Focus, Carmichael. He ignored the stares of his team while he thought.
He mentally recounted the known precedents for this kind of thing: There was Nidal Malik Hasan, a U.S. Army major and military psychiatrist who was Muslim and motivated by jihadist leanings, a solid soldier until one day he fatally shot thirteen people and injured more than thirty others at Fort Hood. A similar incident took place when a U.S. soldier of Muslim faith, one who had pledged to serve his country, lobbed grenades into a tent full of American officers, severely wounding thirteen.
How in the hell do you fight something like this? How do you weed out the extremists from the rest of the pack? Especially when the enemy was born, bred and raised as a flag-waving, apple pie-eating American.
At length, he asked Rimaldi, “Are we privy to the motives behind this action?”
“We’re assuming, since this is coming on the heels of Zawahiri’s arrest in Pakistan, that our demand for Zawahiri’s extradition was probably leaked through Pakistani subversives not in line with our interests. In response, al-Qaeda has activated a sleeper cell. We’re certain that demands are forthcoming.”
“What can you tell me about these drones?” Carmichael asked, moving on.
The attorney general responded in earnest. “Five modified Predator drones — Reapers — have been extracted from the site along with twelve MUAVs.”
“MUAVs?”
“Mini-unmanned aerial vehicles. They’re new add-on capabilities to the modified Predators.”
“What exactly are we talking about as far as capabilities?”
“For the Reapers, the MQ-10s have been modified with stealth capabilities, a new adaptation unique to these particular models. They can fly undetected up to a ceiling of sixty thousand feet, and like their predecessors, carry two Hellfire missiles. These are tactical missiles that can be locked onto targets either prior to or after launch. The Reapers can also be equipped with additional payload in the form of four MUAVs per drone, which are referred to as remoras.”
“Remoras?”
“Small drones that attach to the larger drone like a sucker-fish to a shark, Mr. President. They're no larger than eagles and look about as such in the sky to a casual observer. They can be used as surveillance tools, or as explosive weapons…" He paused as if considering something uncomfortable."…Or even be modified as weapons of mass destruction.”
The president cocked his head, trying to intuit a conclusion from the picture that the attorney general drew. “Are you saying that these devices can be altered as WMDs?”
“I am, Mr. President. Yes, sir.”
“And these remoras—” He let his words hang long enough to pull an explanation.
“Each remora has the capability to carry a single canister that can be filled with biological or chemical agents that could be spread via an aerosol over an area, which we both know is against international law."
"As if these people care about international law, for Christ's sake!"
The attorney general nodded in acknowledgement before continuing. "Or it can be simplified to contain five pounds of Semtex plastic explosives, which is powerful enough to raze a four-story building."
The president rubbed his temples as if warding off a headache while his attorney general went on.
"Now, these remoras can act in a couple of different ways,” he told him. “Unlike the Reaper, which can fly a distance of 460 miles one way, the MUAVs only have a maximum range of six miles. So they latch on to the mother drone until they reach their targeted destination. Each one can be programmed to disengage and attack a very specific target from the mother drone’s back, as long as the target is not beyond a six — mile range.”
“And the second use?”
“Should the main drone's stealth capabilities fail, the MUAVs would act in the same manner as decoy flares. If a trailing air-intercept missile has zeroed in on the mother drone, then a remora would detach itself and confuse the missile as to its intended target, taking the hit so that the mother drone can continue on with her course.”
Everyone could see that the president was becoming increasingly agitated, a flurry of nervous tics manifesting themselves as he addressed his inner circle. He rubbed an eye while he spoke.
“So you mean to say that these drones, fortified with stealth capabilities as they are, also have the failsafe backup of detachable mini-drones to support a mission for purposes of mass destruction, or even to provide comprehensive protection from our best defensive alternatives?”
“That's correct, Sir. They certainly weren’t supposed to fall into the hands of insurgents. This weaponry was strictly devised for the U.S. military and is — or so we thought — carefully guarded on select few installations throughout the homeland and abroad.”
"Well, make damn sure that the rest of the facilities where these things are housed are put on lockdown status, do you hear me?" The president glared at his attorney general.
"Already done, Sir."
"Good. So now we're left with the ramifications of our best drone technology in the hands of a terrorist faction fighting some misguided jihad. We have to assume that we are now within the crosshairs.”
He settled back into his chair, taking comfort in the sense of command he felt from his reclining position in, which he often mulled over the problems of the day. He needed to get back in control. He consulted his jeweled chronograph. Time was crucial. The drones had been taken just over three hours ago, leaving little time thus far for the terrorists to set up a launch base.
“All right,” he said, composing himself. “If they're going to use these things against us, they need to set up a launch field, right?"
He continued amidst the chorus of affirmative monosyllables. "But if these robot planes have a max distance of 460 miles, then I want every law enforcement agency within a radius of one thousand miles to find those trucks.”
“The trucks involved in the theft of the drones, Mr. President, have already been found abandoned about fifteen miles north of D.C.”
“They offer any clues?"
"Not so far. Forensics teams are working on them."
"I want every vehicle within the search radius capable of transporting a single one of those drones searched,” he went on. “I want these things found long before they become airborne and maneuverable. Is that understood?”
Murmurs of agreement filled the room.
“In the meantime,” he continued, “I’ll need to be moved to a secure location. Camp David is obviously out.”
“Then may I suggest Raven Rock?” said Chief Advisor Simon Davis. Raven Rock, also called the Raven Rock Military Complex or Site R, is a government facility located on a mountain in Pennsylvania which serves as the Alternate National Military Command Center during a national crisis. The facility runs more than thirty-eight communications systems that are linked to the Defense Information Systems Agency computer, and provides services to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the National Command Authority, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense. It is also sometimes referred to as the Underground Pentagon.
President Carmichael nodded. “Agreed. We can manage everything from Raven Rock,” he said. “Get Marine One ready.”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
“And notify the Director of the FBI,” he added. “This matter comes under his jurisdiction as well. As far as I’m concerned, he needs to coordinate all field offices from here to California. And I want all social media monitored for insurrectionist chatter. I'm tired of being embarrassed by the media for missing some damn tweet — or whatever the hell people use these days — that was out there for the whole world to see. Are we clear?”