Read Online The Ascendant: A Thriller by Drew Chapman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Drew Chapman
Ads: Link
said. Probably both.
Julia Hernandez continued: “We believe that this is more than simply a bad bond issue, Garrett. We believe the Chinese are selling off Treasuries as a way to weaken the economy of the United States. To undermine the dollar and destroy our standing in the global marketplace. We believe—”
An older, deeper voice interrupted her: “We believe that this is an act of war.”
Garrett turned to the voice. It came from the four-star general. His crew-cut Afro was awash in gray, and his deeply lined face seemed almost sculptural. “A new kind of war,” the four-star said. “One we really haven’t seen before.” Garrett couldn’t place his accent exactly, but he guessed it was Chicago. South Side. The general stood up, and the secretary of defense nodded to him.
“Mr. Reilly,” the secretary said. “This is General Aldous Wilkerson. Decorated Vietnam War veteran and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”
General Wilkerson waved the secretary off, then walked slowly up to Garrett. “The most dangerous attack, the one a general fears most, is the one he doesn’t understand, the one he never saw coming because it was deemed outside the realm of possibility. The attack that catches you completely by surprise: Hannibal’s elephants crossing the Alps, the Nazi blitzkrieg, two planes crashing into the World Trade Center. Those moments change the course of history. And they can destroy entire nations.”
The general’s words hung in the air. Garrett looked at the older man, the deep lines on his face. “And we’re at one of those moments?”
The general shrugged, as if unsure. Garrett liked that. He liked that this four-star general wasn’t so arrogant as to lecture Garrett on uncertainty. Uncertainty was one of Garrett’s specialties.
“My nine-year-old granddaughter understands more about computers and the Internet than I ever will,” Wilkerson said. “Send. Delete. Twitter. Facebook. Good Lord. I miss writing an old-fashioned letter. But people who know these things are telling me that our enemies could swamp us in a millisecond if they wanted to. If we were not on guard.” The general got up close to Garrett. “You concur with that assessment?”
“Isn’t that what the National Security Agency does? Protect us against attacks like that?”
“We’ve got agencies protecting us from threats all over the place,” the general said. “But none of them caught the massive, coordinated sell-off of U.S. Treasuries. Only you did.”
Garrett smiled as the realization dawned on him. He was surprised at himself for not seeing it earlier. “So you want me to help you find more of these in the future? Because I’m good at finding patterns. And I’m outside of the group-think of the military?”
General Kline took over: “We’ve been looking for someone like you, Garrett, for quite some time now, and the likes of you are not easy to find. Someone of a new generation. Raised on computers and the Web. Mathematically inclined. From a family of patriots like your brother, but himself outside of the military’s sphere of influence. Intelligent, unafraid of risk, aggressive, confident. Arrogant.”
Garrett snorted a laugh. “I feel so loved.”
“We speak plainly and directly, Garrett,” General Wilkerson said. “You might find that refreshing.”
Kline continued: “I could list all the characteristics that you possess, but it would take some time, and, frankly, I think you already know them. You know what you can do, and how you can do it. So here is what we are proposing. Let us train you in our defensive and offensive capabilities, but keep you physically and mentally separate from our war machine. Captain Truffant here will be your guide. She’ll bring you up to speed on what we can do, and what we can’t. Meanwhile, you’ll be free to track the very things that allowed you to predict what was happening in the bond market.”
“You want me to be your early warning
Julia Hernandez continued: “We believe that this is more than simply a bad bond issue, Garrett. We believe the Chinese are selling off Treasuries as a way to weaken the economy of the United States. To undermine the dollar and destroy our standing in the global marketplace. We believe—”
An older, deeper voice interrupted her: “We believe that this is an act of war.”
Garrett turned to the voice. It came from the four-star general. His crew-cut Afro was awash in gray, and his deeply lined face seemed almost sculptural. “A new kind of war,” the four-star said. “One we really haven’t seen before.” Garrett couldn’t place his accent exactly, but he guessed it was Chicago. South Side. The general stood up, and the secretary of defense nodded to him.
“Mr. Reilly,” the secretary said. “This is General Aldous Wilkerson. Decorated Vietnam War veteran and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”
General Wilkerson waved the secretary off, then walked slowly up to Garrett. “The most dangerous attack, the one a general fears most, is the one he doesn’t understand, the one he never saw coming because it was deemed outside the realm of possibility. The attack that catches you completely by surprise: Hannibal’s elephants crossing the Alps, the Nazi blitzkrieg, two planes crashing into the World Trade Center. Those moments change the course of history. And they can destroy entire nations.”
The general’s words hung in the air. Garrett looked at the older man, the deep lines on his face. “And we’re at one of those moments?”
The general shrugged, as if unsure. Garrett liked that. He liked that this four-star general wasn’t so arrogant as to lecture Garrett on uncertainty. Uncertainty was one of Garrett’s specialties.
“My nine-year-old granddaughter understands more about computers and the Internet than I ever will,” Wilkerson said. “Send. Delete. Twitter. Facebook. Good Lord. I miss writing an old-fashioned letter. But people who know these things are telling me that our enemies could swamp us in a millisecond if they wanted to. If we were not on guard.” The general got up close to Garrett. “You concur with that assessment?”
“Isn’t that what the National Security Agency does? Protect us against attacks like that?”
“We’ve got agencies protecting us from threats all over the place,” the general said. “But none of them caught the massive, coordinated sell-off of U.S. Treasuries. Only you did.”
Garrett smiled as the realization dawned on him. He was surprised at himself for not seeing it earlier. “So you want me to help you find more of these in the future? Because I’m good at finding patterns. And I’m outside of the group-think of the military?”
General Kline took over: “We’ve been looking for someone like you, Garrett, for quite some time now, and the likes of you are not easy to find. Someone of a new generation. Raised on computers and the Web. Mathematically inclined. From a family of patriots like your brother, but himself outside of the military’s sphere of influence. Intelligent, unafraid of risk, aggressive, confident. Arrogant.”
Garrett snorted a laugh. “I feel so loved.”
“We speak plainly and directly, Garrett,” General Wilkerson said. “You might find that refreshing.”
Kline continued: “I could list all the characteristics that you possess, but it would take some time, and, frankly, I think you already know them. You know what you can do, and how you can do it. So here is what we are proposing. Let us train you in our defensive and offensive capabilities, but keep you physically and mentally separate from our war machine. Captain Truffant here will be your guide. She’ll bring you up to speed on what we can do, and what we can’t. Meanwhile, you’ll be free to track the very things that allowed you to predict what was happening in the bond market.”
“You want me to be your early warning
Similar Books
