Full Black - Brad Thor [87]
“Taking their new knowledge, they compare it against what they know of the world and what they have learned from thousands of years of history. Then they slowly begin to put it into play. This is how the Chinese were able to build a terrorism network rivaling al Qaeda.”
“Which was headed by Aazim Aleem,” said Harvath. “Correct?”
“Exactly. Aazim headed the entire network, but he had no idea that he was working for the Chinese. He believed he was running a branch of al Qaeda, with al Qaeda’s full knowledge and support. He had no idea that he was a tool in the unrestricted warfare toolbox.”
“But the Chinese lost control of the network.”
Nicholas held up his tiny index finger to make a point. “Technically, they didn’t lose it. It was stolen from them. This is the big mystery we’ve been dealing with. Who stole the network, and why?”
Harvath was about to pose a new question, when a chime rang and the green light at the SCIF door illuminated. A fraction of a second later there was the hiss of air as the locks released, the door was opened, and in stepped the Old Man.
CHAPTER 36
Reed Carlton walked into the SCIF. He was a tall, fit man in his midsixties with a prominent chin and silver hair.
Harvath stood up and greeted him.
“We got our asses handed to us in Sweden,” the Old Man said as he grabbed a chair and wheeled it over. It was late, and he was tired and not in a good mood. “I don’t care what it takes. We’re going to nuke these bastards. That’s the word from on high at DoD as well.”
Harvath knew the Old Man was speaking figuratively about nuking the terrorists. It was his term for complete and total victory. Nuke ’em, he would often say before Harvath left on assignment.
There were times, though, in anger over the loss of lives, he would suggest nuking the entire Middle East region. The Arabs, he’d rant, were ungovernable and immune to civilization. As international terrorism sprang almost exclusively from the Middle East, and the Middle East refused to curtail it, why not put an end to it once and for all? Why allow a single additional American to be killed by the fanatics? “The last time I checked,” he would say, as people who didn’t know he was exaggerating listened aghast, “we can still drill through glass.”
He didn’t mince words, and Harvath admired that about him. He had the type of take-no-prisoners, get-the-job-done, and to-hell-with-political-correctness attitude that the United States needed a lot more of.
Nicholas had a mug in front of him. Picking it up, he looked at Carlton and offered, “Coffee?”
“It’s a little late for coffee,” the Old Man replied. “Why don’t you pour me a glass of wine?”
“Wine?”
“Son, I know every single thing that goes on here,” Carlton said.
Nicholas liked being called “son.” He turned his eyes to Harvath, who was the closest to the fridge.
Harvath rolled over to it in his chair and withdrew the bottle. Grabbing three cups, he rolled back.
“I thought you didn’t want any,” said Nicholas, as Harvath poured what was left in the bottle into the three cups.
“Changed my mind,” he replied, as he passed out the cups. “It wouldn’t be right to let you two drink alone.”
Carlton accepted his cup and held it up. “To those who have fallen.”
Harvath and Nicholas repeated the toast together and drank from their cups. They then waited for the Old Man to take charge.
“This isn’t a book club,” he finally said. “You don’t need me to kick things off. Just pick up from wherever you were when I walked in.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Nicholas as he set down his cup and pulled up another image on the closest screen. “As I was explaining, the Chinese had created a sophisticated Islamic terror network as part of their unrestricted warfare plan for the United States, but this