The Ajax Protocol-7 (15 page)

Interesting,
she thought.
What's this?
She activated a program she'd written to unravel encrypted and password-protected files. A progress bar appeared on the screen and began to fill with a solid blue stripe. She sat back in her chair and waited.

As she waited, Steph thought about Lucas. A few years ago, she never would have dreamed that she would be in a relationship with a rising star in the CIA. Langley and the Project had often been at odds in the past, although now that Clarence Hood was director things were good between the two organizations. Sometimes she felt uncomfortable with Lucas and she knew he felt the same. There were things they simply could not tell each other.

Elizabeth had been wonderful. She'd never given so much as a hint that she thought the cross agency relationship was inappropriate, or that Stephanie might somehow compromise a Project operation because she was so intimately linked to Langley. As for Lucas, he had appeared like a rescuing angel at the worst moment of her life. Since then, the two of them had been skirting the edges of deeper commitment. Now they were about to take the next step.

Stephanie smiled to herself. She reached up and absently touched a gold hoop earring dangling from her right ear.

The computer beeped and the screen cleared. Stephanie saw a neat row of icons that represented file folders. She opened one at random. It was an inventory of small arms pistol and rifle ammunition being stored by the Department of Homeland Security.
Why is this here?
she thought.

Steph looked at the total. DHS had stockpiled over 500 million rounds in .40 Smith and Wesson. It was the cartridge of choice for the pistols and MP5s favored by SWAT and military units. Another 900 million rifle and machine gun rounds were listed.

That's a lot of ammunition
.
Why does homeland security need so much ammo?

Steph opened another file. This one detailed supply logistics for the FEMA center near Oklahoma City.
What's any of this doing in the Pentagon computers?
she thought.
FEMA is Homeland Security's turf.

A third folder discussed the advantages and performance of specialist AFVs in an urban environment. AFV's were Armored Fighting Vehicles equipped with active protection systems and composite armor. They were designed to resist landmines, IEDs and attacks by rifle and machine gun fire. It took serious firepower to stop one. The Department of Homeland Security had contracted for a large number of new AFVs and had begun taking delivery the year before. Thousands of military versions had been brought back from Iraq and Afghanistan and classified as surplus. Those were in the process of being delivered to police departments all over the country. Why was this discussion here, in this encrypted file?

The fourth folder contained a memorandum. There was nothing to indicate who had composed it or how it had been distributed. It contained directives to be followed under something called the Ajax Protocol. The document was divided into sections. Stephanie started reading.

The Protocol began with a general discussion of legal issues surrounding enforcement of the plan presented in the memorandum. It noted that various Executive Orders already on the books permitted enforcement of the Protocol under direction of the White House.

Section 1 was an overview of the current media climate regarding terrorism. It discussed the American public's perception of how the government should respond in the event of a terrorist attack. It proposed several possible critical incident scenarios which would provide an excuse for implementation of the protocol. They all involved events taking place on a nationwide scale.

Section 2 presented a brief overview of detention facilities located throughout the country. These included existing federal and state prisons and the numerous FEMA centers that had been built since the disaster of Hurricane Katrina. All of those centers were currently empty. Steph remembered seeing pictures of them.

Most were located next to railroad tracks, many laid down to service a particular installation. The centers had state-of-the-art controlled entries manned by guard stations. Each center was surrounded by a high, chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. Steph had been struck by the fact that the wire on top was angled inward, as if to keep anyone inside the fence from climbing out. It had seemed to her that it should be the other way around, if you were going to have barbed wire at all.

Section 3 provided guidelines and listed available resources to help senior officers prepare their subordinates and troops for the psychological impact of armed resistance from their own countrymen. It acknowledged that deadly force would be required to suppress resistance and that there would be psychological consequences as a result of civilian casualties.

Resistance to what?
Stephanie thought.
They're talking about Americans killing Americans.
The way this is written, they might as well be talking about going to the dentist.

Section 4 discussed disposal of civilian casualties. Preparations were extensive. There was an inventory of earth moving equipment and related items, including 150,000 stackable, individual burying units of plastic.

Burying units
, Stephanie thought.
This is bureaucrat speak for coffins.
The coffins were stored at the empty FEMA centers.

Stephanie felt goose bumps. She shivered.

Section 5 discussed rules of engagement and the arrest and detention of Americans deemed undesirable or unfriendly to the government. Armed resistance was to be met with deadly force. Citizens would be given a grace period of one week to turn in all firearms. Anyone found with a gun after that time would be considered an enemy of the state and treated accordingly. The Violent Crime Act of 1991 was cited as the legal justification for seizing all privately owned firearms.

Section 6 proposed creating an intermediate judicial system modeled on the Universal Code of Military Justice, with absolute powers. It would supersede the existing civilian courts until something more permanent could be established. It would ultimately be administered jointly with the DOJ under authority of Executive Order 11310.

Section 7 pointed out the need to inventory and seize food supplies and any properties deemed useful. Food and fuel stockpiles would be established at central distribution points and then rationed out according to regulations yet to be established.

Section 8 listed key military installations and their roles in the plan. There were references to other documents that spelled out military involvement in detail.

Section 9 outlined a centralized system to identify and track all citizens, using existing technology and current databases. An RFID chip would be implanted in every man, woman and child under the guise of medical vaccinations against biological warfare.

The final paragraph acknowledged that it would be necessary to modify procedures as needed.

Stephanie sat in shock, trying to comprehend what she had read. She printed the memorandum and disconnected from the Pentagon. She sat in her chair and stared at the monitor screen. Phrases from the secret document stuck in her mind.

Psychological consequences.

Inventory and seize food supplies.

Disposal of civilian casualties.

Identify and track all citizens.

Enemy of the state.

150,000 coffins.

Stephanie rose from her chair and walked to Elizabeth's office. Elizabeth looked up at her as she came in the door.

"Stephanie, what's the matter? You look like someone just died."

"I know what Ajax is," she said.

Elizabeth waited.

"It's a secret plan to take over the government and establish a police state. It's filled with legal rationalizations to justify the take over."

"You can't be serious."

Stephanie handed the printed pages to Elizabeth and sat down. She waited while Harker read them.

Elizabeth looked up at her. Her voice was quiet. "Where did you find this?" she asked.

"On the Pentagon servers. It's buried behind heavy encryption. No one who didn't know about it could ever find it. I was looking for something about Ajax and got lucky."

"Someone told Edmonds we were interfering with a classified military operation," Harker said. She tapped the papers with her finger. "I'd say this qualifies"

"Remember what we were talking about right after Rice was shot? We were speculating that someone could be getting ready for a coup."

"I remember."

"I think it's started and this is the plan. A lot of thinking has gone into it and years of preparation. It has to be more than a cadre of senior officers behind this. They couldn't do it alone. The infrastructure like the FEMA camps couldn't have been put in place without support from senior government officials. They must be part of the plot as well."

"It would explain the assassination attempt on Rice," Harker said. "He would never be part of something like this."

"According to this memorandum, they want to impose martial law on the whole country. It would look like a legitimate response to a terrorist attack or a breakdown in civil order. Congress couldn't do anything about it once martial law was declared, not for a minimum of six months. The main authority is Executive Order 11615, signed by Nixon back in 1971."

"That order has never been rescinded?"

"No."

"Riots like the one in Russia would provide a perfect excuse," Harker said.

Stephanie nodded. "What happened in Novosibirsk could have been a test to see how well their weapon worked. They were going to do the same thing in Riyadh and London before we stopped them."

Elizabeth picked up her pen and began tapping it on the desk.

"I'm going to have to tell Vysotsky what we've learned," Elizabeth said. "Sooner or later he'll discover that the signal came from an American satellite. Maybe I can soften the bad news and convince him that we're dealing with it."

"What are you going to say? That someone in the Pentagon wanted to test an American weapon so they decided to use it on Russia? I don't think that's going to go over very well."

"I'll get him involved in the investigation, like we did before. That should buy us some time."

"He may think it's a trick," Stephanie said.

"He may. But I have some credibility with him. He's an intelligent man. It's to his advantage to let us do the heavy lifting, as long as he feels confident we're telling him the truth."

"And if he stops feeling confident?"

"I'll deal with that if I have to. Let me think about this."

Elizabeth set down her pen and looked across her desk at Stephanie. "What have we got ourselves into?"

"I don't know," Stephanie said, "but I know one thing."

"What's that?"

"We're running out of time to stop it."

CHAPTER 33

Alexei Vysotsky was in a foul mood. He was under heavy pressure from Red Square to find out what had happened in Novosibirsk. The Kremlin wanted a scapegoat. Alexei had no intention of playing that role.

His encrypted, private phone signaled a call. Vysotsky looked at the caller ID.

Harker. What now?

He pressed a button under his desk that blanketed the room with electronic interference. In Russia, some things never changed. Though his office was regularly swept for listening devices, Vysotsky assumed it was bugged by the FSB, Russia's internal security apparatus. Even someone in his high position of trust was not beyond suspicion. If FSB suspected he was collaborating with the Americans on his own initiative, his head would be on the block.

"Director Harker," Vysotsky said. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your call? Tell me that you have something interesting to share with me."

"Hello, Alexei. I can guarantee your interest but before I continue, I need your word that this conversation will remain between us for the present."

"I'm not sure I can do that, Director."

"Nonetheless, I must insist. I need to discuss a difficult subject that requires the greatest discretion. A mistake on your part or on mine could create serious problems between our countries. Even war."

Vysotsky's dark mood had vanished. All his senses were on alert. He respected Harker, even admired her. She would not make such a request without good reason. She had aroused his professional curiosity, knowing he would be unable to refuse.

Vysotsky was under no illusions about himself. No one achieved his position of power without sacrificing some of his humanity. He was a ruthless man, but he tried to balance that by being an honorable man, within his definition of honor. If he gave his word, he would keep it. It was clear Harker had learned that about him. His estimation of her went up another notch.

"Very well, Director. You have my word."

Elizabeth took a deep breath and plunged in. "I am certain that the events in Novosibirsk were a test run for the deployment of a new weapon."

"An American weapon?"

"Yes. Now you know why your discretion is required."

"We suspected this," Vysotsky said. He felt his blood pressure rising. A tight band seemed to be squeezing his head. With an effort, he controlled himself.

"You tell me it was an American weapon and ask me to keep quiet about it. That is too much, Director. Even from you."

"Hear me out, Alexei. It was not a sanctioned operation. I have discovered a conspiracy against our government. There is a plan to establish a police state here in America. Novosibirsk was a trial run in anticipation of using that weapon on our own people. You need to know about this. Our government is not behind the attack."

For the next 10 minutes, Elizabeth briefed Vysotsky on the raid in Alaska and on what had happened in London. She told him about the Ajax Protocol. When she was done, Vysotsky was silent.

Maybe I should go ahead and let that plot develop, he thought. Let the Americans destroy themselves.