's origins. Morales would be another ally Shelby could rely upon when things started to get dicey.

"We should have a yes or no answer on that within a few hours," Copley said.

"I don't want to overstep my area of expertise, Madame Secretary," Morales said, gesturing toward Pauline Rosenberg from Health and Human Services, "but there are certain actions that won't be retractable. Maybe we should wait for word from our overseas assets before we start contacting state governors and ramping up bioterrorism resources. It won't take much for the media to start piecing this all together, especially with the news from Russia."

"I tend to agree with this course of action," Marianne Templeton said. "If this isn't inbound, an overreaction on our part will unnecessarily panic the public."

Sarah Kestler stood up, scowling with pursed lips. She always wore a severe-looking face, but this new look gave her an entirely new dimension of seriousness.

"Nobody is suggesting that we shut down FedEx and UPS, or confiscate every package delivered within the last week. Some basic steps are prudent. It sounds like the virus could already be here. The European cells vanished within the last four days, right?"

"So it appears from the foreign law enforcement reports," Shelby said.

"Al Qaeda isn't going to wait for us to gather the next report. Four days ago? Give them a day to consolidate the virus at the shipping facility, maybe another day to pack and ship. Until proven otherwise, I recommend that we start taking steps based on the assumption that U.S. based Al Qaeda cells are in possession of fifty-eight bioweapons canisters. Or at least someone is in possession of these weapons. Given the fact that they abandoned Europe, likely in response to the news pouring out of the Kola Peninsula, I don't think they plan to sit around and stare at the canisters for very long. This is a bold plan that took years to coordinate. They're shifting tactics and strategy quickly. Frankly, I'd be surprised if they hadn't already carried out their mission here. We need the National Guard and local law enforcement out protecting our water supply right now. European authorities didn't waste any time securing and testing their water supplies."

"It's just that once we start this ball rolling, it'll be hard to stop," the secretary of Homeland Security added.

"She's right. Once we start making calls at the state level, this thing will take on a life of its own," the Health and Human Services secretary said.

"I think we'll have much bigger problems if Al Qaeda manages to release the virus. Each canister can poison a city," Kestler said.

"Our intelligence indicates that they would use more than one per city," the CIA director added.

"Fair enough. Twenty cities…even one city will create an unstoppable panic, well beyond any scare caused by preparing for an attack. It sounds like the right steps are being taken by every agency at the federal level. I just think it's time to get local and state authorities involved. We need to start securing water supply points and testing water."

"Does anyone firmly disagree with this strategy?" the president asked.

"I still think we should wait until the threat is confirmed. If we immediately take the steps that Ms. Kestler recommends, we have to raise the threat level to Red. There is no going back from there. It has only been done once since 9/11."

"I can live with that," Kestler said.

"You don't have to deal with the impact on the nation's transportation system, airports, borders…this goes far beyond just sliding the color over to Red."

"Just one successful attack will change the nation forever, Mr. President. This has the potential to make 9/11 look like a pipe bomb," Kestler replied.

Shelby liked the way she thought and acted. No nonsense, action oriented.

"All right. Ms. Kennedy?" the president said.

"Sir?" said Sandra Kennedy, the deputy secretary of defense, leaning her head inward to make eye contact with the president.

"Let's activate the Army National Guard and Army Reserve immediately. Do whatever needs to be done to coordinate with each state. Make sure they understand that this is a nationally directed deployment."

"Understood, Mr. President."

"If we're lucky, we'll find out in a few hours that the virus never left Europe. I'm willing to deal with the fallout of putting the Guard and the appropriate government agencies on high alert. The situation in Monchegorsk is a nightmare. Even before Russia's unforgiveable wholesale slaughter of the population, it was—"

"Unverified at the moment," the secretary of state interrupted.

"It's been verified, Colin. However, I understand your concerns regarding the Russians," he said, shooting the secretary of state a harsh look.

"Marianne, let's move the Homeland Security Advisory System threat level to Red. Severe risk of attack," the president decided.

The president started going down the line, tasking the members, but Shelby was distracted by an alert on the built-in tabletop computer monitor in front of him. The monitor at his seat had been configured for him to send and receive intranet traffic from his own office to provide a way for his staff and immediate subordinates to pass him information while he was stuck in the White House situation room. So far, the messages had been routine, intended for him to review in between sessions. A flash priority message caught his eye at the top of the queue and all of his other message traffic stopped. He noticed that one of the president's aides, sitting at a chair behind the president, received a cell phone call. Even Shelby wasn't allowed to bring a cell phone into the situation room, so he knew this must have been an internal communication. The aide stood up and walked along the outside wall of the room toward him.

"Director Shelby, I've been informed that you have a flash message," he stated.

"Thank you. I just saw it."

This exchange went mostly unnoticed in the room. It wasn't uncommon for senior government officials to receive critical messages while in the audience of the president. Shelby's eyes narrowed as he read the contents of the message. When he shifted his gaze to the president, he noticed that all eyes were focused on him. The president had stopped talking and was waiting for Shelby.

"What happened?" the president said.

"Six of the seven suspected Al Qaeda cells under surveillance in the greater New York/New Jersey metro area were taken out last night. Massacred in their sleep. I think it's fair to assume that some of the virus is here already," Shelby said, clearly shaken by the news.

"What about the other cell?" Marianne Templeton asked.

"Missing. They shook ground surveillance and never returned to their apartment last night," Shelby said.

"Shit. How the hell could this have happened right under your peoples' noses? They were under surveillance, right?" Jacob Remy snapped.

"Easy, Jacob," the president said.

"Simultaneous strikes around 2:30 in the morning. This is surveillance, not protective duty. These groups never move at night. They follow unvarying routines throughout the day and wake up in the middle of the night to pray. We listen to every conversation they have and analyze every aspect of their lives."

"But someone can walk inside and kill them without anyone knowing?" the White House chief pressed.

"We can figure this out later. Do you have any leads? Anything that can move us in the right direction?" the president said.

"We got lucky at one of the sites," Shelby said.

Jacob Remy huffed at this comment.

"One of the killers removed his mask prematurely, within view of our cameras. We're working on identifying him. Surveillance records indicate that all of the sites received multiple FedEx packages yesterday," Shelby said.

"Are you f*cking kidding me?" Jacobs yelled. "How long would it have taken for that information to raise an alarm? This is unreal!"

"Maybe if you'd quit withholding funds from my agency, I could hire more agents to watch these pricks…and upgrade the systems used by our analysts to filter through the thousands of reports that are filed on an hourly basis from law enforcement agencies nationwide."

"Now this is my fault?" Jacobs said.

"It's Al Qaeda's fault, gentlemen. That's it. Let's get the investigation moving with the new information," the president said.

He turned to Director Copley. "I still want your people moving on the medical supply company in Germany. Seven cells with suspicious activity isn't the full extent of this. There would have to be more. We need to figure out who hit them."

"Probably the domestic group referenced by our intelligence source," the CIA director interrupted.

"Let's figure that out. I can't imagine this domestic group got every canister. We need to approach this from both angles," the president said.

"General Gordon, I am invoking my authority under the Insurrection Act to deploy active military units in support of domestic law enforcement agencies. My own counsel and the attorney general agree that this level of coordinated terrorist activity on U.S. soil warrants my authority in this case."

"What did you have in mind, Mr. President?"

"Special Forces. Tier One units and all other direct action capable Special Forces teams. Full helicopter support. I want our best teams available to support Task Force Scorpion."

"Sir, we have the same capabilities within the FBI. Coupled with local SWAT assets, this should be more than enough to cover any possible contingencies," Director Shelby said.

"I'm not casting any doubt on your agency's capabilities. I want to plan for the worst-case scenario. We get all of our best operators into the game. I will only authorize the use of U.S. Special Forces as a last option."

"I'll get the units ready and coordinate with Task Force Scorpion regarding geographic deployment. If you don't mind, Director Shelby, I'd like to assign a liaison to your task force," Lieutenant General Gordon said.

"The more the merrier," Shelby said, not really meaning what he said.

"We have a long day ahead of us. I don't want to hold any of you up any longer. Make sure you coordinate your agency's press releases with my office. We need to be on the same page when communicating to the press and the public. Any last concerns?

"Good. Get to it," the president said.

He immediately left the room with his entourage, which included the chief of staff, his secret service detail, a few aides and the director of the CIA. Major General Bob Kearney and Rear Admiral DeSantos vanished just as quickly out of a door on the other side of the conference room. The noise level instantly rose to a level making it nearly impossible to carry on a conversation.

Shelby yelled across to Marianne Templeton. "Are you scheduled to meet with the president after this?"

"No. I need to get out of here and get this nightmare rolling. I still think we should wait for further confirmation. You won't be able to buy groceries tonight on your way home after this news hits," Templeton said.

"Or bottled water. I wouldn't worry about heading home tonight. Nobody's leaving his or her office in the foreseeable future. I'll catch up with you later," he said, moving swiftly toward the door.

He reached the conference room exit and stepped outside, searching for any signs of the president's entourage. He spotted General Kearney and Admiral DeSantos headed in the direction of the president's private office on the other side of the watch floor. Tracking their progress, he pushed through an endless gaggle of seemingly inconsequential aides and government staffers waiting to rendezvous with someone important in the conference room he just departed. He watched as Secret Service agents stationed outside of the office admitted the two flag-ranked officers and pulled the office door shut.

Through the two windows, he could see the president seated behind a desk and Director Copley sitting directly across from him. The president motioned with his hand, and the two officers sat down on chairs squeezed into the office next to the CIA director. The president reached behind him, and the windows suddenly fogged, obscuring Shelby's view inside the office.

He knew this had something to do with Sanderson. The president was taking an extreme risk sanctioning the use of these assets. Less than twenty-eight hours ago, Sanderson's organizations had been classified as a terrorist organization. He couldn't afford a screw-up that would draw the public's attention to that fact. The president was probably spelling out exactly what he expected in terms of Sanderson's continued involvement on foreign soil. Shelby didn't like guessing. Sanderson's operatives had been assigned to Task Force Scorpion, and he still didn't have a good handle on their rules of engagement or the scope of their authority. He was told to wait on this, until a DIA liaison was assigned to the NCTC.

As director of the FBI, in charge of the nation's premiere law enforcement and domestic surveillance apparatus, the term "need to know basis" didn't apply to him. He needed to know everything. His only consolation in this case was the fact that he had a man on the inside, talking with the president while he was jostled around by this endless tide of servants waiting eagerly to serve their masters.