High Alert

CHAPTER 50

Nick looked down at Haltman's body and then back at the empty missile launchers on the monitors. Then he took out his satellite phone and called Harker.

"Yes, Nick." Her voice sounded clogged with sleep.

"Director, it's a code red. Haltman just launched missiles at Russia. Some of them are nukes."

"What?"

Any trace of sleep had disappeared from her voice.

"He triggered the THAAD deployments in the Ukraine and Romania. Plus one in Poland armed with Tomahawks."

"When?"

"About a minute ago."

"Where's Haltman?"

"Dead."

"All right." She disconnected.

In Virginia, Elizabeth thought hard and fast. The Pentagon would already know something had happened. They would inform the President. The missiles would trigger the Russian defenses. Orlov would retaliate, probably with his newly deployed medium-range cruise missiles. That in turn would require a larger response. It wouldn't be long until things went out of control.

What could she do? The world was minutes away from war. Her encrypted satellite phone was on the bedside table, where she always kept it at night. She picked up the phone. Her finger hovered over the button that would connect her to President Rice.

If the Russians knew why the missiles had been launched, if they knew it wasn't a deliberate act ordered by Washington, it might be stopped. But how to convince them it was the work of a madman and not the opening shots of world war?

Vysotsky. Call Vysotsky.

She entered Vysotsky's number and glanced at her clock. It was a little after four in the morning, which meant it was after five in the afternoon in Russia. Vysotsky would be awake, probably at his office in Yasenevo. After one ring, he picked up.

"Da."

"General, it's Elizabeth Harker."

"You have nerve calling, Director. Your country has launched an unprovoked attack upon us. You will regret it. I am too busy to talk to you now."

"Wait, General. That's why I'm calling. We didn't do it. This must be stopped before it gets out of control."

She could hear background noise that told her Vysotsky was in a car.

"We know they are your missiles," Vysotsky said. "Do you deny this?"

"I don't deny it," Harker said, "but we did not launch them. Someone else did."

Vysotsky laughed, an ugly, angry sound with no humor in it.

"Oh? A rogue commander, perhaps? Do you seriously expect me to believe this?"

"Hear me out," Elizabeth said. "I understand your anger, I would feel the same way. Let me explain."

"I am on my way to the Kremlin, Director. I will give you two minutes to convince me."

It wasn't much time to prevent the end of the world. Elizabeth took a breath and began. Five minutes later, Vysotsky was still listening.

"Haltman is dead," Elizabeth said. "There will be no more missile launches, unless you retaliate. If you do, it will be impossible to stop. Our two countries will be at war. You know what that means. Please, General, you must speak with Orlov and get him to hold off until this can be straightened out. Shoot them down but don't retaliate."

Elizabeth waited. Over her phone, she heard only Vysotsky's breathing and the sound of the car as it sped toward the ancient fortress of the Kremlin.

Finally, he said, "I will speak with our President."

Vysotsky disconnected.

Elizabeth's next call was to President Rice.

"Yes, Director. I don't have much time, I'm moving to Marine One and then Kneecap."

Marine One was the helicopter assigned to the President on a twenty-four hour basis. Kneecap was the designation for Air Force One in time of war. It was a complete, airborne command center, away from the nuclear bull's-eye that was Washington.

"Mister President, I have discovered who launched the missiles. There are nuclear tipped Tomahawks among them."

"Those missiles came from THAAD sites. They're defensive, unarmed. We don't have any cruise missiles stationed on the ground in Europe."

"Sir, that's not entirely true. A site in Poland was disguised as a THAAD installation but was armed with Tomahawks. The missiles were triggered by the man who designed software for the guidance systems."

Elizabeth took a breath. "Sir, on my own I contacted the Russians and explained what happened. We may still be able to avoid war if Orlov keeps his head about him."

She heard people yelling in the background.

"You talked with Orlov?" Rice asked.

Elizabeth heard the beat of rotors over the phone. Rice was approaching Marine One.

"No sir, I spoke with General Vysotsky. He was on his way to the Kremlin."

"Very well. I'll talk with you again when I'm in the air."

Rice disconnected.

Nothing to do now but wait and pray, Elizabeth thought.