He opened his personal laptop and allowed it to scan his biometric readings before opening the email program. He went though another series of security checks before the system condescended to open the email, and then he started to read.
“Holy shit,” he breathed, as he read through the first few paragraphs. The plot was cunning and matched precisely some of the information he’d acquired, but without a framework to insert all of the data to make a complete picture. Now… now he had the framework, and everything slotted into place.
“He can’t,” he said, as he read on, the entire picture becoming clear. “Doesn’t he have any respect for America?”
He shook his head. Hoover had respected the America that had allowed him to become head of the FBI and then allowed him to run ransack over this era’s conception of civil liberties. Like any man faced with the future, he had attempted to destroy it… and had recruited MacArthur and many others to help him. People who agreed with him, outspoken protesters against the changing world… and people who he knew too much about, they made a formidable force blocking change.
He lifted the secured phone and tapped Oliver’s number. It was picked up at once; Oliver must have been waiting for the call. “Mr Oliver,” he said.
“I assume that you have read the message,” Oliver said. “It’s all true.”
“I don’t doubt it,” King said. “Listen, what do you want me to do about it?”
There was a long silence. “I expect you to stop it, somehow,” Oliver said. “The resources of my company are at your disposal.”
“Thanks,” King said wryly. “Still… you do realise that most of the plot will play out anyway? What’s to stop them plunging America into a second civil war?”
There was a second long pause. “I don’t think that they can win in the long run,” Oliver said finally. “If the attack in Washington can be defeated, the rest of the plotters will either sit on their hands or face the federal army, with their states in open revolt against their rule and treachery. Given how bad most of them would be for everyone without a high income…”
King thought rapidly. Oliver was probably right – a little imp at the back of his mind reminded him that he wanted Oliver to be right – but it still posed a serious problem. There were no forces near Washington that could be proved to be untainted; most of the army units in the country were being trained in Texas. The Secret Service would be loyal, he suspected, for it disliked the FBI and Hoover, but who else could be trusted?
A thought struck him. He recoiled; it could go very badly wrong… but the coup plot itself was bad. “I’ll discuss the matter with the President,” he said finally. “Mr Oliver, I may need your help.”
“Anything you want that I can give,” Oliver said. “Good morning, Ambassador.”
King put down the phone and sent a quick email to Colonel Palter, asking him to return to the embassy and start reading the encrypted message. Scowling, he picked up the phone again, and made an appointment to see Roosevelt, before typing out a final email.
“I hope you can help,” he muttered, as the email was sent. “I’m not sure what other weapons are left.”
The White House
Washington DC, USA
12th June 1941
“Did you see the plans for the jet bomber?” Roosevelt asked, delightedly. “The constructer believes that it will be possible to bomb anywhere in the world from here, and then get back for dinner.”
King shook his head. Roosevelt insisted on discussing unimportant matters first. “It’s a waste of time at the moment,” he said. “We can just build a B-52 at the moment, but we really need short-range tactical bombers, such as the B-29, which we can build in great numbers soon. Once we start equipping the new squadrons in Britain, Norway and North Africa with them, we can really start pounding away at the Germans.”
Roosevelt nodded. “Tell me, what sort of relations should we have with North Africa?” He asked. “The British have pretty much annexed it, and there won’t be any trading for us there.”
“I don’t think you understand,” King said, allowing his irritation to show. Roosevelt seemed oblivious. “The British have set up a provisional government, with full independence in 1950, for each of the African states. Mr President, the entire north of Africa will become a place for everyone to trade, once they’re finished. They won’t try to lock us out.”
Roosevelt lifted an eyebrow. “Are you certain of that?”
“Hanover is not an idiot,” King said. “They won’t let us damage their economy again, but they’ll encourage us to trade as long as they can do the same in Latin and South America.”
“Which you keep urging me to absorb into the United States,” Roosevelt said. “We don’t invade nations and add them to the United States by force.”
King shook his head. “Mr President, we have to act there to prevent the entire region from collapsing,” he said. “Hell, you know what the Texas Defence League is doing.”
Roosevelt nodded. The Texas Defence League, having heard about the massive coming waves of immigrants, had demanded that the borders were clearly marked and sealed before the waves could even begin. It was just another effect of knowing the future; New Orleans had panicked upon learning of the hurricanes that would strike the city, years in the future.
“It’s just another problem that we could head off at the pass,” King said. “However, there is another problem, sir, that we have to handle.”
He outlined the coup plan, as far as he knew. “Mr President, this is real.”
“Manure,” Roosevelt said. “Ambassador – Jackson – there have been threats of something like this for years, on and off. They wouldn’t be so stupid, Jackson; they’d bring the entire house of cards crashing down on their hands.”
King scowled. There had been a report of a plot in 1936, one that was supposed to have selected the wrong general to lead it, who had exposed it. It had been so nebulous that some writers – almost all of them – had questioned its reality. Roosevelt, with his allies, had either refused to believe it or decided to let sleeping dogs lie – the investigation had been a failure, some said to cover the entire matter up.
That might have been a very bad idea, he thought grimly.
“Their position isn’t strong,” Roosevelt said. “I have had bits and pieces, but why would they launch such a plot when they know that they would be defeated? They only represent the rich, Ambassador; what about the people who love the New Deal?”
“They also happen to be the powerless ones,” King said, knowing that it was futile. “Mr President, can’t you at least summon a regiment of troops back to Washington?”
“Not with the conquest of Norway going on,” Roosevelt said. “Public opinion would not stand for it.”
“I know,” King sighed. “Good luck, sir.”
Future Embassy
Washington DC, USA
12th June 1941
“The President doesn’t believe us,” Ambassador King said grimly. “He can’t believe that his fellow patricians could do something so stupid.”
“They’re desperate,” Colonel Palter said. “That explains some of the odd reports we’ve had; we were supposed to have lost several thousand AK-47s in a fire two weeks ago. Want to bet that they were just moved to a different warehouse?” He scowled. “Hoover promised to investigate and blamed it on the commies.”