Cyber Attack (19 page)

“Makes sense,” said J.J., pointing towards two vehicles in a clearing ahead. “They’re already here.”

Sarge, Steven and Brad were reviewing a large set of drawings on the hood of Sarge’s car. Steven was pointing from one side of the drawings to the other. Donald guessed the fence was the topic du jour.

“Hey, guys,” said Susan through the window as Donald pulled the SUV alongside their friends. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Susie Q, how are you?” asked Steven. “I see you let DQ drive this time.”

“Don’t bust my balls from the git-go, Steven,” said Donald. His constant ribbing did get old sometimes.

“Relax, old buddy. We’re taking another look at this damn two-mile opening we need to secure. Brad has it covered, though.”

“Hey, Brad,” said Donald, shaking the military man’s hand firmly. “Susan baked you a couple of pies to take back to the boys.”

“Thanks, Susan. Apple, I hope?” asked Brad. Susan felt the need to give Brad special attention because he was single, estranged from his family and surrounded by military guys. A touch of home cooking always warmed Brad’s heart.

“You got it!” replied Susan. “You’ll need your strength to build that fence.” Susan and Donald moved closer to the plans as Sarge greeted J.J.

“Hey, Doc, how’s Sabs?” asked Sarge. “It was really nice of her to watch the Quinn monsters while we spend the day out here.”

“She actually looked forward to it,” replied J.J.

Susan leaned back to give Sarge a little hell. “You know, Sarge, there will be a time when you’ll settle down and quit playing Indiana Jones,” interjected Susan. “Who knows, you might even get married and have your own
monsters
.”

“That’s right, bro. Let their uncle Steven show them a thing or two.”

“Marriage, children and the thought of an uncle Steven? Have I offended you guys in some way?”

Brad forced the current contingent of the Loyal Nine to focus. “At ease, soldiers. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Brad continued. “You did a great job creating a private environment for us to work. The campaign event went well and I believe our construction efforts will go largely unnoticed.”

“Thanks, Brad,” said Donald. “We had to create an illusion that was also a good cause. Curiosity seekers will not want to intrude on the lives of abused women and children. Further, the fast-track construction will hopefully fly under the radar of Brad’s friends at nearby Fort Devens and the prying eyes of the NSA’s satellites.”

“The next step is creating a secured perimeter,” said Brad. “It will require some extra effort and expense, but we will stretch fencing across the entire northern border.” Brad drew a line with his finger stretching from the inlet to the west across the peninsula entrance to the east at the largest part of the reservoir.

“The fence won’t stop a determined intruder,” added Steven. “To be effective, any barrier must be augmented with security force personnel and other means of protection with intent to comply with the five Ds.”

“What are the five Ds?” asked Susan.

“Preparation without security is meaningless,” replied Brad. “The five Ds include deter, deny, detect, delay and defend.”

“I would also add a sixth D,” said Steven. “The sixth D is deceased if you don’t keep these factors in mind when creating your perimeter security.”

“In a nutshell, the five Ds of perimeter security can be summarized like this,” said Brad, who directed everyone’s attention to the blue-lined drawings on Sarge’s Mercedes. “First, by defining the perimeter as a restricted area, we provide a physical and psychological deterrent to unauthorized entry while serving notice that entry is not freely permitted.

“Second, a properly constructed security fence will deny accidental entry to wayward hunters or adventure seekers looking to hike or camp on the peninsula.

“Third, our security personnel will be able to detect and apprehend intruders.

“Fourth, this detection element will enable us to delay anyone who is making their way to our compound, which will enable us to put into effect the last D.”

“Defense,” said Steven. “Anyone who intends to cause us harm will have to go through several layers of defensive measures, which will reduce their element of surprise.”

“Finally, we are going to establish a series of choke points using the existing road system,” said Brad. “If a substantial force does manage to break through our first lines of defense, we’ll have something for them.”

“Brad, this sounds very good on paper, but defending this place will take a battalion-sized security team,” said Sarge.

J.J. stepped forward and put his hands on the shoulders of his military compatriots. “We’ve been working on this issue for some time. Donald is the money man, so this will require his, or at least our benefactor’s, approval.”

“How much?” asked Donald.

Brad, a student of military history, knew the cost of a standing army was substantial. The defense of Prescott Peninsula could take more than a hundred highly trained men working around the clock.

“Finding the soldiers necessary for the defense of Prescott Peninsula is just half the battle,” said Brad. “First we have to recruit based upon ideology. After that, we must be convinced of their commitment. When the shit hits the fan, we can’t have our security forces run for home. They have to become a part of the community.”

“Let’s address the issue of ideology first,” said Sarge. “How do you approach potential recruits?”

“The three of us have spent our careers establishing friends and contacts in the military, and in the case of Steven, private contractor work,” said J.J. “In the last three years we have stepped up our efforts to identify individuals who think like we do.”

“For example?” asked Sarge.

“Let me start with a brief history lesson,” said Brad. Donald admired Brad for his passion of studying war and military history. Although the tactics may have changed somewhat due to advanced technology, the principles of warfare and military science were the same.

“We all know the history of the original Loyal Nine because of our families’ lineages,” said Brad. “During the War for Independence, the colonists who actually fought on behalf of freedom amounted to no more than three percent of the population. They were the true patriots who were willing to lose their lives for the creation of our nation. They stood up against tyranny and chose freedom.”

“As military personnel, we took an oath to support and defend the constitution,” said Steven. “The oath is sacred and as such we have formed certain beliefs. As oathkeepers, we will not obey any orders that infringe upon the rights of freedom-loving Americans.”

“After our service ended, we met hundreds of Americans who, like the colonists, did not have a military or law enforcement background,” said J.J. “Yet they believed in the constitution and their rights to freedom and liberty. Many of them took the same oath and joined organizations identifying with the three percent.”

“We’ve kept a black book of sorts,” said Brad. “Our contacts extend throughout the military and law enforcement around the world. Like us, when we gave the oath of enlistment, we wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount that may include our lives. The three percent swore a similar oath and we would stand shoulder to shoulder in the event tyranny or a hostile foreign nation threatens our country.”

“In the event America takes a drastic turn for the worst—in the form of a catastrophic collapse event, will your contacts stand with us?” asked Sarge.

“Absolutely,” replied Brad. “When the time comes, they will form a worldwide unit using the moniker the Mechanics in honor of the Loyal Nine and the colonists who fought insurgency battles as part of the Sons of Liberty. They will also be identified by the rebellious stripes flag, again symbolic of those brave colonists who risked their lives for our freedoms.”

“So we’ll have our own army?” asked Susan.

“In a sense, yes,” replied Brad. “Should the country experience a catastrophic event, we will be able to gauge our government’s intentions in the first several days and weeks. If the politicians are opportunistic—using the catastrophe to infringe upon the constitutional rights of Americans—then we will be able to mobilize quickly to protect ourselves and others.”

“At some point, we knew a decision would have to be reached that sets our plan into motion,” said Steven. “We think the time is now. The signs are all there. The very nature and existence of this project screams
wake up
!”

“What do you need from me?” asked Donald.

“We have to build this facility and protect its privacy,” replied Brad. “I have identified a small cadre of two dozen soldiers from Fort Devens who will stand with us and help make this operation a reality. They will want assurances, which I can provide. They will need pay for themselves and their families.”

“Done. I don’t need to ask.”

“Also, we will need equipment,” added Steven. “This will include weaponry, tactical gear and security gear.”

“Make a list and I’ll get it for you,” replied Donald. “What else?”

“That’s it from the defense side,” replied Brad.

“I think this operation needs a name,” said Donald. “Something that doesn’t scream
bug-out location
.”

“I’ve got it, DQ,” said Steven. “Welcome to the Quabbin Reservoir, designed and constructed by DQ and Susie Q—the Triple Q Ranch.”

Chapter 31

June 30, 2016

100 Beacon

Boston, Massachusetts

“Julia, what can I do to help?” asked Katie as she set her wineglass on the kitchen island.

“You’re fine, Katie,” replied Julia. “Just keep the boys drinking. Maybe we can loosen them up and take advantage of their bodies.” They both laughed.

“Wait, isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?”

“We’re part of the new liberated women of America,” replied Julia. “Pretty soon we’ll dictate the terms of sexual interaction.” Their laughter drew the attention of the guys.

“Hey, bro, I sniff a conspiracy brewing in the kitchen, along with something else incredible,” said Steven as he hugged Katie around the waist and smelled her neck.

“Get off me, you beast!”

“You don’t mean it,” he replied.

“Listen up, you two, dinner first, then we will negotiate the terms of dessert,” said Julia. “Hey, Sarge, what has you engrossed over there?”

“Same shit, different day. I was just watching the footage from a protest gone wild in Manhattan. Social unrest is happening all over.”

“Sarge is right,” added Steven. “My buddy Ray Bower is a hedge fund guy and was in the conference hall when the melee broke out.”

“What happened?” asked Julia.

“It’s like Sarge said, same shit, different day. Out of nowhere, protestors crammed their way into the Waldorf ballroom, where a hedge fund conference was under way. They shouted the usual drivel about increasing the minimum wage and jail the bankers.”

“I had the same experience during my trip to Nashville last week,” said Sarge. “It didn’t interrupt my presentation at the Opryland Hotel, but the protestors invaded the Garden Observatory, where several of us were having drinks that night. Supposedly they were brought in by rented school buses and entered the hotel by the hundreds. It was chaos.”

“When does peaceful protest become outright harassment?” asked Katie.

“Interesting you bring that up, Katie,” replied Sarge. “As the protestors bullied their way through the hotel guests, a young girl became frightened and fell down an escalator. She was injured and taken to a hospital. It did not, however, stop the protestors from disrupting the entire complex.”

“What can be done?” asked Julia.

“Just shoot ’em!” exclaimed Steven. “I mean, enough is enough already.”

“This may sound out of line, but I almost get the sense they want that to happen,” said Sarge. “These protests are growing in intensity and frequency. The demonstrations are no longer confined to the top ten metro areas. Nashville is a typical Southern city in Tennessee, not exactly a hotbed of social outcry.”

“I’m just saying, it’s gonna blow at some point,” added Steven.

“Here is what else I learned,” continued Sarge. “This is especially true in the South, it appears. Normally quiet white suburbanites are becoming more active. The military’s Jade Helm activities have expanded from the Southwest throughout the Southeast. State and local politicians are being extremely vocal about why the Jade Helm exercises are confined to their regions and not the Northeast or Midwest. The soccer moms are up in arms. Local Tea Party organizations are putting together counterdemonstrations when the Black Lives Matter crowd shows up. There was a significant physical altercation between protesting groups at the Perimeter Mall in Sandy Springs, Georgia, an affluent white suburb of Atlanta. As the demonstrators are emboldened by their leaders and the lack of government intervention, they begin to disrupt the lives of Americans who ordinarily don’t give a shit.”

“It’s gonna blow,” said Steven dryly.

Katie poured Sarge another glass of wine. Julia looked at him and saw he was unwinding. His travel schedule was hectic and he was burdened by what he saw around the country. He also expressed his concern about getting the Triple Q Ranch operational. Collectively, the Loyal Nine felt the trouble coming at them like a freight train.

Sarge continued. “As I travel around the country promoting the book, the venues are filled with people chanting
Choose Freedom
and waving the Rebellious Flag. I know a book cover can be inspiring, but I am humbled at the response.”

“But it’s more than that, right, Sarge?” asked Julia. She gestured for everyone to take a seat at the dining table.

“It is.
Choose Freedom
has become a rallying cry. The Rebellious Flag is a symbol of America’s desire to support the constitutional principles established by our Founding Fathers.”

“Sarge has become a recognized expert on the concept of American and state sovereignty,” said Julia. “But it also appears he is becoming a renowned spokesman for personal and economic freedom. Honey, you are becoming a leader.”