|
|
While the Lodge was a code name most referred to the one large building as The Lodge. Sheet metal over steel frame and looking more like a factory building or warehouse it was as innocuous as anything could be. It was small enough not to attract attention and a couple of "legitimate" businesses were located in a small office building on the highway. Both were operated by the resistance but through connections in the government they were regarded considered squeaky-clean by that government. When government agents visited they were recorded and became part of resistance ingelligence data. Jerry and Brian followed Miranda to the elevator and she punched the button for the top floor. Harry's office was there and the entire floor was controlled access - the elevator wouldn't go there without a passkey like the one Miranda used. Harry's office was to the left exiting the elevator and had big glass doors like an office building. Two sets about six feet apart and both were bulletproof - and Jerry knew that there was a stairs to the roof where a helicopter could land. If an enemy managed to get onto the grounds and into the building and to the top floor Harry would still be a tough nut to crack - there were a dozen security personnel there at all times - seasoned veterans in Lancer unit uniforms. The big pistols on their hips were supplemented by submachine guns stashed here and there. The guards on either side of the doors didn't move as Miranda pressed the button to open the doors and led them through - she was on of a very few who could do that or enter without a scan. Not that Brian and Jerry were unknown but showing up alone and would have required an escort like Miranda. Harry was at the big desk, a glass wall behind him. He was sitting with his feet up on the desk and didn't move when they entered. They waited. Dammit Harry, get on with it. Harry had an ACX controller and might have been playing a game or looking at something important but the monitor was facing him so Jerry preferred to assume that it was business. After a minute he put the ACX unit on the desk and got up. "Thanks for coming so quickly," he said. "Jerry had some distractions on the way - it worked out well for us as it exposed a pair of operatives we weren't aware of - you probably noticed they were green." "Seemed that way," said Jerry. "Probably newbies." "Indeed," Harry replied. "We're still running it down but it looks they arrived about two weeks ago. Typical quality." "Declining?" Jerry asked. "Right," Harry replied. "You shook them easily and apparently they were the only assets available. When you check in with Olivia you'll probably find that your system was hit after I called. Not that they got anything but they knew to try, so they're aware of you and that wasn't the case a month ago." "Got it. Hal will be on top of it. What's the deal with Steel Bear?" "Right to the point," Harry said. "OK..." "Miranda said it was important," said Jerry. "If you'll let me finish," Harry said, "I'll tell you why it's important." "OK." He looked at Brian who was watching with the usual poker face. "Let's go in the conference room," Harry said and walked towards the end of the office. Jerry and Brian followed him and Miranda. A large table with a dozen high-dollar chairs around it occupied the center while a small media center filled one end - the other end had a wet bar and kitchenette. "Bite to eat or a drink?" Harry asked moving to the bar. "If we're gonna be here a while," Brian said and speared a small sausage and block of cheese. Jerry did likewise while Harry poured a couple fingers of Maker's Mark into a glass and added a splash of soda and ice. Miranda poured a glass of wine from a bottle with no label, suggesting it was from a small private producer. Jerry and Brian consumed a few more snacks and poured whiskey for themselves. Harry had lit a small cigarillo and Miranda was smoking a cigarette with a red band on the top of the filter - that would be a cannabis tobacco mix that would put an edge on. Brian lit one like it and Jerry lit an Al Capone mini and waited. "Masjid Aisha had a population of about six hundred," Harry said. "Close to half were killed in the raid and the mosque and almost all of the structures were destroyed. The AMM-58 put did most of the damage and spreading fires did the rest. Within 48 hours a the surviving population had been moved in the usual manner - buses from several other enclaves showed up and evacuated them. That's standard procedure and as we've seen they abandon the site. This time it was a little different... Harry took a draw on his cigar and a sip of whiskey. "About another twenty-four hours after the last bus left a couple of vehicles arrived. We traced them to the Massawa Azhar - the high command of Muslim presence - and they poked around in the ruins of the mosque for a while. About eight hours later they left. We put a team in within hours and gave it a thorough search. Whether it was the left and right hands not being sync or something else... the containers of sarin were under one of the burned buildings." "Nerve gas?" Jerry asked. "In a backwater place like that?" "We should have been aware," Harry said, "with Musa ibn Ja'far being the imam." "Who's he?" asked Jerry. "Or who was he?" "Bigwig in the operation," Harry replied. "We don't figure the connection - if a backwater like this is... we're wondering what else we've missed. We need to put a team on this, another set of eyes, no assumptions." "Starting a whole new intelligence operation," Jerry said. "Alright, I can see it's needed. And if that got under the radar... there's over five hundred mosques in Colorado, and a similar situation in a bunch of other states." "In Texas and a couple or three others that's not a problem," Harry said. "We have them under a microscope and they've mostly given up on trying anything - not that they won't try at some point in the future. We have to check off those others - give them the anal exam. It'll take resources we can ill afford but it has to be done." "We're gonna monitor... how many mosques?" Roland asked. "Five hundred?" "The infrastructure is in place," said Harry, "at least in terms of knowing what's where and who's coming and going. We'll use Charlie Thirty Six in Colorado with November Nineteen and Delta Fourteen as fallbacks - and a control center here. We want to know everything that goes on there." "Did you hear the part about five hundred?" asked Roland. "We have the technology," Harry replied. "We're looking for anomalies. Most of them, ninety-nine percent of them, are garden-variety installations - groups of foot-soldiers and a source for operatives.. We need to find the exceptions. Like someone bringing in cannisters of nerve gas into one of them." "We weren't watching closely enough, I presume," said Roland. "Obviously not," Harry replied. "Do you mind if we do so now?" "Why would they try again in Colorado?" Brian asked. "No reason to believe they will," Harry replied. "But we have to play it safe. And they aren't very smart so there's no reason to belive they won't." "So we're watching the Colorado mosques?" "Kansas and Oklahoma we're pretty tight on," Harry said. "Colorado and New Mexico less so - Arizona and California - even less but they're not bordering our territory." "And the control center?" Roland asked, knowing the answer. "I'd like you and Brian to set it up and run it until you have a team in place to take over. I can provide staff but if you have some people of you own in mind I'll appreciate the help." "What's Alec Dawson doing now?" Brian askedRoland. "Just waiting for an assignment like this," Roland replied. "Who's Alec Dawson?" asked Harry. "He does various things for me," Roland replied. "Mostly security, his talent in that will be big. Not that the Jihadists are that smart but sometimes dumb people can trip you up if you go in expecting sophitsication - amateurs or just generally low quality help can slide under the radar while you're looking for something higher quality. Alec is especially good at spotting that sort of thing." "Get him here," Harry said. "We'll make it worth his while." "I don't like leaving Julie without Alec there," Brian said. "Can you put a squad there, five will be enough if the boss is as good as Alec." "I can do that," said Harry. "A dozen if you like." "A half dozen is about all I have accomodations for," said Brian. "You know there Hergest is? Little wide spot in the road about four miles away?" "I know it," Harry replied. "There's a little place there," Brian said. "Looks like a farmer's home, house, equipment yard, grain bins. They have a place, just a few minutes away. Enough room for a dozen men." "Got it," said Harry. "I'll put in a full squad and have the excess quartered there. Anything else?" "How long do you need me for? On-site. I know this is important but you should be able to get someone to run it." "Couple of weeks," Harry replied. "Can you handle that?" "I can do it," replied Brian. "I'd like to see a little more competence upstairs." "We're always working on it," Harry said. "OK, what's next?"
Leonard Parrish -- |
|