reassuring
speeches by politicians like him, the president reminded himself. Pressured by
frightened constituents, many in Congress were already demanding an immediate
federal ban on nanotech research. And God only knew how many other governments
around the world were going to buy into the Movement's wild-eyed claims about America's
secret “nanotech weapons program.”
Castilla turned to David Hanson, sitting at the far end of the table. “Anything to add, David?”
The CIA director shrugged. “Beyond the observation
that what happened at the Teller Institute is almost certainly an act of coldly
calculated terrorism? No, Mr. President, I do not.”
“Aren't you jumping the gun just a bit?” Emily Powell-Hill asked
curtly. There was no love lost between the former Army brigadier general and
the Director of Central Intelligence. She thought Hanson was far too eager to
apply extreme solutions to national security problems.
Privately, the president agreed with her assessment. But the uncomfortable
truth was that Hanson's wilder predictions often hit the mark, and most of the
clandestine operations he pushed forward were successful. And in this case, the
CIA chiefs assertion tied in perfectly with what
Castilla had already heard from Fred Klein at Covert-One.
“Am I speculating in advance of all the facts? Clearly, I am,”
Hanson admitted. He peered condescendingly over the rims of his tortoiseshell
glasses at the national security adviser. “But I don't see that we need to
waste much time on alternate theories, Emily. Not unless you honestly believe
that the intruders who broke into the Teller Institute had nothing to do with
the bombs that exploded less than an hour later. Frankly, that seems a bit
naive to me.”
Emily Powell-Hill flushed bright red.
Castilla intervened before the dispute could get out of hand. “Let's
assume you're right, David. Say this disaster is an act of terrorism. Then who
are the terrorists?”
“The Lazarus Movement,” said the CIA director bluntly. “For
precisely the reasons I outlined when we discussed the Joint Intelligence
Threat Assessment, Mr. President. We wondered then what the 'big event' in
Santa Fc was supposed to be.” He shrugged his narrow shoulders.
“Well, now we know.”
“Are you seriously suggesting the leaders of the Lazarus Movement
arranged the deaths of more than two thousand of their own supporters?”
Ouray asked. The chief of staff was openly skeptical.
“Deliberately?” Hanson shook his head.
“I don't know. And until we get a better sense of exactly what killed
those people, we won't know. But I am quite sure that the Lazarus Movement was
involved in the terrorist attack itself.”
“How so?” Castilla asked.
“Consider the timing, Mr. President,” the CIA director suggested.
He began making his points, ticking them off with the precision of a professor
presenting a much-loved thesis to a particularly slow freshman class.
“One: Who organized a mass demonstration outside the Teller Institute? The Lazarus Movement. Two: Why were the Institute's security
guards outside the building when the counterfeit Secret Service team arrived —
and not able to intervene against them? Because they were
pinned down by that same protest. Three: Who prevented the real Secret
Service agents from entering the building? Those same Lazarus
Movement demonstrators. And finally, four: Why couldn't the Santa Fe police and
sheriffs intercept the intruders as they left the Institute? Because
they were tied down handling the chaos outside the Institute.”
Almost against his will, Castilla nodded. The case the CIA chief made was
not airtight, but it was persuasive.
"Sir, we cannot go public with an unsupported allegation like that
against the Lazarus Movement!“ Ouray broke in.
”It would be political suicide. The press would crucify us for even
suggesting it!"
“Charlie's absolutely right, Mr. President,” Emily Powell-Hill
said. The national security
speeches by politicians like him, the president reminded himself. Pressured by
frightened constituents, many in Congress were already demanding an immediate
federal ban on nanotech research. And God only knew how many other governments
around the world were going to buy into the Movement's wild-eyed claims about America's
secret “nanotech weapons program.”
Castilla turned to David Hanson, sitting at the far end of the table. “Anything to add, David?”
The CIA director shrugged. “Beyond the observation
that what happened at the Teller Institute is almost certainly an act of coldly
calculated terrorism? No, Mr. President, I do not.”
“Aren't you jumping the gun just a bit?” Emily Powell-Hill asked
curtly. There was no love lost between the former Army brigadier general and
the Director of Central Intelligence. She thought Hanson was far too eager to
apply extreme solutions to national security problems.
Privately, the president agreed with her assessment. But the uncomfortable
truth was that Hanson's wilder predictions often hit the mark, and most of the
clandestine operations he pushed forward were successful. And in this case, the
CIA chiefs assertion tied in perfectly with what
Castilla had already heard from Fred Klein at Covert-One.
“Am I speculating in advance of all the facts? Clearly, I am,”
Hanson admitted. He peered condescendingly over the rims of his tortoiseshell
glasses at the national security adviser. “But I don't see that we need to
waste much time on alternate theories, Emily. Not unless you honestly believe
that the intruders who broke into the Teller Institute had nothing to do with
the bombs that exploded less than an hour later. Frankly, that seems a bit
naive to me.”
Emily Powell-Hill flushed bright red.
Castilla intervened before the dispute could get out of hand. “Let's
assume you're right, David. Say this disaster is an act of terrorism. Then who
are the terrorists?”
“The Lazarus Movement,” said the CIA director bluntly. “For
precisely the reasons I outlined when we discussed the Joint Intelligence
Threat Assessment, Mr. President. We wondered then what the 'big event' in
Santa Fc was supposed to be.” He shrugged his narrow shoulders.
“Well, now we know.”
“Are you seriously suggesting the leaders of the Lazarus Movement
arranged the deaths of more than two thousand of their own supporters?”
Ouray asked. The chief of staff was openly skeptical.
“Deliberately?” Hanson shook his head.
“I don't know. And until we get a better sense of exactly what killed
those people, we won't know. But I am quite sure that the Lazarus Movement was
involved in the terrorist attack itself.”
“How so?” Castilla asked.
“Consider the timing, Mr. President,” the CIA director suggested.
He began making his points, ticking them off with the precision of a professor
presenting a much-loved thesis to a particularly slow freshman class.
“One: Who organized a mass demonstration outside the Teller Institute? The Lazarus Movement. Two: Why were the Institute's security
guards outside the building when the counterfeit Secret Service team arrived —
and not able to intervene against them? Because they were
pinned down by that same protest. Three: Who prevented the real Secret
Service agents from entering the building? Those same Lazarus
Movement demonstrators. And finally, four: Why couldn't the Santa Fe police and
sheriffs intercept the intruders as they left the Institute? Because
they were tied down handling the chaos outside the Institute.”
Almost against his will, Castilla nodded. The case the CIA chief made was
not airtight, but it was persuasive.
"Sir, we cannot go public with an unsupported allegation like that
against the Lazarus Movement!“ Ouray broke in.
”It would be political suicide. The press would crucify us for even
suggesting it!"
“Charlie's absolutely right, Mr. President,” Emily Powell-Hill
said. The national security
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