"Yes, ma"am."
"Then do it," the garrison commander said, and broke the connection.
Major Lott raised the cover of the alarm activation switch and then pressed on the switch. Sirens all over began to howl.
He then consulted the standing operating procedure to see what else was required of him to do-thus knocking over the first of the dominoes.
The provost marshal was notified. The first thing listed on his SOP was to lock down the fort. n.o.body in. n.o.body out. He did so. The second thing on his list was to notify the garrison medical facility to prepare for casualties. The third thing listed was to notify the Secret Service detachment on the base. He did so, and then continued to work down his list.
The first thing on the Secret Service Detachment SOP was to notify local law enforcement agencies. With Fort Detrick equidistant between Washington, D.C. (forty-five miles), and Baltimore, Maryland (forty-six miles), there was a large number of law enforcement agencies in that area, each of which was ent.i.tled to know of the problem at Fort Detrick.
The Secret Service agent instead first called his special agent in charge at the Department of Homeland Security at the Nebraska Avenue complex in the District of Columbia. He told him about the Potential Level Four Disaster, but had to confess that was all he knew.
"I"ll handle it," the SAC said.
The Secret Service agent began calling the numbers on his list of law enforcement agencies to be notified.
The SAC at Homeland Security attempted to contact the secretary of Homeland Security but was told he was in Chicago with Mayor Daley. He then got the a.s.sistant secretary for enforcement on the telephone and told him about the Potential Level Four Disaster at Fort Detrick.
"I"ll be d.a.m.ned," he said. "I"ll handle it."
He contacted the garrison commander on a hotline.
"a.s.sistant Homeland Security Secretary Andrews, Colonel," he said. "I understand you"ve got a little problem over there."
The garrison commander had by then spoken with Master Sergeant Dennis, who had told her about the container that had arrived with the morning FedEx shipment.
When she had told Andrews this, he said, "I"ll take immediate action."
Andrews then called the SAC back, told him to get on the horn to his people at Detrick, and have them grab the container and not let anybody else near it.
"How"s the quickest way for me to get there?" the a.s.sistant secretary asked.
"It would probably be quicker in one of our Yukons than trying to get a chopper, Mr. Secretary. I can have one at your door in ninety seconds."
"Do it."
Five and a half minutes later, a black Secret Service Yukon-red and blue lights flashing from behind its grille and with another magnet-based blue light flashing on the roof-skidded to a stop in front of the main building and picked up a.s.sistant Secretary Andrews. The SAC was in the front seat, where the a.s.sistant secretary preferred to ride.
Andrews thought: Ninety seconds, my a.s.s. Ninety seconds, my a.s.s.
That took five minutes plus, and we need to roll.
"Get in the back," he said.
Only then did the a.s.sistant secretary remember he had had another option. He could have told the SAC to get out.
But it was too late. He took a seat in the second row and, siren screaming and lights flashing, they were on their way to the Potential Level Four Disaster at Fort Detrick.
[THREE].
Office of the Presidential Press Secretary The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
1020 4 February 2007
There were a half-dozen television monitors mounted on the wall of John David "Porky" Parker"s office, one for each of the major television networks, and the other three for the "major" cable news programs.
The sound of only one was on, the volume low but on.
Porky Parker was more or less addicted to watching/listening to Wolf News. Not because he liked it, but the opposite. He hated it. Wolf News gave him the most trouble. It seemed to be dedicated to the proposition that all politicians, from POTUS down, were scoundrels, mountebanks, and fools, and that it was Wolf News"s n.o.ble duty to bring every proof-or suggestion-of this to the attention of the American people.
The problem was compounded for Porky by the fact that the people of Wolf News were very good at what they did, and with great skill went after the scoundrels, mountebanks, and fools regardless of political affiliation.
Wolf News used the fourth and final part of Gioacchino Antonio Rossini"s (1792-1868) "William Tell Overture" to catch people"s attention whenever there was "breaking news." Most people recognized the music as the theme for the Lone Ranger Lone Ranger motion picture and television series. motion picture and television series.
That was happening now, and when Porky faintly heard the stirring music, he reached for the remote control as a Pavlovian reaction and raised his eyes to the screen. He had the sound turned up in time to see and hear the Wolf News anchor-on-duty proclaim, "There is breaking news! Wolf News is on top of it! Back in sixty seconds ..."
There then followed a sixty-second commercial offering The Wall Street Journal The Wall Street Journal delivered to one"s home for only pennies a day. delivered to one"s home for only pennies a day.
Then the screen showed what looked like the scene of a major traffic accident. There were at least thirty police cars, all with their red and blue lights flashing. It had been taken from a helicopter. At the upper right corner of the screen, a message unnecessarily flashed, LIVE! LIVE! LIVE! LIVE! FROM A WOLF NEWS CHOPPER! FROM A WOLF NEWS CHOPPER!
Porky was a second from muting the sound when the voice of the on-duty Wolf News anchor announced, "What we"re looking at, from a Wolf News chopper, is the main gate of Fort Detrick, Maryland. We don"t know, yet, what exactly is going on here. But we do know that the post has been closed down, n.o.body gets in or out, and that the director of the Central Intelligence Agency just choppered in and a "senior official" of the Department of Homeland Security not yet identified just arrived in a vehicle with a screaming siren ..."
In another Pavlovian reflex, Porky reached for his White House telephone and told the operator to get him the commanding general of Fort Detrick on a secure line.
"Colonel Russell."
"This is the White House switchboard. This line is secure. Mr. Parker wishes to speak with the commanding general."
"This is the garrison commander."
"Mr. Parker wishes to speak with the commanding general."
"We don"t have a commanding general. I"m the senior officer, the garrison commander."
"One moment please."
"Colonel, this is John Parker, the President"s press secretary."
"This is Colonel Florence Russell. What can I do for you, Mr. Parker?"
"What"s going on down there?"
The garrison commander for a moment considered correcting the pompous political lackey with "What"s going on up up here, Porky. Fort Detrick is d.a.m.n near due north of D.C. ..." but instead said, "We have a Potential Level Four biological hazard disaster, Mr. Parker." here, Porky. Fort Detrick is d.a.m.n near due north of D.C. ..." but instead said, "We have a Potential Level Four biological hazard disaster, Mr. Parker."
"What does that mean, exactly?
"The operative word is "potential." We may have, repeat may have may have, a biological hazard disaster, Level Four. The most serious kind."
"What happened?"
"All I can tell you, Mr. Parker, is that our chief scientific officer, Colonel J. Porter Hamilton, has declared a Potential Level Four biological hazard disaster, and we have taken the necessary actions to deal with that."
"Colonel Russell, I repeat: What does that mean?"
"Per SOP, we have shut down the post, alerted the hospital, and notified the proper authorities. Until we hear from Colonel Hamilton, that"s all we can do."
"May I speak with Colonel Hamilton, please?"
"I"m afraid that"s not possible at the moment, Mr. Parker."
"Why not?"
"Colonel Hamilton is in Level Four BioLab Two."
"And there"s no telephone in there?"
"There"s a telephone. He"s not answering it."
"Perhaps if you told him the White House is calling, he might change his mind."
"To do that, Mr. Parker, I would have to get him on the line. And he"s not picking up."
"Can you tell me what he"s doing?"
"I can tell you what I think he"s doing. A package was delivered to him shortly before he declared the potential disaster. I think it"s reasonable to presume he"s examining the contents of that package."
"To what end, Colonel?"
"To see if what it contains justifies changing the current status from "potential" to "actual." Or from "Potential Level Four" to a lesser threat designation. We won"t know until he tells us."
"The President, Colonel, is going to want to know."
"Colonel Hamilton is not answering the telephone in the laboratory, Mr. Parker."
"I understand DCI Powell is there."
"Yes, he is. Would you like to speak with him, Mr. Parker?"
"Not right now. Colonel, you understand that I"m going to have to tell the President that the only person who seems to know what"s going on won"t answer his telephone?"
"I suppose that"s true," Colonel Russell said.
"I"ll get back to you, Colonel," Parker said, and then feverishly tapped the switchhook in the telephone handset cradle to get the switchboard operator back on the line.
"Yes, Mr. Parker?"
"Get me DCI Powell."
"Powell."
"Mr. Parker is calling, Mr. Powell. The line is secure."
"Mr. Powell, John Parker. What the h.e.l.l is going on over there?"
"John ..." the director of Central Intelligence began, and then stopped. After a long moment, he resumed: "John, I was just about to call the President. I think it would be best if he decided what to tell you about this."
Parker heard the click that told him Powell had just broken the connection.
Porky Parker normally had unquestioned access to the President, anywhere, at any time. But now when he approached the door to the Oval Office, one of the two Secret Service men on duty put on an insincere smile and held up his hand to bar him.
The second Secret Service agent then opened the door, and called in, "Mr. President, Mr. Parker?"
Parker heard President Clendennen"s impatient reply: "Not now."
Then he heard another male voice: "Mr. President, may I respectfully suggest that we"re going to need Parker."
After a moment, Parker recognized the voice as that of Amba.s.sador Charles M. Montvale, the director of National Intelligence.
There was a brief pause, and then Clendennen, even more impatiently, drawled, "All right. Let him in."
The Secret Service agent at the door waved Parker into the Oval Office.
The President was at his desk, slumped back in his high-backed blue leather-upholstered judge"s chair. Amba.s.sador Montvale was sitting in an armchair looking up at the wall-mounted television monitor. Secretary of State Natalie Cohen was sitting sideward on the couch facing Montvale, also looking at the television.
The President looked at Parker and pointed to the television. Parker moved to the opposite wall, leaned on it, and looked up at the television.
Surprising Parker not at all, the President was watching Wolf News.