ROGUESTATE, page 42
“I’m sure Secretary Cheney and President Bush have overstated my contributions,” murmured Louis.
The President Elect waved to a chair and said, “I understand you are here to brief me on the events in Panama and the Taiwan Strait.”
Louis nodded. He proceeded to outline the events leading up to the skirmish between American and Chinese forces along the Taiwan Strait and Chinese missiles in Panama. The enormity of his tale left them all speechless.
“It wasn’t reported this way,” countered the President Elect.
“No, sir,” replied Louis. “There are times when the truth is more dangerous than a misrepresentation.”
“A lie,” said the plainspoken next president.
Louis nodded. “I don’t envy you the job, sir.”
“My father tells me you are much more than a simple briefing officer,” continued the President Elect.
The spymaster let his gaze drift to the others in the room, but they were all people who had achieved the prize—two presidents, a vice president, and a national security advisor. These were not people he would want to play poker against.
“I have had the privilege to serve five presidents in various capacities. There are actions that a president should not know about,” he added knowingly.
“The dirty little details,” said George W. Bush.
“Yes, sir—the dirty little details should never bother the man in the Oval Office.”
The President Elect considered Louis’ words and said, “A President should know when he’s sending someone to risk his or her life.”
It was an uncomfortable moment for Louis as he said quietly, “Not every death in the service of the country is always reported. Nor is every drop of blood shed in defense of the Constitution is known.”
The little smirk that caused him so much heartache during the campaign played across his lips. “Well said, Louis, I may call you Louis?”
Louis nodded. The President Elect could charm the socks off a Bolshevik; he wondered how he would fair with the Democrats.
“My dad and Secretary Cheney have told me you are a man I should listen to. I won’t ask the details of what you or the people you’ve commanded have done—it would be impolitic. But if you have something to tell me, you call me or Ms. Rice. We’ll answer the phone, and we’ll listen,” declared the President Elect.
There was steel behind the twinkling eye and soft grin, and Louis did not know about the new tone the President Elect wanted to set; he certainly was singing a different tune than the one Louis had heard over the last eight years.
“Thank you, sir—I won’t abuse your trust.”
Former President Bush leaned forward in his chair and said, “Louis, having heard all that, is there anything else you might want to tell us?”
For the briefest of instants, the two men’s eyes locked. The spymaster understood the implicit command of the former president, vice president, ambassador and director of central intelligence.
Louis turned back to the President Elect. “There is one other thing. While I suspect you’ll be occupied with China, we have another problem—potentially a very serious problem.
“His name is the Ayatollah Kambiz Abbasi. He appears to be Iran’s director of terrorism—for lack of a better term. Recently, ad hoc intelligence operatives foiled a joint operation mounted by Iraq and Iran. We’re not entirely sure of the complete scope of the operation, but I believe it involved an assassination attempt on your life.”
The father glanced at his son and both tasted the bitter fruit that came with the prize.
“How credible a threat?” asked Condoleezza.
“Very,” whispered Louis.
The President Elect took in the hard facts. “And what would you do about this problem, Louis?”
The spymaster weighed his words carefully. “Kill him first.”
The words dropped in the conversation like angry, red boils.
“Do we have any assets capable of performing such a mission?” asked former President Bush.
“Very few, sir,” answered Louis.
“What would it take to train more assets?” asked Secretary Cheney.
They were circling the wagons about the President Elect. Louis understood the game. “Authorization and a modest sum of money.”
“You’ve done this once before,” said former President Bush knowingly.
Louis nodded. “I did it for president Reagan at the direction of Casper Weinberger and Bill Casey. They gave me an authorization letter.”
“And what did you do with thisauthorization ?” asked Condoleezza.
Without hesitation, Louis said, “We built the sharpest, nastiness stick we could and pounded it through the heart of the Soviet Bear.”
* * * *
Near Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Harvey tossed Kurt Martin his hat and a bottle of water. He maneuvered theLady Slipper II alongside the wooden jetty. The hot winter sun beat down on the two men and the waves gently rocked Harvey’s yacht.
“This is where you get off. Consider it a belated Christmas present,” explained the former FBI agent and sometime-spy.
Martin lifted his handcuffed wrists and bandaged arms.
Harvey chewed the inside of his cheek before tossing Martin a handcuff key. “Take care of it yourself.”
Shooting pains arced up and down his shoulders and hands where he had suffered stab wounds and broken bones. “I’ll see you in hell,” Martin said bitterly.
Harvey ignored the threat and responded with a promise. “If ever come north to the United States again, I’ll tell the madman who almost killed you. He’ll finish the job.”
Martin stood against the blasted desert land and spat in Harvey’s direction.
Harvey pushed the throttles forward on the twin 502 horsepower diesel engines. He thought about Darby Hayes and Conner Fadden. He was reminded of the Chechen and the Russians in the sewers and the very nasty world they inhabited. Finally, he considered the bitter killer-for-hire he left on the wooden jetty. For some crimes, there are no courts—there are only improper solutions.
AFTERWORD
I want to thank Brian St. George, John and Dana Uphus, Sharon Mueller, and Mark Koschmann for their feedback and comment on early versions ofRogue State. I want to thank my daughter Amanda for her help in making the map. I want to thank my content editor Gail Abel and Kurt Florman, the nuts and bolts editor at Metropolis Ink. I want to thank my mom, Lu De Bono, for telling everyone about the books. Finally, I want to thank my incredibly patient and loving wife Cathy, who has allowed me to pursue this dream.
Rogue Statewas written prior to the events of September 11, 2001. One theme is that America is vulnerable to terrorism. My villains tend to be Iraq, Iran, and China with left-overs from the old Soviet Union. These are not random picks, and I believe we are now engaged in a struggle against these very foes.
Throughout the book there are press reports from Nigel Turner. Turner is a fictional character, however, his reports and the people listed in them are true (with minor modifications or embellishments). Through his eyes, I tell the story of the Chechen rebellion. It is a nasty little war, and nasty little wars have a habit of disturbing the New World Order.
The incidents surrounding theKursk and the Ostankino tower are historically accurate. The characters referenced in the Russian Security Council, military commanders in Chechnya and rebel figures (some of whom have died) are all real people.
The rumor regarding a nuclear weapon in Gorky Park during the first Chechen War is unsubstantiated (in the sense that no government acknowledged the event). I came across this story when I was researchingBlood Covenant. While it probably was not a full-fledged bomb, it might have been nuclear material that could have been scattered by conventional means. Certainly, something caused the Red Army to back off in 1996.
Occasionally, I included the bureaucratic gobbledygook I came across during my research. Specifically, I would direct your attention to the news stories in Chapters 3 and 39. If you understand what they were attempting to say, you’re brighter than me.
I introduced the Lexington Compact inReap the Whirlwind. The purpose at the time was to begin to explore theanti-Harper characters. Thus, Damon Layne andSpanish Poppy were born. The world surrounding Damon Layne continued to grow as Adrian Bridger evolved in this book. Finally, I decided to tease you with another character by the name of Hayden Burke in the final chapter.
Conner Fadden is a complex character. He is a soldier and soul who has lost his honor. His crime was monstrous, his guilt was real, and his solutions were flawed. I leave it to you to decide whether he found heaven or hell.
The 2000 presidential election kept the nation in suspense for five weeks, and it is a historical event that could not be ignored considering the timeline forRogue State. As I already had created the Lexington Compact, I decided they were capable of any crime. We now know there were voting irregularities in Philadelphia; Wayne County, Michigan (Detroit); St. Louis; and Florida. While we may never know the truth, I have been through the political ringer enough to knowit didn’t just happen.
The Mark Schaeffer character is based on a real person and good friend—Mike Cavanaugh. Before the first edition ofBlood Covenant ever hit the stands, Mike was telling people about the book. Mike had a passion for life and the truth, and pursued both as vigorously as anyone I have ever known. Mike died a few years ago after a long bout with cancer. Throughout the entire ordeal, Mike never gave up. He is an example for all of us.
There are a number of computer systems discussed throughout my books. I have maintained these systems throughout the books as one of the plot threads. Sometimes fact is stranger than fiction. When I wroteBlood Covenant I created CYCLOPS as a fictional system, only to discover that security agencies used a similar system to monitor people attending the 2001 Super Bowl. For the record, CARNIVORE, ECHELON, SORM-2 and the DRAGON WARE SUITE do exist and are a very real threat to privacy. The quotations attributed to Representatives Bob Barr and Dick Armey are accurate.
As to whether or not someone could develop plastic explosives from household products, the answer is yes. I was purposely vague at certain points in the discussion of developing the explosives—don’t try this at home.
I will leave you with a question: who or what was the Rogue State—the Chechen rebels, the Russian Federation, the Iranian Mullahs, the Lexington Compact, Damon Layne, Jim Harper or someone else? I do not claim to know the answer. I do know that simply changing the name tostates of concern does not change the very real hostility towards the United States. Political correctness should never be allowed to jeopardize national security.
By the time you finish these pages, I will be embarked on a journey to explore the past and future inFirewall,Scorched Earth andCold Rage. When I first conceived of these characters, I had always planned to go back to the beginning. Until now, I did not have a story to tell. I can promise you that Damon Layne, Hayden Burke, Adrian Bridger, Jim Harper, Louis Edwards, Harvey Randall, and Cecil Bixby have a fascinating history.
Douglas De Bono
Minnetonka June 2001
www.RogueState.us
About the Author
Douglas De Bono is a successful database administrator and designer in the Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, area. He manages his own consulting company called Systems Consulting, Inc. Doug makes his home with his wife Cathy and their three children: Amanda, Ben and Amy.
His writing stems from a lifelong interest in military and political affairs. One of the goals of his writing is to make the reader wonder where the facts leave off and the fiction begins. He strives to make his books as accurate as possible, and has probably worked out a fight scene, fired the weapon, or worked through the technical computer problems before he starts writing.
Doug is a graduate of Carleton College (1978). He currently holds a second-degree black belt and is working towards his third degree. He is also an avid shooter.
His previous novels are Point of Honor, Blood Covenant, and Reap the Whirlwind.
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