Upon A Pale Horse

FORTY-FOUR Cats Out of Bags

“Mr. President.”

“Ambassador Sokolenko,” the president said, shaking the Russian ambassador’s hand, welcoming him into the Oval Office, his chief of staff standing by one of the book cases. “This is most irregular, but I was able to clear a few minutes from my schedule. How can I help you today? Your emissary said this was the highest priority.”

“Yes, it is. Time is of the essence, so if I may speak candidly…”

“Of course. Edgar here is fully briefed to the highest levels. You may speak as though you were in your own home,” the president said, the offer a hollow one. Every word would be deconstructed after the meeting. That was one of the reasons Edgar was there.

The ambassador removed a file from his briefcase and handed it to Edgar, knowing that the president wouldn’t touch it, on the off chance there was a poison or some contaminant on it.

“This is a top secret document from my government. It details a deadly new virus. A laboratory-created virus, which if released, would destroy the majority of human life on the planet. You can read the document and have your experts review it, but in the interests of time, my prime minister has requested that you be prepared to accept a call from him in twenty minutes. That should be enough time for us to discuss the basics of the file.”

The president and Edgar looked puzzled.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” the president said.

“This is a virus that was created in a biological weapons laboratory. In the United States.”

“Now see here—” Edgar said, but the president cut him off.

“As you are aware, we do no offensive biological weapons development, Ambassador. Only defensive, and that, very limited. We were one of the first signatories of the 1972 Convention.”

“Yes. We also signed that agreement. As I recall, there were some regrettable accidents that indicated that the Soviet regime hadn’t completely abided by the Convention. As unbelievable as that may seem…”

“I can state categorically that we have not been developing biological warfare weapons,” the president said, an edge to his voice.

“That is good news. Because if this virus was released, it would mean the death of billions and billions of people. Including in my country. And yours, Mr. President. It would be genocide.”

“Ambassador, you have me at a disadvantage. I really have no idea what you’re talking about,” the president countered.

“Perhaps you can take several minutes to digest the report. There are fatality estimates on the last page. An epidemiology nightmare.”

Edgar was already paging to the final table, and his eyes widened as he took in the graph and the numbers.

“Are… are these estimates correct? No numbers have been transposed?”

“No. Around six billion casualties. Most of those in the first thirty to sixty days.”

Edgar approached the president and pointed out the section to him, and he blinked several times as he scrutinized the data.

“Mr. Ambassador, would you give us a moment?” Edgar asked, watching the president’s poker face, which revealed nothing.

“Of course. My prime minister will be calling in fifteen minutes. I trust you will accept the call?”

“We’ll be back to you shortly, Ambassador. Please, this way,” Edgar said, motioning to the doors.

The old Russian stood slowly, clutching his briefcase, and allowed Edgar to show him out.

Edgar returned seconds later. The president didn’t wait for him to begin speaking.

“Get Jaspers at the Center for Disease Control on the line, and distribute that report to him immediately. I want to know what he says before the call comes in. God damn it, Edgar. If this is somebody on our side running a covert op, I want them skinned alive. I’m dead serious. This is insanity.”

“Sir. Let’s not jump to conclusions. This could be a ruse, or they could have misinterpreted the data.”

“That’s a Pasteur Institute report. I want someone there to verify it’s genuine. Do we have anyone that can?”

“I’ll check.”

“Do that. Also get Morrell on the line, now. This is the kind of shit that has CIA written all over it. If this is their doing, I will single-handedly flatten Langley and put them out of business. And get DOD representatives on the horn as well. I want to understand what the hell is going on here before I talk to the Russian. Do you read me?” the president snapped.

Edgar nodded, already dialing on his encrypted cell phone.

Thirty seconds after a hushed discussion with an aide, who literally ran to scan the documents and send them off to a list that would be forthcoming from Edgar in moments, the president’s line rang. He jabbed the phone on and the CIA director’s voice boomed over the speaker.

“Mr. President. Edgar indicated we have a situation?”

“That’s putting it mildly. The Russian ambassador just handed me a report from the French, detailing a new virus that they’re claiming was developed in an American bio-weapons lab.”

“That’s impossible. There is no such thing.”

“I know that, and I know you’re telling me that, but in about five minutes you’re going to be getting a document that the Russians are saying leads straight to us.”

“It’s got to be some kind of a head fake. A plant. Some sort of negotiating ploy. What do they want?”

“Their prime minister is calling in… eight minutes. So we’ll see. The ambassador didn’t articulate any demands. And he didn’t seem like his usual self. I don’t get the sense they’re bluffing on this. He looks like he saw a ghost.”

“I’ll look for it and get my top people on it. Is there anything else, sir?”

“I want the full court press. And no bullshit, Morrell. No ‘need to know.’ On this one, I need to know everything.”

The president hung up and then looked at Edgar bleakly. “Cancel everything I have planned for today. Now.”

“But, sir. We can’t behave rashly. It would send signals, and then we’ll be inundated with questions from the press…”

“Then cancel the next two hours. Move things around. Something came up. Whatever you need to tell them. But I want the Joint Chiefs convened within the hour, and a full briefing from CDC and CIA. Get the report to everyone. And, Edgar — give me a minute, and then send the ambassador back in.”

Edgar nodded and hurried from the room. The president stood and paced in front of his desk. After a half minute of this, he stopped and extracted a tissue from his pocket and blotted a single bead of sweat that had run from his hairline down his left temple. Ordinarily glacially calm, he was anxious. The most powerful man alive, and he was worried.

When the ambassador and Edgar returned, he was back behind his desk.

“You may tell your prime minister that I will accept his call. In the meanwhile, I need some privacy, please,” he said, and the Russian nodded before ducking back into the outer office.

The director of the CDC was on the line by the time the door closed behind him, Edgar standing nearby.

The conversation lasted sixty seconds. By the time it was over, the president’s complexion was gray. Edgar and he had a hasty murmured discussion, and then the phone rang again. His assistant announced the Russian leader on line two.

The president pushed the blinking button and the call went live.

“Mr. Prime Minister. Your ambassador just presented me with the most remarkable document. I frankly have no idea what to make of it, but I’m having my top experts look it over now,” the president began, affecting a neutral tone.

“Yes, please do that. My experts have had the document for half a day. I have verified with the French that it’s genuine. A global calamity in the making.”

“I agree. But I need to understand more about it before I can comment further.”

“Mr. President, we have our differences, but I must inform you that my country is taking this threat most seriously. So seriously that I am calling to put you on notice. I have been instructed to convey to you that we will consider the first sign that this virus has made it into the world an act of war, as though your country had launched its nuclear arsenal. And the moment we hear of this, we will be forced to retaliate.”

The president looked at Edgar and then lifted the handset, shutting off the speakerphone.

“Anatoly. Please. Don’t be rash. I have no idea what this is all about.”

“Perhaps, Mr. President, but I have said what my government has instructed me to say, so you have our official position. The introduction of this virus will be viewed as a hostile act, to be met with the full weight of the Russian strategic response capability. I’ve looked at the numbers, and most of my country will be dead within weeks of its appearance anyway. This way, you can rest assured that we will all be in the same boat, as the saying goes.”

“I… these are impossible allegations. I can assure you that we are not the creators of this… this abomination. There’s been some sort of a mistake.”

“If there has, then neither of us has anything to worry about. You are now aware of my country’s position. I pray for the future of mankind that you are being forthright with me, Mr. President. This is not a negotiable condition. If the virus appears, it is mutually assured destruction.”

“This is an error, Anatoly. I urge you to reconsider. There are some things that can’t be undone. The damage from creating a confrontation of this magnitude could be permanent. You’re going down an extremely dangerous road.”

“I am fully aware of the path I am on, Mr. President. It appears that you are the one in need of a map. I hope that you’re able to get to the bottom of this, wherever it has come from, because if not, we’re all doomed. Read the report, talk to your experts, as I have spoken to mine. You’ll soon understand why our reaction is this… severe. I will keep our communications open, but there is no discussion about our reaction to the virus being released. Please be clear on that, Mr. President, with all respect.”

When the president terminated the call, the Oval Office was silent. Edgar’s cell rang. He answered, then lowered the phone, looking chagrined.

“The Chinese want an immediate meeting. So does the Indian ambassador.”

“Damn it, Edgar. Figure out what the hell is going on here, and quick, or there isn’t going to be a tomorrow. Tell the ambassadors that I will see them, but buy me an hour, and convene a crisis meeting immediately. I need answers, and I need them yesterday. I just had the leader of the largest nuclear power besides ourselves tell me he was preparing to launch if this virus makes it into the world. They aren’t even asking for anything. Just warning us. I don’t think that’s ever happened before. Not during my lifetime.”

“We need to go onto heightened alert, as well, Mr. President. In response to their elevated status.”

The president nodded wearily. “I know the drill. Make it so. And get everyone together. I suspect we’re about to discover that India and China are also agitated about the same thing. Let’s just hope that by the end of the day we don’t have the entire world turned against us. Because that’s the way it’s starting to look. And for something we didn’t even do.”

Edgar’s phone trilled again. “It’s the British, sir. The prime minister wants to speak to you in fifteen minutes.”