Wild Fire

CHAPTER TWELVE

The members of the Executive Board and Harry Muller remained silent as Bain Madox gathered his thoughts. Then, Madox began, “First, we need to establish a time frame for Project Green. Suitcase nukes”-he motioned toward the upright suitcase-“need periodic maintenance to ensure detonation and maximum design yield. It’s all very complex, having to do with the plutonium core, but the good news is that I have a nuclear physicist in my employ who has been performing this function. The gentleman’s name is Mikhail, a Russian working in America. I’ve contacted him, and he will be here sometime tomorrow. By tomorrow night, if there are no problems, the devices will be hot.”

Scott Landsdale inquired, “Does Mikhail know anything about Project Green? Or Wild Fire?”

“Of course not,” Malox replied. He thinks these devices are to be planted in cities in the Middle East, which makes sense to him and is all he needs to know.”

“Where is he now?”

“He lives on the East Coast and works for an American university. That’s all you need to know. He understands that this is urgent.” Madox smiled and said, “For fifty thousand dollars a visit, I think he’ll get here as soon as possible.”

“And you trust this guy?” Landsdale asked.

“Not at all. But I offered him a million dollars if and when the nukes detonate. Prorated, of course, based on how many detonate and the approximate yield.” He added, “Mikhail has good incentive.”

Landsdale asked, “And when they go off in American cities-rather than Middle Eastern cities-how will Mikhail react to that?”

“I have no idea. And does it matter?”

“What happens to Mikhail after the detonations?”

Madox commented, “You ask a lot of questions, Scott.”

“I’m very security conscious. I have this unsettling thought of Mikhail having one vodka too many and telling someone that his part-time job is maintaining nuclear devices at the Custer Hill Club.”

“I don’t intend for that to happen.”

“Does that mean you’re taking care of Mikhail?”

Madox glanced at the other three Board members, then said to Landsdale, “Don’t worry about it.”

Harry Muller listened to a gentlemen’s discussion of murdering a witness. If Mikhail, who only knew a piece of this, was going to get whacked, then he, Harry Muller, didn’t stand much of a chance, though he knew his chances had been around zero anyway.

Madox continued, “Obviously, this is all on a fast track since Detective Muller’s unannounced visit, but I see no reason why we can’t get Project Green in place in the next few days.” He glanced at Landsdale and went on, “In fact, gentlemen, our hand has been forced, and we have no choice but to move forward.”

Paul Dunn, the president’s adviser, said, “Bain, I’m thinking we could hide those nuclear devices until a better time-”

“The time, Paul, is now. I believe-from recent information-there are people in the government who are beginning to suspect something, and we have to go forward before they show up here. Those nukes need to be at their destinations in a day or two, and you need to be back in Washington, close to the president, so that when we initiate Project Green, he will initiate Wild Fire.” Madox asked Paul Dunn, “What does the president’s schedule look like on Monday and Tuesday?”

Dunn glanced at a piece of paper in front of him. “The president will be in the White House Monday morning-Columbus Day-then he flies to Dearborn, Michigan, arriving at Oakland County International Airport at about three-thirty. Election Day is less than three weeks away, as you know, so the president will make a speech in support of Dick Posthumus for governor of Michigan. Then, he motorcades to the Ritz-Carlton in Dearborn, where he’ll make a dinner speech in support of Thaddeus McCotter for congressman of that district. Then, he leaves on Air Force One and should be back at Andrews Air Force Base about ten P.M., then he helicopters to the White House and arrives on the South Lawn about ten-thirty.”

Madox thought about that, then said, “Monday, Columbus Day, might be a day that Islamic terrorists would decide to detonate nuclear bombs in American cities.”

Paul Dunn said, “Bain, for a variety of reasons, a holiday is not a good day to… to do this.” He explained, “For one thing, neither I nor Ed will be with the president when he’s on the road Monday, and Scott will not be at the White House either.” He looked at Landsdale for confirmation.

Scott Landsdale said, “I have a company picnic and softball game on Monday.”

Madox laughed. “Well, then, we have to postpone the nuclear attack on America.” He turned to Edward Wolffer. “Maybe we need some information on JEEP to help us make this decision.”

Wolffer nodded and replied, “You probably all know a few details about JEEP-the Joint Emergency Evacuation Plan. During the Cold War, the plan called for the president and a select group of military and political leaders to be taken as quickly as possible-by vehicle or helicopter-to either Andrews or National Airport, whichever is closer to where the president happens to be.” He continued, “At the designated airport is an E-4B jet aircraft ready for takeoff at a moment’s notice. This aircraft is called the National Emergency Airborne Command Post-NEACP-known by its code word of Kneecap, sometimes referred to as the Doomsday Plane.”

Wolffer glanced around the room and continued, “The president, of course, would have the nuclear football with him, and he could launch a retaliatory attack from the airborne command post. But there is a post-9/11 variation of JEEP and Kneecap, which goes into effect when the attack on America is not from intercontinental ballistic missiles. If it’s determined that the attack was initiated by terrorists, then it’s assumed that we don’t have the ten or fifteen minutes’ warning that an inbound ICBM would give us, and that a hidden nuke could be detonated in Washington at any second. Therefore, the response is different-the president needs to get on the Marine helicopter on the White House lawn as soon as possible, and he’ll be flown by helicopter to a secure location, far away from Washington, which, of course, is a potential terrorist target.”

Madox said, “Well, we know it’s not one of the cities on our target list for obvious reasons of national survival.” He smiled and added, “Not to mention that you gentlemen will all be there at zero hour. You can all look like heroes by staying at your posts during the panic and confusion that will follow the nuclear detonations. You three men-Ed, Paul, and Scott-will need to influence events.”

Wolffer noted, “In fact, we’ve already done that by pushing for this variation on JEEP.” He explained, “The Marine helicopter is not as well equipped as Air Force One or the E-4B Doomsday Plane to handle large volumes of communication or certain types of encrypted messages, so that time between attack and response will be largely eaten up by the evacuation procedures, and there’s less likelihood of the president receiving any messages or getting bad advice that might cause him to think about interfering with Wild Fire.” Wolffer concluded, “The time the president spends on the Marine helicopter is always a period of less-than-ideal command, control, and communication.”

Madox responded, “That’s actually quite ideal for us.” He asked Paul Dunn, “So, what does the president’s schedule look like on Tuesday?”

“The president,” Dunn replied, “will be in the White House all day. At two P.M., he is hosting a White House conference on Minority Homeownership. The rest of the day, he will be in the Oval Office. Dinner is with friends, select staff, and the first lady.” Dunn added, “Scott should be working late that day in his West Wing office, and Ed should be as close to the secretary of defense as possible all day. Jim should be in the Pentagon, keeping track of the movements of the Joint Chiefs.” Dunn concluded, “I will be dining at the White House.”

Bain Madox seemed lost in thought, then said, “All right… Tuesday seems like the best day to initiate Project Green. That gives us a comfort zone to accomplish what needs to be done.” He explained, “First, Mikhail needs to be here, and he may need some time to service the nuclear devices. Second, I need to be certain my aircraft are here and ready for departure. Third, I need to have the diesel generators serviced to power up the ELF antenna. Then, the ELF transmitter needs to be checked out, which I’ll do myself… and then there are the logistics of the two flights to the designated cities.”

Harry listened to Madox, but he wasn’t quite sure what the guy was talking about, though everyone else seemed to know.

Madox continued, “So, let’s say Tuesday, early evening. I know the president retires early, and I don’t want him dragged out of bed and put on the Marine helicopter in his pajamas.” He grinned. “Let’s say sometime during the dinner hour when Paul and the first lady are with him, which will make the helicopter evacuation much easier for everyone. Exact time to be determined by me, and passed on to Scott and Ed, who will be working late that night in their offices.” He looked at General Hawkins and said, “And you, Jim, will be working late in the Pentagon.”

Hawkins nodded.

Madox finished, “So, gentlemen, the New World begins Tuesday evening-three days and about three hours from now. And you will all stay in touch with one another. And you, Scott, will calm down the situation by announcing that you have hard intelligence that the cities that have experienced a nuclear attack are the only cities that will suffer this fate.”

Landsdale nodded. “I’ll do my best, but not many people are believing the CIA these days.”

“The White House believes you about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Which, by the way, I don’t think exist.”

Landsdale smiled and replied, “Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. In any case, post-Wild Fire, that will be a moot question, which is good for everyone.”

Madox nodded and turned to Wolffer. “How does Wild Fire actually go into effect? Take us through this.”

Edward Wolffer explained, “After it is reported and confirmed that an American city or cities have been attacked with a weapon of mass destruction-which in this case will be nuclear-then the secretary of defense sends a coded message to Colorado Springs that says simply, ‘Wild Fire is go,’ followed by the response level: the A-list, or the A- and B-lists.” He looked around the table and continued, “If Washington itself has been destroyed, and/or there is no message from the secretary of defense or the president, then Wild Fire goes into effect anyway.”

No one commented, so Wolffer went on, “The protocols and safeguards are similar to the ones in place for MAD, and although Wild Fire is less of a hair-trigger response than MAD, this is one of those rare cases when common sense prevails. In other words, as soon as the people in Colorado Springs know-from any reliable source-that an American city has been nuked, they will send out an encoded message to the missile silos that have been designated as Wild Fire response sites, and to naval operations in Norfolk and Pearl Harbor, who will contact the submarine fleet. These subs and silos will be given a pre-launch command. Wild Fire calls for a thirty-minute interval between pre-launch and launch.”

Wolffer made eye contact with each man. “During this time, the people in Colorado Springs will await any encrypted message from the president that may modify or cancel the launch.”

Landsdale said, “I thought the president couldn’t cancel the Wild Fire response.”

Wolffer replied, “He can, but only if he has overwhelming evidence that the nuclear attack did not originate from Islamic terrorists. And he’s got only thirty minutes to come up with this. And if he’s on the Marine helicopter, flying to a secure location, there is less chance of him receiving such information. As we discussed earlier, there is a strong presumption of guilt against Islamic terrorists, especially since 9/11. In effect, these nuclear devices will appear to have Al Qaeda’s fingerprints all over them. Lacking any other evidence, such as that the attack was initiated by North Korea, for instance, or, as wildly improbable as this sounds, some domestic group that knows of Wild Fire”-he smiled-“Wild Fire targets the land of Islam. In effect, we shoot first and ask questions afterward. If we were wrong about the source of the attack, we’ve still accomplished a worthwhile goal.”

Madox said, “It’s my understanding from Paul that this president will not attempt to cancel Wild Fire.”

Paul Dunn responded, “The president was again briefed on Wild Fire, right after 9/11, and very recently on the one-year anniversary. He seems comfortable with this and understands that all he has to do is nothing.”

Wolffer said, “If Colorado Springs has heard nothing from the president after thirty minutes, then that silence is an order to launch. So within, say, an hour of the nuclear attack on America, we will have accomplished the nuclear obliteration of those responsible.”

Landsdale pointed out, “I hope not. We are responsible.”

Madox didn’t see the humor and replied, “No, Scott, the Islamic extremists are ultimately responsible for the destruction of their homeland. They’ve been fucking around with us for too long, and if you play with fire, you get radiation burns.”

Landsdale commented, “Whatever makes you feel good.” He asked Madox, “What are the logistics of getting these suitcase bombs to where they belong?”

“I have two Citation jet aircraft, which are unfortunately not here at the moment, but I’ve contacted the pilots, and the aircraft are inbound to the Adirondack Regional Airport. Sometime tomorrow, or Monday the latest, when Mikhail tells me that the nukes are hot, the pilots and co-pilots will transport the four suitcases in two Jeeps to the airport and put them aboard my two aircraft.” Madox glanced at the black suitcase and said, “They’re called suitcase bombs, but, as you can see, they don’t look like anything you’ve ever seen from American Tourister or Samsonite, so before they’re out in public, we’ll put each of them in a wardrobe trunk with a carbon steel padlock.” He continued, “Then, the pilots and co-pilots will fly to two different cities, where they’ll take a taxi to designated hotels-with their suitcases-and await further instructions.”

Landsdale asked, “Can you trust these guys?”

“They’ve been with me for a long time, and they’re all former military. They follow orders.”

“Will they be told when to leave their rooms?”

Madox replied, “Unfortunately, they’ll still be in the rooms when the suitcases detonate. Obviously, they don’t know what’s in the suitcases, but they know the contents are valuable and can’t be left unattended.”

Harry Muller listened to all this. He’d lost track of the body count a while ago, but he knew his chances of getting out of there alive just dropped a few more points below zero.

He stretched his ankle shackles, then pushed his foot down on the chain. He realized he wasn’t going to break the shackles, but his hands were free, and assuming none of these men were armed, maybe he could break out. Harry glanced furtively at the door, then the curtained windows.

Madox noticed and said to him, “Are we boring you? Do you have someplace to go?”

Harry replied, “Fuck you.”

Paul Dunn said, “Bain, we don’t need him here any longer, if we ever did.”

Madox replied, “I’m afraid this is the best place for Mr. Muller for now. We don’t want him speaking to the guards and upsetting them with crazy talk about nuclear bombs.” He looked at Muller, then said to the others, “I have a sedative on the way here. Mr. Muller needs to be asleep until Tuesday.”

No one responded, except Harry, who said to the other four men, “This bastard is going to kill me. You understand that?”

No one spoke, or looked at Harry, except Scott Landsdale, who patted Harry on the shoulder. “No one is going to hurt you.”

Harry pushed Landsdale’s arm away and snapped, “You’re all fucking murderers.”

Madox interjected, “Harry, you’re getting yourself worked up for no reason. Maybe you need that sedative now. Or do you want to shut up and hear the rest of this?”

Harry didn’t answer, and Madox said to his Board, “As I was saying, the pilots and co-pilots will remain at their posts, and sometime on Tuesday, when Paul tells me the president and first lady are dining in the White House, I’ll activate the ELF transmitter here and send the coded radio signal that will detonate all four nuclear devices.” He continued, “By the time the president has finished his salad, he’ll have gotten the terrible news, and the clock will begin ticking toward Wild Fire as the president and the first lady are flown by helicopter to a secure destination.” He asked, “Are any of you designated to be evacuated with him?”

Paul Dunn replied, “I am, but only if I happen to be close by.”

“Well,” Madox observed, “you can’t be much closer than at the same dinner table.”

General Hawkins cleared his throat and said to Madox, “I know we once discussed the placement of the nuclear devices, but now that the time is here, I’d like to know specifically what you have in mind. You mentioned two cities, but we have four nuclear devices.”

Bain Madox said, “As I indicated, these are low-yield weapons, and perhaps not as reliable as we’d like. So, in consultation with Mikhail, the plan is to place two suitcases in each of two cities. This is so that if one doesn’t detonate, we still have the other to rely on. If both detonate at maximum yield, we have a nicer explosion.”

He looked around the table and continued, “So for instance, if we pick, say, San Francisco as one city, then the pilot checks into one hotel with one suitcase, and the co-pilot checks into another nearby hotel with the other suitcase. Now we have two ground zeros, which will be within the total destruction radius of each other so that if only one device goes off, it will obliterate the hotel of the other. This is important so that afterward an unexploded suitcase-and a stunned pilot-are not found in a hotel room that can be traced back to… well, me. In other words, one explosion will destroy the evidence of a possible dud bomb-and the pilot-in another location. If neither device detonates, then I will call my pilots with further instructions.”

General Hawkins asked, “How reliable, exactly, are those devices?”

Madox replied, “Mikhail has assured me that each device is over ninety percent reliable as to detonation. Regarding their maximum design yield, we won’t know until they detonate.” He explained, “As I said, they’re old-about 1977 vintage-and because they’re mini-nukes, they’re actually more sophisticated and complex than, say, a one-megaton atomic warhead. But they have been maintained by Mikhail, who tells me the design is good, and the detonating device and plutonium core are in excellent condition.”

General Hawkins commented, “Weapons, especially nuclear weapons, are the one area in which the Soviets excelled.” He smiled and added, “During the Cold War, we used to joke that we didn’t have to worry about Soviet suitcase nuclear bombs because the Soviets didn’t have the technology to build a suitcase.”

A few men chuckled, and Madox glanced at the suitcase. “It does look a little ratty.” He laughed, then stared at each man. “And now, perhaps the most difficult decision we need to make-one that we’ve never really discussed in any detail-but the time has come. What two American cities need to be sacrificed so that America and the world will be free of Islamic terror? Gentlemen?”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Bain Madox hit a button on his console, and the map on the screen changed from the world of Islam to a map of the United States. He said, “Forget that you are Americans. Put yourselves into the mind of an Islamic terrorist. You are able to destroy two American cities. Which two will most please Allah?”

Madox lit a cigarette and watched the smoke rise in front of the illuminated map of the United States.

He said, “Well, then, I’ll begin. If I were an Islamic terrorist, my first and second choices would be New York and Washington. Again. But I’m not really an Islamic terrorist, so Washington is not on our list. And New York will not be on our list either because of the stock exchanges, and its vital importance to the world economy, plus the fact that I believe we all-including Mr. Muller-have friends and family in the New York area.”

Landsdale said, “And don’t forget your Park Avenue apartment, Bain.”

“Scott, I have many assets in many cities. That’s not a consideration. The only thing we will consider are loved ones in the cities which we target. If necessary, we may need to get some people out of a targeted city on some pretext. But we’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”

Landsdale inquired, “Where does your ex-wife live?”

Madox replied in an annoyed tone, “Palm Beach. Not a likely Islamic target for nuclear destruction.”

Landsdale smiled and pointed out, “If I was paying your alimony, I could make a strong case for it.”

Madox said, “All right, I think we need to remove all East Coast cities from the potential target list. A nuclear detonation in any city along the Boston-Baltimore corridor would have serious consequences for the national economy, which is something we need to avoid. On the other hand, as I said, we need to give the illusion that this is an Islamic attack.”

Harry Muller listened as the five men spoke about what two American cities were to be nuked. As they got into it, they started to sound like businessmen thinking of closing a plant in one city or another. This was so unreal that Harry himself began to forget what they were actually talking about.

Bain Madox said, “I think we have to seriously consider Detroit. The city is dead anyway, it has a large Muslim population, and it’s right next to Canada, which has become a pacifist and socialist pain in our ass. This might be a good signal to send to our Canadian allies.”

Edward Wolffer responded, “Detroit may be high on our list, but for the reasons you just pointed out, Bain, it would not be high on the list of any Islamic terrorist group.”

“I know, but it’s such a tempting target.”

Landsdale reminded him, “Think like a Muslim terrorist. I say Miami, with its large Jewish population. The city has some economic importance as a port and a tourist destination, but we can do without it. Also, we can make a preemptory strike against some of those confused electoral votes, before the next election.”

Someone laughed, then Paul Dunn said, “There’s a large Cuban population in Miami that is very supportive of… some of the administration’s policies. They’ll be helpful when we address the Cuba problem.”

Everyone nodded, and General Hawkins suggested, “Disney World. Haven’t there been Islamic threats against Disney World?” He looked around the quiet table and continued, “It’s a perfect target. No industry, no vital economic or military value. Far from the population centers…”

Bain Madox stared at General Hawkins. “Are you suggesting that we kill Mickey Mouse?”

Everyone laughed.

Madox continued, “Minnie, Goofy… who else? Jim, that’s just… cruel. Not to mention the children.” He added, “We’re not monsters.”

Harry Muller wasn’t too sure about that. Yet, these guys didn’t fit his criminal profile of psychopaths, sociopaths, or just plain crazy and violent men. It began to dawn on Harry that these guys were mostly normal, educated, and successful guys with good jobs, families, friends, and people who looked up to them. The closest he could come to getting a handle on these guys was to compare them to Irish Republican Army men he’d had dealings with. Mostly normal, but filled with hate and all charged up for their cause. So, nothing they did was wrong-like the IRA guy he’d interrogated once who ordered a tuna fish sandwich for lunch because it was Friday during Lent. And back in Belfast, he’d shot two policemen in cold blood. Guys like this were scarier than street criminals.

Bain Madox was speaking. “Chicago is also too vital to the U.S. economy, and it has no special significance to an Islamic terrorist. Look, let’s cut to the chase. I have three excellent candidates-Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. Sodom, Gomorrah, and… what?”

Landsdale said helpfully, “Babylon.”

“Thank you. First, San Francisco. Some economic importance, but that’s outweighed by the fact that this city is a festering, pus-filled boil on the ass of America. A left-wing loony hotbed of sexual deviancy, anti-American values, political correctness, defeatism, and pacifistic appeasement.”

Landsdale said, “Why don’t you tell us what you really think of San Francisco?”

Madox ignored him and asked, “Can anyone here make a case for not putting San Francisco on the target list?”

Edward Wolffer replied, “Well, I can. For one thing, my daughter lives there, though I can get her to fly out tomorrow on the pretext of an illness in the family. But also, it’s a… well, an architecturally beautiful city. And I think, in the new America, San Francisco can either be redeemed or, if not, just looked at as a curiosity-sort of a social laboratory. It would be interesting to see how that city reacts to two other American cities being destroyed, followed by the destruction of much of the Islamic world.”

Everyone thought about that, then Madox said, “I’m not interested in their reaction or redemption. I’m more interested in their vaporization.”

Paul Dunn warned, “That’s a very egotistical and prejudiced attitude, Bain. This is not about your personal opinion of San Francisco, which would not be a high-priority target for Islamic extremists. There have been no specific threats against that city-”

“Why should there be?” snapped Madox. “If I were an Islamic terrorist, or a Marxist, or Osama bin Laden himself, the last place in the world I’d threaten is the friendly city of San Francisco.”

“That,” said Wolffer, “is exactly why this city should not be a target.”

Madox seemed irritated that his own arguments were being turned against him, and he slapped his hand on the table and said, “San Francisco goes on the short list.”

Landsdale asked, “Bain, are you chairing this meeting, or taking it over?”

Madox took a deep breath and replied, “I apologize for my management style. But this isn’t a government committee. It’s an Executive Board meeting that needs to make some quick, hard, and final decisions. Your contributions are valuable, and your actions on Tuesday will be invaluable to the success of Wild Fire. While I need a consensus, we also need direction and clarity.” He added, “As Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, ‘The most common form of human stupidity is forgetting what one is trying to do.’”

Landsdale said, “Thank you. I think we know what we’re trying to do-start a one-sided nuclear war by giving the illusion that we were attacked. This shouldn’t be too difficult.” He added, “If you recall, many people in Sandland accused us of attacking the World Trade Center and the Pentagon so we could retaliate against them. They get the concept, even if they were wrong that time. This time, they’re going to be right. But we need to pick the targets that are just right so that hopefully no one-at least for a few hours-will believe that we did this to ourselves so that we could do it to them. So, let’s be rational and smart about the targets.” He smiled. “That’s what Nietzsche would say.”

Bain Madox ignored this and continued, “The next two cities to consider are Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Let’s look at LA first. It’s an economic powerhouse, but the city is so huge that I don’t think two five-kiloton nuclear devices will cause much more damage or dislocation than one of their periodic earthquakes or riots. Therefore, I’d like to specifically target the area of Hollywood and Beverly Hills. Do I need to give my reasons?”

General Hawkins said, “I think we’re all on the same page with this one.”

Madox nodded. “And keep in mind that there have been very specific threats and public statements made by the Islamic jihadists against Hollywood. They seem to think the place is a cesspool of moral corruption. That’s not very liberal minded, and I’m embarrassed to admit I agree with them.”

A few men chuckled.

Madox glanced at a note on the table and said, “A gentleman named Suleiman Abu Ghaith, an official spokesman for bin Laden, has said, quote, ‘America, with the collaboration of the Jews, is the leader of corruption and the breakdown of values, whether moral, ideological, political, or economic corruption. It disseminates abomination and licentiousness among people by way of the cheap media.” Madox added, “There may be something lost in the translation, but I believe he was speaking of Hollywood.”

Again, there were a few chuckles.

Madox hit some keys on his console, and a map of Los Angeles appeared on the screen. He said, “This is a sprawling urban area, and if we focus in on Hollywood”-he enlarged a section of the map and continued-“and nearby Beverly Hills, we see that the blast radius of our two nukes would barely overlap. Which presents the problem of this getting back to us if one of the nukes doesn’t go off. But I believe we need to take a risk here because the rewards are so great.”

Paul Dunn spoke. “Somehow, I think this will get back to us, one way or another. Bain, we’ll have one or two ground zeros that can be identified as hotels, and sometime down the road, the FBI will obtain a list of everyone who was staying at those hotels. Eventually, the guest lists of those four hotels will reveal the names of your four pilots, and further investigation will reveal their flight plans and landings at the airports of those cities. I don’t believe the FBI-or the CIA-is going to think this was a coincidence.”

Madox thought a moment, then looked at Harry Muller. “Harry, what do you think?”

“I think you’re out of your fucking minds.”

“We know that. I’m looking for a professional opinion.” He added, “Please.”

Harry hesitated, then said, “If I were working the case, it would take me less than a week to put all this together. You start with the scene of the crime-the hotels that are ID’d as ground zero-then you go to the guest lists kept on a reservation computer someplace else, then you work the lists twenty-four-seven, until something starts to connect.”

Madox asked, “Would it make a difference if my pilots check into the hotels with false names and bogus credit cards?”

“Yeah… but-”

“Well, that’s the plan, Harry. That’s the plan, Paul. I’m not that stupid.”

Harry, trying to introduce some element of doubt, asked, “Is it a coincidence that you have two aircraft in the cities that are nuked, and that you’re missing four pilots after the attacks?”

“Do you know how many coincidences there were in the Twin Towers?” Madox replied. “The risk, if any, of this being traced back to us, with a million dead, is insignificant and acceptable. And you know what? If the FBI does come knocking on my door, they’ll probably be there to congratulate me.”

Harry replied, “You'll all end up in jail.”

Madox ignored that and continued, “And if the FBI, or anyone in the government, concludes that the Custer Hill Club had something to do with these attacks on America that led to the launch of Wild Fire, do you think they’re going to announce this to the world? What will they say? ‘Sorry, we made a little boo-boo.’ Followed, of course, by an expression of regret for the two hundred million dead Muslims, and a sincere apology to the shell-shocked survivors, along with a promise that it won’t happen again.”

That seemed to make sense to everyone, and Madox said, “Let’s continue. I’ve done some work on targeting Los Angeles, and I’ve determined that the best hotels for the pilot and co-pilot to check into would be the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills and the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.” He explained, “I will reserve a room for them in each hotel with a bogus credit card, and request a room on the highest floor, which offers the best view and, not incidentally, the best altitude for detonation. Also, the higher up you go, the less likely it will be for a roving NEST team to pick up any gamma rays or ambient neutrons.” He looked at Harry and asked, “Correct?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it, Bain. The NEST teams are useless anyway. Remember?”

Landsdale laughed, but no one else did.

Madox seemed about to say something unpleasant to Harry, but instead he continued, “If I calculate correctly, and if the nukes yield their maximum power, the rings of destruction should overlap. The area of complete and partial destruction in Beverly Hills will rid us of a good number of untalented movie stars, overpaid studio executives, and various other limousine liberals.” He asked, rhetorically, “How good is that?”

Landsdale commented, “I hope Demi Moore doesn’t live in the area.”

“I’ll get you a Hollywood star map, Scott. Okay, the second area of destruction, Hollywood, encompasses several moviemaking facilities, including Paramount Studios, Warner Studios, as well as the ABC-TV studio. And as an extra bonus, we get the headquarters of the Screen Actors Guild.” Madox said, “I think we’ll all be watching old DVDs and reruns for a while.”

A few men smiled politely.

Paul Dunn said, “Los Angeles is one of the most vitally important cities in the country, with a metro area population of over fifteen million people. If you detonate two nuclear devices to destroy Hollywood and Beverly Hills, it will cause chaos and panic in the city. Millions of people will attempt to flee, and the results will be catastrophic.”

Madox replied, “Paul, you put a pessimistic spin on everything. Be positive. Think of this as solving the problem of undocumented aliens. They all know which way Mexico is.”

Dunn pointed out, “That’s a racist remark.”

Madox made an expression of mock contrition and said, “Terribly sorry. And I do see your point. In fact, I own extensive oil storage and refining facilities in south LA. But I’m optimistic that things will be back to what passes for normal there within a year. More important, the Islamics really want to destroy Hollywood. So, this target goes on the short list.”

Everyone nodded.

Madox continued, “Last, but not least, Las Vegas.” He hit a few keys, and an aerial view of Las Vegas at night appeared on the screen. Madox said, “To me, this is the perfect target. A drug-infested den of iniquity, and a moral wasteland, populated by scam artists, godless men, loose women-”

“Hold on,” Landsdale interrupted. “Some of us like loose women.”

Madox replied, “I’m giving you the Islamic viewpoint.” He returned to his subject. “This is a one-industry town, and while I’ve been known to engage in casino gambling, I can find someplace else to lose my money. In any case, I see no downside to leveling a piece of this place. It’s far from other population centers, and it’s at the top of the Islamic hit list, so it should be at the top of ours.”

The four men nodded.

Madox motioned toward the view of Las Vegas, an oasis of sparkling lights surrounded by dark desert and black hills. He said, “Actually, there may be an economic upside to nuking this place. The city is growing too fast, and it’s using too much electricity and too much scarce water.”

No one responded.

Madox continued, “What I propose is one suitcase bomb in a tall hotel along the strip-maybe Caesars Palace, right in the center of the strip-and another in the downtown area. This should take out all the casinos but leave the surrounding suburbs intact.” He pointed out, “The suburbs happen to be heavily Republican.” He smiled, hit a key, and the screen went blank.

The room lights brightened, and Madox said, “So, I believe we have three candidates for two positions. Shall we vote?”

Paul Dunn answered, “I think it would be difficult for us to… to actually choose the two cities that will suffer nuclear devastation. I mean, we’ve chosen three… but it may be easier for us if we just draw ballots for the final two.”

Madox looked at each man, and each nodded in agreement. He tore off three strips of paper from the legal pad in front of him and wrote the names of each city on the strips, then held up the names so everyone could see them, and said, “So you don’t think I’ve written San Francisco twice.” He grinned, folded the papers into quarters, then put them in an empty coffee mug. He slid the mug down the length of the table and said, “Harry, you’re God. Pick Sodom and Gomorrah.”

“Go to hell.”

“Then let’s do it the other way-pick the city that won’t get nuked.” He added, “God will guide your hand.”

“Eat shit.”

Landsdale seemed impatient and picked up the mug. He drew two ballots, then lit them with his cigarette lighter and threw the burning papers in his ashtray. Everyone stared at the burning ashtray, then Landsdale said, “Those are the two losers in the National Nuclear Lottery.” He drew the last folded ballot out of the mug and said, “The city that will escape nuclear destruction is-”

“Don’t look at it,” Madox instructed. “Put it in your pocket and show it to us later. I don’t want anyone to be disappointed, disconcerted, or distracted during this meeting.”

Landsdale put the name of the city that would be spared in his pocket and said to Harry, “Now you won’t know until it’s over.”

Harry didn’t think he’d ever know.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Harry Muller listened as the five men discussed the final details of Project Green and Wild Fire.

Somewhere, deep down in his heart, Harry Muller agreed that 122 nukes exploding across Sandland might not be a bad thing. It was the 4 nukes in America that really bothered him, and it seemed to be bothering Wolffer, Hawkins, Dunn, and Landsdale, too. But they were dealing with it. He heard Madox say, “If I could have picked our time, I’d have liked to nuke LA during the Academy Awards.”

Actually, Harry thought, Madox is dealing with it too well.

General Hawkins returned to the happier subject of Wild Fire and said almost wistfully, “Coincidentally, at about the time of the Academy Awards, the huge lake behind the Aswan High Dam would be at full flood level.”

Bain Madox nodded and said, “Well, thanks to Mr. Muller, we don’t have the luxury of picking our time.” He looked at Harry, then continued, “Even though the stars, the moon, and the planets will not be aligned on Tuesday, I think that Mr. Muller’s arrival here was a sign from God that we needed to shit or get off the pot.” He warmed to his subject and said, “Things don’t have to be perfect to launch a hundred nukes. The nukes themselves create their own perfect world. They are transcendental. Divine.”

Scott Landsdale asked Madox, “Bain, before you were rich and powerful, did anyone ever use the word crazy in the same sentence with your name?”

Madox poured a glass of water while he stared at Landsdale. Finally, he said, “Sometimes I get carried away on the subject of Wild Fire. I mean, it’s not often in the history of the human race that an overwhelming problem has a simple solution. It’s even more rare when fate has put that solution into the minds and hands of a few good men. This excites me.”

No one, not even Scott Landsdale, responded.

Madox continued, “A few more operational details. First, you should all plan on leaving sometime tomorrow. The rest of the club members will leave Monday, as planned. I’ve arranged transportation for church services tomorrow morning-”

Harry said, “I’d like to go to church.”

Madox looked at him and said, “You’ll be sleeping late.” He paused. “It goes without saying that no one here will discuss the agenda of this closed executive session of the Board with any other members. You must act natural and look normal. As you may know, Steve Davis lives in San Francisco, and Jack Harlow and Walt Bauer live in the LA area. Do not look at any of them like they’re about to die.” He added, “Actually, none of us knows yet what two cities we’ve chosen, so that should help you.”

No one said anything.

Madox suggested, “If your acting ability is not up to the situation, say that we were talking about the coming war with Iraq, which is indeed worrisome. And please watch your drinking. Understood?”

Everyone nodded.

Madox continued, “As for communication, we all have untraceable cell phones, just as the drug dealers have, and we’ll use only those phones. Plus, as you know, I have my own cell relay tower here with a voice scrambler. But call only if and when I need to hear from you.” He added, “Most of what I need to know about Project Green, I can see on an all-news station.” He thought a moment, then went on, “Sometime around the dinner hour, every radio and TV station in America-except for those in the two cities-will become part of the Emergency Broadcast System.”

No one said anything, and Madox continued, “About an hour later, I expect to hear a news flash about the American nuclear response to the nuclear attacks on America. Is that right, Paul? Ed?”

Ed Wolffer replied, “Yes, Wild Fire will be announced to the nation and the world. There’s no reason to keep it secret since it’s hard to keep a massive missile launch and one hundred twenty-two nuclear detonations a secret for very long.” He added, “At some point during the evening, the president will address the nation from his secure location and reveal the existence of Wild Fire. Hopefully, this will have a calming effect on the country. If nothing else, it’s good for national morale.”

“Well,” said Bain Madox, “it’s good for my morale. After 9/11, everyone was depressed when we didn’t respond immediately, but this time, Americans can’t accuse the government of being overly cautious.”

General Hawkins responded, “True, but this time we’ll get a lot of flack for overreacting.”

“This time, Jim,” Madox said, “the world and the media will sit in awed silence. You won’t hear a peep. Not a fucking peep.”

The Board members nodded, and so did Harry.

Madox said, “It should be an interesting night. I’ll stay here, obviously, to send the ELF signal that will detonate the devices.” Again, he went to the suitcase standing upright on the floor and put his hands on the black leather. He stared at each man and said, “I, gentlemen, will push the nuclear button, which will devastate two American cities with four nuclear devices, and when I do that, I will ask God’s forgiveness. You will see to it that Wild Fire is launched as a retaliatory response.”

General Hawkins asked, “How long after Tuesday will you stay here, Bain?”

Madox returned to his seat and replied, “I don’t know. Why?”

“Well, understand that there will be a lot of panic in America when the nukes detonate in the cities. People will figure, if the enemy has a few nukes, he might have more. The cities will start to evacuate, which will cause chaos and, unfortunately, some injuries and deaths. Our family members and friends are at some risk… and I can’t and won’t be calling people I know all over America telling them to stay put and remain calm. We can only hope that the retaliatory strike-the obliteration of Islam-will calm people down. But in the meantime-”

“Jim, what’s your point?”

“Well… now that the hour has actually arrived… I’m thinking… and I guess we’re all thinking of the reality of what’s going to happen.”

Madox replied, “I know this is all so sudden, Jim, but it’s the kind of thing you needed to think about after 9/11 when we began planning Project Green.”

“Yes, I know. But I’m thinking now of you staying up here in God’s country while we four are in Washington, and our friends and family are scattered all over the country, which is in a state of chaos. Where will your family be?”

“Wherever they are, they are. I’m not making any calls.” He added, “My children don’t return my calls anyway.”

“That’s your decision. But I think you need to get back to New York as soon as possible after this happens.”

“Why?”

Hawkins replied, “To share the experience, Bain.”

“All right… I’ll do my best to get into New York as soon as possible. But I do need to destroy and dispose of the ELF transmitter, just in case anyone shows up here with a search warrant. That’s my job. Your job, gentlemen, is to stay in Washington-or the designated secure location-to influence events. Agreed?”

Everyone nodded.

Harry again scanned the faces around the table. It seemed like reality was starting to sink in. Again, he was reminded of the radical groups he’d investigated over the years. They bullshitted everything to death because, deep down inside, most of them really didn’t want to risk their lives to plant a bomb, shoot a cop, rob a bank, or kidnap anyone. Now and then-when they had a Bain Madox in charge-some of their bullshit turned into action. And in half those cases, someone in the group ratted out the plan to the cops, or turned himself in after the crime to work out a deal.

Harry looked at each face around the table. Maybe, now that the time had come, one of these guys would come to his senses before Tuesday. The president’s adviser, Dunn, looked a little shaky, and he might blow the whistle. The general was a little shaky, too, but Harry knew the type-he’d go along, then maybe blow his brains out afterward. The defense guy, Wolffer, was committed to the program, and he wasn’t going to budge.

And then there was Landsdale. Harry remembered Ted Nash, Corey’s CIA nemesis, now deceased. Corey had once said about Nash, “The best you can say about a CIA officer is that they lie to everyone equally.” If Landsdale had sat there agreeing with everything, Harry would have suspected him of being a double. But Landsdale gave Madox a lot of shit, so Landsdale was probably loyal to the program, even if he wasn’t loyal to Madox. Harry thought that Madox understood this, but he must have trusted Landsdale, or the guy wouldn’t be here. In fact, Harry could sense that Landsdale was actually in tighter with Madox than the others were.

And then there was Madox himself. Here was a guy who had everything, but something was driving him to risk it all. It wasn’t really about oil, or money, or power. It was about hate, like it always is with these guys, like it was with bin Laden, Hitler, Stalin, and all the people Harry had interrogated and arrested since he’d gotten into anti-terrorism. And it was a little bit about crazy, too, which led to the hate. Or was it the other way around?

Madox looked at Harry as though he knew that Harry Muller was thinking unkindly of him and asked, “Did you want to say something, other than ‘fuck you’?”

“Yeah. As a Federal law enforcement officer, I want to remind everyone that conspiracy to commit murder is a crime-”

Madox interrupted, “We’re talking about war, Detective Muller, not murder. Generals sometimes sacrifice troops-and even civilians-so that other troops can live to fight again.”

“Bullshit.”

Madox waved his hand in dismissal and turned his attention back to his Board members. “Gentlemen, on September 11, 2001, nineteen Islamic hijackers who had no good reason to do us harm, and who were not of the caliber of you men sitting around this table, carried through with their plan. Not one of them deserted, or informed on the others-and they went willingly to their deaths. I’m not asking any of us to sacrifice our lives-I’m only asking that we, as patriotic Americans, do no less to our enemies than our enemies did to us.” He concluded, “If they can do it, we must do it.”

A few heads nodded.

Madox said, “I’d like each of you, at this time, to give a yea or a nay to Project Green.” He turned to the deputy secretary of defense. “Ed?”

Ed Wolffer stood and said, “Gentlemen, what we are about to do takes courage and resolve, which is in no short supply here. And I believe that each one of us knows in his heart that what he is doing is necessary and right.” He paused, then continued, “This is not a time for us to think of ourselves and the personal risks we’re taking. It is a time to stick our necks out for our country-the way our men and women in uniform do every day.” He concluded, “I vote to implement Project Green.”

General Hawkins also stood and said, “As a military man, I have taken an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution, as you all have. I have also taken an oath to obey the commander in chief. I take these oaths seriously, and after much thought, I’ve decided that I can, in good conscience, vote to go ahead with Project Green.”

Paul Dunn got to his feet and said, “I wish this hadn’t been forced on us with so little time to fine-tune our plan, but we have to play the hand we’ve been dealt. I vote to go ahead.”

Scott Landsdale remained seated and said, “I have a strong feeling that this is the only chance we’re going to get. Harry Muller was not sent here to watch birds. Our best defense against any further government interest in our activities-and possible conspiracy charges-is to take the offensive. If we don’t use the nukes, we’ll lose the nukes.” He said, “I vote yes.”

Bain Madox stood and stared silently at the far wall, deep in thought. Then he looked at his Board. “Thank you for your courage and your loyalty. Indeed, you are all soldiers in the service of civilization.”

Harry said, “Good soldiers don’t murder civilians. Did you murder civilians in Vietnam? Is that what they gave you the Silver Star for?”

Madox glared at Harry and for the first time showed anger. “Shut up. You are not to speak until spoken to. Understand?”

“One last thing-fuck you.”

Bain Madox ignored him and began, “Gentlemen, we few men are the small army that can and will defeat the spread of Islamic fundamentalism and terror. We are but the latest, and perhaps the last, in a long line of good Christian men and women who have defended the faith and Western Civilization against Islam. Please be seated.”

Madox hit a few keys, and a map of Europe and the Middle East appeared on the monitor. “The Spanish and the French-before they lost their balls-fought the Muslims in the West. The Crusaders brought the war to the Muslim heartland. The Christians in the Balkans fought the Turks for half a millennium.”

He paused a moment, then continued, “Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the Polish king John, who, in the seventeenth century, when the Muslim hordes were poised to drive into the heart of Christian Europe, this man, without being asked by anyone, took his army from Poland and battled the Turks at the gates of Vienna.”

Madox looked around the table to make sure everyone was listening and continued, “No one has asked us to save Western Civilization, but we see the danger, and we will do what needs to be done. I believe that the Holy Spirit is guiding our thoughts and our actions, just as God guided King John, who had little to gain and everything to lose by coming to the aid of his Christian brothers at Vienna. Because King John knew, gentlemen, that if he didn’t stop the Turks at Vienna, then all of Europe would fall to Islam. And remember, no one else in Europe came to the aid of the beleaguered city-all of Europe chose to bury its head in the sand and pray that they would not be next. Sound familiar? But the Holy Spirit, gentlemen, entered the mind and heart of King John and told him what he had to do, told him that it was right and necessary, and that his victory over Islam would please God. And armed with the presence of the Holy Spirit, outmanned and outgunned, King John of Poland defeated the Muslim Turks and saved Christian Europe. This man neither asked for nor received any thanks or reward for all he’d done.”

Landsdale asked, “Not even an oil lease?”

Bain Madox ignored him and continued, “We, gentlemen, are like King John. We are all that stands between Western Civilization and the enemy at the gates. God has led us to this place and this time for a purpose. By sacrificing two American cities-which, like Sodom and Gomorrah, aren’t worth much anyway-we can prevent the enemy from destroying other American cities at his time and choosing. We are, in effect, saving Washington, New York, Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas… Palm Beach… I want you all to understand and believe that, and to sleep easy tonight, and not be troubled in your hearts, your minds, or your souls.”

He looked again at each man. “If Jesus Christ himself were here, he’d say, ‘Strap on your brass balls, boys, and go for it.’”

The other four men glanced furtively at one another, but no one commented on Madox’s speech, or his imagined message from Jesus Christ.

Bain Madox took a swig of water, which Harry was starting to suspect was straight vodka.

Madox concluded, “Okay, I’ve said my piece. Now, I ask you to bow your heads in silent prayer and ask the Lord for strength, guidance, and maybe a little absolution in case He has any problems with this.” He called down the table, “You, too, Harry. Pray with us.”

Bain Madox bowed his head in silence, then reluctantly the others followed.

Harry Muller prayed that one of these guys would come to his senses or lose his nerve, or maybe get a better divine message than Madox was getting.

After a minute, Madox said, “Amen,” then said, “Cocktails start at five in the barroom, dress is casual. Poker in the game room, if anyone is interested. We have a new dartboard with Hussein’s face on it. Dinner is at seven-thirty, tie and jacket, please. Use the fireplace for your notes on the way out. This Executive Board meeting is ended. Thank you for coming.”

The four men gathered their things and quietly filed out of the room.

Bain Madox and Harry Muller stared at each other down the length of the table.

Madox said, “It’s just you and me, Harry.”

Harry Muller sized up the situation. If he could coldcock Madox, then the window was his best chance. But if he could talk to the two goons outside, and tell them what was going on, that might be better than making a run for it.

Madox asked him, “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking I like this plan.”

“Bullshit. Hey, how did I do?”

“Okay.”

“Just okay?”

“You lost me with the King John thing.” Harry guessed he could be on top of Madox in under three seconds, even with the shackles.

Madox said, “It troubles me that you don’t get this. Do you want this fucking war on terrorism to go on until your grandchildren are old?”

“Look, pal, we have to take our hits, and we hit back. They’re not going nuclear, so we don’t have to go nuclear. You’re missing the point of Wild Fire.”

“No, I’m not. The point is, it works too well.”

“Yeah, that’s the fucking point.”

“It’s like this, Harry-if the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, then Mohammed has to come to the mountain. Right?”

“Yeah, whatever.” He grabbed the heavy metal ashtray that Landsdale had used and flung it at Madox, then jumped to his feet as Madox ducked to avoid the ashtray.

Harry covered the ten feet in less than two seconds, but Madox was already on his feet, backpedaling toward the wall. Harry moved as fast as he could with the shackles, but Madox moved faster and drew a gun from under his jacket.

Harry lunged at Madox, who fired at point-blank range. Harry stopped, confused that he didn’t feel the bullet hit him, and aware that the gun had barely made a sound.

Bain Madox moved further away and both men stared at each other. Harry took a step toward Madox, but his legs felt heavy, and the room was starting to swirl.

Madox said, “You need to calm down.”

Harry felt his legs buckling, and he dropped to his knees. He noticed something sticking out of his chest and put his hand on it.

“A tranquilizer dart,” Madox said, “which we use for black bears. We’re not allowed to kill them off-season.”

Harry pulled the dart out of his chest and saw blood on the needle.

“And I’m also not allowed to kill a Federal agent, so you have to die some other way. Probably a hunting accident.”

The door opened, and one of the guards asked, “Is everything all right, Mr. Madox?”

“Yes, Carl, it is. Please take Mr. Muller down to his room.”

Another security guard appeared, and he and Carl came toward Harry.

Harry could barely stay upright on his knees, and the room was getting darker, but he took a deep breath and said, “Nuclear…” He knew he had to stay motionless so that the tranquilizer in his bloodstream wouldn’t act quickly. “They’re going to… blow up… the suitcase…”

The security guards lifted him to his feet, and Carl stooped and got him in a fireman’s carry, then walked toward the door.

Bain Madox stood by the door and said to Harry, “I actually like you. Good balls. And you did me a great service. So, no hard feelings.”

Harry could barely understand what Madox was saying, but he managed to whisper, “Fuck you…”

“I don’t think so.” He told Carl, “Keep him sedated. I’ll check him later.”

They left, and Bain Madox shut the door. He was annoyed by the cigarette butts on the oriental rug and tidied up.

He then went to the black suitcase and ran his hands over the smooth, shiny leather. He whispered, “Please, God, let this work.”