Commercial Vehicles Only
She pouted her lips and gave the security guard the most innocent smile she could muster. He blushed as he checked her credentials, before smiling and waving her through. She winked at him as she drove through the gate and into the delivery bay of the Federal building. She wasn’t the normal driver, the guard realized, but she was just so cute. A girl like that couldn’t possibly be dangerous. Maybe he would stop her when she returned and ask for her number.
She hopped out of the truck and glanced around. Not a soul in sight. She locked the door and trotted away. A forklift driver rounded the corner and shouted, “Ma’am, can I help you?”
“Oh! I’m sorry; I just needed to use the restroom. Is there one close by?” She pouted her lips and flashed the same smile as before.
“Oh, well, just up the hall and take a right. But hurry back; I’ll get in trouble if the super shows up and you’re missing.”
“Sure thing babe, see you in a flash.”
***
SPARC Team 12
Columbus, Ohio
The mechanics performed their final safety checks on the planes before clearing them for takeoff. They sealed the mechanical compartments and packed up their tools before leaving for their union-mandated break.
The planes taxied across the airport to their terminals and prepared for boarding. In a matter of hours they would be spread across the entire nation, flying towards numerous major, metropolitan areas.
In a dozen other cities, at a dozen other facilities, packages were hidden or simply left in plain view in an unassuming briefcase or toolbox. One by one the reports came in that the drops had been successful. One by one the malefactors executed their missions and disappeared back into the shadows.
***
William
Washington, D.C.
William flew down U.S. Route 1. He frantically whipped around the roundabouts at Logan and Scott Circles and continued southwest. He weaved in and out of the slower-moving traffic, down Connecticut Avenue and then onto K Street. As he passed the statue of David Farragut in a blur of speed, he thought of the man’s famous quote and laughed. “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!” had taken on quite a different meaning, as far as he was concerned.
George Washington University soon came into view. William looked down to check his watch – twenty minutes. He had to hurry; he did not want to miss a moment of the action. William wheeled the bike into the parking area behind Tonic and rushed up the sidewalk and into the bar.
As he opened the door and stepped into the establishment, he was greeted by an ambiance that was immediately relaxing. The temperature was perfect, the lighting was immaculate. The music was obscure, but tasteful. He loved everything about the place.
William made his way to the restroom and turned on the faucet. He splashed water on his face and ran his fingers through his black hair. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing as he tried to rein it in, but it was to no avail. He strolled across the empty room and into one of the stalls. He sat down on the closed toilet seat, reached into his pocket and retrieved a prescription bottle and a small flask. He rattled out a cocktail of pills of varying shapes and sizes from the bottle. William chewed the pills up and washed the powder down his throat with the gin and tonic that was in the flask. He checked his watch again – ten minutes.
He closed his eyes again and allowed the chemicals to work their calming magic on his body. Within several minutes, he began to relax. His pulse slowed and his breathing returned to a more normal pace. He was usually very relaxed, but the night had brought with it an anxiety that he had never experienced before. Everything hinged on the actions that would be set into motion in a matter of minutes. Soon, the world would begin to radically evolve, more so than even in the last six months. Soon, he would hasten the transformation by tenfold.
He took one last look in the mirror. He straightened his collar and tamed the messy helmet hair from the wild ride. He exited the restroom with a newfound swagger. His presence was more commanding as he strode to the bar. People were beginning to filter in for a long night of drinking and reveling, or so they thought.
She had watched him rush into the bar and disappear into the restroom for several minutes before reappearing as a completely different William, the William that she knew so well. She aimed for him, her heels echoing on the hardwood floor with each purposeful stride. As she reached him, he turned around with his usual Guinness in one hand and a cabernet sauvignon in his other.
She smiled. “Were you expecting me?”
He simply handed her the glass and returned the smile. “Let’s have a seat in the corner tonight.”
They walked over to the secluded nook and sat on the leather sofa. A flat-screen television was hung above the couch opposite of him. The television was a stark contrast to the elegantly rustic surroundings. Normally the contradiction would have annoyed him, but, for the moment, he appreciated its strategic placement. He sunk deep into the couch cushions and propped his feet on the antique coffee table in front of him.
He brought the tall glass of the rich beer to his lips and savored the first mouthful. He rolled it in his mouth like a fine wine before swallowing the liquid. The pills’ effects were in full force now. He smiled and placed his arm around her.
“William,” she smiled playfully and said, “What kind of girl do you think I am?”
“Shhh.” he replied, “Tonight’s not about you, babe; it’s all about me.”
Breaking News flashed across the screen as the regularly scheduled propaganda from the marionettes was interrupted. The feed was replaced with a new, solemn-faced puppet. William grabbed the remote and turned the volume up as high as it would go. Groups were beginning to converge around other televisions within the bar.
“Greetings America,” the teary eyed broadcaster announced, “we have breaking developments from across the country. Reports are still coming in as we speak, but it appears that a coordinated, terrorist attack has struck numerous targets from coast to coast. Bridges have been attacked in New York and San Francisco – wait, this just coming in,” she cupped her ear for a moment before continuing, “-a third bridge has just collapsed in Chicago.
The targets vary widely in nature, but appear to all be connected to a single party. Federal buildings, water treatment facilities, passenger planes – there have been at least a dozen attacks, and more are being reported by the minute.”
She cupped her ear again, straining to hear the speaker, “Oh, we’re cutting to live footage now.”
A camera with a bird’s-eye view circled the collapsed section of the San Mateo Bridge in San Francisco. The sounds of the helicopter’s blades could faintly be heard behind the broadcaster’s narration of the destruction. Cars were beginning to pile up on the bridge with nowhere to go. Suddenly, a second section of the bridge collapsed into the bay. The crowd in the bar gasped collectively at the horror as cars tumbled into the water.
The footage changed to a scene of scattered wreckage and debris in downtown Boston. Multiple buildings appeared to have been damaged by the sabotaged Boeing 747. Hundreds were confirmed dead, but the reporter warned that casualties could reach a thousand before it was over, and there were other plane crashes as well.