White Jade

Chapter Forty-Eight

President Rice entered the room.

"Good evening, everyone. Please be seated." Rice took his place at the head of the table and the others sat.

President James Rice was in the third year of his first term and deep in the quicksand of presidential politics. Descended from early American colonists, he was named after an ancestor who'd fought in the American Revolution. He'd served with distinction as a young Marine officer in Vietnam. At sixty-seven he looked ten years younger. His face was strong and comforting, with hazel eyes that seemed to speak directly to you alone. He was popular, charismatic when he chose and possessed of a streak of integrity that defied the conventions of the political world. Harker liked him.

"Let's get started. Joseph, what is our current situation?"

The Director of Homeland Security cleared his throat.

"Mister President, power is out throughout Northern and Central California, Oregon, Southern Washington and Western Nevada. The effect is spreading as other stations in the grid try to take up the load. The electrical utilities have gone to rolling brownout in an effort to head off more failures.

"The Governor of California has called out the Guard. All civilian emergency forces have been activated. Emergency power is up and running at all medical facilities. We are currently at Elevated Alert."

"Are we certain these explosions were not accidental?"

"Yes, Mister President. They occurred at exactly the same time and appear to have been selected to create maximum disruption in the grid."

"Any communication from terrorist groups?"

"We have received a statement claiming responsibility from a group calling itself the Beijing Great Nation Brigade."

"Is this a known group?"

"No, Mister President."

At that moment an aide entered and handed President Rice a note. Everyone watched as he read it. Rice looked up at them. He was grim.

"There have been explosions in San Francisco with heavy civilian casualties. Turn on the monitors."

Heads swiveled toward the end of the room. The monitors came alive. There was no sound, but the visuals were enough. All the major networks were showing scenes in the Bay Area.

A live helicopter shot zoomed in on bodies lying in the Ferry Building Plaza. A bomb had detonated under the restaurant at the end of the Ferry Building Pier. The restaurant was gone. The pier was mostly gone. Under the restaurant a reinforced concrete shaft had fed air into the BART tunnel running below the bay. It was gone. Where it had been, the waters of the Bay churned in a seething whirlpool, pouring into a black hole.

The networks were pooling shots. Injured and frightened people wandered aimlessly about. CBS switched to an interview with a panicked mother sitting outside what was left of the Ferry Building, clutching her child and sobbing.

CNN was running a banner saying the country was under terrorist attack. Fox had a right wing talking head sounding off. Behind him was a background shot of the Twin Towers burning.