Drone Wars 1: Day of the Drone (20 page)

“What the hell?” Xander said.

“It has also been revealed that Xander Moore was the author of a report that detailed how such an attack could be carried out, even though it was disguised as plans for an assault on a foreign-based facility.”

“This is all bullshit!” Xander said. He looked to a silent Tiffany Collins. “You were there, you know they’re lying.”

Tiffany stared at him with unblinking eyes.

The newscast continued. “It is believed that Moore set fire to his own home to cover up his activities, as other personnel from the Center were being targeted in the area by drone attacks.” Tiffany’s headshot now appeared. “After making contact with her station this morning, the fate of Fox News reporter Tiffany Collins is still unknown at this time, with her last known sighting being in the company of Moore at a home she owns in the town of Idyllwild in Riverside County, California. Eyewitnesses report that a gun battle took place near the home earlier this morning between government agents and Moore. Authorities we spoke with said they have no reason to believe at this time that the news broadcaster is involved in any of Moore’s activities, but they say they are still investigating Collins’ background for any possible links. In the meantime, the manhunt for Xander Moore continues.”

Billy pressed the pause button with an image of both Xander and Tiffany now filling the entire screen.

Xander turned a pleading face to Billy Jenkins. “It wasn’t me … in fact, I think it was Jonas.”

“
Jonas Lemon?
” Billy said, as his mouth fell open.

“Xander nodded. “He used to work at the Center … until I had him fired.”

Billy pursed his lips. “Maria, I think I’m going to need my usual!” he called out into the other room. “Jonas
fucking
Lemon. This sounds like something he would do.”

“You know him?” Tiffany asked, finally coming out of her stupor.

“You don’t believe any of this, do you?” Xander asked Tiffany before Billy could reply.

“Of course not, but now
I’m
being investigated!”

“You think Jonas did this to get back at you?” Jenkins asked Xander.

“There’s been no love lost between us for years, Billy, and you know it.”

“It wasn’t your fault he got kicked out of the League.”

“Even so, he landed on his feet after that and went to work for the military in the Predator program, before eventually being pawned off on the RDC.”

Billy shook his head as Maria brought him a caramel-colored drink in a tumbler. “That was one crazy son-of-a-bitch. But now they’re blaming you, and with evidence planted at your house, obviously. What are you going to do?”

With desperate eyes, Xander looked towards the hovering Maria. “Bring him what I’m having,” Billy said, reading Xander’s mind. “He looks like he needs it.”

“Yes, Mr. Billy, and for you, ma’am?”

Tiffany shrugged. “Sure, why not? This thing just got a whole lot more complicated … and personal.”

Billy leaned over toward Tiffany and handed her his cellphone. “Here, call someone. Let them know you’re not being held captive by some crazed terrorist. I’ve known this guy since he was eleven and I was fourteen. He ain’t no saint, but he’s no traitor, either. There’s no way he could be involved in this like they say.”

Tiffany took the phone and stood up. She looked down at Xander. She went to say something, but ended up instead just shaking her head.

“It’s cool. Now go make your call. I’m sure all your friends and family are worried sick about you. But don’t let them know where you are, not yet.” He looked over at Billy. “I’m sure my old friend here will let you borrow one of his clunkers so you can get back to your normal life. I just need a little time to work out what
I’m
going to do next.”

Billy Jenkins smiled up at the news reporter. “Take your pick from the garage, sweetheart … as long as you promise to return it to me in person.”

Flashing a strained smile at the men, Tiffany left the room.

Billy now leaned in closer to Xander. “Seriously, bro, what
are
you going to do? I’ve been watching the news and this thing is huge. The country’s gone bat-shit crazy. You know they declared martial law?”

“We heard it on the radio. But how can they honestly believe I had anything to do with this?”

“Jonas—if he really is behind all this—has been planning it for a while. He probably had you pegged to take the fall from the beginning. And if there’s one thing to be said about that bastard, he had one scary talent for planning shit.”

“They—or he—sent a hit squad after me this morning, and they weren’t government agents. Government-trained, I’m sure, but no agents. I guess they want me dead so I can’t dispute any of this, leaving Jonas to run free. I was wondering why they were putting so much effort into trying to kill me.”

“Did they succeed?” Billy asked with a smile, just as Maria entered the room with their drinks.

“I’ll let you know in a day or so. But now you could be in trouble, too.”

Billy took his second tumbler and chugged it. “Don’t worry about me, bro, I’m rich! While you continued to
play
with your little toys, I went off to
build
them.
And the gov’ment’s been berry, berry good to me,
” Billy said in his best imitation of Minnie Minoso’s famous quote regarding the game of baseball—accent and all. “Let me make a few calls,” he continued. “I’m sure I can get this straightened out, if not publicly, then at least with the powers-that-be.”

“That would help. Thanks.”

Tiffany reentered the room and made a beeline for her drink. She, too, downed it in a single gulp.

“Okay, that’s done, and they’re relieved. But they really want me to get the exclusive from you, Xander. It might help to set things straight. I could use Billy’s phone to record a quick interview.”

“You’re kidding, aren’t you?” Xander said, flabbergasted.

“That’s a good idea, Zan,” Billy said. “Get everyone out looking for Jonas instead of you.”

“And why would they believe me? And what if Jonas has an alibi? I’d look like an idiot.”

“Right now you look like a
terrorist
,” Tiffany said. “Let’s at least tell our side of the story. I’ll back you up.”

Xander looked into the three pairs of anxious eyes staring back at him—even Maria was waiting for his reply. “What the hell?” he said finally. “What could it hurt?”

Chapter 16

“Our powerful friends have used their considerable technological prowess to record a cellphone conversation that just came into the Fox News station in Los Angeles,” said Abdul-Shahid Almasi to Jonas Lemon through the computer link. “They should have a trace on the phone very soon. The phone is active once again.”

“Probably in San Diego, right?”

“Preliminary … yes.”

“He has a lot of friends there. I’d check out Jeremy Fenton, Karen Pardo, Billy Jenkins, Curt Tharp, and Hugh Barden.”

“And who are they?”

“They’re his old teammates, a bunch of drone nerds from the old days. If he’s looking for someone with influence and resources, I’d put my money on Jenkins.”

“I know the name. He is a drone manufacturer. I believe even I have used some of his units.”

“Yeah, he’s pretty big-time with the government these days, owns one of the few companies authorized to weaponize UAVs.”

“Can he be a threat to us?”

Lemon laughed. “Only if he lives! I assume when you take out Moore, there can also be some fortuitous collateral damage? But don’t you think it a bit risky to bring in the Russians at this point?”

“They already have extensive surveillance taking place across America. Besides, if our operation is carried to fruition, they will have very little to worry about from your country as far as reprisals go.” Almasi’s image smiled—something that was rare in his case. “As will we all, Mr. Lemon.”

Jonas looked at his watch. He had a side dial set for California time. “It’s nine at night in San Diego and the start of a new day here in the Emirates. Hopefully your people can have this wrapped up pretty soon. I would really like to celebrate Moore’s death at dinner tonight.”

“And the codes? Are you prepared for immediate delivery upon confirmation?”

“All set to go. Just bring me the head of Xander Moore.”

Jonas saw a look of confusion cloud Almasi’s face. “A figure of speech,” Jonas quickly explained. “Simple video confirmation will suffice.”

********

Colleen Hoover was asleep at seven in the evening of Tuesday, December 12, the day after the attack on the Rapid Defense Center. This was unusual for her. She was one of those rare individuals who get by on four hours of sleep, an attribute that came in handy during her thirty years as a stock and commodities broker. Operating from the West Coast, she’d usually be at her desk by two a.m., preparing for the coming day on Wall Street. These days, living in the same time zone as New York, even though she was no longer active in the markets, she still maintained her habit of rising early to greet the new day.

As secretary of the treasury, Hoover oversaw the largest economy to ever have existed on the planet, even if most of her job these days entailed heading off one disaster after another. With the financial markets as fickle as they were, even an unsubstantiated rumor or the slightest movement in an unexpected manner would send them roiling. As the PR face of the US economy, she was tasked with downplaying every negative story, while smiling confidently when the occasional good news came out.

After Friday’s attack on the Dolphin Mall, followed by the total massacre at the RDC, there wasn’t a lot of smiling going on, even for the cameras. She had been up all Monday night with her advisors and in conference calls with the president and his people, fielding impossible-to-answer hypotheticals about the impact of the attacks on the economy. Her frantic schedule continued well into Tuesday morning as report after report came in regarding escalating terrorist attacks sweeping the nation. About four in the afternoon she fell back on the couch in her office just to rest her eyes, and it was the buzzing of her office intercom that woke her three hours later.

Colleen stumbled to her desk and pressed the button. “Hoover here. What is it?”

“Sorry to disturb you, ma’am, but the Chinese Finance Minister is demanding to speak with you.” Her secretary—actually one of two she had to keep up with her frantic pace—sounded tired and upset.

“He
demands
to speak with me?”

“He said he’s been trying to reach Mr. Monroe at the White House, but has been unable to get through.”

Colleen looked at the clock on the wall. “Shit—it’s seven o’clock!”

“Yes, ma’am, I would have wakened you if something truly important happened. It’s just hard to tell these days.”

“That’s all right, Tabby. Thanks. I imagine Minister Koa is fit to be tied. He’s probably been up all night trying to get hold of someone over here.”

“What should I tell him?”

“Put him through, Tabby. It’s really me he wants to talk with more than Monroe.”

“Yes, ma’am. Here he comes.”

“Minister Jing Koa, I can’t say I’m surprised to hear from you,” Colleen said.

“Madam Secretary, I apologize for the tone of my call, yet you must realize China is very concerned about the recent events taking place within your country, and it appears no one is willing to speak with us regarding this crisis. Even though your markets closed early, the rest of the world has continued to trade—at least for now.”

Hoover pressed a button on the remote control on her desk and a large TV on the opposite wall came to life, already tuned to Fox Business Channel. The scrolling banner at the bottom said it all.

“Is this correct, Jing? A three hundred point drop in the Nikki and over a thousand in the Shanghai Composite?”

“Yes it’s true, and this is only the beginning. As a warning, we are planning on closing our markets within the hour to keep the decline from growing worse, but that will only send a bad message to traders and shareholders. Without some good news to calm the panic, when we do reopen it will be so much worse. Please tell me you have some good news?”

“I have to be honest with you, Jing. I fell asleep for a couple of hours, so I’m not up on the very latest. Throughout the night and all Tuesday our time, we have been working on projections, and they’re not good. I don’t know how else to phrase it.”

“
Not good
can mean a lot, Madam Secretary. What we need to know is whether or not the United States has further capacity to stop these attacks and to get your people back in the stores? The global consensus is that you do not.”

“What do you want me to say, Mr. Minister? You can see the reports of the latest attacks as well as I can. You can also see the video showing empty malls. And this afternoon, the FedEx hub in Nashville was hit by no fewer than a hundred drones, grounding their entire fleet. Smaller, less effective attacks hit Amazon, Walmart, and Jet distribution centers. There’s been a wholesale exodus of workers from these sites, and I’d be surprised if anyone shows up for work tomorrow, anywhere.”

“It would appear these latest attacks are aimed solely at stopping commerce within your country. That speaks to a more sinister motive rather than simple terrorism.”

“This is both physical
and
economic terrorism, Jing. But you’re right. I said as much to the president earlier today. It appears the motive behind the attacks is to ruin our economy.”

“And what happens to the economy of China if America’s collapses? That is what everyone is worried about over here, and elsewhere.”

“Again, Jing, I don’t know what to say. Our priority at this time is to secure
our
nation and
our
financial markets and commerce.”

“I realize that, and you must understand that your goal is shared equally by the Chinese government.”

Hoover’s wry smile was conveyed in her tone of voice. “Our two governments have been inexorably entwined for decades now, at least financially.”

“Your debt to my nation now exceeds six trillion dollars, Madam Secretary, so I would agree our interests are mutual. The debt service alone, although less than ten percent of our domestic GNP, is both a vital, as well as a symbolic, part of our economy. And now there are people around the world—and here as well—who see America defaulting on your obligations in light of these attacks. Are they wrong?”

Colleen Hoover hesitated before answering. This had been a hot topic throughout the day, with many of the politicians and non-financial types saying screw everyone else, we have our own problems to deal with now. Worrying about what impact our actions would have on foreign entities wasn’t a priority.

Hoover knew—better than most—that America
did
have to worry what others would think and how they would react. With America temporarily handicapped, it would be up to the rest of the world to help find solutions and pick up the slack. The United States was going to need a lot of money to repair the damage caused on just the first day of the crisis—let alone for the duration—and that money would have to come from someplace other than the homeland.

“The thing about economics, Mr. Minister, is that so much of it is out in the open for all to see. Without a prosperous holiday shopping season, the United States will truly suffer economically. This is so much worse than a periodic slowdown due to a weak economy. This is profound, and it will have a ripple effect across all sectors. But to answer your complex question: number one, I don’t know if we have the capacity to fight off these and future attacks. That’s for others in the government to determine. Number two, as far as the US economy and our obligations are concerned, we discussed this at length, and it was decided that we will not allow valuable financial assets to leave the country, either by the government or by individuals and corporations, not when we need that money to keep the nation from spiraling completely out of control. We have to put on a good show, Jing, and that will cost a lot of money.”

“And our payments … are you saying they are in jeopardy?”

“Unfortunately, that is exactly what I’m saying.”

“You would forego your payments to us?”

“Unless things change drastically within the next few days, the United State of America will not have a Christmas, and with seventy percent of our economy based on consumer commerce, it doesn’t take a financial genius to see the writing on the wall.”

“Then what are
we
to do? A default will spell the complete meltdown of our economy as well.”

“Then I suggest that you get across to your bosses that what happens to America also happens to China. It’s as simple as that. An attack on us is also an attack on you. Having said that, don’t you think it’s about time your incredibly large and powerful country began exerting influence over some of your more questionable affiliations? I would start with North Korea and Iran. The attacks on my country affect you in kind. Only by stopping the terrorists can we—and I do mean we—persuade Americans to start shopping again.” Colleen’s frustration had grown by the minute, and now she let it all out.

“It’s time for Chinese leadership to make a decision. Are you going to continue to assist and protect regimes that sponsor terrorism, or are you going to be against them? Considering how interdependent the world’s economies have become, there is no way a superpower like yours can continue to ride the fence. If you want to save your economy, Mr. Minister, you will have to help America save ours.”